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.



CONSTANT, THOMAS, brother of Isaac, also of John, who was grandfather of Rezin H., was born Aug. 14, 1796, in Virginia. He was married June 17, 1796, in Kentucky, to Margery Edmonson.

They had seven children in Kentucky, and moved to Xenia, Ohio. From there they moved to Sangamon county, Ill., arriving in the fall of 1820 in what is now Fancy creek township. Of all their children--

JOHN, born May 9, 1797, in Clarke county, Ky., married in Springfield, Ill., to Mary Latham, daughter of Judge Latham. They had four living children, and Mrs. Mary Constant died May 3, 1841. Mr. C. was married to Elizabeth Singleton. They had two children. Of the children by his first marriage, JAMES T. went to California, and died there. The other three were GARRETT, MARY and MARIA L. The children by the second marriage were JULIA and JOHN. Mr. Constant died, and his widow and children reside in Springfield.

ELIZABETH E., born June 14, 1799, in Clarke county, Ky., was married in Xenia, Ohio, to William F. Elkin. See his name.

ARCHIBALD E., born May 10, 1801, in Clarke county, Ky., married in Springfield, Ill., to Maria Latham, daughter of Judge Latham. They had five children; two died young. MARGERY is teaching in the Bettie Stuart Institute, in Springfield. MARY married Temple Elliott. See his name. KATIE resides among her friends. Mr. Constant came to Sangamon county in 1819, settling on Wolf creek; afterwards moved to Springfield, and purchased a quantity of land in what is now the Third ward, and known as Constant's addition. He was a Major in the Black Hawk war, from Sangamon county. He moved to Elkhart, Logan county, about 1863. Mrs. Maria Constant died there Nov. 13, 1868, and Archibald E. Constant died in Elkhart, Jan. 19, 1875.

WILLIAM, born May, 1803, in Clarke county, Ky. He was a physician, and was married in Sangamon county to Phoebe Johnson. She died, leaving three children. Dr. Constant was married in Jeffersonville, Ind., and had two children, KATIE and JOHN. Dr. William Constant died in 1865.

MARY, born June 22, 1805, in Clarke county, Ky., was married in Sangamon county, Ill., to Dr. Garrett Elkin. See his name.

NATHAN E., born April 8, 1807, in Clarke county, Ky., was married in Sangamon county to Sarah Dement. Mrs. Sarah Constant died, and he was married August 25, 1843, to Mary M. Stewart, daughter of James Stewart. See his name. They had three children. WILLIAM F. married Elizabeth A. Lake. They have one child, and reside two miles west of Williamsville. NATHAN E., Jun., enlisted August, 1862, for three years, in Co. G, 114th Ill. Vol. Inf. He was captured at the battle of Guntown, Miss., June 11, 1864, taken to Andersonville prison, where he remained three months. After that to several other prisons, to evade the Union army, then back to Andersonville. From there to Florida, and guarded in the woods until April 28, 1865, and released at the close of the rebellion. He had the usual experience of prisoners in the south. He and seven others cooked all their rations the first three months at Andersonville, in half a canteen. Sometimes he would give a day's rations for a chew of tobacco, and not a very large chew at that. He says words cannot describe the suffering that was endured by the Union soldiers in southern prisons. Robbery and murder prevailed among the prisoners until they found it necessary to organize a court and a regular jury, convicted six of their number and hung them. He says Wirz allowed them to go outside to hold the trial (of course guarding them), and furnished the lumber for the gallows. Mr. C. says that although ten years have elapsed since he was in that den of horrors, when he is not well the most dainty food smells to him like Andersonville prison rations. One blanket was all they were allowed for eight men. Nathan E. Constant, Jun., was married, after his return from the army, to Amanda Morton. They have three children, FANNIE E., WILLIAM and FRANK, and reside three miles west of Williamsville. Nathan E. Constant, Sen., died August 25, 1843, and his widow married Miletus W. Ellis. See his name.

