She is believed by Jeanne Miller to have been a single woman on the 1853 Hagans-Cockrill wagon train. She does not appear to be listed in the 1852 California Census as is her believed-to-be travelling companion, John Adams. Jeanne also notes that Martha later married a Steward Faudre.

In the 1860 Census for Medocino Township (Healdsburg Post Office), there is a listing for a Martha Faudre, a. 26, bp. Illinois. She is enumerated under Stewart W. Faudre, a 45 year old farmer, bp. Kentucky with $1500 of Real Estate. Also listed here are Mary (a. 6, bp. CA), Susan (a. 3, bp. CA), and Alexander (a. 1, bp. CA).

There is a listing in Sonoma County Marriages 1847-1902 (Sonoma County Genealogical Society, Inc., Santa Rosa, CA: 1st Edition, March 1980), for a marriage between a Martha ADAMS and a S. G. FANDRY on 30 Oct 1853, (no place recorded), officiated by J. W. Brier, and recorded in Marriages Book A Page 19. This is a rather interesting date considering that she is believed to have arrived in Sonoma County on October 1, 1853 (if indeed this is the same person).

Denise LaBee, a decendant of Martha's sister, sent me the following information (10 Nov 2004 email):

I wanted to let you know who Martha Jose, aka Martha Adams, was. Martha Jose (pronounced Joes) was born 1832-1833 in Illinois, the oldest daughter of Michael H. Jose and Martha Susan Osborne. Martha was the granddaughter of Robert and Mary Price Osborne whom you've listed as among the first settlers of Pleasant Gap, MO.

As far as we know, Martha was a single woman on this trip and of unknown relation to John Adams. It is speculation at this point, but to explain her use of the Adams surname, I believe Martha may have married a son of Charles Adams of Bates Co, MO. There is a Martha Adams listed in his household in the 1850 census who was born in IL in 1832, and no Martha Jose listed anywhere in MO that year. Again speculation, but it is possible Charles and John were cousins.

Michael Jose (then of Cass Co, MO), his second wife Mary Ashley, and family, emigrated to the area of Analy in Sonoma Co, CA in 1852. Martha did not come with them. We don't know why--possibly because she was still married at the time?

My great-great grandmother Margaret Jose was Michael Jose's sister...

From 13 Nov 2004:

For more proof that Martha Adams Faudre and Martha Jose are one and the same, I cite a transaction from Robert Osborne's estate:

April 1858

Received of J Rinehart Administrator of the Estate of Robert Osborn

deceased. Twenty seven dollars and sixty cents being in full of my

interest of the personal property and land rents up to the present

date for the use and benefit. S W Fowder and Martha S Fowder his

wife and A Skillman and Mariah Skillman per power of attorney this

the 10th day of April 1858.

Attest: [can't read] Jarrel [his mark] Browning

S W Fowder was William Stewart/Stewart William Faudre, Martha S Fowder was Robert Osborne's granddaughter Martha Susan Jose, A Skillman was Andrew Skillman and Mariah Skillman was Martha's sister, Mariah Jane Jose. The Skillmans lived in Healdsburg in Sonoma Co, while the Faudres lived in Forestville.

From Jeanne Miller's Wild Oats in Eden; Sonoma County in the 19th century (610 Beaver Street, Santa Rosa: 1962), p. 59:

The first manufacturing for export in the [Sonoma] county appears to have been the chairs made by Major Sullivan of Green Valley. A few years later we find them being made by S. W. Faudre on the banks of the Russian River and later the factory was moved to Forestville. The factory was operated by various owners for many years, and the chairs can be found frequently in antique shops in varying states of repair, some with their thongs seats still intact. The chair factory is an example of the craft industries that grew with the towns.

From Robert A. Thompson's Historical and Descriptive Sketch of Sonoma County, California, (L. H. Everts Co.: Philadelphia, 1877).), p. 96:

RUSTIC-CHAIR MANUFACTORY.

The chief industry in Forrestville is the Rustic-Chair Factory now owned and run by John Hamlett. There is quite a little history connected with this enterprise, which will not be out of place here. Over twenty-five years ago Major Isaac Sullivan, in Green valley, made the first rustic chairs, and sold them at five dollars apiece; they are still in use, and are doing good service. The factory for the manufacture of these chairs as a specialty, was started by S. Faudre on Russian river, three miles from Forrestville. He continued the business for five or six years, selling chairs from two to three dollars apiece. He then moved the factory to Forrestville, where it has been for the past ten years. Faudre made at Forrestville about thirty thousand chairs, and sold out to S. P. Nowlin, who ran it at a lively rate for six years, making and selling during that time over sixty-five thousand chairs. He then sold to the present proprietor, Mr. Hamlett, who is making and selling about twelve thousand chairs a year.

The material used in the manufacture of these chairs is the chestnut or tan-bark oak, which we have elsewhere described, and ash. Out of these woods the posts and rounds are made; the backs are made of alder and fir; the bottoms of raw-hide cut into narrow stripes, and interlaced when wet and pliable. In drying, the hide draws taut, making an indestructible bottom. The rounds are turned green, and kiln-dried until seasoned. The posts are turned green; are steamed bent, and worked before they dry out, so that when mortised, bored and drawn together with the seasoned rounds and backs, the post seasons on the rounds, and it is not possible to take them apart without splitting the posts from the back or round. The raw-hide bottom is put on last, and binds the whole frame still more firmly.

These chairs are disposed of in a manner peculiar to this factory. They are loaded in four-horse wagons, from two to four hundred chairs to the load, and are hauled all over the State of California and Nevada. They have been hauled to Yreka, Honey Lake, Surprise Valley, in fact, to every town in the State where a wagon can get. South they have been sent, on wagons, to San Bernardino, up Owen's river to White Pine and Elko; a great many were sold at Gold Hill and in Virginia City. Some of these seasoned chairs were shipped to Colorado and to Tucson, in New Mexico, where they sold as high as eight dollars apiece. The price was generally regulated by the distance hauled, the scarcity of lumber and the amount of coin in sight. The object was to make the chairs net the manufacturer eighteen dollars per dozen. As an exemplification of the benefits of manufactures, we will state that this chair factory alone has brought into the county not less than two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.