In 1800 very few white people had ventured inland from the waterways to make their home in Illinois. Hunting trips were made through the region, following old buffalo trails (which later became winding roads), and some exploration trips were made. In 1800 the French lived on the Big Wabash on Coffee Creek, an ideal site except for the Pianashaw Indians, who caused trouble with the whites at times. They are the tribe that later massacred the Cannon family, near Grayville, the father and son killed, the mother and daughter carried into the woods where they lived with the Indians until ransomed by friends. As the Pianashaw village was near the Wayne County line, those two women lived in or on the border of Leech during their captivity.
** Wabash County History. The massacre of the Cannons was in 1817.

It was the Lavulettes brothers who built the very first horse powered mill in this region, a business that made Rochester thrive. The first settlers in eastern Leech went to that mill for meal, When Dr. Baker bought out the Lavulettes and opened a packing plant, that gave a way for the early eastern Leech settlers to ship their pork.

It was in western Leech, however, that the first cabin was built in 1814 by Isaac Harris. His brother also settled near; others from the south came to that region. The Harris family had come from Kentucky on pack horses to White County and then on to Leech, after the men had fed their hogs there on "mas" in 1812 and liked the place.   ** Wayne County History.

Indians often camped along the Little Wabash, not far from the Harris cabin. For some reason Harris and an Indian had a quarrel. Harris killed the Indian. There were laws against whites killing natives, but they sometimes took the law into their own hands. The affair was kept fairly quiet at the time. Harris fled, taking his family with  him back to White County.  Then he served  the War of 1812. By the time that was over the Indian trouble with him was almost forgotten.  He returned to Leech for he liked that territory and this time made his permanent home there.    His brothers,  Gilham and Elijah came with him.

On the site of the first white home in Wayne County now stands a white house, the home of Charlie Harris. He says the first home of Isaac and Jennie Harris. first settlers, was a cave north of his home. When Isaac and wife Jennie came to Leech from White County, where they had stopped at Big Prairie for a while, his brothers Gilham and Elijah Harris came too to make their home here.  The .first cabin was in S. E. quarter of the S. W. quarter of the N. E. quarter of section 31  T2S  R9E; this cabin Betsy Harris Goodwin said had a dirt  floor but was completely covered by four bear skin rugs.

Elijah Harris moved to Hickory Hill Township in 1830 and later went West where he died.    **. Charlie Harris, Rosa Vauqhn, Bell Moffit, and Marie Taylor gave me Harris history.  Marie Taylor has  co-operated wonderfully in securing facts of families, schools in western Leech camp  meetings, Church, and many facts of early life from her  grandmother's scrap book. She copied the old poem from that scrap book, the poem included in this section of the book. She also has Capt. Murphy's Civil War letter which is quoted.

The children of Isaac and Jennie Harris were:  Elizabeth (Betsy) Harris Merrit Goodwin; Sally Hooper;  Merrit Harris (moved to Moultie County);  Stephen M. Harris, born 4-13-1818, died 8-17-1898 in Thomas County, Kansas. married Mary C. Gaston in December, 1837, and had eight children; and Lemuel  Hatch Harris, the youngest son, born 1821, died 1863.

Betsy  eloped  April 2, 1822, add married Stephen Merrit and had ten children.   Two sons. Isaac Merrit and William H. Merrit survived her,  also her daughter, Polly Hodges.  Betsy later married James Goodwin, who also survives her.   The Goodwin descendant are listed in the Goodwin record.

Lemuel Hatch Harris and Elizabeth Shrewsbury were married 12-15-1842.  Their children were: Mary Murphy, Rosy Fenton,  Indiana (called India), wife of Elder G. N. Locke, (a Baptist minister), Lucy  Harl, Sarah Harl, Emeline Simpson,  Martha I. Jackson (Sherman's mother), Eliza Ann E. Vaughn, Isaac, James, Samuel, Hampton, Wilson, Buchanan (called  Buck).  He has two daughters still in Leech, Cynthia Laws and Rosa Vaughn.

Mary Harris Murphy and William Murphy from Breckinridge County, Kentucky, (a captain in the Civil
War) had six children: Jerry, who married Ada Pottorff; Hampton. who married Mary Moore; Jim and
Lucretia unmarried; Rachel, who married George Merrit,  Julia, who married Jimmie Harris.

The children of Jerry and Ada Murphy are Corrine Merrit in Fairfield. Ralph in Michigan, and Marie Taylor, the only one now living in Leech Township.

The children of Hampton and Mary Murphy are:  Mabel Day in Golden Gate, Ivan in Anderson Ind.,  Hampton in the Navy, and Ruth Laws.

William Murphy's parents were Jeremiah and Ann Harl Murphy. Their children were: William, Sallie Simpson, Rachel Reeves, Rebecca Reed, and Jeremiah.

Surviving descendants of those early settlers listed are the following in Leech: Lem Harl, Carrie Cox, Minnie Smothers, Ella Walker, all children of Sarah Harl; also Naomi Redfern. daughter of (Lem) L. H. Harris II; Esther Moore, Rosie Vaughn; and Cynthia Laws, daughters of Wilson and Mabel Day; Hampton Murphy; and Marie Taylor; and Mary Moore Murphy, widow of Hampton Murphy, and Cynthia Bell Harris (widow of Lem Harris), who is now in T. B. Sanitarium in Mt. Vernon.  **  Charlie Harris and Marie Taylor gave the John Harris record. Marie gave the Funkhouser story.

John M. Harris and wife Sarah C. Parker were natives of Kentucky, who lived near Bowling Green. He came here first and then went back there to marry her and bring her here. He was a relative of Robert Harris, brother or nephew. John M. came here in 1840.

Their children were: Susan Holloway, Elizabeth Inskeep, (wife of Dr. J. E. Inskeep of Merriam), Anna Harl, Beuna Fenton, Viola Johns, Prude Boze, Emma Sloan, Robert, and John. When his wife died he married Jennie Harris. widow of Isaac Harris II, a grandson of Isaac Harris I. They had eight children: John (deceased) married Minnie Spruell and had seven children, Flossie, Ed. Katy, Lila. Arnold. Fern. and Vincent; Cleave (deceased); Oliver, who had eight children (he lives in Tulsa, Okla.); Thomas. who died in Tulsa, had five children; Robert. who went to Arkansas, had four children; Jim, who went to Arizona; Mabel Bell, who has two children, Leo and Lavern, all in the township; and Charlie B., who has one son; both live in the township.

Of this group Mabel, Charlie. Oliver, Beuna, Viola, and Emma survive. Mabel and Charlie are the only two in the township.

John M. Harris lived to be very old. On his birthday each year the family had a social gathering and presented him with a gift, one time a suit of clothes.

An interesting story told of P. L. Funkhouser, who came here in 1816, is that he bought corn and hogs for the New Orleans market, shipping them to that city by flat boat, the first flat boat to descend the Little Wabash River; he made four trips each year. He built the first brick house in the county in 1830 and was in mercantile business in Burnt Prairie until driven out by outlaws in 1863; he was once the largest land owner in the county. Later Edna Jordan owned the farm; now Charlie Harris owns it.

The Harris and Murphy families made their contribution in service in the War of 1812 and in the Civil War. Mary Harris, daughter of Hatch and Elizabeth Shrewsbury Harris married William Murphy, who had served  the Civil War.  In those days there was no censure placed on letters written home.  The place the army was stationed and the expected combats were written about freely.  Liet. William Murphy, later Caption Murphy, wrote a letter to his mother Ann Murphy, Jun 16 1863, from Syndics Bluff.  "It is thought that Joe Johnson will in a short time try to raise the siege of Vicksburg . . . The people at home don't know what war is but it isn't no more to walk on dead and dying men than to be a hog with cholera." ** Mary Murphy Taylor has the letter Lieut. Murphy wrote his mother, also the tax receipt of Ann Murphy.  From her notes also came the information about Gibben Harris.

Lieut. Murphy also expressed his concern about his mother and offered to send her his next pay if she needed it.  Mail was slow reaching men in the service as he expressed his regret that he had not heard from her for a long time.  Men then as well as now were interested in knowing how the people at home were faring.  He asked of several relatives and sent them his greetings.

Ann Murphy was a thrifty woman and likely did not ask much of her son.  She had 160 acres in western Leech.  She tucked away with her other papers her tax receipt for her land in 1856, a total of $6.38 tax on her 160 acres.

The Murphy family came to Leech from Barnhill during the Civil War; their place now is owned by john Felix.  First Murphy built one log room; then he added a room with a covered porch between.  Marie Taylor, who has given much information about the harris and Murphy families, was taken there to live with her grandparents when her mother died in 1905.

Gilham Harris, brother of first settler Isaac Harris, and who came to Leech in 1812 with Isaac to bring their drove of hogs to feed on the "mast" of the Little Wabash region, was a member of Capt. Willis Hargraves Co. Rangers and Indian Fighters, who camped at Fairfield one time.

The story of the Harris family and others of that day was told in rhyme and published the latter part of the last century.  Time and use has not dealt kindly with the article and so some words are missing. Because the verse tells a story of the early days of Leech,  it will be copied.  Dots will indicate the parts that are missing, but it tells an almost completed story as it is.  It includes much that has been already included. but this unknown writer of the verse had the story from those early people who had experienced some of the things mentioned.   ** Marie Taylor had this poem in her grandmother's scrap book.
 
 

James Goodwin married Julia Matthews. Because the children and grandchildren of James and Julia are so many, each of their children and the grandchildren (the children of each particular child of James) will be in separate paragraphs for the sake of clarity.

James' son Jim Goodwin married Lou Hodges and had the following children: Beatrice Harry, Jean Ellen Goodwin, Ivan, and Carroll.

Torn Goodwin married Maggie Hodges. Their only child is Wilma Hallam, in Mt. Carmel.

Sam Goodwin married Finey Crews. Their children were Marie and William. Then he married Rachel Butler.  They had one child, Gladys. Then Sam married Ad King.

Charles Goodwin married Maggie Crews. Their children are: Murray,  John, Vernette, Fred and Clarence.

John Goodwin married Lizzie Turnin. They had six children: Julia, Charlie. Rebecca. Sherman, Emma, and Johnnie.

Mollie Goodwin married John Hooper. They have seven children: Logan. Roy, Hattie. Carrie, Leland. Cynthia, and Sammie, who married Bertha Hallam and lives across the road from the western border of Leech in Grover Township.

Lavisa Goodwin married Loren Cable. They had two children. Opal and Ray.

Jane Goodwin married Ot Book. They have three children: Jim, Julia, and Bob.

Emma Goodwin married Oliver Harris. They have seven children: Lura,  Raymond, Elberta, Faye, Wanda. Charles, and Ira.

Selma Goodwin married Frank Malone. They have three children: James. Jean, Kenneth.

