Check out my blog tomorrow as I delve into the genealogy of my family and that of my wife with

Finding Family Friday for  “Grandma Got Hanged!”

CRANE CREEK TOWNSHIP

JESSE BAKER (deceased), farmer ; Mr. Baker was one of the first white settlers of Mason Co.; he was born in Tennessee in 1799, and came to Illinois Territory
in 1816 and settled in what is now Morgan Co., and, in 1833, located in Mason Co.,
where he passed the remainder of his life. He has had a varied experience ; possessed
of an unusually vigorous and robust frame, he endured the privations and hardships of
pioneer life, the chase of the deer aid the defense against the noble red m^n, which
few could endure ; he has fought the Indians from tree to tree ; was contemporary with
Ross and Scovill, of Havana, and others ; he engaged in farming upon Crane Creek;
near where he and his descendants have resided for nearly half a century ; he raised ninety bushels of corn per acre and sold supplies to Mr. Faulkner, the first farmer
of Sherman Township. His descendants are among the substantial residents of the
county. -Upon Aug. 20, 1879, Jesse Baker passed down the dark valley at the age of
80 years. He was a man esteemed very highly for his many noble traits of character, and one of whom his contemporaries will admit that his life was net a failure and he
did not live in vain ; he was an intimate friend of Abraham Lincoln, in the rafting and
old Salem days of the latter. He was the father of Mrs. R. W. Porter, of Mason City, who was with him several days before and up to the time of his death.

GEORGE W. ESTEP, farmer; P. 0. Kilbourne; was born at Baker’s Prairie, across the river from Petersburg, Menard Co., 111., March 6, 1823 ; his father, James
Estep, and his grandfather, Elijah Estep, were the first owners of the land Petersburg
is built on. George W. Estep commenced farming on his own account in Mason Co.,
in 1848. He married Cynthia Norris Aug. 2, 1849; she was born in Greene Co., 111., May 8, 1828, and came with her parents to Mason Co. in 1835 ; they have had eight
children Finis M., Rhoda K., William II., Celia J. and Alvin are living; Celestia died aged 8 days ; James A. died in his 13th year ; Mary died in her 18th year ; Finis and Rhoda are married ; the others reside at home with their parents. He owns a farm of 130 acres in this and Kilbourne Townships. Himself, wife and three children, are members of the Baptist Church.

WM. J. ESTEP; farmer and stock-raiser; P. 0. Easton ; was born in Menard
Co., 111., Jan. 4, 1831 ; went with his parents to Ja>per Co., M)., in the spring of 1839,
and in 1844, to Davis Co., Iowa, and to McDonough Co., 111., in 1846, and to Crane
Creek Township in 1848, where he has since resided ; his father, James Estep, and his grandfather,- Elijah Estcp, were the first owners of the land on which Petersburg, Menard Co., is built; they went there in the spring of 1820. The subject of this sketch married Miss Judith Toiulin July 26, 1855 ; she was born in Cumberland Co.,
N. J., Jan. 23, 1835, and came to Mason Co. with her parents, in February, 1846.
Mr. Estep has never taken any very active part in politics, but has held some Township
offices, School Trustee, Commissioner of Highways and Supervisor one year, etc. ; He owns 362 acres of land and a fine home.

DAVID C. ESTEP, farmer ; P. 0. Kilbourne ; was born in Menard Co., 111., Nov. 7, 1838; went to Jasper Co., Mo., with his parents in the spring of 1839; in 1844, to Davis Co., Iowa, and to McDonough Co , 111., in 1846, and to Crane Creek
Township in 1848; his father, James Estep, died Feb. 5, 1857, and his mother, Feb.
9, 1855 ; his father and his grandfather were the first owners of land that Petersburg;
Menard Co., is built on. In 1857, the subject of this sketch left home and worked here
and there farming; he married Mary F. Baker, of Menard Co., Nov. 12, 1863 ; she was born May 10, 1846. They have four children living Etta M., Miles E , Misty
May, David F. Mr. E^tep commenced farming his own land in the .spring of 1865,
and moved on to the farm lie now owns (160 acres) in the spring of 1868.

JAMES M. ESTEP, farmer; P. 0. Havana; was bora in St. Clair Co., 111., Dec.
14, 1819 ; in the spring cf 1820, his father, James Estep, moved to the spot now occupied by Petersburg, Menard Co., and a year or two later, his grandfather, Elijah Estep, came there, and both made the necessary improvements to hold the land and enter claims
when it should be put on the market by the Government, and effected their purchase in 1827 ; so that the father and grandfather were the first owners of nearly all the land on which Petersburg was built. Mr. James M. Estep holds land grants over the signatures
of J. Q. Adams, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, James K. Polk and Z. Taylor.
James Estep was born in North Carolina, Feb. 16, 1795, and died Feb. 5, 1857, in Crane Creek Township ; he married Abigail Teter, of Virginia, Dec. 31, 1816 ; she was bom Dec. 5, 1794, and died Feb. 9, 1855. James M. Estep’s school advantages were
little beyond what he taught himself ; he has always followed farming, and purchased
here in 1849; he married Mrs Maria F. Perkins, (Short) Feb. 14, 1858; she was born
in Menard Co., 111., June 12, 1835, and had two children by her first marriage Ed_car,
who died at the age of 10 years, Jame-< D., lives in Kilbourne Township ; her father was
burn in January, 1805, in Kentucky; her mother in St. Clair Co., 111., Dec. 28, 1808;
her father died Nov. 27, 1846, in Government service in the Mexican war. Mr. and
Mrs. Estep have had six children Sarah A., born Jan. 24, 1859 ; Dillard M.. S<<pt 13,
1862, died July 29, 1863; Carrie E. and Cordie C., born May 16, 1865; Ella J., Feb. 25, 1868, and Ida L., Feb. 4, 1871 ; Sarah J. married H. B. Samuell and lives in Crane Creek Township. Mr. Estep owns now 570 acres of land.

