Devine Anderson | Sawmill

Devine Anderson is recorded in the History of McDonough County, Illinois on page 818 as having built a saw mill with J. O. C. Wilson on section 14 of Chalmers Township in 1840. The mill is marked on the 1871 Atlas of McDonough County. The excerpt shows sections 10, 11, 14, and 15 of Chalmers Township and in the center is the sawmill on land owned by J. O. C. Wilson.

The History of McDonough County noted that it was operated until 1856 when it was destroyed by fire, and a new saw mill was erected and operated by other partnerships with Wilson.

J. O. C. Wilson was a prominent politician and merchant in McDonough County, Illinois and his biography is written up in the History of McDonough County on page 376. The biography consists of the following lines:

“In 1833 [Wilson] came to this county and bought a farm near Macomb, and engaged in farming. The purchase consisted mostly of unimproved land, having on it a small cabin. With characteristics energy he went to work to improve this place, and there lived 18 months. He then rented for a time and then afterward sold it, the purchaser, among other improvements erected a saw mill, but was unable to make the necessary payments on the land, and it reverted to Mr. Wilson.“

The unnamed purchaser could reference the Anderson family. Devine, based on census and burial records, was born about 1823, making him ten years old when Wilson purchased the land, and 15 when the unnamed purchaser likely entered into the mortgage around 1835. In 1840, when Devine is said to have built the mill, he would have been around 18 years old. He may have been the son of the purchaser.