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PEORIA COUNTY, ILLINOIS
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The History of Peoria, Illinois
By C. Ballance.
Publ. Peoria, Ill.
Printed by N. C. Nason, 135 S. Washington Street.
1870

CHAPTER XXXVII.
THE OLD SETTLERS SOCIETY.

     On the 4th of July, 1867, a preliminary meeting was had in Peoria, to organize an Old Settlers' Society.  A committee was appointed to draft a constitution, etc., and finally, at a meeting held on the 27th of said month, a constitution was adopted, and officers were elected - in short, all the usual steps were taken to organize said society.

     HON. JOHN HAMLIN was elected President for one year.
     COL. CHARLES BALLANCE was elected Secretary.
     The design that none should be registered as members but those who had lived in Peoria, or its immediate vicinity, for more than thirty years, was not fully carried out; for, the thing becoming popular, many sought to join who by no means came within the spirit and meaning of the constitution; and, as a considerable degree of liberality of feeling prevailed, a number were permitted to be enrolled who had not the proper residence nor length of time.  In the following list those who came into the place since 1836 are omitted, but some are retained who never lived in the city at all, and others who have long since removed away.  About half of the following, however, now live within the bounds of the city:
 

MEMBERS WHEN RESIDENCE COMMENCED.

John Hamlin

Nov. 1819
C. Ballance Nov. 1831
Samuel B. King Sept. 1831
John Waugh June, 1836
Jacob Hepperly March, 1831
Edward F. Nowland Jan. 1835
John C. Flanagan May, 1834
John T. Lindsay July, 1836
John Todhunter June, 1834
Samuel Tart Sept. 1834.
Matthew Taggart Nov. 18, 1835
Thomas Mooney, jr. Oct. 1835
Edward D. Shutts Oct. 4, 1836
Peter Sweat Dec. 24, 1833
Jacob Tapping Dec. 1, 1836
Jacob Darst June 20, 1835
Frederick Muller June 10, 1836
Robert Boal June 4, 1836
John H. Lisk Sept. 1835
John Leadley Oct. 1836
George C. Bestor Aug. 1835
Rudolphus Rouse Aug. 1832
Isaac Underhill Dec. 25, 1833
John Hines Nov. 3, 1833
William A. Hall Nov. 6, 1833
Aquilla Moffatt June 2, 1822
John Feilkil Aug. 1836
Josiah Fulton April, 1819
William Blanchard May, 1819
John Sharp Oct. 1824
John W. Caldwell Oct. 3, 1830
John Whitby Oct. 1835
Daniel Corbet Oct. 1835
George Greenwood Oct. 9, 1835
Nelson L. Woodruff Nov. 16, 1835
W. H. Ellis Oct. 1836
George Gilfillen 1836
George W. Schnebly Nov. 1835
Thomas P. Smith Nov. 1834
William Stillwell June, 1836
John C. Schnebly Nov. 1835
Nathaniel Robinson Oct. 19, 1835
J. H. Schnebly Nov. 10, 1835
George Ford May, 1835
Griffith Dickinson April, 1835
James H. McCall May 10, 1835
H. W. Partridge June, 1836
Alexander Caldwell Dec. 1827
J. S. Hornbaker Oct. 1830
E. C. Root Oct. 1830
Amos Stevens July, 1833
Alvah Moffatt June 10, 1822
Lorin Wilder Oct. 27, 1836
Alexander M. King Sept. 1831
Longworth Armstrong Oct. 1836
Chauncey C. Wood Sept. 1836
Henry W. Jones Nov. 1, 1831
John A. McCoy Dec. 28, 1836
John Benson May, 1834
Edward C. Benson May, 1834
Ebenezer Stowell June, 1836
William Reynolds Nov. 1836
Peter W. Hawley July, 1835
William C. H. Barton Dec. 23, 1825
Peter W. Hawley July, 1835
William C. H. Barton Dec. 23, 1825
Perry Frazer July, 1834
P. C. Reding June, 1822
Auren Garrett Aug. 1833
Daniel Trail May 4, 1834
C. M. Frazer July, 1834
Elihu N. Powell March, 1836
Alva Dunlap May, 1834
Lyman J. Loomis Aug. 1834
George W. Fash June, 1835
Augustine Greenwood Aug. 16, 1836
William E. Mason Aug. 19, 1834
J. T. Stewart Born in Ill. June 20, 1824
John E. Bristol Oct. 19, 1830
Moses Clifton Oct. 1826
L. H. Armstrong Nov. 1836
B. L. T. Bourland June, 1834
Peter Frye Nov. 1834
John J. Runkle Oct. 1833
Imri W. Case Oct. 3, 1836
Johnson S. Adams March, 1831
James F. Murden June 15, 1835
James Monroe Sept. 5, 1836

     This organization has thus far contributed much to the pleasure of the society; especially on the Fourth of July, our national birth-day.  On the fourth of July, 1868, we had a sumptuous feast, and a number of speeches, in the shade of Flanagan's Grove, for the members of their families, and some invited guests.
     On the fourth of July, 1869, preparations were made for even a more sumptuous feast for a larger crowd, and the kindest of feelings prevailed; but our hilarity was much checked by a rain-storm that broke into the midst of it.
     The same officers were reelected at both of said meeting, and officiate in said offices yet.
     The above are nearly all old men; and yet, since this society was formed (two years and a half), only one of its members has died, to wit, Hon. Peter Sweat.  He was a native of New Hampshire, but had lived the last half of his life in Peoria.  The most of the time he dealt in dry goods or groceries (I believe at one time in both), but for a few years he has turned his attention to cultivating grapes and other fruit.  His integrity as a business man I never heard questioned.  He appeared to be a man of moderate talents; yet he must have possessed a considerable amount of shrewdness, for he was for a long time a ruling spirit in the democratic party, and was by it frequently elected in the democratic party, and was by it frequently elected to office.  At one time he served a term of four years in the State Senate.

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