JAMES L. IIAWKS. farmer ; P. O. Easton ; was born in Green Co., Ky., Nov. 25. 1823, and moved to Mason Co. III., in the fall of 1849. At the age of 16 years, with
his father went down the Ohio and Mississippi River to market, with two flatboats loaded
with tobacco ; on their return, his father was stricken with fever, and died within sixty
miies of home. At the age of 19, he entered his uncle’s store in Adair Co., Ky., as
clerk, and remained between eight and nine years ; he then invested all his means in company with a horse buyer, and bought a drove of horses to sell in Mississippi, but was
left by his partner with only 880 in money and two horses. He had a sister living in Mason Co., III., where he decided to go and engage in firming, and has since remained.
He reached Crane Greek Township in the fall of 1849. Feb. 25, 1852, he married
Abigail Bale ; her father, Solomon Bale, was one among the first settlers of this township ; she was born Nov. 29, 1832, .in Green Co., Ky. They have ten children Mary
E., born Dec. 3, 1852; Nancy R., Dec. 13, 1854; William EL, Oct. 12. 1856 ; James
11., Nov. 18, 1858; Sophia, Feb. 3, 1861 ; Fielding T., Aug. 18, 1863; Solomon L., Jan. 21. 1866; George A., May 1, 1868; John C., Feb. 19. 1871 ; Ella M., May 7,
1873. The two oldest daughters and the oldest son arc married ; the rest are at home
with their parents. Mr. Hawks has been School Treasurer over twenty years, and was
the first Supervisor elected after the organization of Crane Creek Township ; has served
twelve years off and on, and was re-elected last April. He owns 710 acres in the
township. Is a m ‘inner of the Baptist Church.

ADAM LIST, farmer and stock-raiser; P. 0. Easton ; was born in Bedford Co.,
Penn., Jan. 27, 1835, and the following spring his parents moved to T,azewell Co., 111. Peoria, at that time, had no buildings except a few log cabins. He moved to Mason
Co. in the spring of 1861, and married Elizabeth Keil, of Taz<;well Co., Oct. 24, 1861 ; she was born Feb. 2, 1839. Her father, Bultz>r, and her mother, Catherine E. Keil, were born in Germany. Her father died Oct. 20, 1865; and her mother resides in Tazewcll Co. Louis List and Catharine (Gable), parents of the subject of this sketch, were
al<o burn in Germany; his father died in October, 1847, near Peoria, and hi* mother
still resides there. Mr. and Mrs. Adam List have six children Charles F., born Aug.
15, 1862; Julia E., Oct. 2, 1864; Louis A., Jan. 1, 1867; Ezra J., Oct. 26, 1869 ; Catharine M., Nov. 23, 1871 ; Matilda M. M., Aug. 15, 1875. He owns 310 acres, and a building lot in Mason City.

GEORGE S. McCLlNTICK, farmer and stock-raiser; P. 0. Easton; was born
in Augusta Co., Va., Sept. 12, 1835 ; came with his parents to Tazewell Co., 111., in the
spring of 183(5. His father, Robert McClintick, and his mother, Mary (Arganbright), were born in Virginia; his father died in March, 1851. Mr. McClintick married Mrsr Sarah Jane (Somers) Perdue, of Illinois, Nov. 8, 1858. They have two boys living
Cyrus E., born Oct. 4, 1859, and Milton S., born May 16, 1863. He owns 289 acre* of land

JAMES TURNER, farmer; P. 0. Easton; was born in Muhlenburg Co., Ky.,
May 28, 1815, and came to Menard Co., 111., in the fall of 1854. He married Martha
A. Hall, of Mason Co., 111., Oct. 29, 1875; her father, George W. Hall, was born in Virginia, and her mother, Nancy M. (Short), was born in Menard Co. Berry Turner,
father of the subject of ‘his sketch, was born in Buckingham Co., Va., and his mother,
Susanna (Strader), in North Carolina, Feb. 11, 1806, and resides in this township;
Berry Turner moved with his family to Menard Co. in 1854 and is familiar wiih many
of the earliest settlers of Menard and Ma<on Cos., and now in their ripe old age reside
in Crane Creek Township, surrounded by their children. Mr. and Mrs. James Turner
have one little daughter Silva Belle, born Oct. 6, 1876. They own 141 acres of land
in Crane Crock Township.

WlLLIAM C. TURNER, farmer and stock-raiser; P. 0. Easton; was born in Muhlenburg Co., Ky., Jan. 28, 1842 ; moved to Menard Co., 111., in the fall of 1854,
and to Crane Creerk Township, in Mason Co., the same year. He married Laura Jane
Hawthorn Nov. 8, 1867 ; she was born in Allen’s Grove Township, Mason Co., May
20, 1851 ; her father, Benjamin Hawthorn, is one of the early settlers of this county ; they have had six children Hugh A., Dora A., born Oct. 13, 1870, and died Jan.
G, 1871 ; Benjamin A., born Dec. 17, 1871; James A., Dec. 25, 1873; Marcus D.,
Aug. 15, 1876, and died March 19, 1878; John W., born Sept. 20, 1878, and died
Feb, 11, 1879. They own 90 acres, and he is a Democrat.