Welcome to Backus Family History!

This site contains the results of our ongoing research on the Backus Families and branches for the last 22 years. The data contained herein has been compiled over many years, on a best effort basis. While we believe the family links we have made to be correct, you should always do your own independent validation to verify your ancestry.

Most of the profiles on this site include some supporting sources, an image of a headstone, etc., but some do not. We do this when we are building a branch and have sources yet to be added, or when we have good evidence of a relationship, but the explanation is complicated. We want visitors to see these profiles and to contact us if they have documents to help verify a relationship, or to correct errors in our conclusions. Please note that the spelling of names and the accuracy of dates are often conflicted among sources cited for an individual. We try our best by choosing the common denominator amongst these sources, and we correct spelling errors we know to be the result of repeated phonetic misspellings. For these and other reasons, the profile may not completely agree with all details of all the sources included. If you find errors that you can verify, please contact us.

If you are visiting this site, you may be related to someone in our database and may have research that could help us, or family members you would like to add. We would also be very pleased to add your photos, documents and stories.

Anyone who has spent time working on family history knows how time consuming and challenging it is. Although we are working many hours to build and maintain this site, it is also a community effort. We do not claim to have the most complete information in every case and we will continue to rely on our visitors and members to help us make this site better.

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Quimby Silas Backus was born in Bridgewater, VT in 1838 and his preliminary eduction was obtained in the public schools of that town. Later he attended the Brandon Seminary and graduated from that institution in 1856. Mr. Backus learned his trade as a machinist at Woodstock, VT. Later he worked for the Howe Scale company at Brandon doing work on parts of the first Howe scale. He was employed as a tool maker in the gun shop at Windsor, VT when this firm had a contract with the government and he also was employed in the railroad shops in Rutland. In later years Mr. Backus went to Williamsport, Pa., where he started the manufacture of the Backus Portable Steam Heater. In 1895 he bought a home in Brandon and in 1902, after passing several summers at the place, he moved his factory to Brandon where he continued the output of both steam and gas heaters. In 1902 he was elected senator from Rutland County, and he was the first candidate for governor on the Independent League ticket in 1908.

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James Gilmore Backus (February 25, 1913 – July 3, 1989) was an American actor. Among his most famous roles were Thurston Howell III on the 1960s sitcom Gilligan's Island, the father of James Dean's character in Rebel Without a Cause the voice of the nearsighted cartoon character Mr. Magoo, the rich Hubert Updike III on the radio version of The Alan Young Show, and Joan Davis' character's husband (a domestic court judge) on TV's I Married Joan. He also starred in his own show of one season, The Jim Backus Show, also known as Hot Off the Wire. Backus was born February 25, 1913, in Cleveland, Ohio, and raised in Bratenahl, Ohio, an East Side suburb of Cleveland located on the Lake Erie shore, surrounded by the city on three sides. He was the only son of Russell Gould Backus and Daisy Taylor (née Gilmore) Backus. His older sister was Katherine Jane Backus. He had an extensive career and worked steadily in Hollywood over five decades, often portraying characters with an "upper-crust", New England-like air, much like his best-known role, Thurston Howell III on Gilligan's Island.

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Walter Elias Disney (December 5, 1901 – December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film producer, he holds the record for most Academy Awards earned and nominations by an individual. He was presented with two Golden Globe Special Achievement Awards and an Emmy Award, among other honors. Several of his films are included in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress and have also been named as some of the greatest films ever by the American Film Institute. Born in Chicago in 1901, Disney developed an early interest in drawing. He took art classes as a boy and got a job as a commercial illustrator at the age of 18. He moved to California in the early 1920s and set up the Disney Brothers Studio (now The Walt Disney Company) with his brother Roy. With Ub Iwerks, he developed the character Mickey Mouse in 1928, his first highly popular success; he also provided the voice for his creation in the early years.

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