HAMILTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

VOL. 19 July 2020 $1.00

 Hamilton County Historical Society
The purpose of the Hamilton County Historical Society is to bring
together those persons interested in history, and especially in the history
of Hamilton County, Illinois. The Society’s major function is to discover
and collect any material which may help to establish or illustrate the
history of the area and to arouse interest in the past. The Society
maintains a museum and genealogy library on the second floor of the
McCoy library where these items are preserved and made accessible to
those who wish to examine them.

Goshen Trails is a bulletin of the Hamilton County, Illinois Historical Society.

Volume 19, Number 3 – July 2020

Printed by authority of HCHS. All rights reserved to contributors and to HCHS

McCoy Library, 2nd Floor

130 S. Washington St
McLeansboro, IL 62859

Phone: 618-643-2125
Email: hchsgenealogy@gmail.com
Website: http://www.hchs-il.com
Open: Wed. 11am-2pm (or by Appointment)

2020 Officers

President – Andy Rubenacker

Vice-President – Eileen Mayberry
Treasurer – Clara Farris
Secretary – Julie Brenner

The Historical Society’s next meetings are:

Due to COVID-19, all meetings are cancelled until further notice
Farris’s Restaurant, 7pm
All are welcome to attend

2
 Note from the President
2020 has been a crazy year so far! The Illinois and Du Quoin
State Fairs have been cancelled this year, with several of the local
festival being cancelled or having limited venues. When I talked to Jerry
Prince last week, our own Hamilton County Fall Festival was still up in
the air.
As I wrote in the April Goshen Trails: We were very lucky in
Hamilton County with the 1918 – 1919 Spanish Flu because of our rural
isolation. Hamilton County has been fortunate so for with the Covid-19
outbreak with no confirmed deaths. But, some of our other So. IL
Counties have not been so lucky, Jefferson County has had 16 confirmed
deaths, Wayne 1, Union 17, Jackson 15, Williamson 3 and with the State
having had 6,398 confirmed deaths. The State is currently in phase 3 of
Restore Illinois that limits group meetings to no more than 10 people.
But this will pass and things are being done! Some of the
members are working on 2 new books for the 2021 Hamilton County Bi-
Centennial next year. The first book is on the businesses and their
locations around the McLeansboro Square over the last 200 years. The
second book is on Hamilton County veterans. Eileen has setup a new
Facebook page for the HCHS, Hamilton County Illinois Historical
Society & Genealogy Library. You will be able to go there to get the
latest HCHS news and current issue of the Goshen Trails. We are
currently emailing digital copies to the members. If you are not getting a
digital copy, email me (andy54@hamiltoncom.net) and I’ll get you on
the list. Remember to share your Goshen Trails with your friends!
The Hamilton County Bi-Centennial 2021 Committee has been
formed and is working with Hamilton Co. Board/City of McLeansboro
(county seat), a 2021 logo and slogan has been designed by Hamilton
County High/Jr. High Schools, letters have been sent out to local clubs
for their input and a non-profit has been setup.
Remember, we need new articles on Hamilton County or about
your family that lived in Hamilton County. If you are a member or non-
member fell free to contact me about your ideas, email, text or call, 618-
308 2023.
Andy Rubenacker, President HCHS

3
 Hamilton County’s First Brick Court House,
McLeansboro, Illinois
by Ralph Harrelson

The following is an edited reprint of an article originally published in the Jul

1974 (Volume 10 Number 3) edition of the original Goshen Trails.

Built by Isaac Laswell, contractor, in the years 1840-1843.

