Wanted: Bunker Hill, a quiet little
city of some two thousand inhabitants, wants a good barber. There never
was a better opening for a first-class knight of the razor.
Contributed by Cindy Leonard
Dr. Sawyer has prepared the following list of names of those who settled in this vicinity [Bunker Hill] about 1840.
Ed Barton
E. Davis
S. H. Davis
N. Flanngin
J. Hamilton
E. Harlan
Dr. E. Howell
P. C. Huggins
C. Johnson Jr.
J. R. Nutter
Gard Parmenter
D. E. Pettingill
J. A. Pettingill
J. T. Pennington
L. Stark
Moses True
Sam Wood
David Wright
Contributed by Mary McKenzie
Bunker Hill is
located in Sections 14 and 23 of Bunker Hill Township Macoupin Co IL.
Bunker Hill was an embryo settlement in the late 1820's. The first
birth at the settlement was George Howell, son of Dr. E. Howell, in
1828.
In 1833, a post office was established about one mile south
of the embryo town, with Mr. Cook, who had a small grocery store, as
postmaster. It was moved in 1836 to a house at that time on the farm now
(1870) owned by Dr. E Howell, south of town and the name changed to
Lincoln, with Samuel Buell as postmaster and in 1838 again moved to
Bunker Hill, with Josiah Richards as the first postmaster.
In
1833, Luke Knowlton built a log cabin in the center of what is now
(1870) the garden of P. C. Huggins, interacting to make a preemption
claim; but afterwards, in entering the land, made an error in the
numbers and failed to secure the high point on which his cabin stood.
In 1834, a town had been laid out one and a half miles south on the
land now (1870) owned by Messrs. Matlock and Squires, and named Lincoln
in honor of Elijah Lincoln. But the town did not prove success as only
one house was built by Mr. Woodburn.
The town was laid out in
1835 by Stanford, Davis and Co. and Smith Bros and Co. Jos Tilden
represented the first named firm, and John Cavender the last, with Moses
True as land agent for the first year or more.
Mr. Tilden opened
the first store in 1835. Other names Mr. Wilber, Dr. J A Delano, Mrs.
Kimberly, Dr. J. Button, Geo. Drew, N. H. Flanagan, Lurkin Stark, H. V.
A. Tappan, Mrs. S. H. Davis, Miss Putnam later Mrs. Jonathan Huggins,
and Francis H. [or N.] Burnham.
The first dwelling house built in
the town was by Moses True in 1836, and is (1870) commonly known as the
"Old Tavern." Lurkin Stark was among the first settlers in the vicinity
of Bunker Hill coming here in the Spring 1837 and commenced to farm in
the wild, open prairie, one and a half miles, west of town, on what is
now (1870) the McCumbrige farm. At that time, all the country around
could be entered at the government price of one dollar and a quarter per
acre. Where Bunker Hill now is, was known as Wolf Ridge, on account of
the wolves having a burrow in the hill.
For a few years after Mr.
Stark located he carried on the cooper business. And as an item of what
a boy can make of himself by perseverance and energy, will say that for
the encouragement of all the youth in the land, that John M Palmer, our
present Governor, in 1834 worked at this business with Mr. Stark, and
has been known to make speeches to imaginary juries instead of making
barrels when the boss was absent.
The first school was opened 30
Dec 1839. Frank Delano built a saw mill one mile north-east of town in
1848, and in 1850 it was transformed into a flour mill which was
purchased by Huggins and Parmenter.
In 1840, the first military
company was organized, and officers were E. B. Godard, Capt.; S. B.
Davis, 1st Lieutenant; Charles Burnham, 2nd Lieutenant; J. A.
Pettingill, 3rd Lieutenant.
Contributed by Mary McKenzie
The Greenfield schools have been closed on account of scarlet fever.
Mrs. N. M. Harris of Dorsey, has gone to Missouri Valley, Iowa, to
open a hotel.
Staunton will build a new school house.
Guards are
placed at the door at the Christian Church in Girard to keep out
Grandfather Strong, who has for some time disturbed the congregation.
Woodburn: John Stark, formerly from Bunker Hill, has bought a farm
near Cottonwood Falls, Kansas.
Contributed by Cindy Leonard
Virden wants a brass band.
Shipman is talking up a coal
mine.
Scarlet fever has appeared at Shipman.
The Creamery at
Girard is again in operations.
Wm. Montgomery is postmaster at More,
vice Smith, resigned.
Adolph Hoch, of Carlinville, went to Germany
some months ago for his health, and died there. Corrington Chapel: Miss
Phoebe McPeak is again in our midst.
