Fellow interested in family history wanted to know which road did the Civil War soldiers take to come home to La Salle Co. from Springfield. The Moon place, just west of Streator, accomodated many travelers, including Lincoln. So in the 1850-1860s did they cross the Vermillion at Streator and then on to Ottawa. Can't see them going further on the west side of the Vermillion, even now it looks like it would be rough going. Cross at "Streator" and it is fairly flat, muddy, but flat. And, since it was open grass, probably a little safer? Also heard of a man named Swift, who told someone that he remembered the Union soldiers going by in "droves" after the war. There was a Swift farm just south of Moon's. Moon was a very well known man at that time, and drawing of his farm in 1870 plat book seems to show that he was well off. Maybe the soldiers knew they would receive a warm welcome? Would the returning soldiers gone to Ottawa, since "all" roads back then should have gone to the county seat. Anyone have ancestor's who might have served and recorded their return? Thanks, Joanie -- Streatorland Historical Society 306 South Vermillion Street Streator, Illinois 61364 Monday - Friday 9:30 - 2:30 Sunday 1 - 4 p.m.

----- Original Message ----- From: <bluejay201@mchsi.com> To: <ILLASALL-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, February 06, 2005 12:13 PM Subject: [ILLASALLE] Old Roads in La Salle Co. > Fellow interested in family history wanted to know which road did the Civil > War soldiers take to come home to La Salle Co. from Springfield. > The Moon place, just west of Streator, accomodated many travelers, including > Lincoln. So in the 1850-1860s did they cross the Vermillion at Streator and > then on to Ottawa. Can't see them going further on the west side of the > Vermillion, even now it looks like it would be rough going. Cross > at "Streator" and it is fairly flat, muddy, but flat. And, since it was open > grass, probably a little safer? > Also heard of a man named Swift, who told someone that he remembered the > Union soldiers going by in "droves" after the war. There was a Swift farm just > south of Moon's. Moon was a very well known man at that time, and drawing of > his farm in 1870 plat book seems to show that he was well off. Maybe the > soldiers knew they would receive a warm welcome? > Would the returning soldiers gone to Ottawa, since "all" roads back then > should have gone to the county seat. > Anyone have ancestor's who might have served and recorded their return? > Thanks, Joanie > > > > -- > Streatorland Historical Society > 306 South Vermillion Street > Streator, Illinois 61364 > Monday - Friday 9:30 - 2:30 > Sunday 1 - 4 p.m. > > > ============================== > Search Family and Local Histories for stories about your family and the > areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the last 12 months. > Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13966/rd.ashx >