William G. Nevitt was born in Breckenridge county, Kentucky, in 1814, and
was one of eleven children who all grew up and were married. In 1819, with
his father, he removed to White county, Illinois. In 1832, when volunteers were
called for to operate against the Sac and Fox Indians in the north part of the
state, Mr. Nevitt, then a lad of sixteen, enlisted. His father equipped him
with a horse, gun, and accoutrements, and he joined the Spy Battalion of the
second brigade, and served honorably throughout the campaign.
After the
many trials of a lonely journey on horseback, Mr. Nevitt reached Knoxville,
after the close of the Indian troubles. His father removed to that town in 1835.
While at Knoxville, the subject of this sketch was employed to make the
assessment of Henry connty, then attached to Knox for judicial purposes, and he,
while thus engaged, visited Prophetstown and Portland, and assessed the
settlers there, these two townships being then a part of Henry county.
In 1836 his father, Wm. Nevitt, in company with others, bought the claim where Albany
now is, and the next year, 1837, W. G. Nevitt was married and made a claim three
miles southeast of Albany, where he now resides, and has for forty years.
He has reared seven children, and lost two.
Mr. Nevitt, in the early days of settlement, served as constable, and has
also been a Justice of the Peace about
twenty years. He is a type of the honest, hard-working, God-fearing farmer
his rules of life being the Ten Commandments.
History of Whiteside County Bent/Wilson 1877
William Granville Nevitt, a farmer on Section 6, Newton Township, was born March 22, 1814 in Breckenridge Co KY and is he fourth son of Wm. and Mary (Edlin) Nevitt.
His parents came to White Co IL when he was five years old, and he there grew to man's estate. He was 18 when the second invasion of BlackHawk took place and he volunteered in what was designated the Spy Battalion of the Second Brigade, in command of Colonel McHenry. He was equipped by his father with a horse and gun and was a participant int he battle of Bad Ax. After the capture of the troublesome chief, Mr. Nevitt set out on his return. He desired to make his way to his brothers' in Knox County and he started alone on his pony.
He found his gun burdensome and he threw it away. The first night he found himself at the confluence of two creeks and he picketed his horse and slept on the ground. At day dawn he again set forth and toward nightfall struck a trail which led to a cabin in a corn field, but with no human eing near. He pressed on until he came to another cabin without an occupant, and he again rode on, following the trail which led to a block house, where he found the proprietors of the empty houses. This was near Henderson Grove in Knox County. He reached his brother the next day and remained with him two weeks, afte which he went to Lewistown to see his brother-in-law. He reached his home in September. He spent the next two years as an assistant in a blacksmith shop, after which he removed to Knox county. In 1836 he went to Oquakwa and there engaged to help build a sawmill. He joined his parents in Albany in 1837.
in June he started in company with th Slocumbs to make claims. They went to a southeasterly course and located in what is now Neton Twp. making a claim on the west half of section 6, Stephen B. Slocumb locating the east half of the same. The other Slocumbs, four in number, made claims east of section 6 in the same twp. Their land lay in a straight line and the thoroughfare on which it was situated was called Slocumb Street. Mr. Nevitt cut logs and hewed timber for a dwelling and sent to Maquoketa Iowa for sawed lumber. His dwelling was 16 x 24 feet. He afterward increased its dimensions and occupied it until 1855, when he built the brick residence now occupied by himself and family. Mr. Nevitt had the use of three yoke of oxen during the first year of his residence in Newton Twp. and he was busy all summer breaking prairie for his neighbors, receiving $5 per acre for his services. He also went to Beaver Island to draw logs for a steam mill at Albany. He drew one 60 feet long that would "square" 14 inches which had been sought in vain by David Mitchell and a man named Bergen, who also had an interest in the mill.
Mr. Nevitt returned to White Co IL in the fall of 1837 and spent the winter. March 5, 1838 he was married to Leannah, daughter of John and Rebecca (Morely) Martin. The parents of his wife were natives of NC and wer pioneers of White County. April 5the the bridegroom set out with his bride to make their way to their future home. Both were on horseback, Mrs. Nevitt riding one given her by her father. They wer 14 days making the trip. They stayed a few days with the parents of Mr. Nevitt, until their house was completed. They owned two chairs, which was presented to them by the husband's parents. Seven of nine children born to Mr. and MRs. Nevitt are still living. Mary married D.J. Markee of Newton Twp./ Martha is the wife of H.H. Bliff of Webster Co Iowa/ Perry resides in Newton Twp/ Olney is a resident of Minneapolis MN; Nannie is the wife of C.C. Clendening of the same place/ Hettie married Charles Osborn of Minneapolis/ Minnie resides at home.
Portraits and Biographical Whiteside county
