The original Wallace house was a combination of the builder's imagination and excellence in craftsmanship and it was further enhanced by its site which overlooked the clean sparkling water of Spring Creek which formed the eastern border and was a portion of the 400 acre land tract owned by Wallace. There is a question as the to the actual date the Wallace House was built.

However, early historical records indicate Wallace migrated to Whiteside County prior to 1840 and it may be assumed the home was built between this date and 1850. Wallace and his brothers, Hugh and Hamilton left Pennsylvania in 1838 for Illinois; they settled in Whiteside County. Records indicate that Elijah opened a farm at Emerson (then called Empire) in 1838 and one of his first endeavors was in the construction of a saw mill at Spring Creek. While it was believed earlier the Wallace Home was built around 1850, a discovery made by the current owners in the 1960's gives some doubt to this earlier date. The Wallace house is currently owned by Virginia and Ronald Koster (1976). During the 1960's when Koster was remodeling the home, the date 1838 or 1839 was detected on some of the timbers used in the construction of the dwelling. Whether the 1838 dates stamped on the lumber denotes the date the home was built, or the date the timber was milled, is not known.

An earlier history of Whiteside County indicated that all of the Elijah Wallace children were born in a log cabin located across the road from the current home with the exception of one child. The child was Robert, the only child born in the new home and the last of the children born to Elkjah and Elizabeth Wallace. Wallace apparently built the log cabin after moving to the Emerson area as his first home. Later he built the large family home located on the east and south portion of his 400 acre farm.

The Elijah Wallace home was considered a "mansion" of its time. Interesting to note is the fact that all of the lumber used in the construction of the home was from trees felled on his farm and prepared in his own saw mill. The contractor who built the home was charged with the responsibility of using the best materials that money could buy and the frame, woodwork and floors were to be hardwood to "withstand the storms of another 80 years." The contractor was paid partially in an 80 acre land tract located north of the original home. On this site the contractor built a second large mansion, not so elegant as his "Wallace House."

The original "Wallace Home" was built in the "old New Engladn style." On the lower floor was a wide hall extending from the front door with its colonial entrance to an equally imposing rear door opposite. Two large square rooms on the west, once the "front and back parlors" contained beautiful paneled woodwork which was under the small paned windows and on the framework on the doorways and doors. East of the hall was the large dining room with its 'bedsink' characteristic of the New England homes, which made an extra place for the bed which must be near the stove when the children were suddenly stricken with croup on some sub-zero night. North of this room was the large kitchen, no doubt used as a kitchen and dining room

In the east end of the house was a spacious fireplace with still more paned glass windows, the panes themselves a treasure today for a collector of early American items. The attic floor was supported by a transverse beam to sustain the floor below firmly for the feet of the many visitors who attended balls and parties in the area called the "ballroom." The original Wallace home featured eight large bedrooms (sleeping chambers, then).

Elijah Wallace and his wife Elizabeth were the parents of two daughters, Mary and Nancy Ann and four sons, James, David, Robert and George. As mentioned before, only Robert, the youngest son was born in the Wallace Mansion home. Wallace died Aug. 8, 1861 at the age of 53 years. It is believed his death was partially due to an earlier injury at his farm, when he was attacked by a bull in the farmyard. His wife Elizabeth died April 11, 1886 at the age of 75years. Her final resting place was in the Riverside Cemetery in Sterling, alonside her husband.

Through the years, the Wallace Farm including the "Wallace Mansion" was to have a number of owners. The abstract shows the following transfers of this particular property as of the year 1967.

May 1. 1843 - The original land grant from President James tyler to Elijah Wallace
1855 - $1,000 mortgage at ten per cent interest with Sam Patterson of Lancaster PA by Elijah Wallace
Feb. 25, 1870 - Elijah Wallace estate deeded to James Wallace
June 1, 1872 - James Wallace estate deeded to David M. and Robert G. Wallace
Jan. 24, 1874 - David M. Wallace to Robert G. Wallace
Oct. 9, 1875 - Robert G. Wallace and wife to Ida and John Mickle
March 1, 1883 - John Mickle to Martin Baer
April 13, 1889 - Martin Baer to Henry Baer
April 13, 1892 - Henry Bauer/Baer to Jonas Baer and Ezra Baer and wife Mary
March 1, 1893 - Mary Baer to Nathaniel Jasper Reed and wife, Lilla J.
1936 - Nathaniel Jasper Reed estate to daughters Lottie (Mrs. Robert Adams) and Julia (Mrs. Albert Smidebush).
May 1, 1960 - Lottie Adams and Julia Smidebush to Ronald Koster and wife, Virginia

The current owners are Virginia and Robert Koster. Shortly after the purchase of the Wallace home in 1960, Koster engaged in a five year major renovation and remodeling program. Included in the restoration was the elimination of the old summer kitchen and spring house, the kitchen fireplace at the rear of the building and others. Today the charm of the earlier New England style home built by Wallace is gone only to be replaced by the magnificence in a structure bearing the exquisite taste of a slightly southern plantation flavor accented by six stately white Georgian columns which yet overlook the clear waters of Spring Creek. The "new Wallace Home" retains that historic appearance as a structure worthy of a tribute to the pioneer spirit and memory of its founder and builder, Elijah Wallace.

