EARLY LAND SALES
1824 - 1830
in former MORGAN
(NOW) CASS COUNTY




Presented here is a list of all those who "entered land" within the present limits of Cass County, Illinois before the deep snow which hit Morgan/Cass County in the winter of 1830-31. A description of the effects of the snow on the lives of the pioneers was printed in the January 28, 1968 issue of The Illinois Intelligencer as part of Illinois' Sesquicentennial Celebration. Jon Musgrave has presented some of the stories on his Southern Illinois History website and has been kind enough to allow Illinois Trails to use the following excerpt describing the

"Winter of the Deep Snow"

"There has been nothing like it since the Winter of the Deep Snow. That was in 1830-1831, before there was a Weather Bureau, so we can speak freely. In tradition and reminiscence, the snow was the deepest, the cold the most intense, and lasted the longest, since the retreat of the last glacier - with the possible exception of the bitter winter of 1777-1778 that tested the endurance of General Washington's soldiers at Valley Forge. In 1831, there were still Revolutionary War veterans around who could remember Valley Forge.

Many settlers had depended on going into nearby woods for firewood. Corn and wheat, food for man and beast, had been left stacked in the fields. At first the tract behind a team or any number of teams, would fill in a few minutes. .... "The sharp hoofs of deer cut through the crust, and they were easily caught by hunters - and by wolves who could glide across the snow. Herds of buffalo also floundered in the deep snow and starved. It has been said that the Winter of the Deep Snow took the last of the buffalo from east of the Mississippi River.

The Winter of the Deep Snow became a dating point in pioneer legendary. Residence in the Illinois country before that date was qualification for members in Old Settlers associations and special designation as a "Snow Bird." One pioneer wrote: "I have my Snow Bird badge which was given me at the Old Settlers' meeting at Sugar Grove. I prize it very highly and would not trade it for a hundred wild turkeys runing at large in Oregon."

There are some records to back up tradition. At Fort Armstrong, Rock Island, four inches of snow was recorded December 10, and from December 15 to February 25 there was no day without freezing temperature. Fort Snelling at Minneapolis recorded 28 degree below zero December 21. William Clark kept records at St. Louis, and Dr. Samuel P. Heldreth kept records at Marietta, Ohio, from 1804 to 1859 for the United States Government Survey. All are in agreement that the snow and cold were widespread over the period of time recalled by the pioneers." Reprinted by permission of Jon Musgrave from his Southern Illinois History website






THE 212 PERSONS WHO "ENTERED LAND"

"The following is a list of all those who "entered land" (i.e. bought from the government), within the present limits of Cass County, Illinois, including the "three mile strip," before the deep snow in the winter of 1830-31, and in what township and in what year the entry was made. Where a person "entered land" in more than one township, his name is given for that tract only which he first entered."


[Many thanks to Joan for this contribution.]

Those persons whose year of purchase has an asterisk, also appear in LAND SALES.

A

 

H

 

R

Alexander, Robert 18, 10 1829*   Hager, Amos 18, 11 1830*   Ragsdale, Joel 18, 8 1829*
Alred, Jesse 17, 10 1826*   Hamilton, Wm. T. 17, 8 1826*   Ray, John 18, 10 1826*
Armstrong, Jesse 17, 11 1830   Handy, Stephen 17, 11 1830   Ream, John 17, 10 1830*
Atherton, Jonathan 17, 10 1830*   Hardin, Martin 17, 9 1827*   Reavis, Isham 19, 8 1830*
Atkinson, Thomas 17, 9 1826*   Hauby, William S. 17, 11 1826   Redman, Solomon 17, 9 1826

B

  Herndon, Archer 17, 10 1827*   Redman, Thomas 17, 10 1826
Babb, William W. 18, 11 1829*   Holmes, William 18, 8 1826   Rees, Josiah 18, 10 1830*
Baker, Joseph 18, 10 1829*   Horn, Reddick 18, 11 1826   Reid, Samuel 18, 8 1828*
Baker, Temperance 18, 11 1829*   Huffman, Alexander 17, 11 1827*   Renshaw, Elred 18, 11 1830
Ball, Strother 17, 9 1826*   Hughes, John 17, 9 1827*   Richards, Daniel 17, 11 1829*
Barber, Augustus 17, 11 1826*  

