History of Greene and Jersey Counties, Illinois : together with sketches of the towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military, and political history; portraits of prominent individuals, and biographies of representative men, History of Illinois, Part 68

Author:
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Continental Historical
Number of Pages: 1150

USA > Illinois > Greene County > History of Greene and Jersey Counties, Illinois : together with sketches of the towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military, and political history; portraits of prominent individuals, and biographies of representative men, History of Illinois > Part 68

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568

HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.

Allen's are the first known settlers in this county.

During the year 1816, Samnel Thomas, who had passed through this county on his way back and forth after the In- dians, when he was in the ranger ser- vice, came to Greene county, and eross- ing the Macoupin creek, selected a place on which he intended to locate and make a home. He eut and staeked a considerable quantity of hay, and made some other preparations toward taking up his residence. He returned to his home on the Wood river, but his back had hardly been turned ere the redskins burned his hay and destroyed all trace of his labors. Two years longer he and his young wife lingered in the settlement around the forks of Wood river, but in the summer of 1818, he set out with John Huitt and Thomas Carlin for this beautiful land. In Au- gust the three adventurers came to the Macoupin creek, crossing which they ascended the bluff's, and here the most glorious panorama spread out before them. Mr. Thomas selected a spot on Sec. 33, T. 10, R. 12, for a home. A beautiful grove and a clear spring of water were among the attractions that fixed his choice. lIere Mr. Thomas killed a deer, cut a bee-tree and en- graved his name on the bark of a mon- arch of the forest, to indicate that the land was elaimed. He also built a cabin, made some other preparations, and returned for his wife and house- hold goods. With these loaded upon an ox cart he arrived at his new home on the ninth day of November, 1818, and thus became the first settler in Greene county north of Macoupin creek.

Thomas Carlin pushed further north,

inelining a little more to the east, and chose for his home a fine piece of land, including that on which the city of Car- rollton was afterward built. His cabin he erected in the southern portion of the present corporation, and occupied it late in 1818, or the spring of 1819.

Thomas Allen settled in what is now White Hall township in 1818, among the first in the county. Here he lived until his death, which occurred in April, 1874.

Mathew Dayton made his appearance in Greene county in 1818, and the next year made a settlement in Woodville township, where he lived until Oct., 1872, when he died.

James Stone and his wife were also settlers of the year 1818, coming in the early winter of that year. They set- tled, at first, near where the town of Carrollton was afterward laid out, on the farm now occupied by William and Charles Ward. From there he removed to Woodville township, and located on the northeast quarter of Sec. 6, T. 9, R. 12, which, by hard work and rigid economy, he succeeded in saving the money to enter. He died there about 1854.

Luther and Calvin Tunnell came to this county in 1818, and made a perma- nent settlement. Both of these gentle- men were prominent in the affairs of the county. Luther located in Linder township on coming here. and Calvin in Carrollton township, on the farm now owned by Jackson Tunnell.

Dr. H. Clay Thaxton, a native of Vir- ginia, came to this county in 1818, and settled in the Apple creek bottom. He was born Aug. 5, 1799. When the land was open for entry, he entered 80 acres

HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY. 569

of land on section 20 of what is now Wrights township, where he is still liv- ing.

William Speaks, in company with the Allens, Morrows and others, who were relatives of his, came from Tennessee, where he had been living, to what is now White Hall township, north of Apple creek, in the late fall or early winter of 1818. On arriving there it was too late to build a house, so they camped out by the side of a large log. To such straits were the early pioneers of this country put. While enduring the inclemency of the weather that winter, a son was born to Mrs. Speaks. Mr. Speaks died at Greenfield, of cancer in the face.

William Allen settled at what is well known as Belltown, in 1819, where he lived until April 4, 1875, when he was called on to pay the debt of nature.

Zacheriah Allen, also, came at the same time, and made a settlement on Sec. 3, T. 11, R. 12.

Thomas Rattan made a settlement north of Apple creek, in 1819. With him came also Levi Reader. Rattan did not live here long, but moved to Carroll- ton, where he kept the first tavern.

John Allen and Isaac Hill, attracted by the settlement north of Apple creek, in 1819, located in that part of the county.

Thomas Hall, a native of North Car- olina, came to Illinois in 1818, and after a year spent at the Wood, river settle- ment, in 1819, came to Greene county, locating on the northwest quarter of Sec. 32, T. 10, R. 12. His wife, formerly Mary MeVeigh, was born in South Car- olina, but they were married in East Tennessee, in 1815, from which state they came to Illinois. They lived on

this farm some 15 years, when he moved his house to another quarter of the same section. He died here, March 18, 1854.

