1839 Birth:821,2276 Birth year of 1839 is estimated based on age of 11 years in 1850 census enumeration and age of 40 in 1880 census enumeration. Birth place of Porter County, Indiana is assumed as his parents were enumerated there in both the 1840 and 1850 census enumerations, the latter household led by the widow Margaret McCoy.

1840 U.S. Census:2276 Francis enumerated in the household of his father William McCoy in Porter County, Indiana as one of two males under age 5; older brother Weeden was age 3 and Francis was age 1.

1850 U.S. Census:821 Francis enumerated in the household of his mother widowed Margaret McCoy in Porter Township, Porter County, Indiana as a male, age 11, in school, born in Indiana.

1853 on the Oregon Trail: Family lore and circumstantial evidence indicate that Francis McCoy along with brothers John and weeden joined their uncle Presley Warnock and his family on a journey along the Oregon Trail, arriving in Oregon City, Oregon on 25 September 1853. Based on the 1850 census in Porter County, Indiana, Francis would have been age 14 in 1853 and ready for a new life in the West. Margaret Frame, John's mother, remained in Indiana with younger children in 1860, but by 1870 most of the family had settled in Colusa and Tehama counties.

1868 Land Settlement:2551 In connection with the final issuance of Certificate no. 357 for 160 acres on 2 February 1874, witnesses J. D. Beam and John McCoy swore under oath that, "the said Francis McCoy entered upon and made settlement on said land on the 6th day of December, 1868, and has built a house thereupon 14 by 30 feet, one story with floor and roof and is divided into 2 rooms with 3 windows and 4 doors."

1869 Homestead Land Claim:2551 On 19 January 1869 Francis McCoy of Colusa County filed an affidavit with the U.S. Land Office at Marysville, California and attested that he was a "married man, over the age of twenty-one years of age, a native born citizen of the United States of America." On the same day, Francis filed application no. 672 for 160 acres of land and paid a fee of $16 in connection with his application. Brothers John McCoy2552 filed application no. 670 and Weeden McCoy 2550filed application no. 671, both for 160 acres of probably adjoining land, on the same day.

1870 U.S. Census:2316
Colusa County, California (Colusa Township and Post Office)
Enumerated 9 July 1870
Francis McCoy •• 28, male, white, farmer, real estate value $1,000, born in Illinois [!], male over 21 years
Sarah •• 24, female, white, keeping house, born in Wisconsin
Charles •• 6, male, white, born in California
Ida •• 5, female, white, born in California << same as male Eddy, age 15, in 1880? Written clearly in enumeration
John •• 3, male, white, born in California
Lewis •• 8 months, male, white, born in California
Brother John McCoy2318 and family enumerated as the immediately previous household. The next household enumerated consisted of brothers Weaden2317 and Oliver McCoy, along with mother Margaret McCoy.

1874 Homestead Land Patent:2551 On 2 February 1874 the U.S. General Land Office issued Certificate no. 357 based on Application no. 672 to Francis McCoy for 160 acres, Range 3W, Township 17N, Section 33, claimed at the Marysville Land Office on 19 January 1869. Witnesses J. D. Beam and John McCoy attested on the same day that Francis "has lived in the said house and made it his exclusive home from the 6th day of December 1868 to the present time, and that he has, since settlement, plowed and cultivated about 160 acres of said land, and has made the following improvements thereon, to wit: besides a dwelling house, a barn, a well, a corral, yard fence, trees set out, and the improvements are worth at least $700." Brothers John McCoy2552 was issued certificate no. 358 and Weeden McCoy2550 was issued certificate no. 356 for 160 acres on the same day. The land is in present day Colusa County, California.

1880 U.S. Census:2307
Colusa County, California (Stony Creek District)
Francis McCoy •• white, male, 40, husband, married, farmer, born in Indiana, father born in Kentucky, mother born in Kentucky
Sarah E. •• white, female, 36, wife, married, keeping house, born in Wisconsin, father born in Wisconsin, mother's place of birth not given
Chas. B. •• white, male, 16, son, single, at home, attended school within the year, born in California, father born in Indiana, mother born in Wisconsin
Eddy •• white, male, 15, son, single, at home, attended school within the year, born in California, father born in Indiana, mother born in Wisconsin << same as female Ida, age 5, in 1870? Written clearly in enumeration
John F. •• white, male, 11, son, single, at home, attended school within the year, born in California, father born in Indiana, mother born in Wisconsin
Louis M. •• white male, 9, son, attended school within the year, born in California, father born in Indiana, mother born in Wisconsin
Estella •• white, female, 7, daughter, attended school within the year, born in California, father born in Indiana, mother born in Wisconsin
Missie (?? illegible) •• white, female, 4, daughter, born in California, father born in Indiana, mother born in Wisconsin
Thomas J. •• white, male, 2, son, born in California, father born in Indiana, mother born in Wisconsin
Alace •• white, female, 8 months, born in October, daughter, born in California, father born in Indiana, mother born in Wisconsin
Thos. Gardiner •• white, male, 45, single, laborer, born in New York, father born in New York, mother born in New York
W. E. Chester •• white, male, 31, single, laborer, born in Massachusetts