The cost of the building was $4,500. This building burned during
the night of July 4, 1894.
Hamilton County, Illinois replaced her log court house with
a brick one in the early eighteen forties. We have been unable to
locate the county commissioner’s court records for the years 1821-
1839. However, John B. Kinnear, who wrote a “Brief History of
McLeansboro, Illinois” circa 1884. Wrote the following
concerning the courthouses in McLeansboro:
“The first one was built in 1821, and afterward repaired by
a new one built in its place. The latter was a two-story log house
and was not much of an ornament to the county at that.”
Mr. Kinnear also tells of two other plans and orders for
courthouse in the 1830’s, which orders were later rescinded by the
county commissioners.
Although we could not find the actual contract for the
Courthouse under consideration, substantial documentation
concerning it was found.
February 27, 1837, the State Legislature approved an act
which authorized the expenditure of more than ten million dollars
for a program of internal improvements in Illinois.
The major part of the expenditure was designated for
particular projects, such as the improvements of navigation on
various river, the Great Western mail route from Vincennes to St.
Louis, and building various railroads. For counties where no
railroad or canal was to be built at state expense, $200,000 was to
be distributed at a rate able proportion to the census last made.
In 1839 there was a vigorous move to improve and build
roads and bridges in Hamilton County, but in 1840 this was
suddenly halted. The reason for stopping the use of internal
4
improvement money for roads was that a courthouse might be built
in McLeansboro.
An Act, passed by the State Legislature of Illinois, in force
March 4, 1839 is transcribed in the following paragraph:
Sec. 2. That the county commissioners’ court of Hamilton
County is hereby authorized to borrow, of her part of the two
hundred thousand dollars appropriated, by the “Act to establish and
maintain a general system of internal improvement,” to the
counties through which no railroad is constructed by the State, the
sum of two thousand dollars, for the purpose of building a court
house at the county seat of said county, to be refunded out of the
county treasury when needed; and when so refunded, in part or in
whole to be applied to the purposes for which it was intended by
the act by which it was appropriated.”
Subsequently, in 1839 and 1840 plans were formulated and
orders made for building a courthouse. Evidence in the county
records indicate the contract was let in late 1839, or early 1840.
Isaac Laswell was the contractor and the cost was to be $4,500.
The house had a sandstone foundation and Kinnear says the stones
were quarried in what was then known as William Rickford’s lot,
but doesn’t say where the lot was located.
July 13, 1840 – Internal Improvement Record –
“This day the Commissioners of Hamilton County, met and
on examination find that they have paid Isaac Laswell at different
payments the amount of twelve hundred and thirty dollars in all
toward building the court house – exclusive of payments for work
done on the roads and bridges.
“Two hundred and thirty dollars of the above $1230 was
paid in advance to said Laswell for extra work done on the court
house foundation which was amount is to be kept out the last
payment for said Laswell building the court house.”
Another notation shows that on the same day, July 13,
1840, Hardy C. Willis, one of the commissioners, paid Isaac
Laswell four hundred and forty dollars toward building the court
house.
At the September, 1840 term commissioners’ court the
following order was made: “Ordered by the court that all jobs
5
heretofore let or sold out of the internal improvement in the county
of Hamilton and not finished are now declared null and void,
excepting the Court House and that no money be paid out for any
other purpose but said court house of the Internal Improvement
fund.”
December 8, 1840 – “Ordered by the court that the clerk of
this court write to the judges of the several precincts of this county
requesting them to open one column on their poll books to vote for
or against appropriating the balance of the Internal Improvement
fund toward building the court house at the election to be held on
the 19th day of this inst.”
On June 9, 1841, Isaac Laswell acknowledged receiving
from Hardy C. Willis, John M. Clark and William Allen, county
commissioners, twenty-three notes in the amount of $1,515,33.
The notes were said to be in part payment for building the court
house and which Mr. Laswell took on his own responsibility. The
above notes were held by the county for money loaned to citizens
out of the Internal Improvement money, and perhaps from school
funds.
At the September term of court, 1841, there was an order to
sell the old court house in McLeansboro. At a public sale, on
September 21, 1841, it was sold to the highest bidder, James Allen,
for $31.50. It was sold on a six months credit and William
Brinkley was Mr. Allen’s security. At this same term of court,
Charles Heard was allowed $9.00 for the use of his house by the
Circuit Court at their March term.
On December 6, 1842, the county commissioners, William
Allen, Benjamin Hood, and I. Mitchell issued to I. Laswell, county
orders amounting to $500 in part for building the court house.
(I.I.R).
Special term, 1843, On Saturday morning, September 16,
1843, the county commissioners met at nine o’clock according to
previous appointment and held a special court and transacted the
following business:
“This day the court agrees to receive the court house on
McLeansboro, from Isaac Laswell the contractor for building said
house. It is therefore ordered by the court that the court house be
6
and is not received from said Laswell and will settle hereafter for
said building and it is ordered that the clerk give up said Laswell
his bond for the building said house.” There was a note appended
to this order inscribed in the clerk’s book, which state: “I protest
the receiving order for this reason that the house is not finished
according my understanding of the contract. – R.A. Goudy.”
At a special term of court held December 1843, county
orders were issued to I. Laswell for building the court house in the
amount of $209.53. This was probably the final settlement relative
to the contract. However, at the previous September term, 1843,
the county commissioners allowed ten dollars toward paying
attorney fee in collecting notes which Laswell received of the
commissioners in part payment for building the court house. March
Term, 1845. “Ordered by the court R.A. Goudy be authorized to
superintend and contract with some suitable person to have
fastening to the windows and door shutters and to repair the cupola
and plastering of the courthouse.” (C.C.R)
Through the years this first brick Court House was the
center for community and county meetings. Various kinds of
organizations were formed while meeting there, such as
agricultural, library, etc. The town trustees held their meetings
there part of the building of their own. Sunday Schools were
conducted there. The court records for 1866, show that an order
was made, stating that no more shows, preaching, or Sunday
School would be allowed in the Court House unless two or three
responsible persons guarantee against damage. Also, churches and
Sunday Schools were not to use the wood furnished by the county.
From an issue of The Leader, for February 26, 1885 we
take the following item: The courthouse is declared unsafe and
court ordered to meet in the Methodist Church at 1:00 p.m. on
Washington Street in McLeansboro. – C.S Conger, judge.
“Shortly after midnight last night there was an alarm of
fire. It was soon found those aroused that the Court House was in
flames. When discovered, it was too far advanced to combat
successfully, and this morning only the four walls of the building
are standing. Some giant crackers were fired near it last night, but
it is hardly probable that these ignited it. Whatever the cause, it is
7
better down then up, as it had become a public nuisance, and
should have been removed by the Board of Supervisors long ago.”
The Leader, Thursday, July 5, 1894.
The first brick Court House, built in Hamilton County on
the public square in McLeansboro, was architecturally identical to
the one finished in White County in 1831. If it was identical in
size, it was forty feet square and two stories high. The towers
projecting upward from the center of the roof on the two buildings
were also alike.
If the incidents connected with this building were
chronicled on the pages of a book, they would give a very candid
and interesting history of the era it its existence.

