From Canada to New York to the prairies of the West; Margaret Bell Feltnor (Felmore) Tripp
- Jennifer Wright
- Aug 14
- 7 min read
Hours of research provided nuggets of small details, creating the foundation for the story of Margaret Bell, however leaving us with the limited idea of what her life must have been like. Family members do their best when we die to tell stories of our lives but when we don't take the time to write down our most cherished memories they are lost in the dust of what was once our body. Maybe that's for the best as within a generation or two most are forgotten all together. But what if we took what limited details we have and create that story for Margaret? This is a creation of what could have occurred with what we know DID occur. Margaret deserves a bit of creativity today! Her obituary provides a foundation, however lacking of details of her earlier life....
The heat of summer swept through the small home when she answered the knock. "Who could be at the door" she wondered as no one would volunteer their time in the heat of a summer day in Missouri just to visit a dear friend. It was late July and she kept the house dark with windows open to let in the breeze but it was all for not when she opened the door. Missouri's summer heat took over the small dwelling.
A man whose face was red with sweat beads trickling down from underneath his hat, arrived to take down the Census records. Not much in formalities as he had many homes to visit that day. She allows the man into her modest home and adjourned to the rickety wooden table where she's fed her children at for the past three years, almost four. The man explains to her what details he requires for the Census, which brings on a wave on anxiety and sadness to her. Her husband has yet to return from his trip out to California he ventured on in the summer of 1857. She had been told he was a victim of the Mount Meadows massacre however, not wanting to give up that last morsel of hope she provides his name, Eli Tripp, a shoemaker born in Pennsylvania. The man merely writes down "E Tripp" without a notice to her sadness. She goes on to tell man she was born in Canada and had met her husband when in New York where they first made a home. Her nine year old son was born there and afterwards, Eli re-enlisted into the Army that began their journey to the West as he was stationed at Fort Kearney in 1854. Her eldest daughter, Sarah Ellen was born there and in September 1856 on their journey to Missouri, a daughter, Emmaline Jane was born in Kansas Territory. The man did not require details of their other two children left behind, buried during their travels from New York to the West. These two children, unknown to the writer, only mentioned in her obituary years later have already joined the obscurity of what could have been. She felt a sense of Eli's presence as she told their life's journey but the man bluntly stopped her, thanking her for the limited details he required from her and left. To her Eli was still at their last home, a small modest home in St. Joseph where he decided to not take up his prior skills as a shoemaker and take on the adventures of the West. His time in the Army provided him with skills needed for safety during wagon trains to California. His soul lingers but she knows she will never be blessed with his entrance into the home. Shoe making was the skill that brought them together in upper New York as he was mentored by an elderly man whose wife also was from Canada. She wonders what would have become of their life if only Eli would have remained in New York and kept himself happy with creating shoes. Instead, re-enlisting into the Army during the Mexican-American War suited his needs. Her smile faintly leaves her face as she brings herself back to late July 1860, in a home next to a large boarding house where the writer can only imagine she may work at. She later marries and returns to an adventure but for the next eight years she remains providing for her three small children in a home far away from any relation, relation that the writer has yet to discover, only noting her parents are mentioned as being Irish more than once on Census records. Her parents travelling from Ireland to Canada.
Our sources begin with her obituary where family members tell us she was born in Montreal, Quebec. Between census records, Margaret's family line comes into focus but only one detail, that her parents were born in Ireland and that her maiden name is listed as Feltnor or Felmore. In 1850, she and Eli are married living in Lyons, Wayne County New York. Eli is listed as a shoemaker and they live next door to a 77 year old man named Abner Brenn who is a Shoemaker and owns his home. He is from Massachusetts and his wife, Sally is 74 and is from Canada. Is this a connection to Margaret's family in Canada or merely a consequence? I've reached out for assistance in Lyons, New York to see if a marriage record could be located for Margaret and Eli. They may have met earlier and married. What we know of Eli's travels is that he enlisted in the Army in December 1847 in Albany, New York and was discharged in October 1848 by civil authority after being based at Ft. Monroe, Virginia. Eli returns to the area in New York and in two years time is married and living in Lyons, New York. Did he meet Margaret while in Virginia? Did he meet her after his return from Ft. Monroe? Hopes for their marriage record to shed some light onto this part of her past.
