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.



BULLARD, REUBEN, was born Dec. 22, 1792, in Caroline county, Va. He went to Woodford county, Ky., in 1787, and to Shelby county in 1790. He was there married in 1803, to Elizabeth Gill, who was born Oct. 30, 1779, near Charlestown, Va. They had eight children in Kentucky, four of whom, Eliza, Lucinda, Richard and Nancy J., died there, between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five years. Mrs. Elizabeth Bullard died Jan. 6, 1835, and Reuben Bullard, with three of his children, came to Sangamon county, arriving in Nov., 1835, in what is now Illiopolis township, one son having come before. Of the four children--

JOHN, born Feb. 10, 1805, in Shelby county, Ky., came to Sangamon county April 6, 1830, and made his home partly at Buffalo Hart Grove and partly in the vicinity of Mechanicsburg, and returned to Kentucky in 1833. Sarah S. Fallis was born Feb. 3, 1812, in St. Louis county, Mo., her parents having moved there from Kentucky. During the war with England the Indians became troublesome, and the family moved back, in 1813, to Henry county, Ky. John Bullard and Sarah S. Fallis were there married, Sept. 4, 1834, and came at once to Sangamon county, where they had ten children. JOHN W., born Oct. 21, 1836, died May 6, 1856. NANCY F., born May 29, 1838, married April 30, 1873, to Charles Howard, and reside near Neola, Iowa. WILLIAM S., born Jan. 7, 1841. He enlisted August 7, 1862, in Co. A, 73d Ill. Inf. for three years, was wounded at the battle of Franklin, Tenn., Nov. 30, 1864, served until the end of the rebellion, and was honorably discharged. He was married Dec. 28, 1871, to Elizabeth S. Zane. They have two children, LETHE IRENE and MARY, and reside four and a half miles east of Mechanicsburg. REUBEN S., born August 31, 1842, married Sept. 23, 1873, in Shelbyville, Ky., to Marian Saunders. She was born there, May 8, 1849. They have one child, ANNIE, and reside four and a half miles east of Mechanicsburg, where his father settled in 1834. EDNA E., born April 12, 1844, married Oct. 16, 1867, to Charles C. Radcliffe, a native of Frederick county, Md. They have three children, NORA A., AUBRA L. and SALLIE F., and resides in Mechanicsburg. JOSEPHINE, born Dec. 17, 1845, was married at Mechanicsburg, May 27, 1875, to Capt. George Ritchey, and reside in Boonville, Mo. MARY J., born Dec. 17, 1847, died Feb. 14, 1875. WILBER C., born Sept. 19, 1850; JACOB B. born Jan. 20, 1854; HENRY S., born March 18, 1858, all reside with their mother, except WILBUR C., who lives in Decatur. John Bullard died Dec. 26, 1872, and his widow lives in Mechanicsburg.

MARY A., born Sept. 25, 1810, in Shelby county, Ky., married there to Benjamin Fortune. See his name.

SARAH AGNES, born March 24, 1814, in Shelby county, Ky., married Jacob N. Fullinwider. See his name.

WESLEY, born July 28, 1816, in Shelby county, Ky., married March 23, 1843, in Sangamon county, to Sarah A. Foster, who was born July 18, 1824, in Montgomery county, Ky., and came to Sangamon county on a visit in 1842. Her parents lived, at the time, in Putnam, Ind. Mr. and Mrs. B. had eight sons in Sangamon county. WILLIAM H., born August 16, 1844, enlisted August 4, 1862, for three years, in Co. A, 73d Ill. Inf., was slightly wounded at the battle of Franklin, Tenn. He served to the end of the rebellion, and was honorably discharged, June 24, 1865, married in Sangamon county, Sept. 13, 1866, to Abbie P. Baldwin, who was born Nov. 21, 1847, near Monticello, Madison county. They have three children, SARAH L., WESLEY C. and MARY B., and live five miles east of Mechanicsburg. JAMES R. resides (1874) in San Francisco, Cal. JOHN N., FRANCIS B., SAMUEL A., GEO. W., BENJ. F. and SAY A. FOSTER; the six latter live with their father. Mrs. Sarah A. Bullard died Feb. 13, 1861, and Wesley Bullard was married August 6, 1863, in Sangamon county, to Mrs. Elizabeth Holsman, whose maiden name was Kidd. She was born May 7, 1828, in Fluvanna county, Va. Her home was in Circleville, Ohio, but she was on a visit to Sangamon county at the time of her marriage. They have two children, JULIA and ROBERT A., and live four miles east of Mechanicsburg, where he settled in 1835.

Reuben Bullard died Sept. 6, 1836, in Sangamon county.

His father's name was Reuben Bullard. He was in the Revolutionary army as a non-combatant, and lost his life by drinking too freely of cold water while he was over-heated. He made a gun, which he gave to his son, whose name heads this sketch. It is now (1874) in possession of a son of John Bullard--Reuben S.--the fourth generation from the man who made it. The brass plate opposite the lock bears the inscription, R. B., 1772. It is a smooth bore; the barrel is four feet eight inches long, and the whole gun is six feet one inch. An anecdote is related of it, that when the boys of a former generation used the gun, they always hunted in pairs, one to do the shooting and the other to see that the marksman did not get the muzzle beyond the game.



Return to 1876 Biography Index
Return to Sangamon County ILGenWeb