Vermilion, Illinois

Edward Purcell was probably the next to locate in this township. He was born in Knox County, Ind., and came to Edgar County in the fall of 1818, and has been dead a number of years, but has a son living near the village of Vermilion. Mr. Mings now lives on the place where he originally settled. William Van Houtin, James Farnham, Chancy Adkins and John Van Dewson came from New York, and settled in this township in 1818-19. Van Houtin died here years ago, but has two sons, Benjamin and Thomas, who are still living here, enterprising men of the community. James Farnham was a son-in-law of Van Houtin. He has been dead some time, but has several sons still living. Adkins came to the town with the Van Houtins, and after remaining here a number of years, sold out and removed North, perhaps to Wisconsin. Van Dewson came also with the above named, and was a brother-in-law' of Adkins, and he and Adkins moved away together. Isaac Sandford settled in the south part of Stratton, and was the richest man in the neighborhood. He came also from New York, in the fall of 1819, and has been dead many years. He was Captain of the company formed in Stratton and Elbridge Townships in the

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.

George Board came from Bourbon County, Ky.', and settled in Strat¬ ton Township in 1822. He died on the place of his original settlement many years ago ; has a son living in Terre Haute, and another somewhere in the Wabash Valley. He was the first Coroner of Edgar County, and filled the office almost from the time of the county's organization to his death. Matthew R. Scott, mentioned in the list of early settlers of Brouillett Town¬ ship, first settled in this neighborhood, but did not remain long, when he sold out and removed to the place where he now lives. Edward Wheeler, another of the early settlers of Brouillett, located here first, where he remained but a short time. Thomas Cox, a son-in-'law of William Van Houtin, came from the same place that Van Houtin came from, and settled in this town in 1827. He died on his original settlement about three years ago. Garrett . Harrison settled about one mile from Blackburn's in 1824-25 ; remained but a few years, when he sold out and moved away. Richard Kimbrough settled in the town in 1825, and is alluded to as one of the early school-teachers. Samuel Trogdon, mentioned as one of the early comers in Elbridge Township, after remaining there a few years removed to this town, where he died in 1840. George and Abram Welsh were among the early settlers of Stratton. George came here in 1824 and bought out John Lowry. He has been dead thirty years or more. Rev. Samuel McGee was one of the early preachers, and was from Tennessee. He came here in 1825, and is mentioned further in connec¬ tion with the early church history. James Cummins came in the spring of 1830, and entered the land where the town of Vermilion now stands. He was from Kentucky, and a brother, Robert Cummins, came here with him. James Cummins sold out to James S. A ermilion, who came out that fall and was also from Kentucky.

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.

Hon. George W. Rives, now of Paris, was from Virginia, and came here in 1839, looking after lands belonging to his father, and liked the country so well that he remained. He is a son of Hon. Joseph Rives, who served two or three terms in the Congress of the United States from Virginia. Hon. William C. Rives was a brother to Joseph, and was for some time in the United States Senate, and was also Minister to France under President Jackson. John C. Rives, another member of the family, was for years editor of the Congressional Globe. Hon. George W. Rives settled, as above stated, in Stratton, where he married Col. Mayo's youngest sister, and where he lived until 1851, when he removed to Paris. He wTas a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1847. He has also served three terms in the State Legislature and eight years as County Clerk, and wTas the first United States Assessor appointed foi this district by Abraham Lincoln. As a coincidence in his public life, ho served in the first session of the Legislature after both the Constitutional Con vention of 1847 and of 1869-70.

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 Stratton Township - it names this place 45 more 45 times.