History of Clark County, IL

Excerpts from

The History Of Clark County

contributed by Marvin McComb [marv3@redrivernet.com]

pg 266
The first school trustees were..........and Samuel Peery for Washington, now Wabash township.

pg 395
The Peerys, Kuykendalls, Hawks and Joel Cowen came also in 1816. Samuel Peery was from Ohio, and was a relation of Commodore Perry, but for some reason had changed his name from Perry to Peery. He improved a large farm and was quite a stock-raiser and trader. Several brothers came about the same time. Peery was a wheelwright, and used to make spinning wheels for the settlers. He died in 1832 from a cancer in his face. Mr. Kuykendall still has one of his wheels in his possession.

Pg 238
When the Commissioners' court declared that the seat of justice should be known and recognized as Aurora, they named a capital, the realm of which was larger than the state of Connecticut. Under the auspices and guidance of Joseph Shaw, John Chenoweth and Samuel Ashmore, as county commissioners and William B. Archer, as clerk and William Lockard as treasurer was the infant county launched on her career as an independent unit of this great State.

Pg 294
In 1838 entry was made on section 2, by Robert Ashmore;

pg 395
The Hawks, Joseph and Isaac, located in the river settlement. Joseph became a large owner and died about 1844. Isaac moved a little farther north, where he improved a farm and where he died some thirty years ago.

pg 396
In the year 1822 the settlement was increased by the arrival of James Lovelace, Samuel Elam, Lindly Ashmore, William Ashmore, Martin Graves and Henry Taylor. Lovelace, Elam and the Ashmore's came together and were from Kentucky. They settled on the creek south of Livingston and built small cabins and spent most of their time hunting. When the land was entered they moved away but afterward entered lands on the creek in the south part of the township.

pg 398
Jacob Long was a son-in-law of Peery and settled on what now is known as the "Glover Farm". He sold to Glover and went to Wisconsin and died soon after.

pg 413-414
The early community of Martinsville, however, seems to have been an exception to this general rule and in 1834 John Chambers, the pioneer preacher, of this section found it impossible to hold services because of the peoples unwillingness to open their cabins for that purpose.

pg 414
The Church of God at Martinsville was established in the year 1847. The members compromising it were all from Richland county, Ohio and their names were as follows: H. Rupp, Sarah Rupp, William, Betsy, Henry, Elizabeth, Christian and Catherine Fasig, John and Eliza Snavely, William and Sarah Taggart. The first minister was Elder Henry Rupp, a German preacher, of the Ohio eldership. The present pastor is Elder R. Perry. Their house of worship was built in the year 1858. It is a good frame building and cost $1,000.

pg 455
John Pence came in the year 1831, direct from Kentucky. He settled on section 2 and improved a good farm where he lived until his death in 1851. His place is now owned by Benjamin Perry.

pg 467
In Douglas township, during the year 1832, the following accessions were made to the population of the community: Robert Ashmore, and others.

BIO
W. C. Forsythe, farmer, P. O. McKeen is a son of William and Esther Forsythe. The father, a native of Butler county, Kentucky, was born in 1800, raised in his native state and married Miss Esther Ashmore. She is a native of East Tennessee. The father died in 1868. They came from Kentucky to Clark county about 1823 and made settlement on Big Creek.

BIO
Charles Ross, farmer, P. O. Flat Rock born October 14, 1831 in Washington County, PA, son of Matthew Ross, born in County Antrim, Ireland; he married Anna McFadden, born in the same county; both are living and are over eighty-four years old. Mr. Ross was educated in PA; from there he went to Ohio, where he was married to Sarah Archer, born October 12, 1830 in Virginia, daughter of Ebenezer and Margaret (McCray) Archer. Mrs. Ross is the mother of one daughter, Margaret N., born June 27, 1855. Mr. Ross came to this county in 1866.