Dunham House

The Dunham House, located just south of Kempton, Indiana, was built circa 1880s. The house was built by William Riley Dunham who served the U.S. Democratic Party for several years and represented Hamilton County and Tipton County in the Indiana General House of Assembly from 1913-1915.^[1] The home has and is continuing to make history in this very small Indiana town, most recently with a visit from President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.

History

The land on which the Dunham House is built was originally apart of the Miami Indian Reserve in Indiana (Treaty of St. Mary's).^[2] In 1849 a man by the name of Jacob Dunham bought 120 acres (0.49 km²) of land in what is now Jefferson Township, Tipton County from the State of Indiana.^[3] Jacob Dunham is laid to rest in the Kempton Cemetery north of the town of Kempton. The land was then passed on to Jacobs son, Jacob Mackey Dunham in 1856.^[4] Jacob Mackey eventually moved his family to Oklahoma. Upon doing so the Dunham Family land was then passed to Jacob Mackey’s sister-in-law, Eliza (Reese) Dunham, in 1891.^[5] She was the wife of Jacob Mackey’s brother, Samuel Dunham. Eliza then passed the land on to her son, William Riley Dunham, in 1900.^[6] The 5,000 sq ft (460 m²) farm house that he built on the land is known today as The Dunham House. Local legends have been told that William Riley was an acquaintance of President Grover Cleveland and that the President had spent a night in the home. In fact William Riley’s son was named Grover Cleveland Dunham and eventually inherited the home from his father.^[7] The home was later sold upon the death of Dr. Grover Cleveland’s wife (Hazel Dunham) to buyers outside the Dunham Family.^[8] The home had fallen into many years of neglect and abuse after it left the Dunham Family. The home was purchased and is now owned by Shawn Christopher Clements^[9] and is in the process of being restored.

The Dunham Family played a significant role in the local community. They were farmers, doctors and teachers working within the town limits of Kempton and throughout Tipton and Clinton Counties. Many of their descendants still live in the area today.

From the Dunham house to the White house

In researching the Dunham family that built his home, Mr. Clements found a direct connection to President Barack Obama (44th President of the United States).^[10] Jacob Dunham came to Tipton County, Indiana in the 1840s. He is President Barack Obama’s fourth great grandfather. He purchased the land from the United States Government in 1849 when President Zachary Taylor was in office.^[3] This land was originally obtained by the government through treaties with the Miami Indians. Jacob Dunham died on July 20, 1865 and is laid to rest in Indiana soil at The Kempton Cemetery in Kempton, Indiana. His son, Jacob Mackey Dunham, is President Obama’s third great grandfather. He married Lousie Eliza Stroup in Tipton County, Indiana on July 21, 1853 and inherited the land in 1856.^[4] To them a son was born, Jacob William Dunham, President Obama’s second great grandfather, on February 7, 1863 in Kempton, Indiana.^[11] He later left Indiana for Kansas with his wife Mary Ann Kearney, and died on August 13, 1930. Thus President Obama’s family continued in Kansas to his mother as the land stayed in the Dunham family for over 120 years.

On May 3, 2008 then Senator Obama and his family made a stop at the Dunham House during their Presidential campaign run against Hillary Clinton.^[12] President Obama wanted to learn more about his ancestors that lived in Kempton, Indiana because he was influenced mostly by his mother, Ann Dunham, and his grandparents, Stanley Armour Dunham and Madelyn Payne Dunham.^[13]

Today

Today the home is privately owned by Shawn Christopher Clements^[9] and is being restored to its original beauty. It is open for tours and meetings by reservation. Mr. Clements also does many speaking engagements throughout the surrounding communities at libraries and group gatherings. The hope for this historical home is that it can continue to give back to the community of Kempton and the state of Indiana as it has for so many years before.

References

1. ^ Indiana State Legislator Manual 1913, Indiana General Assembly Biography
2. ^ Tipton County Heritage Center, The Great Miami Reserve Publication, Tipton, Indiana
3. ^ ^{a b} Deed Land Grant; U.S. Department of the Interior; General Land Office, Record Number 108; Page 110
4. ^ ^{a b} Deed Transfer; Tipton County, Indiana Deed Record Book G; Page 304, Tipton County Recorders Office
5. ^ Deed Transfer; Tipton County, Indiana Deed Record Book 40; Page 578, Tipton County Recorders Office
6. ^ Deed Transfer; Tipton County, Indiana Deed Record Book 41; Page 477, Tipton County Recorders Office
7. ^ Life Estate Affidavit ; Tipton County, Indiana Deed Record Book 30; Page: 233, Tipton County Recorders Office
8. ^ Deed Transfer; Tipton County, Indiana Deed Record Book 113; Page: 10, Tipton County Recorders Office
9. ^ ^{a b} Tipton County, Indiana Deed Record Book 157; Page: 809, Tipton County Recorders Office
10. ^ Obama Family Tree Chicago Sun Times
11. ^ Diana Gale Matthiesen. "Jacob William Dunham". Dgmweb.net. http://dgmweb.net/genealogy/FGS/D/DunhamJacobWilliam-MaryAnnKearney.shtml. Retrieved 2010-09-08. 
12. ^ Obama pays visit to ancestral property Kokomo Tribune May 4, 2008
13. ^ Barack Obama's grandmother dies MSNBC

External links

• The Dunham House

Coordinates: 40°16′50″N 86°13′53″W / 40.280547°N 86.231449°W / 40.280547; -86.231449