Benjamin Ogle made a settlement this same year, 1818, south of the present county seat, in Carrollton township. Abraham Clark entered the land and sold it to Ogle, who was to pay for it by digging out two grindstones from pale- zoic or lost rocks, which he did. Ile had settled on this land, but not having the money to enter it at the first entry, Mr. Clark did so, but the neighbors feeling outraged, he sold it to the settler as above.

William Costley, his son, also Wil- liam Costley, afterwards known as the Major, and Robert Means, came to the neighborhood south of the Macoupin creek, in Kane township, in 1819, where they made a settlement. The elder Mr. Costley died the following year; his son was for many years a leading and influ- ential citizen of the county. He died in 1869.

John Greene made a settlement south of Macoupin creek, in 1819, on the northwest quarter of S. 20, T. 9, R. 11. Here he remained until his death. Mr. Greene was very prominent in the affairs of the county, and in common with nearly all of these pioneers, is noticed at length in their proper place elsewhere.

Franeis Bell came with his family to this county, in 1819, and settled on Apple creek prairie, north of the creek. He was a native of Tennessee. He died in 1866, at Talula, Ill.

Joel Johnson settled upon a farm on section 21, of Linder township, in 1819.

Robert Whitaker came to the county in 1819, and made an improvement in

570

HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.

what is now Wrights township. Whit- aker's creek is named after him.

Thomas Allen, one of the prominent figures in the history of the early days, came to what is now New Providence or Belltown, 1819, where he built a mill, and resided until he died, about 1833.

Elam Bowman came to Greene county from Ohio, in 1819. He was, at the time a young man, but afterwards married here, and later removed to California, where he became quite rich. He was the father of two sons, who became quite prominent on the Pacific slope.

Jesse Morrow made a settlement in Greene county, during the year 1819, and resided here until his death.

Martin and Young Wood made a set- tlement in this county in 1819. Young Wood was afterwards the sheriff of the county.

Captain James Whitlock came to Greene county in 1819, and settled in what is now Kane township, where he entered some 900 acres of land. In 1850, he started for California and died on the way, of cholera.

Cyrus Tolman came to Greene county in 1820, and located upon 120 acres of land near White Hall, where he resided several years. He died in Jersey county in 1876.

Ransom, Jesse and Edward Flatt came to Greene county the same year, and pitched their tents upon land which they settled in Bluffdale township, and became permanent residents of the county.

In 1820, John Drum located near Car- rollton, where he lived several years. He afterward removed to Rubicon town- ship, where he resided some years. He is long been numbered with the dead.

Hartwell Hunnicutt located in what is now Bluffdale township, in 1820, among the first in that section of the county. He was a resident here until his death.

Benjamin Smith came to Greene county in 1820, and made a settlement on section 12, in White Hall township. He was a native of Connecticut, born in 1799, and came to Alton in 1818, where he resided until coming here.

Charles Kitchen, afterward a Baptist preacher, Lewis Roberts and John Thompson, came to this county in 1820, settling in T. 12, R. 12, in what is now White Hall.

Among the settlers of 1820 was Wil- liam Kincaid, who settled in Rock- bridge township, one of the earliest in that neighborhood, where he resided until called on to cross the dark river. These summons came to him in 1876. Andrew Kincaid settled the same year. The place of their settlement was known for many years as Kincaid's point, an angle of timber projecting into the prairie at that place.

Daniel Henderson came to this county in 1820, and settled in what is now Wrights township, on section 7. He lived in this county until his death.

Carrollton township received several settlers during the year 1820, among the more prominent of whom were James and Andrew Pinkerton, Peter Dodgson, M. Bowman, and William Pinkerton. These all made permanent improve- ments, and long resided in this county, being largely identified with its growth and development.

Thomas Lorton, one of the pioneers of Greene county, came here from Cum- berland county, Ky., in 1820, and be-

571

HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.

coming the owner of some land on sec- tion 8, in Wrights township, built there his cabin, and resided on that spot until his death, in 1863.

Among the pioneers of the year 1820 was Davis Carter, with his family, who came from Edwardsville, but who was a native Tennessean. He located in what is now Bluffdale township, then moved to Walkerville, where he lived until 1847, when he died.

A man by the name of Swanson made a settlement in 1820, within the territory now embraced in Patterson township.

