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Jonathan Eaton was born on September 6, 1745[1], in Salisbury, Massachusetts, the son of Judith Ash and Jonathan Eaton (Sr.). His father died about the same time that this Jonathan was born. He was the youngest brother of the first child of Judith and Jonathan Sr., Theophilus Eaton. Theophilus assumed the responsibility of raising Jonathan (and other siblings) with his mother Judith. Information from the book "An Historical Sketch of the Town of Deer Isle, Maine", page 16[2][3][4]
MARRIAGE, JOB AND CHILDREN
Marriage Jonathan Eaton married Diana Dow in Massachusetts and they traveled to Deer Isle in 1767 where they had their first son. Diana Dow Eaton was the daughter of Nathan and Mary Flanders Dow. She was born on June 14, 1747 and died March 19, 1803.
EARLY SETTLER Jonathan with his wife Diana were early settlers of Deer Isle, arriving in 1767. Most new settlers, and likely this included Jonathan, had to build shelter quickly, carve a log canoe for fishing, and clear some land to begin plantings, such as corn. The fish in the sea was fairly easy to catch as fish were closer to shore where man was not common then. Game was plentiful. The log canoes were sufficient for fishing near shore and for getting around on the water. [5][6][7]
Jonathan Eaton Early (1769) Settler of Sedgwick. |
SALT BOILER For settlers to get salt was a difficult thing due to the travel to a trader in Ft. Point which today is a 45 mile trip one way...imagine the terrain and lack of roads in the 1700s! [8]
So, the enterprising Jonathan began a very interesting job - he boiled salt each summer! Jonathan boiled sea water to gather the approximate 2% of salt within the sea water. He would place large kettles or pans near the water, pump the water to the kettles during high tide, and the water traveled via spouts to the kettles. Wood was abundant and close by. A good thing since it took 400 gallons of seawater to get one bushel weighing 60 lbs of salt. Jonathan received $1.00 per bushel. He would sell or trade his salt for goods he needed. He traveled to settlers north of Newburyport to do his trading.
Towns above Newburyport Maine today to Deer Isle Maine |
Jonathan Eaton-Grays Pond-Sedgwick, Maine. |
[NOTED: Joseph Eaton purchased Jonathan Eaton's Lot at Grays Pond, Sedgwick, Maine- reference attached Image]
Volume 3 folio 183 _ 25 June 1794 Hancock County Deed _ John Hutchinson to Joseph Eaton [land adjacent to Jonathan Eaton (Lot 89) Walker's Pond, Sedgwick, Maine (formerly Gray's Pond) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS3J-2BTG?i=104&cat=334690
Death of Wife His wife Diana Dow Eaton passed away on March 19, 1803, in Deer Isle, Maine, at the age of 55. They had been married 15 years. Diana Dow 1747–1803 (Age 55)
Death of Jonathan Eaton who died on February 27, 1805, in Maine when he was 59 years old.
Both Diana and Jonathan Eaton are buried at Old Settlers Cemetery Deer Isle, Hancock County, Maine. [9]
Grave of Dianna Dow Eaton at Old Settlers Cemetery in Deer Island Maine |
Grave of Jonathan Eaton, the Salt Boiler |
Will of Jonathan Eaton in 1805
Will of Jonathan Eaton of Deer Isle Maine 1805 |
Note: In the book on Deer Isle, there is a reference to a son Jonathan and/or John. Have not been able to connect this so far. Donna Cator: Jonathan; 'John, who was drowned in 1814', while engaged with Mr. Joseph Whitmore, Jr. and a Mr. Brown, of Vinal Haven, in taking a cow across the bay to Vinal Haven in a boat. Their bodies were never found, but that of the cow came ashore on what is called Sellers's Point. https://archive.org/details/historicalsketch00hosm/page/90/mode/2up?q=Eaton
Private, Capt. Nathaniel Fale's co; enlisted Aug. 3, 1779; discharged Aug. 15, 1779; service, 13 days; company marched on expedition to Majorbagaduce by order of Gen. Lovell[10][11][12][13]
THOUGHTS OF DONNA CATOR: This is my 4th Great Grandfather Jonathan Eaton. The most interesting thing I encountered that was completely new to me was his free enterprise venture of being a SALT BOILER. A what? Had to look that one up. I think I have a fairly good vision of his labor in the summers doing this work and then trading the salt along the Maine coastal areas for goods and money. It takes a lot of seawater to harvest a bushel of salt! I hope I have adequately, and briefly, described this process as it occurred in his lifetime.
An exact transcription of the first church records of the First "Congo" Church of Deer Island baptisms, 1785-1853, marriages, 1785-1818, as I find them at this date, March 1906, with annotations, corrections, explanations and additions] by Noyes, Benjamin Lake, 1870-1945 https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/viewer/241424/?offset=0#page=20&viewer=picture&o=download&n=0&q=Eaton
1790 United States Federal Census
Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots
Ancestry Family Trees
Maine, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1800-1890
Maine, Wills and Probate Records, 1584-1999
Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988
North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000
U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1700s-Current
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~medeeris/Deer_Isle/Old_Deer_Isle_cemetery.html
catorfamilies.com
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