Tennessee, Kentucky and Illinois
Excerpts from "History of Christian County, Illinois" by Henry Fowkes, 1880:
Early Settlers:
South Fork Township has the honor of being the site of the home of the first permanent settler of Christian County, Martin Hanon by name, who came here in 1818, the same year that saw Illinois admitted to the Union. Mr. Hanon built upon land later owned by Esquire Council, and plowed the ground with the old fashioned barshear ;low, and planted and cultivated the first "truck patch" in this part of the state. Alexander Miller, who came with Mr. Hanon, put up a cabin the following year and soon thereafter married. some who followed within a few years were: John Sinnet, Claiborn Matthews and his sons, Eli and Alexander, Mr. Linchen, Jacob Gragg, Samuel Miller, Solomon and John Meads, Joohn Johnson, Jacob Wydick, a Mr. Chapman, George Vandeveer, Charles Vandeveer, Robert Richardson, William Richardson, Sr., John Finley, Andrew Finley, Isaac Leacham, George and Samuel Cockelreese, John Durbin, John Durbin, Jacob Cagle, Samuel Hart and Aquilla Council.
First wedding celebrated in this township was that of Eli Matthews and Miss Susan Hanon, on the 21st of April, 1823. They were married by Rev. William Roberts, the license was issued by C. R. Matheney, County Clerk, at Springfield. This was the first organized township for school purposes and the election of school officers in the county.
Early Mills:
South Fork Township boasted three mills during its early days, a rather unusual number. Elgan's Mill was the first to be erected, and was perhaps the best known of the three. It was built on the South Fork of the Sangamon River, ten miles northwest of Taylorville, and was both a saw and grist mill, which was erected in 1833 by William Wallace and Dabney Knuckols, who in a year or two, disposed of it to Martin Hanon and Eli Matthews, who sold it to Jesse Elgan in 1838.
Pioneer Incidents:
Deep Snow. The winter of 1830-31 saw such an amount of snow that it came down through history known simply as the Deep Snow. There has never been such a winter since [as of 1880] and it is hoped that conditions will never again be such as to bring upon the people such an infliction. Following this came a long and hard rain, with weather so extreme that it froze as it fell, forming a crust over the deep snow. Over this crust, more snow fell and then came two weeks of an average temperature of 12 degrees below zero.
Martin Hanon, in company with Vandeveer and three or four others of the "Richardson Settlement" in South Fork, started for O'Bannin's horse-mill about 3 miles northeast of the present site of Taylorville. They made a beeline passing through the prairie north of the present county seat. Vandeveer had a horse; the others ox-teams. Having to break the snow ahead of them, they made very slow progress. Finally, they were compelled to abandon their wagons and, loading the sacks of grain on the oxen, they mounted and resumed their journey. Vandeveer, having a horse, pushed ahead and built signal-fires at night to guide the others. All of the party suffered greatly from the extreme cold, but finally succeding in accomplishing the purpose of the journey.
Martin Hanon, Capt. Jesse Hanon's father, was the first white settler in Christian County. He first settled in Illinois, in the eastern part of the state in the year 1812. In 1818, he came to what is now Christian County, and made a settlement near Taylorville. His home was in this county from 1818 until his death, which occured near Sharpsburg, on the 5th of April, 1879, when he was only a month less than eighty years of age. He was a man of temperate and abstemious habits, had inherited an excellent physical constitution and, in his old age, enjoyed unusual physical and mental vigor. When about forty-eight years old, while working with a carpenters adze, he seriously wounded his knee and lamed himself for life. Previous to the occurrence of this accident, he had never taken a particle of medicine from a physician. He was a man who had acquired a marked character for honesty and integrity, and who enjoyed the confidence of his friends and neighbors in no ordinary degree. He was modest in deportment and, although frequently solicited to occupy public office (for which he was well qualified by his education and natural ability), he invaribly preferred the quiet of private life, and always refused. At every election, he voted the democratic ticket. In his earlier life, he adhered to the theological doctrines of the Old School Baptist denomination, but gradually drifted into a belief in Universalism. He was married in Kentucky to Sarah Miller, who died in 1861. By her he had 10 children, five of whom are still living, viz: Jesse Hanon, of King Township, the eldest son; Susan Hanon, now residing in Bartokn County, Kansas, the wife of G. R. Sharp of Sharpsburg; Cyrena, who married Seth Mason of Sharpsburg, and Elijah A. Hanon, who now lives in Larned, in Pawnee County, Kansas.
