William Wilson, the pioneer ancestor of this family, emigrated from Stewardstown, County of Tyrone, Ireland, in 1732, when 19 years of age. The Town of Stewardstown is in the parish of Donagheny in the province of Ulster and eighty-two miles northwest of Dublin, long noted for its very superior linen cloth.
MAJ. WILLIAM HUNT GOFF, one of Attleboro’s well known citizens and leading public men, is a native of the Old Bay State, born in the town of Rehoboth, April 10, 1845. He is a descendant of one of the oldest families of Rehoboth, where the Goffs have figured more or less prominently, as well as in the nearby towns in Rhode Island, since about 1720, the date of which there is record of the families of Richard and Samuel Goff. From these two men have sprung a number whose names have been written high on the roll of fame in … Read more
Governor Montfort Stokes, appointed Cherokee sub-agent in 1836, faced significant challenges at Fort Gibson, including inadequate office space and limited authority. Despite his complaints, he worked to protect Native American land rights, particularly for the Osage mixed-blood descendants of Auguste P. Chouteau. During his tenure, he mediated Cherokee factional disputes and safeguarded vital legal documents. Replaced in 1841, he later served as sub-agent for the Seneca, Shawnee, and Quapaw. Stokes died in 1842 at Fort Gibson, honored with a military funeral. A Revolutionary War veteran and former North Carolina governor, his dedication to public service spanned decades.