History of Coles County, Illinois

By Charles Edward Wilson

© 1905
Transcribed by Kim Torp and Judy Anderson

NOTE: PERMISSION HAS NOT BEEN GRANTED TO DISPLAY THIS FILE ON THE ILTRAILS DOMAIN. THIS TRANSCRIPTION HAS BEEN STOLEN BY SUSAN COOK AND IS BEING DISPLAYED ON SUSAN COOK'S WEBSITE, DESPITE REPEATED REQUESTS TO HAVE IT REMOVED. FEEL FREE TO WRITE HER AT SUZANCOOK@AOL.COM AND TELL HER WHAT YOU THINK OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO STOOP SO LOW AS TO STEAL OTHER PEOPLE'S HARD WORK.

Chapter III - (continued from chapter3.html)

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Early Settlements

La Fayette Township

Settler

Came From

Arrived

James Ashmore

Tennessee

1827-28

Bigelow

 

1828-29

James Burns

 

1831

Thos. Brewster

Kentucky

 

Abner Brown

Tennessee

1833-34

Seth H. Bates

Ohio

1825

David Bates

Ohio

1825

John Bates

Ohio

1825

Wm. Clark

   

Edward Cartmell

   

Levi Doty

Crawford Co., Ill

1825

James Doty

Crawford Co., Ill

1825

Samuel Doty

Crawford Co., Ill

1825

Wm. Ewing

Kentucky

1829

Henry Eckles

   

John Fudge

   

Stephen Ferguson

Pennsylvania

1836

Green G. Guthrie

Kentucky

 

Elija Gibbs

Crawford Co., Ill

 

Isaac Gruelle

Kentucky

1834

George Gallagher

   

Richard H. Gray

Tennessee

1834

James Gogin

   

David Hancock

N. Carolina

1829-30

Samuel Henry

Crawford Co., Ill

1825

James James

Edgard co., Ill

1828-29

Wm. Janes

Kentucky

1826

Wm. R. Jones

Kentucky

1833-34

Samuel Kellogg

Crawford Co., Ill

1824

Isaac Lewis

Crawford Co., Ill

1825

Alexander Montgomery

Indiana

1829

James S. Martin

Kentucky

 

I.J. Monfort

Kentucky

1835-36

Mason Marshall

Kentucky

1834-35

Thomas Munson

Kentucky

1835

Basil Magee

Kentucky

1832

Wm. Parker

   

John Phipps

Pennsylvania

1827

Wm. Phipps

Pennsylvania

1827

John Robinson

Crawford Co., Ill

1825

Thomas Robnet

Crawford Co., Ill

1826

Richard Reynolds

Kentucky

1833-34

Rev. Thomas Threlkeld

Kentucky

1830

Michael Taylor

Tennessee

1830

John Turney

Kentucky

1834

John True

Kentucky

1834

Katherine Van Meter (widow)

Kentucky

1830

Jesse Veach

Crawford Co., Ill

1831

Joseph Vanderen

Kentucky

1836

John Wilkinson

Edgar Co., Ill

1826

Samuel Woodson

Crawford Co., Ill

1826

Wm. L. Williams

Kentucky

1829

Wm. Woods

Kentucky

1833

Hiram Woods

Kentucky

1833

Nathaniel Woods

Kentucky

1833

Reuben Williams

Virginia

 

William Wagner

   

Jacob Zinn

   

Morgan Township

Settler

Came From

Arrived

Gowin Adkins

 

1833-34

Abraham Adkins

 

1833-34

W.D. Busbey

Ohio

1839

Isaac N. Craig

Clark Co., Ill

1835

Aaron Collins

N. Carolina

1830-31

John Caldwell

Kentucky

1830-31

Benjamin Clark

Kentucky

1830-31

Wm. Chasteen

   

Jesse Chasteen

   

