Individual Details

Event

After she was married several years she and her husband and three children came from Ohio in October 1846 to Clinton, Ill., where some of her brothers and one sister had preceded her. They came in a wagon, bringing as many of their household goods as they could bring. In those days Clinton consisted of a dozen or so houses and when they came in sight of town coming in by way of DeWitt, then known as Marion, she thought the town was a gentleman's farm with its outbuildings, and was surprised to learn it was Clinton, the end of their journey. The first winter they lived in what old residents may remember as the `Bill Catterlin' house on East Main street on the site of the John Phared house. Here one of her children was born.

"Later they moved three or four miles east of Clinton and lived on land owned by Mr. James Scott, an ancestor or many old residents of this county. Uncle Jimmy Scott as he was known to many was a wealthy man owning much land hereabouts and it was owing to his kindness that her husband was advanced enough money to buy what she always spoke of as the Simpson farm, because it was afterward sold to the late Henry Simpson in whose family it still remains. The Simpson eighty was purchased by her husband sometime in the late forties or perhaps in 1850 for one hundred and twenty dollars. They built a substantial house upon it, which was occupied until a few years ago, planted a fine orchard and otherwise improved it. Five years later he sold it for the sum of thirty two hundred dollars, and in 1856 purchased the farm in Texas township, a part of which she retained as her dowry until her death.

"For one year after coming to Clinton she and her husband kept the hotel. It was the year the old brick court house was built, and when it was finished it was dedicated by a ball, and supper was served at the tavern. Leonard Swett was boarding with them at that time and many old residents of Clinton were at the ball. She danced with the late C. H. Moore on that occasion. R. J. Oglesby, afterward governor of the State was one of the fiddlers at the ball.

"Abraham Lincoln coming here to court stopped with them also and was a personal friend of her husband.

After she and her husband left the hotel Lincoln and Judge Davis used to stop occasionally at her father's house, for her children had followed his children westward, even as his father had followed him. She often told a little incident illustrative of the characters of Lincoln and Judge Davis. Judge Davis was very fastidious in all his habits, while Lincoln was often forgetful of the smaller observances. One morning at breakfast there were soft boiled eggs and cups for them were placed at the plates. Lincoln was busy talking and began to break his egg into his plate when Judge Davis hastily pushed the cup toward him remarking `Mr. Lincoln, here is a cup.' Lincoln obligingly dragged the egg towards the cup, but was too late and trailed it fearfully over the tablecloth. The Judge nearly fainted, but the hostess covered up the damage with a napkin and the meal proceeded.

Death

Her body was interred 21 Jan 1912 in Woodlawn Cemetery, Clinton, Dewitt Co, IL.