Was of Penn. Dutch and Scotch origin.Married Joseph Alvord in Indiana, Thomas Cady in Oregon and William Balcom in Missouri. Died at 40. The Michael family bible in possession of Geo. Fruitt, Brownsville, Oregon says that she was married to Thomas Cady June 15, 1848. I have other records showing that they were married June 5, 1848 Elizabeth Cady married William A. Balcom 10 Feb 1867 by Abel F Molloy, J.P. Recorded in marriage Book 2 A page 187 Linn Co.Mo.Recorders Office File Box 8 Linn Co, Mo. She died at the birth of their first child by him and they are buried together on the Linneus Cemetery. Probate Record says that William A. Balcom was appointed guardian of Thomas and Elizabeth Cady's children. He served as their guardian from his appointment Aug 7, 1868 to Dec, 13, 1870 when he relinquished his guardianship. Probate book C, Pg 44 says that Alcaster Bently was apponted guardian for David Cady upon the withdrawal of William A. Balcom 21 Aug 1869. Probate book C page 125 says that William B. Brinkley was appointed for Jared and Thomas Cady ;David Cady was appointed guardian for Amanda Cady, his younest sister. All appointed upon the withdrawal of William A. Balcom Dec 13, 1870. ----------------------------------------------------------------- -By seperate papers I have a divorce proceedings showning that Joseph Alvord did not die at that period as was in the lore but tha Elizabeth abonded her home and ran off to Oregon with her parents and married Thomas Cady without benifit of a divorce. Divorce was unheard of at that time. She married Alvord Sept 30 1843, left him about Sept 1 1844, went to Oregon 1846/47, married Thomas Cady June 5 1850. Alvord started proceedings in Dec 1849 due to her desertion and was granted a divorce in Howard Co.Indiana in May 1850. All records regarding to the marriage and divorce of Joseph Alvord are verified by record from the Howard County Courthouse in Indiana by Thomas E. Cady, Probate books and copy of divorce. I have a copy of the divorce records. ----------------------------------------------------------------- The below in an account of the Thomas and Elizabeth Michael Cady family given to me by Alice Cady Moulder 1882 to 1972, my Aunt. The account of her returning to her first husband and nursing him till death is a fable. Also, she did herd 300 sheep and not 30 as stated here. At least other accounts said that she did have his estate probate in Walworth Co Courthouse in Wisconsin. It says that she had approximately 400 head of sheep.The following tale is very general. I found in another sourse definitely saying that the trip from Wisconcin to Missouri took exactly 30 days not 100 days as stated below. "Thomas Cady was born Nov. 19, 1814 in New York State and spent his early years in the East. He worked on the Erie Canal driving teams that pulled the barges. While away from home, milk fever wiped out his entire family except a sister away from home. He was a gay young blade and headed towards California. He became ill on the trail and was nursed to health by Elizabeth Michael Alvord. They were married June 5, 1848. The Thomas Cady family did well in California and prospered raising cattle and selling them to the miners. in California. They had four children in California. David Cady-1849, Jared Cady 1851, Thomas Cady 1852 and Mary Cady 1855. Elizabeth Michael, daughter of Jared and May Kelso Michael was born Aug 21, 1827. When she was a young woman, she married and then left her husband. He was Joseph Alvord. Lore said he contacted a fever and asked her to take care of him in return for his estate. She returned to him and cared for him till his death. ( the above about Joseph Alvorad's death is myth. I have not been able to find out where Joseph Alvord came from or went ) She never told her children by later marriage about the marriage and what little was learned about it was learned after her death. Her parents went to California in the gold rush of the 1840's and she accompanied them. She met a young man, ill on the trail, and nursed him to health and married him on arriving in California. WRONG (They went to Oregon and farmed and Thomas Cady did go to northern California with a lot of cattle and made a fortune selling to the miners) .
Tom Cady mined and prospected a lot and was away from home a lot leaving his family in friendly Indian country where they experienced a great many adventures of the frontier. They returned to the East by the way of Panama- by ship- hiking through the jungles ( the Panama Railroad was open at the time so they probably crossed the isthmus on it)then by ship to NYC. They had two money vests containing $ 50,000.They lived in the East for 2 years and then moved to the wilderness of Wisconsin. After returning from the West they had another child, Amanda Cady Webley, in 1862.\ Tom Cady then went to Northern Missouri and bought 5 adjoining farms. The home place was to go to the youngest son, Tom Jr. Upon returning to Wisconsin to get his family, Tom Cady became ill and died without recovering. Elizabeth Cady was left with 5 children in Wisconsin and all her savings invested in 5 farms in Missouri. She organized a 5 a wagon train and trailed 300 sheep, cattle ect to Northern Missouri.She employed Wm. A. Balcom, about 29, and Joe Slater ( never heard of again ) as drovers. The trip was about 600 miles and took 30 days She had a piano, a cast iron stove, 8 spool bedsteads (like Jennie Lind ). The one bed that survived until a house fire had 17 layers of pain or varnish. When she arrived in Missouri she married one of the drovers, W.A. Balcom, in 1867. The first summer in Missouri, she was chasing horses out of the orchard and aborted and died of thr resulting infection. So ends a generation. We found her grave at the olf Linneus Cemetery and that of Willam Balcom in the Laclede Cemetery with his third family in Linn Co. Mo. and his records show that he had a great civic record and was a leader in the community. She must have been plump and about 5 ft-two to four inches tall. She had dark hair and very dark black eyes. _________________________________________________________ Marriage to William A. Balcom recorded in marriage bookk 2a pg 223 Linn Co Recorders office. ----------------------------------------------------------------- from Everett S. Stanard, Albany, Oregon 4 Nov. 1923. Mr and Mrs Cady settled in the district referred to in pioneer days as West Point. This was at a place south of the Union Point district. It got its name from the fact that the spur of the mountain at this point seems to extend farther westward than elsewhere. More than 70 years ago Mr. Cady built a house on his claim that is said to be still standing. Thomas Cady was a very industrious and enterprising man. He and M. Wilkins and one or two others built a schoolhouse in this neighborhood, hired a teacher and started up a school at a very early date. The first pupils in that school were Davis, Jared and Thomas Cady, the Wilkins boys, Carson Holt, Cincinnatus Heine Miller ( the poet ) and others Shirley and I drove aroumd the Westpoint area but did not find the house ----------------------------------------------------------------- Comment from Tom Cady _ He returned from Oregon a fairly wealth man but not $ 50,000. I would be surprised if he had $ 20,000. I traced about $ 12,000. Tales grow.
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From DIARY OF WILLIAM A BALCOM July 8, 1906 -40 years ago tonight I slept for the last time in a tent. Had slept 30 nights on the road from Wisconsin. July 9 1906 - Forty years ago today I got to Linneus after being one month on the road from Wisconsin. 9 July 1915 - 49 years ago today I arrived in Linneus from Lyons, Wisc.
June 8 1916 He wrote at home 50m years ago, my last night.. June 9 . 50 years ago today I started for Mo. from Wisc. Left Lyons the day before. 9 June 1918 52 years ago today I started from Wisc. for Mo. Arrived at Linneus on July 4
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From Balcom family records - W.A.Balcom married 39 year old Elizabeth Cady on Feb 10, 1867. Elizabeth died July14, 1868 during childbirth. W.A, turned the homestead over to the older Cady children. Then he moved to Lacleded and married 15 years old Laura Brunemer. On the 1870 census, two of the cady children ( Mary and Amanda ) were living with W.A. and Laura Balcom.