In working with some early histories I noted some interesting differences. I assume much of it has to do with the politics of the time, who was writing the book, etc. Certainly it is evident in many “histories” who the “preferred” families were. And it was not unusual to pay for an “appropriate” mention. For whatever reason, the “facts” vary from history to history. This example relates to one of the early settlers. I found equally interesting “facts” in the…
This is a map of Logan County from 1876. It’s from the David Rumsey Collection of historical maps. In addition to being a map of the county the townships and sections are marked and numbered. It can be used to locate land purchases for early settlers from the Government Land Records Office. For whatever reason, a few 1876 land owners are marked on this map.
Samuel Downing was born in Maryland. The family soon moved west. At the age of 18 he served with the Ohio Militia in the War of 1812. In 1818 he married Margaret Matthews in Pike County, Ohio. After her death he married her widowed sister Mary Matthews Day. Margaret and Mary were daughters of John Matthews, said to be a surveyor. The name of their mother is unknown. The only surviving Matthews child in 1880, William, said on the census…
On this date 128 years ago in a farmhouse three miles northwest of Mt. Pulaski in Logan County, Illinois, Eliza Harding Downing gave birth to her second son, Ellis. The couple already had an 18 month old. When Ellis was two he got another brother. This picture was taken when he was about 4, just before his maternal grandparents, their other daughter and three sons, none of whom were married at the time, moved to Iowa. His father’s father had…
Recently I had a discussion with a relative – our mothers were cousins – about some family members. I knew they married but lost track after that. She remarked it was because I moved away. I have heard a version of that before. But you know, if your ancestors hadn’t “moved away” you’d still be living in a cave in eastern Europe or wherever they currently think we came from. Our mutual ancestors come from people who “moved away” for…
by Robert D. Clark, 1927Robert D. Clark was a descendant of John Winans Clark, one of three Clark brothers (really) who came to Illinois. The Clarks were all Methodists and many were involved in founding Methodist Churches. John’s brother David and David’s son Richard (who married John’s daughter Margaret) were ministers as were other Clarks who did not come to Illinois. Robert D. Clark was born in Laenna Township on September 30, 1844, and died in Mt. Pulaski on October…
I know about the prior four Revolutionary War Veterans buried in Logan County, Illinois, because I descend from all of them. There is at least one more and possibly three more. One is Henry Kimes. According to an early work on Illinois veteran burials, he was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and served in the Chester County Militia in 1780, 1781 and 1782. It says he went to Logan County, died and “is buried near Lincoln.” Actually he is buried…
John Downing was born about 1762 in Maryland. Thanks to DNA testing we know he saw service in the Washington County, Maryland, militia. He was a Private, 5th Class, in Capt. Basil Williams Company, 2nd Battalion, in 1778. For many years he was believed to have served in Pennsylvania. See John Downing’s Elusive Service. As far as we know, he did not apply for a pension which is part of the reason his service was elusive. As a result we…
Humphrey Scroggin has been discussed before. His burial place is almost certainly in Carlyle Cemetery but his DAR marker is in Steenbergen. See Who is Buried in Humphrey Scroggin’s Grave? Humphrey Scroggin was born in 1763 in Culpeper, Virginia. He served in Capt. S. Tarrant’s Company of Colonel Abram Penn’s Regiment. His application for a pension was more detailed as to his service record. “On this seventeenth day of November, Eighteen hundred and Thirty four, personally appeared before the Circuit Court,…
I originally placed a version of this on the Logan County ILGenWeb site, of which I am the County Coordinator. It remains there. Since that time there have been many changes. I no longer know the location of one copy of the records. The one I know of is too fragile to scan further. I understand the Primitive Baptist Library in Carthage, Illinois, has an old photocopy of one set. I am posting the information here using the theory that…