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Archiver > ILKNOX > 2002-03 > 1015198778


From: Todd Walter <>
Subject: [ILKNOX-L] Pioneer Story
Date: Sun, 03 Mar 2002 17:38:29 -0800


Exerpt from:
"When Knox County Was New"
Written for the "Illini Club" of Maquon
By Eunice Housh Snow

Oct 23, 1930

In 1836, David Housh, his twin sister Betty Burnett, with their companions
and families, and their niece, Rebecca Ireland, came from Indiana in
covered wagons, and settled in Haw Creek Twp. on the farm now owned by J.F.
Burnett, and the one joining it on the west. David Housh is the grandfather
of Mrs. Hughs, Betty Burnett is Mrs. Clark's grandmother, Rebecca Ireland
is Mrs. Morrison's mother. In 1837 their brother George Housh, (Mrs.
Lewallen and my great grandfather), came with his wife and children in a
covered wagon and settled in Haw Creek Twp. on the farm known as the Chas.
Mills farm, at the top of the Gilson hill. In 1838, other great
grandparents of mine came from Ohio, John and Elinor Mowrey, and settled in
Haw Creek Twp. on the farm owned now by my father. Their home was about
halfway between my parents home and where ???Donaldson now lives. They kept
an Inn and the stage coach stopped there overnight. Their daughter,
Elizabeth, married Thomas Housh, son of George Housh. This couple are Mrs.
Lewallen and my grandparents. Our grandfather served nine months in the
Civil War. He took part in the battle of Perryville, Ky. and the raid after
Gen'l Bragg and his forces. He came home on April 1, 1863, and a son,
Grant, my father, was born ten days later. At an early date, my great
grandmother Mowrey's youngest sister, Deborah Burnett, came to live with
her. This sister is Mrs. Morgan's grandmother.

Boyhood....

The boy, whose experiences I'm going to relate is now eighty years of age.
He told me these facts only a few weeks ago. The first of great inportance
in his life, was the completion of the railroad from Burlington to Peoria
in 1856. Then, wood was used in the engines. There was a woodyard in Gilson
that reached almost to the Huggins crossing. Cord wood was hauled in and a
wood saw was kept running all the time to cut the wood in two, this being
the desired length. For a while loose hay was shipped on flat cars, but so
often sparks from the engine wood fire would blow back and set the hay on
fire and burn up the hay and car, so this had to be stopped. Poor farmer,
he who was so elated over a way to get his hay to market, this must have
been discouraging, to say the least.
In 1857, there was a wind storm that blew down all the houses on the
prairie, but these prairie farmers were not homeless very long. Each helped
his neighbor, and the houses were soon rebuilt.
Many times in the early days the settlers did not have enough salt as they
needed, as it had to be hauled from Peoria or Chicago by wagons. When the
roads were bad only a little could be brought and it was divided among the
families. This boys family heard one day that Nathan Barbero had "got in"
with a load of salt. They came to town to get their portion, which was one
quart. The summer of 1857, their cucumbers went to waste for want of salt
to pickle them.
Halsey Steepleton, Scott Steepleton's father, was one who hauled salt from
Chicago. When he would get stuck in the mud, he would have to unload the
barrels, pull out, roll the barrels to the wagon, and load up again.
Sometimes he had to do this as many as seven times on one trip. At this
time there were few bridges. This boy says he remembers only one across
Spoon River.
At one time the roads were too bad to haul salt far, so that their supply
was exhausted. The situation was serious. They took the earth from where
the barrel sat and boiled it to get what salt there was. The exact process
he does not remember, as he was quite young.
Prairie chickens were so numerous that there was no market for the
chickens and eggs, they raised a few as the tame fowl were more palatable
than the wild ones. But what to do with the surplus was a question. In
1860, they dug a hole, threw the eggs in, killed the old chickens and threw
them in and covered them up. The only sale for chickens was when a couple
got married and started housekeeping. He remembers his mother selling two
dozen chickens to a newly married couple for 50 cents.
Corn was 8 cents a bushel, and often the shock fodder was burned to get
ready for the next crop. It seems that blacksmith shops were along the
roadside as oil stations are today. There was one across the road from
where Wm. Mollick (?) now lives, one on the campground corner, and another
where Earl Pickrel's house is. There was a grocery store just south of Mr.
Dossets ' home. This place was called Mechanicsburg. At this time all the
nails used were made by blacksmiths. The first machine made nails that he
ever saw was in 1857. Three were all that he saw at that time. They were
square.
There were not many good clothes. The men wore jeans, the women wore
linsey dresses, underwear was unknown.
These are the memories of W.J. Kinser, my uncle by marriage, and cousin by
blood. His grandfather was a brother of David and Geo. Housh and Betty
Burnett.
In closing, I would like to remind the club how closely we are connected:
Mrs. Morrison's, Mrs. Hughs', and Mrs. Clark's great grandparents Housh,
Mrs. Burnett's husband's great grand parents, Mrs. Selby's husbands great
great grandparents Housh, Mrs. Moats', Mrs. Symonds', Mrs. Lewallen's and
my great great grandparents Housh, were the same couple. Mrs. Morgan's
great grandparents Burnett, Mrs. Lewallen's and my great great grandparents
Burnett are the same. Mrs. Symond's great grandparents and mine are the
same (Benfield).


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