This is another case of a photo with very little information that started a search. The picture had Belle Knox Sampson, lived Paris Crossing written on the front on the back (in pencil) it says "Frank Dixon Grandmother". In histories of Paris and Paris Crossing "Belle Sampson" is mentioned frequently, so the initial search started off well. I found fairly easily where a Belzora Knox married a David A. Sampson in Jefferson County on December 23, 1866.


    I should have known things started out too well. Yes Belsora/Belzora Knox did marry David A. Sampson but in digging a little deeper I found both David and Belsora had been married before. There were very few people in the area named Knox, lots of Sampsons. David had previously been married to Lucinda Tate, they had at least two children. Belsora proved to be much more difficult to track. There were three people listed in the Cave Dixon Cemetery in Paris with the name of Knox. So I decided to see what I could find on them. The first one was fairly easy, Flora Knox Dixon was the first wife of William Trevanian Wier Dixon, they married in 1870 and had a son named Frank in 1871, she died in 1872. Ah ha, the note on the picture says "Frank Dixon Grandmother" so Flora is a daughter of Belsora & an unknown Knox. The second person who is buried in Cave/Dixon cemetery named Knox is a woman named Jennie Knox. Newspaper searches turned up a few mentions of Jennie then the following June 23,1893, "Miss Jennie Knox who has been laying ill with consumption for a long time died last Wednesday and was buried at this place on Thursday. Rev. E. P. Jewett conducting the funeral service. Miss Jennie had lived a consumptive life and died in the triumphs of a living faith." Also mentioned in the same Paris column is that Weir Dixon from Hope, Indiana and his son Frank were in Paris during the week of her death. Ah Ha again, very likely Jennie was the sister of Frank's mother Flora. So now I have Belsora and unnamed Knox having two daughters who died relatively young. As far as I can find thus far, Belsora and David Sampson only had one child, a boy named Eugene M. who lived less than a year and is buried in Cave/Dixon Cemetery. David A. Sampson is also buried in Cave/Dixon he died April 25, 1909. At this point since his obit mentions his wife and one son are still living (son Jesse from previous marriage to Lucinda Tate)I start trying to track Belsora after his death. She was well known as a Milliner and is mentioned a few times then in 1919 I find mention of her estate being handled in Jennings County with Frank H. Dixon as Administrator, Ah ha, but it states she was living in Washington State. Ok, that is a bit of a surprise, so I try checking in that area and find a Belzor K Sampson buried in Mountain View Cemetery in Walla Walla, Washington.
    Loose ends and answers needed. I find Belsora listed in the 1850 census in Jefferson county, Indiana in the household of Asa and Irena/Irene Judkins, who had married in 1844 and Irena is listed as a Thompson on the marriage, in the census Belsora and two other girls are listed at Thompson. Another case of previous marriages. I have yet to find the first marriage of Irena, or what happened to the other two Thompson girls (sisters of Belsora)? I have found a possible marriage for Belsora to a Andrew J. Knox in Morgan County, Indiana on September 27 of 1855 and mention of his death in 1857 with sale of personal property and 1858 with the sale of real estate. So Belsora appears to have come back to this area by 1866 when she married David A. Sampson, lived here until after his death and gone to Washington State where she died in 1919. On her death record in Washington State her father is listed as G. Thompson, his full identity is as yet unknown? If anyone can fill in any of the blanks here, such as what would have taken her to Washington State, who her father was, what happened to her sisters Mary Thompson born about 1839 and Angeline Thompson born about 1836 I would love to hear from them. There was also a Henry Knox listed on Find a Grave in Cave Dixon born about 1819 died 1891. I did not find this person on any list of Cave/Dixon in existance nor could I find any record of such a person dying in the area I have deleted that listing, if you have anything on such a person contact me.

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