John B. Daugherty

Kentucky

1833

Gibson Gastin

Indiana

8131-32

Moses Golladay

Pennsylvania

1831-32

John Kennedy

Kentucky

1830-31

Daniel R. McAllister

Indiana

1831-33

David R. McAllister

Indiana

1831-33

Alex Montgomery

Indiana

1834

David Morgan

Kentucky

1834

A.G. Mitchell

Kentucky

1837

Prentiss Mitchell

Kentucky

1837

John Skidmore

Indiana

1833

John Winkleblack

Ohio

1835

North Okaw Township

Settler

Came From

Arrived

John Bracken

Kentucky

1833

Thos. Blythe

Tennessee

1834

Wm. Bridgeman

Tennessee

1834

Daniel Boothsby

Tennessee

1835

Wm. Brann

Tennessee

1835

Wm. Corder

Moultrie Co., Ill

1837

Woolery Coonrod

 

1834

Nathaniel Dixon

Virginia

1835

Julius Dugger

Indiana

1833-34

Noah Elrod

Indiana

1834

Pleasant M. Ellis

Tennessee

1835

Jesse Ellis

Tennessee

1836

Wiley Ellis

Tennessee

1836

Thomas Ellis

Kentucky

1838

James Elder

Tennessee

1835

Samuel Elder

Tennessee

1838

Henry Fuller

Virginia

1834

Hawkins Fuller

Virginia

1834

David Hoots

North Carolina

1836

Jacob Hoots

North Carolina

1836

John hoots

Indiana

1837

Lowry Hoskins

Kentucky

1835

Jacob Hopper

Kentucky

1837

Noble Junken

Indiana

1836

Alfred Jones

Kentucky

1838

John Matthews

 

1837

Ebenezer Noyes

Massachusetts

1836-37

Thomas Payton

Indiana

1834

Fred Price

 

1834

John Poorman

Pennsylvania

1836

Bailey Riddle

North Carolina

1833

Wesley Teal

Tennessee

1834

Isaac Teal

Tennessee

1834

John Whitley

Tennessee

1833

John Whitley, Jr.

Tennessee

1833

Elisha Whitley

Tennessee

1833

Wm. Whitley

Tennessee

1833

Randall Whitley

Tennessee

1833

John Wade

 

1837

James Walker

 

1832-33

Pleasant Grove Township

Settler

Came From

Arrived

John J. Adams

Tennessee

1830

Robert Alexander

Kentucky

1831

Joseph Allison

Tennessee

1833

James Adkins

   

Andrew H. Allison

Tennessee

1836

Alfred Alexander

 

1832-33

Robt. Alexander

 

1832-33

Isaac Alexander

 

1832-33

Alfred M. Balch

Tennessee

1830

John L. Balch

Tennessee

1830

Jonathan Blach

Tennessee

1830

Theron E. Balch

Tennessee

1830

Hezekiah Jas. Balch

Tennessee

1829-31

Dr. Emmett Blach

Alabama

1831

Daniel Beals

 

1829

Caleb Beals

 

1830-31

Mark Baker

 

1830

Jordan Brown

 

1830

John Bolin

Kentucky

 

Rev. Isaac Bennett

Philadelphia

1829-30

Amos Barrus

Indiana

1831

Jesse Baker

   

Nelson Berry

   

Thomas Barker

 

1829

Rev. Daniel Barham

Kentucky

1828

John Barham

Kentucky

1828

Nathan Barham

Kentucky

1828

David Beals

Indiana

1833

Levi Beals

Indiana

1833

Dr. Franklin Canterbury

Kentucky

 

Andrew Clark

Tennessee

1830

Zeno Campbell

Tennessee

1829

Eugene Campbell

Tennessee

1829

Calistus Campbell

Tennessee

1829

William Dryden

Tennessee

1829

David Dryden

Tennessee

1829

George Diehl

Pennsylvania

1837

Robt. Dixon

   

Daniel Edson

 