The Historical Society is looking for articles for future Goshen

Trails newsletters. If you would like to submit an article for
consideration for inclusion in the newsletter, please email it to
hchsgenealogy@gmail.com. Articles can be on any subject that
has historical significance to Hamilton County.

Fun Fact: When and where was the 1st Memorial Day
observance held in HCI?

Answer: In May 1863, the wife of Gen. John A. Logan held a

memorial at the Union Hall Church west of
McLeansboro. Read the whole story in the April
1973 Goshen Trails.

8
 A Sketch of the Life Mrs. Mary Allison Davis
Original By: Reubin Davis
Edits: Micki Faruzzi & Vince Miller

The following is an edited reprint of an article originally published in the

McLeansboro Times newspaper May 8, 1884.

Mary Davis was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, January

21, 1789. On the breaking out of the Seven Years' Indian War in
1790, her father Robert Allison, moved to Marietta, Ohio, at the
mouth of the Muskingum River, and had command of the fort at
that place during the tedious years of that bloody struggle. Little
Mary was in in the fort from about her third year to her tenth, and,
of course, became inured to all the hardships of frontier life, and
accustomed to the cruel scenes of our Indian war. These events of
her early life were literally burned in her memory, and all the
incidents and details of this long life in the midst of an unrelenting
and savage foe, with no protection save the imperfect walls of a
pioneer fort and the strong hands and brave hearts that were her
companions, remained as fresh in her mind as the events of the
passing day. She remembered and could tell all about the French
soldiers that were for a time at the fort, and of the bloody slaughter
of immigrants at Fort Harmer and other points farther down the
river. She never got over the indignation she and the whole
garrison felt at the disgraceful surrender of the Army by Gen. St.
Clair.
At the close of the war Mr. Allison moved with his family
fourteen miles up the Muskingum River, and, in company with
Col. Wm. Davis, Mr. Kinney, Wm. Mason and Dick Coburn, built
what was known as Kinney's Garrison, which consisted of log
houses built with their corners touching so as to form a square
block. They cleared land adjoining this fort or block house, and all
worked together, keeping one of their number constantly on the
watch. Mr. Allison's house was the first one built in "Kinney's
Garrison," and here in the wilderness among the mountains of the
Muskingum, and surrounded by savage Indians and savage beasts,
Mary Allison grew up to womanhood, and was wooed and won by

9
a daring young frontiersman, Nehemiah Davis, who came from the
far away state of Maine, but who, like herself, was inured to the
wild life of the wilderness; they were married April 18, 1805.
Getting their small quantity of earthly goods together, the
young couple left the Garrison and settled on Sugar creek, one and
a half miles from Big Hockhocking River, in what is now Dover
township, four miles north of Athens. About the time of their
settlement on Sugar creek, a dozen or so mirrors were brought to
Athens and offered for sale, the first perhaps that had reached that
locality. One of these was purchased by Mrs. Davis, and this old
looking glass, still perfect as when it reflected her young face in
the Ohio wilderness, was one of her most cherished possessions at
the time of her death.
Sugar creek remained their home until five children had
come to cheer them in the wilderness, when in 1817, they moved
down the Ohio river to the mouth of Racoon creek in Gallia
county, seven miles below Gallipolis, where they made for
themselves a new home, Mr. Davis farming in the summer and
hunting in the winter, and many are the bear, deer and wolves that
yielded their lives at the voice of his unerring rifle. He never
owned but one rifle, and that he left in good order at the time of his
death, after a constant use of sixty-five years.
In 1839, with the pioneer's characteristic longing for the
wilderness, they moved to the State of Illinois and settled on the
west line of Hamilton county, ten miles from McLeansboro, but
the two that more than twenty-five years before had settled on
Sugar creek, were now fourteen, twelve children having been born
unto them, and were all alive and rapidly becoming men and
women. Mr. Davis passed on peacefully on Dec 16, 1854, at the
ripe age of seventy-six years, but he lived to see all of his twelve
children with families of their own, -- left twelve families as did
Jacob of Old when he was gathered to his fathers.
Mrs. Davis began practice as a female physician at the age
of forty years and as such became very popular, the line of her
practice extending for miles around her home, and during the fifty
years of her practice, by her own record, she attended the birth of
more than a thousand children, and never lost a patient in her life.
10
When about fifty years of age she made a profession of religion,
and joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which she remained
a faithful member until she went quietly, and peacefully to the
Higher Rest October 26, 1882, being ninety-three years, eight
months and twenty-eight days old. She has a sister still living in
Ohio, now 99 years old. Mrs. Davis left surviving her, nine of her
twelve children.

(Compilers note: For clarity, this next long paragraph has

been sub-divided and her children's surnames capitalized.)

Grasson DAVIS, her oldest son, lives in Gallia county,

Ohio; he married Celissa KNOWLES, and they have five
children – three sons, Franklin, Brooks and Quincy, and
two daughters, Ann Amelia and Myra Florence. This son
had eight grand-children; three of them living in India.

Matilda J. CASE, a daughter, had four sons, only one of

whom is living – Nehemiah Thomas Case, of Pawnee,
Nebraska. She had eleven grandchildren.
1
Sophronia BAUGH, another daughter lives in McGregor,
Iowa, and has three children, one son and two daughters –
she had four grandchildren, one boy and three girls, living.

Minerva P. LIONBERGER, another daughter, lives at

Moore's Prairie, Jefferson County, Illinois; she has nine
children, of whom seven are dead; one son and one
daughter living.

