Drainage Commissioner

--Newspaper Clipping.

1867 First Home

The first home of Amos Arnold and Lora (Johnson) Arnold.  See **Bio Arnold Amos S. post for more info on this home.

--K. Family Photo Album.

AMOS ARNOLD COMES TO ILLINOIS --Part 1--

 

-- Above photos:  Amos Stukely Arnold and his wife Lora Ann (Johnson) Arnold.

(I am not sure who wrote the following article about the Arnold family's arrival to Illinois, but it is very informative.  It documents a lot of rumors I had heard over the years.  I believe it was written in 1984 for entry in the "History of Ford County" book published by the Ford County Historical Society due to the fact that a large portion is published in that book.  I found this copy in the Kendrick family albums.  I have added some visuals.)   

Amos Stukely Arnold left his home in Morrisonville, a small town near Plattsburg, New York in 1866.

--Rand McNally.  1897

Traveling through the Lakes by boat and with a horse and cart aboard, he landed in Chicago at Michigan Avenue (near the present Navy Pier) and started driving southwest. 
Having heard about the Sibley Estate and their huge corn cribs, he wanted to see for himself the good farm land.  He worked for a year with a threshing gang while he looked the country over.  The next year he bought 160 acres of land (Section 9 in Ford County) for $12.00 an acre.

--Lyman Plat Map.  1884. 

(This would be what we in the area remember as the Stamm place.  It was about 3 miles north of Roberts past Bud Otto's farm.  Amos built his home here on this section in 1867.  This photo below was from the Kendrick family album.  Under the photo it states "North Arnold Farmhouse.  Built 1867.")

--K. Family Photo Album.

The next year (October 26, 1867), his wife, Lora Ann Johnson Arnold, and the three oldest children (Harriet, Johnson, and Elma), came to this sparsely settled region -

--Plattsburgh Republican.  5 October 1867.  Page 2.

 - the land being in its mostly primitive condition.  It was a great contrast for the family, who left a pleasant home in the East to live in this unsettled region and bear all the hardships and privations of frontier life.  Roberts was not laid out yet.

-- K. Family Photo Album.

(Not sure if this is the home they left in the East, but I believe Amos was raised in the home pictured above.  I also think this home is located on Mason Street very near Irish Settlement Road in Morrisonville, New York.  More research needed.)

With the growth and development of the county since that time, Mr. Arnold has ever borne his part in its upbuilding.  He was one of the extensive land owners of this community. 
 
Mr. and Mrs. Arnold had seven children:  Harriet, Johnson, Elma, Mary, Seba, Silas, and Seward who all walked two and a quarter miles to the Smith Grade School north of Roberts.

(Smith School circled below.)  

--Lyman Plat Map.  1884.

Harriet married Eli McNeil, a farmer of Ford County. They had four children:  Pearle, Lora, Ellen, and Robert. 

-

----Newspaper Clipping from Susan McNeil Marshall. 

(The McNeil family photo below. Left to right: Eli, Lora, Bob, Ellen, Pearle, Harriet or "Hattie."  Eli and Harriet are buried at Lyman Township Cemetery, Roberts, Illinois.)

--K. Family Photo Album.

Pearle McNeil married Chester Dillon.  She died of the flu while carrying their first child.

(Photo below Pearle and Chester Dillon.  Pearle is buried at Lyman Township Cemetery, Roberts, Illinois. Chester remarried.)

--K. Family Photo Album.

Lora McNeil married A.V. Smith - lived in Ohio - had one child, Joan.

(Lora and Arthur Smith photo below.  Arthur and Lora are buried at Lyman Township Cemetery, Roberts, Illinois.)

--K. Family Photo Album.

Ellen McNeil married Merton West and they adopted twin girls, Ellene and Merlene.  She ran a musical kindergarten in Crete for many years. 

(Photo below Ellen (McNeil) West.)

--K. Family Photo Album.

