Jesse Hill Sr., and family, originally came from North Carolina, and settled on the north side of Genesee Grove in the summer of 1835. Previous to his coming he had lived a number of years in Indiana, but at the death of his wife, desiring to have all his children settle about him, he sought a home in the far West. When they came to the grove they could not cross Rock creek, as the water was very high, so they stopped until the water had fallen. In the meantime they reconnoitered the timber and the adjacent prairie, and concluded that there was enough to supply the "Hill Family," so they built themselves a cabin.

One day a party of Indians came to the cabin and told them that there was a "smoky woman" meaning a white woman, on the south side of the grove. A messenger was immediately dispatched, and he found the James family. A treaty, offensive and defensive was at once entered into, by the families stipulating that the James family should own the south half of the grove, and the contiguous prairie, while the Hill family should occupy the north half, and the adjoining prairie. They were to repel all who intended to "jump claims," and the families, or their assignees, for the first few years.

The Hill family consisted of Jesse Hill Sr., and nine children, viz; John, Daniel, William, Zach, Jesse Jr and four girls. One of the girls married Nathaniel Moxley, one, Samuel Seer, one, James Walker and one, Ebenezer Huffman, now in Oregon, as far as their whereabouts can be learned. Jesse Hill Sr died a number of years ago at the Grove. John had six children; two are dead, one lives in Nebraska, one in Michigan, one in Iowa, one in Wisconsin and one, Jesse, in Illinois. John Hill died in Hardin County Iowa in 1852; his wife died in Wisconsin in 1859. Jesse Hill Jr lives in Oregon; Daniel in Kansas; William went to Texas before the war and has not been heard from since. Zach died at the Grove in 1854, after his return from California. His wife, and four children are now in Oregon.

Not having any teams, in the winter of 1835-36, they went to work and cleared up a field in the timber. The boys split the rails and the girls carried them on their shoulders to the place where the fence was to be built. Shoes, boots, broadcloths, silks, worsted goods and calicoes were not in the market, and if they had been there was no money to purchase them. So they had to be contented with buckskin moccasins as substitutes for boots and shoes. The women made linsey from the wool of the sheep, and dyed it with bark. The fabric was called butternut. The girls also made a coarse fabric from cotton by spinning and weaving. This was worn in the summer, the linsey in the winter. The dresses were cut, fitted and made at home, the fashions being entirely ignored.

An incident is related of a gentleman going to the Hill cabin one day about noon, and finding the father, three sons, and three daughters at their dinner, which consisted of potatoes boiled with the skins on. There being no chairs nor any table in the cabin, the potatoes were turned out on the puncheon floor, and the family were seated, tailor fashion, eating their frugal meal. As soon as they saw company, the girls ran and hid, but when the surprise wore off they returned and finished their meal.

Bent & Wilson History of Whiteside County Page 222-223