Old Families Of Illinois

The information on this page is bits and pieces of information taken from land records, it is to help you get a little in site on what your ancestor was going at this time in history. As one can see one can get a lot of information from these old land records, and when looking for information don’t forget to look into them, they can be a great help.

Note. This information comes from Public Land records Volume 1 & 2., 1789-1815, which is housed at the Library of Congress. There are 8., volumes covering the years of 1789-1837, those of you who would like all the info, for the names on this page or if you would like for me to look for a ancestor within the years I stated, can write to me, my address can be found in my profile.
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Kaskaskia district, Illinois.

Antoine St. Francois.

It is Known that Antoine St. Francois, of Peoria, was a head of a family, and cultivating the land; having a small field in which he sowed corn, in the year 1765, and remained there for several years after; and. came down and died in the country, (Illinois ) That Pierre Troge was married to one of his daughters.

James Moore.

It was known that James Moore, now deceased, had been the head of a family, and living with his family in the Illinois country, (St. Clair county,) from some time in May, 1781, until the year 1786.

Henry Golding.

It is known that in 1786 and 1787, Golding had cultivated some corn. about six acres of land, which he had cleared and. fenced. It is also known that in the spring of 1787, that he had a house, called Golding’s block-house, at a spring under the bluff, in the American bottom, called Golding Spring’s Golding continued in the country until he died, which is believed to be in 1791.

Ephraim Story.

It was known that Story kept a house, and live in the county of St. Clair, in 1787. It was known that Story was still keeping house in 1788, in the county of St. Clair, Illinois.

John Slaughter.

It was known that Slaughter, to keep a house in St. Clair, county, Illinois Territory, in the years 1787 and. 1788.

John Berks.

It was known that John Berks to be a head of family, and to keep a house in St. Clair county, Illinois Territory, in the year 1783.

James Whitley.

It was known that James Whitley, to be a head of a family, and to keep a house in St. Clair county, Illinois Territory, in the year 1788.

Reuben Miller.

Came to the country in 1790, and done militia duty and now resides in the country.

Jean Baptiste Chevery.

It was known he was a inhabitant, and planted corn for thirty years and upwards from this time, (1809.) it is known that Chevery, was a settler in Peoria, for near 30 years, (1809.) it is also known that Chevery, had inhabited a resided at Peoria with his family in 1783.

Jean Baptiste Poinstable.

It was known that he was head of a family at Peoria in the year 1783, and before and after that year. Had a house built, and cultivated land between the old fort and the new settlement in the year 1780.

Francois Arcoit.

It was known that he was head of a family at Peoria in 1783; and that he made an improvement near said village at the same time, and Arcoit, an inhabitant of Peoria, in 1782; having a house of his own, cultivating the ground and planting corn; and that he had to leave the place on account of the Indians.

Louis Brunette.

It was known that he was head of a family at Peoria in 1783, before and after, and continued to live in said village.

Widow Isabella Bond.

It was known that she was a widow, and kept house, and was the head of a family in the Illinois country in 1783, and resided in the country ever since.

Martha Ellison.

It was known that she was a widow, and the head of a family, in the Illinois, in the year 1783, and continued some years afterwards.

Antoine Gerardin, (son of August. Gerardin.)

It is known that Gerardin to be the head of a family in Prairie du Pont in the year 1787.

Rene Locat’s.

It is known that he died in Cahokia, in. the Illinois, before 1779, and that his widow continued to be head of a family until she died in the year 1786.

Isaac Levy.

It was known that he was head of a family before, in, and after, the year 1783, at Cahokia, in the Illinois country. That Maria Louisa, wife of Joseph Cecel, was the daughter of said Levy, one of his three children. That Emili Cecel, the wife of Francois Demit, is the daughter, and only heir now living, of the said Maria Louisa, deceased.

Jean B. Parant.

It was know that he was head of a family in Peoria in 1783, before and after that year. That he had a house built, and cultivated lands, near the old fort of Peoria, in the year 1780.

Benjamin Rogers.

It is known that in 1786, he grubbed and cleared four or five acres, part of which he fenced in and had rails split to fence the rest. He had laid out for a cabin, but found he couldn’t live on the land be cause of the Indian hostilities. He would move to New Design in 1790, where he cleared ten acres and built a cabin and planted his corn. He would remain in the county till his death.

Pierre Louviere.

It is known that he was living in the Illinois country in the year 1783, he was then about eighteen years of age, and lived with his father from 1783 to 1788; he got married in the year of 1791. He has a daughter about twenty years old.

widow La Brose.

It is known that the widow La Brose, some time before the year 1783, had separated from her husband; that she was a transient woman, and lived in different families in Prairie du Rocher, and St. Genevieve, and never kept house to any ones knowledge, in or after 1783. It is also known that the widow La Brose she was first married to a certain Flumand of kaskaskia; that, after his death, she went to reside at Prairie du Rocher with her sister, where she married La Brose; that she and her husband (La Brose) kept house at said place for some time after the arrival of the Americans, when they went to reside on the Spanish side of the Mississippi; that she and her husband (La Brose) then separated, when she came again to Prairie du Rocher, and lived with her sister; that she died about six years ago.

SAMUEL, STEPHENSON.

It is known that he had made improvements on Silver creek, on the northwest side, and about fourteen or fifteen miles from its mouth, in the year 1783, he had a small cabin on, two or three acres of land that he had cleared and fenced, and was planting corn; and also, that he was head of a family in 1783 and ‘88.

George Snow.

It is known that he settled, and improve, and cultivated a tract of four hundred acres of land situated on Horse creek, near Prairie du Rocher, cleared and fenced about two acres, and built a cabin on it, and lived on and cultivated the same place until the year 1789; at which time he was obliged to abandon it, and come to the village, on account of the depredations of the Indians; and there resided for several years after.

William Ziglag.

It was known that in the year of 1784; he made improvements about twenty miles above Cahokia, near the Hills, or Bluffs; where he had two or three acres of land in corn, fenced in, and a log cabin and where he was with his family for some years. and was obliged to leave the same on account of the Indians being troublesome; and was with his family in the Illinois until some time in 1788 or 1789.

Solomon Thorn.

It was known that in 1786, he make a settlement east of the Mississippi river about four miles above the Pesaw, where he built a small house and smith’s shop; cleared and cultivated about four acres in corn; and he still lives in the Illinois county.

John Jack.

It is known that he lived in Illinois country in the year 1784; and at that time he lived on the east side of the Kaskaskia creek, about twenty miles from the village, where he had a cabin built, and about five acres of land planted in corn; that he lived with his family until the year 1788 or 1789.

John Powell.

It was known that in the year 1786 or 1787, he was settled on a piece of land northwest of the river Kaskaskias, about four miles above the mouth of Silver creek, where the meadow puts info the river, and lived thereon two seasons; he had built a cabin, and cleared and cultivated at least three acres in one of the said Years. John Powell was later driven off by the Indians to Kaskaskia, and he did militia duty, and was the head of a family.