Person:Jordan Dotson (1)

In the early years of their marriage, they lived in Raleigh, NC. (JCV)

MIGRATION: Jordan Dotson, Sr's arrival in Pike Co. in 1848 was (along with his brother, George Wheeler Dotson) the first of the Dotson's ( in the relationship) to arrive in Pike Co.. According to Mabel Jessee, the move of the Jordan Dotson, Sr. family from Carter Co., TN, to Pike Co., KY, was more from happenstance than from any long range plan. In her words, "it was most likely in the fall of 1847 that Jordan, Sr., and several of his friends set out in search of ginseng root or, colloquially, they went "sangin" and had planned to do some hunting on the return trip to supplement the winter's meat supply. (Ginseng root was used medicinally by pioneer families and was also sold to preparers of various medicines. Even for those days, it brought a good price per pound.) The group travelled north from Carter Co., TN, on through VA, and eventually found themselves in Pike Co., KY. There was an early, very heavy snowfall and, in-as-much as they were a long way from home, they decided it would be too treacherous to try to make the return journey over snow laden, largely unmarked trails. They pitched camp on the Left Fork of Blackberry Creek and built a sort of lean-to where they cooked their meals. Thus, we have the present day names: Old House Branch and Seng (pronounced "Sang") Camp. When the spring thaw came they returned home and evidently having liked what they had seen of Pike Co., Jordan, Sr., and some of the others packed up their families and moved. " The original story of the Dotson migration to Pike Co. was told to Mabel Jessee by George W. Dotson, s/o Reuben and grandson of Jordan.

RESIDENCE: Jordan, Sr., and his wife Mary settled on the Road Fork of the Right Fork of Peter. Jordon applied for a land grant & received 100 acres on Big Branch, Left Fork of Peter Cr., 25 Jan 1851, Grants in County Court Records, Pike Co., KY

1850 Pike Co., KY Census: Jordan was listed as 46, Mary as 40, Reuben as 20, Elijah, 17, Sarah, 15, George, 13, Rachel, 11, Elizabeth, 9, Jordon, 7, Mary, 5, Ransom, 2.

1.   .

   JORDAN DOTSON was born in 11 Nov 1805 in Ashe County, North Carolina. on 4 Dec 1825 he married Mary "Polly" Wilson in Ashe County, North Carolina. He died on 2 Feb 1887 in Coleman, Pike County, Kentucky. He's buried in the Coleman/Dotson Cemetery
   
   http://hausegenealogy.com/dotson.html