Mission Township

Mission Township

The town of Mission embraces that portion of T. 35, R. 4, lying east of the Fox river, and that portion of T. 36, R5, which lies south of the Fox, about thirty-tw: ions. The Fox forms its northern and western boundary, and Mission creek rams westwardly across the town near its centre. There

The first white occupant of what is now the town of Mission, was Jesse Walker, who established a mission in 1826, by appointment and under the

'ision of the Methodist Episcopal Church, at the head of Mission creek, on Section 15, for the conversion of the Pottawatomie Indians, and a school for the education of Indian children. The Indians in considerable numbers were occupying an island in the Fox, near the mouth of Somonauk creek where they had cultivated corn and vegetables and made the vicinity their head-quarters. After the white settlers came in, the Indians relinquished the cultivation of the ground, preferring to buy of the whites, paying with skins or with money received 48 annuities from the Government. They were constitutionally lazy, and like some with whiter complexions, thought honest toil lowered their dignity, and to carry out the resemblance stil) farther for fear their women would overstep their sphere, the squaws were made to perform all the labor for the community.

Walker sold forty acres of improvements to Washington Bulbona, a half-breed French and Indian, who also had a reservation of a Section when the Indians sold to the Government, which became

Mr. Schermerhorn, and his son-in-law, Hazelton, were the first settlers after the Mission, and made claims on 8,10, where John Armstrong now lives, in 1831. Their tragic history is given elsewhere.

Peter Miller, a native of Ross County, Ohio, and wife, Harriet Holderman, from Maine, came to Ob tawa in 1830; went to Pekin during the Black Hawk war, and to Holderman's Grove in the spring of 1833; madea claim and settled where Sheridan now is in the fall of the same year, the first settler inthe town of Mission, excepting thoze connected with Jesse Walker's mission among the Indians, and Schermerhorn and Hazleton. He now lives in the town of Sheridan, the town having come to him. He has oneson, Dyson, who married Harriet Beardsley, and has eight children.

John Armstrong, then a minor, came from Licking County, Ohio, in company with his uncle, John Strawn, in the fall of 1829, and hired ont by the month near Hennepin, stopping for sometime with James Wallace in the Brown settlement, South Ottawa, He returned to Ohio in 1881; the same year his mother, Mrs. Elea Armstrong, moved to Iilinois with her family. He again came to Mlinois in 1883. He married Margaret Truambo, daughter of Abraham Trambo, and settled on See. 10, town of Mi . in June, 1834, where he still lives - a gue. cessful farmer and stock dealer. He was an ardent supporter of the Grange movement, and ix now Treasurerof the State Grange. He has six children: Abram, married Charlotte Grant, and lives at Serena: Elsa, married Henry Parr: Joseph, married

Samuel D. Barbour, from Indiana, came in 1834; settled on S. 17, where he still resides. He married Betsey Neff, and has eight children: Susanna, who married Jobn Abel, of Mission; Eleanor, is single ; Ebenezer, married Mary Clark, live in Marseilles ; Moses, married Augusta Freeland, of Mission ; Eliphalet, married Emma Blake: Samuel D., r., martied Fmma Corning ; Marion, married Margaret Mason: Henry. at home.

Beach Fellows, from Pennsylvania, settled on Section 6, town of Mission, May 1, 1835, On the farm seven years. In 1855 he was elected County 'Treasurer. Has lived in Ottawa since. He married Martha Nelson, and has six children: Joseph, is in Missouri; Jane, in Livingston County; William, Mand, and Delia, at home.

Ebenezer Nett, from New York, and wife, Marguret Douglass, from Pennsylvania to Indiana, from there to Holderman's Grove in 1835, and to Mission in 1887. He was a Justice of the Peace for several terms. He died in May, 1867.

