Valerie, Thanks for the information. Yes, James Winters' original properties lay north of Hwy 101. We walked on that property at the time of the family reunion of all descendants a few years ago. The original deeds from the Governor of Illinois to James Winters are hanging in a multiplex in the Schuyler Jail Museum, the display a gift to the museum from James Winters' great-granddaughter, Irene Foster Dintelman. I'm not as familiar with the land you describe as south of the Crawford land, but those deeds may be among the others. Please let me know when you add the files to the Schuyler county & Headstone hunters websites. Thanks again, Mary Jane White ++++++++++++++++ BoatKitten@aol.com wrote: > Hi Mary Jane, (I am copying this to the Schuyler Co list too) > > I visited this Thompson Cemetery just after heavy rains (big mistake). > > On an impromptu trip through rural Ilinois one year, we passed thru Schuyler > county and the Genealogy Society and Jail Museum in downtown Rushville. We > had no plans to do this.....we just wanted to see the country of my ancestors > before driving back to Missouri. By total accident I saw this sign as we > drove by. > > While my husband waited outside, the friendly folks inside showed me a > listing of a few cemeteries in the area ------ within minutes I found my BOX > relatives in THOMPSON cemetery. > > At that point they showed me a listing of graves at this cemetery. They also > told me details and directions how to find this cemetery. Great bunch of > people! > > I followed Highway 101 just a few miles west of Littleton, the town. There > was a farmhouse on the left and a dirt road (cant remember the name right > now) I headed about 1/2 mile south on the dirt road and came to "Thompson > Cemetery Lane" , which is not much more than a path between cornfields now. > This dirt road has no sign, but I could see a clump of trees at the end of > it (east), about 1/4 mile, with a few dots (headstones) on the ground. > > On an old township map, I show the landowners on the south side of hwy 101 > were Samuel M. THOMPSON estate, C W WALKER, William SNYDER, William C. > THOMPSON. The north side Jas WINTER, Jno WALKER .....and J & J S WALKER > (looks like a church was located near this property, on the Teel NELSON land) > > Land near the Thompson cemetery was owned by William C. THOMPSON, Saml M. > THOMPSON Est., and W T CRAWFORD. South of CRAWFORD was land owned by Jas. > WINTERS Est. > > The heavy rains made it impossible to take the muddy cemetery lane by car, > so I walked the 1/4 mile in ankle deep clay/mud! What a work-out! And > ruined my shoes too. > > I tried to follow the grid, but was unable to find the grave of my ancestors > there. :( > > But a few years later, I met a cousin online who mailed me this old property > map and photos of the stone she took 5 years ago -- it is a tall one -- dont > know how I missed it. She said she and her husband repaired the stone at one > time, since it had been broken in half. (They were able to drive all the way > to the cemetery, as the lane was dry then) > > Somewhere I have a handful of photos of other stones from there, and will > upload them (When I find them) to the Headstone hunters and Schuyler county > websites.... > > I didnt go to the NEIDY cemetery, but from the map it looked like it was > about 2 miles further SW. (Elizabeth Williams BOX was sister to Phoebe > Williams NEIDY) > > If you have any questions, let me know! > Valerie