General Notes

THEOPHILUS POWELL was born 12 Aug 1792 in Montgomery County, Virginia, the son of Cader Powell and Frances Foote.  He started preaching while still a young man (an old certificate was issued by the Methodist Church for one year, dated 1835). 

In 1836, Theophilus Powell received a grant of land, 50 acres on Begus Creek in Kentucky.  In 1837 another 50 acres on Powell's Creek, and again 150 acres more on Powell's Creek.

Perhaps the land was less productive than he had hoped, for when Theophilus' brother Allen Powell moved with his wife and their children to Missouri, Theophilus went with them.  In Missouri he was given more of the certificates by the Methodist Church, on which he preached, a year at a time.  He officiated at many of the marriages and was the "circuit rider" type of minister on the frontier of America.  The life of a circuit rider was both difficult and dangerous, and could have filled many books, but who among them had time to write a book?  There were souls to save.

On 01 Nov 1841, Theophilus Powell married a young widow, Rachael Center Tull, whose husband Aaron Tull had died of tuberculosis, leaving her with a baby boy, William Tull.  They probably lived on a farm in Missouri, as Theophilus had previously lived in Kentucky.  However lack of markets, low farm prices and malaria (which was prevalent there), discouraged many of the early settlers of Missouri.

The Powells began to hear stories of the wonderful Oregon country.  On 11 May 1845, Theophilus and Rachael Powell left Independence, Missouri in the great wagon train of 1845.  Rachael's mother, Mary Fetter Center, rode in their wagon, as did Lucy, a crippled sister.  Their destination was "The Settlement," as Oregon City was then called.  The wagon train left under the command of Capt. Solomon Tetherow, but after a few days he resigned and Capt. English took over.

It took 6 months to travel west. Finally, on 05 Feb 1846 Theophilus and Rachael chose a homesite six miles south of Silverton, Oregon.  They had 3 children then (William Tull, Rachael's son from her first marriage, and Mary Ann Powell and Isaac Jamison Powell, who had both been born in Independence, Missouri).  Martha Jane Powell was born in Oregon Territory just a month after they settled their claim.  Two more sons were born in the following years — John Wesley Powell and George Powell.

As in Kentucky and Missouri, Theophilus Powell preached in Oregon for the Methodist Church.  He helped to build Rock Creek Church near Needy, Oregon.

Theophilus Powell died on 20 Jan 1861, at Waldo Hills, and he was buried on his donation land claim under a tree.  His mother-in-law Mary Center was also buried in the Theophilus Powell family plot, as was a little girl who died of scarlet fever, and a fourth person who is unknown.  For many years the little graveyard was enclosed by a white picket fence.  Inside the fence there was, reportedly, a large tree, a boulder, and a spring — but the picket fence is no more and the exact grave location is now unknown.

Because the grave location is unknown, a descendant erected a memorial stone to Theophilus Powell and placed it in the Rock Creek Cemetery, which is where Theophilus' wife Rachael is buried (on 13 July 1862, Rachael had remarried Isaac Roop, a farmer from Needy and himself a widower with a family of half-grown children).

— adapted in part from "Our Colonial Lines", third edition, by Gertude Brown Smith and Beulah M. Springstead (a family-published book of history and genealogy)

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  Burial Notes

buried on his donation land claim, in a small fenced-in area, under a tree (location of grave lost); however, there is a cenotaph for Theophilus in Rock Creek Cemetery in Needy, Oregon

  Recorded Events in His Life

• Cenotaph: A memorial exists for Theophilus in Rock Creek Cemetery near Needy, Clackamas County, Oregon, USA, although he is buried elsewhere.

• He worked as an itinerant or circuit preacher, Methodist Church.

• Fact: preaching certificate from Methodist church issued for one year; received more certificates in Missouri, in 1835.

• He owned Land grant, 50 acres on Begus Creek in Kentucky in 1836.

• He owned another 250 acres on Powell's Creek, then another 150 acres more on Powell's Creek in 1837.

• Moved: With older brother Allen & his family to Missouri, After 1837.

• He appeared on the 1840 US Federal Census in 1840 in Mount Pleasant, Van Buren County, Missouri, USA. Head of House:       Theopholus Powell
  Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29:       1
  Persons Employed in Learned Professional Engineers:       1
  Schools - Primary and Common Schools:       1
  Schools - No. of Scholars (Pri/Comm):       20
  Free White Persons - 20 thru 49:       1
  Total Free White Persons:       1
  Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves:       1

• Moved: Left Independence, Missouri to travel west with the great wagon train of 1845, 11 May 1845.

• He appeared on the 1850 US Federal Census on 24 January 1850 in Marion County, Oregon Territory, USA. ⁵ Marion County, Oregon Territory, USA (Theophilus, age 58)

• He appeared on the 1860 US Federal Census on 19 July 1860 in Sublimity, Marion County, Oregon, USA. ⁶ Sublimity, Marion County, Oregon, USA (T., age 68)