Contributed by Cindy Leonard
Below will be found information concerning such of
the Old Settlers as we could corral and converse with, or derive from
others; we limit the list to such as have been residents not less than
fifty years.
David Ferguson, aged 57 - Came from Ireland '39
Robert Ridgley - Aged 86, came from England in ?'31
Anna E.
Younger Was born in Madison county '38
L. Hilyard, aged 62 Came
in '32; Samuel Hilyard came in '36
Cal Drennan aged 74 In '30
came from Tennessee and settled near Fosterburg
James Nutter Was
born near this palce in ?'35. is the oldest person now living who was
born here.
John Payne Came with his father from Kentucky in '42;
he left his farm in ?'77 to live in town.
A. D. Wood, aged 50 -
Born in Woodburn. he now represents this township on the board of
supervisors.
Mrs. Martin Alford - Was born in Woodburn over fifty
years ago; her father was the R. R. Tompkins.
James Barton, aged
70 - Came in '32 and settled near Gillespie; now lives within six miles
of his first home.
Lemuel Taylor, aged 74 - Came from South
Carolina in '39 and settled on Dry Fork; now lives in Baylestown.
Hiram Davis, aged 73 - Came to Madison in '22; now lives in
Dorchester; was never out of the state but four years.
Joseph M.
Cooper - Came from England in ?'46 and made a farm out of the rough near
Ridgley; moved to town not long ago.
Hampton W. Wall. aged 62 -
Born in West Prairie; served as postmaster, supervisor, justice of the
peace, and in the legislature.
David B. Wood - In '32 came here
with his brother Samuel and settled where he now lives; he wagoned from
Kentucky with three yoke of oxen.
James Crowder, aged 72 - Came
from Indiana 65 years ago, settling near Fosterburg; now lives within
six miles of his first home in this state.
Simpson Finley, aged
74 - Came in '28 from Green County. His father built the first cabin on
Wood River. His wife came in '27 from Tennessee.
C. C. Campbell,
aged ?50 - Born in Alton, and came to farm south of town with his father
when he was a year old; moved to town in '53 and sold goods many years.
Job Huckelbridge, aged 66 - From England and settled on Coop's creek
in ?'38 with his brothers John now living and Charles deceased; he now
lives in town.
Thos. Hilton, aged ?'64 - Came to Knox county in
'30 and to his present home in ?'50; heard for the first time an
abolition speech in Galesburg in '44; it went hard with him, but he got
over it.
Willliam ?Galt. Liberty Prairie - Came from Scotland in
'42; he lived here a couple of years and ???? with Gardner Parmenter and
others/ he made his home where it now is two years later.
Robert
Sawyer, aged 69 - Came from North Carolina to Staunton when three years
old and later to this vicinity has chased many a wolf over what is now
Bunker Hill before there was house here.
Churchill Wayne, aged
'80 - Came to Illinois in '17 the year before it became a state; he was
3 years old. His first home was in Edgar county until '44 when he came
to Macoupin and has lived here ever since.
John Patrick - Came
from Scotland in '41 and lived on farm east of town; went to
blacksmithing in '46 and to California in ?'49 resumed blacksmithing and
later sold out to Morris. He is an authority among Masons.
Denneson Gibbs, aged 77 - From New York on a visit in ? and settled near
here two years (3 words can't read) relative Sparrow Brown in Hedley's
regiment and helped to look after "the boys" while the war was going on.
Vincent Smith. nearly 87 - Came from England when 9 years old; came
to Illinois in '37, and three years later was married at Monmouth, his
wife yet living and moved here in ?'54, is a splendid well-preserved
man. his only defect being deafness.
Samuel Wood, aged 90 years -
Is the oldest man in the township; he was born in Kentucky of
revolutionary stock; came here and settled on his present home in '32;
has been a consistent member of the Christian church for more than forty
years.
S. S. Clark - Will be 88 next December, and is the oldest
man in town; he was in furniture business in New York City, and came
here in ?'46 to engage in merchandizing; has been school treasurer since
?'62 and was town now city clerk several years.
John Goodwin -
Emigrated from England in '44. landing in Alton; came here in '50 and
worked for Judge Huggins hauling logs to the saw mill which preceded the
old ?red mill. His wife Elizabeth Wook yet living was born where they
now live.
Gardner Paramenter aged 80 - Came from New Hampshire in
'38 and settled on farm north of town; he afterwards moved here and went
into furniture business. which he followed for some years. He was leader
of our brass band in '43; members thereof yet living are John and D. K.
Pettingill and Charles Parmenter.