He had nineteen children, twelve of whom are living. Betsey, married Samuel Barbour, live in Mission; Daniel, married Maria Thomas, deceased ; Olive, married Joseph Fast, they live in Indiana : Almira, married William Bogwell, | n Town; Tsabel, married Joseph Mason, live in Mission ; Henry B,, married Mary Freeland, in Ottawa; Wm. D., married Anna N. Peterson, live in Ottawa ; Ra- chel, married Newell Blodget, live in Towa; Sarahbelle, married Wellington Mason, live in Kendall County ; Janette, married Josiah Shaver, livein Rut, land ; George, married Thirza Whitney, live in Ottawa; Margaret, married Sanford Whitney.

Joseph Mason, from Indiana in 1885; married Isabel Neff; a blacksmith by trade; settled on S, 28 T. 35, R. 5; still living on a good farm. Has nine children : George is in Kendall Connty ; Daniel is in Serena; W. W., married Lovina Peister, live in Miller; Ellen, married Milton Reed, at Sheridan; Sarah Ann, married James Knickerbocker; Althea, married Abel Misner ; Lewis, married Ellen Hamon ; Pamelis and Joseph, at home.

Robert Rowe, « native of Scotland, with his wife Mary McMath, came from Indiana here in 1835 ; has held the office of County Commissioner, and is a practical surveyor and mathematician ; still resides on the farm he first ocoupied. His wife died in 1 66. He has eight children ; James, married, and lives in Mission ; Samuel, married Celuste Robinson, lives on the homestead ; Alfred, isin Colorado ; Mary Ann, married Cyrus Delameter; Isabel, married John North ; Jane M., married Peter Cunningham ; Amelia, married Levi Spradling; Emeline, married Delos Robinson.

herein 1884; settled on S. 15, resided here a few years, removed to Missouri, and died there. One daughter, Sarah, married Enoch Spradling ; another, Lina, lives at Shabona's Grove, widow of James Price. Enoch Spradling, and wife, Sarah Dart, came from Indiana, in 1840. He has five children: Rachel, married Alva Pitzer ; James, married, lives near the old farm ; Elizabeth, at home ; Frances, married Mr. Snelling, in Mission; Josephine, married Levi Rood.

George A. Sonthworth, and wife, Miss Bowen, came from New York, in 1836; settled on 8. 11; died about ten years since. He had two children : Mary, married Mr. Southworth ; Marcus, a lawyer, in Aurora.

James Rood, and wife, Miss Babcock, a native of Massachusetts, first to Connecticut, then to New York, and came to Dlinois in 1836. Died about 1850; his widow died several years after.

there, and came to Illinois in 1838; was a Justice of the Peace several terms. He died in 1875. His first wife was L. A. Philips; she had four children; Mary H., married Dr. Pierce, of Minooka: James P.and Joseph B., in Will Connty; Rufus B., in Sandwich. His second wife was Mary BE. Wyman, of Massachusetts, who had six children; Levi W-. married Josephine Spradling, and lives with his mother; Grace W.; Benjamin B,; Julia E.; Ellen, and Charles, are deceased.

Henry Verbeck, from New York, married Jane Southworth. He died in 1867, Had three children : James, in Missouri; Eddy, in Colorado; Eva, married Frank Bowen: Mabel, lives in Millington with her mother,

J, Q Eastwood came in 1886; died about 1847. His widow married Nathaniel Hibbard, from New ied some two years since. yers Foster came from Pennsylvania in 1834; returned in 1537 or °38,

George Havenhill came from Nelson County, Ky.. to Tazewell County in 1830; in L832 raised a crop near Holderman's Grove, which was destroyed by the Indians; was County Commissioner in 1835; died about 1842,

Alexander Rowe, and wife, Ann Eliza Philips, came from Connecticut in 1835, and settled on Section 26, where he still lives, aged 72 years. His wife died in 1857. His children are: Robert, married Fear R. Hosford, and lives in Freedom; Aun, married Hamilton Rawlin; John H., married Mary Austin; Jane M., at home; Isabel, married Freeborn Rawlin; Edward, married Jennie Angevine ; Henrietta, married Morris Law, lives in Sheridan; Bbenezer M., was accidentally shot while hunting, 12 years old.

Steward Liston, and wife, came from New York in 1837. He died abont 1850, He had three child ren: Lemuel, married Lois Townsend ; Lucy, married Henry Newton; Maria, married John Warren.