John Colter’s Wife By Stephen Gough

I have found substantial evidence to believe that the name of John Colter’s wife in Missouri was Sallie Lucy DAVIS.  Based on the book, “Genealogical Gems – From Early Missouri Deeds, 1815-1850” by Marsha Hoffman Rising, CG, FASG.  On page 118, Franklin Co. section, dated 7th, March 1833:  “All heirs at law of John Davis, late of Franklin County, deceased intestate, sold to John Miller all their undivided eleventh parts to described land in Franklin Country.”  It goes on to list all the heirs and their spouses.  Significance here is with the listing of “Hiram Colter by his INTERMARRIAGE to Margaret Davis.”  Margaret Davis’ mother, Rachael West Davis, did not have any sisters, only brothers.

So in order for this to have been an intermarriage, John Colter would have had to marry Margaret Davis’ aunt or 1st cousin (or in other words, John Davis’ sister or niece). More likely, JC married a sister of John Davis, which would have made Hiram and Margaret 1st cousins, and would be considered an intermarriage as recorded in John Davis’ deed.  Therefore,  John Colter’s wife’s last name would have been DAVIS.  JC’s wife’s first name has appeared on documents as Lucy and also it has been recorded as Sally.  Hence, Lucy Davis is the name given to John Colter’s wife in the screenplay/film.  It is also very possible that JC fathered Hiram through a first wife in Kentucky.

A name of Mary Ann Brown has been written as a 1st wife of JC, and a marriage in 1797.  This is currently in the process of verification. Ruth Colter Frick has stated in her book on page 196, that Hiram and Margaret’s older children told the census record keeper that BOTH of their parents were born in Kentucky.  It is not likely that Hiram was married at age 15, so the probability that Kentucky was his place of birth is rather high. Margaret Davis Colter was born in Madison County, KY in 1808.  John Colter and Lucy Davis Colter also had a daughter, named Evelina, born as early as late 1809.  (Picture note: Tim Coulter and other Colter descendants at the Headwaters State Park near Three Forks, MT.  The picture was taken on the 32nd Annual Colter’s Run Race, 2008, the two-hundredth anniversary of the actual event.)