The Census is for 1850 is taken in December of that year and by February 1851 Eli is itching for adventure again as he enlisted again, this time at Syracuse, New York. He ends up with the 6th Infantry II, Company C and their travels take them to Ft. Kearny, Nebraska.
The Fort comprised of small adobe and wooden structures was without a wall for fortification. Fortification came later in the 1860's. Not much of a "fort" but a stop on the Oregon Trail. Margaret and Eli travel to the Fort, she with their infant son, maybe another or pregnant as there are two children unaccounted for the couple. A daughter, Sarah Ellen is born while Eli is stationed at the Fort. Eli's time with the Army ends on July 19, 1856 and two months later his daughter Emmaline Jane is born, listed on Census records of born in Kansas territory. Now, Emmaline's obituary states she was a native to Nebraska City, Nebraska and others have noted her as born in Nebraska however the only sources to cite have her born in Kansas Territory. It is not known where Eli and Margaret landed after his discharge however we know in 1860 she resides in St. Joseph, Missouri, a larger community than those in Kansas or Nebraska. Maybe Emmaline is born on their travels back east from Ft. Kearny? That theory holds weight as no records of a permanent residence for them have been located. And yes, I've decided to leave out the "E" in Kearney based off the timeline while at the fort.
1857 is where Margaret and Eli end their time together as he heads West with a wagon train destination California. No records on why Eli was with the group but one can theorized it's due to his training and experience gained while in the Army. In Margaret's obituary Eli's demise is listed as a victim of the Mount Meadows Massacre in Colorado. This occurred in Utah and is a tragic story of the perils of that time in the West. A book and movie have been created on this massacre. Around 120-140 men, women and children were killed by Nauvoo Legion Mormons who recruited the help of some Paiute Indians to kill the "Americans" based of a 7 year siege predicted by Brigham Young. An awful part of our nation's history, this stemming from yet another religion fearing their demise from the government. Danyle and I traveled to Utah earlier this year but did not know of this connection and it was a bit further west of our travels. Another trip to come!
Eli Z Tripp was born circa 1828 with his place of birth not cited but is listed as from Pottsville, Pennsylvania in military records. Eli's great grandmother is Hannah Stark.
Margaret marries a second time to a man named Hezikiah Phelps on 17 March 1868. Hezekiah was a fine reinsman, having been one of the old time stage drivers before the railroad was built between St. Joseph, Mo. & Council Bluffs, Iowa. It appears he never married and had no children of his own. He served with Company L, 4th Iowa Calvary. He was born in Ohio.
In June 1870 Margaret is back in Nebraska residing with her husband and children at Nebraska City, Otoe County Nebraska. Hezikiah is listed as a Stage Driver. It appears his work brought them back to Nebraska. According to Margaret's obituary they move to Oregon, Missouri in 1871 where she remains until her death. Margaret is buried at Maple Grove Cemetery, Oregon, Missouri. A small but yet significant connection back to Jennifer's family line is that Jennifer's mother's line locates at this same town, with her 4th great grandmother, Sarah McCully Wilson buried at the same cemetery. Sarah's youngest daughter is married to the towns pharmacist. Margaret surely walked into that establishment a few times during her time there. Sarah's story will be share in another blog post. Yet again, a small Western town sharing our families travels...the taisteal continues!
Sources:
(1) Eli Tripp military service: "United States, Registers of Enlistments in the U.S. Army, 1798-1914", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJD5-2WL9 : Fri Jul 19 14:07:06 UTC 2024), Entry for Eli Z Tripp, 22 Dec 1847.
(2) 1850 US Census, Lyons, Wayne County New York
(3) Eli Tripp military service: "United States, Registers of Enlistments in the U.S. Army, 1798-1914", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJD5-TXB7 : Thu Jul 11 21:46:33 UTC 2024), Entry for Eli Z Tripp, 19 Feb 1851.
(4) 1860 US Census St. Joseph, Buchanan, Missouri
(5) Details on Hezikiah Phelps: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/137238122/hezekiah_j-phelps
(6) "Find a Grave Index", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVP3-KFJG : Thu Apr 03 18:44:48 UTC 2025), Entry for Margaret B Phelps.
(7) 1880 US Census, Oregon, Holt County Missouri; Margaret's parents listed as born in Ireland.