I

  Richards, James H. 17, 11 1830*
Beard, Alexander 17, 9 1829   Ivers, Robert H. 18, 10 1830*   Richardson, Shadr'h 18, 10 1830*
Beard, Andrew 17, 9 1827*  

J

  Robertson, Charles 17, 11 1828*
Beard, Thomas 18, 12 1826*   Jayne, Gersham 17, 9 1829*   Robertson, John 18, 10 1828*
Bergen, John G. 18, 10 1828*   Job, Archibald 17, 10 1826*   Robertson, John 17, 9 1829*
Biddlecome, John 18, 10 1830*   Johnson, Robert 17, 8 1823   Robertson, Martin 17, 11 1828*
Black, David 17, 11 1829*   Johnson, William H. 17, 10 1830*   Rockwell, Dennis 17, 11 1824
Black, David 17, 10 1830*   Jones, Richard 17, 9 1826   Rogers, Elias 17, 11 1830
Breeden, William 17, 10 1827*  

K

  Runyon, Wilson 17, 11 1830
Bridges, John 17, 9 1826*   Karges, Peter 17, 11 1830*  

S

Bristow, George T. 17, 10 1826*   Kimball & Knapp 17, 12 1830   Savage, John 17, 11 1830*
Bryant, Lucian T. 17, 10 1830*   Kirkpatrick, Jos. L. 17, 11 1830*   Scaffer, Daniel R. 17, 11 1829

C

  Kittner, Henry 17, 9 1826   Scott, James 18, 11 1829*
Carr, Benjamin 18, 11 1829   Knight, John 18, 12 1826   Scott, John E. 18, 10 1826
Carr, Elisha 18, 11 1829*  

L

  Scott, Shadrick 17, 11 1828*
Carr, Peter 18, 10 1828   Lamme, Frederick 17, 10 1826   Sewall, William 18, 10 1830*
Carr, Wiliam 18, 10 1828*   Lane, Richard A. 17, 9 1830*   Short, Stephen 17, 8 1830*
Carter, David B. 17, 11 1830*   Lawrence, Jacob 17, 10 1826   Sims, Josiah 17, 9 1826*
Case, Jonah H. 17, 11 1826*   Lee, John 18, 8 1830   Skinner, Freeman 17, 12 1830*
Case, L. L. 17, 11 1826*   Lee, Joseph 18, 8 1830   Smart, James 17, 11 1827*
Chambers, William 17, 10 1826*   Lee, Stephen 17, 8 1830*   Sparks, John R. 17, 11 1828*
Christy, Joseph C. 17, 11 1829   Leeper, William D. 17, 11 1830   Springer, Levi 17, 10 1830*
Clark, Thomas 17, 11 1830*   Leonard, Joseph T. 17, 10 1826*   Street & Bland 18, 10 1827
Clark, William M. 17, 10 1827*   Linn, William 17, 11 1830   Stribling, Benjamin 18, 10 1830*
Compton, Nathan 17, 10 1826*   Litton, Burton 17, 9 1830*   Sturgis, James 17, 10 1827*
Compton, Nathan 18, 10 1828*   Low, Aquilla 17, 11 1827*   Sturgis, William D. 18, 10 1830*
Conover, John C. 17, 10 1827   Lucas, John 18, 8 1829*   Summers, Henry 18, 11 1830*
Conover, Peter 17, 10 1826  

M

  Summers, William 17, 11 1827*
Conover, William 17, 10 1826   Madison, Henry 17, 10 1826*  

