I am making my first visit to Illinois and would like to find my ancestors graves and see the area where they lived. I will list the Whiteside county information that I know about my these ancestors and would appreciate if someone could answer my questions given at the end of this e-mail. 1. Hiram and Martha (Washburn) Underhill – They settled in the Portland Township in 1838 and moved to Jefferson Corners in 1839. At the December 1840 County Commissioners’ Court session, the Portland Precinct was ordered to be divided into three precincts. The Prophetstown Precinct was defined as all the territory south of Rock river and west of lying east of the center of a certain slough, between Hiram Underhill’s and Richard Potter’s, on the south line of the county, thence northeasterly along the center of said slough and it’s outlet into the Rock River. The 1860 census index as living in Portland, Whiteside, Co., IL. I understand that he died on 9 Sept 1868 in Prophetstown but he may have remained in Jefferson Corners. Martha moved to Oregon in 1874 with some of her children. One daughter Permelia Jane married Ezra Hill and remained living in Whiteside County. 2. Benjamin and Julia Ann (Underhill) Dow - They came to Portland in 1839 and settled at Jefferson Corners, where he died on 22 Nov 1865. The 1850 census index has him living in District 37, Whiteside County, IL and the 1860 census index shows him living in Portland, Whiteside County, IL. According to the History of Whiteside County, the post office at Jefferson Corners was established in 1852 and Benjamin was appointed the first Postmaster. Julia Ann remarried in June 1874 and moved to Oregon with some of her children and new husband. Julia Ann was the daughter of Hiram and Martha Underhill. 3. Richard and Eliza (Rick) Turner - The 1860 census index has him living in Fenton, Whiteside County, IL. He is not listed as living in Whiteside County in the 1870 census index. Richard died on 20 Feb. 1879 probably in Whiteside County. Eliza died on 12 April 1911 in Prophetstown and she was buried in Riverside cemetery. Their son John Turner married Irena Dow who was the daughter of Benjamin and Julia Ann in Dec. 1873 at Julia Ann’s home in Whiteside County. John and Irena moved to Oregon with Irena’s mother and some brothers. Questions: a. What are the road names that define Jefferson corners? I can not find it on the map but the description of the Prophetstown Precinct boundaries places it near the Whiteside - Henry county line. b. What is the name of the slough that was used to define the Prophetstown Precinct boundaries? c. What are the logical cemeteries that someone would be buried at if they died in Jefferson Corners or Prophetstown areas? I have David Underhill (one of Martha’s sons being buried at Minson Cemetery in Prophetstown but do not know where that is located. I have found a Washington Road cemetery on the USGS web site that is supposedly located south of Prophetstown on Washington Road. d. Where is Riverside cemetery? The USGS web site says it is in Sterlingon 3rd Street. One source said it was in Prophetstown. Could there have been an earlier one in Prophetstown? e. Where could I find newspapers that may have their obituaries? f. Does the county court house have records back to the 1860s and 1870s? I don’t expect anyone to be able to answer all of the above questions but answers to any of these questions would be appreciated. Thanks, Jim

Jim, Here you are: Questions: a. What are the road names that define Jefferson corners? I can not find it on the map but the description of the Prophetstown Precinct boundaries places it near the Whiteside - Henry county line. I beleive it is the area about 1 mile north of the county line and just west of Hwy 78, but am NOT positive! There was an old school house right at the county border on Hwy 78...the highway jogs east here, and we drove that road back and forth to college in the 1960's. b. What is the name of the slough that was used to define the Prophetstown Precinct boundaries? The northerly boundarie of Prophetstown is actually defined by the Rock River. At the very NW corner, there is an old cutoff slough that is part of Fenton Twp., but the river now separates it from the rest of Fenton. On the map, it was called Millwoods Island, but is not now an Island! The boundary between Prophetstown and Portland Twp. (to the west) is CLOSE to what was the Big Slough, is now the Big SLough drainage ditch, but the boundary actually is a straight NS line. c. What are the logical cemeteries that someone would be buried at if they died in Jefferson Corners or Prophetstown areas? I have David Underhill (one of Martha’s sons being buried at Minson Cemetery in Prophetstown but do not know where that is located. I have found a Washington Road cemetery on the USGS web site that is supposedly located south of Prophetstown on Washington Road. The Minson Cemetey is in Section 18, Prophetstown Twp. The CENTER of Section 18 is where Washington Road intersects Cooper Road, approx 2 miles SW of Prophetstown. The other country cemetery is in Section 34, Leon Cemetery which is about 1 1/2 miles EAST of Hwy 78 just north of the County Line. d. Where is Riverside cemetery? The USGS web site says it is in Sterlingon 3rd Street. One source said it was in Prophetstown. Could there have been an earlier one in Prophetstown? There are TWO Riverside cemeteries in Whiteside county, one in Sterling and one in Prophetstown! To get to the Prophetstown one from downtown, just go north on the main street (Hwy 78), but do NOT turn west when the Hwy does, JUST KEEP GOING NORTH on the city street and you will find the cemetery. e. Where could I find newspapers that may have their obituaries? The Whiteside County Sentinel from the 1850's is on Microfilm at the Odell Library in Morrison. f. Does the county court house have records back to the 1860s and 1870s? Yes, but you are more likely to find Marriage records than birth or death records. The index is online at the Illinois State Archives. http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/cgi-bin/archives/marriage.s Good Luck, Bob Mosher