Another Harris family in western Leech is the Robert Smith Harris family. Smith was a son of Thomas Harris, who came here from Kentucky. Thomas was not a relative of the Isaac Harris family. If he were, it was distant relationship. His wife was Telitha E. Harris.  As was usual the family was a large one. Smith had six children that lived to adulthood: Tom,  Sadie, Charlie. Sam, Pernellia, and Elizabeth.    ** Smith Harris family record was given by Ethel Harris Hallam, who proudly points out the fact that she was born on the site of the first home built in Wayne.

Tom married Mary Trousel and had three sons. Robert, Jeff, and Joe. the latter now living in Leech.  Later Tom married Addie Turnham and had one child, Ethel, who married Elmer Hallam, and they live in Leech. They have five children: Lyman, Ivan,, Morris, Mary Margaret, and John Thomas.

Sadie married Tom Fetters but ha.d no children

Charlie married Celia Vaughn and had five childrena: Tressie, Fred, Frank, G-Ienna, and Stella. Tressie married Ben Smith.  Frank married Eliza Hallam. Glenna married Perry Walker.

Sam married Julia Hoffee and had six children: Joe, Mark, Bonnie, Florence, sadie, and Bertha.

Pernellia married Abe Chapman.

Elizabeth married William Moffit and had seven children: Savannah, Luther, May, Sam, Bell, Margaret, and Maud.

Maud married Chet Knodell, who was a merchant n Golden Gate several years. Of this last family, four live in Golden Gate, Maud, Sam, Bell, and Margaret.

George Merritt from Union County, Kentucky, followed the Harris families here in 1816 and made his home near the Harris homes.

Alexander Campbell came about the same time; he settled in northern White just at the south ed.ge of the I Wayne line. Later, members of the family did settle in Leech.  Campbell Hill derived its name from old Uncle Jimmie Campbell.  Three other families followed shortly afterwards: Daniel Gray, Clarinda Hooper, and Samuel Slocumb all from the South. Western Leech was fast becoming one of the first settled regions in Wayne.   **   Wayne County History.

Some neighbors from Kentucky followed but went farther north to Massilon. William Baton was one; later he moved to Leech and settled just a short distance east of Wabash. later called Scottsvihle. He lived there until his death in 1844.

The Little Wabash was ever an attraction for it furnished a waterway to travel and to haul commodities. At Beech Bluff a settlement was made by Hampton Weed, who built a mill there and so furnished meal for the settlers. Flathoats were made there to haul timber and pork down the Wabash.   It was a basy stream, and Beech Bluff for several years was a thriving settlement.   The first accidental drowning in Leech occured at Beach Bluff.

John J. Funkhouser came to this territory November, 5, 1842.   He brought 116 slaves. Others brought one or a few slaves to this region. hut that number of slaves was such that it comd have been the turning point to make Illinois a slave state, if Birbeck, the settlers at Albion had not strongly fought the slave issue in Illinois and was instrumental in making it free territory.  [** Mrs. Mary Murphy added information regarding western Leech settlers.

Mrs. Elizabeth Harris came to Leech from Kentucky, August 16, 1822. Nalbert Merritt came November 6, 1.819, from Sonth Carolina. Carl A. Winzenburg,  born. in Germany. June 27. 1821,  came to Leech in 1864. bought 360 acres of land at ten dollars per acre. All those homes were in western Leech in the region later called Pond Creek. The John Laws fanily came from Tennessee.    **  Mrs. Mary Murphy added information regarding western Leech settlers

In eastern Leech settlements were being made at the same time. Most of those earlier people came from the east, Rochester and Indiana. and down the Ohio. (Of course many of those had come to those places earlier from Kentucky and other southern states.) Caldwallader Jones from Gibson County, Indiana. was the first white man to settle in eastern Leech. now the Dale Moore home on the Edwards County line, but others soon followed.  In fact it was often a case of crowding westward from Edwards County. Jones built a cabin, somewhat like a tent. He used logs to form the sides.  Then across a high pole across the center he put the cover, the temporary roof.   He had too many other things to do to spend all that first season on his home. lke came in February, 1816,  following an old Indian trail, and buffalo trail, westward from Coffee Island in the Wabash River.

He had two horses, one to carry his supplies. His cabin was in the N. E. of the N. E. of Section 25, T25, RE Since it was there the first white child of the county was born, the location is important.

By the first of May he had a plot of ground ready for corn. He visited his mother in Gibson County and his bride, the former Jane Anderson. He secured seed corn and other supplies and returned to his cabin. His younger brother John came with him. The two planted the first corn in Wayne County, May 10, 1816. The Harris brothers also planted corn that year in western Leech, but the Jones brothers managed to harvest their crop. They proudly claimed to be the first to raise corn in Wayne County. All the work was done by hand, and the plot was small. Animals from the woods fed on the corn; varmits they called them. Besides using the line to cultivate the coin, the plot had to be watched all the time to prevent its destruction. **  A descemdamt of the Jones family wrote the story of the Jones settlement.  John Jones the first child born here, also told the story in the Wayne History.

So when Caldwallader returned to Gibson County for his bride, he left his brother to keep the varmits from the corn. That fall he brought Jane to her new home. It was there in that tent cabin that the first white child of the County was born later that same year, John Jones, who later became the first native teacher of the county. Some of these Jones descendants still live in this region.

While Caldwallader was gone for his bride and supplies an important visitor came to the Jones cabin, was gladly welcomed by John Jones, who invited the stranger to stay. He was a polished, educated, intellectual Frenchman, speaking several languages fluently. He was also an artist and later made designs for the pioneer women to use in weaving coverlets. He wa a teacher and taught the children of the neighborhood. He never told his name, but he remained in the Jones cabin after the bride and groom arrived. It is likely that he came from Europe to one of the French settlements on the Wabash, perhaps Vincennes. Because he was silent  about himself, it was surmised he was hiding out. When one remembers that in those days one lost his head easily in Europe if he opposed the ones in power, or if he were a scientist and offered new ideas to the world, it is no wonder that he fled. He did leave the Jones cabin for weeks at a time. but he would return they supposed he visited French relatives or friends on the Wabash.  For more than two years he lived in Leech most of the time contributing his bit toward building culture in. the new land.

Caldwallader was a very strong man, a common thing among the back woodsmen. The strongest man was always revered for his power. He was also a wonderful marksman, even competing with men who were proud of their records.  In 1818, he bought 160 acres just east of his home in Edwards at $1.25 per acre. He built a cabin there and moved the family to the better home. When Wayne was separated from Edwards in 1819, that left his first cabin in Wavnc and. the second in Edwards.  He was energeric, a good planner and a hard worker.  He was an excellent drillmaster and always preached preparedness.  He always held positions in the state militia.  It may he becanse of his preaching that when the Black Hawk War broke out in 1832 that all were prepared and that not one had to be conscripted.

ln 1817, an almost tragic incident happened in the Elm River and. Little Wabash River region.   A man named Stark and his wife, both known to the Jones family, were captured by a band of Indians. The man managed to escape and made his way back to the Jones settlemnent, but his wife was carried into the interior along theIllinois River basin and was forced to be the consort of the chief.  She never gave up the idea of escape and was ever alert for an opportunity.

In the mean time Stark was told by an Indian that his wife was dead.  The whites and the lndians did meet and talk in a more or less friendly way. The whites seemed to think of all Indians as lying. crafty scoundrels though.  Stark accepted the Indians word and remarried.   He lived near the Jones cabin.

His wife managed to escape and alone hid in the woods and made  her way to the southeast to join her husband.  She lived on berries and slept in the leaves.  About half dead from exhaustion she made her way to  the Jones cabin.  Mrs. Jones was almost terrified; she knew not what to do.  She was aware that Stark had another wife.  She took the woman in, fed her, and made her comfortable.  In the meantime she told her husband of the woman's arrival.  He spread the news over the neighborhood.  What was to be done?  Stark and his second wife were told and she offered to leave, but the pioneers agreed against that, they held a session to discuss what should be done.  It seems that they devised their own laws as they needed them.  They decided that Stark had remarried in good faith and that, he should keep both wives.

The first wife was told about her husband remarriage; she was besides herself with grief, but she asked to see him.  The thought of her reunion with him had led her to escape the Indians and make her way alone through the wilderness.  The two women agreed to the decision of the neighbors both would stay with Stark.  They lived here until one of the women died.  Legend does not say which one, but after that he moved away and was lost to the Leech people.  The woman who died was naturally buried near her home.  As there are three old small cemetries in this  immediate vicinity, her grave, marked is likely in one.  One cemetery is on the Edwards County side of the line on the present Charlie Fisher farm, northeast of the Dale Moore home on a very high hill on the Phillips farms, now the A. E. Seifert home; that cemetery is a short distance south of the barn.  The third cemetery was a quarter straight west on a high hill, the Huntsinger hill.
 
Caldwallader and Jane Anderson Jones had four children: John, Thomas, Robert, and Charles. After Jane died in 1826, he married Martha Ham. Their children were Fanny Ewing, Mary Mansham, Celia West, later McKibben,  Malinda Westfall,  Evalina West, Eliza Burch, Frank Jasper, and James Madison.  All reared large families except James Madison.

Charles Jones, son of Caldwallader, married Melinda West, daughter of Samnal West of Boultinghouse Prairie near AIbion.   They had four sons and a daughter: Ed, Sam, Rev, Truman, and Helen. They lived on fhe lull to the northwest of the original Jones home. Helen married Sam Briscoe of Edwards Conntv and moved to Edwards. Rev married Cora Cullison of Edwards county; they had one child, Agnes. They lived near Scottsville a few years hut moved away.

Ed married Ida Ridens; they had four daughters. Maud, Gertrude, Effie, and Virdie.  Maud married Tom Leslie and lived in the township several years hut moved to Bone Gap.  Effie married Curt Mann and lived near Scottsville several years but moved to Mt. Erie. Their daughter Gerldine Marn married Virgil Bunting and lives in Golden Gate. Gertrude married Frank Piercy; they  still live near the eastern border of Leech: they have spent all their lives on that farm. Virdie married Frank Smith of Edwards county; they moved to Albion. Of this line of these early settlers, Gertrude Pierey and Geraldine Bunting are the only ones now in Leech.

Sam Jones married Fannie Fewkes of Aibion: they had five sons. They lived until their deaths on the Elias  Clark farm west of Bethel Church. The sons are:  Charles, Emmet, Roscoe, August, and Robert.   Cbarles married Florence Ostendorf; they have seven children and live in Ellery.  Emmett Jones married Ethel Stroup (daugnter of Lane and Alice McKibben Stroup); they have two chidren, Clyde and Virginia, both at home; they live on the Stroup farm south of Scottsvilie.

Roscoe married Alice Simms; they have seven children and dye near Scottsville. Robert lives in Wnshington stare. August lives alone on his farm north of Scottsville.

