I received a photocopy of this material from the DAR on November 10, 1988. This is the material as accepted by the DAR for membership for Miss Edna Burwell Williams.

The National Number is 470684.

I, Edna Burwell Williams... apply for membership in the Society by right of lineal descent in the following line from Isaac Pedan who was born in York County, Penna. on the 5 day of [month blank] is about 1757 and died in Crawford County, Penna. on the [day blank] of Aug. 1809. His place of residence during the Revolution was Cumberland County, Penna.

I am the daughter of James Milton Williams born on 12/31/1836 at Nicholas Co., KY, died at Lafayette, Indiana on June 28, 1917 and his wife Nancy Elizabeth Burwell Wolfe born 3/24/1848 at Crawford County, PA, died at Chicago, Ill. on 12/7/1929, married on 12/31/1868.

The said Nancy Elizabeth Burwell was the child of Benjamin Burwell born on Oct. 1, 1820 at Crawford County, PA died at Lafayette, Indiana on 12/15/1882 and his wife Hannah Williamson born on 11/20/1823 at Crawford County, PA, died at Pullman, Illinois on 11/6/1892, married on May 22, 1845.

The said Benjamin Burwell was the child of Sameul Burwell born on 1777 at Rockaway, N.J., died at Crawford County, PA on July 31, 1822 and his wife was Hannah Peden born on 1782 at Fayette County, PA, died at Fayette County on May 10, 1862, married on 1798 on Redstone, PA.

The said Hannah Peden was the child of Isaac Peden (Pedan) born about 1757 at York County, PA, died at Crawford County, PA on Aug. 1809 and his wife Rebecca Garwood born about 1762, married on Mar. 9, 1778.

The said Isaac Peden was the child of Samuel Peden, wife Lydia Potter.

I, Edna Burwell Williams was born on Nov. 5, 1875 at Lafayette, Indiana.

References for lineage included Application for Soldier's Home, marriage certifications, tombstone records, photostatic census records for Tippecanoe County, Indiana 1860, Letter from Veterans Hospital, Administration papers - History of Crawford County, Penna., "Our County and it's People", by S.P. Bates, pp 705, Enc. Of Quaker Genealogy Vol. VI, pp 437. The Peden Family in America , Encyclopedia of Quaker Genealogy, refers DAR to file 447909 for further proof.

My Revolutionary ancestor was married to Rebecca Garwood at Cumberland County, Mar. 9, 1778.

Children of Revolutionary Ancestor:

Jacob Peden
Hannah Peden	born 1782	married Samuel Burwell
Rebecca Peden			married  ???? Canada
Rachel Peden			married ????   Harvey
Susannah Peden			married ??? Gilleland
Ruth Peden			married ??? Hill
Isaac Peden			married  Celia Fish

Ancestor's Services: My ancestor's services in assisting the establishment of American Independence during the War of the Revolution were as follows:

Capt. John Buchanan's Company of 5th Batt. Of Cumberland County Militia for the year 1782. Vol. 6, pp 361, 5th Series of Pennsylvania Archives.

Also listed in 1780 in same company. Name spelled Peadon.

Silas Harvey was an alcoholic and he and Rachel were divorced. Children: Franklin b. 1840 and Arvida b. 1854 (minors at the time of divorce). [dates of children are copied as written] Other Harveys' supeoned [as written] by the court at divorce trial were James, Chloe, Almon. Nathan and Philer, may have been older children.

For more on the Decendants of Silas Harvey and Rachel Paden

CLICK HERE

Susannah and Sam Gilliland had nine children: Rebecca b. Feb. 12, 1810; Simeon; Nancy m. Jap Peck; Polly b. Feb. 4, 1819, d. May 30, 1900, m. Simeon Frey; Sarah (or Sally) b. Jan. 18, 1820 m. John Van Winkle; Samuel was her twin; Uriah, b. Dec. 23, 1821; Susan b. Feb. 22, 1823, m. Silas Thompson; John b. Apr. 21, 1827. Susan and Silas Thompson had 5 children: Ordell; Francis and Frank (twins) b. Dec. 8, 1848; Amos b. Sept. 1849; and Louisa. It was Louisa Thompson who was living with our grandparents Isaac and Celia Paden, who wrote the letter for Isaac to his son David J. telling him of the tragic death of his mother. Louisa spent many years with our great grandparents [Isaac and Rebecca ??]. she was married late in life to a man named William Booth.

John Gilliland had four children: Cordelia b. 1850, d. 1929 (single); Loretta b. 1855, d. 1878; Edward b. 1861; Boyd b. Jan. 21, 1865, died Apr. 22, 1884. Edward Gilliland married Julia Wright: Children: Lynn b. 1887 and Boyd b. Sept. 3, 1891.

Boyd Gilliland says, Franklin Harvey son of Silas and Rachel Paden Harvey had a blacksmith shop next to his place and he helped him set wagon tires and other jobs.

NOTE: There are two photos of tombstones that may be salvageable. Text states: "These pictures were taken in the Frey Cemetery Apr. 2, 1965, Linesville, Pa. The above picture are the tombstones of Susannah Paden Gilliland born 1790 died Mar. 25, 1869. Samuel Gilliland born Dec. 24, 1787, d. Dec. 14, 184[9?]."

NOTE: Photocopy of a card that states above it, "Lynn born 1887 died 1889." Below the card it states, "Received from Boyd Gilliland Dec. 1964 - ???? brother." The card says:

LINES WRITTEN IN MEMORY OF
LYNN E. GILLILAND
By His Bereaved Mother

Our hearts are torn and bleeding
For our darling little boy.
The Lord has taken him above,
To that home of peace and joy.

We miss him, oh! so sadly,
In our daily walks of life;
But "Safe in the arms of Jesus",
He's a happy, shining light.

He does not know the anguish
That his mother's heart has known,
Since he went to join the angels
In that rest of "Home Sweet Home."

We hope some day to meet him,
when this weary strife is o'er,
And we join the band of angels
On that bright and golden shore.

We try to bear our burden,
Though the way seems dark and dim;
We know he cannot come to us,
But we can go home to him.

SAMUEL PEDEN second son of Samuel and Lydia Potter Peden was born in York county Pa. in 1754. He married a non-Quaker girl and was disowned from the church in 1781. He kept the spelling of the name Peden , thus he has many relatives by that name who are descendants of his.

LYDIA PEDEN only daughter of Samuel and Lydia Potter Peden never married. She was born in 1856 [date appears to be incorrect]. Somewhere in the records we find a Lydia Peden to have been an alcoholic. There has been a little argument as to which Lydia it might have been, all we know for certain is for some unknown reason (records call it disunity) our Lydia Peden was dismissed from the Quaker church in 1824.

JOSEPH PEDEN third son of Samuel and Lydia Potter Peden was born in 1758. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and he being a gunsmith by trade was detailed to make guns for the army in the field. Joseph was twice married. His first wife was Miss Rebecca Driver of York, Co., Pa an own cousin of Patrick Henry of Revolutionary fame. They were the parents of 10 children so there's bound to be a world of descendants. At this time we have found Eva Pierce in Calif. And Sarah Alice Burr of El Dorado, Kans. with whom we correspond. Joseph died Aug. 5, 1850, age 92. Rebecca died June 16, 1817.

NOTE: Photo is black, but text states, "The above picture of the Susquehannah River was taken Mar. 31, 1965, south of highway 30, east of York, Pa. A crumbling stone lock is about all that remains along the river to remind one of this once mode of transportation. Canal traffic reached a maximum peak in 1870 when boats carried as high as 150 tons of goods. Railroads and trucks take care of that now.

ALEXANDER PEDEN youngest son of Samuel and Lydia Potter Peden was born in York county, Pa., in 1762. He along with other members of the family were received into the Warrington Meeting in 1770 at which time he would have been about 5 years of age. In December the parents with their daughter Lydia and son Alexander moved from York county to Washington county. There the mother and two children affiliated with the Westland meeting near the village of Centerville, Pa., the father having been dismissed from the Warrington Meeting in 1771.

About two years after coming to Washington county, Alexander returned to York Co. where he married Lydia Thomas in the Warrington Meeting on Dec. 23, 1790. Alexander was quite active in the Westland Meeting as shown by the minutes of that meeting. He was said to have been an, "outstanding Quaker preacher and scholar."

Alexander and Lydia Thomas Peden had one son Thomas born Jan. 22, 1792. Lydia died young and Alexander was married again to Abigail Walton at Westland Meeting in 1797 when Thomas was not quite 5 years old.

NOTE: several almost black photos, but text and handwritten copy reads, "This is Clarence W. Peden and wife Lillian of 1140 Lancaster Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa. Alexander Peden was the great-great grandfather of Clarence. Thomas Peden his son was the great grandfather and his son Thomas, Jr. was the grandfather and Henry Peden the youngest of ten children was his father. Thus he traces his ancestry back through the eight generations to the Peden from Glasgow Scotland who was chief baker to the Royal Family in London. Clarence is vitally interested in the history of the Pedens and Padens and has spent many years tracing them and their ancestry. Taken in the home of Clarence and Lillian Peden Apr. 1, 1965. Jennie Bullington, Pearl Paden, Elona (Sally) Bruce, Lillian and Clarence Peden, Norma Locke. Clarence's father was Henry Peden b. Jan. 20, 1875, died Mar. 25, 1951. His mother Olive Anetta McFarland b. Feb. 11, 1879, died Feb. 20, 1966. Henry and Olive were married Feb. 10, 1897. Their children: Clarence W. b. Nov. 30, 1897 and Harold L. b. may 26, 1900. The children of Clarence and Lillian are: Verne b. Aug. 3, 1919; Dorothy b. Nov. 13, 1920; Jean b. March 4, 1920, died Dec. 11, 1925; Virginia b. July 23, 1927.

OBEDIAH PADEN, eldest son of Samuel and Lydia Potter Peden was born in Lancaster Co., Pa. in 1752. Like his father, Obediah was of the adventurous type and left home at an early age. He married out of the Quaker sect and on May 11, 1776 was disowned by the Warrington Meeting. He went down into the south by the way of the Ohio River. In 1796 he found a location adjoining the river about 35 or 40 miles downstream from Wheeling, WV where he purchased several thousand acres of land, which at this time was heavily wooded and infested with wild animals, especially panthers. A History of Wetzel County West Virginia, states that Obediah paid $1,333.00 for the land. Indians were plentiful but peaceable and caused no trouble. Many Indians were buried there and originally there were three or four Indian Mounds at and near Paden City, all of which have long been obliterated. Skeletons and bones of Indians, together with flint implements have been exhumed from these mounds.

Obediah Paden and his wife Esther Dunne had ten children: Lydia (married Thomas Ankrom), Rebecca (married James Woods), Esther, William, Isaac, Obediah, James, Joseph, Jesse and Samuel. It is said that he patented 2,000 acres of hill and river bottom and in succeeding years fathered ten children who fathered the town. Obediah died about 1822 and is buried in Paden Cemetery. It was said many years ago that the stones are impossible to read.

HISTORY OF OBEDIAH PADEN

Fast Growing Neighbor City Named After Obediah Paden

Early Ohio Valley Settler, Dec. 15, 1938.

[source unknown]

From a field of wheat and corn on a plateau in the early nineties, in the plantation days of colonial history to a modern, spreading, growing city of 3,000 population, and one of the most ideal factory locations in the Ohio Valley between Parkersburg and Wheeling is the record toasted by Paden City. Nestled between the placid Ohio river on the west and the rugged West Virginia hill on the east the city is spreading across the former plateau. Houses are scattered everywhere, even dotted among the hill on the east side of the wide city plot. The houses are built far apart, but regardless of how far-flung they are, hard surfaced streets are crawling tout to them - wide streets that were designed for modern cities and heavy traffic to form one of the most modern cities in the Ohio Valley.

The city - it's land from the days when they were wooded - has an interesting history. It is appropriately named for one of Ohio Valley's first white settlers, whose father was Samuel Peden, whom tradition tells us was of Scottish origin and came to this country as a boy in the early 1700's.

Obediah Paden may justly be called the patriarch of Paden City. He was claimed of all sources of information to be the first settler of Paden City. Obediah was born in 1752 in Lancaster County, Pa. He owned about five or six thousand acres of land, which he willed to his sons, James, Jesse, Joseph, and Samuel. When he came here all the present site of Paden City was woodland infested with savage Indians, wild animals, especially the panther.

It is traditional information that at the time Obediah Paden (or Peden) erected his first log cabin here and that it was the only residence or home of a white man between the settlements of Wheeling and Marietta, Ohio.

Land Purchased in 1796

Obediah Paden purchased from Robert Woods, by deed dated Oct. 10, 1796, 400 acres of land "adjoining the Ohio River at the upper end of the long reach containing 400 acres, part of a grant issued to said Robert Woods for 685 acres, dated June 19, 1792." This deed is recorded in Ohio county in deed book 3, page 431 and the description begins, "at a maple on the lower point of an island near the main shore thence up the north side of the island according to the meanders thereof and binding thereon 325 poles to a walnut," etc. The description included the island known as Paden's Island. In the deed from Robert Woods the name in spelled "Obadiah Peden," but in Obediah's will, dated Oct. 16, 1822 probated in Tyler County at November term, 1822 and recorded therein the will block no. 1, page 47, the name is spelled "Obediah Peden." Obediah Paden therefore died in Oct. or Nov. 1822.

In a small book entitled "The Navigator", relating to navigation on the Ohio River, published in Feb. 1811 by Cramer and Spear, Wood Street, Pittsburgh, Pa. there is printed the following on page 64 concerning the stretch of the Ohio river known as the Long Reach near Paden City. Fishing Creek, left side, and Martin's Station just below is a sandbar; best channel is on the right side of it. Soundings from 2 to 5 1/2 feet. The river here winds considerably to the right when you enter the head of Long Reach and Peyton's Island. No 23 in the reach, which is remarkably straight and about 17 miles long, are 5 islands; first is Peyton's Island, No. 23, Channel on the right side; depth of water more than 6 feet.

