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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.



DODDS, JOSEPH, born May 28, 1785, in Abbeville District, South Carolina. He was taken by his mother to Caldwell county, Ky., in 1797 or '8. He was there married, May 3, 1810, to Mattie Drennan. They had three children in Kentucky, and in Oct., 1817, he accompanied his father-in-law, William Drennan, to Illinois. In November they stopped on Wood river, in Madison county, two miles north of Alton, and remained there until the next March, when the men and boys connected with four families started for Sugar creek, Sangamon county, piloted by William Moore, an Indian Ranger. They reached their destination on the first of March, 1818, stopping in what is now Ball township, northwest of Sugar creek. There had not been any survey made, but the spot selected by Mr. Dodds, and on which he built his cabin, is now section twenty-nine, town fourteen, range five west, and that of William Drennan is section thirty-two, same town and range. Mr. Dodds had been too busy with his crop to build anything better than a double rail pen for the protection of his family. One son was born in Madison county, and Mr. Dodds brought his family to their new home Nov. 3, 1818, where seven children were born. Of their eleven children--

WILLIAM D., born Sept. 18, 1811, in Caldwell county, Ky., was married Sept. 18, 1834, to Polly Eades, in Sangamon county. They moved, in 1835, to DesMoines county, Iowa, where they brought up fifteen children, namely: WILLIAM E., born Oct. 13, 1835, was married Jan. 6, 1857, to Deborah C. Maines, who was born Jan. 29, 1839, in Clermont county, Ohio. They had five living children: REBECCA S., born Nov. 4, 1837, was married Dec. 3, 1874, to Edwin G. Moran, who was born Oct. 22, 1854, in Kane county, Ill. They have one child, Ethel L., and reside near Bartlett. Fremont county, Iowa. SARAH L. and JOSEPH W., twins, JAMES H. and MARY E. The four latter live with their parents, near Bartlett, Fremont county, Iowa. JOHN H., born Nov. 27, 1838, was married Sept. 13, 1866, to Lucy Parrott. They have one living child, WILLIAM D.; and reside near Danville, Iowa. JOSEPH R., born Jan. 1, 1841, was married Feb. 7, 1861, to Sarah E. Maines. They have four living children, MARY L., CARRIE B., LULU A. and CYRENE E., and live near Corning, Holt county, Mo. CYRENE E., born Oct. 22, 1842, was married March 19, 1864, to Henry Mathews. They have five children, HENRY L., HOWARD A., WARREN L., SAMUEL W. and MARY L., and live near Danville, DesMoines county, Iowa. JAMES H., born Sept. 9, 1844, died Jan. 21, 1863. REBECCA J., born August 25, 1846, was married March 9, 1861, to George W. Collis. They have one child, CHARLES L., and live near South Flint, Iowa. SAMUEL C., born July 28, 1848, was married Jan. 22, 1869, to Sarah Allison. They have two children, FREDDIE A. and MARY E., and live near Danville, Iowa. CHARLES W., born April 15, 1850, was married Dec. 2, 1874, to Sonora Parrott, and live near Greenwood, Polk county, Iowa. OLIVER E., born Mar. 25, 1852, was married to Lillie A. Clark, Oct. 20, 1875, and live near South Flint, Ia. MARTHA L., born Dec. 24, 1853, was married to James J. J. Redding, Feb. 22, 1869. They have two living children, WILLIAM D. and LAURA L., and live near Pleasant Grove, DesMoines county, Iowa. AILSEY, or ALICE E., born Jan. 11, 1856, married Jan. 15, 1874, to William F. GRIFFEL. They have one child, CLARA E., and live near South Flint, Iowa. MARGARET E., LAVINA V. V., AARON E. and FINIS E. live with their parents. William D. Dodds and wife reside near South Flint, DesMoines county, Iowa.

JOHN, born Jan. 26, 1814, in Caldwell county, Ky., was married March 10, 1836, in Sangamon county, Ill., to Rebecca King. They had four children: JOSEPH C. married Elizabeth Levi. They have three children, and live in Pawnec township. MARY M. lives with her mother. JOHN H. was married Dec. 12, 1872, to Mary J. Funderburk, and lives in Auburn township. SAMUEL K. lives with his mother. John Dodds died Oct. 21, 1859, and his widow, Mrs. Rebecca Dodds, lives in Auburn township.

MARY, born Jan. 16, 1816, in Caldwell county, Ky., was married in Sangamon county to Jonathan B. Coleman. See his name.

J. WILSON, born May 28, 1818, near Alton, Madison county, Ill., was married Feb. 27, 1845, in Sangamon county, to Minerva J. Easley. They had fifteen children; three died young. BENJAMIN A. died July 30, 1873, aged twenty-seven years. PERNECIA E. was married to John W. Phelps. They have two children, and reside in Ball township. MARTHA J. was married April 6, 1873, to Thomas Black, Jun. See his name. MARY E., JAMES F. E., AMANDA C., WILLIAM D., EDWIN E. and FREDERICK B. (twins), EMMA A., JOHN G. and JOSEPH A.; the nine latter live with their mother. J. W. Dodds died March 8, 1875, and his family reside in Ball township, near the Cumberland Presbyterian church.

MARGARET, born July 2, 1820, in Sangamon county, was married Oct. 22, 1840, to James B. Easley. See his name.

SAMUEL, born June 3, 1822, in Sangamon county, died unmarried, aged forty-two years.

JOSEPH, born Sept. 5, 1824, in Sangamon county, was married March 30, 1847, to Elizabeth A. Holland. They have six living children, ISABELLA J., WILLIAM A., MARTHA E., JOSEPH N., ABNER L. and MARY E., who reside with their parents in Ball township, two hundred yards west of where his parents settled in 1818, and four miles southeast of Chatham, Sangamon county.

MARTHA A., born Nov. 22, 1826, in Sangamon county, was married April 16, 1846, to Strawther Eades. They have six children. EVA was married Oct. 24, 1867, to William M. White. They have one child, and reside in Bates county, Mo. MARY E. was married May 6, 1869, to W. E. Purcell. They have one child, and live in Auburn township, Sangamon county. REBECCA J. was married Nov. 16, 1871, to B. F. Peacock. They reside near Springfield. WILLIAM A., FINIS E. and MARTHA A., reside with their parents near Johnstown, Bates county, Mo.

FRANCIS EWING, born Jan. 27, 1829, in Sangamon county, was married Feb. 22, 1855, to Pauline K. Fletcher. They had four children. JOHN S. died, aged ten years. MARTHA F., VIRGINIA E. and HENRIETTA A., live with their parents. F. E. Dodds and family live near Pawnee, Sangamon county.

NANCY E., born Sept. 14, 1831, was married Oct. 30, 1856, to Chester F. Maltby, and died Oct. 7, 1870. C. F. Maltby resides in Virden.

ALEXANDER R., born July 27, 1834, was married Dec. 24, 1860, to Amelia R. Planck, and died Jan. 4, 1864, leaving a widow and one child, EVA M., in Springfield, Ill.

Mrs. Martha Dodds died Jan. 10, 1853, and Joseph Dodds died Jan. 21, 1868, both on the farm where they settled in 1818. Joseph Dodds became very much dissatisfied soon after coming to Sangamon county, and determined to return to Kentucky. He sold all the property he could spare to obtain money to defray the expense, and loaded his wagon; but his horses strayed away the night previous to the time he intended starting, and before he could find them his money was gone. He was thus compelled to remain. After becoming reconciled, he often expressed his thanks to those horses for running away



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