>From Bio Book- Elisha P. Reynolds, Sr., an extensive railroad and bridge contractor, and one of the pioneers of Rock Island, came to this place from vermont in November, 1839. In that early day travelers in this section of country did not have the excellent railroad facilities we now have; indeed, the stage coach was seen only at few places and at rare intervals. mr. Reynolds was hardy and determined, and on reaching Chicago set out for Rock Island on foot, walking the entire distance - 150 miles- through the unsettled countyr. Mr. Reynolds was born in Washington Co., Vt., Feb. 13,1817. His parents were Elisha and Betwey (Stuart) Reynolds. The former was born in New York, of English descent, and the latter was a native of Massachusetts, of Scotch descent. The subject of this sketch remained with his parents until he was 21 years old, receiving a good common-school education. After leaving home he worked for three years for $10 per month, but being dissatisfied with the outlook in the East, and the narrow field it afforded for a young man of enterprise, he determined to come to the new and growing West. After his arrival here he found , as all pioneers to a new country do, that much hard muscular work is requied to develop a country. For about two years he worked at cutting wood and splitting rails, after which he engaged in burning and selling lime for another two years. Seeing a vast field of fertile land all about him, he determined to try his had at farming, and accordingly, in 1844, he rented a farm of 640 acres across Rock River. This venture did not prove so successful as he anticipated, and after three years he left the farm and engaged in the brick business and contracting, erecting buildings, etc. This line of work he successfully followed for seven years, when in 1853, he enlarged his field of operation, taking in the construction of public works. he took at this time the contract for grading five miles of the Rock Island Railroad. In this he employed as many as 50 men at a time. he was especially fitted for this line of wrk, and which he has since successfully followed, doing some very hard work. the larges contract he ever took to complete in one years, and in fact one that ranks among the heavy contracts of the country, was the construction of 250 miles of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, furnishing everything except the iron, ties and spikes. The amount he received for this work was $1,500,000. During this time he worked 3,00 men and 1,500 teams. At the present time, however he employs only 300 men. In 1884 he built 250 miles of railroad for the following companies: The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, Cedar Rapids & Northern, andWinona, Alma & Northern Railroads. Among his extensive bridge building operations is the building of the railroad bridge over the Mississippi at Minneapolis, and the one in Dubuque, and also the one in Louisiana across the Mississippi, and the one over the Ohio at Cincinnati, the one at Glasgow over the Missouri, and also the one at Plattsmouth over the same river. He has had the contract for and direct charge of building 1,500 miles of railroad, and besides the bridges mentioned above, numerous others over small streams. In 1860 Mr. Reynolds purchased 350 acres of land in Hampton township, this county, which he still owns and upon which he keeps his tenants. Mr. Reynolds was united in marriage with Eliza Young, a native of Vermont, April 17, 1847. To them were born five children, four of whom are still living, - John G., Betsey, Lucy and Benjamin. mrs. Reynolds died in 1858 and Mr. Reynolds contracted a subsequent marriage with Amanda Ogden Oct. 20, 1860. Mrs. Reynolds is a native of Illinois and the mother of one child, - Elisha P. Of his children, John Benjamin and Lucy are married. The two former are in ocmpany with him under the firm name of E.P. Reynolds & Co., who are engaged in contracting and building railroads in different States and Territories of the Union. Although not a politician, though being a strong Republican in his political views, he has been chosen Mayor of Rock Island for two terms, conducting the affairs of the city in that straightforward, business like way so characterist of the man.