Amazona DEWITT, another daughter, late of

McLeansboro, had twelve children, six girls and six boys,
ten of whom are living; she had sixty grandchildren and

11
thirty-three great grandchildren, five great grandchildren
are dead.

Mary COLE, another daughter lives in Gallipolis, Ohio,

has ten children, one son killed in the war; she has twenty-
two grandchildren.
2
Robert A. DAVIS, another son, died in the City of
Mexico in 1847, he had three children, two dead.
3
Asenath DAVISSON, another daughter, lives at Mt.
Vernon, Illinois, has had twelve children, ten of them
living; she has eighteen grandchildren, two being dead.
4
Reuben DAVIS, lives in 5Palo Alto, Illinois, has had
eleven children, three of them being dead, he has thirteen
grandchildren.
6
Sophie E. STURMAN/BRAKE, lives in Dahlgren,
Illinois, another daughter, married twice, has nine children
and six grandchildren.
7
Nehemia DAVIS, Jr., lives in Macedonia, Illinois,
another son, has had ten children, two dead; he has seven
grandchildren, one dead.
8
Timothy DAVIS, lives in Palo Alto, Illinois, another son,
has ten children and four grandchildren.

Therefore, at Mrs. Davis's death her direct descendants

numbered: 12 children, 98 grandchildren, 192 great
grandchildren, and 33 great great grandchildren, making a
total of 335.

12
Endnotes:
1. Hamilton Co., IL. marriage # 814: Downing Baugh +
Sophronia Davis, 11 Nov 1846
2. Hamilton Co., IL. marriage # 610: Robert A. Davis +
Sarah Elizabeth Irvin, 01 Dec 1842.
3. Hamilton Co., IL. marriage # 508A: Hardin Davisson +
Asenath Davis; license issued 05 Jan 1841; no return.
4. Hamilton Co., IL. marriage # 1003: Reuben Davis +
Anna Sturman, 04 Dec 1849.
5. Palo Alto: Knight's Prairie Twp., Ham. Co., Post Office
established 1856; discontinued 1902.
6. Hamilton Co., IL. marriage # 993: James R Sturman +
Sophia Elizabeth Davis, 31 Oct 1849 and Hamilton Co., IL.
marriage # 1618: Benjamin F Brake + Sophia Sturman
7. Hamilton Co., IL. marriage # 1083: Nehemia Davis +
Mary Sturman, 01 Jan 1851.
8. Hamilton Co., IL. marriage # 1262: Timothy Davis +
Mary M. Snover, 17 Apr 1853.

For additional information on Mary Allison Davis see the

FamilySearch.Org Family Tree listing # LCJQ-2YG at
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LCJQ-
2YG.

Fun Fact: The first four homes in McLeansboro were log

homes, with Dr. McLean being the first. Who built
the fifth?

Answer: The fifth home was the first frame-built house. It

was built for Jesse C. Lockwood by Benjamin
Hood, the first house carpenter in McLeansboro.

13
 Hamilton County Marriage Records
by Vince Miller

This is a continuation of listings of Hamilton County, IL

marriages from the 1870s. The last issue (Volume 19 #2)
published marriages #3315 through 3570. This quarter we are
adding #3571 through 3708. The original marriage licenses and
returns are missing for the first 6 months of 1873 (#3640 through
3707) so the spelling of the names is only as shown in Register C.