ISAAC, born April 5, 1809, in Clarke county, Ky., was married in Sangamon county, Ill., Feb. 14, 1835, to Lucinda Merriman, daughter of Reuben Merriman, (now residing in Oregon). They had eight children. LAVINIA, born March 12, 1834, in Sangamon county, was married in Jackson county, Oregon, April, 1854, to Dr. Jesse Robinson. They have four living children, EDWARD C., CHESTER L., THOMAS and MARY A., and reside in Oakland, Cal. WILLIAM T., born Nov. 2, 1836, in Sangamon county, Ill., was married in Oregon, April 3, 1862, to Jessie Bledsoe. He died August 4, 1867, leaving a widow and three children, ISAAC, WILLIAM T. and JULIA B., in Jackson county, Oregon. ELIZABETH M., born Jan. 2, 1839, in Sangamon county, married Jan. 1, 1856, in Jackson county, Oregon, to William T. Leever. They have seven living children, W. CONSTANT, LAVINIA, IDA, EDMONSON M., JULIAN D., THOMAS S. and ADA, and reside in Jackson county, Oregon. JULIA A., born Sept. 17, 1841, in Sangamon county, was married in Oregon, Dec. 5, 1861, to W. A. Owen. They have five living children, EUDORA, MINNIE, MABEL C., GLENN and WILLIAM, and all reside in Jacksonville, Oregon. MARGERY E., born Feb. 5, 1845, in Sangamon county, was married to Constantine Magruder, April 22, 1875. They reside at Central Point. Jackson county, Oregon. ELIZA A., born Oct. 20, 1851, in Sangamon county, Ill., died March 3, 1866, in Jackson county, Oregon. Isaac Constant was in the Black Hawk war from Sangamon county. He went to Oregon in 1849, took a claim under the homestead law, and returned to Illinois in 1850, disposed of his property, and with his family and some of his neighbors, emigrated to Oregon in 1852. They were among the first families who settled there. After they arrived, Mr. Constant had to go two hundred miles with pack animals, for provisions. The valley was teeming with Indians, but he lived to see them all pass away, and surrounded by a large circle of friends, he resides near Jacksonville, Jackson county, Oregon.

MARTHA, born August 23, 1811, in Xenia, Ohio, was married in Sangamon county, Ill., to William S. Stone. They had three children; one died in infancy. Of the other two, ELLEN, born in April, 1837, is unmarried. MARGERY, born March, 1838, was married in 1855 to Thomas Smith, of Independence, Mo. They have two living children. Mrs. Martha Stone died in St. Louis, Mo., in March, 1854. Mr. Stone died in Independence, Mo., in 1870.

ADALINE, born March 28, 1813, in Xenia, Ohio, was married in Sangamon county, Ill., March 25, 1835, to James D. Allen. Of their children, MARTHA, born Jan. 6, 1836, was married in Greensburg, Ky., Oct. 31, 1854, to George L. Harris. They have three children living, THOMAS A., BLANCHE and ADALINE. George L. Harris enlisted in the 6th Kansas Cav. Reg., and was killed July 29, 1864, at the battle of Fort Smith, Ark. Mrs. Harris was married March 21, 1873, in Shawnee, Kansas, to James Sharp. They reside in Shawnee. JULIA J., born Jan. 19, 1841, in Shawnee, Kansas, was married Dec. 10, 1856, in Independence, Mo., to Joseph F. Hagan. He was drowned in the Missouri river July 15, 1860. His widow married Wolf Bachrach, of Kansas City, August 9, 1865. They have one daughter living. Mrs. Julia Bachrach died in Kansas City, Mo., June 2, 1872. HATTIE, born August 19, 1844, died March 13, 1868. EMILY F., born Nov. 1, 1848, was married in Shawnee. Kansas, Jan. 27, 1875, to James T. Gillespie. They have one child, and reside in Shawnee. THOMAS, born Jan. 12, 1838, died July 21, 1845. Mr. and Mrs. Allen reside at Shawnee, Kansas, where they have lived for nineteen years.

MARGERY, born Nov. 24, 1814, in Xenia, Ohio, was married in Sangamon county to Josiah Francis. See his name.

LAVINIA, born Sept. 18, 1816, in Xenia, Ohio, was married in Sangamon county, Ill., April 2, 1839, to William Lavely. See his name.

EMILY, born Nov. 21, 1818, in Xenia, Ohio, was married in Sangamon county to N. B. Stone. They had six children; three died in infancy.

JULIA A., born Sept. 20, 1820, in Xenia, Ohio, was married in Sangamon county to Newton Francis. See his name.

Thomas Constant died Dec. 14, 1840, and Mrs. Margery Constant died March 1, 1842, both in Athens, Illinois.



Return to 1876 Biography Index
Return to Sangamon County ILGenWeb