William Boardman and wife came from England in 1835 to New Orleans, then up the Mississippi and Rock rivers to a trading post where Rockford now stands. Here William Boardman worked as a blacksmith. When the land in Carroll county was opened for settlement, Mr. Boardman acquired a team of oxen, did work on the land as required by the government, built a log cabin and went back to Rockford in the spring of 1839 to get his wife and two children, Mary and Martha. Soon after he walked to Dixon to file on his claim. A claim jumper on horseback got there first and took part of his land."

The log cabin was built by William B. Boardman (1804-60) in the autumn of 1838 on what is now the Thornton W. Zier 177 acre farm on Spring Valley road in Cherry Grove township. The Ziers are the fifth generation to live on the same land and their small children are the sixth"

1 William Boardman b: in England married ??

....... 2 Mary Boardman b: September 11, 1837 d: November 28, 1908
.......... +David Holmes b 1829 m Sep. 27, 1855 Cherry Grove Twp, Carroll Co, IL d: May 23, 1888
................ 3 Margaret Etta Holmes b: October 14, 1872 d: October 04, 1961
................... +Frank Zier b: July 15, 1865 d: January 09, 1944
......................... 4 Frank E. Zier b: December 14, 1890 d: June 01, 1977
............................ +Ethel Pearl Schneider b: November 14, 1894 d: March 17, 1969
......................... 4 Raymond George Zier b: July 16, 1893 d: April 16, 1968
............................ +Florence Opal Shore b: March 06, 1895 d: December 11, 1973 in Freeport, IL
.................................. 5 Albert Raymond Zier b: January 20, 1917 d: July 16, 1998
..................................... +Irma Merchant
......................... 4 Edna M. Zier b: February 25, 1896 d: June 21, 1978
............................ +Ernest Leroy Frey b: March 16, 1892 d: March 20, 1960
......................... 4 Ivy M. Zier b: October 12, 1900
................ 3 Phoebe Holmes b: March 18, 1875 d: August 04, 1962
................... +David D. Sturtevant b: April 12, 1871 in Carroll County, Illinois d: May 16, 1946
......................... 4 Mazzie M. Sturtevant b Dec. 02, 1895 in Carroll Co. IL d: Mar. 19, 1986
............................ +Kenneth Lloyd Rogers b: November 20, 1894 d: December 14, 1960
......................... 4 Edith Catherine Sturtevant b Aug 31 1897 in Carroll Co IL d Mar 03 1901
......................... 4 Merle Alden Sturtevant b: December 09, 1898 d: February 16, 1901
......................... 4 David L. Sturtevant b Sep 8 1901 in Carroll Co IL d Aug 9 1964 in Carroll Co IL
......................... 4 Jacob Benjamin Sturtevant b Sep 14 1903 & d Nov 14 1986 in Carroll Co, IL
............................ +Evelyn Koch b: May 05, 1905 d: October 31, 1977
.................................. 5 Merle Max Sturtevant b: December 26, 1923 in Shannon, Illinois
..................................... +Norma Jean Hammond b Oct 15 1924 in Freeport, IL m Feb 10 1945
........................................... 6 Merle Max Sturtevant b: Sep 16, 1945 married in Clinton IA
.............................................. +Karen Hudson m: 1969
........................................... 6 Kimball Elliott Sturtevant b: June 27, 1954
.............................................. +Karen Folk b Nov 18 1954 m 1977 in Milledgeville IL
......................... 4 Opal R. Sturtevant b: November 03, 1906 in Carroll County, Illinois
............................ +Ray Rogers
....... 2 Martha Boardman

Sources - Goodly Heritage
The photo is from Alice Horner contributed by Jean Hammond Sturtevant