Melissa, Aaron Mercer descendant of Moses Mercer and his family were in Princeton, Bureau Co, IL. Pat Mercer Hite--Indy Melissa Peters wrote: > No, neither of those are in my family line. However I went to school with a > girl from Princeton who had a grandmother named Mercer. Let me know if you > are related to any mercer's there and I will try to track her down. > > Melissa > > >From: [email protected] > >Reply-To: [email protected] > >To: [email protected] > >Subject: ILROCKIS-D Digest V02 #86 > >Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2002 19:01:01 -0600 > > > ><< message2.txt >> > ><< message4.txt >> > > _________________________________________________________________ > MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: > http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx > > ==== ILROCKIS Mailing List ==== > ROLL CALLS? Not permitted unless instituted by the List Admin. But post > your interests and areas of search often. New members join every day. > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237

>From Bio Book- Edward Coles, second Governor of Illinois, 1823-6, was born Dec. 15, 1786, in albemarle Co., Va., on the old family estate called "Enniscorthy", on the Green Mountain. His father, John Coles, was a Colonel in the Revolutionary War. Having been fitted for college by private tutors, he was sent to Hampden Sidney, where he remained until the autumn of 1805, when he was removed to William and Mary College, at Williamsburg, Va. This college he left in the summer of 1807, a short time before the final and graduation examination. Among his classmates were Lieut. Gen Scott, President John Tyler, Wm. S. Archer, United States Senator from Virginia,and Justice Baldwin, of the United States Supreme Court. The President of the latter college, Bishop Madison, was a cousin of President James Madison, and that circumstance was the occasion of Mr. Coles becoming personally acquainted with the President and receiving a position as his private secretary, 1809-1815. The family of Coles was a prominent one in Virginia, and their mansion was the seat of the old fashioned Virginian hospitality. It was visited by such notable as Patrick Henry, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, the Randolphs, Tazwell, Wirt, etc. At the age of 23, young Coles found himself heir to a plantation and a considerable number of slaves. Ever since his earlier college days his attention had been drawn to the question of slavery. He read everthing on the subject that came in his way, and listened to lectures on the rights of man. The more he reflected upon the subject, the more impossible was it for him to reconcile the immortal declaration "that all men are born free and equal" with the practice of slave-holding. He resolved, therefore to free his slaves the first opportunity, and even removed his residence to a free State. One reason which determined him to accept the appointment as private secretary to Mr. Madison was because he believed that through the acquaintances he could make at Washington he could better determine in what part of the non-slaveholding portion of the Union he would prefer to settle. The relations between Mr. Coles and President Madison, as well as Jefferson and other distinguised men, were of a very friendly character, arising from the similarity of their views on the question of slavery and their sympathy for each other in hodling doctrines so much at variance with the prevailing sentiment in their own State. In 1857, he resigned his secretaryship and spent a portion of the following autumn in exploring the Northwest Territory, for the purpose of finding a location and purchasing lands on which to settle his negroes. He traveled with a horse and buggy, with an extra man and horse for emergencies, through many parts of Ohio, Indiana, Illniois and Missouri determining finally to settle in Illinois. At this time, however, a misunderstanding arose between our Government and Russia, and Mr. Coles was selected to repair to St. Petersburg on a special mission, bearing important papers concerning the matter at issue. The result was a conviction of the Emperor (Alexander) of the error committed by his minister at Washington, and the consequent withdrawal of the latter from the post. On his return Mr. Coles visited other parts of Europe, especially Paris, where he was introduced to Gen. Lafayette. In the spring of 1819, he removed with all his negroes from Virginia to Edwardsville, Ill., with the intention of giving them their liberty. He did not make known to them his intention until one beautiful morning in April, as they were descending the Ohio River. He lashed all the boats together and called all the negroes on deck and made them a short address, concluding his remarks by so expressing himself that by a turn of a sentence he proclaimed in the shortest and fullest manner that they no longer slaves, but free as he was