Of this line of the early Jones setthrs August Jones, the Emmet Jones family, the Roscoe Jones family, and
the Charles Jones family all live in eastern Leech.

Two sons of Celia Jones McKibben, Elmer and John McKibben spent most of their lives in Leech. Elmer married Kate Cullison. They had one son Earnest.  John married her sister Laura. They had three sons:
Hugh, Harry, and Rawleigh.  Hugh married Iva Pettigrew and did live in the township several years, but they moved to Albion.  They had two daughters. Harry left the township when he become grown.  Rawleigh married Mary Seifert and had two children, Ruth and P. J.   None of them lives in Leech.

All this line of the early Jones family have moved away.

A story was told of a Jones boy in the early days, a cousin of the above family. Pomp Scott and another man thought it fun to rub the boy's hair full of cuckleburs.  It was no fun to him; he was righteously angry. He defended himself with a knife as best he could, almost cutting the two men to pieces. They had him arrested. When authorities found him, the boy was lying on his father's grave weeping. He was freed, the plea being self-defense.

The Phillips family lived near the Jones place, later bought by Samuel Allison, given to daughter Sophronia, and now the home of Mr. and Mrs. A.  E. Seifert.

The Bobbie Monroe family, the one who laid out the streets at Wabash, now Scottsville, settled on the farm that is now known as the James Pettigrew farm.

The Francis West family lived near here; they came. from  the Boultinghouse Prairie settlement southwest of Albion.  They lived on the Huntsinger hill.

Dr. Alexander Stewart of Scotland, friend of George Flower, was persuaded to come to the Illinois country. He was a veterinarian in Scotland, but when he finally settled here, just south of Leech at what is now Burnt Prairie, he used his skill to care for people. His wife went with hiiui to act as mid-wife when needed. We mention him here for he was one of the frist doctors many of the people of Leech had. He had lived at New Harmony. a friend of Owen. He was sent across the Illinois country on business to Natchez.  He so liked  the region of Pond Creek that he returned there to hunt. bringing others. They set fire to the region which burned off the high wild grass in the Pond Creek region back to the Little Wabash. That is how Bnrrt Prairie got its name. In 1825 he settled Liberty, later know as Burnt Prairie. When he came his wife said on.y one tree stood near the settlement,   **  Cal Morrison, great grand.son of Dr. Sewart, now of Burnt Prairie, told me of his ancestor. Carro Craig Long. also a relative of Dr. Stewart told me of his corning to America and bei:ng a veterinarian and then doctoring people here because of the great need for physicians.

A section of the Owens diary in the New Harmony library reveals the type of life lived in this region in those early days. The Stewart mentioned is the one referred to above, Even after living in the Burnt Prairie region he crossed this section of Wayne to visit his old friends at Albion. The Owens diary says: ‘I started about ten o’clock on horseback for Albion. Soon after crossing the ferry it commenced raining (He undoubtedly refers to the. ferry across the Big Wabash at New Harmony.) and continued with little intermission until I arrived within one-half mile of  Mr. Flower's house.  It must not be denied that a ride over an uncultivated woodland country, where for miles not a habitation or  improvement is to be seen, without a single companion particuliarly over a deep muddy road. whi1e the rain descended in torrents, is certainly a situation not to be desired. After dining about seven o’clock we drove with Mr. and Miss Ronalds in the Flower wagon to Albion.  George Flower followed on horseback. The night was now beautiful, but the night was so dark that we were guided by a boy walking ahead of the horses with a lantern.  When we arrived we found only a few persons because of the wetness of the weathe; however, after visiting some time we entered the ballroom and found a considerable party.

Among those present were Mes,  Judge Wattles, Carter, Becket, Orange, Brown, Cave, Birbeck, the Misses Ronalds, Brown, Ross, Scott, Johnson, Judge Wattles. Messrs. G. Flower,  H. Ronalds,  Dr. Scring, Becket, Brown, Cave, Jesse Brown, Prichard, Barton and Wood.  I led off with Mrs. Carter in a country dance.  Afterward in the course of the evening we danced a Kentucky reel; but except that, only country dances.   I saw no one at all in the room intoxicated, which they said was often the case. On the contrary, though several stood near the whisky barrel, the greatest  decoram  was cbserve. About half past twelve we went below to supper which was laid out on two tables and about half past one we went home as we had come.  But some stayed until five in the morining."

The follow day  Mr. Owen entered in his diary,  "1 talked with Mr. ann Mrs. George flower.  Saw Mrs. Pickering, a pleasant women. After dinner Messrs. Brissenden and Stewart called.  Stewart had just returned from Natchez.  Among the questions asked him was how are slaves selling.  One sold for $500.  Male or female?  Female, a likely slave."

Since that gives a very vivid picture of life here at those times and was written by one well known in this region it seerned well to include it.  Dr. Stewart surely practiced in Leech Township, and it is certain that others mentioned did brsiness with people in eastern Leach.

Other old diaries of that time reveal much concerning tue early way of life here and the interests the neople had.  A section is included from the diary of Rosander Smith, born at Unica, N.Y., April 9, 1817. He came to Illinois when four and kept notes from the time he was old enough to write until his death. In fact the region he speaks of’ includes the wooded area of Wayne to the east of the Little Wabash.  "John Compton ann others built a fort on Little Bompas Creek, and when the Indians came about, we went into the fort until the Indians went away, and until the Shawnees were driven to Shawneetown....  John Compton went west from the fort one day and killed a bear. The animal was in tall grass. It made a path in the grass. He saw it coming. stepped to one side and shot it. When he was taking out the entrails, he looked down the path and saw an Indian crawling toward him. At first he thought he would shoot the Indian, but he thought maybe there were more of them; and so he returned to the fort and gave the alarm. Three or four started out to get the bear, but they found out that the bear and the lndiars were gone. . . .  William Higgins. Randsom Ruark, Lord Rollins, and Medad Simmons. great hunters, killed from 100 to 125 deer per year. They saved the skins and horns and gave them to the neighbors. The woIves were  very bad on the hogs and pigs. The farmers would make decoys in the pens with meat. They would get as many as three or four wolves at a time. The Indians were numerous about the settlement, doing harm stealing hogs, and killing men. They were then driven to Shawneetown. Then every year they would pass the fort on their way to Peoria to get silver ore and take it hack to Shaww-etown on their ponies. When the Indiaus were driven across. the Mississippi we could build better homes and. live at
peace."

The Indians did cause much worry to all early settlers. It is likely that the whites were as much to blame as the Indians. In the early days some whites took it upon themselves to seek vengeance without waiting for the law to act. After the War of 1812 the laws were strict regarding such matters, but the whites often took revenge and remained silent about the affair. Such was the case concerning the Boultinghouse boy, who was murdered by the Indiarms. The complete story was not 3.. toM until after the death of all concerned. In 1814 the son of Capt. Boultinghouse rode into the wooods to the west (which was the Leech Township area) to look for some hogs. Sometimes droves of hogs wandered from home. Each owner identified his own stock by a mark in the ears. The horse the boy rode wore a bell, a common thing in those days in order to locate the horse when it was turned loose. Men in those times could distinguish one bell from another just as many modern people know the sound of one car from another. No two bells ever sound exactly alike. Beve, the boy's dog, accompanied him.  **  The story was reprinted in the Mt. Carmel Republican Register.

Later the dog returned home alone. The father was much concerned at once, for the dog always stayed with the boy. He was afraid of foul play. He gathered some neighbors and rode into the woods to look for the boy and horse. At a spot near the western border of Edwards and the eastern border of Wayne they found the mutilated body of the boy, near the site of an old Indian village. There was no sign of the horse; it had strayed or had been stolen.

Four years passed,  Capt. Boultiughouse and some others were hunting bears and deer in eastern Wayne in the Little Wabash area, when they heard a stock bell. He pricked his ears and listened closely; it was the bell that had been on his son’s horse. Though it was now 1818, he remembered well his own bell. He told the men and suggested they investigate. They did. Not far from the Little Wabash they found the horse the boy had riden when he went away, still wearing the same bell. The men moved silently toward the river. They saw four braves and three squaws. The Indians had guns. but they had stacked them against a tree a short distance from them. One of the white men silently moved between the Indims and their guns. Boultiughouse then asked the chief about his son. The chief seemed proud of his deed. He told how he had killed the boy, gloating over the deed. The father was furious. He tried, however, to tell the chief it was evil to murder, in answer the chief  mimicked the boy's plea for life. Then the father shot the chief. At the same instant the other men shot two braves. The other ran to the water’s edge and was escaping when the dog, Beve, caught the Indian by the leg and held on; that brave was soon killed, and then the squaws, so no tales could be told.

The father took the horse home saying h had found it in the woods. No questions were asked. One of hts men also took an Indian pony and called it a stray. As sympathy was with the Boultinghouse family, no investigation was made. After the death of all men of that party, Judge Samuel J. R. Wilson, a friend, told the story.

One of the descendants of Capt. Boultinghouse who now lives in southern Indiana tells a slightly different version of the finding of the Indians after the boy was killed. He said the boy's pony was white. Some people saw the Indians at the crossing of the Little Wabash where the Old Iron Bridge was later built.  They spread the news of the Indians' whereabouts so that it reached the Boultinghouses. The boy's father and other men started searchiig for those Indians. They saw the white pony and eeognized it. They followed the Indians northward along the river to the bend near the point where King Creek empties into the Little Wabash. There they cornered the Indians and attacked them. Some of the Indians tried to escape across the river but all were killed including the squaws.

In 1811 near Versailles, Ky.. John and Sarah Brown Allison, both of English descent. lived with their three sons, John, Jerry, and Adam. The Allison family had moved there from South Carolina through Tennessee. On November 11, 1811, Samuel B. Allison, the fourth son, was born; the mother died. In six weeks the father, John Allison, also died. Some family took the oldest child, John, and soon moved away, perhaps to Ohio. Because of slow means of communication in those days, the whereabout of the child was lost to the other brothers. Grandmother (Jane?) Brown took the baby and brothers to care for them, but she soon died. The three young Allisons were taken by the Boultiughouse family, who brought them to southern Illinois via Shawneetown.

One of the descendants of Capt. Boultinghouse who now lives in southern Indiana tells a slightly different version of the finding of the Indians after the boy was killed. He said the boy's pony was white. Some people saw the Indians at the crossing of the Little Wabash where the Old Iron Bridge was later built. They spread the news of the Indians’ whereabouts so that it reached the Boultinghouses. The boy's father and other men started searchiig for those Indians. They saw the white pony and eeognized it. They followed the Indians northward along the river to the bend near the point where King Creek empties into the Little Wabash. There they cornered the Indians and attacked them. Some of the Indians tried to escape across the river but all were killed including the squaws.

