Individual Details

Residence

In 1802 John Coleman purchased the homestead, buying out the heirs. The house on this homestead was a spacious building. Adjoining it was a large flat rock, 24 feet long, 16 feet wide and 4 feet high. This served as the bottom of the kitchen porch in front of the kitchen door; it also served as a nice spot on which the children might play. Surrounding this home was a large fruit orchard of apple and pear trees. The rock and the orchard are theonly things that now mark the site of the old homestead.

History

p. 544
A. L. Coleman was born Sept 2, 1821 and came with his father, John Coleman, from New Jersey.

He remembers when Indians were numerous through this section. They used to come to his father to have blacksmithing done. The Indian trails were the only paths leading to Galena and Peoria, then called Ft. Clark. The first boat he remembers on the Illinois was the Shingle-Weaver, which made shingles as it went along. He was married to Miss Mary Fiddler, a native of Ohio. Elizabeth, Geo. F. and Josephine are the children who have been born to them.

Residence

In 1826, John Coleman and his wife sold their possessions in New Jersey and came to Canton, Illinois, bringing the entire family except Benjamin, and the oldest son, who remained in New Jersey.

Census

John Coleman Sr (next to John Jr; Willisam S. Williams, Johns Swegle)
Males:
1 under 5
2 5-10
2 10-15
3 20-30
1 50-60
Females:
1 5-10
2 10-15
1 40-50

Residence

pl 506
William Walters came into the twonship about 1826, being its first settler... Soon came in Daniel Walters, who settled upon section 15. Then came Solomon Sherwood, who built the first mill in the township. This was a horse-mill and did grinding for the settlers for many miles around until Joseph Coleman built his water-mill on Spoon River on the site of the present town of Bernadotte. John Camron built a grist and saw-mill upon the same river in 1831.

These improvements brought settlers from adjoining counties, and many are the incidents connected with their trips to these mills, related by the pioneers. They would come for many miles, and often upon their arrival would find many ahead of them, and they would have to wait sometimes for days before their turn came. Sometimes they would find the mill out of repair, the dam washed away or something to detain them. They would then go to work and help rebuild the dam or do whatever the miller would direct. Men have told us that they have gone to the Bernadotte mill with a load of grist and have worked at hard labor for almost a week before they could get their grain ground. They would work late and early as though they were regularly employed and paid hands.

Thus was this point on Spoon River visited by many people, until Mr. Coleman's enterprise suggested to him the feasibility of laying off a town. Accourdingly in 1835, upon section 19, he platted a town and called it by the name of Fulton. The name was soon changed to Bernadotte. It grew rapidly and at one time ranked among the leading towns of the county. It failed to secure a railroad, and when one was constructed with a few miles of it the inevitable result quickly followed, and Bernadotte surrendered her prosperity to other places.

Census

John Coleman (next to Daniel Swegle)
Males:
1 under 5
1 5-10
1 10-15
1 20-30
1 40-50

Females:
1 10-15
1 15-20
1 40-50

Note

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=coleman&GSfn=john&GSbyrel=all&GSdy=1843&GSdyrel=in&GSst=16&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=60915047&df=all&

History

Birth: Mar. 9, 1777
Schooleys Mountain
Morris County
New Jersey, USA
Death: May 2, 1843
Canton
Fulton County
Illinois, USA

John Coleman was born to Benjamin and Sarah Coleman. He married Margaret Hedden 2 Feb 1799 in Morris, New Jersey; they raised five sons before Margaret died about 1812. He then married Elizabeth Poole 10 March 1812 and they raised four more daughters and five more sons.

Margaret Hedden, mother:
Benjamin, Joseph, John, Stephen and Nathan
Elizabeth Poole, mother:
Johanna, Jeremiah, Sarah, Ezra, Elizabeth, Amasa, Samuel, Mary and William

John died in May 1843 in Canton, Fulton Co., Illinois.

Family links:
Spouses:
Margaret Hedden Coleman (1780 - 1819)
Elizabeth Poole Coleman (1785 - 1868)

Children:
John Coleman (1805 - 1858)*
Stephen Overton Coleman (1807 - ____)*
Ezra Pool Coleman (1818 - 1885)*

by Helen Schwartz, 2010
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=60915047

History

p. 321
John coleman established a mil north of the Fairview bridge. This mill was celebrated for 'making haste" -- and meal -- "slowly." It was said that it ran so slow that the dogs were in the habit of chewing in two the band while the maill was running, when Coleman would call to Jerry, who drove the team, to know what was the matter; and Jerry would respond that the "dod-durned dogs had chewed the band in tow again."

Residence

p. 515
Canton Township
This township was among the very first townships of this county that were settled by the whiltes... Among others who came into the township at a very early date and located outside of the town were ... John Colem, Daniel Babbett ...