Early days in Randolph County, IL, are recalled through a mixture of colorful tales and factual data in this new 8 1/2" x 11" spiral-bound booklet. The booklet, an excerpt from the hard-to-find 1884 book: Combined History of Randolph, Monroe and Perry Counties, Illinois, originally published by J.L. McDough & Co. of Philadelphia, is printed on 60# opaque paper. A vinyl sheet has been added to protect the front cover. Enlargements of several areas with very fine print have been included to enhance readability. Booklets on the other two counties are also available.
Communities currently listed for Randolph County by the National Association of Counties, excluding the townships, include: Baldwin, Chester (County Seat), Coulterville, Ellis Grove, Evansville, Kaskaskia, Menard, Modoc, Percy, Prairie du Rocher, Red Bud, Rockwood, Ruma, Sparta, Steeleville, Swanwick, Tilden, and Walsh.
Among the subjects discussed are: Physical Features; Railroads; The French Settlers; Other early settlers and their stories; Indian hostilities; Early Mills; Conquest by George Rogers Clark in 1778; Early organization, including a letter from Patrick Henry appointing John Todd County-Lieutenant; Other early government related letters and acts; Lists of lands and who occupied them (with enlargements for easier reading); "Scraps from the records of the period 1795-1809" -- marriages, elections, etc; Tavern/Innkeeper charges; Ferry rates; List of Township officers 1809; Territorial Laws and some interesting cases; Slavery in the county; Public Buildings; Early Marriages (with enlargements); First state constitution convention in Kaskaskia; Heads of Families in 1825 Census; List of blacksmiths, Wagonmakers, Coopers, Tanners, Harness Makers, Shoemakers, Hatter, Tailors, Cabinet makers and turners, and Tinner from 1830 census; Change of county seat from Kaskaskia to Chester; County Court at Chester; Names of many elected officials from the county; Bench and Bar; Newspapers; School history, with names of many teachers, etc.; Patriotism and Wars; Churches; Chester -- its history, businesses, doctors, bank, early residents, including Samuel Smith, John McFerron and others; Kaskaskia -- its history, early parish records, businesses, doctors, Fort Gage, French settlers, former prominent citizens, including John Edgar, William, Robert and James Morrison, Pierre Menard, John Rice Jones, Dr. George Fisher, Shadrach Bond, James Haggin and Sidney Breese; Florence -- prominent pioneers: Stacy McDonough, Jonathon Pettit, John Young, James Milligan, Elisha and Edward Seymour, Christian Beare, Hiram Roberts, and John George Schoeppel; Ellis Grove; Coulterville -- businesses, early settlers including David Cathcart, Hugh McKelvey, John and James Dickey, Hugh McKelvey, James Coulter, and the Woodside family; Brewerville -- early settlers including Ezra and Thomas Owens, Ignatius Sprigg, Dr. George Fisher, James Mudd, Benedict Horrell, and William Hamilton; Prairie Du Rocher and Fort Chartres -- businesses, early settlers including Jean Barbeau, Antoine Louvier, Major Pierre La Compte, Archibald McNabb, Clement Drury, Henry Ker, and others; Sparta -- Businesses, Societies, Agricultural Board, prominent early settlers including Major Andrew Borders, James Patterson, David and Robert Huggins, James McClurken, Samuel Nisbet, and many others; Red Bud, businesses, societies, and early settlers John Whiteside, William Scott, Jarrot Brickey, Samuel Crozier, and Chesley Allen; Baldwin -- Absalom Cox, George Wilson, John Anderson and John Douglas were early settlers; Tilden -- early settlers: James Strahan, John and William McDill, Samuel Boyd, Stewart Burns, William Edmiston, William Chambers; Evansville, including early settlers John Campbell, William McBride, Daniel Hicks, Henry and Elijah Smith; Robert Bratney, James Pollock, Jonathan Chesnutwood, and others; Central -- Early settlers: John Lively, Samuel A. Mann, John M. Beaty, Robert N. Bratney, John B. Wilson, William Weir, David Gerlach, James Thompson, Major Andrew Borders; Steele's Mills -- early miners, David Brown, Gen. Madison Miller, Henry Bierman, Henry Weberling, and John Steele, also Jacob Bowerman, blacksmith, John Layne, Eli Short, Daniel Malone, George Steele, the villages of Steelesville and Percy, and various societies and businesses, including Alma Flouring Mill; Ruma --Some early settlers were Paul Harelston, a Mr. Henderson, William Nelson, Henry O'Hara, Francis E. Harrell, Thomas Mudd, John Vinson, John Baker, Michael Donohoo, James Kennedy and the Simpson family; Blair -- Major John Pillars, William Morris, Samuel Crawford, Alex Campbell, James McFarland, James Hughs, Felix Hughs, Marcus Barnes, William Morris were early settlers; Breemen Precinct and the village of Randolph -- early settlers included Robert Tindall, James McFarland and Joseph Lively; Rockwood -- Businesses, site of French earthwork, settlers including Benjamin Crane and his seven sons, and the Bilderback family; Wine Hill -- Businesses, physical description, physicians, schoolhouse, early settlers, including Benjamin Brown, Jas. M. Houseman, Adonijah Ball, John Stearns, James Gillespie, Fritz Knop, Alexander Barber, Isaac Brown, and James McLaughlin, ; and many more bits of history and trivia.