In 1811 near Versailles, Ky., John and Sarah Brown Allison, both of English descent. lived with their three sons, John, Jerry, and Adam. The Allison family had moved there from South Carolina through Tennessee. On November 11, 1811, Samuel B. Allison, the fourth son, was born; the mother died. In six weeks the father, John Allison, also died. Some family took the oldest child, John, and soon moved away, perhaps to Ohio. Because of slow means of communication in those days, the whereabout of the child was lost to the other brothers. Grandmother (Jane 0?) Brown took the baby and brothers to care for them, but she soon died. The three young Allisons were taken by the Boultiughouse family, who brought them to southern Illinois via Shawneetown.

Allison Home in Northwest Quarter of Section Thirty-Six. The Allison family has lived here one and a quarter centuries, the longest time any family has lived on any farm in Wayne County.
(photo)

They stopped in White Countv and then settled in Boultinghouse Prairie, before Albion was settled.

Being an orphan. Samuel B. Allison began working for himself at an early age. In the early thirties. be and his brother Adam moved west from Boultinghonse Prairie to a region they had visited, and liked, with the idea of selecting land to buy from the Government, which they did. for $1.25 per acre.

At the time the Allison boys were brought to Illiinois, there lived on Turkey Creek, near Portsmouth, Ohio, (Francis l) West and his sons; they were tanners. The father had come to the east coast from Dublin, Ireland, and had moved inland after the Revolution.

One son, Samuel West, born October 15. 1794. died August 30, 1844, had married a woman of Pennsylvania Dutch descent. She, Nancy West. was horn December 2$ 1797 and died July 2, 1872. Their first child was horn in Portsmouth, Susan or Suzanne. (She was called Susan.) She was born April 7, 1819 and died October 30, 1893. When she was small the family moved westward via flat boat on the Ohio. They settled in Boultinghouse Prairie in Edwards County. There these children were horn: Francis, Ealy, William, Leroy. Malinda, James, and Samuel.

Samuel B. Allison bought land in section 36, T25, 119E, the northwest quarter. He bought other land later. one forty acre tract of woods for a rifle and a horse He built a cabin of round logs by a spring on a hill, a few yards east of the present Allison home, He cleared sonic land and planted some crops.

Adam Allison bought land bordering Samuel’s on the west. Both farms had rows of apples trees, full grown trees, not in clumps, likely the work of Apple Seed Johunie. No other white person had lived there: the land was bought from the Government. (No family but the Allisons has lived there. It is the oldest farm in the county on which only one family has lived.)

Samuel planned to build a second cabin, a larger one of hewn logs. It was built a few yards south of the present house. To that cabin he brought his bride, Susan West Allison, who had been born at Portsmouth, Ohio. She brought with her the first bedstead used on the Allison farm, a wedding present from her father, Samuel West, a four-poster maple, still in use. (Before t.hat Samuel had had merely the usual pioneer bed made from a stationary post in a corner of the cabin.) She also brought her pink and blue willowware, more wedding presents which rested on a shelf on the wall, a shelf which rested on two wooden pegs. There was no cupboard. There were split bottom chairs and a drop-leaf table. She also had a carpet, one she and her mother had woven.  In that cabin their first child was born, Samantha.  (The child was named after one of  her mother’s grandmothers.)

Samuel was energetic. He soon built a larger home, two large log rooms with two smaller rooms between, one used as a pantry, the other as a closet. There was also an upstairs bed room. Two more daughters were born to them, Sophronia, who married Manley McKibben and had one son, Victor; and Destirnony, who married Jim Ewing. Samantha Malinda Allison Meiley and Destimony Allison Ewing died when young. Samantha was born July 2, 1839 and died January 6, 1860. The other was born September 4, 1849, and died February 9, 1870. Sophronia lived to be 88.

On October 4, 1855. Samuel and Susan's last child was born, James McCoin Allison I. He was an energetic child and planned to go to college to be a teacher. So when grown, he was a teacher as well as a farmer, and as his father died April 15, 1878, he lived alone with his mother on the home place until his marriage to Margaret Isabelle Lines of Edwards County, November 30, 1882; he brought the bride to the Allison home. (She was born November 4, 1861, and died May 30, 1947.) A large home had been built before then.

All the children of Coin and Margaret Allison were born in the Allison home; Hugh Q., Earl L., James McCoin II, Mary Rena, and Lelah Susie.

Hugh Q. Allison M. D. served in World War I. He married Bessie Williams and lives in Grayville.

Editor Earl Allison has always been a journalist. He married Esther Ross. of Swedish descent; they live in Mt. Carmel. They have two children: Wayne Allison at home and Ruth Allison, who married Lieut. Cob Robert Coates and lives in Indianapolis. They have four children: Margaret, Nancy, David. and Stephen.
James McCoin II married Lillian Rheinard; they live in Evansville. They have two children: James McCoiu III and Barbara.

Mary Rena Allison married Alvie Seifert and has six children:

Lelah Allison is at the home place. because of a health conditton. She taught English at McKendre College, Lebanon, Ill., until recently. Before that she taught at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, and Illinois High Schools at Keensburg, Allendale, Hindsboro, and Metamora.

As the Allison home was ne of the first permament homes in southeastern Leech (The Allison family has now lived there one and a quarter centuries), it came to be a home for others beside those of the immediate family. Susan Allison's niece, Nancy West, was reared in this home. Hers was the first marriage in that home. (The only other wedding there was that of Rena Allison and Alvie Seifert.) Nancy married William MeKibben and lived for a while in the township. All their children hut one were born in southern Leech: Everett, Rozy, Stella, Violet, Issa, Elma. and Bernadine. They moved to Edwards County.

Samuel Allison;s niece also made her home with Samuel and Susan a year. During the Civil War he built a cabin in his yard in which another niece and five children lived two years while the husband and father served in the war. Samuel supported those six relatives two years. At that time there was no support from the Government. Grant Allison, a cousin, made his home here a few years. Daniel Allison, another cousin, also made the Allison home his home.

When James MeCoin I taught school he encouraged boys to go to school. Each year he took one into his home, taking the lad to school with him.

Politicians when making the rounds had dinner or stayed all night in the home.   J. M. liked company. Often the only warning his wife had that company would be present was a message to one of the children. “Tell your mother to put another plate on the table.” he did not object; she, too, liked people and liked to share with them. After becoming a widow when she was only thirtyeight, she reared her children on the farm. She was every busy throughout her long life. She loved flowers. She lived long enough to see the lighting of he home change from candles to kerosene lamps, to electricity. She saw farming done by one horse plows, cradling, and hand dropping corn, and th modern machine methods,

Another who owned Leech land but lived across the border in Edwards was her father, William Lines. He did much to encourage the settlement of Ellery. it was he who secured stock pens to be built there when the railroad was built. He was born in Trenton, N. J., May 12, 1826, and died August 17. 1909. About 1840, with his father Jousha Lines (English descent) he left Tremton, N. J. and came down the Ohio on flatboat and settled on what is now the Ramsey farm, a mile northeast of Ellery.  William’s mother. Margaret Heyworth Lines, a family that had been in America since long before the Revolution, had died before the men moved west. William married Marina Powell and had four children; two lived to adulthood: William, who moved to California: and Lafayette G. Lines, who ent all his married life in Leech, married Jane McCollum. They had five children: Lena. Edith, Nellie, Tom, and Roland. Roland died when grown. Tom married Vernette Sehaffer and had four children; he moved to Wynn. Ark. Edith married a Taylor awl has spent. most of her life on the west coast; she lives in Seattle. Wash. Nellie married Ed Woods and lived in Leech; they had four children: John, Charlie, Laura. and Helen. John married and moved away. Charlie married Genevieve Smith; they have two daughters. Lugene and Lillian. They live near Leech in Edwards. Helen married a Wheeler and lives in Decatur; she has two daughters, Jane and Lea. Laura married a Curtis awl lives in Peoria: she has two children. Laura and Helen are both nurses.   **  Line history given by Margaret Allison and Mary Ann Bunting.

Lena Lines married William Woods and lives in Leech, the only one of this family left in Leech. They reared their niece Mary Johnson, who married John Wright; they had two children, Catherine and Bonnie.

William Woods and John Wright are both dead. Mary and the girls live with Lena Lines Woods.

After William Lines' wife's death, he married Mary Blakely, in 1854, daughter of Robert and Margaret Little BLakely of Tyrone County, Ireland, who had come tp America via New Orleans in 1838,  a journey of eleven weeks. (The mother died while on the Atlantic.) William and Mary had six children: Mary Ann, Elizabeth, Margaret Isabelle, Hattie Jane, Harry, and Edward. The boys died when about grown.

William was a very quiet man, but one of strong will. Often he went horseback to the bottoms to look for his stock; he always hung a side of meat or some commodity on the horse to give to a needy one,

At a place on the Little Wabashr rock bottom, north of the site of Old iron Bridge, Samuel Leech built damn and had a mill there which contributed much to the welfare of the pioneers. Being an energetic man, he moved to Fairfield and held all these offices there at the same time: county clerk, circuit clerk, treasurers ,jadge. At the same time he was one of the town's first merchants. So our township was honored by having ucli an energetic man give his name to it.

The second mill at the Iron Bridge site was built by Pulleyblank and Scott just south of the bridge. Some of the old piles of the dam can yet be seen when the water is low. That mill served the community several years.

Daniel Bassett Leach, born August 10, 1921, Smithvile Flats, N. Y. was father of the Wayne County Leach family. He came to Edwards county at the age of sixteen with Eben Gould in a two-horse open carriage, the trip taking two weeks. He married Maria Lois Root of West Virginia, then living in Illinois, two years later. They lived east of Bone Gap; all his life lie was a preacher, his first preaching in Leech Township being at Scottsulile in 1846. He was a strong man,. six feet, four inches tall. He used that strength and that of his sons to clear much of the Leech Township bottoms. One summer he suggested to his four eldest sons, Augustus, George, Lewis, and Horace, that they buy eighty acres of Little Wabash bottom land and clear it. They thought if the land were cleared and drained it would make good farming land. They bought the land for a yoke of oxen and fifteen dollars from a. Mr. Henderson, who likely thought he cheated the Leach men. After kneeling and praying, he and his sons began clearing with axes and saws. A small house, on the site where later a house was built for Lewis and Eleanor Leach, was built for their use. They had. a saw mill and sold many loads of lumber; Lewis was the sawer, George, the engineer, and the other two brothers, the loggers. They hauled the lumber to Albion by oxen or horses.   **  Leach family and Waggoner family histories were written by Frank Leach’s. youngest daughter, Esther.

Lewis Leach married Eleanor Gould, October 2T, 1872.  She was house keeper for her husband and the other Leach boys while they logged in Leech Township. Their sawmill was north of White Oak Slough, and when the water was high, they went to work in a boat. The boat was just one half of a hollow log and turned easily. They often found themselves in the water.