and were at liberty to proceed with him or go ashore at their pleasure. A description of the effect upon the negroes is best described in his own language: "The effect upon them was electrical. They stared at me and then at each other, as if doubting the accuracy or reality of what they heard. In brathless silence they stood before me, unable to utter a word, but with countenances beaming with expression which no words could convey, and which no language could describe. As they began to see the truth of what they had heard, and realized their situation, there came on a kind of hysterical, giggling laugh. After a paule of intense and unutterable emotion, bathed in tears, and with tremulous voices, they gave vent to their gratitude and implored the blessing of God on me." Before landing he gave them a general certificate of freedom, and afterward conformed more particularly with the law of this State requiring that each individual should have a certificat. This act of Mr. Coles, all the more noble and heroic considering the overwhelming pro-slavery influences surrounding him, has challenged the admiration of every philandthropist of modern times. March 5, 1819, Presidnt Monroe appointed Mr. Coles Registrar of the Land Office at Edwardsville, at that time one of the principal land offices in the State. While acting in this capacity and gaining many firends by his politeness and general intelligence, the greates struggle that ever occurred in Illinois on the slavery question culminated in the furious contest characterizing the campaigns and elections of 1822-4. In the summer of 1823, when a new Governor was to be elected to succeed Mr. Bond, the pro-slavery element divided into factions, putting forward for the executive office Joseph Phillips, Chief Justice of the State, Thomas C. Browne and Gen. James B. Moore, of the State Militioa. The anti-slavery element united upon Mr. Coles, and, after one of the most bitter campaigns, succeeded in electing him as Governor. His plurality over Judge Phillips was only 59 in a total vote of over 8,000. The lieutenant governor ws elected by the slavery men. Mr. Coles inauguration speech was marked by calmness, deliberation and such a wise expression of appropriate suggestions as to elicit the sanction of all judicious politicians. But he compromised not with evil. In his message to the Legislature, the seat of Government being then at Vandalia, he strongly urged the abrogation of the modified form of slavery which then existed in this State, contrary to the Ordinance of 1787. his position on this subject seems the more remarkable, when it is considered that he was a minority Governor, the population of Illinois being at that time almost exclusively from slave-holding States and by a large majority in favor of the perpetuation of that old relic of barbarism. The Legislature itself was, of course, a reflex of the popular sentiment, and a majority of them were led on by fiery men in denunciations of the conscientious Governor, and in cursses loud and deep upon him and all his friend. Some of the public men, indeed, went so far as to head a sort of mmob, or "shiveree" party, who visited the residence of the Governor and others at Vandalia and yelled and groaned and a spat fire. The Constitution, not establishing or permitting slavery in this State, was thought therefore to be defective by the slavery politicians, and they desired a State Convention to be elected, to devise and submit a new Constitution; and the dominant politicss of the day wa s"Convention" and "anti-Convention." Both parties issued addresses to the people, Gov. Coles himself being the author of the address published by the latter pary. This address revealed the schemes of the conspirators in a masterly manner. It is difficult for us at this distant day to estimate the critical and extremely delicate situation in which the Governor was placed at that time. Our hero maintained himself honorably and with supreme dignity throughout his administration, and in his honor a county in this State is named. he was truly a great man, and those who lived in this State during his sojourn her, like those who live at the base of the mountain, were too near to see and recognize the greatness that overshadowed them. Mr. Coles was married Nov. 28, 1833, by Bishop De Lancey, to Miss Sally Logan Roberts, a daughter of Hugh Roberts, a descendant of Welsh ancestry, who came to this country with Wm. Penn in 1682. After the expiration of his term of service, Gov. coles continued his residence in Edwardsville, superintending his farm in the vicinity. He was fond of agriculture, and was the founder of the first agricultural society in the State. On account of ill health, however, and having no family to tie him down, he spent much of his time in Eastern cities. About 1832 he changed his residence to Philadelphia, where he died July 7, 1868, and is buried at Woodland, near that city.

