Princeville Township Cemetery Beginning with March 1899. Dates are those of burial, not of death. Up to July 17, 1929. August Stowell Sept. 17, 1901 Mrs. Isaac Stowell July 23, 1903 Nathan Stowell June 11, 1917 Isaac Stowell Oct. 5, 1925

Does anyone have a copy of the cemetery inscriptions for Blue Ridge?

Clothing was among the important items to be provided for, and a flock of sheep was among the first things to be looked after, the care and preservation of which in those early days of dogs and wolves was no small item. The wool from their backs was spun into yarn and woven into cloth by my mother's deft hands, and her cut and made into garments for the whole family. From her look also came many a bolt of cloth for the neighbors, with all of whom, comfort counted for everything, and mere style for less than nothing. The loose woolen shirt, the jeans pants, vest and wampus was the style for the men and boys; and for the women, the plain calico dress in summer, and the woolen dress for winter, were the order of the day. The year 1840 is approximately that of the building of the little brick school house from which we and many others graduated. It was also the church from which the circuit rider held forth once in four weeks. Feeling the need of more religious services in the community, Dr. A. Wilmot, Nathaniel Smith and father, with their wives, organized a Congregational Church - not as a rival, but as a helper - in maintaining religious services with all that can be implied in it. Owen Lovejoy of Princeton, who afterwards became famous in the nation's councils, was at the head of the Council of Organization. This church worked harmoniously with the Methodist people and for the general good of all, until in the process of settlement a few years later, service was moved to Lawn Ridge where the church still stands, and has the honor of being the parent from which the Congregational churches of Stark, Edelstein and Speer have sprung. It was not our design in writing this paper to give a biography of our father's life, only a few incidents in connection with his pioneer days, which with his optimistic views of life, were most thoroughly identified with those of his neighbors in upholding all that morally, socially and financially was for the best interest of all concerned; and we realize that we are drawing out this paper to great length, still do not see just where to stop. There is one thing more due primarily to my father's foresight which has become an universal blessing. It was early noted in the old settlement that there was but one spring of absolutely living water in the settlement. Knowing that the land was for sale and that it was liable to be closed to the public, father approached the owner with the proposition to segregate the spring from the balance of the tract, and sell it for the benefit of the public. Having got consent of the owner to do so, Uncle Erastus and Lucas Root joined hands with him in putting up the cash. The land connecting the spring with the public highway was bought and deeded to the public forever, and it became a veritable "Jacob's Well." There have been times of drought when it seems that both man and beast would have perished without it. Amongst the sad events of that early day was the death by lightning of my Uncle Nathan Stowell, who with my father and brother was making hay on the prairie, about three miles from home. The three were standing together not a yard from each other when a bolt of lightning struck Nathan dead. My brother, Orson, was also struck and blistered from head to foot, a spot on his arm burned to the bone, and a wound inflicted on his head from which blood flowed freely; while, strange to say, father did not lose consciousness for a moment, was not even knocked down. This uncle with a younger brother who died from the effects of an accident the following winter were the first two burials in Blue Ridge Cemetery. My father died in the year 1880 in his 73rd year; my mother in 1889 in her 81st year. We feel that we cannot close this sketch without a word in a general way for the old neighbors of pioneer days with whom we were closely associated for many years. Fraternity and reciprocity were characteristic of them as a whole; not that they always say "eye to eye," for they were all human; but in no case did their petty differences withhold the helping hand in the day of affliction, and be it said to their credit that such a thing as a lawsuit was never known within our recollection of more than 65 years. In looking back over the record of those in and around the old settlement as early as 1846, we can count the graves of at least 12 fathers and mothers who rest side by side in the little settlement cemetery. Within a half mile of our old home, we wooed and wed the faithful wife who has walked by our side for 46 years. Here our first child was born. Here when the curtain falls, we expect to be our final resting place amongst the old neighbors, kindred and friends we knew so long and well. Sincerely, Calvin Stowell 402 E. Henry St. Savannah, GA COMPLETION OF STOWELL FAMILY OF LAWN RIDGE FROM PRINCEVILLE AND VICINITY.