The first cabin was of round logs, but later another room was added downstairs and two bedrooms upstairs. Because the high water came to a knothole in the floor, he raised the floor one foot, hut the water reached the knothole the next time the water arose. A barn was built, a well dug, only ten feet and never went dry. They cleared land and chopped out the stumps. If stumps were too large to chop out, smaller ones were piled on top and burned. When the boys reached manhood, each was given eighty acres.

Later the family went into the drainage business. On one occasion, Lewis wrote his son Frank concerning drainage. "Can't get a house here (Oilfield, Ill.)  take a tent so you can board yourselves, as board is $3.60 per week."  He also suggested that if Frank brought Ella., his wife, they would build a shanty for her.

The Lewis Leach family: Joseph Daniel Leech, strongest man in Barefoot, dredge contractor and farmer, married Junia Ba.rnett and had one daughter, Ina, who married Seal Bradford. When Junia died, "Jody" married Ida Smith.

Frank, Lewis' second son, married Ellen Waggner; he was also dredger and farmer. Their children were Etta, Edna, Edith, and Esther.

Arthur Lewis Leach, the third son, married Idella Heath; their daughter, Veda, married Delber Parker.

One daughter was Pardee, who died at sixteen. Mary Leach was the second child; she married Harrison St. Ledger; their children are Flava and Hershal.

Theron was Lewis’ sixth child. The seventh was Raymond Oliver Leach, who married Myrtle Briggs; he is a preacher.

Logan Leach, the eighth child, married Myrtle Martin. Their two daughters are Parilee and Mary Elizabeth. Later he married Edna Williams; their children are Wilma Glen and Lewis. He is dead but she lives in the old Leach homestead in Golden Gate, Alice and Elizabeth were twin daughters of Lewis. Elizabeth soon died but Alice grew to womanhood and died in 1937.

With the Leach brothers, contracting was more important than farming. They dredged not only the lowlands of Leech Township but many other places also.

The invention of the caterpillaa’ was the product of aecessity. In 1906 the Leach brothers were dredging a mile or so south of Golden Gate. The dredge machine was the kind that ran on regular railroad tracks. Short rails were used for they did not move more than six feet at a time. They made fair progress in fair weather, when it rained it was so muddy they could not see where to put the tracks. The boat was hogged down and rainy weather was coming on. First they tried a “mud boat.’ That is a set of skids on which the machine is supposec  to slide. tfhev expected to slide the machine on by means a block and, tackle. That did not work. The next contraption resenblcd a mud turtle with claws on both slides. The claws  were supposed to dig into the mud and inch it along. it worked better than the mud boat and was used twice, but those claws dug up too much dirt. The men had spent a. month trying to move that fifty- ton giant: ditching was becoming unprofitable.

Frank Leach said he had the idea of the caterpillar at two o’clock one morning. There were ties down in the ditch. They chained one of those to the mud boat. aud the boat walked on to it. He thought that if it would climb one, it would climb two. It worked; they separated the tics with blocks of wood. That was the first caterpillar.

When they saw how well they worked, they joined them well with a piece of chain. That made an endless web of them. It worked so well they used it fifteen years. Frank Leach thought of a new way to walk his dredges. He attached four giant legs to the top of the dredge instead of the bottom. Those legs. with aid of cables, made it possible to work on steep slopes. He applied for ard received a patent for a dredge that operated on caterpillar tracks.

In World War I the caterpillar idea was applied to tanks.   He received no recognization for tim invention.

In 1935 the Leaches quit dredging and began oil well drilling. but that was not profitable, and they returned to their farms.

John Leland Wagner was born in Dauphin County. Pa., September 16, 1832. Pennsvvania Dutch stock. When he was 31 he came to Pond Creek with his parents. He bought land there and that first winter partly cleared it. Then he returned home to marry Sarah Berst, Jan. 5, 1865. They came to Pond Creek and spent their lives there. Their children were: Mary, who married Elmer Hoffee; John David, who married Ivy Day; Ellen, who married Frank Leach; William, who married Mary Hooper; Henry Franklin, who married Carolyn Day; Harvey Samuel, who married Alice Hallam. Their children are: Freda, Eiirnia [argaret, Sadie Gertrude, Fram es. Bertha, and Lula Alice.

John Wagner worked hard clearing land, farming and running a molasses mill.  He and his wife both died on their farm and were buried at Union Cemetery.

Other settlers in the northern part of western Leech were: the Wash Hodges family, the Jake Windle family, and the John Goodman family.    **  James and Celia Piercy gave this information.

Some families leave many descendants, some not. Two brothers. born in Surrey, England, lived near the Wamborough region ii Edwards until they married sisters and then they made their home in eastern Leech and remained there until the death of all four.  The William Piercy family came from England in 1849. Henry, called Harry. born in 1842, married Eliza Mann in 1865. His older brother George Piercy married Eliza's sister Elizabeth. Both were farmers. George lived on the border of Edwards, Harry on a farm joining to the west.

George and lihzabeth had one son William who married Mahalia Michels. He had two children, Nora (married Garfield Hudson) and Frank, who married Gertrude Jones. Of this branch of the Piercy family, there is one, Clayton Piercy (married Inez Collins) of the fifth generation. He is Ellery mail carrier. His one son, Kenneth, is the only one of the sixth generation.

Harry and Ehiza had three children: Mary, who died young; James married Celia Barnett; they have one son Norman, who married Ruth McCollum. They have one son Lester, who married Agnes Newkirk. They have one son Stephen. Harry had one daughter. Nellie. All the members of this branch of the family (except Nellie) who now survive, (Harry and Eliza are dead) now live on the same farm that Harrv bonght in 1865.

The Irish contributed to the early settlernents in Leech. One family was the Thomas Pettigrews famhy born in northern Ireland, February 2, 1816, married to Jane Henderson, March 5, 1839, the parents of twelve children, brought their family to eastern Leech in 1853 and made that a permanent home. This large family with birth dates follows:
Jane, Dec 13, 1839 (died in two months); James. February 16. 1841: George. April 11, 1843 (He had one of the first stores at Ellerv);  Thomas, August 16, 1845;  Andy,  May, 1848 (died in infancy);  Andrew, July 20, 1849:  Anna, October 29, 1852:  Frances, 3855;  William. April 2, 1859:  Isabelle, 1861 (died in infancy) ;  baby, 1864 (died when born).   **  Information given by Edward Pettigrew

James married Mary E McFeteridge of Ohio in 1865. They established a home in 1880. in section 25. on a farm that had been bought in 1836 from tle U. S. by Chatham Ewing, who had sold it to Robert Monroe in 1849, who lost it to Aetna Ins. Co. in 1877.    **  Information of Pettigrew lan given by James Pettigrew, who still lives on the home place.

James and Mary lived there all their lives.  He was a teacher a well as farmer. He died when 43, leaving eight children:

Edward and Sarah have lived on the same farm near the Bethel Church for about fifty years. He is one of the older citizens of Leech.

George, who became a merchant, married Menich Aiken and then Ann Barkley.

Anna married Henry Johnson in February, 1875, and lived on a farm a mile southwest of Ellery. Their children are: Nell Parks (Her son now lives on that farm); Georgeann married Frank Woods; Rebecca Stroup; Herman married Esther Spray; Morris married Gertrude Woods He still lives on the farm.  Thei:r children are: Aline, married Jim Hamilton and has one daughter and lives with her father; Charlie married Edna Fisher and has two daughters and lives beside his father; Alice married Dale Moore and has three sons and on the Jones farm, the first settlement in eastern Leeeh;  Mary n:arried John Wright and hastwo daughters. (She was reared by William and Lena Lines Woods and makes her home with Lena in Ellery.) Morris, all his children and their fiamilies live in Leech now.

Andy married Emma Thrash and had four children;  Harrison, Cordon, May Fields, and Tillie, who married Bert Michels and lives on the old Pettigrew farm in Leech.

William married Maggie Macauly and had two children, Thomas. who married Evelyn West and lives on of the old Pettigrew farm; Lillie married Fred Mann. Her son lives near Scottsville.

The Pettigrew family was numerous, but several of them still live in this section of Leech Township, an unusual thing for so many of one family to live in one region the past one hundred years.

Another who lived about seventy years in eastern Leech and who did much to clear the land and float logs to Carmi on a raft on the Little Wabash River was Peter A Seifert, who came here from Ohio when he was twenty-one and had only thirty cents; he was of German descent. He married Isabeile Valette of Edwards County (English descent) and about 1882 moved to the farm in southern Leech which he did. much to reclaim from the wilderness, living all his life there except one year spent in Albion and two years before his death, December 30. 1953. By a long process of hard work he accumulated 600 acres of land in the Little Wabash region. He was a natural nurse, and in those days, often lent his aid to a sick neighbor, sitting up throughout the night to care for the patient. His and Isabelle’s children were:  Della. married Ed Sawyer; Alvie, nmrried Rena Allison and has six children, already mentioned; Fronie Vincent Norris had three sons, Harold, Bert, and Robert Vincent; Guy married Lois McCollum and had three sons, Leo, Lowe]l and Doyle.   [1] P. J. Seifert  told me this history.

After Isabelle’s death. P.J.  married Margaret Hallam; their children were: Howard married Amy Day and had two cnildren; he then married Mary Rail; Mary Seifert married Rawleigh McKibben and had two children. Ruth Chalcraft, who has twin sons, and P. J., who has two children; Edith married Frank Chalcraft and has one son who has two children: Bernadine married Arley Dawson and has three sons: Wilma married Orville Wiles and has six children; Mildred married Harry Crackle ard has four children.

The second wife also had a son, Frank Seifert, who was reared on this same farm; he married Vene Ramsey; they have two children: Eva mamied Earl Tucker and has two sons; Frank Jr. married Helen Xanders and has three children.

After the death of the second wife, P. J. married Lucy Michels Ayers, who broght her foster son, John Wright, with her to the Seifert farm, where he made his home.  This large family was all reared on the Seifert farm. Frank and his son live near the old farm. Alvie lives on a short distames to the northeast.

Another Seifert came to Illinois about the same time as  P. J. his brother John, who married a sister ot P. J.’s first wife, Hattie Valette.  They lived on a farm just west of the P. J. Seifert place and had two sons, Orville and Rollie, but they moved to Albion before World War I and so left Leech permanently.

