Lorenzo Dow Kirk (1833 - 1861)

Born 9 Dec 1833 in Giles, Virginia, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Harriet (Cooper) Hargrave — married 9 Nov 1856 in Livingston County, Missouri, United States

Died 12 Apr 1861 at age 27 in Chillicothe, Livingston, Missouri, United States

Biography

Son of John Kirk and Margaret Williams.

Husband of Harriet Cooper (later Hargrave), married 9 Nov 1856 in Livingston Co., MO.

Father of Elizabeth Kirk Fifield and Georgianna Kirk Kessler.

Although the biographical sketch says Lorenzo Dow Kirk was born in Springhill, Livingston, MO, census records say he was born in Virginia.

From "History of Caldwell and Livingston Counties Mo.," published 1886, Chapter V:

In Livingston County another shooting occurred. A young man who had stirred up trouble where ever he went; California, on the gold rush, Springhill where he was born, playing cards in Utica and Breckinridge, or on the square of Chillicothe, was shot by one of his enemies. Lorenzo Dow Kirk was shot by a resident of Livingston County, Tom Jennings. Dow Kirk and a friend Tomas Curtis were loading goods at Dunglin & Morling’s Store on the square when Jennings moved stealthily through the trees on the square and leaned on the fence and shot. First killing Curtis and injuring Kirk and then shooting again and killing Kirk. This wasn’t related to the problems of the Federal government but it shows the problems in Livingston County when a jury in 1862 acquitted Jennings for both deaths. In fact, the Kirks were in the same military unit with Jennings in May,1861 and they were still fussing but on the same side, the South, in the larger fuss. ^[1]

Census Records

1850 Census, Livingston Co., MO: John Kirk age 56 b VA; Margaret Kirk age 48 b VA; Geo P Kirk age 23 b VA; Joseph P Kirk age 20 b VA; Lorenzo D Kirk age 16 b VA; Mary J Kirk age 14 b VA; Louisa Kirk age 12 b VA; Almira Kirk age 10 b VA; Georgiana Kirk age 3 b MO. ^[2]

1860 Census, Jackson Twp., Livingston, MO:

• L. D. Kirk, age 26 b VA; Harriet age 22 b MO; Elizabeth age 2 b MO; George age 1 b MO.
• J. B. Kirk (Lorenzo's brother) age 30 constable b VA; Mary Kirk age 17 b VA. ^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ From "Livingston County in the Civil War," by Carolyn Leffler and Sue Jones. http://www.livingstoncountylibrary.org/history_civilwar.htm
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDZX-SQZ : 12 April 2016), Lorenzo D Kirk in household of John Kirk, Livingston county, Livingston, Missouri, United States; citing family 398, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHZC-WGK : 14 December 2017), L D Kirk, 1860.