Kendall County Pioneers 1828-1840
Preface [Select to Show/Hide]
It is now approximately 175 years since the first people moved into what became Kendall County. The first pioneers settled near the timber. They believed the trees would help protect them from the fierce winds that blew across the prairie. They also needed to be near a source of building material, and fuel for cooking and heating their homes.
The pioneer's best source of water was a good spring. Initially springs were plentiful and the settlers clustered around them. After the most desirable land was taken, pioneers began to drain the sloughs. When the sloughs were drained, the springs dried up and the pioneers were forced to seek other sources of drinking water. Initially wells were dug by hand, but the depth a well could be dug was limited. It was not until the late eighteen seventies or early eighteen eighties, that well drilling technology advanced to the point that deeper wells could be drilled. The ability to drill a well, even through solid rock, was a major factor in the development of the area away from the timber and streams that flowed through the groves.
When the first settlers arrived, the closest mill was near Peoria. Under normal circumstances, taking wheat or corn to the mill required several days. When weather was bad, a round trip to the mill could take two or three weeks.
Initially wheat was the only marketable commodity. Chicago was the nearest market but there were no roads between Kendall County and Chicago. The grain had to be hauled there by wagon, sloughs were numerous and difficult to pass through, and rivers and creeks had to be crossed without the benefit of bridges. A round trip to Chicago often required several days.
During the initial settlement period there was virtually no money in circulation, requiring the pioneers to trade one commodity or skill for another. If they became ill or were injured, they had to rely on their own medical skill to survive.
Those who led the way had to survive droughts, prairie fires, storms, harsh economic times, and much other depravation.
To the extent possible, the following represents a list of the names, and the genealogy of the pioneers and settlers who came to Kendall County before January 1, 1841. In some cases it was not possible to determine the pioneer's date and place of death. In other cases pioneers were tracked for a while and then lost. Information in brackets [ ] within the second "Place" column indicates the last place and time the compiler was able to find that person. For example, [Burlington, IA 1910] means the last genealogical sighting of the person referred to was Burlington, Iowa in 1910.
Some of the entries are incomplete. Addition information or corrections will be gratefully accepted.
| Source Code | Source |
|---|---|
| BS | Bateman, Norman & Paul Selby, editors. Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois & History of Kendall County. With special authors and contributors. Chicago: Munsell Publishing Co., (1914) Two volumes, 1078 pages. |
| FA | Farren, Kathy, editor. A Bicentennial History of Kendall County, Illinois. Yorkville, IL: Kendall County Bicentennial Commission, (1976) 314 pages. |
| GF | Biographical Directory of Kendall County, Illinois. Chicago: Fisher & Co., (1876) 114 pages. |
| HI | Hicks, Edmund W., Reverend. History of Kendall County, Illinois: From the Earliest Discoveries to the Present Time. Aurora, IL: Knickerbocker & Hodder, (1877) 439 pages |
| JO | Johnson, Oliver C. and Anna French Johnson. Atlas and History of Kendall County, Illinois. Maps and Plats, Biographies and Special Features. Elmhurst, IL: Friendly Map & Publishing Co., (1941) 112 pages. |
