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EARLY SETTLERS OF SANGAMON COUNTY - 1876
By John Carroll Power

These biographies were submitted by a researcher and evidently abstracted from the 1876 History of Sangamon County, IL. Errors could occur, so one should always verify the correctness by obtaining copies of vitals and performing all necessary research to document what is contained herein.



FOSTER, IVINS, was born Nov. 23, 1794; in Harrison county, Ky. Margaret McKee was born Jan. 24, 1796, in the same county. They were there married, Feb. 26, 1819, and had three children in Harrison county, and then moved to Gallatin county, where one child was born. They then moved to Sangamon county, Ill., arriving in Nov., 1829, in what is now Curran township, north of Lick creek, where four children were born. Three of their children died under five years. Of the other five--

WILLIAM D., born Jan. 24, 1820, in Harrison county, Ky., was brought by his parents to Sangamon county. He studied medicine three years in Springfield, and attended one course of lectures in St. Louis. In consequence of impaired health, he was advised by the Faculty to take a sea voyage. In June, 1843, he embarked for Europe, visiting England, he went to Scotland intending to complete his education there. While visiting a hospital, in pursuit of knowledge, he contracted small pox, and would have been kindly cared for at the residence of a friend, where he was taken sick, but he preferred being removed to the Royal Infirmary, of Edinburg, where he died Dec. 29, 1843.

MARY J., born Dec. 8, 1821, in Kentucky, married in Sangamon county April 1, 1847, to Samuel W. Dunn. He was born Oct. 6, 1821, in Harrison county, Ky., and came to Sangamon county in 1844. They had eight children, six of whom died under five years. The others, NARCISSA and WILLIAM SHERMAN, reside with their parents in Curran township.

JOEL S., born March 15, 1824, in Kentucky, died in Sangamon county aged twenty-three years.

SAMUEL L., born June 29, 1830, in Sangamon county, married Dec. 27, 1855, to Lydia Lee, who was born Feb. 14, 1834, in Dover, Del. They have four living children, namely: MARY A., LOUIS K., ROBERT and MARGARET B., and live near the family homestead in Curran township.

JOHN W., born Jan. 29, 1833, in Sangamon county, unmarried, and lives with his mother.

Ivins Foster died Jan. 4, 1866, and his widow now--1874--resides one and one-half miles southeast of Curran, where they settled in 1829.



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