Groom Bride M# Date

Spear, James M Johnson, Margery 3571 1872/08/16
Russell, Marion Hicks, Sarah 3572 1872/08/18
Skelton, Elijah Braden, Margaret E 3573 1872/08/31
Proctor, Lafayette W Corn, Arena J 3574 1872/09/09
Halley, Joseph Flint, Rebecca A 3575 1872/09/01
Maloney, Patrick Conly, Lizzie M 3576 1872/09/10
Williams, Page Rich, Sophronia A 3577 1872/08/15
Aydt, Francis Joseph Peonky, Mary 3578 1872/09/24
Burkhead, Oliver Irvin, Ellen 3579 1872/09/29
Beacham, James C Campbell, Charlotte A, Mrs 3580 1872/10/15
Sullivan, Noah Boster, Esther Jane 3581 1872/10/17
Hutchcraft, James McKnight, Etta 3582 1872/10/23
Dewitt, Sylvester Shelton, Missouri 3583 1872/10/24
Kirby, Isaac H Physhum, Clarissa E, Mrs 3584 1872/10/27
Hood, John S Presley, Rachel M 3585 1872/10/29
Cox, Burrell Gross, Samantha C 3586 1872/11/03
Halley, James B Hilman, Susan, Mrs 3587 1872/11/03
Mayberry, Greenberry Maulding, Martha A 3588 1872/11/03
Spencer, John Gross, Jane 3589 1872/11/04
Simpson, Absalom Braden, Mary Ann, Mrs 3590 1872/11/06
Bleeks, Jonathan Sneed, Louisa 3591 1872/11/07
Sloan, Charles D Buck, Sarah E 3592 1872/08/25
Venters, William Denton, Sarah J 3593 1872/08/25
Dixon, Tilmon Joines, Sarah J, Mrs 3594 1872/08/29
Haller, Anthony Fry, Theresa 3595 1872/10/03
Holland, Harrison M Ross, Margaret E, Mrs 3596 1872/09/12