Elijah Little came to Greene county, and located in the same neighborhood, in the same year.

George W. Clendennen, a Virginian, settled in what is now Woodville town- ship in 1820, taking up a farm on section 27, where he lived the balance of his life. He was quite prominently identi- fied with the early history of the town- ship, having been the first justice of the peace therein. He died in 1841.

William Potts, in 1820, located in White Hall township, on section 33, and lived here until 1862, when he died.

John Dodson, a native of England, came to America in 1820, and coming direct to Greene county, made his set- tlement in Carrollton township the same year. In 1848 he died in this county

Robert, Charles and Solomon Baines made settlements in White Hall town- ship, north of Apple creek, during this eventful year, and resided here for the balance of their lives.

James Caldwell and Thomas Crane, looking for a home, came to Greene county in 1820, and in the fall of that year had their cabins built east of Car - rollton, in Linder township.

David Hodges settled in 1821. He kept a store on Apple creek prairie; also built a mill. He afterward went to Ga- lena. lle is now dead. Mr. Hodges was a party in the first marriage that occurred in the county after its organi- zation.

David Heaton eame to Greene county in 1821, and selected land in Wright's township on which to make a home, where he lived for many years.

Martin Burt made a settlement in 1821, in what is now Rubicon township, making improvements.

Charles Gregory, afterward so prom- inently indentified with the history of the county and state, made a settlement in White Hall township in 1821, where he resided until taken from here by death in 1845.

About the year 1821, James H. White- side, who had been living in what is now Jersey county, since 1817, moved to Apple creek prairie, in White Hall township, in this county, where he lived until March, 1862, when he died.

David Pierson came from the state of New York in 1821, and cast his lot among the pioneers of Greene county, selecting a farm north of Carrollton, where he lived for several years, when he removed to Carrollton, where he is now living. He has been for many years connected with the mercantile and banking interests of the county.

Rev. C. J. Gardiner came to Greene county in 1821, locating in what is now Kane township.

In the spring of 1821, Richard Robley came to Greene county, and taking up his residence in what is now Bluffdale township, lived there until in the full- ness of time he was called "home."

572

HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.

Asahel North located upon a farm on a farm on section 8, in what is now White Hall township, in 1821, and he- came one of the early settlers of the county. He died here in 1846.

John Morfoot and Richard Ward were among the band of pioneers who came to Greene county in 1821. They located in Carrollton township.

John Johnson made a settlement in 1821, in a part of section 3, Linder township, which he had entered. He was a native of North Carolina, and a veteran of the war of 1812. He died in this county.

Ward Eldred and a cousin left their home in New York state, in 1818, and journeyed on foot to Greene county, in search of a home. They remained all the winter, and in the spring returned to their eastern home. In 1821, Wil- liam, Elon and Ward Eldred came to this county, and took up their residence here, becoming permanent settlers. The name of Eldred is quite a promi- nent one in the annals of the county.

Alexander King was among those hardy pioneers of 1821, who came to this county. He settled in Linder township, where he resided until 1872, when he died, full of years.

Thomas Meek made a settlement in what is now Carrollton township, in 1821, casting in his lot with the pioneers of this section of the state.

Absalom Frames and William Hudson came to the same locality, in 1821, and made a settlement.

Redmond Strickland made a settle- ment in T. 12, R. 11, during the sum- mer of 1821. He died a resident of this county, in 1849.

David Williams was a settler of the

year 1821, locating on section 11, in the eastern part of Kane township, where he died in Nov., 1828.

William J. Brown, in 1822, made a settlement in what is now Carrollton township, about two miles south of the county seat, where he lived until 1846, when he removed from the county. Nov. 3, 1853, he returned to this county, and now resides in section 16, in Linder township.

Edward Prather came to this county in 1822, and settled in what is now known as Athensville township, the first in that section of the county. There he resided for some years.

During the year 1822, Archibald Lee and an unele came to this section of the country, in search of a home, and re- turned to Hamilton county, Ill., that fall. In the spring of the following year, he and his young wife came here and settled on Cook's prairie. Later he removed to Greenfield and engaged in mercantile pursuits, where he died.