| KK | Durant, Pliny A, et al. Commemorative Portrait & Biographical Record of Kane & Kendall Counties, Illinois. Chicago: Beers, Leggett & Co., (1888) 999 pages. |
| KW | Genealogical & Biographical Record of Kendall & Will Counties, Illinois. Chicago: Biographical Publishing Co., (1901) 670 pages. |
| LP | Shufelt, Mrs. John L. When Lisbon Was A Prairie. Yorkville, IL: Kendall County Record, (1917) 13 pages. |
| MC | Rasmusen, Honor Brodie. History of the Millington Methodist Church and Community 125th Anniversary 1833-1958. Publisher not given, (l958) 48 pages. |
| NS | Newark Sesquicentennial Committee. Newark's Sesquicentennial History: A Community Proud of Its Heritage 1835-1985. Yorkville, IL: Kendall County Record (1985) 139 pages. |
| OS | Oswego Sesquicentennial Days Steering Committee, Roger Matile, editor. 150 Years Along the Fox: The History of Oswego Township Illinois. Oswego Sesquicentennial - 150 Years - 1833-1983. Dallas: Taylor Publishing Co., (1983) 191 pages. |
| PF | Prairie Farmer's Reliable Directory of Farmers & Breeders Grundy & Kendall Counties, Illinois. Chicago: Prairie Farmer Publishing Co., (1917) 221 pages. |
| RL | Lisbon Pioneer Days Book Committee. Roads To Lisbon…Past and Present, A collection of Biographical Sketches. Prepared for the 150th Anniversary of the settling of Lisbon (IL). Yorkville, IL: Kendall County Record, (1985) 112 pages. |
| URL | External link to an internet source document |
| YO | Lucinda Tio and Kathy Farren, A History of Yorkville, Illinois 1836-1986. Published for Yorkville's Sesquicentennial, (1986) 220 pages. |
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| Bir | Dea | Arrival | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surname | Given Name | Mo | Dy | Yr | Place of Birth | Mo | Dy | Yr | Place of Death | Twp | Year | Code |
| Bir | Dea | Arrival | ||||||||||
| Surname | Given Name | Mo | Dy | Yr | Place of Birth | Mo | Dy | Yr | Place of Death | Twp | Year | Code |
| Shonts | John I. (s. Andrew M., Sr. & Marian/Mariam (Buck)) | abt | 1817 | New York | nds | LR | 1836 | HI | ||||
| Short | Mary (d. John, Sr. & Susan E. (Surre)) | abt | 1830 | New York | nds | BR | 1836 | HI | ||||
| Sidebotham | Mary (d. Thomas & Mary) | abt | 1831 | New York | nds | SE | 1935 | HI | ||||
| Sidebotham | Mary (Mrs. Thomas) | nds | nds | SE | 1835 | HI | ||||||
| Simon | Olive R. (Lewis)(Mrs. Charles S.) | abt | 1839 | Illinois | nds | BG | 1839 | |||||
| Slayton | Mr. (came with Ebenezer Morgan) | nds | nds | OS | 1833 | HI | ||||||
| Sloan | Mrs. (taught school in log building Big Grove timber) | nds | nds | BG | 1837 | |||||||
| Smith | Benjamin, Rev. (b. 1810-1820)) | abt | 1815 | nds | BG | 1836 | HI | |||||
| Smith | George (s. Myron & Elizabeth) | abt | 1835 | New York | nds | SE | 1839 | |||||
| Smith | Henrietta (Ford)(Mrs. ? Smith) | nds | nds | [Martelle, Jones Co., IA] | FO | 1833 | ||||||
| Smith | James M. (came with Porter C. Hull from Putnam Co., IL) | nds | nds | FO | 1834 | |||||||
| Smith | Rachel (Mrs. Rev. Benjamin) | nds | nds | BR | 1840 | YC | ||||||
| St. Clair | John, Rev. | nds | nds | LR | 1838 | BS | ||||||
| Stebbins | John (s. Solomon & Nancy (Perry)) | Aug | 26 | 1824 | Vernon, VT | nds | BR | 1835 | ||||
| Stevens | Mary Ann (Bissell)(Mrs. Henry K.)(to Will County) | abt | 1815 | Pennsylvania | 1887 | Joliet, IL | SE | 1838 | HI | |||
| Stewart | Lewis (came with Bailey Hobson)(b-in-law?) | abt | 1805 | b. 1800-1810 | nds | BG | 1830 | HI | ||||
| Stone | Joel S. (son-in-law Samuel Sears) | nds | New Haven, CT | nds | LI | 1838 | HI | |||||
