Posted on: Whiteside Co. Illinois Queries Reply Here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Il/Whiteside/10829 Surname: Lancaster, Hill, Underhill ------------------------- Looking for information about Charles and Edward Lancaster, from England, who settled in the Prophetstown area around 1856. Also searching for information about William Hill (his son was Ezra, my g-g-grandfather) and Hiram Underhill (also my g-g-g-grandfather). Both came from Vermont in the 1830s or 1840s and bought public domain land in Whiteside Co.

David~ From "History of Whiteside County Ills" by Bent-Wilson (1877) page 376: "William Hill was born in Rutland county, Vermont, in 1783, and came to Prophetstown in 1835. He came all the way from Vermont with teams, and was two months on the road, arriving at Prophetstown in the fall. He was a carpenter and wheelwright by trade, but became a successful farmer. His large family of sons were nearly grown up when he came, and they immediately made claims along what is now Washington street. Coming from New England, he appreciated the importance of schools, and the next year after his arrival succeeded in having a log school house built, which was used until 1841. This was the first school house in Prophetstown. Mr. Hill married Miss Susan Baker. Their children have been: J. Sullivan, who married Miss Rachel Belden, and lives in Prophetstown; Almira, who married J. Colin Southard, and is now dead; John, now dead; William, who married Miss Ann Smith, and lives in Prophetstown; Ezra, who married Miss Jane Underhill, and lives in Prophetstown; Fordyce, who married Miss Polly Wall, and lives in Prophetstown; and Joseph, who married Miss Martha Reynolds, and also lives in Prophetstown. Mr. Hill died in 1846, and Mrs. Hill in 1876. The Hill family have lived in Prophetstown since their arrival from the East. William lives on his valuable farm, and has done much to improve the breed of sheep, cattle, and hogs in the county. He has lately introduced the Holstein cattle, so celebrated for their dairying qualities. Among the positions held by him have been those of Supervisor and Justice of the Peace of the township. Joseph has also acquired a large competency by farming, and owns perhaps the finest farm in the town. During the present year, 1877, he has tried the experiment of tile draining, having laid about a mile of tiles. Ezra lives on Washington street, and has a fine farm, devoting his attention principally to raising hogs, in which he has been very successful." page 359: "Hiram Underhill was born in Dorsett, Vermont, in 1794, and came to Portland in 1838, remaining in the village of Portland until 1839, when he made a claim near Jefferson Corners. He married Miss Martha Washburn in 1813. Their children have been: Horace, who married Miss Irene Wellington, and is now dead; Julia Ann, who first married Benjamin Dow, and after his death, Jared Hurlburt, and now lives in Oregon; Abram, who married Miss Olive Marvel, and lives in Oregon; Jane, wife of Ezra W. Hill, living in Prophetstown; and Mary, wife of George Coon, living in Iowa." page 286-287: "The Congregational Church and Society of Lyndon was organized on the 27th of June, 1836, and was the first religious society organized in Whiteside county......The present (1877) trustees of the church are, Draper Richmond, Jerome Sands, and Edward Lancaster. The present membership of the church is eighty-six." From "Index to Naturalization Records in Whiteside County": name type of record volume page date LANCASTER, CHARLES I A INT 156 21 Apr 1866 LANCASTER, CHARLES F B FIN 254 28 May 1868 LANCASTER, EDWARD I A INT 184 1 Jun 1868 LANCASTER, EDWARD F B FIN 296 26 Oct 1870 Whiteside County Court, 200 E. Knox St., Morrison, IL 61270, adoptions, divorces, wills and naturalizations are all court actions and records are with the Clerk of the Court. Dawn Everling [email protected] ----- Original Message ----- From: David Morath <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, March 19, 2001 5:17 PM Subject: Lancaster / Hill / Underhill Families > Posted on: Whiteside Co. Illinois Queries > Reply Here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Il/Whiteside/10829 > > Surname: Lancaster, Hill, Underhill > ------------------------- > > Looking for information about Charles and Edward Lancaster, from England, > who settled in the Prophetstown area around 1856. > > Also searching for information about William Hill (his son was Ezra, my > g-g-grandfather) and Hiram Underhill (also my g-g-g-grandfather). Both > came from Vermont in the 1830s or 1840s and bought public domain land in > Whiteside Co. > > > ============================== > Search over 900 million names at Ancestry.com! > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist1.asp > >