Katherine (Kitty) DOUGHERTY/RUFF
Kitty was born 1833 @ MO
We have no idea of Kitty's parentage or how she came into the possession of John DOUGHERTY.
It is likely that her mother (name unknown) was enslaved by John DOUGHERTY.
John DOUGHERTY gifted Kitty to his daughter Ann when Kitty was 9 years old; Ann was 11.
After Ann DOUGHERTY married Captain Charles RUFF in 1842, Kitty traveled in service to the RUFF family on incursions into the Indian Frontier.
In 1851, Kitty, along with two of her daughters, Alice (1850) & Adaline (1851), were legally conveyed to Ann's husband Charles RUFF.
The history is fuzzy, but at some point, Kitty returned home to Clay County, Missouri, alone. Despite her enslavement, she built a family & spent most of her life at Multnomah Plantation.
Kitty married Benjamin DOUGHERTY/RUFF in 1866, after Emancipation and many years of cohabitation. Together, they had 11 children, 6 of whom were born prior to Emancipation. She was 17 when her first child, Alice (1850) was born.
Kitty died sometime before 1910. It is likely that Kitty, Ben and several of their children are buried in the "Black burial ground" associated with Fairview Cemetery in Liberty (Clay) MO.
There are no extant photos of Kitty or her husband Ben.
Image of enslaved woman & child -- NOT Kitty
Benjamin Franklin (Ben) DOUGHERTY/RUFF
Ben was born 1825 @ KY
We have no idea of Ben's parentage.
He was enslaved by Mrs. Mary DOUGHERTY, the wife of O'Fallon DOUGHERTY, who was the son of John DOUGHERTY.
He accompanied Captain Charles RUFF on incursions into Indian Territory and served as an interpreter of Indian languages.
Ben served in the United States Colored Troops (USCT) on the Union side in the Civil War.
There are no extant photos of Ben.
Image of Missouri USCT soldier -- NOT Ben
Children of Kitty & Ben
Edward RUFF (1848-????)
No information found other than reference to his birth.
Alice RUFF (1850-????)
Conveyed with her mother Kitty by John DOUGHERTY to his son-in-law Captain Charles RUFF in 1851. She married William TOLBERT.
Adaline RUFF (1852-????)
Conveyed with her mother Kitty by John DOUGHERTY to his son-in-law Captain Charles RUFF in 1851. She married Jenkins BRIGHT & had 4 children = George, Kate, Albert & Elizabeth.
Elizabeth "Lizzie" RUFF (1854-1940)
Lizzie married Thomas Jefferson HELMAN.
Paulina "Plina" RUFF (1855-1945)
Paulina married James ROBERTSON & had 4 children = Susie, Magdeline, Lillian & James, Jr.
In 1945, she was the last surviving ex-enslaved African American in Clay County.
George Washington RUFF (1858-1937)
George married twice = Mary THORNTON & Mary Alice SALLEE.
Caroline "Carrie" RUFF (1862-1923)
Caroline married William TOLBERT & had two children = Millie & Annie.
Charles Henry RUFF (1863-????)
Charles married Nettie WHEELER.
Joseph RUFF (1864-????)
No information found.
Anna RUFF (1869-1913)
Anna married Thomas Henry ELLIOTT.
Emma RUFF (1871-????)
Emma married Joseph BEAUCHAMP.
Paulina "Plina" RUFF
Paulina "Plina" RUFF (1855-1945)
In 1945, Paulina was the last surviving ex-enslaved African American in Clay County.
Paulina married James ROBERTSON & had 4 children = Susie, Magdeline, Lillian & James, Jr.
According to a 1945 article in the local newspaper at the time of her death:
Born of Slave Parents Near Liberty
Aunt Plina Robinson, 90 Years Old, Was Last of Early Day Family
She was born April 3, 1855 on the Major John Dougherty farm, 10 miles northwest of Liberty, her father being a slave in the Dougherty family.
When a small girl her mother took her to Old Mexico with the Major Charles Ruff family -- the trip being made by wagon. After a short stay in Old Mexico the Ruff family returned to Clay County.
Her daughter, Elizabeth "Lizzie" RUFF/HELMAN, said:
Major Dougherty never would sell a slave but would buy them. He owned 500 slaves.... They lived in groups of houses.... Each home had its own front yard, garden, cow, chickens and pigs, also a fireplace where the cooking was done.... The women were taught to spin, weave or sew by the mistress of the house.... She taught the children to read.