The booklet contains some very nice drawings. They include: Court House; County Farm; Jail; Residence of Dr. William McKinzie of Chester; Anchor Flouring Mills, Cutler; Residence of Joseph Brown, Cutler; Farm of Louis Grannemann, Chester Precinct; M. Been Farm, Baldwin Precinct; Farm of Charles Brown, Chester Precinct; Farm of Thomas Gant, Chester Precinct; Chester property, including the Opera House, owned by John F. Schuchert; Henry Winklemann farm; William Schuchert residence, Chester; Isaac Meredith's residence and his new store in Chester; Residences of M.E. DeRousse and F.L. Roussel in Chester; Old DeRousse Homestead; St. Mary's of Help Catholic Church in Chester; St. Boniface Catholic Church, Evansville; Boekhoff Business Block in Red Bud, Old Store, and Garden and Poultry Yard; Southern Illinois Penitentiary in Chester; Hotel, Store and Residence of W.N. Griffin, Percy; Residence of Thomas Creagan; Store of P.C. Knapp, Chester; Farm of J.M. Crisler in Chester Precinct. There is also a map of the tri -county area of Monroe, Randolph and Perry.
Attention Genealogists: Besides the many names mentioned in the first part of the booklet, there are separate biographies of many county residents of yesteryear. Some are brief, but many include ancestors, previous residences, children, in-laws, affiliations, war records, and business activities, in the course of which they often shed light on the businesses, professions and institutions in the county. Several include pictures. The biographies include: Chester -- Joseph B. Holmes, John Swanwick, Dr. J. T. Pollock, I.D. Gerlach, Louis Derousse, John Devine, William R. McKenzie, J.C. Holbrook, John F, Schuchert, William Schuchert, John T. McBride, J.B. Matlack, James F. Wassell, Warren N. Wilson, H.C. Horner, William A. Campbell, Abram G. Gordon, William M. Holmes; Kaskaskia -- Louis J. Derousse Jr., Edmond Menard, Joshua G. Burch, Dr. H.M. Boldt, Charles M. Wheeler; Coulterville -- Alexander H. Marlow, J.W. Ashwood, Peter Wisely, John McFie; Blais, Abraham H. Lee (extensive); Sparta -- Daniel Gerlish, A.E. Detrich, James B. and Mary Anderson, William P. Murphy, Charles M. and George H. Campbell, John Michan, J.C. Hawthorne, Reuben Goddard; Bud Bud-- W.S. Fairchild, George Riess, Frederick Guker; Tilden -- James Watt, Hugh and Jane Mathews, Evansville -- Joseph Pautler, Dr. William J. Crozier, William H. Grant and Nicholas Sauer; Steele's Mills and Steelesville -- Louis Dudenbostel, James Pickett, James M. Malone and John H. Thies; Ruma -- John B. Frank, Henry O'Hara; Rookwood -- Samuel Mansker.
Wouldn't this make a unique gift?
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