Lindsey H. English came to Greene county about the year 1822. He was a native of Kentucky, and was a son of Elisha English. When but a young man he came to this county, where he afterward became quite prominent in the development of this section of the state. IIe probably worked as a farm hand on coming here, but subsequently became an auctioneer and trader. The first office he ever held was that of district constable. When the Black Hawk war broke out he was serving as deputy sheriff, but immediately went to the front. After the war he built a sub- stantial building in Carrollton and be came the successful proprietor of the Greene County House. For the greater

573

HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.

part of his life he lived in Carrollton. His first wife was Arabel Turney, whom married in 1828, but who died in 1864, leaving 11 children. In 1870 Mr. English married Emily Brunk, and re- moved to Springfield, where he died in 1880, in affluent circumstances.

Benjamin Smith came to Greene county in 1822, and settling upon a farm southeast of where White Hall now stands, opened up a farm, where he lived until Aug. 7, 1879, when he died. His widow still survives him.

In 1822, quite a colony of English people, men, women and children left their homes on that island and came direct to Greene county, by way of New York. Their names were-Elizabeth, Peter, John, Thomas, Mary, Robert, James, and C. F. Hobson, David, Will- iam, Thomas, Margaret, John, and Elizabeth Black, Isaac, Ruth, Jere- miah and Elizabeth Richardson, and George Baty. They settled in what is now Carrollton township. Many of them became quite prominent in the history of the county, as a perusal of these pages will show.

David Wooley, a native of New York, with his family, traveled by team from Washington county, to Olean, in that state, at the head waters of the Al- leghany river, and building two flat boats, floated down that river into the Ohio, and thus to Shawneetown. From there they moved to Hamilton county, and from there here. They settled, at first, in 1822, on Sec. 21, T. 10, R. 13, where they resided until March, 1826, when they removed to Bluffdale where Mr. Wooley lived until 1860, when he died.

William Hart settled on Lorton's

prairie, in 1822, where he lived some 30 years. He moved to Piatt county, III., but in his later years came back and died here.

William Crane was among the early settlers of what is now known as Lin- der township, coming there in the spring of 1823.

Anthony Stewart Seeley, afterward so prominently identified with the official and business life of the county, came to Greene county, in 1823, and located in Patterson township, where he lived until the fall of 1885, when he was called on to put on immortality.

Reuben Martin settled in the same township the same year.

During the summer of 1818, John W. Huitt, and his brother, Hiram, came to this part of the state, locating in what is now Ruyle township, Jersey county. He was a native of Franklin county, Ga .; his wife, Rosanna (IIarriford) Huitt, of Tennessee. The brothers entered a half section of land at that place, where they remained until 1823. In the spring of that year, John W. purchased 80 acres of land in Linder township, where he removed, and where he resided until 1878, when he removed to the city of Carrollton. It was in this latter place that his death occurred, April 21, 1880.

David Norton was among the settlers in Carrollton, in the year 1823. Here he took up a farm and made some fine improvements.

Jesse Stout, a native of New Jersey, and a veteran of the last war with Great Britain, moved to Tennessee at the close of that conflict, but afterwards removed to Madison county, Ill. In 1823, he came to this county and settled in

574

HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.

Wrights township, where he died, in 1854.

Samuel Gates settled on section 21, Bluffdale township, in 1823. He was a native of Maine, but came here from Ohio. He died here in 1836. He was a man of family, and raised two sons and four daughters. Two live in Mor- gan county, one in Scott, and one in the state of Iowa.

About the year 1824, Jesse White lo- cated in Kane township, where he died at a later day.

Chuza Bushnell and William Mc- Adams settled in Bluffdale township, in the year 1824, and took an active part in the developement of that part of the county. Mr. Bushnell was a local preacher, and raised a large family.

James Kincaid came to the county in 1823, and located in Rubicon township. He was always quite a prominent figure here.

Linder township had another settler in 1824, in the person of A. J. Johnson. He went to Eureka springs in Aug., 1884, for health, he having a cancer, and died there in that month and year.

John, James, William and Edward Hardcastle, came to Greene county in 1824, and locating at the village of Car- rollton opened a cabinet and carpenter shop. They also had farms which they tilled. They were all largely identified with the growth of the county.

Dudley Brannan was a settler of 1824, in Wrights township. He resided in Kentucky previous to his coming here, although he is believed to have been a Virginian by birth. He resided here until his death.

Samuel Martin, a native of Kentucky, settled in what is now Woodville town-

ship, in 1824 or 5, under the bluff. He died while a resident of the township.

Ephraim and Temple Nix, Henry Cook, John Barnett and others made a settlement in the eastern part of Linder township, in 1825. All these parties are numbered with the dead.

Among the settlers of 1825, was George Meldrum, who located, with his family, in Linder township. He lived here until December, 1841, when he was called away by death.