T

Cooper, Wm. 17, 8 1826*   Madison, Henry 18, 10 1828*   Taylor, John 17, 11 1829
Cox, Alexander D. 17, 10 1826*   Manchester, David 17, 9 1830*   Taylor, Peter 17, 11 1827*
Cox, Eli 17, 8 1823   March, Enoch C. 18, 12 1826*   Taylor, Peter 17, 10 1829*
Creel, John 17, 9 1827   Marshall, James 17, 10 1826*   Taylor, Robert 19, 8 1830*
Crewdson, Sam'l B. 18, 11 1829*   Marshall, James 17, 10 1826*   Thomas, Anthony M. 17, 9 1826*
Croshwait, Joseph P. 17, 11 1830*   Martin, Evin 17, 10 1827*   Thompson, John 17, 11 1830*
Crow, Joshua 18, 10 1826*   Mason, James 18, 10 1829*   Thompson, Oswell, Jr. 17, 11 1830*
Crow, Wm. 17, 8 1826*   Matthews, Benjamin 17, 11 1827   Tinnen, Abner 17, 10 1826*
Cuppy, John 17, 11 1830*   Matthews, Daniel T. 17, 11 1828   Traughber, Henry 18, 10 1826

D

  McCord, William 18, 10 1830*   Troxel, Frederick 17, 11 1828*
Davis, James 17, 11 1826*   McDonald, John 17, 9 unk*   Tureman, George 17, 10 1827*
Davis, Morris 17, 9 1826*   McDonald, Jonas 17, 9 1828*  

U

De Weber, John 18, 10 1828*   McDonald, Joseph 17, 9 1826   Underwood, Phineas 18, 10 1826*

E

  McDonald, Richard 17, 11 1829  

V

Elkins, Ralph 18, 8 1829*   McGinnis, David 17, 11 1830   Vance, John 17, 9 1826*
Elkins, Robert 18, 8 1829*   McKean, Henry 17, 11 1829*  

W

F

  McKean, John 17, 11 1829*   Waggoner, John 18, 11 1829*
Farmer, Lewis 17, 8 1830   Miller, George F. 17, 11 unk*   Walker, Susanna 17, 9 1828*
Farrell, Robert 18, 11 unk   Miller, William 17, 9 1826*   Ward, Jacob 17, 10 1829*
Fitzhugh, Robert 17, 9 1826*   Mitchell, Isaac 17, 10 1829*   Warfield, John S. 18, 11 1830*
Fletcher, James 17, 9 1829*   Montgomery, Samuel 17, 9 1830*   Washburn, Susan 18, 10 1827*
Fletcher, James 18, 8 1829   Morgan, Ralph 18, 10 1830*   Washburne, Susan 18, 8 1828*
Flinn, Josiah 17, 9 1826*   Morgan, Wm. P. 19, 8 1830*   Watson, James B. 17, 8 1826*
Flynn, Zadoc W. 18, 10 1829*   Mullen, Patrick 17, 11 1827*   Way, Samuel 17, 10 1828*
Freeman, George 17, 10 1827   Myers, William 18, 10 1827*   Welsh, James 17, 9 1827
Freeman, Littleberry 17, 10 1830*   Myers, William 17, 11 1830   West, A. S. 18, 10 1826
Freeman, Silas 17, 10 1828*  

N

  Wiggins, Thomas 17, 11 1829*
Freeman, Silas 17, 10 1828*   Nance, Eaton 18, 8 1828   Williams, Andrew 17, 11 1827*
French, Felix 17, 9 1829*   Nance, Robert 18, 8 1830   Williams, David 18, 8 1829*
Fuller, Edward 17, 10 1827   New, Asa C. 17, 12 1830*   Williams, Henry 18, 8 1828*

G

 

O

  Williams, Page A. 17, 9 1826
Gaines, Richard 18, 11 1830*   Orchard, James 17, 11 1826*   Wilson, G. W. 17, 8 1829
Gatton, Carrollton R. 17, 10 1826*  

P

 

Y

Gatton, Thomas 17, 10 1826*   Paschall, Isaiah 17, 10 1828*   Yaple, Jacob 17, 10 1829*
Gatton, Thomas 18, 10 1829*   Payne, Thomas 17, 10 1830*        
Gillett, Bazaleel 17, 10 1830*   Penny, Solomon 18, 11 1830        
Gish, Abraham 17, 11 1828*   Pitner, Alexander 17, 11 1829*        
Grosong, Samuel 17, 11 1826*   Plaster, Thomas 18, 10 1830        
Gum, Jesse 17, 9 1827*   Plaster, Thos. 17, 11 1830        
        Porter, William 17, 10 1826*        
        Pratt, Susanna 17, 10 1826*        

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