The "Martin's Station" referred to in the above quotation is the present town of New Martinsville, Wetzel County. The "Peyton's Island" alluded to is the island on the Ohio river near Paden City still known as Paden's Island.

PADEN, PEDEN, PEYTON ??

There is a theory that the family name Paden or Peden was originally Peyton which is an old family name in Virginia, and was probably corrupted into Paden City by local usage. This theory is somewhat supported, although neither established nor proved by the above references.

"Kate Paden" is the name of the ferry boat which has been used for many years as the ferry at Sardis near Paden City.

Clay was dug from the clay banks by some of the pioneers in the neighborhood and brick were burned and four brick houses were constructed, all of which are still standing, and in a good state of preservation. They are known tin the neighborhood as the Lanstrum Cook House, which was built by Jesse Paden; the E.A. Pollock house, which was built by James Paden, who devised it by his will to his son, Obediah Paden, Jr. , who sold it to Pollock, from whom it passed to his son, Ernest Pollock; the J.N. VanCamp house, which was built by Joseph Paden; and the Dick Ankrom house. Another old landmark is the Anna Stephen's house, which was built of wood more than sixty years ago.

A number of years ago Paden City boasted of a factory in which the clay soil was used in the manufacturing of dishes, glassware and pottery. These dishes with Paden City, West Va. stamped on the back can be found scattered all over the country. (This factory is now a thing of the past.)

Obediah Paden's Will

By his Will dated Oct. 16, 1822, above referred to, Obediah Paden, left to his daughter Esther, "my black girl named Mary, my black man and two cows, also $600.00, also a bureau and two feather beds." He left various bequeaths of money to a number of his grandchildren, children of his sons William and Obediah, then deceased, and to his daughters Rebecca Woods and Liddy Ankrom, and son Isaac. "To his son James he left part of the land on which testator lived and also two Negro slaves named Bill and Ann together with their youngest son named Henry." To his two sons Samuel and Jesse, all the residue of his land not before disposed of, "of which will be my island, all the shore land above the tract devised to my son Joseph to be equally divided between them, also two Negro children named Robert and Louisa." Many of these colored people are buried in the little Paden City Cemetery north of town along with Obediah, his wife and their descendants.

He made James Paden and his friend Joshua Russell, executors, Joshua Russell married Caty Adams Wells, the seventeenth child of Charles Wells the first settler of Sistersville. The witnesses to the will were James C. Williamson, Andrew Brown and Stephen Barnes. The island referred to in his will is still known as Paden's Island.

By the time of Obediah's death which was thought to have been some time after 1822 he had changed the spelling of his name to Paden.

GETS MUNCIE'S ISLAND

An interesting Legend or family tradition relating to Paden Island is existent among the descendants of Obediah Paden. According to this tradition Obediah Paden acquired Paden Island from an Indian Chief whose name was Munsie and who owned or made his home on the island. Paden was the owner of a gun and powder horn which the Indian admired and desired very much. Evidently the Indian, according to tradition did a good deal of cogitating as to how he could possess himself of Obediah's gun and powder pouch. This resulted in Muncie going to Paden's cabin and related to the latter that he, Munsie, had had a dream the night before in which he dreamed that Paden had made him a present of the coveted gun and powder pouch. According to Indian custom so it is said, Paden was then obligated, to make Munsie's dream come true. If the story is to be believed, Obediah Paden was not without his share of cunning, At any rate, he presented the gun and powder to Munsie in accordance to the dream. A little later, Obediah Paden told Munsie that he too had had a dream in which he had dreamed that Munsie had presented him with the island. Of course, under the circumstances all Munsie could do was to make Paden a present of the island or renege, but Munsie was a good sport and gave up the island.

This tradition, however is without good foundation because Paden Island was included in the deed made to Obediah Paden by Robert Woods dated Oct. 10, 1796 and herein above referred to. However, the Indian title may have been so acquired by Paden prior to the patent to Woods or before the deed to Paden. Possibly the tradition, if at all true, referred to another island or to some other land to which Paden obtained title in this way.

PADEN CITY ON HIGH BOTTOM

The locality in which Obediah Paden lived and where Paden City is now located was first called Peden Bottom, but when the post office was established the name was changed to Peden Valley. Twenty-five years later the name was again changed to Paden city. Of course as readily may be imagine all of these names arose or were derived from the Paden family, the original settlers in this area.

The land at Paden City is unusually high bottom land and in a period of more than a century and a half the highest floods in the Ohio river have never reached the land on which the original town was built.

Many years ago a race track was established at Paden Bottom, on which races and local fairs were held.

The late Capt. Ephraim Wells, son of Eli Wells who was a son of Charles Wells, original settler of Sistersville, married Elizabeth R. Paden,the sixth child of James Paden, son of Obediah Paden, and their daughter, Mrs. Blanche Wells Kinkaid Hone, Sistersville, is therefore a descendant of the families of Obediah Paden and Charles Wells. Mrs. Hone possesses a number of heirlooms of the Paden family. A portion of the old Charles Wells farm at Sistersville, including the mansion house erected by Eli Wells in 1832, is still owned by Mrs. Hone. Her son, John Wells Kinkaid of Sistersville, is the sole descendant in these lines.

Marcus Paden, a descendant of Obediah Paden, through his son Jesse Paden, now living at Indianapolis, Indiana tells very interesting stories of his grandfather William W. Paden and father Albert W. Paden and their early days on "showboats" sailing up and down the Ohio River. The picture of one called the "New Crystal Palace" was built in about 1886, owned and operated by Captain W.W. Paden and son A.W. Paden of Peden's Valley, now Paden City, West Virginia. It was presented to the river museum at Marietta Ohio by Marcus Paden Sept. 1955.

1857 * The Woodhull Story * 1957

Isaac Paden was next to the youngest son of Isaac and Rebecca (Garwood) Paden. Information on the family of Isaac and Rebecca came from Quaker records and they were none too complete.

We do know from Celia's poetry and records of Isaac's they were married in a Quaker ceremony, repeating their vows for themselves. They rode 70 miles on horseback with friends to reach a meeting house where they could be married. Celia wrote they had wild turkey for their wedding dinner.

They were the parents of 12 children, all but the last one, a girl, were born in Pennsylvania before they moved to Illinois. From copies of Isaac's journal, he was an unusually honest and heard working business man. It is rumored they even ran an under ground rail road station at one time in Woodhull. Isaac had a strong hatred of slavery.

For some unknown reason, Isaac and Celia were disowned from the Quaker Church in 1830 while still living in Pennsylvania, but they kept their deep, religious faith until their deaths.

In the last years of their lives, they made their home with their son James at Galesburg and both died there.

On the following pages, we have included as much of Celia's poetry as we have been able to acquire. It is so interesting, we wish we had more.

Here is their story as they told it themselves.

ISAAC CIPHERS

Perhaps one of the most valuable historical items that has come to light during the research on "Stars," is the account book of Isaac Paden which was recently loaned to the writer by Mrs. Wesley Hechler of Galesburg. Mrs. Hechler, daughter of Alonzo Paden, granddaughter of James Paden and great-granddaughter of Isaac and Celia Paden, states that the account book has been carefully preserved in the family since Isaac returned to live with his son James during the last year or two of the senior Paden's life.

As one dips into the 396 page leather bound volume, he hardly knows what to select for inclusion in a history of Illinois. Indeed the account book would be almost invaluable to an historian of Pennsylvania: Isaac opened his account book on February 13, 1835, eight years before leaving the Keystone State for the prairies of Illinois. There are many fascinating entries dating from the days when Isaac evidently conducted a general store in connection with the sawmill. It will be recalled that Isaac assumed charge of the sawmill at an early age.

In Celia Paden's girlhood the hats she and sisters made were sold for so many shillings per hat but in 1835 it seems that the present system of reckoning currency was in vogue. Although we look in vain for any dollar signs we do find a number of places where Isaac uses the familiar "c" for cents. Isaac was a meticulous accountant and an excellent penman. There are variations in his spelling but it must be remembered that spelling was not standardized for many years after Isaac sat down at his desk to open his account book. It is nearly always possible to determine what word Isaac intended to write, although a century and a quarter have wrought changes that make it almost impossible to determine some of the items purchased by Isaac's customers so many decades ago.

As a sample of the Pennsylvania period covered by the account book, we may be pardoned for quoting from page one of the yellowing volume. We have preserved the original spelling of the largely self educated man who penned the entries.

"John Spalding Dr. To 1 1/2 oz. tea .09. To Buttons & Twist .44, 53. Henry O. Prindle Dr. To snuf .02, wach Key, 13, Ballance on Coon Skin .08 .23. Harelin Ward per son Cr. By 10 1/2 H Ashes 8c .84, James Dart Cr. By 7 Bushel H Ashes 8c 56, By 40 Bushel fld. Ashes 6c 2.40, By 9 Bushel fld. Ashes .54 3.50. Dr. To 1 tis skinner .06, To 1 Bot, Itch oint. .25 .31. Ira Bulin Dr. To 1 cake soap .03, To 1/4 lb. tob. .04, To 1 Almc. .06, To 1 pipe .01 .31. Widdow Peen By 8 Bush. H Ashes .08 .64. Albert Hopkins Dr. To 1 stock .63. George Frey Dr. To 1/4 lb. tea .25."

Some of these items indicate that this account book concerns an age much different from ours. Thus the brisk business in H (probably standing for Hickory) Ashes and fld. Ashes is a business now to be found only in dusty volumes of history. And let a modern customer approach the proprietor of a local store and ask for a "wach" key, a coon skin cap or "twist"!

The lowly almanac played an important role in the wilderness and as one flips the pages of the Paden volume he notes many an entry - To Almanic - 6. The six cents purchase price probably cost the farmer of the 1830's a good deal more sweat than the equivalent in present day currency. Early historians of Woodhull tell us that many a letter with postage due in olden times was not redeemed because of the lack of ready cash. In some cases, to expedite the mails, eggs and butter were exchanged for postage stamps.

Thanks to his faded volume we get a glimpse into the lives of the men and women inhabiting that Pennsylvania wilderness of the 1830's. Thus we know to the very day when Jacob Paden bought the "makings" of a new shirt: Feb. 17th, 1835 - Jacob Paden Dr. To 3 yds. shirting .38, To 1 sk. thred 4c ,42."

Thus for the sum of 42 cents, plus the skill and energy of a dutiful wife, sister or mother, Jacob in due time no doubt, became the proud possessor of a new shirt.

Nor did the distaff side of the house go without the "makings" of a new dress or a new apron or something similar. Two entries below the "shirting" appears this: "Peen Bandwell per daughter Dr. to 1 3/8 yds. gingham .43." Historians of the next century, pouring over this ledger may attempt to deduce the measurements of the Pennsylvania lassies, as implied by the amount of gingham purchased by Daughter Bandwell more than 125 years ago.

Many of the items mentioned seem ridiculously inexpensive as compared with their counterparts of today. On the other hand the account book proves that what appears commonplace to us must have been considered a luxury to the men and women of an earlier age. Thus the matter of kettles, or "kittle" as the penman wrote it (and probably he merely spelled it as it was pronounced in the hills of Pennsylvania). On that February day so long ago Calib Burt bought a "kittle" for ten dollars, a price that was no doubt beyond the reach of many a family. Just what kind of a kettle this was remains something of a mystery. The penman wrote - "To 1 Cal. Kittle - 10." Perhaps some of the oldtimers who read these lines may be able to throw light on the meaning of Cal. or Col. in connection with the "Kittle" bought by Calib Burt at the Paden general store long, long ago.

Milady of today would probably be delighted to be able to purchase two yards of lace for sixteen cents or four veils ("viels") for twelve cents, but she would no doubt balk at paying twelve cents for a common drinking glass or "tumbler." She might be puzzled as was the writer, by the meaning of "dish Kittle," which sold for one dollar a century and a quarter ago.

The young bucks, anxious to catch the eye of some "gingham gal," spared no expense on headgear. For a rather common entry in the account book is "one fur hat - 4.25." Just what kind of fur rated that kind of a price is a question. Perhaps the beaver hat. It was definitely not the humble coon skin hat, or "coon skins" as the account book calls them. We note that two "coon skins" could be purchased for twenty-five cents, whereas Michel Suttey, William Cusins and other dandies of the 1830's planked down their four dollars and a quarter for that coveted "fur hat." The up and coming youngster of the 1830's may have looked down upon the lowly coonskin cap, as if it indicated the backwoodsman or backward woodsman. And the dandy of those days may have had his secrets of keeping up his personal appearance. Thus when William Cusins purchased his fine fur hat, he likewise bought six ounces of rosin. Rosin may have been used for many purposes by the pioneers and for all we know of this age of shinola and detergents, Cusins, Suttey and the lads may have used the rosin to keep the gloss on their fur hats! Many moons ago when quoting from the records of the Woodhull Soldiers' Aid Society the remark was made that the English language has changed very little since the 1860's except for a few words which carried implications to the pioneers but are lost on us of the 20th century. One of the unfamiliar uses of words in the Soldiers' Aid Society records was that of "factory" used in connection with cloth. It is interesting to note that the old Paden account book mentions this term many times and this use was evidently current more than a quarter of a century before the Civil War. Thus Isaac Paden himself purchased, on February 20, 1835, four and a quarter yards of flannel for $1.59 and one and one quarter yards of "factory" for 20 cents.

The industry of Isaac's faithful wife, Celia, is pointed up by this entry and another one on the following page. Identical entries were made for Isaac Paden and James McCall on that February day of long ago:

"Dr. To 4 1/4 yds. flannel 1.59, To 1 1/4 yds. factory .20. To making 2 shirts .38, To making 1 shirtee .13."

The wages of dressmaker in that day were pitifully small. Years afterwards a daughter of Isaac and Celia recalled that when the Padens moved to Galesburg in 1843 this daughter worked a sixteen hour day at dressmaking for the munificent sum of twenty-five cents. This pittance provided the spending money for the entire Paden family of the pioneer era.