Jesse Rogers, in 1825, came to this county and settled in what is now Bluff- dale township, where he died in August, 1838.

Joseph Buck, the same year, made a settlement in the northwestern part of the county, in Patterson township.

Charles Gooding came to Carrollton township in 1825 and made a settle- ment, where he died in 1834.

William Lee, another old settler, came to Greene county, in 1826, and made a settlement in Carrollton town- ship.

Elisha Stout, a native of Pennsylva- nia, came to this county from Ohio in 1826, and made a home in Linder town- ship, where he resided many years.

Isaac and Alfred Wood came to the county in 1826, and located in Rock- bridge township. Alfred died here at an early day.

David Miller settled at the same time in the same township.

Among the settlers of 1826, was Absa- lom Clark with his family, among whom was his son Joshua. They settled in what is now Carrollton, on the farm now owned by Jackson Tunnell, where Ab- salom paid the debt of nature. Joshua also died in the county in 1866.

575

HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.

William and Thomas Finley were also settlers of the year 1826, they com- ing here and locating in what is now Rockbridge township in the fall of that year.

James Miller was a settler in what is now Linder township in 1826. He was a resident of that part of the county for many years and finally died there, full of years.

Thomas Piper was the first settler in what is now Rubicon township, settling there in 1826, on section 10, where he died.

Benjamin G. Tompkins settled in Kane township as early as 1826, on a farm on section 28, where he resided until his death in 1878.

John N. Whitlock came from beneath the genial skies of Tennessee in 1826, and settled in what is now Roekbridge township, where he made his residence until his death.

- Howard was also among the early - settlers of 1826, locating at Carrollton. Jordan, Stephen, Eliakim, Tilton, Jane and Katie were children of this pioneer.

Franklin Witt settled in what is now Kane township in 1826, where he made his home until his death, in 1851. He was both a representative and senator in the general assembly of the state, and is noticed at length in that connec- tion.

Elisha Brown made a settlement in that part of the county now known as Patterson township, in 1826.

Thomas Sharp was among the pio- neers of the year 1826, coming to the county at that time, and locating in what is now Athensville township, where he at once commeneed making improvements.

Among the settlers of the county in 1827 was Lemuel Stubblefield, who came from Randolph county, Ill., where he had been living for some six or seven years, and settled in White Hall town- ship, arriving there some time in March. He was a North Carolinian. He died in Greenfield, in 1859.

Thomas Groce, an carly settler of Patterson township, located there in 1827, on coming to this county.

Andrew Hamilton, with his wife, for- merly Elizabeth Kineaid, came to this county in 1837, and settled near the site of the town of Greenfield. They were residents of Bourbon county, Ky., but Mr. Hamilton was a native of the Brit- ish Isles, born June 12, 1776. Mrs. Hamilton's natal day was July 19, of same year. They died at the home of their daughter, Mrs. John Hardcastle, in Linder township.

Jeremiah Hand made a settlement in what is now called Roekbridge town- ship, in 1827, and made some improve- ments.

Isaac Landis was also one of the set- tlers of 1827, loeating in Linder town- ship. He now lives near Carrollton.

William Gough, one of the settlers of 1827, moved to Linder township that year, and improved a farm on section 15. He is long since dead.

Leonard Brace, a New Yorker, came west in 1828 and located in Greene county, on land now included in the town of Carrollton, where he soon died.

John Russell, one of the most tal- ented men of this section of the country at that time, came to Greene county in 1828 and settled under the bluff, at what is called Bluffdale, where he died, at a later day.

576

HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.

William Halbirt settled the same year in Bluffdale township, as did, also, his brother, John. The latter was mur- dered some years since by a tramp.

John Stevens, a native of Virginia and a Baptist minister, made a settle- ment on Sec. 9, T. 9, R. 11, in 1828. He made this his residence until his death in 1853.

Henry Brooks came to this county in 1828, making a location about three- quarters of a mile west of Carrollton, where he lived for many years and finally paid the debt of nature.

Robert Scroggins, with his family, came to Greene county in 1828, and located in Woodville township, where he lived for some time, when he moved to Carrollton township. He subse- quently removed to Kane township, where he resided some four years, when he removed to the American Bottom.

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History of Greene and Jersey Counties, Illinois : together with sketches of the towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military, and political history; portraits of prominent individuals, and biographies of representative men, History of Illinois, Part 68

Author: Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Continental Historical Number of Pages: 1150

Author:
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Continental Historical
Number of Pages: 1150