On a hill near the edge of the bluff, west of the river, down which was the flat land that led to the Littlee Wabash, on an old Buffalo and Indian trail that led westward from the river crossing, was the home of the J. J. (John) Wilson family. He was a printer in Philadelphia, where he had been born, but he came to western Leech when young and made that his home his entire long life. He was a teacher as well as a farmer. He liked company and stopped passers-by for a chat (one way of social contacts in early life), and he always invited everyone to stop for dinner or supper. His wife kept the table long and expected company anytime. She, the former Sarah Brown, also liked company, and her home was ever open to visitors. He was also a politican, Democrat, and with pride pointed to the fact that he was a distant cousin to President Woodrow Wilson.   **   Hsttie Hart gave me story of the Wilson family

By a former marriage he had had one daughter Margaret. By Sarah Brown Wilson he had three children: John married Sarah Windle (a Leech girl) and their children were Thomas, Woodrow, and Vivian; Emma, J. J’s second child, married B. 0. Muephy, who was later the first postmaster of Golden Gate and a merchant there many years, and their daughter is Hattie, who married Charlie Hart. (Their children are Thelma Hahn and Everett Murphy);  J. J. 's last child was Alice, who married Torn Wood and they had two children, Cora and Jessie. Later she married Will Stone.

Of these descendants of "Uncle" John J. Wilson, only Hattie Hart now lives in Leech; she lives in Golden Gate.

Exactly one hundred years ago this year, 1854, J. J. Wilson came to Leech.   He was active in Leech politics and for several years often called officers to meet in his home. Of course, one hundrod years ago, it was a long journey to go from Leech to Fairfield.  Maybe that was why his home and others of the time ware always open to all corners; travel was slow either on or behind a plodding horse. Meal time often came while em was on the road: restaurants did not flourish  then as now. The hospitality of the people in the rural districts is something that deserves mention in discussing the lives of those peop[e.

"Aunt" Em Murphy was enough like her energenic father to live a very active life; she also lived a long life in Leech, as he did. Her energies turned toward church work. She was also indenendeut: when she traveled alone to Oklahoma to visit relatives. She also was active in a unique way. It was through her effort that the Leech Widow's Club was organized, the only one of its kind The widows of the territory met only once a year.  On a day she named, they met in Golden Gate for the 'widows' picnnic.  The requirement for admittance to that picnic was to be a widow.

The Moores have long lived in the Bethel area. Chet Moore, who married Irene Crews, has long lived on the Melrose place beside the Bethel Church. Clark Moore married Maggie Patterson and had two children: Lucille, who married Arthur Ramsey; her family has been listed under the Michels: and Dale Moore, who married Alice Johnson; their family has been listed under the Pettigrews. Later Clark Moore married Mabel Day and had four children: three sons and a daughter. Mildred, who married Tommie Gill. Clark and Mabel live west of Scotteville.

James (Jim) Glover has spent almost seventy years in Leech, first in western Leech and then in eastern Leech. When a young man he spent three years in North Dakota, because he liked that region. He is the son of Ed and Clara Elliott Glover.

R. W. and Carrie Shaw Smith came to eastern Leech fifty-five years ago. They lived many years in southeastern Leech and then moved to Golden Gate, where she now lives. Their children were, Tom, John (both in Leech), Alberta, Bessie, and Lawrence.

Luke Hughes lived in Leech all hi life. His children were: David, Lewis, Alva, Foster, ElIza, Walter, and Flossie.

There were others who lived here in the early days of course; most of them moved on. Jake C. Neel came here in 1836, never married but made a permanent home here. His sister Clam Ned kept house for him. They lived in northwestern Leech.

D. M. Walker came to Leech in 1830, and the Walker family lived here many years.

W. L. Gash came to Wayie in 1835, but he never lived in Leech. He lived in Merriam, but he did own much land in Leech and was one who helped build westem Leech. His daughter was Grace Borah.

It is interesting to note business references given for Leech in the Atlas of Wayne County, pub. in 1881; James Goodwin, dealer in sheep, horses, cattle, and all kinds of live stock, residence, section 19; W. H. Wheeler, teacher in public schools and surveyor for Wayne Oounty; Adam Johnson, teacher in public school; J. M. Allison, teacher in public school; J. H. Pettigrew, teacher in public school; G. B. Odell, township collector and school treasurer of town 3; W. P. Cravens, township collector elect; C. P. Jones, school director of district number 5; John Haefele, dealer in dry goods, grocers, hats, caps, boots, shoes, ready-made clothing, hardware, queensware, tinware, cutlery, harness,, toilet soap, fancy articles, perfumery and notions of all kinds usually kept in a first class country store (store in Liberty); William C. Boze, bookkeeper and clerk for John Haefele; Charles Wensenhurger, breeder and. dealer  all kinds of live stock; Nathan Merritt, justice of Ithe peace and conveyancer, residence in section seven; N. P. Merritt, M. D. practicing physician and dealer in drugs and medicines  at Wabash, Ill.; A. E. Scott, practlcal blacksmith, Scottsville (Since Wabash and Scottsville were the same place it is interesting to note the names giwen by those who resided there); Richard Graddy. practical hooper at Scottsville; A. J. Pettigrew, carpenter, contractor, and builder; Samuel Miller, manufacture and dealer in grain cradles, fingers made of natural crook no lumber sprung for any work, shop in Scottsville: L. D. Leech and Bros.. manufacturers and dealers in all kinds of hard and soft lumber mill and yard near residence in section 10; J. P. Ewing, owner of the fine general purpose horse "Old John".

The George Michels family came from Maine to Edwards County in the early part of the last century. They had four sons: Rheuben. born December, 1829. in Edwards County, died 1877, Ezra. George. and Christoper. Two lived in Edwards County, George, whose son was Ben. whose son was Clyde Michea. They were long known in Albion as druggists; Chnistopher, whose children were Hamer. Ada, and Helen, long lived in Olney But the other two sons lived, in Leech from the time tley were married.  **  Ed Michels gave the Mchels history.

Rheuben Michels married Mary Knodell, horn. January 7, 1840. The couple lived just west of the Bethel Church on the first hill on the north side of the road. There all their children were born.
Mary was the daughter of Lewis Knodell of Pennsylvania Dutch stock.

Three of their children died young, Emily. Willie. and Sarah. Ella, their second daughter, married Tent Virgin of Golden Gate. Mahalia married William Piercy; her descendants are listed in the section. devoted to the Piercys.

Dora married Byron Gibbs and had two daughters. Oma and Ruby. They did live in Gohicu Gate several years
but moved to Decatur. Lore. married Jim Virgin. George maried Lou White.  The White family lived in the township for few years at the turn of the century.   They came here from Ohio and then moved to Oregon. George and Lou had one daughter, Hazel, who married Orville McRill.  Eva married James Kerr.  They had three sons, Wayburn, Herb, and Bill.  All still live in the township.  Herb married Hattie Pell; they have two children.  Wayburn married Mildred Templeton and has three daughters.  Their family is interested in music and they often sing at church revivals.  Bill married Reba Sanders.  They have two daughters.  Ed Michels married Susie Woods.  They have two sons, Bernard and Hayward.  Bernard now lives at home with his parents.  They live at the old Knodell home in the southeast corner of the southeast quarter of section 13 in Leech T2S.

Rheuben and Mary (called Aunt Polly) were instrumental in the building of the Methodist Church, which was then called Brushy.  Their home was ever open to all who came to church, and at time of  "Big Meeting" that meant company for several days.  Aunt Polly made beds on the floor to accommodate the group.

Ezra Michels married Becky Hoffman and lived just north of the Bethel Church on what is known as the Dexter Strait farm.  They too were devoted to the church and its services.

Their childen were:  Willie, Lucy, Albert, Joe, Andy, Lizzie, Charlie, Olive, Eliza, Ida, Martha.

Ida Michels married Sam Annabel. They lived Ia southern Illinois.

Martha Michels married Dexter Strait. They lived on her parents’ farm north of the Brushy Church, Prudy was the eldest child; she married Charles Kennard. Fora while they operated the creamery at Ellery, but they moved away.  Emma married Alva Green and lived here for a few yers but moved to Kankakee.  Charlie married Leta Skinner.  Her father has lived in the township a few years.  She now lives at Chester, where her children live.  John married May Jackson of moline.  They lost a daughter when she was a few years old.  Martha.  Their other children are: Wilma, Alberta, Mary, Lelia, John, Clella, and Billie.  Billie is at home.  John is in the service at present stationed at Washington, D. C.  Clella Waters lives in Edwards County.  The others are in California.  John and May live at the north edge of Scottsville.

Mary Straight married Perl Bunnage.  The lived in Chicago.  She died a few years ago.   **  Lelia Baker gave information about the Michels family.  Gertrude Piercy also gave information.

There were two younger sons, Matt and Jim Straight.  Neither live here.

Laander Melrose married Rebecca Batson.  They lived at the place where Chet Moore now lives, just south of Brushy (Bethel).  They had two children, Gibson, who had two children.  Lula and Ernig; Christine who married Will Knodell.  When his wife died, Leander married her sister, Elizabeth Batson.  They had one daughter, Ella, who married Hubbard Basket.  They had one son, Floyd.  After her death he remarried.  Floyd married Grace Scott.  They lived in Evansville.  Their son Hubbard married Elizabeth Fisher.  Leander and Elizabeth Melrose were also instrumental in building a church, Brushy.  he died young but she spent her long life in the community of the church which she served so very long, both as caretaker and teacher in the Sunday School.  She taught the primary class in the church for more than seventy-two years, teaching several generations of children.  In her earlier life she and her husband opened their homes to all comers of the church.  In her later years the neighbors met each fall on her birthday, October 14,to have a wood chopping for her, in order for her to have
ample fuel for the winter. The men cut wood; women took baskets of food and servod a nicnie dirmer,  the afternoon they sometimes qu]ted for "Aunt ElIzabeth."

Fairfield Weekly Democrat, Juue 3, 1880, in the
Wabash items notes some facts about the people of Wabash at that time, "Our friend Ed Glover still makes his regular weekly pilgrimages eastward even into the house of Samuel 's daughter.  Perhaps he thinks of employing a partner."  Ed Glover was the merchant of Wabash and did get married  directly after that was written to Sam Briscoe's stepdaughter, Clara Elliott.  The writer of those items had other weddings to report.  "The fact is that by next week we shall have a matrimonial item to chronicle, for on last Sabbath evening Mr. Andy Pettigrew, accompanied by Miss Emma St. Ledger, were seen coming from Squire Rossville's and there are strong suspicious that the twain are one."  The  following item is of interest not. merely for what it reports, but that in 1880 people from the Golden Gate region were coming down to Wabash (Scottsville) to town.
 **  James D. Glover, when he read this item, said his father was going to see his mother; they were soon married.  James (Jim) was born the following March 26. His mother died.

"Old Mr. Mavhill, of Barefoot was in town today and showed us a magnificent trot line presented him by lawyer Thompkins from your town."

