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.




MEACHAM, ADIN E., was born March 10, 1789, at Benson, Rutland county, Vermont. His father started with his family to move west, July 30, 1812, and halted at Chillicothe, Ohio., Sept. 24. They resumed their journey May 20, 1813, passing through Cincinnati, Ohio, Lexington, Ky., thence to Shawneetown, Ill., from there to Kaskaskia, thence up the Mississippi river to the American bottom, about ten miles above St. Louis, arriving July 26, 1813, and on the 12th day of September, the father died. The family remained there until the close of the war with Great Britain. Adin E., with his mother, moved to the vicinity of the present town of Loami, Sangamon county, Ill., in 1819. He was married there to Isabel Colburn, and had six children--

FIDELIA, born Aug. 1, 1820, married James D. Weir. They had seven living children--OLIVER B. was married in Missouri to Martha Blackwell. They had two children, JOHN and LAURA. At the breaking out of the rebellion, he left Missouri, brought his family to Sangamon county, and enlisted in the 73d Ill. Inf., for three years. He was wounded at the battle of Chattanooga, Sept. 19, 1863, and died seven days later. His children reside with their mother, who is married to Charles Preddy. They have four children, and live in Green county, Missouri. MARY J. married John Hunter. They have five children, and live at Plattville, Taylor county, Iowa. MARTHA E. married John Frank. They have two children, and live in Carthage, Missouri. HENRY is unmarried, and lives at Carthage. ISABEL married Mr. McMaster. They have two children, and live in Springfield, Missouri. MARION and AGNES live with their parents at Carthage, Missouri.

EUNICE M., born Oct. 13, 1822, married Isaac R. Mengel. See his name.

JANE L., born Oct. 12, 1824, married Levi B. Mengel. See his name.

Mrs. Jane L. Mengel has a commission held by her father, Adin E. Meacham, as Lieutenant in the 7th Reg. Ill. Militia, dated at Kaskaskia, Aug. 17, 1817, and signed by Ninian Edwards, Governor. On the back of the same is the endorsement that Adin E. Meacham has taken the oath of fidelity and of office, as prescribed by "An act to suppress dueling," dated Sept. 1, 1817, attested by John H. Randle, District Clerk. A. E. Meacham served sixty days in a company of Indian Rangers, and received for that service $40 37 1/2.

JULIA A., born Dec. 16, 1827, married May 23, 1844, to Charles H. Dawson, who was born Feb. 26, 1820, in Vermont. They had eight children, two of whom died in infancy. RICHARD H., born March 14, 1845, married Lizzie C. Ruckle. They have two children, KATIE and ALICE, and live in Springfield, Illinois. GEORGE E., born June 23, 1847, graduated at Ann Arbor, Michigan University, was Professor of Languages, in the High School, at Buffalo, N. Y., for some time, and is now--1875--leaving for a two years' tour of Europe, studying and perfecting himself in the law. LYDIA I., was born May 12, 1847, and married Joseph E. Coleman. See his name. OLIVE A., born Sept. 2, 1853, married, Oct. 7, 1873, to Robert E. Short. See his name. They have one child, OLIVE IRENE, and live near Loami. ANDREW L. and WALTER L. live with their mother. Charles H. Dawson died July 22, 1820, and his widow lives near Loami, Sangamon county, Illinois.

ADIN E. A., born July 16, 1831,, in Sangamon county, was married Jan. 1, 1852, in Stoughton, Wisconsin, to Martha Renshaw, who was born April 22, 1836, in St. Lawrence county, N. Y. They have six living children, CHARLES W., AUSTIN S., ADA BELLE, MAGGIE E., MARIETTA and ORRIN R., and live at Loami, Sangamon county, Ill. Adin E. A. Meacham has in his possession a powder horn that has been in the family three generations before it came into his hands. It bears the following inscription, elaborately carved: "John Herolt's Horn, 1756." The only other letters on it are "A Muscovy Cat," over a figure supposed to represent an animal known by that appellation. It also contains figures of other animals, ships, and various hieroglyphies, and must have occupied many leisure hours of some soldier engaged in the French and English wars on this continent before our nation was born. A. E. A. Meacham has also a gourd raised by his father in 1826, near where he now resides; it holds an even half bushel. How a Yankee came to grow a gourd, such as our early education led us to believe could only be done by some person with southern blood in their veins, is a mystery.

HARRIET I., born Oct. 3, 1834, was married Oct. 7, 1857, to Andrew J. Parker. They have two children, DORA I. and IRA M., and live in Loami.

Mrs. Isabel Meacham died Nov. 25, 1864, and her husband, A. E. Meacham, died March 9, 1866, both near Loami, Sangamon county, Illinois.




Return to 1876 Biography Index

Return to Sangamon County ILGenWeb