Ivory Colcord was born July 20 1799 in New Hampshire, in which State his wife was also born, June 27 1805. They came to Genesee Grove on the 13th of October 1837. On is route to the West, Mr Colcord shipped his family and goods at Olean Point, New York, on a flat board and went down the Alleghany river to Pittsburg PA where he took a steamer descending the Ohio River, and thence up the Mississippi River to Fulton. At Fulton he loaded his goods in a wagon, John Baker, Fulton's pioneer, furnishing the team and acting as driver and guide. The family also took passage in the same wagon, and the convoy crossed the sloughs and prairie to Genesee Grove. The whole trip consumed six weeks. Mr. Colcord purchased a timber and prairie claim of William Wick, paying for it $150 in gold. The claim consisted of two hundred acres of timber land, and 300 acres of prairie. Upon this he built a cabin 12 by 12 feet in size, in the winter of 1837-38. In this cabin the family cooked, ate, washed, slept and kept hotel. A large part of their goods was kept in the wagon, which stood in the door yard all winter. In the summer of 1838 , a house large enough to accommodate the family, and store away all the goods was erected. Mr. Colcord was a farmer, and an educated man. After the labors of the day were over, he devoted his time in the evening to teaching a school at the house of William Wick, and afterwards one in his own house. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and at the organization of the Society in Genesee Grove was chosen the first classleader. He was also elected the first Justice of the Peace in Genesee Township. Mr. Colcord died January 25, 1865.

His children were as follows: Ethan S. born April 18 1822; Abigail born 21 March 1826, Ralph B. born June 8, 1828; Lorena D. born October 5, 1830; John born June 24 1832, Rose Ann born April 5 1835, Ivory Jr. Born February 22 1837; William H. born July 29 1839, Elvira born July 25 1841; George W. born May 12 1843; Mary Angeline born November 22 1847. Ethan S. married Miss Eliza Jane Law in September 1843 and died in August 1863; Children - Albert, Arthur, Royal and Artie. Abigail married Washington Law in 1844 and died in 1864. Children were Taylor, Joshua, Orland, Wright and Hunter. Ralph B. married Miss Mary A. Shirley March 8 1854; children, Emma L., Luella M. and Nora B. Lorena D. married John Cummings in 1856 who died in 1864; children Emma and May. Mrs Cummings afterward married Washington Law. Rose Ann married Caleb Burgess in 1855; children Ophelia T., Florence V., Warner and Frederick. Ivory Jr married Miss Charlotte Frazer; children, Willard, Irena, Celine, Bertha and Angeline. William H. married Miss Phiana Lineroad. Children were Alice C., Eustatia, Nettie A., Edith B., Ernest S., Clayton E., Nellie L. and Elbertie E. Elvira married James A DeGroff; children - Raymond, Lettie, LeRoy, who died in infancy, and Herbert. George W. married Miss Lucretia Lineroad , no children. Mary Angeline married O. Terpenning, Children Frank J., Harry and Olia V.

Besides the township and other local offices held by Ivory Colcord, he was Coroner of the County from 1839 - 1844, and again from 1848 to 1854. He was an active, energetic man, and took a prominent part in helping to shape the affairs of the county in early days.

Extracted from Bent & Wilson History of Whiteside County Page 224