Dave, Have you checked out the Illiopolis Web Site at: http://illiopolis.com/ Click on History of Illiopolis and you will find some material from the 1956 Centennial Booklet and various other sources. Have contacted Kinahan Rule in Illiopolis? Believe he is a Hunter descendant, too. And he might be able to tell you some stories about the people. You live in Sangamon, don't you? Mary Ann At 11:55 PM 02/18/2001 -0500, you wrote: >I am looking for info on any families, farms and businesses in the area of >Illiopolis Township, in eastern Sangamon County, with particular emphasis on >time frame from settlement in 1826 up to about 1860. If you have info that >goes beyond Powers Early Settlers or the various county histories I am >interested in communicating with you. I'm gathering information for a >master's thesis. > >I want to emphasize what it was like to live there in those days, especially >for the women and children. The town itself didn't officially come into >existance until near the end of this period. > >Does any one know who the Mrs. Anderson, a widow, was. She is listed as the >first settler in the township in 1826. My anscestor, James Hunter didn't >arrive until 1828. Other families in the area that are related are >Dickerson, Donner, Bridges, Lucas, Hampton, Hall, Mulligan, Wilkerson, Morgan >and others. > >There seems to have been some mobility and intermarriage between Illiopolis, >Mechanicsburg, Mt. Auburn, Buffalo Hart and Mt. Pulaski families. At least >in the early days I think these were all part of Sangamon county, even tho >later Mt. Pulaski ended up in Logan and Mt. Auburn ended up in Christian >counties. > >I'd be particularly interested in any early accounts of day to day life, such >as journals, etc. Some of the folks were illiterate, and those who were able >to read and write were probably very busy and had little time, but there >could be some reminisces out there of old settlers or mothers or grandmothers >passing on the family heritage to their children or grandchildren. > >Thank you, > >Dave Hunter >Nicea@aol.com > > >==== ILSANGAM Mailing List ==== >New - 4th Presbyterian Church INDEX, Springfield, IL >http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilsangam/church.htm CONVERSE CONNECTIONS http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~converse/index.html CONVERSE MAIL LIST Administrator MY FAMILY GENEALOGY http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~makaylor/index.html KAYLOR MAIL LIST Administrator TEDROW MAIL LIST Administrator "Friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly!"