Early Farm Life in Bureau County, Illinois, and ... - New Page 1

Painter, Binder, Punter, Puenter (or a whole host of other spellings), arrived by ship (with
birth and other data that fits Heinrich) when records were kept:
Heinrich and Elizabeth, either separately or together then most likely boarded a train or a ship
(stern wheeler on the Mississippi) and traveled north to Illinois arriving in Bureau County by
wagon or horse a few months later.
Heinrich and Elizabeth somehow ended up on the farm or in the home of John and Anna
Landera (or Landers) and, as the 1850 census shows, their name was recorded as Henry and
Elizabeth Painter and it was implied or demonstrated to the census taker that they were
married. It is also implied that the Painters and the Landeras lived in the same dwelling but it
is not clear from the data who owned the dwelling, where it was located, or if they might
have simply been boarders.
It is known that Heinrich owned a 20 acre piece of land near Trenton (later named DePue).
Perhaps this is where they were living. Or perhaps they were living on the property just to the
north of the COH cemetery because it is here that Heinrich’s two sons were born. See
Appendix C for locations of these properties.
Note: the same article regarding Jacob and Justina’s wedding
anniversary states that Jacob was born (in 1855) in a “log
cabin”, the same cabin in which Justina was born a few years
later. This log cabin was situated north of the COH and on
land (farm) which was owned in 1929 by William Genzlinger
near Hollowayville. Who owned or lived on this land in 1852
thru 1855 is currently unknown. Was this Heinrich’s farm or
that of someone else such as a midwife or neighbor
Nevertheless, about two plus years after arrival, Henry was born, in 1852. Jacob came along
three years later, in 1855.
In all probability, some time between when they lived with the Landeras and when Henry
was born, they moved to the farm just north of the COH. This was probably rented
farmland or else they may have been resident farmhands. They would later purchase this
80 acre piece of land. For the next 15 years until 1865, Heinrich and Elizabeth farmed in
Bureau County, either on their own farm or that of someone else.
There is no evidence that Heinrich was able to take advantage of the Homestead Act of 1862
or the Illinois Land Grant programs of the time.
Around 1814, Illinois, being a large unsettled territory, began
to offer public land for sale for the purposes of development.
Between 1814 and 1850, little of this land was purchased. A
depression (1838-1847) plus the Blackhawk war (1832)
interfered to some extent. The real surge in purchases
occurred between about 1851 and 1854 after construction of
the Illinois and Michigan Canal was completed. Finally, by
1854, land left over was granted to the Illinois Central
Railroad Company.
Chapter 8 Page 4