14
 Groom Bride M# Date
Hall, John Belt, Martha, Mrs 3597 1872/09/12
Cage, Thomas Duvall, Nancy, Mrs 3598 1872/09/19
Davis, James L Stephenson, Martha J 3599 1872/09/19
Brown, James M Turrentine, Mary J 3600 1872/09/25
Beemer, Leon Parrish, Mary E 3601 1872/09/26
Chelf, William W Doyle, Elizabeth 3602 1872/09/26
Gholson, James T Davis, Celeste L 3603 1872/09/26
Taylor, William C Oliver, Lucinda 3604 1872/10/03
Creek, William Ockerman, Clara 3605 1872/10/06
Kelly, Joseph Sperry, Anna 3606 1872/10/06
Goin, Charles Cross, Almira 3607 1872/10/06
Fann, Hosea Wynn, Phredonia C 3608 1872/10/09
Wilson, Daniel Mayberry, Louisa 3609 1872/10/10
Barnett, B J W Johnson, Isabell 3610 1872/10/10
Coffee, Eli Foster, Nancy Ellen 3611 1872/10/10
Hamilton, John Griffith, Amanda J 3612 1872/10/24
Moore, William L Durham, Emily 3613 1872/10/28
Irby, Charles C Ezell, Sarah E 3614 1872/10/31
Barker, Thomas W Deen, Nancy J 3615 1872/11/03
Garrison, James Williamson, Lumirah 3616 1872/11/07
Harrelson, James Hays, Elizabeth 3617 1872/11/14
Harper, James M Harper, Mary A, Mrs 3618 1872/11/19
Moore, Charles V Hays, Catharine 3619 1872/11/20
Ellis, John Carpenter, Louisa, Mrs 3620 1872/11/20
Garrison, William Kuykendall, Sophia G 3621 1872/11/21
Hunt, Jasper Moore, Julia 3622 1872/11/21
Ellis, Caleb Weldon, Alice 3623 1872/11/24
McGill, John F Coffey, Louisa 3624 1872/12/01
Clark, Hugh Eastwood, Jane 3625 1872/12/01
Williams, James Wesley Waller, Nancy E 3626 1872/12/05
Trout, Richard Thomas, Nancy J 3627 1872/12/02
Hunter, Montgomery Howell, Penelope O 3628 1872/11/10
Marlin, Robert Black, Isabella C 3629 1872/12/04
Au, John C Vandervert, Mollie E 3630 1872/12/25
Whittemore, William B Spain, Mary A E 3631 1872/12/14
Cluck, George W Braden, Milinesa J, Mrs 3632 1872/12/12
Estes, John W Hullinger, Martha 3633 1872/12/14
15
 Groom Bride M# Date
Thomas, Archer P Mooney, Mary J 3634 1872/12/19
Hunter, Charles L Rawlings, Sarah 3635 1872/12/23
Allen, Zachariah W Carroll, Mary F, Mrs 3636 1872/12/23
Hungate, Robert T Johnson, Martha J 3637 1872/12/25
Hyatt, Albert A Rathbone, Mary V 3638 1872/12/30
Alden, W F Rathbone, Julian 3639 1872/12/31
Campbell, William H Campbell, Mary J 3640 1873/01/02
Rawls, George Maulding, Mary A 3641 1872/11/26
Schoolcraft, Elza Strobaugh, Arrena E 3642 1872/12/21
Warren,Oliver R Cates, Lucinda C 3643 1872/12/30
Gray, B E Hicks, Julia 3644 1873/01/14
Robinson, William M Coker, Emily M 3645 1873/01/11
Hicks, Albert Lampley, Sirena 3646 1873/01/30
Mitchell, Thomas J Rogers, Martha 3647 1873/01/29
Lasater, George W Duvall, Louisa 3648 1873/01/23
Stelle, Thompson B Blades, Laura E 3649 1873/02/11
Erwin, John L Hunt, Matilda A 3650 1873/02/20
Allen, John W Cooper, Louisa 3651 1873/02/26
Beard, Louis H Lanham, Margery L 3652 1873/02/26
