WikiTree Collaboration

Shakers Mercer County, Kentucy

Working again on Callahan line since I made contact with another researcher through WikiTree. I haven't worked on that line in a number of years. I remember my surprise regarding the fact that Mary and Polly Callahan were the same people in my early research. This was one of my first discoveries when I first started researching. I had no idea Polly was a nickname for Mary before. When I found out that Richard Browning's wife's name was Mary Callahan I immediately searched for her with her parents in 1850 ( my source was my Great-Grandmother Isis Browning/Forgey's Death Certificate). I found a Callahan family right next to Richard and his first wife on the 1850 Census for Jackson County, Indiana. That Callahan family did have a daughter in her age range but her name was Polly? Lucky I was reading a Genealogy how-to book at the time and SURPRISE, I found out Polly was a nickname for Mary. So I figured this was likely the right family living next door to Richard.

Going through my Yahoo Mail I found an email from someone on WikiTree asking me what I had on this family. I am so sorry I missed it earlier. I hate to be rude and not answer emails. The email is dated December 11, 2012. My Yahoo mail is filled to over flowing. I've changed my WikiTree email to my gmail account so this doesn't happen again. What this person specifically asked about was Jesse Callahan's father. We believe he is Dennis Callahan, but the case is just circumstantial. I feel good about this conclusion which several of us have come to. 

Callahan wasn't a common name in America in the 1700's, especially in Indiana. Dennis was not commonly used either; both being associated with Irish Catholics who didn't migrate in great numbers until the potato famine. Jesse had a son named Dennis as recorded in the 1850 Census. In 1813 a Dennis Callahan appears on a Harrison County, Indiana Tax List. He disappears after that. There is also a Dennis Callahan on the 1810 Census for Mercer County, Kentucky with sons. Dennis also appears on Tax Lists for Mercer County, KY from 1797 to 1811. On the 1811 Census there are two Dennis Callahans one Senior and one Junior. One of these is likely the same person who shows up later in nearby Harrison County, Indiana because I don't see a Dennis in later records in Kentucky.

• According to the Censuses Jesse Callahan was born in 1795 in Kentucky
• According to his wife Eve's widow's pension they were married in 1814 by Abner Martin in Washington County, Indiana ( making them my earliest Indiana settlers)
• Jesse was a veteran of the War of 1812 

My WikiTree contact has done extensive research on the Callahan family. A Callahan cousin of his took a Y 67  marker DNA.  He came up with some facts which I missed. 

1. He found a 1798 marriage record between Dennis Callahan and Margaret Bowler in Mercer County, KY
2. He found a Polly Callahan born 1792 buried in Mercer County, KY in 1865. She was a member of the Shaker Community and likely never married since the Shakers practice celibacy. The Shaker records were microfilmed by the LDS and may contain important info about her family?
3. A third important discovery was made using DNA.  His cousin took a 67 marker Y test which produced a match with another Callahan who took the 25 marker test and is a descendant of Dennis Callahan who was born 1790 and lived in Brown County, Ohio. They were a 23 out of 25 marker match. He had a son Jesse the same name as my ancestor. Sounds like it could be Dennis Callahan Junior?
4. Another discovery he made were two Dennis Callahans who served in the War of 1812

I do hope I am related to Polly Callahan the Shaker. I own some Shaker style chairs and love their hymn Simple Gifts. I remember reading Charles Dickens impression of them which was basically "Grim". They were inventive, industrious people with a simple style when it came to design. Probably didn't appeal to the Victorian tastes of most people during that era. I do hope that the Shaker records contain Callahan family info. I also plan on looking more at Dennis Callahan of Brown County, and the Dennises who served in the War of 1812.