A depiction, suggestive only, of a keelboat with one mast.
Henderson, James
It
is
stated in the "1879 History of Greene County", and repeated in
the "1885 History of Greene and Jersey Counties, that: "James
Henderson was the 1st to make a claim on land north of Apple
Creek, in this county (then Madison), which was in
August of the year 1818."
He
was
born in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, March 9, 1783, the
youngest of 10 children. His father's name was Edward, and of
Protestant Irish descent. At the age of 21, he went to Virginia,
remained there 2 years, and then went to Ohio, where he married
Mary White, born October 25, 1787.
In
the early part of the year 1818, they were living six miles east
of Circleville, Ohio, nearby Mary’s parents, where their
children, then six in number, were born. Mary’s sister, Eliza
White, had recently married Levi Reeder, they being the parents
of one child.
Luther
Prentice Allen, son of Carolyn Henderson and George W Allen,
and grandson of James and Mary Henderson, who authored the
“Genealogy and History of Mercy Shreve and James White” (his
grandmothers family), gives us the account of the children and
activities of the Henderson family.
1) Caroline
Henderson; born, October 13, 1808; married George W Allen
January 3, 1828. (George
Allen is recognized as the ‘founder’ of the city of
Greenfield, Greene County Illinois)
2) Hope
Henderson; b. February 22, 1810; m. 1st Rev. Amos
Prentice and 2nd Rev. Braxton Parish.
3) Nathaniel
Henderson born December 25, 1811; married 1st Martha
Bacon, 2nd Mary Ann Daly.
4) Thomas
Henderson; born April 15, 1813; married Eliza Estes.
5) Edwin
Henderson; born June 15, 1815; married Eliza Jane Williams.
6) James W
Henderson; born February 10, 1817; married Elizabeth Peters.
On
the
7th of May, 1818, James Henderson purchased an
interest in a keelboat, on which to move his young family to the
territory of Illinois, then the limits of Western civilization,
where land was rich and cheap. In this they embarked with their
family, the family of Levy Reeder, and several prospectors to
make the voyage down the Sciota and Ohio Rivers to Cairo, Il.,
then up the Mississippi to Madison County. From Cairo the boat
was “cordelled” upstream a distance of more than 160 miles. (The cordelle was
a rope,
often several
hundred yards
long, by means of
which men towed
boats up stream. The rope
was not attached at the bow, but near the midpoint of the
vessel for effectual steerage)
On
the
4th day of June, 1818, they arrived at the mouth of
the Wood River, a few miles east of Alton. Here they passed the
summer, fall and winter of 1818. On December 4, 1818, the 7th
child was born to Mary Henderson, named Mary for her mother.
During this period the family decided to move farther north
where, in the summer of 1818, James had selected and laid claim
to the location. Accordingly on the advent of spring they
started overland by ox team, locating at a point north of Apple
Creek. Madison County then extended over that territory, but
subsequently was divided and the new county was named Greene.
Several years later the town of White Hall was surveyed and
platted, 2 miles distant, north.
Location of homestead in Sec. 12 of, what is now, Whitehall
Township.
The
1st cabin was built of logs, mud pointed, was 16’ x
16’, with a dirt floor and no loft. There were no windows, and
only one door.
7) Mary; born
near Alton, Illinois. December 4, 1818, died at Whitehall
Illinois, age 9 months.
The
next year the 2nd cabin was built, with a stick
chimney at each end, an improvement over the 1st in
size being 16’ x 24’, and having a punchion floor, a window, and
a loft available for sleeping. The remainder of the family were
born here and here they lived until 1827.
8)
Perry Henderson; born December 6, 1820 married 1st
Ellen Williams, 2nd Mrs. Brewster.
9)
Amy Ann Henderson; born October 29, 1822 married Thomas J
Robinson.
10)
Safety McGee Henderson; born June 10, 1826 married 1st
Kezia J Williams 2nd Lucy Gray.
11)
Franklin Henderson;
born September 15, 1828 married Sarah Metcalf.
In
the spring of the year 1827 a more commodious and modern home
was erected; in size 18’ x 32’, built of hewn timber, a brick
chimney at each end. It had large doors and many glass windows,
and the floors were of ash and hackberry.
This
artist depiction taken from a Greene County Atlas, which
was
published cir. 1880. This home completed by Safety Henderson.
James
Henderson
gave names to the several streams, names which they still bear.
“Wolf Run” was so called because he had seen a large black Wolf
on its bank and killed it. Another named “Crooked Run,” as
streams in his native state were called “runs.” “Bear Creek” was
so named as a very large bear was seen in its vicinity. A stream
near his own home was called “Henderson Creek” from himself,
afterward became known as “Seminary Creek”.
The
year 1846 found James Henderson, and Mary, his wife, aged
respectively 62 and 58 years, with 10 living children, ranging
in ages from 41 to 18 years, all married, excepting the 2
younger boys. They enjoyed the fullness of well spent
lives, devoted to home and children, ever contributing to the
advancement of morality, religion, and education to their
fullest ability. They continued to reside on the homestead they
had owned for over thirty years until their deaths, which
occurred in 1849, only two weeks intervening. Upon death they
were interred on the homestead with other family and friends.
Memorial’s of the
pioneers, James and Mary Henderson.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Heirs
of
James and Mary Henderson living in Greene County, as of January
1, 2015, from the
Edwin
Henderson m. Eliza
J. Williams line:
Lydia
Suzanne & Isabelle Grace – daughter’s of John /
Susan (Thornton) Lansaw
Annabeth
Catherine
– daughter of Joe / Melanie (Plogger) Thornton
Brooke
Elizabeth
– daughter of Josh / Sara (Chapman) Thornton
Allison
Leigh
- daughter of Sam lll / Tracy Thornton
>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
The home,
once occupied by members of the Henderson family, continues as a
properly maintained residence by it’s current owners, as shown
in this 2008 photograph.
Submitted May 2015 by:
Sam
Thornton Jr.
Henderson
heir and resident of Greene County, IL.,.