I read Valerie's email with great interest. I visited Hancock County a couple of months ago, and visited the Montebello (Riverside) Cemetery where both her and my relatives are buried in the old original corner of the cemetery. The Cochran's, Pryor's, Steele's, Gordon's, Gates, and perhaps even the Higby's are all my relatives, although only the Cochrans and Gates are in my blood line. The volunteers at the Hancock County Historical Society (which I joined) were very helpful in my quest to find my ancestors, and I would like to publicly thank them for their assistance. The earliest mill in Hamilton, according to Hancock County history, was a water power grist mill operated by Benjamin Gates (Benjamin Butler Gates - known as "Butler" or "B.B.") on the Mississippi River between Hamilton and Sonora at a point just south of the old original Riverside school house and supposedly directly west of the Montebello schoolhouse. Water power for the bucket type water wheel to run this mill came from a "Wing Dam" placed on property owned by my GGGGrandfather, John Dinsmore Cochran, Sr. and extending out into the Mississippi River. Before coming to Montebello, Mr. Gates operated a mill on Crooked Creek about three miles from Plymouth, Illinois. It was a saw mill and grist mill known as the LaMoine Mill. The Gates and Higby Mill was situated directly west of the Montebello schoolhouse from 1842-1849. Benjamin Butler Gates was the brother of Susan Gates, my GG Grandfather's (John Dinsmore Cochran, Jr.) wife. The Cochrans married into the Pryor, Steele, Another old mill on riverside was operated by Newton Waggoner in the early days. The bricks from that mill are built into a building now standing at Tenth and Walnut streets in Hamilton. Within the city limits of Hamilton, there was "Banks Mill" at the foot of Broadway, south side and on the margin of the slough. This mill was destroyed by fire over 60 years ago. The ruins of the foundations are still visible. Another mill, following, was located just north across the foot of Broadway. This mill had a varied ownership for many years and was destroyed by fire about 40 years ago. ( This information was obtained the Historical Society relating an interview With Mr. John A. Gordon, President of the Hancock County Historical Society, and an article written by him printed in the Carthage Republican. I did not record the date of when the above information was printed, so the "60 years ago", and the "40 years ago" would have to be researched again). The senior Cochran was born at Windham, New Hampshire, Mar. 11, 1771. When at the age of about eleven years (1781) his parents removed to the state of Maine. In the winter of 1816-17, Mr. Cochran removed to the state of Ohio - making the trip from Belfast, ME by land in a three-horse wagon, with his wife and several children. In Ohio, they settled about forty miles up the river from Cincinnati. He afterwards removed to Illinois near Shawneetown, and finally to the vicinity of Chester in Randolph County, on the Mississippi. After remaining at Chester for a brief period, he pulled up and removed to Hancock County, and settled in Montebello Township. They were overtaken on the way ( traveling with horses and wagon) by the celebrated "Deep Snow", which enveloped the Military Tract and a large portion of the Grant West in that winter of 1830-31, and were compelled to stop on the way, reaching Montebello in the Spring of 1831. So when they reached Montebello, they evidently met the Gordons and the Waggoners. This small community was composed of true pioneers, following their dream westward. One of my ancestors, Charles L. Cochran, was supposedly an intimate friend of Chief Keokuk, for whom Keokuk, Iowa was named. It's been a most interesting experience to discover how my ancestors lived, and in the process, discovering new cousins along the way. Gib Patterson