Those days of yesteryear are brought home to us as we glance at the names of the customers - Asa G. Wiser, Marcus Thompson, Samuel Gilleland, Charles Fairbrothers, Ira Bulis, Meriman Barber, Ebenezer Williams and all. And as we note some of the purchases of those days - the coon skins, the calico, the rosin, the "Prussic. Blu", the "nutmegs", the tin buckets, the dippers, the spinning wheels (at $3.50) each), the "pich" forks (going fast at 63 cents apiece), the sulpher (at 24 cents per pound), the "meat dishes", salt barrels, codfish and other items too numerous to mention, we realize that the pioneers who settled the Woodhull area truly lived in an age of simpler tastes than this - the atomic and space age.

WESTWARD THE COURSE OF

The account book of Isaac Paden is particularly fascinating because it gives us glimpses - merely glimpses - of a pioneer family getting ready to leave Pennsylvania for the untamed prairies of Illinois. We wish that Isaac had penned a few lines more than he did in his account book. But perhaps the unspoken lines are as eloquent as anything he might have left to posterity in the way of written records.

We gather that great events are in the making for the Paden family, for as early as August of 1841 Isaac Paden is busily settling accounts with his Pennsylvania neighbors. Thus on August 11th of that year Isaac wrote: "This day settled with Dan Wilder. All debts, dues and demands up to this date and Books and notes etc. Ballanced." The entry is signed by Isaac and Dan. On September 30th of the same year Isaac settled with Orin Shepherd, and honest Isaac notes that "there is due him 2.50." This account proved a bit stubborn to settle finally and Isaac notes on October 18, 1841 "Settled all accts. with Orin Shepherd ... and there Remains due me 4.14." Orin dutifully signed this entry. And so Isaac continues to close his accounts - in May of 1842 - "Settled with Hugh Alen" and August 16, 1842 - "This day settled with C. A. Seager and all accts. up to this day Ballanced."

In February of 1843 Isaac notes that he "Settled with Uriah Gilliland." Then there follows a dramatic silence. Nothing is said about feverish preparations to move out to the rolling prairies of the Sucker State, the thousand and one things to see about before starting the long trek overland by team and wagon or oxen and wagon. It was not until November 11, 1843 when the Paden clan had established a beachhead in Illinois that Isaac had an opportunity to continue his entries. And these entries prove the truth of the statement in the obituary of James Paden recently quoted in "Stars", namely that James and Joseph, teen age sons of Isaac at the time of their arrival in Illinois bent their backs with a will to the difficult ?????.

We may be pardoned for quoting a number of entries that show us some of the activities of Isaac and his sons during late 1843 and early 1844.

Under the account of A. W. Gardener, Isaac notes that the following items, dating from November 11, 1843 to July, 1844: "1843 Nov. 11 To Balance on acct. .35 to 38 Bushels of Cole Due 1.90 Dec. 5 to James two day K(illing) hogs, D(igging) Cole .87 1/2 To two days at Barn 2.00 To 1 day by Joseph at well .37 To 2 days at Barn 2.00 To James one day digging Cole .44 To Joseph and horse 1 day ploughing corn .75 To myself and 2 boys 1 day at house 2.25 .... Also Joseph 1/2 day at house .25 To myself and 2 boys 2/3 of a day 1.50 To 2 boys 2/3 of a day at house .67 To making cheese press 3.00 To one day work on barn 1.00."

Thus James and Joseph got a rough introduction to pioneer life on the Illinois prairies - digging coal, digging wells, building barns and houses, and later fences, ploughing corn and butchering hogs. Then in December of 1844 the boys were initiated into "threshing" which in that day was done by flails on the barn floor. Isaac fails to note how many of his brood were involved in the thrashing operation but for three days' labor at this task Isaac charged Gardener a dollar and a half. In December the third J. gets broken in for we note that on December 26th - "To Jacob's work .50." Also in that month Isaac or some of his sons hauled 85 bushels of coal at two cents per bushel.

In July of the next year, 1845, the Paden boys get their first taste of harvesting on the blazing prairies of Illinois. James and Joseph for three quarters of a day of harvesting were paid one dollar. Isaac could hardly be called a fair judge of his own worth for he notes in July, 1845 - "To myself 1/2 day .37". The same month - "To myself & two boys one day fence 1.50." In October Isaac found himself engaged in work with which he was more familiar - shingling houses - and he allowed himself a dollar a day at that work.

The year of the Paden's arrival in the Galesburg area - 1843 - one of the busiest ports of entry was the river town of Oquawka. There was a brisk business of hauling supplies from there to Galesburg and of hauling pork from the Galesburg area to packing plants at Oquawka and Peoria. As noted in a previous installment, the Paden boys , James and Joseph, hauled pork to both places for Colton, the first proprietor of a store in Galesburg. The boys evidently hired themselves to others for hauling.

There are a great number of entries under Sherman Williams name. On December 30, ???? Isaac notes To 2 days with ??? to Oquacky 4.00" and a typical entry is made for the following January 7th. Four days later a somewhat bigger hauling operation is implied by: "?? days with 3 hors team ??? Oquacky" for which the elder children charged Williams four dollars and fifty cents.

Williams must have been a rather large operator. The ??? Paden or perhaps some of the boys hauled among other things - "a load of potatoes, ??? wood and wool, halling in ???, halling corn and wood, and ??? two loads of Bords to Burgh. Even in that day the native referred to Galesburg as "Burgh"!

In addition to the hauling operation of Sherman Williams the Paden clan seem to have been general handymen for him. We note that Isaac included charges for "fixing Barn floor, driving, pening & feeding pigs, feeding cow twice a day for 15 days (for which he charged a measly fifty cents!) Chopping wood son[?] milling 16 Bushel at 10c ?? two days laying up new fence two Boys 1/2 day Repairing fence, two boys & team 1/2 day repairing fence, James 1/2 day doing chores at new hous yard, driving our cattle and repair fence, driving our hogs and repair ?? East, driving our cattle and repair N. East, one day two hands drawing rails, repairing fence after storm (for which Paden charged two bits) one day drawing stone, one day drawing timber" and so on, with "repair fence" the most frequent ???. Evidently Sherman Williams had a fashion loving wife, for larded among the entries ???ing the woes of pioneer living broken fences and the like entries such as - "To on??? women's hose .88" or "Two pair of stocking for wife.

If Isaac was anything he was an honest man. The old account book is the best testimony of man's honesty that could be found. Nothing seemed to escape the notice of this pioneer of Galesburg and Woodhull, Perhaps it was the early reliance upon himself that made Paden so attentive to detail. From the time he was fourteen or so he had been thrust into the position of breadwinner and it was from such training he drew the tenacity of mind indicated by the thousands and thousands of entries in the old account book, and item that must ever be considered one of the most valuable source books about the earliest years of pioneer life in this section of Illinois.

PADEN'S PROGRESS

If we return again and again to the Isaac Paden account book it is only because the faded volume is an inexhaustible store house of information about the olden days of the Land of Clover. The range of subjects is amazing. Isaac lists the hundreds of persons to whom he sold thousands of pounds of dried apples and he notes the subscribers to the various periodical that arrived at his inn via the stagecoach: he details the tragic-comic history of his hotel in Woodhull; he enumerates with care the expenses of his farm as well as the numerous houses in various places that he built; his broom corn ventures; his dealings with hundreds of business acquaintances as well as with his own children; his sawmill accounts - all these subjects and many more lie hidden in the account book he left as his legacy.

Yet, as we have pointed out in previous installments, Isaac can be exasperating. On some important point when the account book is searched for confirmation, such confirmation is not forthcoming. If Isaac had foreseen that his financial record would one day be so carefully examined regarding the early years of the Paden clan in Woodhull, it is likely that he would have taken more pains to eliminate the uncertainties that still hover over the arrival of David Joseph Paden and his family to our area "in the fall of 1851." It even seems that Isaac is chuckling as he pens the following items:

"D. J. Paden Dr. Jan. 12 to 5 days work on Shop 4.37; to 3 days and a half 3.06; to By Jerald 3/4 of a day .70; to 14 lb. nails S. Godard .98; to 1 1/2 days By Englishman 1.31; to feet of Boards.

"August 23 to 40 1/2 lbs. flour at 2c .81; to 7 lbs. of meat at 5c .35c; to 14 lbs. meat .70; Sept. 25 to 33 lbs. flour .66c; Nov. 8 to 16 1/2 lbs. fresh pork at 3c .50c to feeding and fatting 470 He(ad) pork 5.87; to 104 lbs. flour 2.08; to one acre of Land 15.00. The above acct. Settled I. P."

In an effort to pinpoint the year we note that at the top of the same page Isaac wrote: "May 27, 1846 Samuel Arnold Dr. to 8 days Ploughing 7.00; to 6 days Planting 3.00." There are two other entries on the same page but neither carried a date. On the preceding page, however, Isaac wrote: "Jan. 8, 1850 this day settled with Sherman Williams." A careful examination of Isaac's penmanship in all the foregoing entries proves to the writer at least that Isaac penned his entries about David Joseph Paden in 1850 rather than in 1846.

But speculation is not proof and the entry concerning that acre of land purchased by Joseph Paden for $15.00 is of great import because of its possible connection with Joseph's original settlement on the future townsite of Woodhull in the fall of 1851. Did he build his house on this particular one acre plot? Unfortunately we cannot settle the problem by leaning on testimony of the account book.

A page by page examination of the volume turned up another fascinating but equally exasperating entry, fascinating because of its possible connection with Joseph's pre-Woodhull house and exasperating because again Isaac gives us the day and the month but not the year. The entries evidently refer to expenses for sawing lumber. On preceding pages, Isaac prefixes the account with "to sawing," followed by the number of feet of lumber sawed. the entry concerning Joseph Paden is dated from May 12th and runs through August.

"May 12 Joseph Paden Dr. to 902 - 5.66; to 605 - 3.02; August to 679 - 4.23; to 200 - 1.25; to 1250 and 171 Lath - 8.40; to 160 - 1.00; to 234 and 94 Lath - 1.91; to 224 Lath - 1.12; to 194 - 1.21 Total 27.80."

There is a cryptic note added below this entry: "Ch to Paden," probably standing for "charge to Paden." But this does not help probe that the lumber mentioned above was used by Joseph in building his house near the present site of the Lutheran church.

Isaac is more helpful elsewhere, however. On page 146 he devotes much space to the account of D. J. Paden, including entries about land and lumber. The account is opened July 13, 1852: "To amount on this book Cr. $532.27; By amount on his book Dr. 421.47; Ballance Due him $110.80; paid for lumber Cash 30.00; Land 67.53 ..." The entries include two tons of hay for $5.50, "Ballance on oats $2.40; 87 feet inch Boards, 1.74; 200 feet Siding 4.00; 49 lb. nails 2.45; 50 feet 1/2 inch Boards .75; By Cash to Land Office 7.00." The amount of lumber bought by Joseph as indicated by these entries would not, of course have been sufficient to build a house but because of the references to the Land Office it seems likely that these items are related to Joseph Paden's first sojourn in the Heath Land area. It will be recalled that he move from here to the North Henderson vicinity in 1853 where he worked as a carpenter. He returned to Woodhull in 1856. The old account book supports this claim. Under a March 3, 1853 dateline Isaac states: "this day Settled with D. J. Paden and there is due him 9.29."

In the early installments of "Stars" the writer speculated that Joseph Paden may have moved to this area on the strength of rumors concerning the Western Air Line Rail Road, which road would boom any settlement fortunate enough to lie along its route. In the spring of 1851 an Ohio railroad man had driven by buggy over a goodly portion of west central Illinois. After sizing up the prospects of various communities he selected Geneseo as the town most likely to succeed as a railroad center. The arrival of the main line of the Burlington at Galesburg in 1854 proved that Galesburg, not Geneseo was destined to be the railroad "hub" of our area. But it is likely that the Paden clan knew of the Ohio man's selecting of Geneseo as a future rail center. And they likewise must have been familiar with the mail route that passed north from Galesburg to Geneseo. Records connected with the land formerly owned by the Heath family show that the road passing north as a continuation of our Division street had been used as a public road since as early as 1846. If Joseph Paden expected to make his living as a carpenter it is difficult to explain his coming to our area in 1851 unless he expected a town to spring up overnight on the dank prairie. With rumors of railroads a dime a dozen it is quite probable that there was talk of the Western Air Line Rail Road crossing from Lacon, Illinois to New Boston for several years before the company was chartered in the spring of 1853.

Perhaps it was the failure of the settlement here to "boom" that influenced Joseph Paden to go to St. Paul in November of 1851 to work on the boarding house which his father was erecting in that frontier town. Although Isaac's account book does not pinpoint the exact location of the boarding house under construction, there are clues that seem to indicate a St. Paul locale. Thus there is frequent mention of "halling lumber from falls" and "carrying lumber from Raft." At any rate Isaac notes that during November 1851 he paid Joseph Paden $29.75 for seventeen days work. If Joseph did spend this time in Minnesota and if he had already built a home in our area, no doubt his devoted wife and family spent the time in the Galesburg vicinity with the elder Padens. On the other hand, Joseph's wife, a courageous woman, may have elected to remain in her home, in spite of wolves, rattlesnakes, roving but peaceful Indians and worst of all that dreaded "Lone House" on the prairie about which so many "dreadful tales" were told - and still are.

PENPRINTS IN THE SANDS

We must return for at least one more installment on the fascinating account book left by the pioneer, Isaac Paden. Evidence has been gleaned from that source to support the statement of Isaac's granddaughter, Mrs. Mary Stitt, that the elder Paden settled on the future townsite of Homeburg in the year 1852, the same year that a postmaster was first appointed to the settlement then known as Heath Land. But Isaac had been preceded by his son David Joseph Paden. This son of Isaac came to our area in the fall of 1851 and built a home at the approximate location of the present Lutheran church. A search into Isaac's account book may be fruitful in an attempt to trace the goings and comings of David Joseph Paden during the period that is so important historically to our town.

