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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.



LEWIS, THOMAS, born July 9, 1808, near Baskingridge, Somerset county, New Jersey, was married at New Brunswick, N. J., April 4, 1832, to Margaret A. VanNorstrand, who was born in Somerset county, N. J., Oct. 4, 1810. In July, 1836, Mr. Lewis took a trip West, with the view of selecting a future home. After passing through Indiana, Illinois and Missouri, he selected Springfield, Ill., and returned to New Jersey for his family, consisting of his wife and two children. They started West June 9, 1837, in company with Mr. Lewis' two brothers, John and Eliphalet C., with their families; his sister, Susan A., and his brother-in law, C. VanNostrand, in all twenty-seven persons. They arrived in Springfield Aug. 1, 1837. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis had five children; one died in infancy. Of the others--

ADALINE, born Sept. 12, 1833, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, married in Springfield March, 1858, to Stephen D. Ayres, who was born May 20, 1829, in Trumansburg, N. J. They have six children living. WILLIAM J., NETTIE, LEWIS C., STELLA, ALBERT T. and OLIVE. S. D. Ayres and family reside in Cairo, Illinois.

WILLIAM T., born Sept. 25, 1836, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, was married April 20, 1862, in Macon county, Ill., to Sarah C. Sprouse, who was born April 20, 1843. They have six children living--CHARLES A., SARAH M., EDWARD P., OWEN, STELLA A. and ANNIE. W. T. Lewis and family reside in Chilicothe, Missouri.

CHARLES H., born Aug. 12, 1839, in Springfield, Ill., died Feb. 6, 1855.

ALBERT, born Aug. 1, 1849, in Springfield, is unmarried, and resides in Cairo, Illinois.

Thomas Lewis had nine brothers and one sister. His brothers all died, each leaving a widow. For several years Mr. Lewis had nine widowed sisters-in-law, and eight are still living. His brothers, Eliphalet C. and John, settled in Warren county, Ill., and died there. Thomas Lewis has been an active, energetic business man all his life. He lived in Springfield until 1875, when he moved to Cairo, Ill., where he now resides--1876.



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