Hughes, Benjamin J Taylor, Eliza J 3653 1873/02/20
Lockwood, John B Titsworth, Eliza 3654 1873/02/23
Hardesty, Christopher M Grimes, Rachel 3655 1873/02/27
Harrison, George W Dial, Luella 3656 1873/02/06
Lampkins, Robert J Aaron, Talitha E 3657 1873/02/09
Lockhart, James H Brown, Anna L 3658 1873/02/20
White, William Cummins, Theresa C 3659 1873/02/07
Smith, Rolla Pemberton, Martha F 3660 1873/02/06
Melton, Joseph M Hungate, Oregon 3661 1873/02/15
Tittle, John B Thomas, Nancy J 3662 1873/03/02
Barnett, Michael Foster, Mary 3663 1873/03/17
Crouch, Warner D Proudfit, Sarah P 3664 1873/03/21
Ames, James S Renfro, Mary A 3665 1873/03/22
McCoy, William T Gibbs, Mary C 3666 1873/03/01
Lance, Samuel H Ward, Susan Ellen 3667 1873/03/11
Gordon, James H Allen, Louisa 3668 1873/03/11
Gray, James A Barker, Nancy A 3669 1873/03/14
Taylor, Joseph Wheeler, Susan 3670 1873/03/07
16
 Groom Bride M# Date
Martin, John T Shelton, Margaret R 3671 1873/03/17
Reeves, James A Oglesby, Mary A 3672 1873/03/19
Carter, Granville Bruner, Harriet 3673 No Record
Knight, James Coons, Harriet S 3675 1873/03/19
Barnes, Emberson Nipper, Lina 3676 1873/03/11
Presley, Jasper N Erwin, Louisa 3677 1873/03/16
Trammel, William Proctor, Melissa 3678 1873/03/23
Reisinger, Jacob Chaffin, Almira 3679 1873/03/23
Parkhill, John Helms, Mary L 3680 1873/03/27
Preston, James S Thompson, Ellen K 3681 1873/04/01
Rich, Jeremiah Marsh, Pernesia A 3682 1873/04/01
Lewis, Frank Sims, Amanda J 3683 1873/04/03
Davis, James F Aaron, Delia 3684 1873/04/04
Hensley, Charles N Lafavor, Sarah A F 3685 1873/04/08
Lafavor, Zachariah Hensley, Elizabeth 3686 1873/04/08
Barbee, Henry C Irvin, Liddia 3687 1873/03/30
Seal, Andrew Thornburg, Mary J 3688 1873/03/30
McCain, William Kelly, Artemissie 3689 1873/03/30
Halada, John W Perry, Elizabeth A 3690 1873/04/03
Ayers, James Rich, Sydney J 3691 1873/04/05
Mason, John B Winder, Margaret B 3692 1873/04/05
Miller, John Hardester, Rhoda A 3693 1873/04/10
Allen, David H Taylor, Elizabeth Josephine 3694 1873/04/13
Roberts, James Trout, Elizabeth 3695 1873/04/17
Huffstutler, James Bennett, Julia Ann E 3696 1873/04/17
Drew, Thomas Dodds, Martha 3697 1873/04/20
Upchurch, John A Hutson, Mary A 3698 1873/04/24
Moore, Winfield S Manning, Elizabeth R 3699 1873/04/24
Bevis, Benjamin F Maulding, Lucy B 3700 1873/05/01
Crawford, John C Rathbone, Caroline 3701 1873/05/18
Sloan, Thomas D Young, Caroline 3702 1873/05/18
McNutt, Sydney Summers, Lydia 3703 1873/05/17
Woodruff, Andrew J Woodruff, Henrietta 3704 1873/05/24
Beard, Edward Harper, Mary M 3705 1873/05/25
Fitch, Alexander Carber, Mary E 3706 1873/05/29
Taylor, Thomas McDaniel, Mary E 3707 1873/06/09
Thomason, Joseph P Rich, Evaline 3708 1873/07/02
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 Hamilton County and the Goshen Trail
by Andy Rubenacker