Jim, One other thing on schools, my 1872 Plat book shows a school at the intersection of what is now Lake Rd and Lomax Rd, 1/4 mile east of Hwy 78 and 1 1/4 mile N of the county line. This would be the closest to the area called Jefferson Corners, but I do NOT remember if there is a building still there. In the 1960's, I surveyed some lots in that general area, but I think a little further west. Also, there was a school on Kiner Rd at Cooper Rd. Kiner is between Washington Rd and Hwy 78. Note, the Odell Library in Morrison has a copy of this plat book! Bob -----Original Message----- From: Jim St. John [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2001 8:30 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Underhill, Dow, and Turner I am making my first visit to Illinois and would like to find my ancestors graves and see the area where they lived. I will list the Whiteside county information that I know about my these ancestors and would appreciate if someone could answer my questions given at the end of this e-mail. 1. Hiram and Martha (Washburn) Underhill – They settled in the Portland Township in 1838 and moved to Jefferson Corners in 1839. At the December 1840 County Commissioners’ Court session, the Portland Precinct was ordered to be divided into three precincts. The Prophetstown Precinct was defined as all the territory south of Rock river and west of lying east of the center of a certain slough, between Hiram Underhill’s and Richard Potter’s, on the south line of the county, thence northeasterly along the center of said slough and it’s outlet into the Rock River. The 1860 census index as living in Portland, Whiteside, Co., IL. I understand that he died on 9 Sept 1868 in Prophetstown but he may have remained in Jefferson Corners. Martha moved to Oregon in 1874 with some of her children. One daughter Permelia Jane married Ezra Hill and remained living in Whiteside County. 2. Benjamin and Julia Ann (Underhill) Dow - They came to Portland in 1839 and settled at Jefferson Corners, where he died on 22 Nov 1865. The 1850 census index has him living in District 37, Whiteside County, IL and the 1860 census index shows him living in Portland, Whiteside County, IL. According to the History of Whiteside County, the post office at Jefferson Corners was established in 1852 and Benjamin was appointed the first Postmaster. Julia Ann remarried in June 1874 and moved to Oregon with some of her children and new husband. Julia Ann was the daughter of Hiram and Martha Underhill. 3. Richard and Eliza (Rick) Turner - The 1860 census index has him living in Fenton, Whiteside County, IL. He is not listed as living in Whiteside County in the 1870 census index. Richard died on 20 Feb. 1879 probably in Whiteside County. Eliza died on 12 April 1911 in Prophetstown and she was buried in Riverside cemetery. Their son John Turner married Irena Dow who was the daughter of Benjamin and Julia Ann in Dec. 1873 at Julia Ann’s home in Whiteside County. John and Irena moved to Oregon with Irena’s mother and some brothers. Questions: a. What are the road names that define Jefferson corners? I can not find it on the map but the description of the Prophetstown Precinct boundaries places it near the Whiteside - Henry county line. b. What is the name of the slough that was used to define the Prophetstown Precinct boundaries? c. What are the logical cemeteries that someone would be buried at if they died in Jefferson Corners or Prophetstown areas? I have David Underhill (one of Martha’s sons being buried at Minson Cemetery in Prophetstown but do not know where that is located. I have found a Washington Road cemetery on the USGS web site that is supposedly located south of Prophetstown on Washington Road. d. Where is Riverside cemetery? The USGS web site says it is in Sterlingon 3rd Street. One source said it was in Prophetstown. Could there have been an earlier one in Prophetstown? e. Where could I find newspapers that may have their obituaries? f. Does the county court house have records back to the 1860s and 1870s? I don’t expect anyone to be able to answer all of the above questions but answers to any of these questions would be appreciated. Thanks, Jim ============================== Ancestry.com Genealogical Databases http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist2.asp Search over 2500 databases with one easy query!

Hope this is not to late. Locations , I never found Jeferson corner on my Illinois atlas by "DeLorme" so I finally had time for an online search. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnis/web_query.gnisprod Feature Name St County Equivalent Name Type USGS 7.5' Map Jefferson Corners IL Whiteside populated place 413619N 0895850W Hooppole Jefferson Corners School IL Whiteside school 413619N 0895847W Hooppole Now I know Hooppole is just inside Henry County now, but not sue if the bounderies moved Also Portland is listed as a very small town just south of Prophetstown, on SpringHill RD. It appears to be in Portland township. RockRiver is on the east of side Portland township & Prophetstown township, current maps show 7 drainage ditches large enough to make my map. These ditches may have drain the missing Sloughs to gain farm land. This area is still prone to spring flooding. If you go to http://www.ilsos.net/departments/archives/genealogy/landsrch.html his recieved land on warrant 1850. Kent