1829

Jas. Ervin

Virginia

 

John Ervin

Virginia

 

Jesse Fuller

Virginia

1828

Isaac Fancher

 

1827

Richard Fancher

 

1827

G. Bynum Fancher

 

1827

David Faris

   

Joseph Fancher

Tennessee

1838

Peter Furry

Ohio

1839

Thomas Faris

   

Andrew Gammill

Tennessee

1830

S.K. Gammill

Tennessee

1830

Wm. Gammill

Tennessee

1830

James Glenn

Lawrence Co., Ill

1832

Wm. Glenn

Crawford Co., Ill

 

Joseph Glenn

Crawford Co., Ill

1829

John Gannaway

Kantucky

1829

John Gordon

Lawrence Co., Ill

1828

Daniel Gordon

Lawrence Co., Ill

1828

Patrick Gordon

Lawrence Co., Ill

1828

Thomas Gordon

Lawrence Co., Ill

1829

Lorenzo Dow Goodwin

Kentucky

1829

Andrew Gray

Tennessee

1830

John Harvey

 

1832

Robt. Highland

 

1832

Isaac J. Horton

Pennsylvania

1837

Seeley Hayes

 

1837

Nicholas Howard

   

Buck Houchin

Kentucky

1827

John Houchin

Kentucky

1827

Squire Hall

Macon Co., Ill

1831

John D. Johnston

Indiana

1831

Thomas Jeffries

Kentucky

1830

Abner Johnston

Virginia

1830

Wm. R. Jeffries

Kentucky

1829

Thomas Lincoln

Macon Co., Ill

1831

Jacob Larue

Kentucky

 

Hugh Linn

Indiana

1833

Rev. John McDonald

Kentucky

1830

Thomas Mays

North Carolina

 

John McCann

White Co.

1832

--. --. McClelland

   

Reuben Moore

Tennessee

1833

Preston R. Mount

Kentucky

 

George Miller

Kentucky

1837

Allison McCord

Alabama

1830-31

Dr. McCord

Alabama

1830-31

John G. Morrison

Tennessee

1830-32

James Moore

Kentucky

1828

Benjamin Newel

Ohio

1832

Patrick Nicholson

Tennessee

1830-32

Daniel Needham

Kentucky

1829

Richard Northcott

Kentucky

 

Elias Needham

Kentucky

 

Jaba Noyes

   

Thompson Noyes

   

Phillip Odell

Tennessee

1830

Isaac Odell

Tennessee

1830

Jeptha Owings

Kentucky

1832-33

Thomas Phipps

Pennsylvania

1827-28

James Phipps

Pennsylvania

1827-28

Jack Price

 

1828

Isaac Reynolds

   

Benjamin Reynolds

   

John W. Rodgers

Alabama

1831

Robt. D. Rodgers

Sangamon Co., Ill

1832

Isaac Rodgers

Sangamon Co., Ill

1831

John Rodgers

Sangamon Co., Ill

1831

George Rodgers

Sangamon Co., Ill

1831

David Replogle

Virginia

 

Harvey Stone

   

Granville Sheets

   

Hull Tower

Indiana

 

John Tully

 

1828-29

Green Van Winkle

   

John Whetstone

 

1831

Michael Whetstone

 

1831

William Wayne

 

1830

Samuel Walker

Tennessee

1836

Thomas White

   

Lewis White

   

Wm. White

   

"Bat" White

   

Wabash Point and Dry Grove

Settler

Came From

Arrived

Dr. John Apperson

Kentucky

1829

Ebenezer Alexander

Tennessee

1828

Dr. William Allison

Indiana

1834

Robert Armstrong

   

Jacob Bales

Tennessee

1828

Jonathan Bales

Tennessee

1828

Amasa Bales

Tennessee

1828

Levi Bales

Tennessee

1828

John Bryant

   

William Bryant

Kentucky

1830

Daniel Bryant

Tennessee

 

Thomas Brinegar

Tennessee

 

--. --. Baldwin

   

Wright Bass

   

Jefferson Coleman

Kentucky

1828

Richard Champion, Sr.