| Stone | Melissa (Sears)(Mrs. Joel S.) | Aug | 15 | 1815 | Putman Co., NY | 1839 | St. Louis, MO | LI | 1837 | HI | ||
| Stotts | Frank (came with William Mulkey) | nds | nds | LR | 1835 | HI | ||||||
| Stoughton | J. C., Rev. (church records) | nds | nds | KE | 1840 | YM | ||||||
| Strowbridge | Thomas (had claim fight with Henry A. Clarke) | nds | nds | OS | 1837 | HI | ||||||
| Swift | Irene (Bronson)(1st Mrs. Thomas, Sr.)(b. 1780-1790) | abt | 1785 | nds | LR | 1837 | ||||||
| Swift | Thomas B., Sr. (b. 1770-1780) | abt | 1775 | nds | LR | 1837 | ||||||
| Taylor | Martha A. (Cobleigh)(Mrs. Charles) | abt | 1837 | Vermont | nds | BG | 1840 | |||||
| Teaby | James (Early settler Bristol Twp.) | nds | nds | BR | 1835 | HI | ||||||
| Teal | Peter (Early settler Fox Twp.) | nds | nds | FO | 1838 | HI | ||||||
| Temple | Dr. (pioneer doctor in Big Grove Twp) | nds | nds | BG | 1840 | HI | ||||||
| Thompson | James (from Orleans Co., NY)(b. 1800-1810) | abt | 1805 | New York | nds | FO | 1838 | HI | ||||
| Tolman | Mariah T. (d. Jeremy F. & Betsy (Leland)) | Oct | 8 | 1817 | New York, NY | 1905 | Sandwich, IL | KE | 1834 | |||
| Towle | Martha (mother of Decoliar?) | abt | 1786 | New York | nds | OS | 1838 | |||||
| Townsend | Hannah (d. Isaac T., Sr., & Elizabeth (Jackson)) | nds | nds | NA | 1840 | HI | ||||||
| Townsend | Isaac, Jr. (s. Isaac T., Sr. & Elizabeth (Jackson)) | nds | New York | nds | NA | 1840 | HI | |||||
| Townsend | Mary A. (d. Zebulon & Lucy) | abt | 1835 | New York | 1880 | De Kalb Co., IL | OS | 1840 | ||||
| Tremain | Lydia (Orcutt)(Mrs. Russell) | abt | 1784 | Vermont | 1855 | Newark, IL | BG | 1840 | ||||
| Trowbridge | Dr. (Village of Oswego lot owner) | nds | nds | OS | 1837 | HI | ||||||
| Tubbs | Martin (s. Benjamin, Sr. & Olive (House)) | Mar | 27 | 1820 | Erie Co., NY | 1852 | on way to CA | FO | 1836 | OS | ||
| Unnamed | Dinah (black owned by Carnes family) | nds | South Carolina | nds | Fox Twp, IL | FO | 1834 | |||||
| Unnamed | Silvie (black owned by Murray family) | nds | South Carolina | nds | Fox Twp, IL | FO | 1834 | |||||
| Vermette | Maria (d. Vetal & Huldah Cornelia (Walker)) | Dec | 11 | 1831 | Big Grove Twp, IL | 1832 | Big Grove Twp, IL | BG | 1831 | |||
| Waddle | Henry (from Orleans Co., NY) | nds | nds | FO | 1838 | |||||||
| Waite | Hugh (single man, built first house in Seward Twp) | nds | nds | SE | 1832 | |||||||
| Webster | Emily (early teacher in Bristol) | nds | nds | BR | 1837 | HI | ||||||
| Weeks | Maria T. (Tolman)(Mrs. Joseph) | Oct | 8 | 1817 | New York, NY | 1905 | Sandwich, IL | KE | 1834 | |||
| White | Eva (Mrs. Wilbur W.) | abt | 1803 | New York | nds | [Fox Twp, IL 1860] | FO | 1837 | ||||
| White | Wilbur W. (mar. Eva)(had only house on the prairie in 1837) | abt | 1794 | New York | nds | [Fox Twp, IL 1860] | FO | 1837 | HI | |||
| Wilson | Elizabeth Ann (d. William Smith & Rebecca (Pearce)) | abt | 1832 | Illinois or Ohio? | nds | OS | 1832 | |||||
| Witherspoon | James McEwen (s. John Knox, II & Elizabeth (McEwen)) | abt | 1839 | Fox Twp, IL | 1863 | [Camden, SC 1860] | FO | 1834 | HI | |||
| Witherspoon | Marietta "Martha" (Heath)(Mrs. Frederick Nash) | Apr | 7 | 1820 | Medina Co., OH | nds | [De Kalb Co., IL 1863] | FO | 1834 | HI | ||
| Witherspoon | Susan Kollock (d. John Knox, Sr. & Susan Davis (Kollock)) | Jul | 1 | 1815 | nds | Fox Twp, Kendall Co., IL | FO | 1834 | HI | |||
| Wright | Louisa (Barker)(Mrs. Rev. Robert)(mar. Jul 23, 1837 LaSalle Co., IL | abt | 1817 | Oneida Co., NY | nds | BG | 1838 |
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