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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.



FRANCIS, CHARLES, was born March 19, 1794, in Wethersfield, Conn.; married Elizabeth Haskell there. He did not unite with the others on the point of destination, but emigrated to Cherry Valley, then in Madison, now in Otsego county, N. Y. Afterwards he moved to Ohio, and in the autumn of 1834 started for Chicago. At that time emigrants traveled with wagons, camping wherever night overtook them. By the time he reached Laporte, Ind., winter set in with great severity. After leaving that village they met a party returning from Chicago, who represented that there were no provisions in that settlement, nor work of any kind progressing. This news turned him back, and, reaching Laporte, he remained there until the following spring, when he settled in what was known as the Galena woods, near Laporte. Charles Francis and wife had seven children--

MARY A. died in Wethersfield, Conn., Aug. 19, 1826.

JOSEPH H., born Sept. 23, 1821, in Wethersfield, Conn., was married March 4, 1849, in Laporte county, Ind., to Catharine Martin. They have two children. MARY E., born Jan. 7, 1850, was married Oct. 13, 1872, to Ralph W. Marshall, who was born in Will county, Ill., June 1, 1843. He was 1st Lieut. in Co. A, 20th Ill. Reg. Vol. Inf. They have three children, MARY E., FRANCES B. and JOSEPH R., and reside in Joliet, Ill. FRANCIS G., born March 10, 1852, resides with his parents, in Laporte county, Ind.

LUKE, born May 16, 1823, in Wethersfield, Conn., was married June 5, 1848, to Betsy A. Marshall, in Galena town, Laporte county, Ind. They are without family, and reside in Laporte.

SIMEON, born April 23, 1827, in Wethersfield, Conn., was married in Indiana, May 12, 1859, to Mary E. Martin, of Laporte county. They have two children, CHARLES W. and JESSIE G., and reside at Three Oaks, Mich.

W. WALLACE, born Dec. 17, 1828, in Wethersfield, Conn., was married March 29, 1851, in Indiana, to Ann M. Martin. They had six children. SARAH B., born June 10, 1852, married A. J. Holman. They had two children, FREDERICK and CATHARINE. Mrs. Sarah B. Holman died Dec. 17, 1873. FREDERICK, born June 9, 1854, resides at Austin, Nevada Territory. MARY A., CHARLES W., HULDAH A. and JOSEPH F., live with their father. Mrs. Ann M. Francis died Sept. 29, 1869, and W. W. Francis was married Feb. 20, 1871, to Mary E. Plimpton, of New Buffalo, Berrien county, Mich. They have one child, DWIGHT P., and reside at Rolling Prairie, Laporte county, Ind.

CHARLES, Jun., born April 4, 1831, in Madison county, N. Y., married Minerva Weed, Nov. 9, 1856. Mrs. Minerva Francis died April 11, 1865, and Charles F. Francis was married June 1, 1869, to Miss R. B. Hollingsworth, of Porter county, Ind. They have one child, MARY E., and reside at Three Oaks, Mich.

EDWIN, born August, 1833, in Madison county, N. Y., died in Laporte, Ind., October, 1839.

Mrs. Elizabeth Francis died in 1856, and Charles Francis died in 1870, both in Laporte, Ind., leaving their children in good circumstances.



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