"A Genealogy of the Illinois Branch of the English Family"
Hubert M. English
1970

Page 93

BEGIN

FAMILY FIRESIDE

Reunion of the English Families - Reminiscenses of
Personal Experiences.

(The following account of a reunion held in the summer of 1883, as described
by James Greenough English (23), and published in the Marshall paper,
gives some light on conditions in the early days).

On Saturday of last week, a small part of the Englishes held a family
reunion at the old homestead, two miles north of town. The couple from whom
the Englishes around here descended, were old New Jersey revolutionary
stock. In 1835, they gathered together their worldly goods and family
—having little of the former and much of the latter (a char- acteristic
which still distinguishes the family)-and with the "Star of Empire" westward
took their way.

They first settled in Indiana, at Richmond, Indiana, and after two years
spent in Indiana, the family again moved west and forty-five years ago
last September they built their campfire where the old home now stands,
and soon a log cabin was ready for the family. A roll call on Thursday
showed the following:

Names                      Present Absent Dead Total

Solomon and family            4      2     1     7
Isaac                        20      9     8    37
John                          6     10     4    20
Bunn                          5     12     8    25
Abel                          3     12     3    18
Elijah                        2      4     3     9
Levi                          1     10     5    16
David                         3      5     1     9
Martha                        0      4     0     4
Daniel                        2      3     1     6
Parents                                    2     2
Children died in youth                     5     5
Total                        46     71    41   158

Summary

Parents                       2
Children                     15
Sons and daughters-in-law    11
Grandchildren                93
Great Grandchildren          37
Total                       158

At 12:30 dinner was announced, and we sat down to a dinner f i t for a
king. After all had eaten and were filled, there were taken up of the
fragments that remained, seven baskets full, sufficient to have fed the
seventy-one absent ones. After dinner we tapped the reminiscence vein and
Uncle David told the following story:

"Soon after settling here, we succeeded in raising a few bushels surplus
wheat, and began looking about for a market for it, but found none nearer
than Chicago, 180 miles, or Indianapolis, 72 miles distant. The former being
the best, we concluded to drive up there. Father put his team to the wagon
and I hitched a yoke of oxen in the lead, and shouldering the old ox-gad,
started on the tramp to Chicago. We passed through Paris, which then contained
but two stores, one presided over by Mr. Munsell, the other by Mr. Alex-
ander. At the end of two days we arrived at Danville, with one ox past use
on account of sore neck. Here we sold the oxen for thirty-five dollars,
and ten bushels of wheat at 37% cents per bushel, and with the remaining
twenty bushels of wheat and the team of horses drove on to Chicago. We
found a good market and sold our wheat at 75 cents per bushel, cash. With
the proceeds we bought salt, groceries, dry goods, etc., then drove home,
making the trip in little less than two weeks.

Then he told us how for 12 1/2 cents per day and his dinner, he drove
two yoke of oxen and broke up the north part of what is now the Barbara
Davidson's farm, and Uncle Isaac's farm; how for 25 cents per night he
tended the old English mill (which stood on Big Creek, just below the
Wabash railroad trestle) until he earned enough to buy his first horse,
which he bought of Mr. Gibson who resided where Rev.  Kaufman now resides,
and for which he paid ten dollars.

Then Uncle Isaac told us how he was sent to Joliet. It happened this way:

"Salt being very scarce and yet necessary, I borrowed a wagon of a neighbor,
and a horse of another neighbor, and went over to Big Creek to the Musgrove
farm and bought a load of apples, and early one Monday morning hied away for
Chicago to exchange my apples for salt. Before reaching Chicago, I learned
that the market for apples was crowded, and my informant sent me to Joliet
where I would find a better market. At Joliet I sold the apples for five
dollars and took in pay, four barrels of salt at $1.25 each. I then drove
for home, where I arrived Saturday evening, driving from Danville (53 miles)
in one day, rather than drive on Sunday."

Then Uncle Daniel told the following bridal tour:

"Soon after Isaac and Sarah were married, they concluded to visit Solomon
and Nancy, at Palestine. The mode of travel in those days was somewhat
difficult and inconvenient. Isaac borrowed from Mr. Griffith, the father
of James Osborn's wife, one of the then stylish, high-wheeled, one-horse
gigs. This furnished a convenient conveyance. How would the brides of today
enjoy a forty mile ride in the old-fashioned gig? Well, the journey was
accomplished, and about supper time the gig was driven up to the front door
and the good house wife was found busy making a pot of mush. An excellent
supper of mush and milk was soon ready and heartily enjoyed."

Many other stories and anecdotes, and scenes of early times were related,
but I have already taken too much of your valuable space. Suffice it is
to say that the day was very pleasantly and profitably spent, and when
we returned to our homes, some were wishing they had lived in those good
old days, others that they might live for a hundred years yet to see the
changes of the next century.

J.G.E.

END