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Latest update: Tuesday, 11 July, 2017
Map of Our Family Tree in ILLINOIS
12912 Willy Rd Coulterville, IL 62237
38.146353, -89.626510
On 01 Jul, 2017, Megan STWEART ESTRADA emailed: “Yes, I was born and raised in the Coulterville/ Sparta, [Randolph Co,
ILLINOIS] area. I grew up on the same land that was settled by my family in the early 1800's. Actually, next year my family will
be celebrating 200 years of owning the farmland that I grew up on. This farmland is between Coulterville and Sparta, IL. It was
settled by family on my dad's side (which is were I have my connection with the Edgar family). The farm was first settled by a
David Cathcart, whose granddaughter (Agnes) married John Alexander Edgar (who was William Edgar's grandson). The farm
was past down to Agnes and her husband John Edgar and then it was past down to their daughter Margaret Edgar, who
married David Stewart (my great grandfather). Then the farm was past down to my grandfather (Howard Stewart), who then
past it down to my father (Richard Stewart). My parents still live there and it is still being farmed. It is very certain that this land
will eventually be past down to my older sister and her husband.”
"About the year 1780, a settlement was made about the mouth of nine mile creek, by some of Col. Clark’s soldiers, and some
friends, whom they had persuaded to come along with them to the country. Of these, Daniel Hicks, Henry and Elijah Smith,
Hilderbrand, Hayden, Lunceford and others were prominent. They nearly all lived and died in the settlement... These were
undoubtedly the first settlements made in this precinct, and but little can be learned of them at this date. A locality famous in
early days, was called the Irish Settlement, which was located near the mouth of Plum Creek, and derives its name from
the fact that the Irish settlers were called South Carolina Irish. The place was probably first settled by a man, eminent, even at
that early day, for great energy and activity, James Patterson, from the Abbeville district, South Carolina. He afterwards settled
upon the site of Preston Village, in 1804. This old pioneer held the offices of justice of the peace and county commissioner and
also made himself conspicuous as a ranger in the war of 1812. He had four sons, John, Samuel, Reuben, and James Harvey.
John, after living for several years in the same settlement, with his father, moved to Hill Prairie, where in 1837, he died.
Samuel settled in Horse Prairie; Reuben, in Heacock Prairie; James H. lived on the farm, first settled by his father." Evansville
"PLUM CREEK Prec, established in 1816. "Thomas Widaman, Supervisor of Roads, David Anderson, Assessor, James
Patterson and James Patton, Overseers of the Poor." Plum Creek Precinct--1825 Randolph Co, IL State Census Index @
On 11 March 1818, William EDGAR, eldest son of Adam and Mary, sold the EDGAR Family Homestead in Maury Co,
TENNESSEE to his youngest brother James.
And in Spring of 1819, William, his wife Marry MORRISON and their five children and William's sister Margaret and her
husband Samuel LITTLE and their five or six children followed the Reformed Presbyterian Church to Randolph Co, ILLINOIS.
"William, who was the eldest son, married Mary Morrison, and they moved to Randolph County, Illinois, in the year 1819"
Family History: The Edgar Family By Thomas Delbert EDGAR, S273, August 1931, posted in HISTORIES
"They immediately set out for Kaskaskia [ILLINOIS] and purchased land, and Messrs. Edgar and Little moved out in the
spring of 1819; Family History: Bethel Reformed Presbyterian Church, Sparta, IL Article, PCA Historical Center, posted IN
HISTORIES
The EDGAR and LITTLE families are enumerated in the 1820 US Census Index for Randolph Co, ILLINOIS.
GenealogyTrails.com Ancestry.com
[Census posted in DOCUMENTS]
1820 Census, Plumb Creek, Randolph Co, ILLINOIS
[Census page 4 of 4, Line 2]
Samuel Little
Free White Males - Under 10: 1 [Robert]
Free White Males - 10 thru 15: 1 [Josiah]
Free White Males - 16 thru 18: 1 [David]
Free White Males - 16 thru 25: 1 [William]
Free White Males - 45 and over: 1 [Samuel]
Free White Females - Under 10: 2 [Mary "Polly," Margaret]
Free White Females - 10 thru 15: 1 [Ann]
Free White Females - 26 thru 44: 1 [Margaret Jane]
Number of Persons - Engaged in Agriculture: 3
Slaves: [blank]
Total: 9
[Census page 4 of 4, Line 3]
William Edgar [Ancestry.com]
Free White Males - 10 thru 15: 2 [Alexander John, William]
Free White Males - 16 thru 25: 2 [Adam, Robert]
Free White Males - 45 and over: 1 [William]
Free White Females - 16 thru 25: 1 [Janet]
Free White Females - 45 and over: 1 [Mary]
Number of Persons - Engaged in Agriculture: 5
Slaves: [blank]
Total: 7
The CATHCART family moved into the area sometime between 1820 and 1825, because the CATHCART, EDGAR and
LITTLE Families are all enumerated in the Plum Creek Precinct--1825 Randolph Co, IL State Census Index at
GenalogyTrails.com and at ILTrails.com.
CATHCART, Joseph [son of David]
EDGAR, Adam [son of William]
EDGAR, Robert [son of William]
LITTLE, Josiah [son of Samuel]
LITTLE, Patsey [?]
On 01 January, 1863 — the eve of the US Civil War - Agnes CATHCART, the granddaughter of David CATHCART, married
John Alexander EDGAR, the grandson of William EDGAR.