finely educated, and found themselves ill at ease among their less fortunate backwoods neighbors. Both sold to Martin Higgins, and moved to Springfield. Here Moore followed his trade for some years, and then located in Macomb, Schuyler County. The last that was seen of him in this section, he was traveling in the capacity of a colporteur for the Presbyterian Book Concern. Terry, after his removal to Springfield, engaged in clerking, and his wife in teaching school. A few years later, they again returned to their native State and never returned West subsequently. William Armstrong settled near Indian Creek, and in a few years sold to Eli Branson and moved to what is now Sandridge Precinct, near the present village of Oakford. A number of his family reside there at present. Pleasant Armstrong, a single brother, lived with him and was an early Justice of the Peace in this section. Haynes and Good were both Buckeyes. The former settled south of Indian Creek, and, after some years, sold to Martin Higgins and moved to Texas. Good settled further west on the prairie between Indian Creek and Oak Ridge timber. He sold to the father of Judge Tice, and, in company with Haynes, moved to Texas. The name of James Gardner, also, should appear among those of the settlers of 1820. Gardner was from the Empire State, and laid a claim where the Widow Riggin now resides. His father, quite an aged man, lived with him. He remained but a few years, then sold to Harry Riggin and moved over into Fulton County. In 1821, Walter Turner made a claim on the south side of Indian Creek, which he improved and occupied until the date of his demise. His son Walter now occupies the old homestead. Harry Riggin also came the same year, purchased land and engaged in tilling the soil. His ancestry dates back to Ireland, and there bore the name of O'Regan. Soon after coming to America, having renounced Catholicism and espoused Protestantism, the family name was changed to Riggin, the form it has since borne. During his lifetime, he was often heard to express himself sorry that a change in the name should ever have been deemed necessary. He was an enterprising and useful citizen, and his name was many times prominently before the people. He was a member of the first Board of County Commissioners for Sangamon County, whose duty it was to locate the county seat. He was at different times a candidate for office, but was defeated, his competitors for popular favor being such men as Stephen F. Logan, Ninian Edwards and Abraham Lincoln-men who afterward achieved success in a wider field of fame. His long and public-spirited life closed in 1874, after he had attained to the ripe age of eighty-one years and six months. Elisha, Abner and James Hall, brothers, came from Ohio and settled in the vicinity of the present village of Athens as early as 1822. Some of their descendants are still living in and around the village. Phillip Smith was a Buckeye, also, who made an improvement where Theophilus Turner now lives. Smith was a blacksmith by trade and followed his profession in connection with farming. William Johnson and James Williams were from Bath County, Ky., and made settlements in 1823, north of Indian Creek. Johnson died in 1843. . son. His wife, having reached the seventy-fourth milestone on life's journey, is yet living, and is passing her few remaining years in the families of her children. Her son Jefferson now owns the old homestead, and a naked spot in the yard, but a few feet distant from his excellent farmhouse, marks the location from which but very recently the pioneer cabin of his father and family has been removed. Williams located west of Johnson and further down the creek. He was a farmer and tanner by trade. He reared a large family, and amassed a goodly amount of this world's goods. He died in 1837, and was buried on the farm which he improved and which is now owned by Col. John Williams, his Although Col. Williams has been a citizen of Athens Precinct only for the past three years, still we deem it apropos to give a short sketch of his life in this connection. At the time of his father's removal from Kentucky, he was a lad of some sixteen or seventeen summers, and was engaged in clerking in a village store. His employer was unwilling to release him, and, consequently, he did not come until the year following. He made the trip on horseback, bringing the sale-money of his father, and, as the currency at that time was almost exclusively silver, to successfully conceal it and bring it safely to its destination was no small feat for a boy of his age to accomplish. This, however, he did, after a long, tedious journey. John's inclinations were for the life of a merchant and soon after coming he obtained a situation as clerk in Springfield, afterward became partner and finally