by David McKelvey | Mar 1, 2014 | Biographies
Samuel Wylie – It was a beautiful location and appealed to the Rev. Samuel Wylie to such an extent that when a town was laid out, he called it Eden. It was here that the Rev. Wylie, who had been sent to the Kaskaskia region as a missionary in 1817, helped in...
by David McKelvey | Mar 1, 2014 | Biographies
James White came to the vicinity of the present town of Steeleville about 1808 and settled in the west half of section 17, near where the Steeleville and Chester road crosses Mary’s River. He would thus appear to be the third settler in the area.
by David McKelvey | Mar 1, 2014 | Biographies
Robert Tindall – Another early settler who believed a gristmill would prove profitable was Robert Tindall who began construction of one on Tindall Creek about four miles northeast of Chester in 1802. Floods washed away the mill before its completion, and...
by David McKelvey | Mar 1, 2014 | Biographies
Levi Teale and James Curry were hunting, when night overtook them, they stopped at a house, newly built by David Pagan. During that night, they were attacked by Indians. Teale wished to surrender, but Curry chose to fight. The Indians helped to decide the matter when...
by David McKelvey | Mar 1, 2014 | Biographies
John Steele – When John Steele came to the site of Steeleville and settled in 1807, he brought with him several sons. One of Steele’s sons, George, built a gristmill powered by oxen. Georgetown, Steele’s Mills, or as it was later known,...
by David McKelvey | Mar 1, 2014 | Biographies
Eli Short – When we saw Mr. Forster of the Irish Settlement operating a still and taking an active part in church work, we discovered that such action did not strike the people of that time as particularly out of place. Eli Short, who settled a short distance...
by David McKelvey | Mar 1, 2014 | Biographies
James Shields an Irishman, came to Kaskaskia and began his career by teaching school. Later he studied law and became a successful attorney. Entering politics, he was elected as United States Senator from Illinois. Leaving Illinois, he went to Minnesota, where he was...
by David McKelvey | Mar 1, 2014 | Biographies
Hugh McKelvy (b. 1762 in North Ireland, d. March 13, 1835 and is buried in Old Bethel Cemetery.) was a private in the South Carolina militia during the reduction of Charleston. This is acceptable as Revolutionary War Service. Hugh came to Randolph County in 1818, with...
by David McKelvey | Mar 1, 2014 | Biographies
John McFerron – unwittingly did one thing that keeps his name alive. He was the first one to enter land on the site of the present city of Chester. This he did in 1818. Some years later, he sold his holdings to three men, Samuel Smith, J. L. Lamb and Thomas...
by David McKelvey | Feb 28, 2014 | Biographies
Wolves, finding young livestock comparatively easy prey, caused the pioneer much damage. Counties invariably paid liberal bounties for wolf scalps and thus helped considerably toward their destruction. Joseph Lively, who lived in the vicinity of Bremen, was a...
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