Sue- would you look up the name PURPLE in the 1966 Peoria directory? I have some names but they are mixed up. Barbara

Please be aware that the charge of 50 cents for a draft card copy only applies when you walk into the Georgia archives and copy it yourself! For a mail in request the charge is $10.00 Kellie

I would like to have information on Albert Nickerson, born October 23, 1810 in Maryland, died November 1, 1886. I am trying to find out who his parents were. Thanks in advance. Rhonda -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] <[email protected]> To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Date: Sunday, August 22, 1999 11:32 PM Subject: Re: [ILPEORIA-L] Stowells >In a message dated 8/22/1999 3:55:49 PM Central Daylight Time, >[email protected] writes: > ><< [email protected] (Robert Yamauchi) >> > >I am a member of the Nickerson Family Association and have all 4 volumes of >the published family records. If anyone desires some information on this >family please e-mail me direct and also post to the rootsweb. > > >==== ILPEORIA Mailing List ==== >Search this list's archived messages! >http://searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl > >

gene: thanks mucho!! i'll write them in georgia post haste. keith -----Original Message----- From: Gene Hacker [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, August 20, 1999 11:05 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [ILPEORIA-L] WW 1 Draft Cards I'm sorry, I could have forward the complete email message but it was clutered with trash for a page are two that I copied and pasted to clean it up and in my hast I missed the last of the message so here is the rest: For copies, send a letter requesting copy (s) to: NARA Southeast Region 1557 St. Joseph Ave East Point, Ga 30344 In your letter be sure to say you want copy (s) of the WW1 Draft application Cards. Include the namee of you ancestor and his race, the state and the county. If you want copies of ALL of the cards with a given surname, ask them the cost of the copies and send a SASE for them to let you know the copying cost. In your letter be sure to send a SASE for the return of the copies. The cost for the copy is 50 cents-25 for the front and 25 for the back. This message orginated on the HUNT-L site. gene ==== ILPEORIA Mailing List ==== Search this list's archived messages! http://searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl

kellie: thanks for the info. i'll contact them in georgia get the skinny. keith -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Saturday, August 21, 1999 12:23 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [ILPEORIA-L] Re: WW1 draft cards Just an F.Y. I. if you are going to mail the archives a request for these cards the charge is $10. not 50 cents! I'd prefer the 50 cent rate though! Kellie ==== ILPEORIA Mailing List ==== Visit the Peoria County USGenWeb Home Page! http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilpeoria/peoria.htm

In a message dated 8/22/1999 3:55:49 PM Central Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: << [email protected] (Robert Yamauchi) >> I am a member of the Nickerson Family Association and have all 4 volumes of the published family records. If anyone desires some information on this family please e-mail me direct and also post to the rootsweb.