There is an entry for February of 1850 that throws light on the activities of the "Boys," meaning in all probability James, Jacob and Joseph, although there is the possibility that by February of 1850 Joseph had already struck out on his own. For by 1850 Joseph was a married man and his little daughter Mary, the future historian of Homeburg, was a tot of three. The following entry indicates, however, that at least James and Jacob were involved in the rail-splitting, for their taskmaster father refers to them by the abbreviations "Jam" and "Jac." The rail business is of especial interest because it was done "for Mr. Ferris," the Sylvanus Ferris who had so much to do with the establishment of Galesburg and Knox College - "They Broke the Prairie."

"Feb 1850 Acct. of Items Boys Splitting Rails - horses and wagon 3 days at 75 cents 2.25; Slats and Boards .60; horses and wagon to timber .36; to 20 lb. meat at 3c .60; to 22 lb. flour at 2 1/2c .55; to 15 lb. meal .12; to 8 lb. meat .24; to 10 1/4 lb. Bread at 2 1/2c .23; to Jam 1 Knight 2 meals; to Jac 2 Knights 4 meals; to horses and wagon to timber .50"

Although this entry gives no clue as to the activities of Joseph, a flip of the page brings us to an entry concerning the Paden sawmill in the year 1848. The exact whereabouts of this mill must be left to historians of the Paden clan but the entries of Isaac's account book provide a glimpse into the business world of a day much simpler than ours.

"Sawmill Dr. to Is. Paden from Feb. 1848 - for cash paid to Colton Sundries & c 8.12; for cash paid for castings & c 12.77; for 18 days Repairing and fixing mill at $1.50 per day 27.00; to 180 days tending mill at $1.50 270.00; to 8 days at Smiths shop 12.00; Joseph P. to 40 days Bossing mill at $1 40.00; to 94 days Jos. James & Jacob at 75 cents 70.00; April 28, 1849 to 76 days tending mill at $1.50 114.00; to expences in moving mill 20.00; to Received from M. Briggs more than his due 3.74; to Cash paid for steel .35 582.11"

There is the possibility that this mill belonged to another of the Galesburg pioneers and Isaac and his sons merely tended it for the owner. It will be recalled the Isaac owned and operated a mill ????? so much in demand in an area that was being born from a wilderness of prairie, it is not surprising that the Paden clan would be called upon to tend mills in the area.

A hint as to Joseph's activities in March of 1851, the very year he came to the Heath Land settlement to build a home is found on the same page as the above mentioned item. This particular entry concerns a schoolhouse, probably under construction in the Galesburg area. It is illuminating to compare the cost of erecting one nowadays, when costs are figured in the hundreds of thousands.

"March 15, 1851 School House Dr. to 64 feet of Sqr. timber 7c 4.48; to 120 feet Rafters, to 110 feet Joist, to 112 feet Slee??ers, to 240 feet Studing, to ?? feet plates - total 599 at 1.?? 7.50; to halling two loads 4.00 to Joseph Paden 1 1/2 days work 1.50; to myself 2 days work 2.00; to 320 (feet) Sheeting at 1.?? 4.80; to 250 flooring at 1.50 3.7?; to 25 other stuff at 1.50 .38; one middle sill .50 "March 20 to two days work 2.00; to a cole stove 7.75; one joint of pipe and wire .3? to Cash paid for siding 8.40. Total 47.36."

Not only schools but boarding houses merited the attention of the Paden clan. It is a pity that the location of the boarding house mentioned by Isaac's account book is not indicated, for among the items we find one that is most important. The item listed under the date "Nov. 1851 and reads: "to paid D. J. Paden for 17 days at 1.75 29.75." The heading of this page is merely "Boarding House Dr. to I. Paden. the dozens of entries ranged from "to paid Taylor for digging cellar Cash 50.00" to "Halling siding from falls 2.50." The dates run from November 1851 to June 20, 1852. There is question whether the "falls" mentioned are those of St. Anthony in Minnesota or some local mill that utilized water power. At any rate the entry concerning David Joseph Paden indicates that he spent two and a half weeks in the autumn of 1851 working on the boarding house whose expenses were so carefully detailed by Isaac Paden. According to the recollections of Joseph's daughter, Mrs. Mary Stitt, it was during this same autumn of 1851 that Joseph built a home for himself and his family on the future townsite of Woodhull. More study of Isaac's volume may enable us to pick up additional threads concerning the career of David Joseph Paden in those days of long ago.

And those were days when many a pioneer family tried a hand a doctoring themselves. When Isaac moved from the future townsite of Woodhull to his inn a short distance south of town, he catered to the medicinal needs of the pioneers of our area. We sometimes think of the pioneers as rugged and healthy but a glance at Isaac's account book indicates that they must have had their share of physical troubles. Thus in May of 1857 while the railroad surveying team of "seven bright young men from the East" were slugging through the dank prairies of west central Illinois, "Uncle Isaac" was dispensing from the following list of "Dr. James Medicines: 2 Doz. Expectorant, 1 Doz. Hair Tonic, 2 Doz. Alternative, 1/2 Doz. Liquid Hair Dye, 4 Doz. Small Carminative B., 4 Doz. Tonic - Vermifuge, 10 Doz. Sedative Pills, 1 Doz. Ague, 2 Doz. Liniment.

Evidently Isaac acted as a distributor for Dr. Janes Medicines, for on Jan. 12, 1859 the penprints on the sand read: "Medicines delivered to Hurd $57.98." It will be recalled that Hurd and Billings built and operated one of the pioneer stores in our area. And as was the case in those early times, the general storekeeper had to keep in stock the items required by the pioneer from cradle to grave. Perhaps a pioneer life or two were saved by the events noted thus in regard to the patent medicines: "Break???? & Freight - 10.92."

ACRES OF DIAMONDS

When Isaac Paden sat down in 1835 in the wilds of Pennsylvania to pen the opening line in his account book he probably did not realize that this same volume would be invaluable to the historian of Homeburg more than a hundred and twenty-five years later. In past installments we have sampled the volume as it relates to the Pennsylvania chapter of Isaac's life. Now we pass to later times, later in Isaac's life but early, very early in the life of this prairie settlement in the Sucker State. If Isaac had known that his precious account book would be put to such use, he might have been more explicit in his entries. Thus on page 142 he heads the page: "Acct. &c of expenses &c up the Minnesota River, May 1852 - to 4 days reviewing &c ($) 4, to cash for expenses 5.50 May 22 to 5 days viewing & locating 5. to Cash for expenses & improvements 15.50 29.00" Here Isaac makes one of the few uncorrected errors noted in his account book as the true total should be a dollar more. Usually Isaac carefully rectified such errors but this one escaped his keen mind. Then without warning, except that the ink is blue instead of black, the elder Paden plunges into his Henry County venture. We know that Illinois is intended rather than Minnesota because Isaac notes the journey to Dixon, Illinois, where the land office at that time was located. It is a pity that Isaac failed to enter the exact date. The month of May seems to be indicated, although the true time of the year may have been later, for eleven entries lower the elder Paden noted "Dem. 7, 1852," probably for December. These notations prove the reliability of the information supplied by Isaac's granddaughter, Mary (Paden) Stitt who stated that her father, David Joseph Paden, settled on the future townsite of Woodhull in the fall of 1851 and her grandfather, Isaac, arrived the next year. This is how Isaac's account book told the story:

"Expenses for land in Henry Co. to 5 days viewing & going to Dixon team - 7.50 to Cash paid for expenses - 9.75 to Cash paid for preempting 2 ? 1.00 to Cash paid for entering 56 1/2 acres - 59.50 to note for Cash for entering 80 aces - 90.00"

Beneath these entries are several that concern Isaac's brother-in-law, N. Joles, who in later years lived in Geneseo. Mrs. Joles was a sister of Isaac's wife, Celia, and family records and clippings indicate that Celia occasionally visited her sister in Geneseo. Of this transaction Isaac wrote: "expenses on N. Joles land - for preempting at first 1.00 Cash paid for redemption 4.00 Cash paid for expences 2.50 to three days 4.50 to Cash lent to Nelson 2.50"

The December entries seem to indicate that Isaac was at last ready to settle down permanently, for he did not hesitate to borrow money and buy more land in the area which that same month, on the day before Christmas, would become an official postoffice named Heath Land. It is a pity that Isaac failed to indicate from whom he borrowed the money, but there is a hint that parties named Weeks, Armstrong and Fish loaned him the money as the account book records carry those three names with amounts due them carefully noted. Isaac dutifully noted also, both in front of and after their names - "Paid - paid," The December entries are:

"to ? days to Dixon 7.00 to Cash for expenses 5.35 to one note on one year - 65.00 to one note two years - 50.00 to 4 42/100 acres - 5.50 to 4 40 acre warrants (@) $43 - 172.00"

Isaac notes that the total expenses on his land ventures were $516.13. After paying off the notes due Weeks, Armstrong and Fish, there remained a balanced of $154.13. This is the final entry on the page. The following page refers to business in Minnesota, for the name of J. C. Ramsey, a well known pioneer of that state is mentioned often. Thus on August 1, 1851 Isaac "Bargained with Irwin & J. C. Ramsey for Lot No. 9, Block 53 at $250.00. A bond was to be executed by the Co. for a deed $50 down, the Remainder one year at 10 per cent, August 12 Bond written Irvin & J. C. Ramsey signed Rim & Wilkens objected for reasons of some difficulty in the Co. but acknowledged the Sale and directed me to go on and improve and so soon as the lot was paid for they would give a deed."

We have seen that Paden took a carload of eggs and butter up to Minnesota from Galesburg with the hope of selling the products there at a handsome profit. Butter and eggs were sky high in Minnesota as compared to Galesburg but what Isaac failed to realize was that money was scarce. The faded clipping concerning this venture states that Isaac was forced to take two lots in payment for his produce. Isaac fell into the swing of things and on June 1, 1852 he "Sold the NW half of the above lot (No. 9) to Wm. Colson for one Span of brown Colts & $100 Cash.' The value of a "Span" of colts at that time was $225, for Isaac carefully noted that the total of the transaction was $325.00 and underneath he penned: "Received the Colts $225.00, the $100 to be applied and paid over on the account of lot to Rim & Wilkins."

The faded account book is indeed a treasure of information about early times in the Mid-west, something that was missed on a previous reading. Thus tucked away between entries is this one, that explains one of the entries about the Heath Land area:

"October 19th 1852 Joseph Fish acct. Received 4 - 40 acre warrants at $43 apiece & 10 per cent until paid Paid $172 and interest $10 Settled and give a note"

This notation enables us to pinpoint a bit more exactly the beginnings of the Heath Land venture of Isaac and Celia Paden. For it was at Heath Land that Isaac and Celia decided to settle once and for all. They had spent a number of years in Pennsylvania, where Isaac conducted a sawmill and general store. From that state they came to the Galesburg area in 1843, where Isaac and his stalwart sons labored mightily to build up the Gale Colony. But Isaac was still restless and when his son Joseph moved to the prairies of Henry County the senior Paden soon followed. It would be interesting to know just why Joseph picked this location, a wet one indeed. But unfortunately such mysteries are not solved by Isaac Paden's account book.

In fact, the account book sometimes merely whets out appetite to know more about the pioneer men and women listed so methodically by Isaac. One of the most legendary men of early Woodhull is Hugh Russell. He is the man who platted the northwest section of Homeburg whether the one ???? little. The Paden account book includes this fragmentary mention "Hugh Russel" - "Sept. 18, 1852 by Balance on acct.

GOLDEN WEDDING

The fiftieth anniversary or golden wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Paden was celebrated at their residence, in Woodhull, March 17th, 1875. Their children, three from Minnesota, two from Iowa, and three of this state were present. At 2 o'clock p.m., their house was crowded with their invited guests (limited chiefly to their friends in Woodhull) who manifested much pleasure, more fully shown by their gifts and donations. On the part of their children and grandchildren, a gold headed cane, a pair of gold spectacles, gold pen and holder, two gold napkin rings, a large elegant album with gold clasps, etc., and many other valuable articles, including 28 yards of nice carpet. On the part of the citizens of Woodhull and vicinity, a beautiful silver pitcher, two golden lined goblets, card receiver, gold coin and greenbacks. In addition to this a splendid supper was furnished by their children and friends of which between eighty and one hundred couples partook. The whole affair was got up and carried out in the best of order. Rev. J. W. Crawford, pastor of the Presbyterian church opened the exercises by prayer. Rev. G. W. Miller, pastor of the M. E. Church followed by singing a hymn aided by a first class organist, filling the room with melody. Mr. Crawford then read the following:

TO MY HUSBAND

In eighteen hundred and twenty-five,
Dear husband, you remember now,
Of both our young and joyous lives,
Without a wrinkle on our brows.

But time has brought a mighty change,
Both in our features and our limbs,
Our steps grow feeble, nerves deranged,
Visage wrinkled, eyes grow dim.

Fifty long years have passed away,
Since you and I were joined as one,
Just fifty years ago today,
My parents claimed you for their son

Yes! fifty years of ups and downs.
Of joys and sorrows, cares and pains,
The road we traveled once around,
We cannot travel o'er again.

Oh! once we had a little band,
Of prattling children round our home,
But they are scattered o'er the land,
And you and I are left alone.

Yes! left alone when we are old,
To paddle round our own canoe,
And now to gather up our fill,
The golden shore let us pursue.

There we will meet our little ones,
Who many years have gone before,
And welcome those still left behind,
As they land on that pleasant shore.

Eight children living, less or more
Four in the Spirit land,
We have grandchildren thirty-four,
Add these unto the land.

And eight grandchildren passed away.
And left the shores of time,
To progress on from day to day,
'Till they bright angels shine.

We, great grandchildren have had nine,
They are not all alive,
Four have left this earthly clime,
And there remains but five.