Hello, In my bio book there is listed under Reynolds: H.G. E.P. Sr. James John William Renee' On Sat, 31 Aug 2002 19:26:10 -0700 Keith & Nancy Weitemeyer <[email protected]> wrote: > Just thought I'd throw out my Rock Island > surnames again, since it has > been awhile. Are there any new searchers on > the list looking for > REYNOLDS, DeMOSS, or McNALL? If so, let me > hear from you. > > Nancy Weitemeyer (nee REYNOLDS) > Fairfield, CA > > > > ==== ILROCKIS Mailing List ==== > ROLL CALLS? Not permitted unless instituted by > the List Admin. But post > your interests and areas of search often. New > members join every day. > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion > online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > >

Hi Cousin! I drop off the Rock Island list every once in a while, due to too much email, but glad to see you're still out there. I've been working on my Hobert/Thomas/Bailey/Weems line this past summer, now that I'm only 4 hours from Bailyton, Tennessee. :-) The Weems family hooks into the House of Weymss in Scotland and go back to Adam! Of course there's 560 years of unrecorded history during the time of Julius Caesar, but it's fun to look at. How are things in California? I'm in Atlanta still and miss Iowa, but I make it back about every three months. Diana Keith & Nancy Weitemeyer wrote: > Just thought I'd throw out my Rock Island surnames again, since it has > been awhile. Are there any new searchers on the list looking for > REYNOLDS, DeMOSS, or McNALL? If so, let me hear from you. > > Nancy Weitemeyer (nee REYNOLDS) > Fairfield, CA > > ==== ILROCKIS Mailing List ==== > ROLL CALLS? Not permitted unless instituted by the List Admin. But post > your interests and areas of search often. New members join every day. > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237

My grandmother Eva Pearl Mercer was born 04 June, 1893 in Liberty, IL. Her father Charles Albert Mercer was also born in Liberty, IL in 1855. I believe Liberty is in Adams County. Denise, IL

Just thought I'd throw out my Rock Island surnames again, since it has been awhile. Are there any new searchers on the list looking for REYNOLDS, DeMOSS, or McNALL? If so, let me hear from you. Nancy Weitemeyer (nee REYNOLDS) Fairfield, CA

To Anne Ryan, You have the surname COLE on your list. My family line is Cole and Mercer and have been here within Rock Island Co., IL since 1861. Possibly we have some connection, write to [email protected] Denise

Hello List, Anyone familiar with Stockton, IA and what research facilities they have to offer? Any suggestions? Thank you. Searching for surnames COLE and REDDIG in IA and IL. Denise

To Anne Ryan, You have the surname COLE on your list. My family line is Cole and Mercer and have been here within Rock Island Co., IL since 1861. Possibly we have some connection, write to [email protected] Denise

Hello, I have a bio on a Edward Coles b: 12/15/1786 in Albemarle Co., VA. Renee' On Sat, 31 Aug 2002 10:51:49 EDT [email protected] wrote: > To Anne Ryan, > > You have the surname COLE on your list. My > family line is Cole and Mercer > and have been here within Rock Island Co., IL > since 1861. > > Possibly we have some connection, write to > [email protected] > > Denise > > > ==== ILROCKIS Mailing List ==== > ~*~*~*~ The Resources in the USGenWeb's Parade > of States Awaits! ~*~*~*~ > -- Table of all States: > http://www.usgenweb.org/statelinks-table.html > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion > online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > >

No, neither of those are in my family line. However I went to school with a girl from Princeton who had a grandmother named Mercer. Let me know if you are related to any mercer's there and I will try to track her down. Melissa >From: [email protected] >Reply-To: [email protected] >To: [email protected] >Subject: ILROCKIS-D Digest V02 #86 >Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2002 19:01:01 -0600 > ><< message2.txt >> ><< message4.txt >> _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx

Melissa, I could not help but notice the similar locations of my family. Do you have any Mercer or Clearwater family in your family lines. My Mercers were in Bureau and Kewaneee. Clearwater family was in Bloomington and Marshall Co, IL. Pat Mercer Hite--Indy Melissa Peters wrote: > > Ms. Ryan, Council Bluffs IA > > My name is Melissa Peters. I currently live in Omaha. SMALL WORLD. If it > is your list of surnames at the bottom of the digest letter I just got, I > may have some information for you. > > I grew up and went to school in Princeton, Bureau Co. I was really close to > family who was from Kewannee. Their last name was Smeltzer. After Molly > graduated from PHS, her family moved back to Kewannee. Let me know if I can > help. > > Melissa > > _________________________________________________________________ > Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com > > ==== ILROCKIS Mailing List ==== > ROLL CALLS? Not permitted unless instituted by the List Admin. But post > your interests and areas of search often. New members join every day. > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237