Tennessee

1830

David Campbell

Tennessee

 

Hugh Cowan

 

1830-32

Reuben Coy

Indiana

1836

Jas. T. Cunningham

Kentucky

1830

Henry Cole

Kentucky

1827

Nathan Curry

Tennessee

1830

James Curry

Tennessee

1830-32

Daniel Drake

Tennessee

1825-26

Sylvester M. Dunbar

Kentucky

1831

Jacob Dornblaser

Pennsylvania

1838

John Denbow

   

John Dejarnett

Kentucky

1834-36

Wm. Ferguson

Pennsylvania

1839

Robinson Gannaway

Kentucky

1828-29

Clemme Goar

Indiana

1836

Isaac Greenwood

   

Rev. James Graham

Kentucky

1829

Jonathan Graham

Kentucky

1829

Wm. Graham

Kentucky

1829

Rev. Isaac Hill

   

Moses Hart

Kentucky

1826

Thomas Hart

Kentucky

1826

Thos. Hart, Jr.

Kentucky

1827

Miles H. Hart

Kentucky

1826-27

Jonathan Hart

Kentucky

1827

Silas Hart

Kentucky

1827-28

Rev. George M. Hanson

Virginia

1828

David Hanson

Virginia

1831-32

Rev. James James

Kentucky

1832

George Kellar

Kentucky

 

John Lawrence

Kentucky

1831

Elisha Linder

Kentucky

1831

David Moore

Tennessee

 

Samuel Moore

Tennessee

 

Wm. McIntosh

Indiana

1831

Wm. Moffett

Tennessee

 

Adam Moffett

Tennessee

 

David Michael

North Carolina

 

William Morgan

Kentucky

1835

Martin Morgan

Kentucky

 

John May

Tennessee

 

Wm. Moore

Kentucky

1832

Rev. Thos. E. Morris

   

Jabez Norris

New York

 

Thompson Norris

New York

 

Chas. W. Nabb

Lawrence Co., Ill

1832

James Nash

Kentucky

1825-26

O.H. Perry

   

Rev. Samuel Pullen

   

Ichabod Radley

Kentucky

1828

Nicholas Radley

Kentucky

1828

John Radley

Kentucky

1828

Samuel Radley

Kentucky

1828

Christopher Radley

Kentucky

1828

Hiram Radley

Kentucky

1828

Barney Radley

Kentucky

1828

Rev. Thos. B. Ross

   

Rev. Barton Randoll

Kentucky

1832

Geo. W. Rollins

   

Jacob Slover

Kentucky

1828

Isaac Slover

Kentucky

1828

Joseph Smart

Kentucky

1828

James Sexson

Kentucky

1833

Abraham Seares

   

John Seares

   

John Shreves

   

Harvey Stone

Kentucky

 

Charles Sawyer

Kentucky

1827

John Sawyer

Kentucky

1828

John Speck

Tennessee

 

Tobias Speck

Tennessee

 

John Turner

Virginia

1830

Eli Thayer

OHio

 

Thomas Templeton

   

Rev. Hiram Tremble

Kentucky

1830

Rev. Samuel Thompson

   

Hezekiah Vanort

Ohio

1829

Wm. Vaughn

   

Obadiah Vincent

Kentucky

1831

William Williams

Virginia

1835-36

Harvey B. Worley

Kentucky

1838

Geo. W. Wilson

Maryland

1837

John Willmoth

   

John Waddill

Tennessee

1834

James Waddill

Tennessee

1834

Wm. Waddill

Tennessee

1834

John Young

Kentucky

1827

Mrs. Yocum (widow)

Kentucky

1829

Ambrose Yocum

Kentucky

1830

Thornton Yocum

Kentucky

1830


[Kim's Note: Click here for extra info on these settlers contributed by researchers]

I have stated that locations of settlements were not exact in all cases.

