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.

1837 Birth:821,2276 Birth year of 1837 is estimated based on age of 13 years in 1850 census enumeration and age of 43 in 1880 census enumeration. Birth place of Porter County, Indiana is assumed as his parents were enumerated there in both the 1840 and 1850 census enumerations, the latter household led by the widow Margaret McCoy.

1840 U.S. Census:2276 Weeden enumerated in the household of his father William McCoy in Porter County, Indiana as one of two males under age 5; Weeden was age 3 and his brother Francis was age 1.

1850 U.S. Census:821 Weeden S. enumerated in the household of his widowed mother Margaret McCoy in Porter Township, Porter County, Indiana as a male, age 13, in school, born in Indiana.

1853 on the Oregon Trail: Family lore and circumstantial evidence indicate that Weeden McCoy along with brothers John 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 16 in 1853 and ready for a new life in the West. Margaret Frame, Weeden'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:2550 In connection with the final issuance of Certificate no. 356 for 160 acres on 2 February 1874, witnesses J. D. Beam and W. W. Tull swore under oath that, "the said Weeden McCoy entered upon and made settlement on said land on the [blank] day of December, 1868, and has built a house thereupon 14 by 20 feet, one story with floor and roof and is divided into 3 rooms with 3 windows and 4 doors."

1869 Homestead Land Claim:2550 On 19 January 1869 Weeden McCoy of Colusa County filed an affidavit with the U.S. Land Office at Marysville, California and attested that he was a "married man, over the age of twenty-on eyears of age, a native born citizen of the United States of America." On the same day, Weeden filed application no. 671 for 160 acres of land and paid a fee of $16.00 in connection with his application. Brothers John McCoy2552 filed application no. 670 and Francis McCoy2551 filed application no. 672, both for 160 acres of probably adjoining, on the same day.

1870 U.S. Census:2317
Colusa County, California (Colusa Township, Colusa Post Office)
Enumerated 9 July 1870
Weaden McCoy •• 32, male, white, farmer, $800 real estate value, born in Indiana, male over 21
Margaret •• 56, female, white, keeping house, born in Kentucky
Oliver •• 26, male, white, farm laborer, $600 personal property value, born in Indiana, male over 21
Enumerated as the last of a group of three households beginning with brother John McCoy2318 and family, with brother Francis McCoy2316 and family enumerated as the second household.

1873 County Election:830, p. 191. W. S. McCoy elected one of fourteen constables for Colusa County.

1874 Land Dispute with C. & O. Railroad:2550 On February 2, 1874, a land dispute was settled in Weedon McCoy's favor, with this finding: "Therefore it is hereby ordered that said land be and the same is hereby awarded to claimant Weeden McCoy as against contestant C. & O. R. R. Co., according to the terms of said citation."

1874 Homestead Land Patent:2550 On 2 February 1874 the U.S. General Land Office issued Certificate no. 356 based on Application no. 671 to Weeden McCoy for 160 acres, Range 3W, Township 17N, Section 33, claimed at the Marysville Land Office on 19 January 1869. On the same day, Weeden signed an affidavit which included the statement that "I am a single man and a native born citizen of the United States." Witnesses J. D. Beam and W. W. Tull attested on the same day that Weeden "has lived in the said house and made it his exclusive home from the [blank] 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 a dwelling house, a barn, a well, a corral, these improvements are worth at least $500." Brothers John McCoy2550 was issued certificate no. 358 and Francis McCoy2551 was issued certificate no. 357 for 160 acres on the same day. The land is in present day Colusa County, California.

1875 Marriage:2580 Marriage of Weeden S. McCoy and Olive Berry on 23 February 1875 listed in the Porter County, Indiana marriage records.

1875 County Election:830, p. 192. W. S. McCoy elected one of sixteen constables for Colusa County.

1877 County Election:830, p. 192. W. S. McCoy elected one of sixteen constables for Colusa County.

1879 County Election:830, p. 192. W. S. McCoy elected one of seventeen constables for Colusa County.

1880 U.S. Census:2308
Colusa County, California (Freshwater Township)
Enumerated 4 June 1880
Weed McCoy •• white, male, 43, widowed, farmer, born in Indiana, father born in Kentucky, mother born in Ohio
Evilo •• white, female, 4, daughter, single, born in California, father born in Indiana, mother born in Indiana (Evilo is Olive spelled backwards)
Margaret McCoy •• white, female, 67, mother, widowed, keeping house, born in Ohio, father born in Virginia, mother born in Virginia
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.

1885 Colusa County Directory:2020 1) W. S. McCoy, farmer, Maxwell, California; and 2) W. S. McCoy, Maurice Nathan, business name: McCoy & Nathan, general merchandise, Maxwell, California.