Burt, Illinois

Jacob H., (son of John W. Judy,) who was then a child of four years of age, has lived in the township ever since, and he is, therefore, the oldest settler in the community. In the following year William Burt and the Hainlines settled near by, and about the same time two families by the names of Perry and Williamson. In 1828, William Hieronymus settled on the east fork of Sugar creek, where two of his sons still live. Other early settlers in Hittle were: Jacob Albright, 1829; Joseph Richmond, 1830; Martin G.

Passage source: History of Tazewell County, Illinois ; Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Townships, Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History; Portraits of Prominent Persons and Biographies of Representative Citizens. History of Illinois ... Digest of State Laws, published 1879.

Jas. W. Burt, farmer, P. O., Armington, is a son of William Burt, one of the earliest settlers of Hittle. He was born May 15, 1844, and was married to Miss Emma Tenney, of Atlanta, Feb. 28, 1867. They have two children. Mrs. B. is a daughter of Dr. Tenney, and was born Feb. 20, 1850. Wm. Burt was born Dec. 10, 1800, in Scott county, Ky., and in the fall of 1827 settled in Hittle, on section 29, where he still lives. When Mr. Burt first came to Hittle he found a rude little cabin already built. This he fixed up, and began life in the new country, happy in the possession of a home. Not long after a man came along and claimed the premises, and to avoid any trouble or unpleasantness a settlement was made by paying the party $9.00 In 1829, about Christmas time, and when it was very cold, Mr. Burt's house was destroyed by fire, together with all its contents except a little bedding. The neighbors assembled and by the following Saturday Mr. Burt's fiimily found themselves once more in a comfortable home. While none of the neighbors were overburdened with clothing and furniture, they all contributed a little to assist their afflicted friends. About 1835 he built another house, made entirely of hewn logs with a board floor, and it was considered the finest house anywhere in the neighborhood. He was a great hunter in his time, and hundreds of deer, wolves and fowl, fell before his gun and club. He was married in June, 1825, to China Hainline, in Kentucky, and has had eight children, two of whom died when young, and the others are still living. Their names are - Elizabeth (wife of Allen Quisenberry) Sally (wife of William Britt) Louisa (who married Andrew Bowles) John H., Polly (wife of Arthur Quisenberry, of Lincoln) and James W. Mr. Burt's wife died in 1873, aged 63 years.

Passage source: History of Tazewell County, Illinois ; Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Townships, Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History; Portraits of Prominent Persons and Biographies of Representative Citizens. History of Illinois ... Digest of State Laws, published 1879.

Allen Quisenherry, farmer, lives in Eminence, Logan county ; P. O., Armington. Mr. Q.'s father settled in Hittle Grove, in 1835. He came from Kentucky, though he lived in Virginia till after he was married ; he lived in the Grove about twenty years, when he moved over the line into Logan county, where he died about the close of the war. The subject of this sketch was born Oct. 9, 1823; married November, 1844, to Elizabeth Burt, who was born Sept. 18, 1826, in Boone county, Ky. They have had three children; two of whom are now living. John W. lives on a farm near by ; and the daughter, China M., married W. F. Albright and now lives in Bloomington. The old settlers, living almost beyond the reach of newspapers, had queer ideas of the progress of the age. Mr. Q. tells this story of his father. When a telegraph line was built from Peoria to Springfield, the line passed through Delavan, and caused no little excitement among the inhabitants. But the old gentleman was skeptical, and one day said to his sons : " I tell you w'hat, boys, that thing is all tomfoolery, depend upon it. Talk of people speaking together, 100 miles apart! why, its rediculous. Its just some Yankee scheme to make money."

Passage source: History of Tazewell County, Illinois ; Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Townships, Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History; Portraits of Prominent Persons and Biographies of Representative Citizens. History of Illinois ... Digest of State Laws, published 1879.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Hittle Township.