Children, grandchildren, great and small,
Whatever they may be,
And great grandchildren, one and all,
Amount to sixty-three.

We meet our children here to-day,
Who in the form remain,
And while we all on Earth shall stay,
We may not meet again.

Now, to our children let us say,
And to our friends in middle life,
May you all reach that golden day,
And fifty years be man and wife.

And let us say to older friends,
Whose golden wedding day is passed,
Our earthly journey soon will end,
Dear friends, oh may we meet at last.

Mr. Miller followed in an appropriate speech, at the close of which Mr. and Mrs. Paden arose to their feet while Rev. Mr. Miller explained the Friend Quaker order

of marriage, by which they had been united as man and wife, fifty years ago in the State of Pennsylvania. Mr. S. E. Edgerton, one of Mr. Paden's first acquaintances in Galesburg, Knox County, Ills., in 1843, was selected to take charge of and present the gifts and donations, which was responded to by Mr. Paden, in a very sympathetic manner. First, he thanked the audience for the honor and respect shown him and his wife, by the presence of their smiling countenances. Then he thanked his children for their presence, as many of them had come on a long journey; also thanking them for the kindness they had manifested towards him. He then appealed to his friends to accept of his thanks for the interest they had taken on the occasion, and the tokens of respect presented, (here he paused and said he lacked words and ability to express his feelings, and begged of them to accept of his thanks.)

In the evening his house was again filled with young and rosy cheeks in the bloom of life, male and female, who enjoyed themselves in social chat, and hearing an interesting address by Mr. Paden's oldest daughter, in honor to her father and mother, by making a present of two nuggets of gold in their native state.

CHILDREN'S ADDRESS

By Mrs. M. A. Stephen, Minneapolis, Minn.:

I suppose it fell to my lot to make the children's address as being the only one among us gifted with the power of speech. 'Tis pretty generally known that we compose that rare collection of curiosities, know as the silent family.

To some of our old time honored friends, my work is given to address my Brothers and Sisters, on this occasion and unless I back right out and out, I must at least make the attempt.

I am no Crawfish
Yet the fact cannot be denied;
That I claim affinity to the finny tribe,
Our Mother being a good sized Fish;
At least that was her name,
And our Father a successful fisherman,
As he angled for, and caught the same.

I trust you will not argue from the fact of our Father proving success as a fisherman, that I shall prove a successful speaker; unfortunately, as my undertaking in life have prove, I did not inherit in the remotest degree, that happy success attending our sire upon his fishing expedition. There is a slight difference however, between probing ones self a successful fisherman having the right kind of bait, and knowing just where to catch his Fish, and proving one's self a successful speaker, having neither ambition or talent in that direction. Hence you will perceive, were I to attempt an elaborate speech, I should not know where to begin, how to proceed, nor, woman like, when to leave off.

Consequently, I will not weary you with a useless array of words which can have neither the merit of sense, beginning or end; but in their stead, will present our honored parents with a simple token of love, expressive of the great respect I bear them, requesting that it may be kept in the family, for their children, and our children's children, as a memento of this our parent's Golden wedding, its intrinsic value consisting in the fact of its being emblematic of their pure and rugged lives. Stronger and better have they grown from their rough contact with the element's bitter strife, upon this precarious and storm-tossed ocean of life.

In after years when looking upon this emblem, will we be reminded how they, through persecutions and sorrows crowded, did'st get above the thunder's rumbling sound, and lived their lives of conscious worth, undisturbed by things of earth.

Here is the offering I have to make, two little nuggets of gold, taken in their native purity, from the gold beds of Australia; they are curiously rare, for the simple reason that they were found joined together by a tenuous thread of gold, or tiny link of sympathy, showing that nature intended them for companionship, and, ought we know, designed they should grace this very occasion; be that as it may, they truthfully and faithfully represent the loyalty, integrity and genuine worth of our noble parent's lives.

The original link, too frail for human handling, I am pleased to term, that magnetism existing between two bodies which attracts, draws and binds together two as one, this cunning little piece of mechanism does in no wise destroy the beautiful idea; it still represents the connecting link in sympathy's chain, which binds as one, the feminine and masculine brain, thus forming between an electric battery, (to mind's obtuse) such a mystery, which without aid of telegraphic pole, can bear a message from soul to soul.

You see this is in the form of Cupid, representing the beautiful bride of youth, and being the genuine gold in the purest state, representing also the golden bride, far more beautiful than when our father claimed her as his bride, half a century ago. Its more attractive and refining qualities, symbolize the native goodness and kindness of our mother's heart. None know better than her children, the golden value of our mother's life. Did she ever weary, working for the good of her children?

In this piece of workmanship we recognize one of the most prominent traits in our father's argumentative powers. When did he ever fail to bring his opponent to the point? And to pin him there! In this rougher piece of ore, we recognize the noblest type of manhood! The self-made and self-reliant man. And like this gold in its native rough, hath our father grown brighter, and more useful, with the world's rough handling.

We may well feel proud of the unflinching integrity, upright bearing, and straight forward dealing of our ever kind, just, and considerate father; his aid to the weak, defense of the right, and sympathy with the wronged and oppressed; and never more proud than when persecuted by those in power, for holding views his right of dower, when through his life's most bitter hour, midst the din, and hue, and cry, of false accusations, and falser lie! stood firm and true to reasons say, and sweetly taught the better way, parrying their thrusts of cruel menace, with patient love and Christian grace, yet, bravely holding his chosen ground, startled them with truths profound. When I think how alone and unaided, he manfully battled through the opposition of those who should have at least sympathized with him in his views:

I feel a note to him is due from all
From me as well as you,
And ask God and the angels their assistance lend,
To his earnest zeal, truth to defend,
As all things pure Heavenward tend,
His anchor is sure, may he onward wend his way,
Till ere long he holds in his grasp the starry throng;
And when life's thread shall here be spun,
With his credentials nobly won.
May he far transcend the noonday's sun,
In glory; and in radiance bright,
Greet the angel throng beyond our sight.
And for our Mother,
Who like a loyal, loving bride,
Hath royally abode by his rugged side,
Nearing the end of life's allotted task,
What more appropriate can we ask
When with her spirit, too ethereal for earthly clay,
Shall have peacefully, happily passed away
To that holier, happier land,
She may there receive from angel hands,
A flowery wreath of priceless worth,
For faithful work while here on earth.

PRESENTATION OF THE PIN

Please accept this golden pin, on this the fiftieth anniversary of your marriage, as a symbolical expression of your Golden wedding.

As this is the pure gold, from its native mould, so were you pure, unadulterated children of nature. As these two nuggets were taken from the primal rock, where from the morning of the earth they had been lying side by side, so you, side by side, and hand in hand, started in the early morning of your lives. As one of these nuggets is smaller than the other, so does it symbolize the grace, purity and beauty of the mother, and the other, the sterner, stronger presence of the father. As these have grown brighter, and more attractive with use, so have you, through these fifty years, grown brighter and happier, with the daily labors and cares of life. As these are chained together, that what was joined in earth, should not be separated upon it. So you, chained not only by the feeble links of the law, but by an unchanging, everlasting link of love; spanning the years of half a century. The good Lord, in good time, shall bear you home in the blest embrace of love eternal, where, like this pure gold, that cannot be destroyed, the beautiful influence of your lives, shall be peaceful and everlasting.

[The typist wishes to interject a letter written by Edna Stephen Moore, great granddaughter of Celia - not dated.]

"I have the pin presented to Celia by her thirty-four grandchildren at their 50th wedding anniversary celebration. It is the pin she is wearing in the picture. In what I imagine was about her last letter to Mary, she states she is leaving her glasses to her, and to take good care of them, but they did not show up in the things sent to me after my brother's death. The pin was thrown loose in the dresser drawer and I felt very fortunate it was not lost."

[We now continue with the newspaper article.]

PRESENTATION OF THE CARPET

Please accept this carpet from your children, as expressive of the footsteps taken for us in our helpless childhood. In grateful remembrance of your thoughtful and loving care during all the other years of our lives, we the bright colors have chosen that your home might be peaceful and pleasant to look upon. That you may not have to walk upon slippery places, we have laid it ready for use. In as much as you selected only the softest and smoothest places for our baby-feet, it is due to you to walk upon flowers that are pleasing to the eye and soft to the foot-fall, and that you may live to wear out many carpets of as firm and strong a texture as this, is the prayer of your affectionate children.

WASHERWOMAN'S LAMENT

One of the most delightful episodes to be found in Isaac Paden's account book is the story of the town hotel owned for many years by the rugged pioneer. Isaac's experience as an inn keeper dated back to the earliest days of our community when he and his good wife operated the inn for travelers a few rods north of the Nathan Overstreet corner. Recent installments of "Stars" have adduced evidence that this inn served as a station on the Underground Railway for the escape of runaway slaves and Isaac himself acted as a "Conductor." The account book gives us the story of Isaac's expenses in the construction of this inn and of the expenses connected with the purchase and stocking of the farm connected with the "tavern," which was known to every traveler who passed along the muddy or dusty road between Galesburg and Geneseo. Our community marked the mid point of that journey and for many years the inn of shady memory standing north of present Woodhull was known as the "Half Way House." It is not recorded that Isaac and his wife Celia had any particular name for their inn but we do know from Elsie Howell's essay on the first twenty-five years of Woodhull's history that Isaac moved his first house from the present town plat to the farm south of town, where it served as an outbuilding.

When Isaac retired from the farm, he and Celia purchased the rambling building known to several generations of Woolhullites. The venerable structure was torn down several years ago to make a parking lot for Woodhull Motor Company. That structure could have told many tales of the oldtimers, tales that have been lost in the "twilight of legend." But we do have an interlude preserved for us by "Uncle Isaac" in his account book, an interlude combining the tragic and the comic in such measure that the tale deserves to be recorded here.

As a preface we may go back to some of the earlier history of the hotel. The earliest atlas of our county, published in 1875, carried an advertisement for "The Prairie House" operated by Julius Tower, "with feed stable attached." According to the oldtimers this stable could hardly be called "attached" to the inn in question, for the stable itself stood north of Beck's Body Shop. At any rate Julius Tower operated the inn, and Julius himself lived up to his name, for he was a tower of strength in the vexing issues that faced the growing community. A faded Dispatch of the 1890's notes that Julius Tower was in town visiting friends and the editor stated that Julius had been one of the most vigorous champions of a graded school in Woodhull. Many installments ago we noted how savage a battle it was to achieve a graded school system in Woodhull. Perhaps some reader is a descendant of Julius Tower and can supply us with a vivid pen picture of the man and his work in our town.

It appears that Julius moves out of the hotel picture that same year of 1875 for luckily a tattered copy of "The Woodhull Reporter" of November 17, 1876 has been preserved. At that time the hotel was known as the Maslin House, probably because a man of that name operated it. Under a headline "See Here!" the following notice appeared:

"Mr. Isaac Paden, on the account of age and infirmness of body, wishes to retire from business, and offers to sell his tavern stand, called the Maslin House, newly fitted in the best style, for the accommodation of the traveler, with good sample rooms and all other conveniences necessary for a village hotel, together with all his real estate, consisting of several houses and lots, suitable for residences. Inquire of the subscriber, one door west of the Maslin House. Isaac Paden."

It may be that Isaac himself owned the hotel during the time of Julius Tower but if so there is no record of it in the account book. We do have a complete record of the inn during the time it was operated by Charles Wilkins.

"Charles Wilkins agrees to run my hotel," wrote Isaac in March of 1881, "no time set upon the following conditions: the rent is to be $24.00 per month and do our washing. I agreed to take one half or more of the rent in boarding at $3.00 per week, 21 meals for a week (without lodging, including my visitors). Wilkins is to keep an account of all the income & the expense of running said hotel & present the same to me each month & if the income did not cover the expenses the rent was to be made less or he leave if he wished.

"He commenced on the first day of March, 1881. For March Rent $24.00 April 1, 1881 Cr. by 177 meals $25.30 Due C. Wilkins $1.30. For April Rent $24.00 May 1st Cr. by 172 meals $24.57 Due C. Wilkins .57 May Rent $24.00 June 1st Cr. by 140 meals $20.30 My due $3.70.

"July The account of expenses and income looked over & in the month of March a loss of $18.54; for the month of April over all expenses $26.83; for the month of May over all expenses $21.82."

"The board of his son Jesse & the rent he received for his house not record."

Isaac continues his examination of the fiscal affairs of his inn and notes that Innkeeper Wilkins owed him twenty-eight cents for the month of June, seventy cents for the month of July and a whopping three dollars for the month of August. Evidently business in Woodhull was exceptionally good during "dog days" and the anecdote is called to mind of the old Woodhull Hotel that once stood east of Shroyer's Garage. A faded clipping from The Dispatch tells the story of a traveling man who broke his leg when he tripped over a dog that was lying on the porch of Hotel Woodhull!

Isaac continues in his own inimitable way: "Here Wilkins informed me his expenses overrun his income & he would leave. He complained that our washing cost $4.00 a month but would stay & pay $16.00 per month. I offered to thrown off the washing & take $24.00 per month or he could leave. Sept. Rent $24.00 Oct. 1st Cr. for Sept, 126 meals $18.00 My Due $6.00. Oct. Rent $24.00 Nov. 1st Cr. for October 104 meals $14.85 My Due $9.15.

Here Wilkins refused to pay me one third of the rent in cash & he said he would rather not run the house as it was killing his wife & would leave tomorrow if I said so & wished I would git someone to run it & I agreed to do so just as quik as I could & and I immediately advertised & asked Mr. McCleen to run my hotel. He refused."

And so the sad story went. On December the 6th Isaac notes: "Accepting Wilkins proposition to leave I have got parties ready to take the house & he now refuses to give possession. Decem. 19th I informed Mr. Wilkins the parties had gave up the idea of taking the hotel ... Jan. 30th Wilkins give notice the Hotel Would be closed after dinner, that his folks were sick. Feb 1st Wilkins gave notice that the Hotel house would be vacated, all except the two north rooms."

