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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.




KEYES, HUMPHREY, was born in 1763, at Keyes' Ferry, Jefferson county, Va. It is on the Shenandoah river, six miles from the union with the Potomac. He was married in Loudon county to Miss Strider. They had five children, and Mrs. Keyes died. Humphrey Keyes was married in Monroe county, Va., to Sarah Hanley, who was born in that county in 1776. They had six children in Monroe county, and moved to Sangamon county, Ill., arriving at Springfield, Nov. 10, 1830. Of his children by the first marriage -

ISAAC, born and married in Virginia, died in the Wabash Valley, Indiana, leaving a widow and four children. She married Mr. McCullough and lives in Edgar county, Illinois.

JOSEPH, born and married in Virginia, brought up a family there.

LUCRETIA, born in Virginia, was married there to Joseph Fawcett, and both died in St. Charles Missouri, leaving five children.

THOMAS, born and married in Virginia, died in Bond county, Ill., without family.

PHEOBE, born in Virginia, was married there to Joseph Bywater. They brought up a family in Rockingham county, Virginia.

The children of Mr. Keyes by the second marriage are -

GERSHOM, born Feb. 16, 1804, in Monroe county, Virginia, one hundred and eighty miles south of Richmond, was married in that county, June 17, 1830 to Amanda Nichols, and came to Sangamon county with his parents in 1830. They had one child, and Mrs. Keyes died, Sept. 23, 1832. Her son ISAAC P., died age twelve years. Mr. G. Keyes was married June 12, 1836, in Springfield, Ill., to Matilda Matheny. They had two children. DOW, born May 11, 1837, in Springfield, Ill, was married Dec. 5, 1872, near Springfield, to Elizabeth H. Wilson, who was born in St. Lawrence county, New York. They reside at Pana, Illinois. C. HUMPREY, born Feb. 4, 1840, in Springfield, Illinois, enlisted in 1861, in Co. B, 33d Ill. Inf., was wounded at Mobile, and came home in 1865, where he was honorably discharged. He went to Kansas in the summer of 1866, and was there married in May 1867, to Mary Smith, was born in Sangamon county, Ill. She was a daughter of Colby Smith, of Cotton Hill township. She died in 1869. C. Humphrey Keyes was married in August, 1871, to Hattie Burt. They have one child, GERTIE, and live near Xenia, Bourbon county, Kansas. Mrs. Matilda Keyes died Sept, 18, 1840 and Gershom Keyes was married June 8, 1843, in Springfield, Illinois, to Priscilla Norris. They had ten children near Springfield. ELLA, the sixth child, died, age nine years. MARY A. lives with her parents. JAMES, born April 29, 1845, was married July 3, 1872, in Pana, to Nellie Elmore and lives in Carlinville. ROBERT C., born July 15, 1848, lives in Springfield with Henson Robinson. ARNOLD R. lives with his parents. MAGGIE R. born July 3, 1851, was married June 25, 1874, to Samuel R. Ray, have one child, Gershom, and live in Shelby county, postoffice, Pana. NOAH G., GEORGE B., VIRGINIA N. and S. ROBERTA. The four latter live with their parents. Gershom Keyes and family moved, in 1870, to a farm four miles north of Pana, Illinois, where they now reside - 1876.

JAMES W., born Nov. 1, 1805, in Monroe county, Va., was married Jan. 9, 1827 in Botetourt county, Va., to Lydia Spickard, who was born June 17, 1807, in the same county. They had two children born and died there, and moved to Springfield, Ill., arriving April, 1831. They had nine children in Springfield; one died in infancy. Of their eight children - CHARLES A., born Dec. 4, 1831, in Springfield, graduated at Illinois College, in 1854, was admitted to the bar in 1856, and was city attorney during 1857 and '58. Charles A. Keyes was married in Xenia, Ohio, to Elizabeth Lanman. They have two living children, Lillian and Mary E. C. A. Keyes represented Sangamon county in the State Legislature of Illinois, in 1862. He was appointed Master in Chancery of Sangamon county, by Judge E. Y Rice, in 1867, re-appointed by Judge B. S. Edwards and again by Judge John A. McClernand. He held the position until May, 1875, and with his family resides in Springfield. MARY C., born Aug. 1, 1833, in Springfield, was married Jan. 11, 1864, to William H. VanDoren. They had three children - Virginia E. died, aged three years; Susan F. and James K. live with their parents in Springfield, Ill. EDWARD L., born Aug. 26, 1835, married Ann Dillard. They had four children, Cora, Oscar, Annie and Marcus, who live with their father. Mrs. Ann Keyes died in the summer of 1874, and E. L. Keyes and family live four miles north of Springfield, Ill. HENRIETTA M., born Jul 29, 1839, in Springfield, Ill., was married May 8, 1861, to Henson Robinson, who was born March 15, 1839, in Xenia, Ohio, where he learned the tinning business, and came to Springfield, Ill., July 1, 1858. They have three living children, Lydia M., Margaret H. and Charles H., who live with their parents. Henson Robinson is now, and has been for fourteen years, engaged in the tinware and stove business in Springfield. His father, John Robinson, came to Illinois, and bought land in Sangamon county, in 1838. He returned to Ohio for his family, but before they were ready to start he died, in 1842, in Xenia, Ohio. THOMAS R., twin to Henrietta M., is unmarried, and lives with his parents. SUSAN F., born Nov. 1, 1841, in Springfield, married Silas W. Hickox. See his name. MARGARET E., born July 17, 1846, married William Day. See his name. James W. Keyes was Postmaster in Springfield seven months, under President Van Buren, and again during the administration of President Buchanan. He was Justice of the Peace fourteen years. Mr. Keyes and family reside four miles northwest of Springfield.

ALEXANDER, born in 1811, in Virginia, died in Springfield, in 1831.

MARGARET W., born March 31, 1814, in Union, Monroe County, Va., was married in Sangamon county, Ill., to L. C. Backenstoe. They had one child, VIRGINA E. Mr. Backenstoe died in 1833, and his widow married James F. Reed. See his name.

ELIZABETH, born in 1816, in Virginia, died in 1832 in Sangamon county, Illinois.

ROBERT CADEN, born in 1818, in Monroe county, Va., came to Sangamon county with his parents in 1830, went, in 1845 to California, with a drove of cattle belonging to other parties, from there to Oregon, and returned to California, where he met his sister Mrs. Reed, July 4, 1847, at the house of Capt. Yontz, where a part had assembled to celebrate the national anniversary. R. C. Keyes brought eighty-one Americans with him, and found one hundred and twenty-seven others on the ground. They united in what is believed to have been the first celebration of the fourth of July on the Pacific coast. Capt. Yontz furnished all the provisions and the ladies present made a flag by sacrificing their underclothing. Mr. Keyes was fourteen years superintendent of the Alameda Quicksilver mines in California. Robert C. Keyes was married about 1853, in California, to Mrs. Roberts, of Australia, but of English birth and parentage. She was the widow of an Episcopal clergyman, who was married in Australia and died soon after coming to California. Mr. And Mrs. R. C. Keyes had three children, and he died Sept. 15, 1865. His widow and children reside in San Jose, California.

Humphrey Keyes died Oct. 11, 1833, near Springfield, Ill., and his widow Mrs. Sarah Keyes, died May 29, 1846, four miles above the mouth of the Blue river, and near where Manhatten, Kansas, now stands. She was on her way to California with her daughter, Mrs. Reed. See Reed and Donner party.




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