A brief explanation of the why and where of the Goshen

Trails in Hamilton County. A more in-depth discussion can be
found in the 1966 April and July editions of the Goshen Trails.

In 1799 a Baptist minister and scout for the French, David

Bagley, was traveling through what is now Southern Illinois and
compared it to the Biblical Land of Goshen. The Land of Goshen
has persisted since that time.
In 1801, Col. Samuel Judy received a military grant of 100
acres in Madison County, near Glen Carbon Illinois. The area
became known as the Goshen Settlement.
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 In early Illinois there was a great demand for salt. In 1808,
the Goshen Trail/Road was built as a wagon road across Illinois,
from the Goshen Settlement to Shawneetown. Near Shawneetown
was the location of the salt wells, some of them being south of the
Old Slave House.
The Goshen Trail started out as a path used by Native
Americans. Indians and bandits were a problem in that time with
the Goshen Settlement and Shawneetown both having built forts.
Just inside Hamilton County, in section six of Knights Prairie
Township there was a tavern of lawlessness legends. The trail had
as many paths as stories of pioneers, Indians, wild animals, death
and sorrow. Therefore, the trail was not a definite marked out path.
Remember, creeks flood and rivers change paths and that
was no different in Hamilton County. The Goshen Trail crossed
the Vincennes – St. Louis road at about Walnut Hill in Jefferson
County. The trail entered Hamilton County from the northwest and
exited to the southeast.
On the Hamilton County map of 1876 there are three traces
of the Goshen Trail as they appeared on older documents. In the
1966 Goshen Trails there is an in-depth discussion of the route of
three different traces from 1820, 1822 and 1837 maps. The official
plat of the Hamilton County Survey of 1837 shows the Goshen
Trail. It ran through Palo Alto, headed toward Ten Mile Church
and then entered the present road somewhere near Knights Prairie
church. Again, if you are interest why that may not be the real
Goshen Trail check out the 1966 issues. They looked at family
histories and patterns of land settlements for the 1820 map trace.
Now, I hope you understand why in 1965 the Goshen Trails
was spelled with a final S.

NOTE: All 18 volumes of the original Goshen Trails bulletins

have been reprinted in two volumes (with a 3rd volume added as an
index to the other two) and are available for purchase on the
Hamilton County Historical Society web page. The price for all 3
volumes is $75. The URL for the web page is located on page 2 of
every newsletter.
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 Looking Back

The Historical Society is looking for old photographs from the

past. If you would like to submit any photos, please email them to
hchsgenealogy@gmail.com.

Membership
If you would like to become a member of the Historical Society,
please contact us at hchsgenealogy@gmail.com or by phone at
618-643-2125. All are welcome to join.

Fun Fact: What is the name of the "guard dog statue" at the
McCoy Memorial Library?

Answer: Silent Sentinel.

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