In the North Okaw list are Julius Dugger, John Poorman, John Matthews and Jas. Walker, who settled just over the line in what is now the town of Humboldt, and in the same list are Ebenezer Noyes and Wm. Corder whose place of settlement was in the northwestern part of what is now Mattoon Township. Very many of the Wabash Point settlers located in the present limits of the town of Mattoon also.

The following came in the 'thirties, but just what part of the county they settled in I have not learned definitely:

Names, Whence Emigrated, Year of Arrival:

John B. Daugherty, Indiana, 1833;

Jacob Linder, W. Virginia, 1830

James Law, 1830-31

Thomas Sconce

There are a few instances -- as in the case of the McAllisters of Morgan and the Evingers and Irvings of Hutton Township-- where, being unable to learn the first name of the head of a family, I have put down the names of the sons. [While I have accepted the statement of the history published in 1879 as to the number of sons of John Parker, Coles County's first settler had, because of the greater facilities for information its authors possessed twenty-five years ago, yet I desire to record the statement of Mrs. Abner Brown, who was a daughter of Enoch Glassco and who was twelve years old when her father came to Coles County, that she distinctly remembers that John Parker had seven sons instead of five, and that their names were Daniel, Benjamin, Silas, James, Nathaniel, Isaac and Joseph.]

It has been claimed for Levi Doty that he came up here from Crawford County, Ill, about 1822-23, and, after living here a while with the Indians, went back, to remove here later with his family; hence that he antedated John Parker, who came in the spring of 1824. But even if that be true (and the writer has no reason to doubt its truth), still his first trip here came merely to simply (sic) as an exploration. He came merely to "spy out the land," and the claim made for John Parker and his little party that they were the first actual settlers remains unshaken. This party consisted of John Parker and his five sons, whose names have been given as Daniel, Benjamin, Silas, George and James, and their families, and Samuel Kellogg and his wife Mary, known to the writer, long after her husband had passed away, as "Aunt Polly Kellogg". There were fourteen adults in the party and how many children is not known.

An old trace by which travelers from the country along the Wabash River came through Coles County, crossed the Embarras at the old ford long used by Indians before the white man's advent, and which is just below the present iron bridge, about three-fourths of a mile down the river from the present dam of the Charleston Water Works, in Section 23-12-9.

The Parkers seem to have stopped on the east bank of the Embarras, and there, just east of the road that runs over the bridge mentioned and within the limits of the present town of Hutton, was the first actual settlement with the raising of a log cabin by Benjamin Parker, one of the sons of John.

Thereafter settlements came on pretty rapidly. Another numerous family of Parkers came in and settled on the east side of Hutton in 1825-26, and for them was named the "Parker's Prairie" in that locality.

The Bates and Doty families came about 1825-26 and settled on the Kickapoo Creek about Section 22-12-8, and were followed soon after by Samuel Henry and John Robinson.

Also, about 1825-26, Laban Burr and the Dudleys settled on or about Section 12-12-11, within the limits of the present town of Ashmore.

The Wabash Point settlement was started by Daniel Drake and James Nash about 1826, followed soon after by the Harts and the Sawyers. Charles Sawyer built his cabin in the northwestern part of Section 33-12-7, and his brother John put his up near the southeast corner of Section 34-12-7.

The "Goose Nest Prairie," in Pleasant Grove, was settled upon by Rev. Daniel Barham about 1828-29, followed about 1829-1830 by the Gordons and others.

Settlers came into Dry Grove about 1828, notably the Radleys and Bales and the Slovers.

The head of Indian Creek was opened up by the numerous families of the Balches and the Campbells in 1829.

Muddy Point settlement was started by the Fanchers and Houchins in 1827. This soon developed into the most populous of the county's early settlements.

