Family Remembrance:795, p. 60-61. "Presley Warnock and his motherless children and the McCoys arrived in Oregon September 25, 1853, after a hard trip. The party traveled by day and at night the wagons were gathered in a circle with the horses and cattle on the inside. Not a great deal is known about this journey over the Old Barlow Road, or Oregon Trail, but Elizabeth Jane Warnock was such a beautiful girl that they were afraid the Indians might kidnap her. In fact, one young Indian brave followed the caravan for days. On the whole the Indians proved friendly. When the caravan reached the Snake River, the horses and cattle ate some poison weed and died and Presley Warnock and his family were forced to journey across the vast expanse of Oregon Territory with one horse and one ox.

Jack Folsom, Pendleton, Oregon, grandson of Margaret Ann Warnock, and John Edward Folsom, states that his grandmother told him that they crossed the Snake river at Emigrant Gap near American Falls, Idaho. There were high banks on both sides of the river, slow water, a beach of sand and gravel. They calked the wagon beds and used them as boats and they went back and forth many times with their supplies, the women and children and the cattle. Some of the cattle couldn't swim and the men had to go along with them and grab them by the horns, raising the heads out of the water so the cattle could breathe. The ox was a wonderful swimmer so he was used to bring the cattle across. The cattle would be tied to him or his tail. The ox received special care and attention for his services in making the crossing." John McCoy and his brother Weeden McCoy accompanied their uncle Presley Warnock on this trip over the spring and summer of 1853. The McCoy and Warnock families were enumerated as adjacent households in the 1850 census; Rachel Frame Warnock and Margaret Frame McCoy were sisters.

Biographical Sketch (1880):830, p. 177. "John McCoy, born 1831 in Ohio. His parents, William and Margaret McCoy, removed to Indiana when he was four years old. He was raised on a farm, living in Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and Indiana, leaving this latter place for the Pacific coast by the South Pass route, being on the road six months. He started with a good outfit, but having mountain fever, and fighting Indians, diminished his supplies, and he arrived in Oregon City, Oregon, in 1853, with his blankets. He mined in Yreka in 1854, and in Idaho, with good success.

As wagon-master, he served nine months in 1855, in the Indian war in Oregon, going from there to the coast as a volunteer, serving three months longer. Was in the milling business two years, and then turned his attention to farming in Del Norte county. Left there in 1866, going to Solano county; from there to Yolo and Colusa counties in 1868, where he is at present, his business being farming, running a threshing machine and making public roads. He has one hundred and sixty acres of land, twelve miles from the county seat and water communication, and one and one-quarter miles from railroad, church, and school. The land is first class, on an average yielding twenty-five bushels per acre. Has twelve horses, fourteen hogs, and two cows.

Married Miss Boydston, aged sixteen, in 1861. She is from Illinois. Names of children: Francis, Belingsley, Melinda, Sylvester, Edgar, Arthur, Grace, Guy, and Jesse McCoy. He has been in most of the Pacific states and territories, where he has relatives."

1831 Birth:821,830, p. 177.,826,2340 Birth date of 8 August 1831 is calculated based on age at death (49 years, 8 months, and 3 days) as stated in death notice appearing in The Weekly Colusa Sun, Colusa, California. This is supported by Green's The History of Colusa County, California and General History of the State, which indicates John McCoy was "born 1831 in Ohio" and John Mccoy's age (19 years) in the 1850 census of Porter County, Indiana. Birth place of Preble County, Ohio is assumed as parents William McCoy and Margaret Frame were married there on 23 September 1830. The family group did not relocate to Porter County, Indiana until 1834. This is supported by the 1850, 1870, and 1880 census enumerations where Ohio was given as his birthplace. The mention of Indiana in his death notice is attributed by this researcher to the fact that John lived in Indiana during his formative years.

1840 U.S. Census:2276 John enumerated in the household of his father William McCoy in Porter County, Indiana as one of three males between the ages of 5 and 10; younger brother William was age 5, brother Jeremiah was age 7, and John was age 9.

1850 U.S. Census:821 John enumerated in the household of his widowed mother Margaret McCoy in Porter Township, Porter County, Indiana as a male, age 19, farmer, in school, born in Indiana.

1853 on the Oregon Trail: Family lore and circumstantial evidence indicate that John McCoy along with brothers Weeden and Francis joined their uncle Presley Warnock and his family on a journey along the Oregon Trail, arriving in Oregon City, Oregon on 25 September 1853. Based on the 1850 census in Porter County, Indiana, John would have been age 22 in 1853 and ready for a new life in the West. Margaret Frame, John's mother, remained in Indiana with younger children in 1860, but by 1870 most of the family had settled in Colusa and Tehama counties.

