Valentine Martin Darnall
Rachel (Steers) Darnall
Livingston County, Illinois Early Settlers
(November 2005)
First Settlers Arrived 175 Years Ago at Indian Grove
In the realm of Livingston County history, a significant event occurred 175 years ago. In October of 1830, a family arrived in an old-fashion prairie schooner drawn by four horses from Boone County, Kentucky, and made a home in the grove along Indian Creek, about six miles south of where the village of Fairbury would emerge in the 1857. Their home was a primitive log cabin. The arrival of this single family to this vicinity was uneventful because of the fact that where they settled was then part of Tazewell County which extended north almost to modern day Morris, Illinois.
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Valentine Martin Darnall |
Rachel (Steers) Darnall |
This family, Valentine Martin Darnall, his wife Rachel (Steers) and six children, Jonathan, Mary, Alvira, Malvina, Nancy Ann, and Minerva, became known as the first permanent white settlers of Livingston County. Prior to settling at Indian Grove, it is known that they stopped at the settlement above Pleasant Hill, on the Mackinaw River. Darnall had three brothers-in-law living there -- John Henline, John B. Thompson and John Steers -- and he left his wagon and family with them while he came over to Indian Grove on a prospecting trip. After deciding upon a location, he borrowed a wagon from a brother-in-law to avoid unloading, and again loading his own, and having procured some grain, went over to the Sangamon River, eight miles from Springfield, to mill, as he could not live, he said, even in a wilderness, without something to eat. Having secured his provisions, Darnall returned to the Mackinaw settlement ready to build a cabin for his family. It is recorded that he would cut down a "board tree" and "chop of a cut" -- as he had no saw -- which he cut eight feet long and quartered, in order that he might "rive" boards by firelight. He would cut house logs during the day and make boards at night. On the first of November he raised his first cabin with the help that came from the settlement at Mackinaw.
VALENTINE MARTIN DARNALL
HIS WIFE AND FAMILY
ARRIVED HERE FROM BOONE
COUNTY KENTUCKY ON OCTOBER
27, 1830 AND BUILT HIS LOG
CABIN 250 FEET WEST OF THIS
SITE.
THEY WERE THE FIRST
PERMANENT WHITE SETTLERS IN
LIVINGSTON COUNTY ILLINOIS.
THIS TABLET ERECTED BY THE
DESCENDANTS OF THE PIONEER
FAMILY AND THE LIVINGSTON
COUNTY HISTORIC SOCIETY.
AUGUST 23, 1930
1830 1930
Livingston County organized in 1837. Four of their children would marry: Jonathan to Sabra Henline; Mary to Williamson Spence - the 1st couple married in Livingston County; Alvira to Benjamin Hieronymus; and Minerva to Thomas A. Jones. [Note: It's appropriate to mention that Frederick Rook did settle in the autumn of 1829, near what is now called Rooks Creek, but stayed one year and removed to Missouri.]
Here they experienced the raw praireland which was wide-open as far as the eye could see, only broken by the scattered groves of trees along the larger creeks. The different varieties of oak, elm, maple and walnut predominated, while ash, cottonwood, and whitewood were not uncommon. The prairie grass which grew taller than a horse's back undulated in the winds, and was populated with game. It was also swampy in rainy conditions. Early settlers did not considered the prairie as valuable because the timber land was highly prized for lumber, fuel and maple syrup. Living far from any neighbors, however, they were not alone as two tribes of Indians were also present.
The Pottawatomies and Kickapoos numbered about 400 to 700 souls, depending upon various old sources, and freely roamed the territory; the name of their chief was Shabbona. No accounts exist of Indian problems as the Darnalls and the Indians were mutually friendly. When on their hunting excurions, the Indians stored part of their provisions with the Darnalls. In his dealings with the Indians, Darnall earned their trust and was the "good shomokiman," meaning the good white man. One story is told that Mrs. Darnall once asked an old chief if he and his tribesmen would kill them if an uprising should occur. The old chief is said to have replied, "Oh, yes, but we kill 'em quick," meaning that they would not be tortured.
V. M. Darnall lived a long and full life, having reached the age of 95 years 4 months and 3 days. He was born in Virginia, March 8, 1797, the fourth child of James and Massie (Martin) Darnall. While a resident of Boone County, Kentucky he married his bride in 1818. After Livingston County was organized into townships, he was the first Belle Prairie Township Supervisor in which capacity he served two terms.
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V. M. DARNALL BORN March 8, 1797 DIED July 11, 1892 AGED 95 yrs 4 mo 3 da
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RACHEL WIFE OF V. M. DARNALL DIED Sept 28, 1872 AGED 78 yrs 5 mo 16 da
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The remains of V. M. and Rachel (Steers) Darnall rest in the Spence Cemetery which is located about 1/4 mile from their homestead. Two daughters, Mary Spence and Alvira Hieronymus, with their husbands are also buried there. Today, many descendants of this first family remain in the vicinity of their roots. The original farm homestead of the Darnall family is still owned and operated by the 6th and 7th generation descendants, Willa (Spence) Verckler and her son and daughter-in-law, Marty and Kris Travis. It is recognized by the state as a Illinois Heritage Farm.
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BENJAMIN HIERONYMUS JAN. 13, 1818 DEC. 31, 1885 ALVIRA M. HIS WIFE FEB. 1, 1822 MAR. 25, 1901 HIERONYMUS |
SPENCE WILLIAMSON SPENCE BORN JULY 12, 1814 - DIED DEC. 1, 1896 MARY DARNALL WIFE OF WILLIAMSON SPENCE BORN SEP. 18, 1820 - DIED JAN. 2, 1901 |
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Sources:
Livingston County History, 1878
Portrait and Biographical Album of Livingston County, 1888
Darnall, Spence, Steers Genealogy, 1981 by Erma Stuckey
