EARLY SETTLERS

Early in 1839, George Wright and John Smith, two young men, located on Section 24, in Township 84, Range 9 (Canton), built a cabin and broke some prairie. This was probably the first cabin built by white men in Benton County. About the same time, James Scott came in and built a cabin. A little later in the same year, Samuel M. Lockhart, with his family, settled in the northeast part of the county, on Section 34, Township 86, Range 9. Shortly afterward, probably in 1840-41, James Downs, Thomas Way, Thomas Kendrick and Price Kendrick settled near Lockhart, and the little pioneer hamlet was called "Hoosier Point" until, in 1847, a town was laid out and called Marysville. Beal Dorsey came with Wright, Smith and Scott, but settled first, it is said, in Linn County. Charles Hinkley is supposed to have been a squatter in Benton County as early as 1839.

In 1840, Samuel K. Parker settled in Township 84, Range 9, near a grove since called Parker's Grove. Jacob Bonsall settled in the county in 1840, but after two or three years moved away. Gilman Clark located in the same year about a mile and a half southeast of the present village of Shellsburg. Stedman Penrose came in the same year; also A.D. Stephens, J.W. Filkins, Joseph Remington, and perhaps others.

It has been said that Reuben Buskirk settled here in 1840, east of Vinton, near the county line; that he died October 10, 1842, being the first death in the county; that there was no lumber with which to make a coffin, and the few settlers felled a linn tree, cut a log of the proper length, split it and laid one-half of it in the grave, and on this the body of the deceased Buskirk was laid, suitable blocks placed at his head and feet, and the other half of the log laid over him and the grave filled, and that there were five men and three women at the funeral. Mr. Lyman D. Bordwell, who was one of the five men present at the funeral, states that this is all correct, except that Buskirk settled just across the line, in Linn County.

In April, 1842, Jacob Cantonwine settled and built a cabin on the site of the future village of Shellsburg. Mrs. Bordwell came with his family. September 13, 1842, Lyman D. Bordwell, familiarly known as "Black King",* arrived at the frontier settlements in Benton County, purchased the claim and improvements of Wright and Smith, settled and lived there until 1849, when he removed to Sections 21 and 22, Township 85, Range 85, Range 10, where he still resides. James Rice settled in 1849.

John Mason, George Sanders, John Royal and others came about 1842-3.

For eight or ten years after these first settlements, the population of the county increased very slowly, but it is to be noted that nearly all who came became permanent settlers. No records show the dates of settlement, and it is hardly possible to be literally correct, as men's memories of events that occurred thirty-five years ago are not always accurate. Below will be found the names of a few of the pioneers who came to Benton County between 1843 and 1851, with the date of their arrival as nearly as can be ascertained: Hyrcanus Guinn, Hugh Brody, F. Bryson, Stephen Brody, Joseph Bryson, William Mitchell, Jesse Brody, Josiah Helm, Joseph C. Rouse, 1843; S.R. Price, George McCoy, 1844; J.R. Pratt, David S. Pratt, L.W. Hayes, Chauncy Leverich, Stephen Holcomb, all in 1845; John Alexander, 1846-7; A.H. Johnson, 1846; David Jewell, John Renfrew, 1846; George Sanders, 1847; James Leverich, 1845-6; Daniel Harris and John S. Epperson, 1847; Elijah Evans, 1847; Charles N. Moberly, 1847; C.C. Charles, 1848; J.S. Forsythe, 1848; John C. Traer, 1851; Russell Jones, 1850; James Harmely, Martin Webb, Amos Anderson, James Pooley, Thomas Mahin, Samuel Rosebury, Alexander Moody, Elias Doan, John Leard, Abel Cox, Aaron Webb, James F. Beckett, D.S. Brubacher, James Chapin, W.C. Stanbury, John R. Speak, William Riley, David Fonts, Dr. C.W. Baffum, G.B. White, M.D.L. Webb, Francis Sander and six sons; Caleb Chapin, Stephen Chapin, James Wood, W.O. Sanders, William Bell, William Cline, I.D. Simison, J.F. Young, James Crow, Thos. Beckett.

According to the best information now available, it appears that the first birth in the county was that of William Penrose, son of Stedman Penrose, who was born in August, 1841; and the next, Mary North, daughter of Loyal F. North, January 8, 1843; and the next, Lucinda, daughter of Lyman D. Bordwell, July 5, 1844.

The records of Linn County indicate that the first couple married in the territory of Benton County was Charles Hinkley, aged 30 years, and Mary Helm, aged 45 years, by Perry Oliphant, in 1839. Oliphant made two trips to Marion for the license. They were married about midnight, in a log house, with no witnesses except the officiating Justice. Afterward, Henkley had one leg amputated by Dr. S.H. Tryon, and in 1848 was convicted of arson. She petitioned for divorce. John Alexander was her attorney, and succeeded in procuring a decree, with the assistance of some of the boys, with whom, however, he refused to divide his fees. As Benton County was not created until 1843, it is a little doubtful whether this marriage should be credited to it.

The first marriage license, after the organization of the county, appears to have been issued by David S. Pratt, Deputy Clerk of the District Court, to Joseph Onstott and Miss Sarah Patch, aged about 42 years, respectively. These parties were married June 20, 1847, by Lyman D. Bordwell, Justice of the Peace.

The first death was that of Christian Kensinger, Mrs. Bordwell's father, who came to the county in the Fall of 1843, and died May 5, 1844.

The first school house erected in the county, so far as can now be ascertained, was built of logs on Section 25, Township 86, Range 9, and known to the early settlers as the "Johnson School House." It was built in 1845-6, and the first school in the county was taught in it in 1846-7, by Francis James Rigaud, who was an educated man who "wrote a magnificent hand." Rigaud lived in a little log cabin near the present site of Wilmington. He died in 1847-8.

* Mr. Bordwell says that in earlier days, in some difficulty he had with Mr. Holcomb, he told that gentlemen that he (Bordwell) would show him that he (Bordwell) was "King of the Prairie." I.D. Simison, who was present thereupon called him the "Black King."

Transcribed by Kate Connerth and submitted to
the IAGenWeb Project on October 9th, 1997.
Copyright © 1997 by Kate Connerth.