John Bennett Michael did not come West with the main body of the family but came to Oregon in 1850 to claim his part of the land claim owned by Mary Kelso Michael, He lived on the claim 5 years and then went S.W. of Eugene on the middle fork of the Willamette. R. Claude Michael of Brownsville was a descendant of John Bennet Michael.I have another date of birth` as 26 Nov. 1820. Also an article in The Sunday Democrat of Albany, Oregon says that he came to Oregon in 1870.He was buried first at Middle Fork Cemetery and was moved to Mt. Vernon cemetery near Springfield, Oregon. A dam had been built flooding the Landax Cemetery. -------------------------------------------------------------
From Bristow notes.- He did not move to Eugene but to Landax 20 miles east of Eugene on the main fork of the Willamette River. The town was flooded and the body was moved to the Mt. Vernon Cemetery. -----------------------------------------------------------------
He had lived in White Co. Ind. before going to Oregon
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John, his wife Hannah and three of their four children were not a part of his father Jared’s wagon train., not arriving till 1850. On their arrival, Jared deeded 5 acres of his DLC to them on which to live. Hannah died sometime early in 1851 after giving birth to their 4 th children.. About a year and a half later, John met and married Elizabeth Ann Freeling. John and Elizabeth elected to move to Oregon Somewhere about 1870/75 At that time only one of the children from the first marriage, Leah, was alive. By this time John and Elizabeth had Eli Wesley, Annie Rettie and Jessie B. Jessie B. died young leaving Leah, Eli Wesley and Annie to move west with the family.

In about 1855 he and Elizabeth sold their property and moved south to the small villiage of Landax, Or.Landax was located on the main fork of the Willamette River about tweny miles east of Eugene. John served as Justive of the Peace for Landax in 1880-82. About a year after Elizabeth died in 1884, John married Lucinda Orr. He is buried in the Mt. Vernon Cemetery, Springfield Or. where all the remains were moved when the Lookout Point Dam was built and Landax was totally flooded.

What happened to property when John and Elizabeth came to Oregon is not clear.John’s mother Mary Kelso Michael is reported to have turned over some acreage to him out of her portion of the DLC. She had evidently promised him this if he would come West. Edna Michael reports that David Kelso Michael, Jared’s youngest son, deeded 120 acres to John from his inheritance. If this is true John would have arrived after the death of Jared and Mary. Edna Michael also found in her research that John And Elizabeth sold property , part of Jared’s DLC in Dov. 1875 to a Nelson Clark for $ 2,600.00 and moved south to the small village of Landax, Oregon. John served as Justice of the Peace for the village from 1880 to 1882. Elizabeth died in 1884 and John married Lucenda Orr the following year.

The Following from material of Margaret Ann Summitt - Elijah was given 320 acres of his parent’s DLC the same as was given to David. Thenwhen word came that another son was coming to Oregon in 1870. Their mother, Mary Kelso Michael, asked Elijah to return 100
acres to her so she could give it to John Bennett Michael, the son, ThenJared and Mary would live with John the rest of their lives which would not be very long. Her request was granted and the parents lived with son John until Jared died in a very few years. Then son John sent word to Elijah to come and get MOTHER which he did. A little later John sold his acreage four or five years after receiving it and moved to the middle fork of the Willamete southeast of Eugene
( as remembered by our mother, Mary Michael Kirk, who was a daughter of Elijah Michael a
and knew the facts of the case as it all happened while she was still lving at home)
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