In the timber west of Charleston was a very early family named Lester, who probably came about 1825-26, and, later, moved up on the Okaw and then disappeared from view. One of them was said to have been in the Black Hawk War from this county. William Janes was another very early inhabitant of that timber, who left just as the more permanent settlers were coming in.

South of the Kickapoo and further down the stream than the Bates and Doty settlements, John and William Phipps started a settlement in 1827-28 in the vicinity of Section 33-11-8.

James Riley settled, about 1827, on the creek which bears his name west of Charleston.

James Y. Brown came from Tennessee and started a settlement just north of the city of Charleston about 1831.

Enoch Glassco was said to have settled there about 1826 or 1827, but his descendants say he came about 1829 and settled west of Charleston.

The numerous Whitley family, the Fullers and William Bridman settled along the Okaw in 1833, and, in the same year, Baily Riddle settled on one of the creeks near the Humboldt Township line.

Along the west side of the Ambraw, in what is now Morgan Township, Collins, Caldwell, Clark and Kennedy located about 1830-31.

There was a settlement started by Samuel H. Ashmore, above Oakland in the present limits of Douglas County, in 1829. That settlement gradually spread southward into what is now Coles County, and what was known for years afterward as "Ashmore's Settlement," included territory now in both Coles and Douglas Counties. ALexander Laughlin, Eli Sargent, the Reddens, the Widow Berry and her son, John L., coming in 1830, became the first settlers of that vicinity in the present limits of Coles County.

This general summary of the location of first settlements will suffice. I have aimed to refer to those localities only which were most important.

These little communities were referred to by the pioneers as "settlements" and distinguished from each other either by locality or by the name of some prominent early settler in the neighborhood, as "Wabash Point Settlement," "Muddy Point Settlement," "Kickapoo Point Settlement," "Whitley's Settlement," "Ashmore's Settlement, " "Dudley's Settlement," etc. It was common to use the word "point" in referring to a timber tract bordering upon a small stream, and usually coming to a point near its source in the prairie.

After the close of the Black Hawk War in 1832 -- that last despairing struggle of the red man to retain a hold upon territory in Illinois -- the various settlements grew with increasing rapidity; houses were made more comfortable and improvements became more substantial. The pioneers, at first somewhat in doubt whether they had not ventured too far into the wilds, now realized that their tenure of the land was secure. The majority of the population at that time, and for some years afterward, was in the southern half of the county. Wabash, Muddy and Kickapoo Points, including Dry Grove, Goose Nest and Indian, had perhaps, two hundred, and possibly two hundred and fifty, families. The seat of government, so to speak, had been at the house of James Ashmore, which was in what is now the town of Lafayette on the east half of northwest quarter of Section 33-11-8, inasmuch as that was the voting place, until the county seat was established at Charleston.

J.M. Peck's "Gazetteer of Illinois," published in 1834, mentioned some of the settlements in the following language:

"Ashmore's settlement,, fifteen miles north of Charleston on the east side of the Embarras, has about fifty families."

As before stated, this settlement was only partly in what is now Coles County.

"Charleston is the seat of justice for Coles County. It has three stores, three groceries and about twenty-five families," evidently meaning that there were three general stores and three that were exclusively groceries.

"Cutler's settlement, eight miles northeast from Charleston, on the east side of the Embarras. The soil both of timbered land and prairie is good, and the settlement contains forty to fifty families."

This settlement, which those now living seem unable to tell anything about, was evidently started by John Cutler, who came from Ohio about 1829, and settled in the timber near the location afterward called St. Omer, north of Ashmore, at, or in the vicinity of, Section 24-13-10. Peck's "Gazetteer" continues:

"Dead Man's Grove, six miles west of Charleston. It is almost circular, about two miles in diameter and contains three or four sections of indifferent timber, surrounded with a rich and undulating prairie and is monopolized by two or three families. The old Kickapoo Indian villages were adjoining this grove.