The ending is near but Isaac, careful bookkeeper that he was would not let any stray pennies fall by the wayside. He continues: Feb. 1st a bill of ballances or rent for Hotel including a board bill against A. J. Paden of $22.80 & an order to C. Hanson for $13.00, with a ballance due me as above - 36 cents & on said bill Ballance Due $1.49 on the first day of Feb., 1882."

Then comes the finale, almost tragic in its brevity: Feb. 6th Wilkins notified us not to eat any more at his table."

And thus closes the episode of Isaac's ill fated hotel. We have chosen to highlight that complaint of Charlie and have on that account entitled this installment the Washerwoman's Lament: "... and said he would rather not run the house as it was killing his wife."

THE PADENS AGAIN

One of the writer's motives in digging up everything possible about Woodhull's pioneers was the desire to be helpful to persons seeking information about their rugged ancestors who settled our area in the days when Illinois was young. In a recent letter to Editor Broline a great granddaughter of Isaac and Celia Paden requested copies of the obituaries of her great grandparents. Unfortunately the files of the Dispatch do not extend beyond 1898 and the pioneer Padens died four or five years previous to that. In an effort to locate the obituaries, the request went out to several Woodhullites who possess scrapbooks bulging with clippings concerning the old timers who conquered the prairies of Illinois. One of the first clippings pasted into her scrapbook by Mrs. Albert Swanson's mother was an extended account of the 60th wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Paden celebrated in 1885. The article is well worth preserving here, not only because it gives up fascinating details of a by-gone era but also because it is a good illustration of a brand of journalism that is no more. In this hurried and worried age only the subjects of dictators and national catastrophes would merit such extended notice as was given to Isaac and Celia Paden in the 1880's as they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. The account is of especial interest also because the addresses of appreciation of the aged couple are reported verbatim.

SIXTY YEARS
1885

"Sixty years is a good while, regarded in the abstract, though compared to eternity it isn't even a point. But sixty years, when regarded in connection with the married life of a man and a woman, is a very long time."

"Last Tuesday, March 17, was the 60th anniversary of the wedding of Isaac Paden and Celia Fish. Mr. and Mrs. Paden were of Quaker parentage, and were married according to the form of that Society. It was necessary that they should have the permission of the elders of that society. It was seventy miles from where they lived in Crawford county, Penn., to the nearest Quaker meeting house. So the ardent young couple mounted a pair of steeds, and in company with some friends rode a horseback that 70 miles. Just think of a cavalcade of half a dozen or more riding horseback 70 miles to reach a church where they could be married! And when Mrs. Paden relates, the couple had to 'say the ceremony themselves.' The minister was there but only as a witness. Candidly we say we like that way the best. In those days (1885) the parties depend too much upon the minister 'saying the ceremony,' and it cannot hold them together. But Isaac Paden and Celia Fish 'said the ceremony themselves' in the presence of the minister, and a company of friends and they said it so strong that it has held them in loving embrace for 60 years!

'Respected Friends: I am truly happy to meet you, and I fully appreciate the respect you have shown me and my aged companion by calling on us upon this occasion but being too frail to make a lengthy speech you will please, accept a short history of my life, and as my memory has failed I am under the necessity of communicating through my pen. I was born of Quaker parents, which I never thought was a disgrace, My record says it took place on the sixth day of November, 1800, at 8 o'clock in the morning, and if my memory is correct our folks did not eat breakfast till near noon. My place of birth was Fayette county, Pa., near Brownsville, then called Red Stone. When two years old, with the rest of my father's family, moved into Crawford county then called the Wilderness of the West, now a well populated county (and at this last election is the first time Pennsylvania lost her vote for President). Living as we did 20 miles to the nearest mill, store or doctor, and traveled by blazed trees. My father died when I was nine years old, and when fourteen I, under the care of a kind and loving mother, took charge of a saw mill, and here (pointing to the stump of a finger) is what befell me the first year. It was proposed to go twenty miles for a doctor, but naturally a self man, I objected tho' my finger was badly mangled, minus the bone. I gave orders to my brother-in-law to get a block of wood, chisel and mallet; with much persuasion he did; I laid my finger on the block and by my directions placed the chisel one-half inch in from the bone and struck; I then turned the half-inch over the end of bone and had it wrapped up snug and tight and it proved a first-class surgical operation. When a boy I was fond of fishing, and as I advanced in life my fondness increased, living as I did upon the bank of a stream in which in the spring of each year fish were very plenty, and in catching them I spent my leisure hours, and to cap the climax, at the age of 25 I married a Miss Fish, with whom I loved fifty years; I then married a Mrs. Paden, with whom I have lived sixty years; by adding the two periods of my married life, it seems a very long time to be a married man and some may doubt the correctness of my statement. But be that as it may, I have given you the facts and you may place them as may suit you best; my aim is to get things about right and be alive while I live, and I can assure you the best way is just about as good as any in all things pertaining to life. I again thank you for honor and respect which you have paid me.

Isaac Paden

'My friends: Not being very good at speaking, yet wishing to say something to you, I have committed it to writing, which I will read with your permission. I presume you will not expect anything very eloquent from me. If you do, you will be sadly disappointed, not being in the habit of speaking in public. If I was to attempt it, I fear it would prove a failure, never having attempted anything of the kind but once, and that was sixty years ago today, at the time of my marriage in a Quaker meeting, in the old log meeting house down in the woods in Pa., when we had to say our own ceremony. I assure you that was a mouth full, but I managed to blunder through it, (or rather swallowed it) and wrote down my new name. But I doubt very much if I could have read it at the time, it was so full of crinkle-crinkles; but be that as it may, I think I can read my own writing now, my advanced age having never made my hand so shaky as did that little speech in my younger days. And now, my dear friends and neighbors, my dear children and grandchildren, I say to you: If you could fully realize the unbounded pleasure and supreme satisfaction afforded me, by your meeting here today, I am sure it would repay you any inconvenience you may have experienced in preparing for this event; but it is impossible for you even to partially realize the gratitude inspired in my heart, by these manifestations of respect towards these old, feeble and long spared individuals.

'It seems by my husband's counting, that he wishes to insinuate that he had been married over one hundred and ten years. I was married the same time he was. According to the old negre's theory we must have both been married 220 years. But it seems to me that it sounds rather mixed - so you will have to take it for what it is worth. It appears his aim is to state it as it occurred, and let others do the figuring.'

"The following verses were composed and read in a clear voice by the venerable Mrs. Paden:

"Now friends, I address you in sort of a rhyme
But you must excuse it in metre and time
For I am no good, as you can soon see,
As metre and measure do poorly agree.

Beloved neighbors, one and all,
Dear friends, and children too.
I thought that I in verse would try
To talk awhile with you.

I'm glad to meet you here today
A social to enjoy
I hope that nothing may occur
The pleasure to alloy.

Now ten years more have rolled around
And we are still alive;
And sixty years have come and gone,
Since we were man and wife.

Ten years ago, our children they
From far and near did come,
To celebrate our fiftieth year,
And had a social time.

Our children are still alive,
That were ten years ago,
Still may they live, and long survive,
When we are called to go.

Part of our children here we meet,
One daughter and two sons,
Distance affords excuse complete
For all these absent ones.

We thank them for their kindly acts
Which each on us bestowed;
May their own children pay them back
In kindness as it should.

We have grandchildren present now,
And great-grandchildren few
Who come to see this great-grandpa
And great-grandmama too.

Their hearts all radiant as June,
So full of joy and glee,
Oh, may their path with flowers be strewn
Through life, though long it be.

Oh, may they live to ripe old age,
And honor prove indeed,
Remember us with kind regard
Whene'er these lines they read.

Now friends and neighbors, one and all,
Who celebrate our nuptials,
We thank you for this present call
On this old ancient couple.

Perhaps a circumstance like this
You never met in life,
A bride of nearly eighty-one
And groom near eighty-five.

But, oh, how long it seems to me
Since we were young and spry;
Without a falter in our step,
Or dimness in our eye.

But now we've past our four score years,
Our steps have feeble grown,
We soon shall leave this vale of tears,
No more on earth be known.

We hope to meet you all again
On that Eternal Shore,
Where peace and love forever reign,
And friends will part no more."

ISAAC PADEN DOCUMENTS

Found in Courthouse Galesburg, Illinois, deed record 16, page 148
No. 11300 Filed November 15th, 1837
This indenture made the eighth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty Between James Paden of the County of Knox and State of Illinois of the first part and Isaac Paden of the county and state aforesaid of the second part Witnesseth that the said party of the first part for and in consideration of the Sum of one thousand dollars lawful Money of the United States of America to him in hand paid by the Said party of the Second part the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged has ??? release convey and give claim and by these presents does ??? release convey and give claim to the said party of the Second part and to his heirs and assigns forever all of a certain piece and parcel of Land Situated lying and being with county of Knox in the State of Illinois his own and described as follows viz: the West half of the North East Quarter of Section twenty eight (28) in township eleven North of range one East of the fourth principal Meridian together With all and singular the tenements ???? and appurtenances thereunto belonging and all of the estate right title included property possession Claim and demand whatsoever as well in law or in equity of the said party of the first part of in and to the above described premises and in every part and parcel therewith the appurtenances to Have and to hold all and similar the above mentioned and described premises together with the appurtenances unto the said ????? [missing line] in witness whereof the said party of the first part has hereunto set his hand and seal the day and year first above written.
James Paden seal
Signed seal and delivered in the presence of
H. I. Morey
State of Illinois
Knox County
SS I, Hiram I. Morey , a Justice of the Peace for said county do testify that on this day appeared before me James Paden whose name appears signed to the foregoing deed of Conveyance and who is personally known to me to be the identical person whose Name is Subscribed to Said deed as having executed the Same and acknowledges that he had executed the Same as his voluntary act and deed for the uses and purposes therein explained. Given under my hand and Seal this eighth day of August eighteen hundred and fifty.
Signed Hiram I. Moory, JP seal
**********************************************************

Found at Book 513, Page 404 190707 handwritten date at top Mch 26,1901

The United States of America
To all whom these Presents shall come,
Greetings:
Whereas, in pursuance of the Act of Congress, approved September 28, 1850 entitled "An Act granting Bounty Land to certain Officers and Soldiers who have been engaged in the Military Service of the United States, " Warrant No. 28521 for 80 acres issued in favor of Louis Weeks Sergeant in Captain Bell Company, New York Militia, Nov. 1812 has been returned to the GENERAL LAND OFFICE with evidence that the same has been duly located upon the South half of the South East Quarter of Section twenty five in Township Fourteen of Range One East in the District of lands subject to sale at Dixon Illinois containing eighty acres according to the Official Plat of the Survey of the said Lands returned to the GENERAL LAND OFFICE by the SURVEYOR GENERAL: which has been assigned to Isaac Paden.

Now know ye, That there is therefore granted by the UNITED STATES unto the said Isaac Paden the tract of Land above described: TO HAVE AND TO HOLD the said tract of land, with the appurtenances thereof, unto the said Isaac Paden and to his heirs and assigns forever.

In Testimony Whereof, I, Franklin Pierce PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, have caused these Letters to be made Patent and the SEAL OF THE LAND OFFICE to be hereunto affixed.

Seal
GIVEN under my hand, at the CITY OF WASHINGTON, the Fifth day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty four and of the INDEPENDENCE of the UNITED STATES the seventy eighth

BY THE PRESIDENT, FRANKLIN PIERCE
By C.E. Baldwin, Asst. Sec'y
J N Granger Recorder of the General Land Office
******************************************************************

Courthouse Galesburg, Illinois Deed Record 16, Page 149

W11301 Filed November 15, 1851
Know all men by these presents that I, Isaac Paden now resident of Ramsey county, Minnesota Territory in consideration of six hundred dollars to me paid by D. Joseph Paden of the County of Knox and State of Illinois Know the receipt whereof I hereby Acknowledge do by these presents give bargain sell and convey to the Said D. J. Paden his heirs and assigns all that parcel of land situated in the County of Knox and State of Illinois being the west one half the tract known as the north East Quarter Section twenty eight (28) in Township eleven north range one East of the fourth principal Meridian. Together with all rights the privileges the appurtenances and any will appurtenances and belonging thereto: To Have and to hold the above mentioned premises to the Said David J. Paden and to his heirs and assigns forever. And I the Said Isaac Paden For myself and My heirs executors and administrators do forever discharge release and transfer and give claim unto the Said David J. Paden his heirs and assigns in testimony Whereof I the said Isaac Paden and Celia My Wife is taken of the release of all right of ownership in the premises have here unto Set our hand and Seal this 31 day of October 1851

. Isaac Paden seal
Celia Paden seal
In the presence of
Mariah J. Paden
Orlando Simons
Jacob J. Noah

Territory of Minnesota: Be Known that on the 10th day of November ad 1851 before the undersigned personally come Isaac Paden and Celia Paden his wife the grantors to the foregoing deed from them as such grantors to D. Joseph Paden to Me personally known to be the identical person described in and who executed the Said deed and the acknowledged the executed the Said deed freely and voluntarily for the uses and purposes herein and explained.