Bob McNeil married Geraldine Cutler, a teacher.  He was Ford County Superintendent of Highways for 30 years.  Their two daughters are Susan and Margaret. 

(Bob and Geraldine photo below.  Bob and Geraldine are buried at Lyman Township Cemetery, Roberts, Illinois. )





--K. Family Photo Album.

. . . to be continued.

The Farm

Sometime in the 1980's I discovered this aerial shot of the farm where I lived until 1963.  My dad lived here and my Grandpa and my great grandpa.  This property was purchased by Amos Arnold father of Johnson Arnold.  Johnson and Beckie Zwig Arnold set up housekeeping here in a small home given to them by Amos and Lora Johnson Arnold. 
It must have been pretty cramped when Johnson and Beckie lived here as they had seven sons and one daughter:  Amos (died at 6 months), Clyde, Michael, David, Henry, Roger, Ernest and Samantha. 
But additions were made over the years.  A cousin, Jerry Shambrook, remembers in the 1940's that the basement was added to the home.  So I would assume the front porch was added then too, as the basement stairs were wide open in this enclosed entry room.  The photo below is the front of the house, it faced all the outbuildings.  You can see the choppy additions/rooms.  The only bedroom downstairs was the room located to the far left (below).  If I remember correctly, the garden and clothesline were located to the west of the bedroom.  This possibly was the main house when first constructed.  It had an attic above the room and a door that lead to nowhere on the north side of the home. 
A story (that I discussed in an earlier article) states the home was moved to this location. 

 

The property is surrounded by "the ditch."  The ditch was a necessity to drain the land that was actually a lake for probably thousands of years.  We drove up a long lane to the reach the house and outbuildings.  On the rare occasion "the ditch" would seclude us to the home. 

The home is to the left of the lane in the very top photo.  Two barns are visible.  There were several storage sheds and two wooden cribs. 

A row of walnut trees sat behind the house and the cattle had a path there to the water trough located at the end of the lane.

A long row of Osage Orange trees lined the lane going to the north with another small bridge.  Actually the property did have three bridges, one was located to the south also. 
An apple orchard is seen in the first photo, the last group of trees in the middle left. 
Another significant building on the property was what we called the "cob shed."  I had sneaked a peak inside on several occasions.  It had two rooms and flowered wall paper on every wall.  Pretty fancy for cobs.  This small building was the home of Beckie Zwig's parents, Carl and Tina Hermann Zwig.  When the building was their home it was located at the end of the north lane.  Later moved very close to the main home when no longer used as a home, it stored cobs for heating purposes.  I wonder where the stoves were located.

I'll update this as I run across more stories and photos.

Amos and Lora

I ran across this picture today while pawing in a shoe box.  I posted it to a FB page and asked if anyone could repair it.  Nice job.
On the back of the photo is written:  Amos Arnold. And I agree, it is Amos and Lora on the right, but I do not recognize the couple to the left.

Burial Purchases. 1913. Amos Arnold.

Invite to 50th. Amos and Lora Johnson Arnold

Funeral Notice

Funeral Notices for Amos and Lora, husband and wife.  Lora died in 1926 and Amos in 1913.  Both died at home and both held the funeral service in their home. 

What date did they move into Roberts?  And where did they live in the country?

Vote for Amos Arnold

--Paxton Weekly Record.  30 March 1893.

Amos Arnold is appointed Lyman Township Supervisor

--Paxton Weekly Record.  8 December 1892.

--Paxton Weekly Record. 5 January 1893.

Amos Arnold's Sisters

Amos Arnold had 4 sisters.  Mary, Samantha, Eunice, and Harriet.  I believe only one married. 

Eunice Abigail married Jehial B. White.  I have tried to find obits for these 4 sisters, but no luck. 

Mary was born November 5, 1832, and died in 1911.
Samantha was born June 27, 1835, and died in 1926.
Eunice was born May 8, 1838, not sure when she died.
Harriet was born November 17, 1840 and died in 1842.  A child. 