The Wayne County Record, Septerber 2, 1880,  in the items from Southern Leech not only gives items of interest of people of Leech but gives the trend of thought of the time. "Another wedding is looked, for soon. Scott Bradford has moved on Billi Boze’s fram. C. W.  Huntsinger took in Shawneetown during the big rally.  Mr. Thomas Williams is low with typhoid fever.  Recovery very doubtful.  Martin Braning, a young man that stayed with Fred Younginger's died last week.  George A. Huntinger left for Carmi last Monday for a year's study in the Normal at that place.  John R Odell, the man that used up San Wilson was arrested and taken to Carmi last Friday.  Bertha Holland arrived home from a six week's pleasure and health seeking trip to Minnesota last Friday.  Green Simpson has proved himself to be very accommodating by setting his sorghum mill beneath the shady oaks.  Dink Paul and Mr. Taaffe passed through Liberty on Monday enroute for Carmi to train their horses for racing at the fair.  John Slocum and Mrs. Mary Hooper spent last Friday at at Sailor's Springs.  Mrs. Mary Hooper says she 'came back as sound as a dollar.'  A. M. Funkhouser who is a more superblocoking man thatn Senator Hamilton passed through Liberty last Saturday on his way to address the Handcock Club at Carmi."

In the southwest corner of Leech and across the border in Barnhill, is the Simpson Cemetery, one of the oldest burial grounds in Wayne.  In that cemetery are buried four generations of men:  William Simpson, Sr., William Simpson , Jr.,  son of William, Sr.,  John, son of William, Jr.;  and  George, son of John.  That is unusal in small cemetery.  **  Mrs. Jennie Preston, daughter of George Simpson , gave this data

William Simpson Sr., born in Prince William CountyI, Virginia, October 14, 1755, died March 21, 1839, volunteered in September, 1777, as a Revolutionary soldier and served under Capt. Peyton at Willamsburg and at York. After the Revouton he came to Wayne County and lived there until his death. He settled in Barnhill township, but several of his descendants lived in Leech. His children were: Oliver, Eddy Simpson Gray, William Jr., Zakias, Susannah Simpson Gray, Margaret Simpson Musgraves, Daniel, and Betsy Simpson Williams.

William Simpson Jr., born 1794, was a soldier in the War of 1812; he married Nancy Roberts, born 1795. Their children were: Lucinda, Malinda, Joseph, John, Matilda, Pigdon, twins died in infancy, William III, Mary Ann, .Angeline, Garrison, Evaline, and Polly.

William (known as Buck) married Catherine Hodges in 1828. Their children were: Martha, Logan, William, Holly Simpson, Rigdon, Catherine, C. W, Simpson, Florence, and Sarah.
I
Of that family, Logan, who has lived in Leech and reared his family, whose descendants have lived in Leech,,married Martha Merritt. Their children were: R. R.,  Ross Simpson, Edgar, Thomas, Courtney, Florence, Nelly, and Martha.

Edgar, son of Logan Simpson, married Ida McKay.  They lived and reared their family in Leech. Their children were: Inez Simpson West, Mary Simpson Noble, Margaret, Alice, Ida Lee, Edgar, Nellie, John, Carmen, and Joe.

William Simpson Jr. and Nancy Roberts Simpson’s daughter, Angeline, married Preston King. They lived in the Golden Gate area. Their children were: David, William, Alice King Johnson, and Phillip.

William King. son of Preston and Angeline King, married Sophia Baird.

PhIlip married Bertha Shoaff, who died June 13, 1954, at their home in Wauchula, Fla.  They lived north of Golden Gate several years before they moved to Florida.

Alice King married Joseph Johnson. They always lived near Golden Gate. Their descendants are still there. Their children are: Arthur, who married Lilly McDowell and lived in Edwards County; Roy. who married Caroline Foster. He was merchant in Golden Gate several years. They had four sons; one was killed in the service in Europe in World War II.  Myrtle Johnson married James Abbey; since his death she lives in Golden Gate; Ethel married John Hoffee and had one daughter, Hazel Hoffee Carter; later she married George Fitch; Ruth Johnson married Ivan Bunting and had five children; Martha and Luther died in infancy.

These families contributed much toward clearing the land in the Golden Gate region. Philip King said when they cleared the land near White Oak Slough. there were few labor saving devices. They sawed trees, rolled logs, and hauled logs to saw mills. Besides being a farmer and Democrat, Philip King was ever interested in Sunday School work. Once when he did not appear at a Sonday School where he was supposed to speak, another man was pressed into service. He began by saying he had taken the place of other people before but that was the first time he had taken the place of a king.

Of the Roy Johnson fanily and the Ruth Johnson Bunting family there are several of the seventh generation, who are now in Leech or near. Roy's son Don lives in Leech north of Golden Gate; he has two children, Beverly Don and Caroline Jo. Roy's son Stephen also has two children, the seventh generation, Mark and Rene, but they are not in the township.

Ivan ann Ruth Johnson Bunting's children are:
Herschel, Dean, Evelyn Kock, Max, and Helen Myers.
Herschel lives in Bloomington and has three children, Diana, David, and Randy.  Dean in Albion has one child.  Evelyn has two boys; Max a Christian preacher,  has one son.

Lewis Knodell, born January 9, 1806, of Pennsylvania Dutch stock, married Martha Copeland in 1824. Then founded a home in eastern Leech on what is now the Ed Miehels farm, one mile southwest of Ellery. They were ever interested in church work, attending the early camp meeting and opening their home for church service.  They were instrumental in building the Brushy Methodist Church in 1849. They had seven children:
Mary, Sara Sabina, John Milton, born February 23, 1836, William, a third son married to Sara Virgin, George, born March 16, 1847, and two others.

Mary married Rheuben Michels and lived with her parents to care for tmem. Sara Sabina married William Melrose.

John Milton Knodell married Elizabeth Naylor of Enwards Connty in 1857. Their children were: Lewis Henry, Clara Orilia, George William, Charles Albert, and Christian Oliver. Lewis Henry married Anna B, Barren, and had two children, Alva H. (died in 1952), and Arthur L. of Grays Lake, Ill, Lewis Henry served in the postal service in Chicago many years and died there in 1934.   George William married Susan Sutton. Charles Albert married Vinona B. Rawiings and had five children.  One son, Clyde. of Chicago, is assistant traffic manager of the Illinois Central Railroad Charles Albert died in 1922, but his wife lives in Caicago.  Christian Oliver married Elizabeth H Chism and had two sons Clayton and Glifford. He lives in Albany, Ore.

William, son of Lewis and Martha, married ‘Christine Melrose, daughter of Leamder and Rebecca Melrose.  He was elected judge of Wayne in 1890, first resident of Leech elected to county office (Samuel Leech, once a resident of Leech but later moved to Fairfield held several ccunty offices.).  Their children were: Vivian, Leander, Victor,  Le wis Gibson,  Falicia,  William, Melrose, Roscoe, and John Dietrich.  Vivian (died October, 1926) attended Hayward College and taught several years. Leander Victor married Elizabeth Wyma and lives on a farm ner Fairfield.  Lewis Gibson married Alvertta Schaffer and had two daughters.  mary Christine, who married Norris G. Hughes, and Elizabeth K Lewis.  Both are in Fairfield.  Falicia Falicia married Dainel P Bowden of Spring Valley, Minnesota, and had one daughter, Dorothy Bowden Alexander, with whom she lives in Detroit.

William married Grace Lovely of Minnesota.   He, twenty-eight years an associate editor of the Wayne County Press, is now in insurance business.  Roscoe married Clara Brown of Cisne;  he lives in Winner, S D., where he is a lawyer.   He was county judge of Tripp county;  he also served as state’s attorney. Their children are; William, Robert, Dorothy, Margaret, and Alice Ruth.  William, taken prisoner in Africa in World War II, was a prisoner in a German camp three years. John Dietrich married Eula Holt of Tennessee and lives in Fairfield.  They have four children: Ellen, wife of Dr. L. W. Young of Fairfield, John Dietrich Jr. of Chicago, William Laird of Forth Worth Texas, and Sara of Fairfield.

The third sonof Lewis and Martha Knodoll married Sara Virgin. Their children were: Ella, Berdie, Thomas, and Martha.  Thomas and Ella are at Wappapello, Mo.

George, son of Lewis an Martha, married Olive MlcheIs.  Their children were: Florence (Flo), Ellizabeth,  and Chester A..   Flo,  telenhone operator in Ellery several years, married Ed Pelt and had one daughter, Connie, who married Ivan Gill, and a son who died infaney. ElIzabeth married George W. MoKihben Jr., of Edwards County.  They had three sons:  Harold of Whiting, Ind., Willard, who died in 1913, and Earl, who lives in Albion.  Chester (Chet) married Maud Moffitt and lives in golden Gate; he was a merchant there several years.

In the north end of the township lived the Shillings family many years.  John W. Shillings came to America from England.  He married Sarah Smith of Cincinnati.  They had four children:  Thomas, Charles, Alice, and Bertha.  Bertha married a Kalt.  Charlie's children were: Sybil St. Ledges, George, Lawrence, and Roy.  Roy is the only one in Leech Township.

Thomas mart ied Mary Walker of Massilon. Their chhdren are: Harry,  Annie, Alice, and William.   All are at hone with their mother. Also living with them is Mrs. Shilling'ssister, Susan MoKibben. She is 88; Mrs.
Shilling is 86.

Their parents were William and Susan Walker from Massilon.   William Walker's mother was a seamstress for the Queenin England.

It is easy to talk about or read about  the old methods of doing things.  Mary Shillings and Susan McKibben remember vividly of the candles they helped make, of the great kettles of soup they have made,of the blankets, jeans, and carpets they have woven.  The last strip of carpert they wove is still in use.  These two old ladies have lived through the pioneer days of old customs ot the modern electrical methods and high powered machinery methods of to-day.  Aunt Susan's bright blue still twinkle as she tells that she was not an expert weaver, just knew how to weave blankets or coarse materials such as jeans.  The time came when there was no room for the carpet loom to sit in the house, but she could give a good demonstration yet if she had the loom before her.

James (Jim) Smerdon came here direct from "Hingland".  He married Hattie Fewkes, of A]bion, and settled in Leech and lived there all his life. He is the father of the Smerdon descendants who now live in eastern Leech.

Sam MeCollum also lived in the same region; he married Kate St. Ledger; their children were: Emma, who married Lyman Chalcraft now of Grayvilie; Neil, who married Gib Jones now of Albion; she was postmaster at Ellery several years during the Woodrow Wilson administration; and Mina, who lives in Albion.

The J J. Winter family lived here several years. Most of the desuendants are scattered but Tom Scott Winter, who married Laura Ferrell, still lives in Leech in the southwest corner of section 14, on the old Sam Stickoffer place. (The Stickoffers had come here from Kentucky.) Their son Clyde, who married Emma ISimms, lives here at the north edge of section 29 on the old John Pulleyhlank farm. They have one son and three daughters.

