Shiloh, Illinois

In Rsynolds' Pionser History of Illinois, we find that in the summsr of 1807, Bishop McKendree, whose name has been perpetuated in the Methodist College at Lebanon, was one of the earliest Methodist ministers to preach in this vicinity. He had erected at Shiloh a log meeting-house, which was one of the earliest churches of this denomination in Illinois. He also organized and held a camp-meeting at this point the same year. There have been four churches erected by this denomination on the same spot. The present one is constructed of brick, and is a neat and costly edifice.

Passage source: History of St. Clair County, Illinois. With Illustrations ... and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers, published 1881.

Oa comiag hare he first resided on Turkey Hill and there two of his children are now buried. In the year .1828 he purchased for four hundred dollars the south half of the south-east quarter of section fourteen of township one north, range seven west. He had not then sufficient means to make the whole payment on the land. This place was subsequently his residence till his death. At the time he moved on this land only a small part was under cultivation. Mr. Griffen worked industriously at improving the farm. He was a man of great energy and activity. He had good business qualifications, and at the time of his death was one of the largest land owners of the Shiloh valley. -His first marriage took place in February, 1826, to Mrs. Mary Shepherd, whose maiden name was Foulks. Her death occurred on the 5th of February, 1841, at the age of thirty-nine. She was born in Pennsylvania on the 5th of February, 1802. His second marriage was on the 13th of October, 1841, to Sally Ann Collins, who was born near Greenville, New York, on the 1st of December, 1805. This marriage occurred at Amsterdam, New York, while Mr. Grifien was in that state on a visit to his brother.

Passage source: History of St. Clair County, Illinois. With Illustrations ... and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers, published 1881.

He had in all twelve children, whose names are as follows : - Jacob Fardon Grifien, born on the 6th of February, 1827, died on the 15th of November of the same year ; Smith Grifien, who was born in 1828 and died in 1831 ; Harriet Jane Grifien, born August 10, 1831, and died the succeeding 15th of November; Joseph Grifien, who was born in 1832, and is now living in the Shiloh valley; Caroline Grifien, born in 1834 and died in 1835; Sarah Ann Grifien, born March, 1836, now residing in Macon county, the wife of James H.Alexander; Mariah Grifien, now Mrs. Wm. D. Howard of Lebanon ; Rachel Grifien, who was born in 1840 and died the same year ; Boon Grifien, who was born July 27th, 1842 and died May 4, 1862 ; Alletta Grifien, who 'was born in 1843 and died in 1844 ; Charles Griffen, born February 20, 1845, and Jane, who was born in January, 1849, and died in September of the Boon Griffen was a student at McKendree college at the time of the breaking out of the war of the rebellion. He enlisted at St. Louis in a Missouri regiment, not then nineteen years old, and was in the three months service under General Fremont. After the expiration of his term of service he returned to his studies, but died of consumption in 1862, while a member of the college graduating class. He would have graduated had he lived till June.

Passage source: History of St. Clair County, Illinois. With Illustrations ... and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers, published 1881.

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 Shiloh Valley Township - it names this place 6 more 6 times.