The Cairo bulletin., 1907-04-18

first teacher was an lsishman This
Is all interesting enough, but how re
liable Il Is historically am not pre-
pared to say, in view Of the manifest
error made by this historian as to the
date and location OF the first white
settlement In Alexander county.
The version Of the first settlement
4 in Alexander county in the history
above referred to, seems TO be the
one which has been generally accept
ed and adopted by local writer's and
The public in general This is prob
ably from the fact that the first towns
of Trinity, at the mouth of Cache
\ founded in 1916, and America, the
first county seat, laid out in 1918
were situated on the east side Of the
county. From this it seems to have
vtcvme the general belief that the
first settlement was located in the
eastern portion OF the present county
Of Alexander, and in that part of the
county which in 1913 became part
Of Pulaski county | believe ! can
demonstrate that these claims are un
supported by satisfactory evidence
and not entitled to credit.
Governor Reynolds, in his Pioneer
History Of Illinois, makes very brief
allusion to the early settlement Of this
county in which he states that the
families OF McElmuny and Flanary
built station fort as early as tae
year 1888, on the Mississippi opposite
the Island 22,, in the present county
Of Alexander in Township 1G, south.
He expresses the opinion that these
first settlers We're probably some
of the men who had met Col. George
Rogers Clark, at Fort Massac, in what
is now Massac County. in 177S, and
had followed him on the campaign to
Kaskaska which we have seen result
ed in taking on county from Great
Britain and giving it to Virginia.
] have made rather a careful inves-
tigation of official records TO find such
facts as they furnish concerning the
McElmurTys and Flanalys referred
to by Gov. Reynolds as the first set
tiers. and whose station fort was
doubtless the first house ever built
in Alexander county. And here ii may
be best 10 state that this historian Is
II error as to the name of one of
these pioneer families. the correct
name of record being McElmurry in
stead Of McElmuny. The other name
is sometimes spelled Flanary and
sometimes Flannery. there evidently
having been much latitude in the
spelling OF surnames in those days.
AS no tradition remains. so far as |
have learned as to this first house
that was reared in the wilds of Alex
ander county, We must look TO con-
history for any descrp.
ton of its character It must have
been a log house for no other mater
ial could have been obtained at that
time and place for the building of 4
house. We are told that block
house, or station fort such as this
was, at that time, was always built of
logs. a story. or story and half
high. The lower floor was arranged
with loop holes 10 shoot through ana
with doors of split timbers three or
four inches thick. with strong bars to
fasten them so as to make the struc-
.urc difficult to break into The sec
.hree of -four feet and had holes in the
ioor, outside the lower story to en-
ihIe the occupants to shoot down at
any attacking party Of Indians seek
ng to force an entrance
No account exists of any attack |
made by the Indians upon our first |
settlers, the McElmurrys and Elan.
Irys. but what with the ever present |
mosquito and the fever and ague Of |
Early DAYS we may well imagine that |
life for them was not wholly without |
Is strenuous experiences.
That these We're indeed the first set
lers and that their settlement was
made on The Mississippi River at or
lear the present village of Santa F.
n 1888, or as early as 17SS. can /
hnk be established beyond any tea
enable doubt, from reliable rT'c.a
ecords.
In the American state Papers
'ublic Lands" Dun Green odi.ion)
ages 1924 there is a statomon,. dat
d Kaskaskia, Dee 81. 1909. of claims
Dunded on improvements an the
istrict of Kaska ska. which were az
lmed hy the board OF COMMISSIONS
ppointed under act of e0nIiag, ~
AXE evidence of all land claims In the
AasKasAsa district unde Fr, 40
PARISH or United states grants The
ST contains the names " Enslisl
nd American settlers Nao cain.cj
eriain lands und ar what Worc known
3 Ancient Grants IN This list ~.
ear the names If Thomas i'.arary |
r.. Abram and JoSlra Flanary. iohn
IcElmuiry and loan Mcslmur.y. lr.
Ia lac same volume. on page 49,
} l3S. is also a list of claims found |
7 on acts Of congress grating dona
ms Of four hundred acvs each 10
eaps Of families in tho iisisic 0fi
askasl,ia. and which were confirm
! by tJe board of commissioners. OF
iese acts Of congress. one approved
arch H. i73i gave 10 each DEAD OF {