Here's what I've been able to piece together on 1860 Michigan Bar 49er Thomas McCartney. Thomas was the brother of my gg grandfather Nathaniel McCartney. After the 1860 census, I find no record of Thomas, his son, his daughters, his son-in-law or his granddaughter. If anyone has further information on them I'd love to receive it.
jm

Thomas McCartney 1809-1861 biography

Thomas McCartney was born about 1809 in Ohio, probably in Springfield, Clark County. He was one of 12 children of judge, farmer, miller and land speculator William C. McCartney and his wife Margery.
On 2 Apr 1811, William McCartney, Sr., a miller, is elected as an Overseer of the Poor for the Springfield, Ohio, area. And in 1814, William was the largest donor toward the building of a 40x30' meeting house for the Methodist Episcopal Church in Springfield, Clark, Ohio.
In the 1830 census, the William C. McCartney family lives in Union, Logan, Ohio, near West Liberty, where William McCartney is again a miller.
On 23 May 1830, Thomas McCartney married Christena Newell in Logan Co., Ohio. They were married by Jeremiah Fuson. Christena, born about 1811 in Ohio, was likely the daughter of William and Elizabeth (Shields) Newell of Logan Co., Ohio.
Shortly after his marriage, Thomas moved with his parents and most of his siblings to the South Bend, St. Joseph, Ind., area where all of his known children were born.
Thomas’ son William W. McCartney was born in Indiana about 1831. His daughter Amanda M. McCartney was born there about 1835 and his daughter Josephine A. McCartney was born there about 1838. In 1840, the Thomas McCartney family lived in LaPorte County, Ind. The family owned land in LaPorte, Elkhart and St. Joseph counties.
On 13 Jan 1845, Thomas McCartney, his father William C. McCartney and his brother in law Elisha Egbert were among the incorporators of the Philadelphia Industrial Association in South Bend. This was a socialist collective, inspired by Francois Marie Charles Fourier, which sought to improve society through education and collective labor. The association, which was based on William C. McCartney’s land, failed.
In late February or early March of 1849, it appears that Thomas left South Bend for the California gold fields with his brothers James and Benjamin. Indications are that James returned to South Bend fairly quickly and resumed farming. Benjamin seems to have done well in California and apparently returned to South Bend in late 1852 or early 1853, after the death of their father on 30 Jul 1852.
On the census of 10 Sep 1850, Thomas’ wife and three children live in German township, St. Joseph, Ind., just north of South Bend. While it was reported by the census that Thomas was in the household. It seems likely he was actually in California. Also listed in his household were Lewis Barr, age 19, born in Pennsylvania and Wm. H. Ward , age 22, born in Ohio. These men are both listed as farmers and are likely farm hands left to fill in for Thomas.
On 18 Nov 1850, Thomas appears on the census in Placerville and Vicinity, El Dorado, Calif., listed as a miner for gold with a reported real estate holding of $8,000.
In his will, signed on 9 Feb 1851, Thomas’ father William C McCartney left him $1,500 as a credit against Thomas’ debt to his father of $2,000. Thomas’ note to his father was due & payable on 1 Mar 1854.
On 12 May 1852, Thomas was living near Sacramento, Calif., when he gave a Power of Attorney to William Miller of St. Joseph Co., Ind. This could be the result of the death of his wife Christena, as there would have been no one in Indiana to direct his financial affairs.
On 20 Jul 1860, Thomas is living in household 1027 as a farmer in Michigan Bar, Cosumnes, Sacramento, Calif. Michigan Bar was a gold rush town about 25 miles east-southeast of Sacramento along the Cosumnes River. The Michigan Bar post office was established in 1855 and discontinued in 1935. As a town, it no longer exists; however a historical marker is located there.
Living with him are his son William McCartney and a farm laborer, Louis Barr, 28. Louis seems likely to be the same farm hand that worked for the family in South Bend in 1850, though his reported place of birth has changed from Pennsylvania to Ohio.
Based on marriage records from Sacramento, it appears that Thomas’ daughter Josephine McCartney also moved west and married a (J.F.) John Frank Bailey, who was born about 1830 in Maryland. The couple lives near Thomas in household 777, Michigan Bar, Cosumnes, Sacramento, Calif., and has a daughter named Emma Bailey, born 1859 in California.
Living with Frank and Josephine Bailey is B.F. [Benjamin Franklin] McCartney, the son of Thomas’ brother Nathaniel McCartney and his wife Abigail M (Parker) McCartney. Nathaniel, a miller like his father, had died of consumption/TB on 7 Jun 1856 in Scio, Linn, Ore., and his widow had moved to Chico Twp, Butte, Calif., perhaps to be near Thomas.
On 18 Jun 1860, the widow Abigail is living in household 189, Chico, Butte, Calif. Benjamin is also listed as living in her household along with his siblings, a double count.
It appears that Thomas McCartney died near Sacramento, Calif., of consumption/TB about 1861. There is no further record of his son William W. McCartney, or his daughters Amanda M. McCartney and Josephine (McCartney) Bailey. No solid record has been found of his granddaughter Emma Bailey.
Benjamin Franklin McCartney is last mentioned in his mother’s probate notice, which was filed on 31 Mar 1864.
The answer to what happened to some of them may be in the probate archives of St. Joseph Co., Ind., as it would have been necessary for the county to arrange for the proper disposal of Thomas McCartney’s assets.