 Joseph Steffens was born on the 5th of July 1800 in Chippewa, Willoughby Township, Canada. Mr. Steffans was first married to Mary Ann Graham in Canada 25 February 1821. Before her death she gave Joseph eight children. He then married Orrinda Miller, also in Canada, on 14 November 1838. She was to bear him a total of 9 children, so altogether Joseph Steffans was the father of 17 children. One of the first old settler's homes in South Elkhorn Grove in Carroll County IL was built by Thomas Shaw, a relative of Hiram McNamer from Kentucky. In 1840 Joseph Steffens and family arrived at the home of John Sanborn in Canada Settlement. Mr. Steffens liked the location of Shaw's claim on the south side of Elkhorn Grove and purchased it of Mr. Shaw, paying him $1500 in silver for it. There was plenty of unclaimed land at that time but those who had lived in the woods of Canada and in the old settled states did not fancy building a dwelling house away out on the prairie. It did not take the settlers long to learn that Mr. Steffens possessed qualities which would be of great use to them in township organization and in establishing the free school system and the old log house which sheltered a large family of boys and girls, was also a place where the present and future interests of the settlers were discussed. It was here that John Sanborn, Thomas Woodruff. Silas Jessup and others met and appointed Joseph Steffens first treasurer of the township school fund and in that old log house Joseph Steffens divided township 23 R. 7 into school districts. This was done on January 19, 1846. The original plat of the districts is now in the township treasurer's office and but very little change has been made in the plat during the past fifty-nine years. Upon numerous occasions the Steffens home was thrown open for religious services and no apology was made because the room was small and the seats were benches made of slabs. On the third day of November, 1842, a wedding took place in the old log house which is remembered to this day by some of the "boys" who attended the charivari. The young couple were Hiram Allen Paynter and Elizabeth Miller, who was a sister of Mrs. Steffens. Who the minister was who united them we cannot now learn. It was expected that a number of the neighbors' boys would call after night set in and Mr. Steffens was on the watch for them. No sooner had they got together and before they could start their discordant racket, Uncle Joe called out- "Come right in boys and we will have a glorious good time," and the boys filed into the old log cabin until it was packed jam full. Refreshments were passed around among the crowd and when all had partaken Mr. Steffens said: "1 am glad to welcome each and all of you to our home and now we will have a season of prayer." "You never saw a cheaper lot of lads" said one of them. They did not wish to stay and were ashamed to get up and go after the warm welcome they had received. "It was the quietest charivari I was ever at" said another. In 1846 the family moved out of the old house into the new and in 1847 the old log cabin was turned into a schoolhouse with Miss Mary Nichols as teacher and among her pupils were the Steffens, Knox, Ruble. Johnston and McNamer children. The next to occupy the old house was James Leigh and family which was but a short time as he bought the Hughs claim. Mr. Steffens then sold the old log house to Philo Hill, who numbered each log and took it apart and moved it to his claim, (the Chas. Cheeseman farm in south part of Eagle Point township, Ogle Co.) and put it together just as it had been. Mr. Hill resided in it several years then the Rev. J. D. Brown bought the Hill farm and he in turn sold to Mr. Cheeseman who during many years kept the old log house well roofed thus preserving the logs from decay. The old log house although it does not stand today upon the ground it was first built upon, has occupied its present site for more than half a century. It is a connecting link between the present and the past. It recalls to the mind of the old folks the fireplace with the andirons, the crane and the Dutch oven, tallow candles, snuffers, tinderbox, flint and steel, spinning wheel, swifts, dye tub, flaxbreak and hetchel. It recalls the primitive school house which was the progenitor of the high schools and colleges of today. It is in place here to mention more concerning Miss Nichols, who was among the first
teachers in Elkhorn Grove. After teaching in
the Steffens house one term, she taught a term
in the Johnston district when it was first organized, then in 1848 she taught at West
Grove. Her home was near Eagle Point. During the summer and fall she used to go on
horseback to Canada Settlement thence in
a northeast course to West Grove. Nearly the
entire distance lay over wild and unsettled
prairie. Miss Nichols taught school until 1856
when she married Joshua Aplington and now
resides in Polo, Illinois.
From Tri County Press, Polo - Jan. 12, 1905
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