Celia Tomberlin #7
Before 1850, the U.S. Federal Census listed only the head of household by name, tallying the remaining family members by age and sex categories. In the 1830 census of McDonough…
Continue ReadingRiggs Pennington #6
Riggs Pennington was born in 1787, most likely in North Carolina—though Tennessee andKentucky both make their claim, which fits the restless pattern of his life. He was the son ofTimothy…
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John Wilson and Martha Vance #5
Every county has its “firsts”—births, marriages, and deaths. In McDonough County, the first recorded marriage was that of John Wilson and Martha Vance. John Martin Wilson was born in 1806…
Continue ReadingCamp Creek Settlement #4
Just months after William Pennington settled Pennington’s Point, William Osborne camped in the summer of 1828 along a creek on the border of Scotland and Industry townships. The area became…
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Pennington Point Settlement #3
The third settlement in McDonough County was established in 1828, when William Pennington erected a cabin in the southwest corner of what is now New Salem Township. William’s son, Perry…
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William Jobe and Job’s Settlement #2
At nearly the same time that Carter’s Settlement was taking shape in southeastern McDonough County, another small community was beginning to form near what is now Blandinsville. William Job(e), his…
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The Carter Settlement #1
PIONEERS OF THE PAST #1 CARTER SETTLEMENT – WILLIAM CARTER On January 25, 1826, the Illinois Legislature recognized the formation of McDonough County, Illinois, from land previously a part of…
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