Dolton.org

When Aramintia Dolton was born on March 1, 1851, in Galesburg, Illinois, her father, Richmond, was 35, and her mother, Priscilla, was 27. In the year Aramintia was born, on June 5th 1851: Uncle Tom's Cabin begins publication. On this day, the first installment of Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin appeared in the abolitionist newspaper the National Era, beginning a serial which lasted for forty weeks. Uncle Tom's Cabin tells the story of a black slave and recounts the harsh reality of his enslavement. The novel helped keep the flames of anti-slavery sentiment alive, and is therefore sometimes attributed with helping start the American Civil War.

In 1858, when future U.S. presidential hopeful Abraham Lincoln was debating his way through Illinois, it's likely that Aramintia Dolton was living in Illinois at the time. It's even possible she heard Abramam Lincoln or Stephen Douglas speaking. She would have been six years old.

Two years later, in 1860, the family had moved to Missouri. Aramintia was living with her family in Washington, Dekalb County, Missouri. She had eleven siblings. The US Federal Census for this year has a record of the Richmond and Priscilla Dolton household in that township enumerated by Thompson Smith on the 25th day of July 1860. Richmond Dolton was a 46 year old male, farmer, born in Kentucky. Priscilla Dolton was a 36 year old female, housekeeper, born in Indiana. Abigail Dolton was a 17 year old female, housekeeper, born in Illinois. Euphaemia Dolton was a 16 year old female, housekeeper, born in Illinois. Lucetta Dolton was a 15 year old female, housekeeper, born in Illinois. Alis E. Dolton was a 13 year old female, born in Illinois. Naham I. Dolton was a 12 year old male, born in Illinois. Theron U. Dolton was a 11 year old male, born in Illinois. Araminta Dolton was a 9 year old female, born in Illinois. Loradumia A. Dolton was a 8 year old female, born in Illinois. Edward F. Dolton was a 7 year old male, born in Illinois. Kate Dolton was a 2 year old female, born in Missouri. E. N. S. Dolton was a one month old male born in Missouri.

Congress passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854 establishing the Kansas Territory that included the land from the Missouri border to the summit of the Rocky Mountain range (now in central Colorado). Kansas was officially opened to settlement in 1854 and the north and south fought over whether Kansas would come in as a free or slave state, so there was lots of trouble in Kansas and Missouri. Then, the American Civil War broke out and was waged for five long years. It wasn't until that was over that Richmond decided to homestead in Kansas. In 1865, Aramintia was living with her father, Richmond, and his family in Jefferson County, Kansas.

Aramintia Dolton married Ransome Aaron Barnes in Atchison, Kansas, on April 27, 1869, when she was 18 years old. They had 10 children in 25 years.

In 1880, Arminitia and her husband lived in Center, Atchison, Kansas, United States. Trains were the main way people traveled longs distances. Aramintia Dolton may have ridden the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway while living in Center, Kansas, in 1880.

The 1880 US Federal Census for Center, Atchison County, Kansas has a record of the R. A. and Aramintia Barnes household enumerated on the 28th day of June 1880 by L. F. Randolph. R. A. Barnes was a white, male, age 33 years, a farmer, born in New Jersey, his father was born in Connecticut and his mother in New Jersey. Aramintia Barnes was a white, female, age 29 years, wife, she keeps house, and was born in Illinois, her father was born in Kentucky and her mother in Indiana. Effie Barnes was a white, female, age 10 years, daughter. Hattie Barnes was a white, female, age 8 years, daughter. Gould Barnes was a white, male, age 6 years, son. Eugene Barnes was a white, male, age 4 years, son. Elmer Barnes was a white, male, age 2 months, son, born in April 1880. All the children were born in Kansas.

The 1885 Kansas State Census for Atchison, Atchison County, Kansas, has a record of the R. A. and A. L. Barnes household. R. A. Barnes was 38 years of age, male, white, married, and a farmer. A. L. Barnes was 34 years of age, female, white, & married. Effie Barnes was 15 years of age, female, white, and single. Hattie Barnes was 13 years old, female, white, and single. Gould Barnes, was 11 years old, male, white, and single. Eugean Barnes was 9 years old, male, white, and single. Elmer Barnes was 5 years old, male, white, and single. Pearl Barnes was 2 years old, female, white, and single. Augusta Barnes was 8 months old, female, white, and single.

In 1900, Aramintia and her husband lived in South Wichita, Oklahoma. The US Federal Census for South Wichita, Lincoln County, Oklahoma, in June of 1900 was enumerated by Chas. W. Robertson. It had a record of the Ransom and Araminta Barnes household. The enumerator didn't put the exact date on the forms; perhaps he didn't know the exact date. Ransom A. Barnes, head of household, white, male, born Mar 1847 in New Jersey, age 53 years, married 31 years. Araminta D. Barnes, wife, white, female, born Mar 1851 in Illinois, age 49 years, married 31 years, she had 11 children and 10 survived as of this date. Eugene Barnes, son, white, male, born Mar 1876 in Kansas, age 24 years, single. James E. Barnes, son, white, male, born April 1880 in Kansas, age 20 years, single. Pearl M. Barnes, daughter, white, female, born Sept 1882 in Kansas, age 17 years, single. Augusta Barnes, daughter, white female, born Aug 1884 in Kansas, age 15 years, single. Frederick E. Barnes, son, white, male, born Dec 1886 in Kansas, age 13 years, single. Grace Barnes, daughter, white, female, born Jan 1889 in Kansas, age 11 years, single. Lester R. Barnes, son, white, male, born Dec 1894 in Oklahoma, age 5 years, single.

Her husband Ransome Aaron passed away in 1913 at the age of 66. They had been married 44 years.

Aramintia died on February 12, 1925, at the age of 73, and was buried in Minco, Oklahoma.