“Portrait and Biographical Album�?page 700, 1889 WILLIAM I. ALLEN, one of the earliest settlers of Eastern Illinois, came to the state in 1844 and to this county the year following. He settled in the vicinity of Danville, and for three years thereafter taught the village and adjoining schools. He entered land now occupied by the northwestern part of Hoopeston, but at that time a tract of uncultivated ground, over which deer, wolves, prairie chickens and other wild creatures had up to this time wandered undisturbed by man. There was not a tree or shrub in sight and the pioneer, after erecting his cabin, frequently stood in his door and counted numbers of deer, sometimes as high as sixty in one herd. Mr. Allen came to this county a single man but after becoming settled was married, Oct. 17, 1815, to Miss Emily Newell. He then commenced breaking his prairie land, and  in due time put up a house and small barn, set out an orchard, planted hedges and proceeded with improvements  naturally suggested to one of his progressive mind and industrious habits. He occupied  his farm during the summer months and in the winter months taught school, and practiced  law for a number of years. Finally he sold out to Mr. Hoopes and settled six miles west where East Lynn now stands.  By entering and purchases he acquired 3,200 acres of land, which was mostly devoted to grazing, although he carried on agriculture  considerably. He put up three houses and effected other improvements, remaining there until after the Civil War.  He then  enlisted in Company C. 12th Illinois Infantry , which  regiment was first ordered to Cairo and then to Paducah, KY.  Mr. Allen  in due time was presented  with Captain’s commission, but was obliged  to resign  on account of disability, and returned home. Our subject now occupied his farm for a time, then purchased 500 acres of in the vicinity of Rossville. A few years later he sold out once more and returned  to the northern part  of East Lynn,  which was  located on a part of the old farm, about the time the railroad  was built through. In 1884 he went to Cherry County, Neb. But in 1888 returned to Hoopeston, where he still lives.  He has built for himself a good record, serving as County Treasurer - two terms and the same length of time as School Commissioner. He usually votes with the Republican Party, and is proud of the fact that in all his life he never cast a ballot for a Democrat. To Mr. And Mrs. Allen there were born six children five of whom are living, namely:  Hugh A. of Holt County, Neb.: Charles A., who is represented elsewhere in this work: Mary, Mrs. Thomas Van Brunt; Emily N., who is unmarried; Clyde H. and Martha who died in January, 1880 at the age of twenty-three years.  Mrs. Emily (Newell) Allen was born in Kentucky in 1824 and came to Illinois with her parents when a small child.  Newell Township was named after her father, James Newell, who was a prominent farmer and useful citizen.  Our subjects father, Asaph Allen was a native of Massachusetts, but reared in Vermont  and was married to Miss Sarah McCloud. They emigrated to Franklin County, Ohio, settling upon land now occupied by a part of the city of Columbus.  Finally they removed over the line into Madison County, and lived until a few years ago when the father died at the age of eighty-three.  The mother of Mr. Allen died while he was an infant......Submitted by Prudy / My Great Great Grandfather

“Portrait and Biographical Album�?nbsp; page 741, 1889 HONORABLE CHARLES A. ALLEN, member of the Thirty-Six General Assembly from the Thirty-First District of  Illinois, was elected on the Republican  ticket in 1884, 1886 and 1888, and is consequently serving his third term.  He has brought to his position fine natural abilities, a large experience, and a conscientious fidelity to duty, which has  enabled him to study the best interest of his constituents, to whom he has given uniform satisfaction. Mr. Allen is recognized as a gentleman of more than ordinary ability, and has been prominent in the councils of his party for years, both in Central Illinois and in the Legislative halls of the Capitol of the State. In 1885 he served on the Judiciary Committee and with several other important bodies, and in 1887 was Chairman of the Railroad and Warehouse Commission, being that year also on the Judiciary Committee. In 1889 he was Chairman of the Committee on Corporations and Educational Institutions, while at the same time remaining with the Judiciary Committee. During the lively discussion over the matter of Gen. Logan’s appointment he was the first man on the roll call, at that time a very important position. All  the interests of Mr. Allen have been centered in the county and vicinity, and here he has spent nearly his entire life. He was born in Danville, July 26, 1851, and two years later the family removed to the Ridge, in the northern part of the county, where they were the earliest settlers. Young Allen after leaving the district school entered the law department of the Michigan State University, by which he was graduated in 1876.  He began the practice of his profession in Rossville, where he remained until 1861, when the new town of Hoopeston began to assume encouraging proportions, and he, accordingly, removed thither, where he ahs since made his home. In connection with his practice he has dealt  consider ability in real estate, and is now the owner of 1,200 acres of land.  In the meantime he became one of the most prominent attorneys of this part of the county, and he has held various responsible  positions connected with local affairs.  Socially, he is a charter member of the K. of P., and also belongs in the Masonic fraternity and the I.O.O.F. In Rossville, on the 4th of April, 1879, Mr. Allen was united in marriage with Miss Mary Thompson, daughter of L. M. Thompson, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this volume. Of this union there have been born two bright children, both sons, John N. and Lawrence T. The family residence is pleasantly situated and forms an attractive  resort for most cultivated and refined element. The father of our subject is William I. Allen, the first man to settle along the Northern Line of this county. He is still living  presented on another page in this work......Submitted by Prudy/ My Great Grandfather

"MARTIN UTTERBACK was raised up to the ministry, in Salem Association. He was a native of Virginia. and was born about the year 1770. In early youth, he came, perhaps with his parents, to Woodford county, Kentucky, and settled on Clear Creek. He received a fair education, for that time. During an extensive revival, which prevailed in his neighborhood, under the ministry of John Taylor, in 1789, he, with 163 others, professed conversion, and was baptized, by that famous old pioneer, into the fellowship of Clear Creek church. After some years, he moved to Hardin county, and united with Bethel church. Here he was ordained to the ministry, about 1807. For several years, he traveled and preached much with Warren Cash. He was by no means a brilliant preacher. But he possessed good, strong common sense, was sound in faith, and was a good expositor of the Scriptures. His plain, pious discourses were enjoyed by believers, and he did much good, in strengthening the young churches, in the frontier settlements. In 1811, he preached the introductory sermon before Salem Association. He also wrote one of the earliest and best circular letters, published by that body. In 1818, he moved to Grayson county, and took the pastoral care of Rock Creek church. He also succeeded Enos Keith in the pastoral office at Concord. After laboring a number of years in this region, he moved to Richland county, Illinois, *where he died at a good old age, and doubtless received the reward of the righteous. A History of Kentucky Baptists From 1769 to 1885, Including More Than 800 Biographical Sketches, J.H. Spencer, Manuscript Revised and Corrected by Mrs. Burilla B. Spencer, In two Volumes. Printed For the Author. 1886. Republished by Church History Research & Archives 1976 Lafayette, Tennessee. Vol. 2, p. 61 (Woodford County)." *Martin and Hannah  Utterback moved with the Cotterells to Illinois about the same time that the Stewarts moved. The Stewart family bought property and settled next door to John Cotterell and family with the Utterbacks near-by.Information obtained from the Ancestry.com sites of: [email protected] (Harold Mcclure)[email protected] (Timothy McCord).....Submitted by DeeJay

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