1868 Land Settlement:2552 In connection with the final issuance of Certificate no. 358 for 160 acres on 2 February 1874, witnesses J. D. Beam and Weeden McCoy swore under oath that, "the said John McCoy entered upon and made settlement on said land on the [blank] day of December, 1868, and has built a house thereupon 22 by 32 feet, one story with floor and roof and is divided into 5 rooms with 5 windows and 7 doors."

1869 Homestead Land Claim:2552 On 19 January 1869 John McCoy of Colusa County filed an affidavit with the U.S. Land Office at Marysville, Yuba County, California and attested that he was a "married man, over the age of twenty-one years of age, a native born citizen of the United States of America." At the same time, John filed application no. 670 for 160 acres of land and paid a fee of $16. Brothers Weeden McCoy2550 filed application no. 671 and Francis McCoy2551 filed application 672, both for 160 acres of probably adjoining land, on the same day.

1870 U.S. Census:2318
Colusa County, California (Colusa Township and Post Office)
Enumerated 9 July 1870
John McCoy •• 38, male, white, farmer, real estate value $1,000, born in Ohio, male over 21
Martha •• 25, female, white, keeping house, born in Illinois
William •• 9, male, white, born in California
Blingsley •• 7, male, white, born in California
Malinda •• 5, female, white, born in California
Lee •• 3, male, white, born in California
Sylvester •• 1, male, white, born in California
John McCoy and family were enumerated as the first of a group of three households with brother Francis McCoy2316 and family enumerated as the second household. Weeden McCoy's2317 household was the third enumerated and included mother Margaret as well as brother Oliver.

1874 Homestead Land Patent:2552 On 2 February 1874 the U.S. General Land Office issued Certificate no. 358 based on Application no. 670 to Francis McCoy for 160 acres, Range 3W, Township 17N, Section 32, claimed at the Marysville Land Office on 19 January 1869. Witnesses J. D. Beam and Weeden McCoy attested on the same day that John "has lived in the said house and made it his exclusive home from the 7th day of December 1868 to the present time, and that he has, since settlement, plowed and cultivated about 160 acres of said land, and has made the following improvements thereon, to wit: besides his dwelling house has a barn, barnyard, 2 wells, an orchard, and a small quantity of grape vines worth in all about $1,500." Brothers Weeden McCoy2550 was issued certificate no. 356 and Francis McCoy2552 was issued certificate no. 357, both for 160 acres, on the same day. The land is in present day Colusa County, California.

1880 U.S. Census:2309
Colusa County, California (Freshwater Township)
Enumerated 3 June 1880
John McCoy •• white, male, 48, married, farmer, born in Ohio, father born in Kentucky, mother born in Kentucky
Martha •• white, female, 36, wife, married, keeping house, born in Illinois, father born in Kentucky, mother born in Kentucky
William •• white, male, 18, son, single, at home, born in California, father born in Ohio, mother born in Illinois
Billingsley •• white, male, 16, son, single, at home, born in California, father born in Ohio, mother born in Illinois
Melinda •• white, female, 13, daughter, single, at home, attended school within the year, born in California, father born in Ohio, mother born in Illinois
Sylvester •• white, male, 11, son, single, attended school within the year, born in California, father born in Ohio, mother born in Illinois
Edwin •• white, male, 9, son, single, attended school within the year, born in California, father born in Ohio, mother born in Illinois
Arthur •• white, male, 7, son, single, attended school within the year, born in California, father born in Ohio, mother born in Illinois
Grace •• white, female, 5, daughter, single, born in California, father born in Ohio, mother born in Illinois
Guy •• white, male, 3, son, single, born in California, father born in Ohio, mother born in Illinois
Jessie •• white, female, 11 months, daughter, single, born in California, father born in Ohio, mother born in Illinois
Melinda Hodges •• white, female, 73, born in Kentucky, father born in Virginia, mother born in North Carolina
Wing •• Chinese, male, 25, single, cook, cannot read or write, born in China, mother born in China, father born in China
John Mitchum •• white, male, 28, single, farmer, born in Missouri, father born in Kentucky, mother born in Kentucky
First cousin William Francis "Frank" Frame and wife Elizabeth V. Mapes also enumerated in Freshwater Township, Colusa County, California living in the dwelling of William Larch. Frank and Elizabeth were married2573 in Porter County in 1872.

1881 Obituary:2339 Death of John McCoy. John McCoy died at his late residence, near Maxwell, last Monday night. Mr. McCoy was a pioneer in California, and one of the first settlers in the neighborhood of Maxwell. He was an energetic, pushing business man, and his death will be a loss to the community in which he lived. He leaves a wife —a most estimable lady — and ten children to mourn his loss.

1881 Death Notice:2340 Died. At Maxwell. April 11th. John McCoy, aged 49 years, 8 months, and 3 days. Deceased was born in the state of Indiana and leaves a wife and ten children to mourn his loss.
"Could tears or prayers have held him here
He had not passed away;
Could love have bound him to the earth,
He had been ours today;
But tears, and prayers, and love was vain
The messenger to stay."