I also am researching the Nickerson surname. Mine are from McLean County, Illinois. Thomas W. Nickerson h/o Nancy Pratt s/o George A. Nickerson h/o Malinda Johnson s/o Albert R. Nickerson h/o Elenor Cook Is there a connection? Rhonda -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] <[email protected]> To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Date: Tuesday, August 17, 1999 10:14 PM Subject: Re: [ILPEORIA-L] Stowells >An article on the Stowell Family of Lawn Ridge from "Princeville and >Vicinity". >By Calvin Stowell, 1910 >(OF INTEREST TO ME as I have several ancestors who were of Lawn Ridge - >surnames mainly Foster, Sickles and Nickerson) >To the Officers and Members of the Old Settlers Union of Princeville and >Vicinity, >Greeting: >We have been repeatedly asked to furnish a sketch of our father's life in >connection with his pioneer days in the early settlement of IL. We feel it to >be a delicate matter to write of the life of one, or portion of the life of >one, as close by the ties of nature, as father and son; but we realize that >those of my father's generation immediately following, have passed over the >"Dark River." and so far as I can remember, there is no one now living that >could testify in regard to the facts connected with our final move to IL in >1843, aside from the writer. >Of the incidents connected with his first trip to IL on his exploring >expedition in 1836, we can only give them from memory as we have heard talked >over again and again at the fireside in our childhood days and often repeated >in our mature years. So under existing conditions, we should feel ourselves >unworthy of the father that begot us, and the mother that bore us, if we >should refuse to give any facts in regard to those pioneer years of hardship >and heroic endeavor and endurance that would add anything to the history of >the early settlers of IL, whose lives are now numbered up on the records of >the heroic deeds of the past. >In the spring of 1836, when my father, Ebenezer Stowell, was 29 years of age, >he and his first cousin, Roswell Nurse, and his son, Isaiah Nurse, a young >man just at his majority packed their grips with such things only as were >absolutely necessary for health and comfort on the road, and, with one rifle >as their only weapon, which they carried turn about, started from Bambridge, >Chenango Co., NY, for the much talked of "Land of Promise," the young state >of IL. >Their plan was to make the trip on foot and to make any side explorations in >going as might be deemed best. Just the route which they took, we are not >able to give, further than this, that they explored quite thoroughly much of >the country along the Wabash River in Indiana, and then struck across to >Peoria, IL, which was then little more than a village. From there, they went >up the river to Chillicothe, a town of a few houses along the river bank. >Here they met Jacob Booth, whom they had known in York State, who had >preceded them by a length time unknown to us. We have also heard them speak >of meeting J.H. McKean, now a resident of Wyoming, IL, well past his four >score and 10 years. But they had little time for visiting; time was precious >and they were there on business. >FURTHER INFORMATION FORTHCOMING > > > >==== ILPEORIA Mailing List ==== >Search this list's archived messages! >http://searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl > >

I thought that 50 cents sounded cheap but the person who started the info had just visited the facility-but I dont know beyond what they said. gene [email protected] wrote: > Just an F.Y. I. if you are going to mail the archives a request for these > cards the charge is $10. not 50 cents! I'd prefer the 50 cent rate though! > > Kellie > > ==== ILPEORIA Mailing List ==== > Visit the Peoria County USGenWeb Home Page! > http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilpeoria/peoria.htm

The archives location in Georgia covers the whole country. Kellie

I read that the SE location of the WWI cards was the only one that was complete for the whole country and, at the same time, had been sorted by state: county: surname.

I notice that the address is for the South East region...do you have a different address for veterans from Illinois? Peggy

I'm sorry, I could have forward the complete email message but it was clutered with trash for a page are two that I copied and pasted to clean it up and in my hast I missed the last of the message so here is the rest: For copies, send a letter requesting copy (s) to: NARA Southeast Region 1557 St. Joseph Ave East Point, Ga 30344 In your letter be sure to say you want copy (s) of the WW1 Draft application Cards. Include the namee of you ancestor and his race, the state and the county. If you want copies of ALL of the cards with a given surname, ask them the cost of the copies and send a SASE for them to let you know the copying cost. In your letter be sure to send a SASE for the return of the copies. The cost for the copy is 50 cents-25 for the front and 25 for the back. This message orginated on the HUNT-L site. gene

Just an F.Y. I. if you are going to mail the archives a request for these cards the charge is $10. not 50 cents! I'd prefer the 50 cent rate though! Kellie