Ms. Ryan, Council Bluffs IA My name is Melissa Peters. I currently live in Omaha. SMALL WORLD. If it is your list of surnames at the bottom of the digest letter I just got, I may have some information for you. I grew up and went to school in Princeton, Bureau Co. I was really close to family who was from Kewannee. Their last name was Smeltzer. After Molly graduated from PHS, her family moved back to Kewannee. Let me know if I can help. Melissa _________________________________________________________________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com

In a message dated 08/28/2002 1:04:12 PM Central Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: << ames, Lucinda and Calvin and Charles Young >> Dates would help?

<PRE>Looking for James, Lucinda and Calvin and Charles Young

Anne, Who do you have in your Young line? Nancy ----- Original Message ----- From: "Anne Ryan" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2002 1:26 PM Subject: [RockIsl'd] Lookup Thanks > Thanks for the lookup and your time. > > Anne Marie Black Ryan > Council Bluffs, IA > > mailto:[email protected] > > mailto:[email protected] > > Home Page for Genealogy and SW Iowa & NW MO Information: > http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~anneryan/ > > Always Searching For These Surnames: > Anderson Ashley Babbitt Babcock Bellows Black > Bracee Brewington Brown Bobet Cole Cook Corbit > Cottrell Crandall Culp Dean Fairbanks Faukner Fuller > Hazard Hooker Hurst Jones Kathan Kier King Lawton > Long Mann Mellor Moore Nash Parish Peckman Pendleton > Platts Powers Prescott Rankin Rose Saunders Schafer Scott > Shepard Smeltzer Smith Tarne Taylor Thayer Thrasher > Vandal Victor Welling Westlake Wood Yates Young > > > > > ==== ILROCKIS Mailing List ==== > NO Virus warnings, seasonal greetings or private 'chit-chat' on this > list, okay! Other than that, anything pertaining to the lives and times > of those we seek goes, but MUST be kept within the *List's Golden Rule*. > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237

Thanks for the lookup and your time. Anne Marie Black Ryan Council Bluffs, IA mailto:[email protected] mailto:[email protected] Home Page for Genealogy and SW Iowa & NW MO Information: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~anneryan/ Always Searching For These Surnames: Anderson Ashley Babbitt Babcock Bellows Black Bracee Brewington Brown Bobet Cole Cook Corbit Cottrell Crandall Culp Dean Fairbanks Faukner Fuller Hazard Hooker Hurst Jones Kathan Kier King Lawton Long Mann Mellor Moore Nash Parish Peckman Pendleton Platts Powers Prescott Rankin Rose Saunders Schafer Scott Shepard Smeltzer Smith Tarne Taylor Thayer Thrasher Vandal Victor Welling Westlake Wood Yates Young

Hi, The parents of William BABBITT were - Ira BABBITT and Nancy NASH? from West Liberty, Muscatine Co., IA The parents of Bessie SHAW were - Henry SHAW and Mary A. GASKILL from West Liberty, Muscatine Co., IA Bev

BABBITT, WILLIAM SHAW, BESSIE ROCK ISLAND 12/21/1899 00E/0316 00019122 Can some one do a look up for Babbitt/Shaw marriage? I am looking for his parents to be Erastus and Letha Babbitt. Anne Marie Black Ryan Council Bluffs, IA mailto:[email protected] mailto:[email protected] Home Page for Genealogy and SW Iowa & NW MO Information: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~anneryan/ Always Searching For These Surnames: Anderson Ashley Babbitt Babcock Bellows Black Bracee Brewington Brown Bobet Cole Cook Corbit Cottrell Crandall Culp Dean Fairbanks Faukner Fuller Hazard Hooker Hurst Jones Kathan Kier King Lawton Long Mann Mellor Moore Nash Parish Peckman Pendleton Platts Powers Prescott Rankin Rose Saunders Schafer Scott Shepard Smeltzer Smith Tarne Taylor Thayer Thrasher Vandal Victor Welling Westlake Wood Yates Young