Seal
Jacob J. Noah, Notary Public
Ramsey County, Minnesota Territory
************************************************************

Courthouse Galesburg, Illinois
Deed Record 17 Page 468?
No. 12166 Filed July 13, 1852> This indenture made this tenth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty two between Isaac Paden and Celia Paden of the first part and David J. Paden of the second part witnesseth that the said party of the first part for and in the consideration of the Sum eighteen hundred dollars paid by the said party of the second part the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged do by these presents grant bargain and sell and convey and confirm unto the Said party of the second part his heirs and assigns a certain tract or parcel of land situated in the County of Knox and the State of Illinois and describes this West Half of the North East quarter of section twenty eight (28) in Township eleven (11) of range one (1) East containing Eighty acres more or less. Together with all and singular the hereditaments rights privileges and appurtenances thereunto belonging in or in assigns appurtenances to have and to hold the said premises as above described unto the said party of the second part his heirs and assigns forever. And the said party of the first part for themselves for themselves and their heirs executors and administrators do hereby covenant to and with this said party of the second part his heirs executors administrators and assigns that they are ??? ?????? of the premises above conveyed as of a good and indifeasible?? estate of inheritance is ??? free simple and have good right to sell and convey the same in manner and from aforesaid that the above described premises are free from all incumbrances and that the above described premises in the just and peaceable possession of the said party of the second part his heirs or assigns against the claim of all persons whomsoever they will forever ??? and defend. In testimony whereof the said Isaac Paden and Celia Paden have hereunto set their hands and seals this day and year first above written. Signed and sealed in the presence of

 
          Isaac Paden        seal
                                                                                                  Celia Paden          seal

State of Illinois I, Robert L. Hannamam, Notary Public of the said county do hereby certify that on this Knox County day personally appeared before me Isaac Paden and Celia Paden whose names appear signed to the foregoing deed of conveyance and who are personally known to me to be the identical persons whose names are subscribed to said deed as having executed the same and acknowledged that they have executed the same as their voluntary act and deed for the uses and purposes therein explained. Each Celia Paden wife of said Isaac Paden having been by me made acquaintance with the contents of said deed and having by me executed separate and apart from her said husband acknowledges that she has executed the same and has relinquished her dower rights to the premises therein conveyed voluntarily freely and without any compulsion of her said husband and doth not wish to retract.

Seal                 Given under My hand and official seal this 10th day of July 
                        Eighteen hundred and fifty two
                                               R. L. Hannaman, Notary Public

Celia Fish Paden

The venerable pair are staying with their son, James Paden, Esq., on his fine farm three miles south of the city. A company of 50 or more went out there on Tuesday afternoon to help them celebrate the event. Some went out on the Narrow Gauge, which landed them with 40 rods of the house. Among those present were Col. Clark E. Carr and wife, Gen. P.S. Post, D.H. Frisbie, J.P. Cook and wife, G.W. Robinson and daughter, Gersh. Martin and wife, Mrs. Hammond, Mrs. Watson and others. After the company had all arrived they were assembled in the parlor, where Col. Carr made quite an extended address to the venerable couple, and the company assembled. Few people can realize, without stopping awhile to think, what wonderful changes have taken place since March 17, 1825. At that time there was not a railroad in existence, nor one scarcely thought of. It was a dozen years before an ocean steamer had crossed the Atlantic. This great west, now teeming with millions, and already claiming commercial, political and financial supremacy, was largely an unbroken wilderness. Since then three revolutions have occurred in France, and a Republican government twice established, and an empire once. In that year had a man said the sending of messages by electric telegraph could or would be done, that a cable would be laid under the ocean, that we could actually talk and distinguish voices over a wire a hundred miles apart, he would have been deemed fit only for the lunatic asylum. Then the only mode of cutting grain was with the sickle. The cotton gin was not then or had but recently been invented. No sewing machines, no reapers, no thresher, no steel plows, only wooden mould boards, no wheel coulters, no cultivators, no corn planters or shellers. It was then only ten years from the close of the war of 1812. Since then we have had two wars, one a gigantic rebellion. The war with Mexico nearly doubled our territory and followed by the most wonderful discoveries of gold in California and Australia. It was 12 years before Victoria was crowned Queen of England, and she now lacks but a year or two or having reigned longer than any monarch who ever sat on the English throne. Mr. Paden believes that great as these changes and events seem, the next sixty years will witness still greater events.

Reference to the Narrow Gauge in the foregoing write-up indicates that the article appeared in one of the Galesburg papers, but the Woodhull Dispatch must be credited for the write-up of Isaac and Celia Paden's sixty-seventh wedding anniversary, which is also contained in Mrs. Grace Swanson's scrapbook. The account likewise deserves to be recorded in "Stars", for it must be remembered that a granddaughter of Isaac and Celia, Mary Paden Stitt, left us one of the most vivid pen pictures of pioneer Woodhull, an article that has been a treasure trove to future historians of Homeburg.

"Mr. Paden was born Nov. 6, 1800, in Fayette County, Penn., and is in his 85th year. Mrs. Paden is 81 years old. Both are in the full possession of all their faculties, mental and physical - hearing and sight being yet fairly good with memory still strong, and brain clear. Each wrote out a short address, which they read themselves. Both are yet bubbling over with humor, and fun, and exhilarating spirits.

"They have eight children living - Joseph Paden, Clarinda, Iowa; James Paden, Galesburg; Jacob Paden, Idaho; Mrs. Mary A. Stephen, St. Paul, Minn.; Mrs Rebecca Andrews, Moorehead, Iowa; and Albert Paden, Galesburg.

"There are about forty grandchildren and about fifty great-grandchildren. All seem gifted with the same characteristics of vigor and longevity of the original stock. The old couple give promise of living yet these many years. It will not be strange if they live to celebrate their 'diamond' wedding.

"An elegant dinner was spread later in the day with which the company was regaled, and before seven o'clock all had reached their homes.

"In an upper room is a miniature landscape, designed and constructed by the old lady, showing mountains, valleys, a river, waterfall, lakes, trees, houses, a church, men, women, and children, etc. After dinner the company listened to a spirited recitation by Druce Paden, one of the great grandchildren."

REPUBLICAN REGISTER
GALESBURG, ILLINOIS - MARCH 17, 1885

The Pearl Wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Paden, celebrated by three generations of descendants.

The lives of Mr. and Mrs. Paden connect up with the history of the past and that of the future. When they were in the vigor of youth, many of the old Revolutionary heros were alive. Mr. Paden was fifteen years old at the time of the battle of Waterloo, when Napoleon was overthrown, and the whole map of Europe changed.

At the time of their marriage, La Fayette was making this Triumphal trip through the United States and John Quincy Adams had just entered upon the presidency, having been elected by the House of Representatives.

Turning to the field of literature, Sir Walter Scott was at the height of his reputation and Washington Irving was just rising into eminence. The new school of literature was just coming in; the Johnsonian literature which in some respects was far grandier and noblier and better than the present, was just passing out. The most wonderful and important events of our history have transpired since their marriage.

It was four years after their marriage before lucifer matches were invented and twenty years after their marriage before the war with Mexico occurred, which added so many hundred thousand square miles of territory to our national Domain.

They lived to see Webster, Clay and Calhoun rise, flourish and decline. At the time of their marriage it was thought that slavery would soon be abolished; they lived to see it grow powerful, threaten to overspread the land, and finally be wiped out by a bloody and terrible Civil War.

During this time many important inventions have been made. The sickle had been exchanged for the twine binder, and the spinning wheel for the power loom.

At the time of their marriage, Chicago was not thought of, and Knox County was a part of Pike County. At that time the fastest record on the turf was 2:40 and a 400 pound hog was a prodigy.

The improvements in livestock of all kinds has been most wonderful. In conclusion, the speaker paid an eloquent tribute to the home and fireside. He spoke of the burial of J. Howard Payne, the author of "Home Sweet Home." He thought that we as a nation were departing too far from the simple patriarchal idea, in which each family brought up its children in goodness, purity, and manhood, and he closed with the beautiful lines of Burns:

"To make happy fireside clime,
For Weans and wife
Its the true pathos sublime
Of human life."

Mr. Paden in replying, thanked his friends for their presence and good wishes.

While the advance and improvement has been great in the past, we must expect that it will be as great in the future. He hoped to celebrate the 70th anniversary of his marriage and invited all to be present at that."

Among the presents which Mr. and Mrs. Paden received was a box containing a nice sum (about 50 dollars we believe) in gold coins. Mrs. Paden also presented her husband with a writing desk, constructed in most ingenious ways, from a sewing frame, and ornamented with shells, exhibiting both beauty and convenience.

We had the pleasure of viewing a number of beautiful shell pieces, constructed by Mrs. Paden; but the most wonderful of all was a piece of Natural Scenery made by Mr. and Mrs. Paden together. This was in a large glass frame filling a whole side of the room. In this, were mountains and valleys, lakes and streams, trees and houses, men, women and children, all arranged in scenes as natural as life.

At an early hour in the afternoon the assembled guests sat down to a most excellent repast composed of all the good things, which feminine ingenuity ever devised. After participating in some animated theological discussions and listening to some excellent recitations by one of the grandchildren, Miss Drucie Paden, the guests departed, wishing Mr. and Mrs. Paden many more such anniversaries.

THE ECHOING PEN

During the preliminary research on "Stars" it was the writer's hope that there would come to light a good deal of original source material in the form of letters, diaries and the like. Unfortunately this did not come to pass. There were few letters of the early days but the present owners did not wish to make them available because of their private nature. The letters and papers of Commander Maxwell Woodhull, as has been noted more than once, do not concern the village in Illinois of which he became the proprietor during one of his leaves of absence from the service. In fact, there is not one word about Homeburg to be found in the Maxwell Woodhull papers.

But at long length a champion of the pioneers has arisen to give us a pen picture of the times of long ago by "one who was there," as was the manner of speaking in the infant days of The Dispatch. Thanks to a great-granddaughter of Isaac and Celia Paden, Mrs. Lee Moore of Douglas, Wyoming, a number of lengthy poems by Celia and several speeches by Isaac have been preserved. This material originally appeared in newspapers published at Woodhull, Cambridge, Geneseo and Elmwood. Since one of Celia's poems was published in a preceding issue of The Dispatch, a number of requests have been made for more poetry by this talented pioneer of our town.

One of the most interesting of Celia's poems was read by her at the Old Settler's meeting at Galva in late August of 1887. Carried in full by the Geneseo Republic of August 26, 1887, the poem takes us back to the New York and Pennsylvania homes of the girl who would one day came to Illinois with her husband and family, or part of it at least, and write a prominent chapter in the history of the Galesburg and Woodhull communities.

"The following original poem," states the Republic, "was read at the Old Settler's meeting, at Galva, last week by Celia Paden, of Woodhull, who is aged 83 years:

Young people, I am pleased to meet you,
Although I am very old,
And with warmth of heart I greet you,
Younger hearts may be more cold.

I was once as young and spritely
As you each are at this time
Then the days and weeks passed lightly
In that pleasant home of mine.

Near the greenwood bright with flowers
Gay birds warbled in the spring
There I spent those happy hours
Which such scenes to childhood bring.

A cabin there of logs erected
Rough, though neat and very warm
There we lived for years, protected
From summer's heat and winter's storm.

There I had some younger sisters
Who our rustic home enjoyed
There we worked and there we flitted
Little hands were all employed.

There we rode old Doll to water
Around the big oak tree we come
The colt and dog both followed after
While we drive the cattle home.

There we did the woolen spinning
Hatchled flax and milked the cows
There we spun and wove the linen
Churned the butter, swept the house.

There the tin and pewter scoured
Kept it looking bright and good
There we went out hunting flowers
Picking berries in the wood.

There we made the maple sugar
And the syrup, all so sweet
Baked the cakes upon the griddle
Which we with the syrup eat.

There we caught the little fishes
As they glided in the stream
Cooked the meals and washed the dishes
Cut the garments, sewed the seams.

This we had to do with fingers
Needle, thimble and a thread
Long by candle light we lingered
To finish ere we went to bed.

There we doubled yarn and twisted
Knit the socks our brothers wore
Braided straw we made their hats of
And some we traded at the store.

Some we braided for our neighbors
For their boys both small and large
About three shillings were the prices
For the common hats to charge.

Thus we earned a little money
Bought us now and then a dress
Which we wore to church on Sunday
They were called our Sunday best.

The church, a cabin built of logs
Down by the maple wood
The congregation was not large
But still was very good.

Through the week-time on we glided
Wore our home-spun as before
Did the scrubbing, washing, ironing
And a lot of chores outdoors.

There we fed the little chickens
Ducks and goslings for awhile
But we did not feed the turkeys
Lots of turkeys then ran wild.

There my brothers cut the timber
Sometimes made the flocks grow thinner
There they made a trap and caught them
Had two for my wedding dinner.

There my brothers cut the timber
Piled the logs and burned the same
Cleared the land, I well remember
Where my father sowed the grain.

When the grain was fit for harvest
McCormick reapers they had none
In their hands they took a sickle
Cut a swath through one by one.

Then they stopped and hung their sickles
On suspenders, I believe
Gathered up the grain and bound it
While returning, into sheaves

Next the fingered cradle came
That laid the grain in swaths so fast
The people thought that they had learned
All there was to learn at last.

Now we see that they were blind, sir
As in research we advance
Next the reaper, then the binder
Leaves the cradle little chance.

I remember back still farther
When I was a tiny child
With my sisters and my brothers
How we loved our father's smiles

Now our mother dear caressed us
And our hearts by love did win
Spun and made the clothes to dress us
While we were too young to spin.

In New York state, we first resided
Near Rensselaerville, where I was born
On July 1, in eighteen four
On a little stone-fenced farm.

I remember all about it
House and barn, and trees and all
And the little fence around it
All inclosed with nice stone wall.

Then my father went and sold out
Oh! it almost broke my heart
From all those early scenes of childhood
I forever had to part.

Then we moved to different places
At each sojourning for awhile
Lacking schools in many cases
Having none for miles and miles.

Then our father nightly taught us
When the day of toll was done
Round the pleasant fire he brought us
To our places, everyone.

Then he took the book and gave us
Words for each in turn to spell
All those pleasant nightly lessons
I remember, oh, so well.

Now my father took a notion
We would travel farther west
Sought a home in Pennsylvania's
Almost trackless wilderness.

Here was where we lived and labored
In that home so long a while
When we wished to visit neighbors
Often had to walk for miles.

Here we also took our lessons
From our father every night
Here received our daily blessings
Learned to guide our lives aright.

Here wild beast the woods infesting
Often filled our hearts with fear
While we on our beds were resting
In summer time and winter drear.