Frank Lancaster aged ?80 - Came
from England to near Clyde in '41; he went south returning in '41,
cr???ing the Mississippi in time of hight water. Before coming one of
our most prosperous farmers, he worked as a brickmaker and made brick
for the Congregational church, Huggins; block and other buildings.
Isaac A. Funderburk aged ?74 - Left South Carolina April 11th, 1830,
and reached Madison county Nov. 11th; detained three months in Tennessee
on account illness of a brother; traveled with horse team; lived on what
could be bought on the road, mainly bacon and cornbread; no coffee or
tea; drank a little whiskey on the road.
Edward H. Davis aged 73
years - Born in New Hampshire, worked as a watchmaker in Savannah, Ga.,
and came to Bunker Hill in '39; was married the next year; was many
years deputy sheriff and deputy county assessor; was postmaster under
Presidents Polk and Johnson; has served frequently as grand juror and
juror in federal courts.
Dr. E. C. ?Ellet, aged 75 - Born in
Pennsylvania of a family conspicuous in revolutionary times; came to
Illinois in ?'38 and settled on Dry Fork, with is brother Alfred.
Brigadier-General and Commander of Marine Brigade in late war; Dr. Ellet
went to Philadelphia and graduated in medicine in 1848, and engaged in
practice for thirty years; retired ?several years ago.
Capt. R.
H. Wood - Was born in New Jersey; when he was a year old, his father
came to Woodburn and entered land (?); Capt. Wood has a good military
record in the late war. His wife is a daughter of the late Larkin Stark,
for whom Senator Palmer worked at this place when a boy. Wood had for
years been our Woodburn correspondent, and his letters are highly
appreciated.
John A. Pettingill aged 77 - Born in New Hampshire
of revolutionary stock, he possesses a sword borne in the Battle of
Bunker Hill by his great-grandfather came here (two next words can't
read) opened a farm; went to California in (next two words can't read)
on return opened a nursery and greenhouse; the vast majority of the
trees that shade our city so beautifully came from his place; his
reminiscences in these columns have been of great interest for many
years past.
Luke Dilliard whose weekly contributions from
Dorchester to The Gazette are so highly regarded by it and its readers)
came from Kentucky in ?. His life has been and now is active, and no man
now living has made more impress. He has taught school for thirty years,
and always within reach of his own home. He was licensed as a Baptist
preacher in '48 and was ordained four years later by the Edwardsville
Association. Rev. Dr. John Peck was chairman of the examining committee.
How active his life was, may be read. In the early 50's he taught
singing school two nights each week in Centerville and two nights each
week at Smalleytown. At the same time he preached every other Saturday
night near Mt. Olive, and alternate weeks at Centerville. During the
same time he was teaching school full time every week. His wife (now ?)
is a daughter of Giles Adams who came from Tennessee in ?'28
Rev.
J. R. Jones aged ?70 - Is a staunch Baptist, and yet preaches. His
mother barely escaped being a victim in the Wood River massacre by the
Indians in 1814. She was then about twelve years old, living with a man
named Savage; her father had been killed by the Indians. The massacre
was on a Sunday evening. Mrs. Ragan and number of children (her own and
neighbors') had been visiting at Savage's. When Mrs. Ragan started home
she prevailed on Jones' mother to go with her which she did. When within
three hundred yards of their destination, Jones' mother ? ...
premonition of impending danger and ... back and by so doing probably
saved her life. She had not gone far on her return home, w ... (and next
five lines too hard to read).
Contributed by Stephen Crawford
Hugh Moxey, age 79, and a
resident of Bunker Hill for many years, has discovered that he is not a
citizen of this country and not eligible for the votes he has been
casting in Macoupin County for the past 58 years.
Moxey was
brought to this country by his parents at the age of 14 months. He
applied recently for an old age pension and no records at the County
Court House could be found wherein his father had become naturalized,
which exempts Moxey from citizenship.
Mr. and Mrs. Moxey will
file application today for citizenship papers.
[Note: Linda
Kmiecik found at the Macoupin Co. Archives Hugh Moxey's naturalization
papers. They included his Petition #2751, Oath, and Affidavit, stating
he came to this country at the age of 14 months, and that his father
voted and he, Hugh, had voted since he became of age, thinking he was a
citizen. He also said he had served on Petit juries twice, a Grand jury
once, and a Board of Elections. The Petition and Affidavit were filed on
October 22, 1936, and the Oath of Allegiance was dated June 14, 1937.
The Petition was granted that same date, Cert. No. 4191742.]
Contributed by Debbi Geer
Macoupin County ILGenWeb Copyright
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This page was last updated
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