Descendants Of Wallace Family Visit Ancestral Home In Emerson

The Sterling Gazette 31 August 1976 Contributed by Larry Reynolds

Descendants of the Wallace family met in Emerson Saturday at the former home of their great, great grandparents, Elijah and Mary Wallace. They were guests of Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Koster, present owners of the Wallace home. Shown left to right in the front row are Mrs. John (Mary) Russell, Waukegan; Miss Mabel Pease, Swea City, Iowa; Mrs. Tom (Mary) Walters, Libertyville and Mrs. Bethel (Mary) Clisby, Swea City, Iowa. Back row are Mrs. Virginia Koster, Mrs. Ron (Mary Johannesen, Swea City, Iowa and Ronald Koster. (Gazette Photo)

A number of dewcendants of the family of Elijah and Mary Wallace, early Whiteside County pioneers who settled their farm at the west edge of Emerson just prior to 1840, met in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Koster Saturday [08/28/1976] to discuss the family history and tour the former Wallace mansion located at Emerson. The former Wallace home is currently owned by the Kosters. Koster bought the property about 16 years ago when the home was in complete disrepair. From approximately 1960 to 1965, Koster engaged in a complete renovation and remodeling of the old structure and most of the interior and exterior was completed around 1965.

Those attending included Mrs. John (Mary) Russell, Waukegan; Miss Mabel Pease, Swea City, Iowa; Mrs. Tom (Mary) Walters, Libertyville; Mrs. Bethel (Mary) Clisby, Swea City, Iowa and Mrs. Ron (Mary) Johannesen, also of Swea City, Iowa. All are great, great, granddaughters except Mrs. Walters who is a great, great, great, granddaughter of Elijah and Mary Wallace. An interesting note is the fact that four of the great, great granddaughters have the same first name, “Mary” and each was named after Mary Wallace.

Elijah and Mary Wallace came to Emerson shortly after 1838 after he had purchased a 400-acre farm for $1,500 west of the Elkhorn creek and at this time, the area was called “Empire.” In the summer of 1838, Wallace built and operated a saw mill on the Elkhorn where the lumber was milled a short time later. The Wallace Family lived in a log cabin built by Wallace before the home was built sometime between 1840 and 1850. All the Wallace children, with the exception of the youngest son, Robert Galt Wallace, were born while the family resided in the log cabin.

Wall and his wife Mary were the parents of two daughters, Mary Cassat Wallace and Nancy Ann Eliz Wallace and four sons, James Hamilton, George Lashels, David Middlecoff and Robert Galt Wallace. Wallace was active in civic affairs in addition to his business of farming. He was a township road commissioner when the raod was surveyed (now Alternate US 30), laid out and platted. He was also part of the group of men who laid out and platted the village of Empire (Emerson) on July 28, 1855.

Wallace apparently hired a contractor to build his “mansion” in the 1840’s. Records indicate construction of the home was from trees felled on his farm and prepared in his own sawmill. The original Wallace home was built in “New England style” with a colonial entrance. Other features in the home included wide halls, front and back parlors accented in beautiful wood paneling, small paned windows, dining room and “bedsink,” large kitchen, spacious fireplace, open porches and eight large bedrooms.

The Wallace mansion had a number of owners. Elijah and Mary Wallace spent the remainder of their lives in the splendid home they built in 1840. Elijah Wallace died Aug. 8, 1861 at the age of 53 years and his wife Mary died April 11, 1861 [?] at the age of 75 years. Both are interred in Riverside Cemetery, Sterling. The abstract of the Wallace property indicated the date May 1, 1843 when the original land grant wa made from President James Tyler to Elijah Wallace.

Noted also in the year 1855 was a $1,000 mortgage at 10 per cent interest with Sam Patterson of Lancaster, Pa., by Elijah Wallace. Following the death of Elijah Wallace, the abstract indicates on Feb. 25, 1870, the Elijah Wallace estate was deeded to a son, James Wallace. On June 1, 1872, James Wallace deeded the estate David M. and Robert G. Wallace. On Jan. 24, 1874, David M. Wallace deeded the estate to Robert G. Wallace.

It was on Oct. 9, 1875 the Wallace estate left the ownership of the Wallace family. Records indicate on this date Robert G. Wallace and his wife sold the property to Ida and John Mickle. Just seven years later on March 1, 1883, John Mickle transferred ownership to Martin Baer. On April 13, 1889, Martin transferred the property to Henry Baer. On April 13, 1892, Henry Baer transferred ownership to Jonas Baer and Rzra Baer and his wife Mary.

On March 1, 1893, Mary Baer transferred ownership to Nathaniel Jaspar Reed and his wife, Lilla J. It was during the years 1936 the Nathaniel Jaspar Reed estate was transferred to daughters, Lottie (Mrs. Robert Adams), and Julia, (Mrs. Albert Smidebush). It was on May 1, 1960 Ronald and Virgina Koster acquired the former Wallace property from Lottie Adams and Julia Smidebush.