Old Settlers Log Cabin
Updated: Sep 28, 2021
In 1882, under the leadership of Jacob Cress, Thomas Phillips and Solomon Harkey, plans were adopted and carried out to erect a memorial log cabin, on the Old Fair grounds, each of the old settlers to prepare a log, to go into the cabin, on the smooth outside of which was to be painted the name of the contributor, the date of his birth or entrance into the country or state. We have no list made at this time of the building, and at this time the names are too dim from age to read, with any certainty. But in 1903, twenty-one years after its building the following inscriptions were taken from the logs, which are approximately correct:
Martin A. Ludewick, born in North Carolina; December 9, 1825, came to Illinois December 3, 1831
David McEwen, born in North Carolina in 1807, came to Illinois in 1831
Jasper Clark, born in Massachusetts in 1802, came to Illinois in 1821
Henry Phillips, born in Randolph County, Ill., in 1821
T. J. Rutledge, born in Hillsboro July 8, 1828, and was the first child born in Hillsboro
John T. Maddux, born April 5, 1833 in Greenville, Ill., came to this county in 1836
Levi Hill, born in Montgomery County July 17, 1826
Peter Cress, born in North Carolina in 1808, came to Illinois in 1823
William Walcott, born in 1820
George L. Warren born in 1837, came to Illinois in 1838
H. N. Pope born in Fayette County, Ill., in 1844
J. M. Berry, born in Kentucky in 1811, came to Illinois in 1828
William Bowles, born in Kentucky 1836
John T. Whitledge, born in 1830, came to Illinois in 1831
Jacob Bost, born in North Carolina in 1794, came to Illinois in 1836
Joseph T. Eccles, born in Kentucky, came to Illinois in 1832
William Brewer, born in Kentucky, came to Illinois in 1834
W. S. Clotfelter, born in North Carolina in 1817, came to Illinois in 1833
Solomon Harkey, born in North Carolina in 1806, came to Illinois in 1829
J. A. Cress, born in Montgomery County in 1829, this log was hewn in 1831 by Peter and Joseph Cress
G. V. Brockman, born in Missouri in 1811, came to Illinois in 1833
J. J. Phillips, born in Hillsboro in 1837
James Clotfelter, born in North Carolina in 1826, came to Illinois in 1833
J. T. Williamson, born in 1818
Peter Berrie, born in Pennsylvania July 28, 1811, came to Illinois in 1837
John H. Scherer, born in North Carolina May 1, 1831, came to Illinois in 1837
John T. McDavid, born in Montgomery County in 1818
M. S. Barry, born in Barren County Ky., in 1818, came to Illinois in 1831
E. B. Hubbel, born in Vermont in 1819, came to Illinois in 1833
Dan Lingofelter, born in Canton, Ohio, in 1828, came to Illinois in 1836
John D. Williamson, born in Nodaway County, Va., Dec. 13, 1814, came to this county in 1834
William Young, born in Tennessee, Oct 5, 1810, came to Illinois in 1830
A. B. Smith, born in Ohio November 4, 1821, came to Illinois in 1834
Edward Crawford, born in Tennessee in 1812, came to Illinois in 1833
David Gregory, born in North Carolina December 1, 1809, came to Illinois in 1831
Subsequent to erecting the cabin, the following deaths were engraved thereon:
John Williamson, died January 9, 1885
Levi Whitten died September 4, 1885
David McEwen died October 4, 1884
Jacob Bost died October 7, 1884
Noah Lipe died October 9, 1884
William Brewer died October 31, 1883
Peter Cress died October 1, 1885
Thomas J. Rutledge died March 18, 1885
William Watson died January 17, 1885
Taken from: The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Montgomery County Volume 2 - 1918