Recieved this from another list and someone might be interested: Prior to the US's entry into WW1 (approx. 1917-1918) every male between the age of 18 and 40 was required to register for the draft. The information found on the card was provided by the individual himself. The registration cards vary in information depending on the individual draft board. But by and large the cards include: The full name of the person (this means first, full middle name, any additional middle names and last name); the current address of the man; his age; his birthdate (some include his place of birth); whether he is a US citizen or a naturalized citizen (some ask if his father was a naturalized citizen and his father's race); his race; his occupation; where he is employed (name of employer); address or location of employment; name and address of his next of kin; some cards ask if the man is married or single and how many people he supports. The card is signed by the draftee. On the back of the card his physical description is noted: Height is broken down by short, medium, tall although some cards give the actual height in feet and inches; Build by slim, medium, stout although some cards list actual weight along with the build; color of eyes and hair; any deformities or injuries are listed (such as one arm missing, blind in one eye, etc); the name and address of the draft board and the date. When these original cards were transferred to the East Pointe NARA branch the LDS spent about 3 years microfilming these cards. There are hundreds and hundreds of boxes and the LDS opened one box at a time and filmed them - in state order. However, within each state the cards were filed by draft board, not by county or by draftee. This makes the searching of the microfilm difficult to say the least. The good news is that the Friends of the National Archives took each box after it was filmed (and checked) and sorted all of these thousands and thousands of cards into - state and then COUNTY order and then in alphabetical order by surname and put then in new boxes. The Friends deserve all the kudos we can give them for this monstrous task. So ... rather than spending hours and hours searching the LDS microfilm you can order copies of the original cards from NARA. if you know the county your ancestor lived in between 1917-1918. And BTW - Ancestry.com lists WW1 Draft cards in their searchable data bases, however I know for a fact that there are 22 cards for the surname WHITE found in McIntosh Co, OK and Ancestry only gave me 4 of them so don't depend on that site. I was told yesterday that some reps from Ancestry had visited the archives a couple of weeks ago to talk about filming the cards, took one look at the hundreds and hundreds of boxes and simply left. For copies: Send a letter requesting copy(s) to: NARA Gene

Emmanuel Coyle is originally from Donegal, Ireland. He went to the Scotland highlands with a group of men to sheer turnips and raise cattle for a rich family named Glenn. Frances (Fanny or Fannie) was working for the family as a maid. Which is where they met. Frances Smeetem (Smettam, Smeaton ) and Emmanuel Coyle were married 1860 in Scotland. She became a Catholic when she married (Prepared by Ftr. Buckley). Their first son died in Scotland. Bridget was born 9-28-1861, in Coldingham, Scotland. Christened in Edinburg. Godparents: Jimmy Duffy, Agnes Laugh. Sometime between 1862-!864, Emmanuel Coyle came to America. In 1865, he brought Fanny and Bridget on a 3 month boat ride. They lived on a little farm in Kickapoo, Il, until Emmanuel's death in 3-8-1900. Fanny moved to Princeville to a little house near the Ball Field. Either the field or Fanny's house was owned by George Best. Best had married Fanny's daughter, Margaret. My relation, Bridget Coyle, married Frank Hietter, ( b. 1859), in 9-18-1883. They lived on his father's farm (Francis X Hietter) until 1902. It was sold to Frank's sister Veronica Hietter Gilles in 1902. Frank and Bridget then moved to Princeville, where they owned a livery stable, later a hotel, and later moved to Akron Avenue. Their daughter, Sister Francis Theresa (Agnes), wrote, " We had two lots: one behind the barn and one at the side of the house, where he grew almost everything you can find in a garden or a farm. I lived there until I entered the convent in 1918. We had a horse, a cow, two pigs, chickens and bees. My father had peach trees, pear trees, apple trees. raspberries, blackberries, three kinds of grapes, potatoes, corn, asparagus, rhubarb, carrots, radishes, plums, onions, lettuce." Fanny died at the age of 83, on 4-27-1923 at Frank and Bridget's home in Princeville. Emmanuel and Bridget's Children Bridget Theresa b. 9-28-1861 James Edward 10-16-1863 John abt 1866 Margaret 12-25-1868 m. Geo. Best Mary Ann b. 5-6-1872 m. Max German Sophia b 8-30-1874 m. John Colgan Nellie 9-28-1876 m. Nicholas Finck Grace 3-24-1881 m. 11-18-1903 Much of the above information is excerpted from papers written by Agnes ( Sister Francis Theresa) Hietter. Some, if not all, of her information was typed around 1986. Other information has been garnered from the internet, research, and much help from Nora Stafford. Have a wonderful day Tom tracy

I have really enjoyed reading the excerpts from the Princeville book--thanks for putting them on the list where we all could see them.

I found the following resources on Bradley University's web site: Bradley Polytechnic Institute: The First Decade 1897-1907 A Proud Heritage: Bradley's History 1897-1972, by Louis A. R. Yates (1974) . Good Luck!