| THE OLD SETTLER'S Association Rock Island Co, Illinois |
| On the 11th day of December 1865, notices were published in the daily newspapers of the city of Rock Island which read: "We have requested to say that all residents of this county, who came here previous to 1840, are requested to meet at Jacob Norris & Co.'s book store, on the evening of Wednesday, the 13th inst. at 6:30 o'clock, for the purpose of consulting and (if thought advisable) to issue a call for a public meeting of the old settlers for the purpose of forming an "Old Settlers Association." On the evening of the 13th, ten or twelve old settlers met at the book store above named and organized by appointing Charles H. Case chairman and Major Frazer Wilson secretary. On motion a committee was appointing, consisting of Jacob Norris, Dr. Patrick Gregg, William Bell, John H. Eby, and Daniel Beal, to initiate measures for the organization of an old settlers association. They recommended that a meeting be called to be held at the court house in the city of Rock Island, on the 10th day of January 1866, to complete the organization by the adoption of a constitution and by-laws, and the election of such officers as may be thought necessary, which recommendation was adopted, and on motion the chairman appointed the gentlemen named in the committee above mentioned, as a committee to prepare a constitution and by-laws to be presented at the meeting on the 10th day of January. Pursuant to a call the old settlers of Rock Island county met in the court house in the city of Rock Island on Wednesday, January 10th, 1866, at 2 o'clock p.m., and organized by appointing George Mixter chairman and A. K. Philleo secretary. The object of of this meeting having been started briefly by Jacob Norris, a constitution and by-laws were submitted to the meeting by him and adopted. After remarks by Dr. P. Gregg, Charles H. Case, Wesley Bysant and others, it was resolved, that it is desirable and eminently proper to form an Old Settlers Association, and they pledge themselves to its full and cordial support. The election of officers being in oder, Dr. P. Gregg was unanimously elected president, and the following named gentlemen vice president: John Kistler, Nathaniel Belcher, Jacob Norris, Timothy Dutton and Dr. J. H. Lyford, George Mixter, treasurer, A. K. Philleo, secretary. Agreeable to the provisions of the constitution, the president appointed the following named gentlemen an executive committee to prepare and take charge of the opening festival of the association, which was held at the Island city hotel, (where the Harper House now stands) February 22, 1866: David Haines, William Bell, Joseph Johnson, Frazer Wilson and A. F. Cutter, John H. Eby, Charles Titterington and Rufus J. Harvey were appointed a committee to procure as orator for the festival. The first picnic of the association was held on the Island in Sept. 1866. The following is a list of the Old Settlers Association from organization to date in the order in which they joined: A. K. Philleo J. M. Bulley Joseph Knox James Dickson William Schuck John R. Corker Edward W. Spencer Andrew Conant William A. Heck A. F. Cutter Lucius Wells Daniel Hains Geo. R. McMurphy Charles Laflin James M. Buford Charles B. Marshall Samuel Bowles William Kale David Hawes Elton C. Cropper William Hays William Bell Jeremiah Chamberlin John W. Gregg William Jamison Charles H. Case Henry Kimmel John Edgington Wesley Bisant James R. Hadsell Anthony Ricketts Peter S. Alberts William H. Sage John Thompson S. L. Brettum Seth R. Buffum Charles H. Newton Robert Ross Thomas Shires William E. Brooks John W. Spencer Thos. J. Robinson Geo. W. Townsend Geo. D. Bromley D. T. Robinson William E. Cropper Irwin Moore Albert Wells Silas Drury John Kistler Henry Frick Ira L. Whitehead George Mixter Martha Cropper Justus D. Taylor Thomas Brittingham Mrs. Joseph Gray Joseph Johnson John Staubach Charlotte Lequatte William T. Norris Marcus B. Osborn Mary S. Whitehead Elwin E. Parmenter James Taylor Christiana Gilmore Joseph A. Biddison Rinnah Wells Mary Frels Elisha P. Reynolds Isaac Negus Chas. W. Hawes Wm. E. Chamberlin Robt. R. Griffin William Miller Daniel Beal John M. Wilson Jane O. Philleo Edward Cropper Chas. B. Knox Hannah Wells Jacob Norris H. S. Case Wm. Jamieson Patrick Gregg M. P. Barnett Anna E. Smith Jeremiah Lequatte Margarethe Case Martha Kistler W. A. Harrold Eliza Starr Rachel Ann Taylor J. A. Gray Phoebe Bully Martha A. Cutter Timothy Dutton Martha Drum Theresa M. Marshall C. B. Marshall Jane Mosher Mary L. Kelly Daniel Mosher Henry Powars John Buffum |