Alex Headley lived in the same region in earlier days. His son Charlie Headley lives on the same farm. Charlie’s son lives beside his father. Charlie's daughter, Freda, who married John Jones, a man who likes to buy and work in timber, lives a half mile west of her father. Alex had a daughter, Mamie, who married Dr. E. L. Apple, and later a Dashner. She now lives in Golden Gate, as does her daughter, Carmen Apple Deitz.

The R. Hinson family lived in the same neighborhood but all have been gone several years.

Robert Snow lived at Scottstation in the days when it flourished; he lived long enough to see the town die down.

The William Woods family lived across the border of Edwards In Ellery. Descendants of the Woods family have ever lived in Leech. The George Woods family lived

west of Ellery. (He is the one mentioned in "Gatherinks" who stopped the dancers as they went home through the snow at daylight, to have breakfast with him.) Two sons, Chet and Brose live near Ellery. Other sons were: Tom, who married Fannie Lord' Ed, who married Nellie Lines; and Ebb, who married Zola Spray. There was one daughter, Georgia, vho married Earl .Bunting end lives in Albion.  Most of the children of Tm and Fannie live in Leech: Mabel, who married Arvel Marnn, lives south of Scottstation; Paul lives at Scottstation; Ralph is at home with his motner; Nile lives west of Scottsville in lower part of section 2e;  Virgil, who married Mary Inskeep, lives at the Inskeep home th EIlery across the line in Edwards County; Winnie. who married George Chalcraft, lives on the Chalcraft place in western Edwards County; Earl is in Los Anges, Calif.; and Glenn is in Washington state.

John Woods lived north of Ellery in section two.  During his latter days he lived in Ellery. His daughter Emma Shillings hved in Leech several years. Another daughter, Lula, married Ira Mitchell and lived ni Albion.  His son Elmer lived on the home place, but he died when his children were young; they were: Zeta Abby, who did live In Leech several nears but now lives in Albion, and Slyvan, Cyril, and Mervin. Cyril lives on the old place; Slyvan lives near.

Others who lived in that region but to the west were T. St. Ledger and C. Burkett.

Further south in section 25 on one of the high hills of the region lived C. W. and Sophronia Huntsinger; he was a teacher.  Their name is still applied to the high hill.  Southh of that hill in section 36 was the home of B. Tedrow.  His daughter Margaret Thompson lived there later.  A quarter south of that in the north edge of section one in T3S, in Leech, at the foot of a hill on on the road that led to Big Creek, especially when roads were muddy, hills were inportant.  That hill was called the Morrison hill.  Further south but also in section one were the James Shores and H. W. Reeves families. That is now the late P. J. Seifert land. To the west was the James Kelly family. Near them lived the  J. T. Copelin  family.

Leech is still divided into east and west by the Little Wabash. The bottoms and lack of cross country roads (the river being a barrier) has given the people of Leech a term that is often used about otners in Leech. No matter whether it is on east or west side, "Across the river" is often used. Across the river on the west side and in the south were other families after the Civil War days: Robert Hosey,  Ed Walkter, D. M. Walker, W. P. Cravins, Nathan Merritt, D. N. Babbitt, and a little farther north, Cyrus Brandt (moved to kansas), B. Virgin, E. Schofield, George Redman, and Byron Gibbs.  In the same region were John D. Burst, S. L. Atteberry, Curtis McQuire, Solomon Bell, and J. M. Newman.

The John R. Parks family came to Leech from Champaign and settled north of Scottstation. The children were: Grace, Amos. Lee, Alma. and Flora. Alma married Dan McCollum and lived on the Parks place. Their children were: Ruth, Lois, Lucy, and Dale.  Dale married a Johnson. daughter of Herman and Esther Johnson. After her death, he married Mary Fortner. They have one daughter.  They live south of Scottstation. Lucy married Harry Shepherd and lives in Albion; they have a son.  Lois married Guy Seifert; they live in Albion, but they did live in Leech several years. Their record is included in the Seifert family.  Ruth married Norman Piercy; their record is included in the Piercy history. Ruth lives east of Scottsville.  ** Ruth Piercy gave this information

Flora Parks married Nattie Chandler and had a daughter, who married Homer Webb; they live in Edwards County. The Amos Parks descendants have lived in this region part of the time. Both Flora and Alma taught school before they married.

John R. Parks was the postmaster at Scottstation the short time there was a post office there. The post office was a room in the house. There was a crane to hook the mail bag on to be loaded on the train. It could be taken without the train stopping

A family on the river on the high red hill that used to be a "hard pull" in the day of buggies wagons when it was mud in wintersoon left the whownship, but they left their name to that hill.  The Dainel Leet family lived on the hill.  **  Jim Glover told me this tale

On the west side was the Johnnie Whidle family. His sons were Jake ant Jim.   In the autum Jim operated a molasses mill.   "Uncle" Johnnie liked to tell tales, and he enjoyed making himself the butt of a joke.  His favorite tale was that one his head was caught between the rollers of the mill.  They reversed the rollers so that he could get his head out.  When his head came out it was mashed flat.  He took his hands, and pressing them on the flatended edges, he pushed his head back into shape.

The Sam Anderson family lived near old Iron Bridge on the hill south on the east bank of the river.  They soon moved away, however.  The Brunmer family lived in the same neighborhood, the Pete Brunmer famly.

J. P. Moore, farmer, stock buyer, lived his life in southern leech.  His son john Moore lives on the old Moore place.  Mrs. John Moore, is a descendant of the first Leech settler, Isaac Harris.  they have a daughter at home and three sons, Joe, Jerry, and Clarence.  Joe lives besides his father and has two children.   Jerry lives near.  All these descendants of the first settler are still in the township.  Clarence Moore lives outside the township.

J. P. Moore had three daughters, Mary Murphy (in the township), Nell Carter, and Grace McDuffy in Anderson, Ind.

Others living in the southwest part of the township are: Darrell Pollard, Charlie Hodges, and John Felix.

Others in the south end of the township but in the east are: Cecil Cox, Raymond Hallam, Kenneth Brook. Verl Stewart, and Harry Stewart. Harry’s sons John and Loren are not in the township.  John lives in Fairfield; Loren lives in Chester.  Verl ard Harry are sons of Harry Stewart Sr. (deceased). In that same region is the W. H. Edwards family. He came to southern Leech from Iowa when a small child but has now been in southern Leech the past sixty years. Carson Walker is also near.  Phil Walker lived near by until hs death a few years ago. Harrison Smothers also lives in that section of Leech. In the extreme southwest corner is Robert Brock. His mother, Laura Merrit Brock. lives with him.

John H. Vaughan is another of tle elder William Simpson descendants who has lived in Loech. His son
Tom married Lucinda Musgraves. Their children were:  Jeff, Irene. Paul, and Florence. There are others of the Vaughan family that have lived in Leech.

In southeastern Leech. is the Hillory O'Daniel family, who came there from  Kentucky in the early thirties. She was Ola Abell.  They had four suns: Hill,  Mack, Billie, and Bob.  Hill and Bill live in Leech. Mack died July 17, 1954.

Ray Ahell,  Ola’s brother. also of Kentucky,  now lives in ElIerv.

Lou and Gib Harris families, Harl Hnrt,and Deletis  Green live in the Chandller dstrict.  At Scottstation are the Bob Fortner and Albert Wiles families.  Near Ellery are the Smith Anniss and Bill Annis families.

About 1880 a family moved to Leech and settled in section 14, where they spent their lives, Will and Lillie Gill.  They were very much devoted to church work; he served as Sunday School superintendent about thirty years.  Their children were Nona (Mrs. Berry Inskeep, deceased); Ora, (Mrs. Frank Mitchell, deceasce) whose children are Vernelle (Mrs. Dwain Smith), and Ina Lee (Mrs. Delmar Sample); and the Rev. Allen B. Gill of Albion.  Mrs. Smith lives on the border in Edwards County, as does Mrs. Sample (She is now at camp with her husband).  The Smith children are: Linda, Doran, Nancy, Jennie, June, and Carol.

Another Gill family came to Leech and settled besides the Will Gill place, his brother Frank Gill and wife Hattie.  Theirs was a family of boys:  Willie, Tommie, Lyman, Asa, Brady, Raymond.  Tommie lives in Golden Gate, Raymond , on the home place.

On a high hill in eastern Leech, south of the Jimmy Piercy home, the Adam McDonald family lived several years.    He sold the farm to Ned Sheraden and moved to central Leech and then moved away.  Ned Sheraden and lived on that farm until near the end of his long life when he moved to Scottsville, where he died.

Just a quarter west of the Sheraden hill, northwest of the present Norman Piercy home, was the home of the Basket famiy that moved there from Kentucky before the middle of the last century.  The son, Hubbard, has been listed.  The daughter, Margaret (Maggie) married Dick Curdling and lived in Albion until her death in 1944.

In the middle of the last century the Robinson and Ewing families both lived in eastern Leech. Both were active in Methodist camp meetings and in the new Brushy Church.

About 1888 the Kendall family moved to Scottsville. Two sons, Jake and Earl, still live there.

Charles and Delbert West, descendants of Samuel West of Boultinghouse Prairie, also live in Scottsville.

In Golden Gate are the Harry Ike, the Lee Hicks (Mrs. Hicks is postmaster), the Elliotts, Gertrude Andrews Crews, the Jesse Hudson, Grace Childress, Jim Wade, Charlie Martin, Ted and Grant Chalcraft families.

Dozens of other people should be named because they contributed their part to the building of Leech.

After the log rolling days passed and the burning of th timber, the making occupied the time of several men; two who were proficient tie makers were Billie and Jimmie Day.  There were other Day prominent in the township:  Hamilton Day, J. M. Day, and J. D. Day.  J. M. Day was a school teacher and a Methodist preacher as well as a farmer.  Severl of the Hooper families were energetic farmers:  Holly Hooper, Dick Hooper, John Hooper, and Charlie Hooper.  Sometimes the work of a man was not the usual labor.  Joe Cox was a great raccoon hunter in the Little Wabash Bottoms.  He would set traps in a slough and swampy places and then wade water to his neck if necessary to go to his traps.  The Williams family lived in western Leech by Windle school;  Oma, Anna, and Mattie kept house for their brother "Big Dick" Williams.  He liked to let his imagination have full sway and tell of his boat on the Ohio, THE EDITH.  Saw mills were imported centers the last of the last century and the first of this one.  Jim Nesler operated a saw mill several years on the Little Wabash.   Lawrence Gibbs was one of his loggers who was proficient in handing logs. John Goodwin and Curt Helm also had saw mills in Leech.
**  Jim Glover gave this information,

The Silas Hallam  family lived in eastern Leech several years, 1883-1911. They came from Edwards County. She was Mary Vincent. Their children were:
Roy, Owen, Bessie, Otis, and Flossie.  All have lived in this township several years. Owen, Bessie, and Flossie, who was a teacher, have been in Wyoming several years. Otis has served as Chef of Police in Fairfield.