Here we heard the wolves a howling
In the lonely hours of night
Saw and heard the bears a growling
While the day was clear and light.

Here was where we did the spinning
Where we wove and where we knit
Where we made the maple sugar
I so well remember yet.

Here was where we fed the chickens
As you before have understood
Here was where they caught the turkeys
Wandering in the chestnut wood.

Now all such fatiguing labors
In a measure done away
There are few among our neighbors
Who can spin and weave today.

Women find their tasks more easy
Getting goods already made
Making garments by machinery
Throws the needle in the shade.

The farmer's work is very lighter
No trees to cut, no logs to roll
The plant in smooth prairie
And with machinery to do the whole.

Now free schools and institutions
Throughout the land both far and wide
An equal chance of education
To rich and poor alike provide.

Now I thank you for your attention
While in reading I engaged
Though you still are young and brilliant
You yet respect the feeble, aged.

May your lives be long and happy
Many years of joys to see
When you are growing old, perhaps
??????????????????????????????????

GENEALOGY IN VERSE

Judging from the clippings preserved by Mrs. Lee Moore of Douglas, Wyoming, the meetings of the pioneers of Henry County during the 1870's and 1880's could not be considered a success unless closed by a poem of Mrs. Isaac Paden of Woodhull, and in most cases the poem would be read by the aged author. Perhaps one of the last such meetings attended by Isaac and Celia was the 14th annual meeting of the Old Settlers held at the park in Geneso on September 21, 1888, a full account of which appeared in the Geneso Republic. We may be pardoned for prefacing Celia's poem with remarks made concerning some of the pioneers of the county who were present at this particular gathering, the more so because it gives us insight into the kind of men and women who conquered the stubborn prairies of Illinois.

"On call, for short addresses by old settlers, A.M. Hubbard of Moline made a few remarks. Though he lived in Geneso fifty-one years ago he saw but one face in the audience now that he had then been familiar with. He remembered the grove where the meeting was held as a bare prairie when he first saw it. There were four cabins around the square - Father Stewart's, the two Cones and Mr. Bartlett's. Pointing to the big elm in the center of the park he said it was planted there 46 years ago (1842) in the exact center of the Plat measured from the original survey stakes. William Austin brought the tree from near Green River, and Hiram Cady also helped plant it. A Mr. Pillsbury, who was present, threw a copper cent into the hole as the tree was raised. There is a legend that there is money under the tree, and Mr. Hubbard knows it for he saw it there. The two hard maple trees on Pearl street ... were also planted by Mr. Hubbard 50 years ago. He claims they were the two first maple trees planted on the site of the Maple City.

"Lewis Shearer ... said that when he first moved to this county he had only one neighbor within three miles. When he was driving to his new home he said to his wife that probably within twenty years all that land would be occupied, She said she didn't believe it would in fifty years. He used to buy his groceries in Peru and sell his grain there. But they enjoyed life, all being on an equality.

"Uncle Jim Glenn was called for and forced to the platform. He wouldn't speak because Sam Bowles, of Rock Island, introduced him, but W. W. Warner told a story on him. It was about a couple of raftsmen who used to stop at Uncle Jim's on their trips. They thought a great deal of the cooking there and supposed Mrs. Glenn was a hired girl. One evening one of them asked if he might have the pleasure of her company. She looked at him quizzically and replied she didn't know, she would ask her husband. That was the nearest Uncle Jim ever came to losing his wife.

"T. F. Davenport introduced Samuel Bowles of Rock Island, by telling he was the third man he met in the county. Mr. Bowles said he kept an inn. He said Jim (Glenn) used to keep raftsmen and he kept the travelers. He came to this county in 1835 and took up, the land he now resides on. The first six months he lived there he and his wife never saw a white person - nothing but Indians.

"Uncle Isaac Paden of Woodhull was called upon. He said he would say How do you do and Good Bye. He is growing feeble and don't believe he will ever meet with the association again.

"Daniel Kelleher of Western took the platform and said he didn't feel much like an old settler when he looked upon the gray heads around him. He remembered 35 years ago when he used to bring grain from La Grange (Orion) to Geneso with cattle, and but one house on the way, the one at Brown's Grove. Dan declared that the plow is the civilizer of the world and that Uncle Jim Glenn has done more to civilize Henry county than all ... He learned the early settlers how to raise corn ...

"Mrs. Isaac Paden of Woodhull, was introduced and read the following poem, after which the meeting adjourned:

"Friends and old settlers, I don't know as I have anything to say that will interest you. I wish to speak to you on the date of the year and my age and time of residence in the state and county, also a broken history of my own family. I wish also to take you back to the time of Isaac and Jacob of ancient day, older settlers than we have been in the habit of associating with in Henry county. I find that in reading the account of Isaac and Jacob that there is more written than is absolutely necessary. Still in giving account of the modern Isaac and Jacob, I have fallen into the same error. In order to accommodate my rhyme it will be necessary to balance one against the other and call it even, and take all at what it is worth.

Friends, this is eighteen eighty-eight
And I am eighty-four
I have resided in this state
Forty-four years or more.

And in this county I have lived
Since eighteen fifty-two;
It may be that is not as long
As other ones of you.

This is Old Settlers meeting day
I thought I would come
Thinking that I was near as old
As any other one.

As any other one I mean
Among those still alive
Who have not yet the age attained
Of over eighty-five.

Sixty-three years and almost a half,
Through cares and toils of life
Have come and gone forever past,
Since I was Isaac's wife.

You know he has an ancient name
Came down in time directly
Though he is Isaac just the same;
Sure I am not Rebecca.

Our earthly race is nearly run,
Hearing dull and dim the sight
And although Jacob is our son
He never stole his brother's Right.

Nor did he then as I now say
Employ deceptive means
To take his brother's right away
For a paltry dish of greens.

Our Jacob also was a twin
Yet never made a strike
Against his brother, mate to him,
Not Esaw sure, but Ike.

In twenty-eight the twins were born
And Isaac passed away
At eight months old, just in the dawn
And morning of his day.

But Jacob travelled, (truth to tell)
Like Jacob did of old;
If he kissed Rachel at the well
No one has ever told.

He must have been searching for a wife,
The proof of which is clear
For since that time he married twice,
Not Rachel, neither Leah.

Louisa Smith at first he wed,
Siloa Hale the other,
But please remember one was dead
Before he took another.

Nor did he yet as we can trace
To Paden again go,
But travelled from place to place
And stopped in Idaho.

And there upon the mountain side
He found a little stream.
And built a saw mill on the tide
As Jacob did another.

He thinks he has the finest place,
Throughout the western nation;
The running water in the spruce
Supplies him with the motion.

An ancient Jacob named each place,
In valley or on hill
So modern Jacob christened his
And called it Jacob's mill.

We had other children born
As Jacob did of old;
Although Joseph once was called
Yet he was never sold.

His brothers numbered only four,
His sisters numbered seven
And if he counts them all once more,
It figures up eleven.

He was a natural farmer born
With pride his mother says it;
If he stored up corn
He surely helped to raise it.

When first to Iowa he moved,
Although it seems most cruel;
When he was scant of coal and wood,
He used his corn for fuel.

The price of corn was very low
A bit, I think they called it,
And then he had so far to go
It did not pay to haul it.

And now we see a mighty change
Since prices raised so briskly
We ship our corn and other grain,
And work it up in whiskey.

And now my friends I say to you
As sure as you were born,
Was I to choose between the two,
I sure would burn the corn.

Here I might give the names of all
But rather not of choice;
But only one among the whole
Was born in Illinois.

We only kept her seven year,
Though always bright and cheery
We laid our little one so dear,
In Galesburg cemetery.

Now of the twelve, but six remain,
One-half have passed away,
Travel on a higher plane
We hope in endless day.

Now I will give the whereabouts
Of all our girls and boys;
One now dwells in Idaho
And three in Illinois.

And one in Minnesota stays,
She is our second daughter;
Our oldest son in Iowa
Near Little Tarkies water.

How long my friends we may linger here,
"Tis very hard to tell;
It surely can't be many years
We all know very well.

For nature's laws must be fulfilled,
The aged must pass away;
The younger ones our places fill,
Advancing day by day.

When we are all laid away to rest,
Your meetings will continue;
And we will scarcely then be missed,
Your number won't grow thinner.

May all old settlers meet and dwell
And now I bid you all farewell,
If here we meet no more,
On that eternal shore.

Celia Paden

THE OLD DECANTER

[If all lines are centered in this poem, it will resemble a decanter.]

There was an old decanter,
it's mouth was gaping wide;
the rosy wind had ebbed away
and left It's crystal side;
and the wind went humming, humming,
up and down the sides it flew,
and through it's reed-like hollow neck,
the wildest notes it blew.
I placed it in the window,
where the blast was blowing free
and I fancied that it's pale mouth
sung the queerest strains to me.
"They tell us puny conquerors!
the Plague has slain his ten,
and was his hundred thousand of
the very best of men,
but I "was thus the bottle spake,"
but I have conquered more than all your
famous conquerors so feared, famed of yore.
Then come ye youths and maidens all,
come drink from out my cup,
the beverage that dulls the brains,
and burns the spirit up;
that puts to shame your conquerors
that slay their scores below,
for this has deluged millions with the lava tide of woe.
Though in the path of battle the darkest waves of blood may roll,
yet while I killed the body,
I damned the very soul.
The cholera, the plague, the sword,
such ruin never wrought as I in mirth or malice
on the innocent have brought.
And still I breathe upon them and they shrink before my breath;
and year by year, my thousands tread the dismal road of DEATH.

Celia Fish Paden

SIXTY-SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY

Thursday, March 17, 1892, was Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Paden's 67th marriage anniversary. Their grand daughters, Cora and Drusy Paden, from near Galesburg, came Wednesday evening, by way of Alpha, intending to give their grandparents a sly surprise, their father, Albert F. Paden, having expressed a box containing a fine turkey, jellies and other edibles, including oranges and bananas, which arrived soon after the girls. The same evening after their stunt, Mrs. James Paden, arrived on the Dolly, with another supply, to the surprise of herself and the girls as well as to the older people, neither knowing the other intended coming. On Thursday forenoon, Mr. and Mrs. James Stitt joined them with a third supply. The Miss Cora and Mrs. James Paden prepared the turkey, roasting it to a lovely brown, and served dinner that might have done justice to a larger party. Alonzo F. Paden and A. P. Stephens of Galesburg sent up two dozen fine oranges. Some neighbors called and the day was very pleasantly spent, all leaving with good wishes for the old couple. Isaac Paden was born Nov. 6, 1800 and Celia Paden was born July ..., 1804. They were married March 17, 1825. The following lines were written by Celia Paden to her husband, for their sixty-seventh marriage anniversary:

From eighteen hundred twenty-five
To eighteen ninety two
We've lived together, still survive,
Both living, me and you.
We once had children in our home;
The number half are gone;
The rest are scattered here and there
And we are now alone.
In seventy five (St. Patrick's day),
Our friends and neighbors came
To celebrate it - by the way,
Our children all came home
That was the last our children all
Have ever met together
For some have moved to distant parts,
And some are gone forever.
In eighty five they came again,
Our friends and neighbors free,
Our children all could not attend -
We met with only three.
As circumstances detained the rest,
That they could not appear,
It caused our hearts to feel depressed,
And drop a silent tear.
But since that time, two daughters gone
To try the other shore;
So while we on this earth remain,
Will meet with them no more.
Our time on earth must shortly end,
According to our age,
And bid adieu to loving friends
And leave this earthly stage.

BIRTHDAY PARTY
LAKE ELMO, MINN. - NOV. 6, 1892

Sunday, November 6th was Mr. Isaac Paden's 92nd birthday and his friends and relatives surprised him at the residence of his son-in-law, Mr. Arthur Stephen, near Lake Elmo, Minn. Present were Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Nudd of Minneapolis, Minn., Mr. and Mrs. D. J. Paden of LeSeur, Minn., Mrs. James Paden of Galesburg, Ill., Mr. and Mrs. I. J. Paden and two sons of St. Paul, Minn., Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Spindle and two children of Stillwater, Minn., Mr. and Mrs. Robert Butler and three children, Stillwater, Minn., Mrs. Arthur Stephen, Jr. and sister, Stillwater, Minn., Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Stephen, Sr. of Lake Elmo, Minn., besides some neighbors. I. J. Paden is a grandson of the old gentleman, and Mrs. Spindle and Mrs. Butler are his granddaughters. There were seven great-grandchildren present.

At 2:00 the company all gathered in the parlor where Mrs. Isaac Paden read the following lines, she being in her 89th year, after which all repaired to the dining room and did justice to a bountiful repast. At a late hour the company parted wishing him many more happy birthdays.

Now my dear husband let me say
Behold the dawning of this day
November 6th has ushered in
A natal day to you again.

How many years around have run
Since you this voyage of life begun:
From eighteen hundred, count it through,
The years will number ninety-two.

Now on the ninety-third you start,
With tottering limbs and panting heart;
With weakened frame and failing sight
And now sit down to read and write.

Although your mind is much impaired
Tis balanced still in this regard;
You read and write from day to day
To pass the tedious hours away.

Remember back when you were young,
Your form erect, your muscles strong;
I have your picture here to show
Of one and forty years ago.

That was in eighteen fifty one
When first daguerreotypes were known.
Your features then were smooth and fair,
No gray then mingled in your hair:

Oh now the contrast is so plain!
That nimble step you can't regain:
Your motion getting weak and slow ---
Not much like forty years ago.

Our children numbered twelve in all;
Some were grown and others small;
But we have often been bereft,
Till of the twelve, but six are left.

May they be spared while we remain,
Our feeble bodies to sustain,
And after we are laid away
May long on earth our children stay.

Be kind to sister, kind to brother,
While on this lower sphere they dwell,
And feel an interest in each other,
So at the last, all may be well.
Celia Paden

Lake Elmo, Minn., Feb. 2, 1893