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Federal Land System

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If you are doing historical and/or genealogical research and you don't learn something, you are doing it wrong. Yesterday I learned that parts of Ford county were part of the Federal Land System that issued Military Warrants. Basically because the U.S. Government was very cash poor and had a vast amount of land. The system is by no means new information to me. But that Ford County was part of it is. What am I writing about? Let me explain. In the first part of our nation's history our Federal Government issued Land Warrants it entice people to serve in the military and to compensate those who did. When the conditions were met a person was issued a warrant for a certain amount of land based on their service. It varied by rank, length of service, if wounded and other different factors. The person who had the warrant had the right to sell it, and many often did. With a warrant the holder could then exchange it for a Land Patent which gave them rights to a specific parcel of l...
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General Levi Axtell Dodd

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General Levi Axtell Dodd. Leader, Businessman, Pioneer, Circuit Clerk of Ford County Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General. He served during the Civil War as a Captain in the 169th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, and as Colonel and commander of the 211th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. He was brevetted Brigadier General, US Volunteers on April 2, 1865 for "gallant and meritorious services in the assault upon the enemy's works in front of Fort Sedgwick, Va.". Also in 1865 he was at the Old Arsenal Penitentiary in Washington D. C. after the Lincoln assassination. He was in charge of some of the conspirators. While in Ford County he was not without controversy. https://books.google.com/books?id=JeEDAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA556... https://boothiebarn.com/.../grave-thursday-general-levi.../ https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=9033998&ref=acom
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Location: Paxton, IL 60957, USA
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Sid Mercer: An all but forgotten Paxton celebrity

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James Sidney (Sid) Mercer was born to James H. and Laura Ann Search Mercer on August 4, 1880 in Kerr Township, Champaign County, Illinois where his father farmed.  He would become an American sports writer who covered mostly boxing and baseball in St. Louis, Missouri and New York City.  His knowledge of sports led him to become known as the Dean of Sport Writers. As he grew up he attended school in nearby Paxton, Illinois.  In his late teens he moved away and ended up in St. Louis where he began his career in newspapers as a printer's apprentice with the St. Louis Republic.  He later wrote for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, before the St. Louis Browns hired him as their road secretary in 1906. The following year, Mercer was hired at the New York Evening Globe. He later wrote for the New York Evening Journal and Hearst's American (later known as the New York Journal American).  He quickly became a name in sports writing in New York City.  When the Baseball Wri...
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Location: Paxton, IL 60957, USA
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Company I, 131st Infantry Photo

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Photo of Company I, 131st Infantry, 66th Infantry Brigade, 33rd Division taken at Camp Logan, Houston, Texas. Nationalized for the 1st Infantry Illinois National Guard. Served 1917-19. Saw action in France. Some of the members were from Paxton, IL. The regiment saw significant action, notably the capture of Chipilly Ridge  in France on August 9, 1918, under the command of Col. Joseph B. Sanborn , who was highly decorated for his actions.  Some members were from Paxton, Illinois. Framed photo in possession of Patrick M. Tavenner. Given to him by his maternal uncle, Wm. Perry Parsons, Jr.  The photo was purchased at an auction in Paxton, Illinois. Unknown who's auction it was from.  Possibly from the Reuben (Boots) Glad estate, a member of the company. The 131st infantry (First infantry Illinois national guard) in the World War; narrative , operations, statistics https://www.idaillinois.org/digital/collection/isl8/id/10724/
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Location: Houston, TX, USA
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Ford County's Last Log Cabin?

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Ford County's Last Log Cabin? This was located east of Road 2280E south of the gravel pits. I believe that ground is now owned by Eldean Bergman. It was still standing in the early 70's. I believe this is when the articles were written.
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Location: Button Township, IL, USA
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Paxton Water Tower and Pump House, 1887 - Present

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Credit: McLean County Museum of History Beginning in the winter of 1886 a severe drought began in Illinois and neighboring states, Iowa and Wisconsin.  As it wore on in the spring and summer of 1887 cops began to fail and waterways began to dry up.  The Middle Fork of the Vermilion River, on which Danville relied for its water supply, had ceased to run. Many places sunk wells to get relief and a measure of safety.  Forest fires were burning up parts of Wisconsin.  Prairies caught on fire. One of them caused the great Chatsworth Train wreck. Paxton, with its many wooden buildings on Market street was vulnerable with no adequate way to fight a fire. In the second week of July in 1887 at a Special City Council meeting Alderman Will Stine proposed forming a committee of three to explore the establishment of a water works system in Paxton. Mayor Middlecoff appointed Aldermen Busnell and Hopkins to the committee. Alderman Sackett moved that the Mayor be appointed as chairm...
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Location: Paxton, IL 60957, USA
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Movie Houses of Paxton

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Movie Houses of Paxton In Paxton, during the early part of the 1900's there was a boom in the next great thing, movies.   Clark Opera House  The Bijou Varsity Theatre Coliseum Theater Crystal Theater Majestic Theater
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Location: Paxton, IL 60957, USA
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