Notes |
- James Loftus, realizing that in a new country there were better opportunities, started out afoot to look for land that he wanted. He walked through four states, Virginia, Texas, Illinois, and Missouri, and decided to purchase 640 acres lying on the line between the two states of Illinois and Missouri. He gave each of his four children mentioned 160 acres, establishing Margaret Atwell and Cornelia Loftus Cocke on the Missouri side and the boys George Atwell and Edward Loftus on the Illinois side of the line. The corners of all four farms touched. It is not knowl how long they lived there, but Mr. Loftus lost his wealth and that is probably why William Henry Cocke and Edward Loftus decided to come west. James Loftus accompanied Wm. Henry Cocke on his first trip (1850) across the plains but was seized with cholera when they were three days journey out and died and was buried on the plains somewhere in the region of the territory of Kansas as it was then.
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