Historical souvenir of Greenville, Illinois : being a ... - University Library

10 Historical Souvenir of Greenville, Illinois.
George Donnell, Deceased,
Who came to Greenville in 181 8, and
who was one of the pioneer residents.
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HISTORY bears evidence that
great achievements are wrought
through much tribulation, and so it
was in the founding of Greenville,
for be it known that milk-sickness
in Madison county caused George
Davidson to sell his farm there and
move to Bond county in ISlo. The
records show that he entered 160
acres of land, where Greenville now
stands, September 27, ISIG. He
obtained the patent from His Excellency
James Monroe, Presilent
John Greenwood, Deceased.
Came to Greenville in 1838, and a
few years later laid out Greenwood's
Addition.
Mrs George Donkell, Deceased,
of the United States, April 29,
1S25. This land is described as the
southeast quarter of Section No.
10, Township 5, north. Range 3,
west of the third principal meridian.
Mr. Davidson's cabin was built
on the primitive style of logs with
weight poles to hold the clap-board
roof in place. The puncheon floor
was made of slabs, split and hewn,
and the carpenter had no use for
nails, glass, putty, nor plaster. Mr.
Davidson's cabin was located in the
extreme western part of town, near
the present residence of H. H.
Staub. His family consistel of his
wife, Jannet, two sons and two
daughters. One son, Samuel, died
of consumption, soon after coming
here. One daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth
Caroline Blundell, lived at Healdsburg,
California in 187 6, and in a
letter to one of the Greenville
papers stated that her brother and
the Reverend Green P. Rice, who
followed George Davidson here,
laid out some lots in the western
part of Greenville. This plat of the
old town was never recorted and
there is a story to the effect that
George Davidson, one day, in a fit
of anger, tore the plat up and
watched it burn to ashes in the fire-
place.
The existence of this plat afterwards
made trouble for the people
who purchased lots, when the town
was finally laid out. This part of
the town, then laid out, as the
original town, is now Davidson's addition.
Not long after he built his first
cabin, George Davidson moved to
the lot at the southwest corner of
Sixth Street and Main Avenue (as
Samuel White, Deceased,
Who came to Greenville in 1818, and
built one of the first houses here.
it is to "ay) directly across the
street south of the John Baumberger,
Sr., homestead, and opened
a tavern. In opening the
first tavern in Greenville, Mr. Davidson
again proved himself a public
benefactor, for it was for many
years a mecca for the wayfaring
man, as well as a most convenient
loafing place for those of the early
gentry, who were wont to whittle
and spit through the long winter
evenings.
About this time the Reverend
Seth Fuller, Deceased,
Who came to Greenville in the thirties;
an early surveyor and trustee
of Alraira CoUese.