Lyndon Bridge

Marvin Frary was born in Massachusetts, in 1799. In 1802, he went with his father's family to Ontario county, New York, where he grew to manhood, and then located in Cattaraugus county, New York. In the early part of 1835, he came to Prophetstown, and made a claim between the present villages of Prophetstown and Portland, which he afterwards sold to Fred Dwight, and bought the claim of Norman B. Seely. In addition to farming he was engaged for a time in the distilling business in Portland. Mr. Frary first married Miss Mary E. Seely, but they were divorced, and he afterwards married Mrs. E. S. Ellithrope, widow of Sampson Ellithrope. The children by the first marriage were : Myron, who died in 1836, and Caroline who married Joshua Bennidum, and is now dead. By the second marriage there was only one child, Delia, who married Fernando Brewer, and lives in Lyndon. Mr. Frary died in Prophetstown.

Passage source: History of Whiteside County, Illinois, from Its First Settlement to the Present Time;, published 1877.

At that time there were no houses on the south side of Rock river from Dixon down, until the grove just above Prophetstown was reached, where there were two cabins, one occupied by Mr. McClure and the other by Mr. Bestwick, an Englishman. Messrs. Wright and Perkins made a claim adjoining Asa Crook's, and which took in the land on which the village of Prophetstown now stands, and also enough of the bend of the river below to make what they considered two good-sized farms. Perkins soon after returned to Kendall county, while Mr. Wright remained to hold possession, and make improvements, and eventually purchased the interest of Perkins. Mr. Wright then took R. Ammidon as a partner, and the claim was divided. In 1836 he sold his share, with the exception of twenty acres which had been previously conveyed, to Jabez Warner, who had then just come up the river with a flat boat loaded with flour and provisions. He then went a few miles further up the river, made another claim, and commenced improvements, but having had the chills and fever for most of the time for two years, reluctantly left Whiteside county in the fall of 1839, and settled near Lisbon, Kendall county. Mr. Wright married Miss Sophrona Clark, daughter of W. L. Clark, of Lyndon Precinct, in October, 1840. Their children have been: Julia, Emily, Clara, and Lottie, all of whom are now living, and married; they have also had three others, who are now dead.

Passage source: History of Whiteside County, Illinois, from Its First Settlement to the Present Time;, published 1877.

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