"Dudley's settlement, in Coles County, seven or eight miles east of Charleston.

"Indian Creek, in Coles County, and a branch of the Embarras. The land is good, both timber and prairie, and the population forty to fifty families.

"Muddy Point, in the southwestern part of Coles County, and one of the heads of the Little Wabash. The timber is excellent, prairie adjoining is rolling and rich, and the settlement consists of eighty or one hundred families."

Except that Muddy Creek does not flow into the Little Wabash, this description may be accepted as given.

"Wabash Point, in the southwestern part of Coles County, is the principal head of the Little Wabash. The timber and adjoining prairie are good and the settlement is large.

"Hickory Creek, in Coles County (this name is evidently an error on the part of the author or printer, as it is plain that Kickapoo Creek is referred to) rises in the Grand Prairie, runs southeast and enters the Embarras five miles below Charleston. It is a good millstream, and the land through which it passes is undulating and rich; the settlements contain 120 families.

"Embarras Settlement, in Coles County. I have given this name to an extensive tract of country thinly populated, extending along the west side of the Embarras and north of Charleston. The quality of the land is on a medium with the rest of Coles County. South of Charleston and on the same side the county is thinly settled.

"Polecat Creek, a stream in Coles County that rises in the prairies toward Edgar County, runs southwest and enters the Embarras east of Charleston. Near its head is a very fertile region, well timbered; further down the surface is broken. The settlement has thirty families."

Whitley's Settlement is also mentioned, but it was mostly in what is now Moultrie County, although it probably extended over the line into Coles, and no estimate of the number of its settlers is given.

The author stated in his preface to the "Gazetteer" that, in the winter of 1832-33, he spent several weeks at Vandalia, then the State Capital, during the session of the Legislature. Personal intercourse was had with members of the Legislature and other gentlemen from each county, and from that source he obtained such facts as have been given. He said that he spent two or three hours each evening with some prominent man from some county in the State, and obtained the facts given in referring to that particular county, finishing with one county before taking up another. While, therefore, the "Gazetteer" was published in 1834, the author gave the facts as they were said to be at the time he received his information, which was in the winter of 1832-33. It would be interesting to know with whom the author consulted relative to Coles County. Dr. John Carrico was the first Representative from this county in the Legislature, and he probably was at Vandalia during that winter.

Dr. Carrico came to the county sometime about the beginning of 1831 and settled at Charleston. His knowledge of the western part of the county must have been somewhat limited, particularly as to the number of settlers.

It will be noted that no estimate is given of the number of families in the Wabash Point Settlement, and that indicates that the author's information came from someone who did not live in the western part of the county, otherwise he would have been willing to make a guess as to the population there. I believe that in all the west side settlements the number of families was overestimated in that "Gazetteer." It is very hard to believe that at the beginning of 1833 there were 120 families along the Kickapoo Creek. With the kind of families the pioneers had, that would have indicated a population of fully six hundred and possibly more. This was manifestly an error. And unless Muddy Point, in those days, extended far down in what is Cumberland County, the number of families in that settlement must have been somewhat less that eighty at that early date. The population of the whole county (which then included the territory of Douglas and Cumberland) was, in 1830, about 4,500, and five years later was only 642 more than that number, so that it would be fair to say that the whole number of families within the present limits of Coles County, in 1832-33, did not exceed four hundred and fifty, and, perhaps, was even less than that, making the total population from 2,000 to 2,500. Dr. Carrico (or whoever supplied the information to Dr. Peck, the author of the "Gazetteer") was evidently more familiar with the east side of the county than with the west side.

A second edition of that "Gazetteer" was published in 1837, but the author did not revise his work, so far as his descriptions of settlements were concerned, because the above locations and settlements were referred to in the later edition in precisely the same language as in the edition of 1834. He did, however, bring in some later names of places, which will be referred to hereafter. [End of Chapter 3]

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