Edgar, Illinois

The early settlers of Sims Township came principally from Kentucky, Tennessee and the Carolinas. Their coming, settlement and their privations endured are the interesting parts of these pages, and to them we will devote the remainder of this history. The first settlers in Sims Township were Jacob and Thomas Rhoades, who, with their families, came from Kentucky as early as 1819 or 1820. Mr. Hall Sims, who came to what is now Elbridge Township in March, 1821, mentions Thomas Rhoades as living in Elbridge on his arrival. He afterward removed, he says, to near Big Creek. This was done the next year, from the best accounts given. Mr. Rhoades married a daughter of Thomas Foster, one of the pioneers on Sugar Creek. In after years, when the Mormon excitement came over this part of the State, it carried Mr. Rhoades away in its doctrine. He went with them in their journey West, it is stated, and from Utah to California where he became quite wealthy. He was not alone, by any means, in his infatuation for this peculiar sect, as Edgar County furnished several adherents to the church of the " Latter-day Saints.'' Almost contemporary with them were William Janes, Moses Williams, Aaron, Moses W., and John Darnall, Samuel Wells and William Craig. Mr. William Darnall, now living in Paris, says that when the county was organ¬ ized, in the spring of 1823, he thinks that Thomas and Jacob Rhoades and Mr. Wells were about the only settlers in this part of the new county. The others came in very shortly after, if indeed, some of them were not already located.

Passage source: The History of Edgar County, Illinois, Containing a History of the County--its Cities, Towns, &c. : Directory of Its Tax-payers; War Records of Its Volunteers in the Late Rebellion Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; General and Local Statistics; Map of Edgar County; History of Illinois, Illustrated; History of the Northwest, Illustrated; Constitution of the United States, Miscellaneous Matters, &c., &c. Illustrated, published 1879.

Aaron. Moses W. and John Darnall were voung men when they came to Edgar County. They arrived in the spring of 1822, w'hen that county was yet a part of Clark County. John cleared a small farm, and made some improvements during jthe summer, but unfortunately took w'hat was know'n as the "Orleans fever,'' a kind of malarial disease, from which he died. His was probably the first death in this settlement. His brothers had settled at first in w'hat is now' Grand View Township, but the next year entered the claim made by John and moved to it. Here they remained about four years, improv¬ ing the claim, when they sold out, Aaron going to Embarrass Precinct (then not named), and Moses to Wisconsin. Aaron remained in Embarrass about ten years, when he moved to Edgar Township, where he resided until 1875, when his death occurred. He was all his life a firm Baptist in his religious belief, was a minister in that denomination, sturdily refusing to accept any pay what¬ ever for his ministry, believing it wrong. Moses is yet living and is also a minister in the Free-Will Baptist Church. Thomas Craig, father of Isaac and William, came to Clark County in 1822. The next year, Isaac came to Big Creek settlement and entered a claim. He lived here till after the close of the late war, when he removed to Charleston, Coles County, where he yet resides. He has lived to see the country he found a wilderness, abounding in plenty, and the abode of industry and wealth. William came to the settlement with his brother. He was a resident here many years. In after life, he moved to the west part of the county, where he died.

Passage source: The History of Edgar County, Illinois, Containing a History of the County--its Cities, Towns, &c. : Directory of Its Tax-payers; War Records of Its Volunteers in the Late Rebellion Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; General and Local Statistics; Map of Edgar County; History of Illinois, Illustrated; History of the Northwest, Illustrated; Constitution of the United States, Miscellaneous Matters, &c., &c. Illustrated, published 1879.

Through the first and second years of settlement the people experienced a good many hardships. The advance-guards of civilization find every obstacle in the path, and are the ones that must make a way. They find no cabin built for their reception - they must build one. They find no cleared field planted for them - they must clear the field and plant it. They find no mill to grind their corn or wheat - they must build it. So on through the entire list of the necessities of life. They are to be provided, and they are the ones to do it.

Passage source: The History of Edgar County, Illinois, Containing a History of the County--its Cities, Towns, &c. : Directory of Its Tax-payers; War Records of Its Volunteers in the Late Rebellion Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; General and Local Statistics; Map of Edgar County; History of Illinois, Illustrated; History of the Northwest, Illustrated; Constitution of the United States, Miscellaneous Matters, &c., &c. Illustrated, 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 Edgar Township - it names this place 18 more 18 times.