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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.



PATTON, JAMES, born Mch. 17, 1791, in the city of Baltimore, Md. When a child, his parents moved to Stanton, Va., and from there to Clark county, Ky., in 1798. There James was apprenticed to the tanning business, and in 1808 the family moved to Christian county, where he joined them in 1810, having finished his apprenticeship. James Patton and Polly Husband were there married, April, 1815. They had three children in Kentucky, and moved to what became Sangamon county, Ill., arriving October, 1820, in what is now Auburn township, where two children were born. Of their five children--

WILLIAM M., born March 10, 1816, in Christian county, Ky., married in Sangamon county to Elizabeth A. Moore. They had three children. JAMES W., born Feb. 15, 1840, in Sangamon county, was married there, Dec. 8, 1869, to Francine E. Lanphier. They had three children--LANPHIER M. died Sept. 9. 1874. WILLIAM L. and JAMES M. live with their parents. James W. Patton studied law with Hay & Cullom, and was admitted to practice in 1861. He was elected in 1864 to represent Sangamon and Logan counties in the Illinois State Legislature. He has associated with him his brother-in-law, John C. Lanphier, in the practice of law, in Springfield, Ill., and resides there. MATHEW, Jun., born Aug. 22, 1841, in Sangamon county, was married June 7, 1876, near Virden, to Barbara A. Rauch. See Rauch family. Mr. and Mrs. Mathew Patton live in Chicago, Illinois. JULIA A., born April 25, 1843, in Sangamon county, was married there, January 5, 1870, to Basil Hill, who was born October 21, 1838, in Vanburensburg, Fayette county, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Hill moved to Missouri, Feb., 1870, and have one child, MATHEW M., born Dec. 28, 1870, and resides in Newtonia, Newton county, Mo. William M. Patton died, Jan. 7, 1848. His widow resides in Auburn township, Sangamon county, Illinois.

REBECCA ANN, born Oct. 5, 1817, in Kentucky, married Elihu Stout. See his name. She died Sept. 21, 1852.

MATHEW, born March 14, 1819, in Kentucky, married Feb. 1, 1844, in Sangamon county, to Margaret J. McElvain. They had six children, namely: WILLIAM D., born Jan. 23, 1845, in Sangamon county, married Adaline M. Black. They had one child, MINNIE F. Mrs. Patton died Jan. 26, 1875, and W. D. Patton was married Feb. 16, 1876, to Caddie A. Jones. He is a druggist, and resides in Auburn, Illinois. MARY E. died, aged three years. ELIZABETH, born in Sangamon county, married James Fletcher. They are without children, and reside three miles southwest of Auburn, Ill. JAMES SAMUEL, CHARLES M., ROBERT H. and MARGARET S. reside with their father. Mrs. Marga-J. Patton died May 2, 1865, and Matthew Patton was married Jan. 23, 1867, to Sarah J. Mackey. They reside in Auburn, Sangamon county, Illinois.

ELIZABTH, born April 15, 1821, in Sangamon county, married March 5, 1845, to William Orr, and died July 29, 1847.

DAVID H., born April 19, 1824, in Sangamon county, was married March 4, 1846, to Susan Organ. They have six children--SUSAN A. married William Moomaw. They have one child, ADA, and live in Auburn township. WILLIAM, born April 21, 1850, in Sangamon county, was married Feb. 4, 1873, to Sarah Jane Savage. They have one child, WILLIE, and live in Auburn, Ill. MATTHEW DANIEL, BENJAMIN F., BETTIE O. and MARGARET F. live with their parents. David H. Patton resides on the farm where his father settled in 1820, three miles southeast of Auburn, Illinois.

Mrs. Polly Patton died Feb. 15, 1844, and James Patton was married in 1846 to Mrs. Lettie Nifong, who died Feb. 6, 1856, and he was married Aug. 1, 1865, to Mrs. Elizabeth Gregory. She died June 23, 1875, and James Patton resides where he settled in 1820, four miles southeast of Auburn. He has always been known as Col. Patton, a title he acquired in connection with early military training in the county. He established a tannery soon after he settled in the county, and supplied the early settlers with leather for many miles around. The nearest mill to him at the time he settled there was at Edwardsville, sixty miles south. He was in better circumstances than most of the early settlers, and when he saw a family laboring under disadvantages, he interested himself in their welfare, and assisted them in many ways. Noah Mason, of Springfield, speaking of their early experience in the new country, says, "My father found a true friend in the now venerable Col. James Patton, which lasted to the end of his life, and is gratefully remembered by his descendants."



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