John Allen (pioneer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Allen
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| Born | May 17, 1797 |
| Died | March 11, 1851 (aged 53) near San Francisco, California
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| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Businessman, lawyer |
| Known for | co-founding Ann Arbor |
John Allen was an important American pioneer. He helped start the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan. He founded it with Elisha Rumsey. John Allen passed away on March 11, 1851.
John Allen's Early Life
John Allen was born on May 17, 1796. His family lived in Augusta County, Virginia. His father was a wealthy farmer.
John Allen had two sons with his first wife, Mary Crawford. After Mary passed away, he married Ann J. McCue. Ann was a widow and had two children of her own. Both Mary and Ann had received a lot of money from their families. Records show that John Allen left Virginia to start fresh.
In the fall of 1823, Allen left Virginia. He took a group of cattle with him. He planned to sell them in Baltimore. From Baltimore, he traveled to Buffalo, New York. He stayed there for two months. He was looking for someone to work with.
In January 1824, he moved to Detroit. There, he met Elisha Rumsey. Rumsey was also looking for new chances. He wanted to build a better future.
Founding Ann Arbor
In early February 1824, Allen and Rumsey left Detroit. They were looking for a good place to start a new town. They found a spot they liked. On February 14, they went back to Detroit. They officially claimed their land at the federal land office.
John Allen had more money than Rumsey. He bought 480 acres (about 1.9 square kilometers) for $600. Rumsey bought 160 acres (about 0.6 square kilometers) for $200. They also paid $1,000 to make their new village the county seat. This meant it would be the main town for the area.
On May 25, the town's plan was officially recorded. It was filed in Wayne County. At first, the town's name was written as "Annarbour." Later, it was always written as two words: "Ann Arbor."
Historians believe Ann Arbor was named after John Allen's wife, Ann. Her full name was Ann I. Allen. Some people think it was named for both Ann Allen and Mary Ann Rumsey. Mary Ann was Elisha Rumsey's wife.
John Allen's Life in Ann Arbor
Starting a new town gave John Allen a fresh start. He also became very successful financially. He owned thousands of acres of land in western Michigan.
He was very active in Ann Arbor's growth. He helped the town succeed from the beginning. He told everyone that Ann Arbor was a great place to live. In 1825, he opened the first post office there. He also became the first postmaster.
John Allen held other important jobs too. He served as the Coroner. He was also a Justice of the Peace. This meant he helped with local laws and disputes. He studied law with James Kingsley. In 1832, he became a lawyer in Washtenaw County.
Before becoming a lawyer, he tried to become a state representative. He did not win that election. However, he later won a seat in the state senate. He served as a state senator from 1845 to 1848.
John Allen also started Ann Arbor's first newspaper. It was called Western Emigrant. He started it with Samuel Dexter. They used the newspaper to share their views against the Masons.
Later Years
John Allen became very important in Ann Arbor. Later, he moved to New York. He wanted to manage his money matters better. But he was not successful there. By 1850, he had lost most of his money. He had invested a lot in real estate, and those investments did not do well.
He looked for ways to get his money back. In 1850, he traveled west. He hoped to find fortune in the California Gold Rush. Sadly, he passed away on March 11, 1851. He died near San Francisco.