proprietor. His success fully attests the wisdom of his choice. He continued to make Springfield his home until about three years ago, when he erected his splendid mansion on his father's old homestead and brought his family from the city to enjoy the retreats of his quiet country home. In a business way, he is largely identified with the city of Springfield to-day, and is one of the solid business men of the capital. To him more than to any other one individual is Menard County indebted for the successful completion of the railroad which links with iron bands her county seat to the State capital. John H. Moore, from Kentucky, was here as early as the fall of 1823, possibly a year earlier. Included among those who came prior to 1830, we find the names of John Turner, William Stanley, Scott Rawlins, Jonathan Dunn, Asa Canterberry, John S. Alexander, William McDougal, Theophilus Bracken, Allen Turner, Amberry A. Rankin and Fleming Hall. They were mostly from Kentucky and Ohio, and settled near Indian Creek and in the vicinity of Athens. Fleming Hall had emigrated from Virginia to Missouri, in 1828, and, in 1829, he came to Menard and pre-empted the land on which the village of Athens now stands. He remained two years upon his pre-emption claim, then entered it and sold it to Abner Hall and a Mr. Catterlin. Mr. Hall removed to his present place of residence, a short distance from the village, some forty-eight years ago. Here, in the family of his son Elihu, the father, having attained the age of eighty-five and the mother the more advanced age of ninety-one, are passing quietly their few remaining days. When Mr. Hall and Benjamin and John Wiseman were laying off the school section into small lots for sale, Mr. Lincoln was their surveyor, and the tall, athletic form of the future President, passing silently through the deep ponds which the others were glad to avoid, is recollected as something edifying. Canterberry and Alexander were both from Kentucky, and settled in the south part of the precinct. Some of the descendants of Canterberry are still residents of the neighborhood in which he settled. Scott Rawlins settled on the farm now owned by W. L. Rankins. He was a kind of horse doctor and horse jockey professionally, and withal was not very popular with his neighbors. Indeed, his sudden accumulation of large numbers of horses at different times, warranted the suspicion that they were not always obtained by strictly legitimate means. His increasing unpopularity led him to dispose of his land in an early day. He moved to an island in the Illinois River, not far from Bath, where he died a number of years ago. McDougal and Bracken are both dead, but have a number of representatives yet living in the precinct. Amberry A. Rankin is still living, and having accumulated a fine competency, has retired from active business pursuits, and is quietly passing his declining years in the village of Athens. During the years 1830-31-32, but few were added to the settlements already made. The excitement incident upon the Black Hawk war had a tendency to check emigration for a time. In the spring of 1832, J. Kennedy Kincaid, then a young man, came from Bath County, Ky., and located in the neighborhood where he at present resides. He was a carpenter by trade, and found here a fine field for operating his mechanical genius. Landing at Beardstown, he walked from there to Springfield, in order to save his scanty means for the purchase of a kit of tools. By dint of industry, he soon secured means enough to enter a small piece of land, and this he improved and still owns. He was also one of the early pedagogues of this section. In the fall of 1833, his father, Andrew Kincaid, came through on horseback to visit his son and prospect the country. In the fall of 1834, he came with his family and settled where his son Thomas Kincaid now lives. After a long and useful career, he terminated his life in 1872, at the ripe age of eighty-seven. His wife lingered on the shores of time till March, 1879, when she followed that beckoning hand at the more advanced age of ninety-one. They left a large family of children, and their sons are among the wealthy and influential farmers of the section in which they reside. James Rankin, also from Kentucky, settled in the vicinity in 1833. As early as 1840, further settlements were made by Jesse G. Hurt, David and James K. Hurt, Jesse Preston, Josiah Francis, Thomas Hargus, William Strawbridge, Charles Robinson, R. L. Wilson, Neal and Archibald Johnson and others, doubtless, whose names have passed from memory. But time and space forbid that we shall particularize in regard to all these. Suffice it to say that they were all good citizens, and aided in the improvement and development of the country of which, at an early day, they became citizens. |