Author Archives: JEM

Arthur Rexford

Baptism Commanding the cliffs at the mouth of the river Dart, sits a squat Norman church with a square tower, overlooking the waters. Due to its position, watching the ships in the English Channel, the church had been fortified into the Dartmouth Castle, watching the ships from France during the Hundred Years’ War and theContinue reading “Arthur Rexford”

Samuel Norton | Death on the Prairie

In 1820, Samuel Norton moved his family from Vermont to Crawford County, Illinois. In 1821, he died, leaving his wife and children behind on the prairie. In 1820, Samuel Norton used credit to purchase the eighty acres of land about 5 miles of Lawrenceville, in the Allison Township. His son, Samuel Harris Norton, was issuedContinue reading “Samuel Norton | Death on the Prairie”

Texas Mounted Volunteer

Andrew Vanslyke (1792-1852) moved his family from southeast Missouri to Texas shortly after Texas was annexed into the US. His son, Andrew H Vanslyke, (1827-1848) fought and died in the Mexican War. Andrew H. Vanslyke (1827-1848) enrolled as Private with Co K of the Texas Mounted Volunteers in July 1847; the war had only sevenContinue reading “Texas Mounted Volunteer”

Devine Anderson | Traveling to Kansas

Devine Anderson (1824-1867) lived in Illinois for most of his life. In 1865, he wrote a letter to a former neighbor about moving to Kansas. The obituary for his daughter, Tabitha Anderson (1861-1935), describes how she and her family moved from Illinois to Kansas in 1866 by covered wagon. The letter is transcribed below, with additional facts interspersed that connect to the letter contents.