Strang, Oklahoma and Thomas Straley Goins grocery store

    A street in Strang, Oklahoma, circa 1923.  My grandfather’s store is to the left. Thomas Straley Goins moved from the area around Spavinaw to Strang between 1910 and 1920. Strang became a town where the railroad from Neosho, Missouri met the railroad from Muskogee, Oklahoma. 

    The president of the MO&G (Missouri, Oklahoma and Gulf) railroad, William Kenefic,  named Strang after his wife, Clarita Strang Kenefic. Kenefic and Clarita are towns in Oklahoma that are also named after William and his wife. When the MO&G railroad met at Strang, they celebrated on February 12, 1913 with a golden spike ceremony.

Strang, Oklahoma in 1923. My Dad, age 2, Thomas Craig Goins in front of his Dad's store. 

Shadrach & Obadiah Goins

    In the late 1990’s, my cousin, Jody Fisher took my research on the Goins family and started a detailed search into finding her ancestors. In 1997, Jody’s information about our Goins family was “sandwiched” into Section 107 of the Gowen Manuscript. At that time, the Gowen Foundation regarded Obadiah Goins as the father of Edmond and Hugh Goins of Rutherford County, North Carolina. 

    The Gowen Foundation had Obadiah, Hugh and probably Edmond living in Rutherford County, North Carolina prior to the move of all three to Tennessee. Obadiah was enumerated in Monroe County, Tennessee in the 1830 and 1840 census, while Edmond was recorded in nearby Blount County.

    Obadiah was described as “free colored” in the 1840 census, suggesting that he was a Melungeon. Obadiah Goings also appeared in the 1850 census of Monroe County as the head of a household, age 73, born in Virginia. The Gowen Foundation list only six Obadiahs in over 10,000 pages of the manuscript. Only one of them was born about 1777 in Virginia. 

    That Obadiah Goins is the son of Shadrach Goins of Hanover, Halifax and Patrick Counties, Virginia. Shadrach Goins wrote his will in Patrick County in 1805 and named Obadiah Goins, his ninth and youngest son as his executor. Obadiah sold out his inherited land in Patrick County in 1808 and probably moved to Rutherford County, North Carolina.

The Gowen Foundation said that Obadiah Gowen wrote his will in nearby Roane County, Tennessee in 1858 and that it might hold clues that would help tie Edmond and Obadiah together.

Edmond is Edward?

    Edward Goin is enumerated in the 1830 census for the Western Division of Blount County, Tennessee. Besides their family, a female between the age of 60 and 70 resides with them. This is probably Edward’s or Sarah’s mother. In the 1820 census,  Edward Gowin and his wife are living in Rutherford County, North Carolina. They have a son under 10 years old.  Living next to Edward is Alexander Gowin and his wife. They are both 45 years old or older. The reasons that I think this Edward is my Edmon/Edmond Goins in the later census are:

    (1) In the 1860 census, Edmond lists his birth in North Carolina.

    (2) Edmond’s son, Daniel was born in North Carolina in 1819. This matches the son 10 years or younger in the 1820 census.

   (3) In the Rutherford County, North Carolina marriages, 1783-1850, Edward Goin married Salley Goin November 11, 1817.

   (4)  Alexander Gowin is believed to be Edward’s father. It is Edward’s mother that is living with him and his family in the 1830 census.

Goins Clan of Bradley County, Tennessee

    Back in 1988, I made a chart that listed the "Goins" clan of Bradley County, Tennessee. One way of trying to find Edmond's father is to use the "naming pattern." Edmond's first born son is Daniel. According to tradition, the first son is named after the paternal grandfather. Now to see if I can find a Daniel Goins, Goin, Going, Gowan, Gowen, etc. in North Carolina.

The genealogical internet freeway

    I have been interested in my ancestors since the 1980's. I use to rent microfiche and scroll through census records looking for my family members. I found my Goins ancestors all the way back to Bradley County, Tennessee in the 1860 census. At that time I was content to stop and work on my Mom's side of the family and my Dad's mother, Nellie Craig.

    Now it is 2012 and I am again traveling down the genealogical internet freeway. I thought taking the turnpike, the ancestry website, would take me to my destination sooner. I found that the turnpike had way to many exits that quickly turned into dirt roads. The internet freeway is no different. I have to have my GPS set to one destination and stick with it. I get distracted easily and I usually end up on some dead end road. Sometimes that road ends up in a swamp. I am literally "swamped" with information that may or may not be relevant.

    I started with my great great great grandfather Edmond Goins and started traveling back in time looking for his parents. In the 1860, 1850, and 1840 census, Edmond and his family are living in Bradley County, Tennessee. Now I am on my dirt bike following the trails. I'll see where they lead me.