Mary, Samantha, and Harriet are buried in the New Schuyler Falls Cemetery, Schuyler Falls, Clinton County, New York.

Amos sells his property. On to Illinois.

Do you think this is the sale of his property in New York just prior to his setting out for Ford County, Illinois?  50 swarms of bees.

--Plattsburgh Republican. October 05, 1867. Page 2.

 

Irvin (Irving) Bunker

Irvin Bunker, of Roberts, who was recently separated from his wife, decided to obtain (??) of one of his children last week, and from a lawyer's advice that he could lawfully possess her if she would come to him voluntarily, went to the house of his father-in-law, Amos Arnold, of Roberts, where his wife and children were staying. The little girl came willingly enough to her father, of course, and the latter picked her up and made tracks for the buggy. He was followed by the family, who strongly objected to his purpose. Tom Torvin, a hired hand, appealed to by the child's mother, ran to the rescue, but Bunker wheeled and gave Torvin a good view of the ho? end of his revolver, which checked pursuit, and he took the little girl to the home of his father, where he is staying. Subsequently Torvin had Bunker arrested for drawing his revolver, and the latter willingly paid the fine and costs, and has his little girl too. He claims the mother promised to let him have one of the children part of the time and then refused.

--Paxton Record  20 January 1898
(Note: "Irvin" would be Irving.  Irving Bunker was married to Mary Ella Arnold.)

Amos S. Arnold Obituary

Amos S. Arnold aged 82 years, 2 months, and 24 days passed away Sunday morning at 8 o'clock at his home in Roberts after an illness of about six months. Mr. Arnold had been poorly since last September, he having taken seriously ill with kidney trouble at that time. For the past six weeks he had hardly been able to leave his home and last Sunday the disease firmly took its hold and he failed rapidly until death claimed him.
Mr. Arnold was born January 20, 1831, at Schuyler Falls, Clinton County, New York. On July 23, 1857, he was united in marriage to Miss Lora Anna Johnson and to this union seven children were born. They are Mrs. Hattie McNeil, Johnson D. Arnold, Mrs. Flora Elma Cook, Mrs. Mary Ella Tarvin (?), Mrs. Seba Lovicy Linn, Seward M. L. Arnold all of Roberts. One son, Silas, proceeded the father in death August ?, 1898. Mr. Arnold moved with his family from their New York home to Illinois and located on a farm three miles northwest of Roberts. Here they remained until ? when they came to Roberts, where they have since resided.
Besides the children there are twenty three grandchildren, two great grandchildren, and one sister to mourn his loss. The sister is Miss Samantha Arnold who resides at the old home in New York. The grandchildren are Pearl, Laura and Ellen McNeil, Robert McNeil, Clyde, Michael, David, Roger, Henry, Ernest, Samantha Arnold, Ellis, Lovina (?), Orie and Elizabeth Cook, Alice and Lula (?) Bunker, James and Merle Tarvin, Arnold, Marguerite, Seba Frances Linn, and Louise Arnold. All reside at Roberts excepting Clyde and Roger Arnold, the former being in Alberta, Can. and the latter at P?? Texas. The great grandchildren are Delford and Elma Cook of near Roberts.
The funeral service will be held Tuesday at 2 o'clock at the home in Roberts and will be conducted by the Rev. ?? Clark. Interment will be ? in the Roberts Cemetery.
Mr. Arnold was a man of ability and the fact that he was a hard?? worker explains the reason for his accumulation of wealth. He owned in the neighborhood of seven hundred acres of the very best land in this entire section of the state and his ability as a manager is recognized by the entire community. Mr. Arnold was  a good man. He was kind to his neighbors and friends. He was a gentle and loving husband and father and his death has brought deepest sorrow into the homes of Roberts. Another good citizen has left us and to his life we are truly able to say "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

--Paxton Record  17 April 1913

Note:  Seven hundred acres of the very best land.  I can only find 400 in records.