All Rights Reserved © Copyright 1999, 2000 All material contained on these pages are furnished for the free use of those engaged researching their family origins. Any commercial use, without the consent of the host/author of these pages is prohibited. We have tried to use images that were obtained from sources permitting free distribution, or generated by the author, and are subject to the same restrictions/permissions. All persons contributing material for posting on these pages does so in recognition of their free, non-commercial distribution, and further, is responsible to assure that no copyright is violated by their submission.



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.




GARD, EPHRAIM, was born March, 1776, in Union county, Penn., and was married there to Susannah Sutton, a native of the same county. They moved to Butler county, Ohio, where they had twelve children. Mr. Gard was captain of a company from that county, in the war of 1812. He moved in 1826 to Fayette county, Ind., and from there to Sangamon county, Ill., arriving in the fall of 1839, where Pleasant Plains now stands. Of their children--

KEZIAH, born in 1801, in Ohio, married there to John McDowell, and came to Sangamon county a year later than her parents. They moved about 1845 to Menard county, where they both died, leaving several children.

MARIA, born in 1803, in Ohio, married Abijah Stout, who died in California, leaving a widow and nine children in Butler county, Ohio.

REBECCA, born in 1805, married in Ohio to Joseph Hamilton, moved to Fayette county, Indiana, thence to Little Rock, Arkansas.

JACOB, born Sept. 23, 1806, in Butler county, Ohio, married there, March 10, 1835, to Jane Campbell, had one child in Ohio, and moved to Fayette county, Ind., in 1827, where they had three, and moved to Sangamon county, Ill., arriving Nov., 1834, in what is now Gardner township, where they had five children. Of their nine children--MORRIS, born Aug. 24, 1827, in Ohio, married Rhoda Jackson, had three children, and died in Gardner township. His widow married James Sherwood, and lives at Cuba, Fulton county, Ill. DEMARIS, born Jan. 27, 1829, in Indiana, married Feb. 22, 1849, to Berry D. Stone. They had two children. ELIZA J., married June 22, 1869, to Daniel Diehl, who was born Oct. 5, 1834, in Berks county, Penn. They have three children, Ora Etta, John H., and Allie Demaris, and live at Cross Plains Postoffice. JOHN B., lives with his grandfather Gard. B. D. Stone died, and his widow married, Nov. 22, 1853, to James M. Pelham. See his name. SUSANNAH, born Nov. 11, 1831, married, Feb. 22, 1849, to Butler Stone, and he died, leaving one child, ALICE S., who married Wm. C. Price, have two children, Nora and Henry, and live in Umatilla Oregon. Mrs. S. Stone married Jacob C. Lacy. See his name. ABIGAIL M., born June 27, 1834, married Lewis Nelson, who died, leaving a widow and six children in DeWitt county. EPHRAIM H., born June 27, 1838, married Mary E. Garrett. They have four living children, WILLIAM C., CHARLES D., HENRY and MARY ELLEN, and live near Cross Plains Postoffice. RACHEL E., born Jan. 27, 1840, married Alfred Ross. See his name. JOHN L., born March 18, 1841, married May 17, 1860, to Sarah E. Miller. They have four children, OPHELIA, LUELLA, OLIVER and WILLIAM M., and live two and one-half miles southeast of Salisbury. Jacob Gard and his wife reside three miles south of Salisbury, in Gardner township.

JAMES L., born Oct. 22, 1808, married Oct. 30, 1829, in Indiana, to Sarah Sutton, moved to Sangamon county, Ill., arriving Sept. 21, 1839, where Pleasant Plains now stands. They brought five children, and had five in Sangamon county. MARTIN V., born Oct. 22, 1831, married Elizabeth Jackson, Feb. 22, 1849. They had five children. The parents and two of the children died. BENJAMIN B., born June 29, 1833, married Mary Shrader, and resides in Cass county, Mo., near State Line. LUCINDA, born April 13, 1835, married Ephraim Jackson, have two living children, Buchanan and Adam, and live two miles east of Salisbury. SAMUEL S., born Jan. 8, 1836, married Esther Jackson, and live in Menard county. JEREMIAH, born June 22, 1838, married Sarah E. Oliver. He enlisted for three years, Aug., 1862, in Co. F, 78th Ill. Inf., was in many of the greatest battles, and went with Sherman in his "march to the sea." He was honorably discharged, in June, 1865, and was accidentally killed in a well, July 11, 1866, near Hickory Ridge, Hancock county, Ill. ANN M., married Newton Goodman. He died, leaving a widow and four children in Menard county. THOMAS F., married Surrilda Pryor, have five children, and live in Menard county. ALCEMENA married S. T. Lewis, who died, and she married George Neale, and lives in Cass county, Mo. MARY J., married George R. Ward, and lives in Menard county, one mile north of Salisbury. ELIZA A. married Samuel Hibbs, and lives in Menard county. James L. Gard and wife reside three miles south of Athens, in Menard county.

JOHN S., married Mary Ellis, and died, leaving a widow and children in Indiana.

HARRISON, born in Ohio, married in Indiana to Serena Cook, came to Sangamon county in 1838, and resides near Florence, Morgan county, Mo.

JEREMIAH, married in Indiana to Dicey A. Smith, moved to Little Rock, Ark., and died there.

EPHRIAM, Jun., born in Ohio, came to Sangamon county with his father, married, in Morgan county, to Pauline Parr and died, leaving a widow and children in Morgan county.

LUCINDA, born Jan. 7, 1821, in Ohio, married, in 1854, in Sangamon county, to Solomon Miller. She had one daughter, RHODA, who married Henry Grady, had four children, EMMA J., ALMEDA, ANNETTA and LUCY. Mr. Grady died, Nov. 14, 1871, and his family live near Cross Plains Postoffice. Solomon Miller died. See his name. His widow resides in Gardner township.

DAVID, born in Ohio, married in Indiana to Lydia Hockenberry, came to Sangamon county, in 1839. They had three children. David Gard and his son ALBERT, aged five years, were killed by lightning, June 21, 1850, near Salisbury. They had taken refuge under a tree during a shower of rain.

Mrs. Susannah Gard died, Aug. 10 1851, and Ephraim Gard died Nov. 21, 1863, both in Gardner township.




Return to 1876 Biography Index

Return to Sangamon County ILGenWeb