Excerpts from "Past and Present History of Christian County, Illinois" by Hon. J. C. McBride:
In 1812, Michael Hanon and his family settled in Gallatin County, IL. Michael died there in 1817 and the family group, now headed by Martin, moved to Christian County, IL. [My 3-g-grandmother, Susan Hanon Matthews, was the daughter of Michael, sister of Martin. Some researchers feel that Martin, Susan and siblings were born in KY, but some feel they were born in TN.]
Martin Hanon, realizing that it was not good for a man to be alone, soon after improving his claim, determined to take himself a wife. He went down into Egypt [Kentucky], wooed and won one of the fair ladies of that land, and was married in Shawneetown on the 10th of October, 1823 to Miss Sallie Miller.
South Fork Primitive Baptist Church Records, Christian Co., IL:
Horeb Church:
Horeb Church was organized in the year 1829. EldersAaron Vandeveer and Charles Vandeveer werer messengers from Horeb Church to the Sangamon Asscoiation in 1831, at which time they reported 50 members in fellowship. Other messengers were Claiborn Matthews and Martin Hanon. It is probable that the church had a log meeting house, but its location has not been determined.
South Fork Church:
South Fork Church was organized in 1831 or earlier. The church united with the Sangamon Association in 1831. The oldest available records are those of 1847. In April, 1851, the church agreed to build a meeting house on the site selected by Martin Hanon, Eli Matthews and Joel Potts. The meeting house was located in South Fork Township. There is a cemetery at the site, but the building has been gone for many years. Surnames of members: Abbott, Baker, Bourland, Braner, Day, Dunn, Elgan, Firey, George, Hand, Hanna, Hanon, Harris, Harriss, Hartman, Hayward, Hazlett, Hufford, Hunt, Husey, Lee, Lemmon, Lemmons, Little, Matthews, Mattox, Miller, Minnis, Mitchell, Moore, Murphy, Overby, Pearce, Peek, Polston, Poore, Potts, Prather, Pyatt, Ralston, Richardson, Robb, Seaton, Slater, Snodgrass, Spencer, Stafford, Stokes, Valentine, Vandeveer, Walcut, Walker, Ward, Webb, Welch, West, White, Whitehead, Yuchler.
Primitive Baptist Church Records, Illinois - HANON:
Armon J., 1850 - 1930; joined church 10/1892; Sugar Creek Church, Vermont, IL, Spoon River Association;
Armon J., New Hope Church, Greenbush, IL; Spoon River Association
Elder Samuel, First Danville Church, Danville, IL; Vermillion Association
Delila, Lick Creek Church, Norris City, IL; Muddy River Association
Cyrena, joined church 11/1856; South Fork Church, Edinburg, IL; Sangamon Association
Elijah, joined church 8/1836; New Hope Church, Greenbush, IL; Spoon River Association
Elijah, Horeb Church, Christian County, IL; Sangamon Association
Louisi, joined church 8/1860; South Fork Church, Edinburg, IL; Sangamon Association
Maries, joined church 8/1836; New Hope Church, Greenbush, IL; Spoon River Association
Maries; Horeb Church, Christian County, IL; Sangamon Association
Martin, 1799 - 1879; South Fork Church, Edinburg, IL; Sangamon Association
Martin, Horeb, Christian County, IL; Sangamon Association
Mary Frances, joined church 11/1856; South Fork Church, Edinburg, IL; Sangamon Association
Sarah, South Fork Church, Edinburg, IL; Sangamon Association
Susan, 1808 - 1884; joined church 7/1855; South Fork Church, Edinburg, IL; Sangamon Associaiton