“...Martin Rinehart was born in Chester County, Pa., December 8, 1812. His parents, Matthias, and Elizabeth (March) Rinehart were natives of the same county and state. They came west in the fall of 1829, and made a settlement on the farm now owned by A. M. Pauley in Somer Township...”320, pg 64

Grandma Hill said her father had eyes as black as a crow. He became almost blind in his later years from cataracts. He moved to Monroe, Wisconsin because of his wife’s health.

Irene Rinehart and her sister Bessie said they never saw Grandfather Rinehart except in a black broadcloth suit, white stiff bosom shirt, cravat, wearing a tall silk hat and carrying a gold headed cane. He was a “tony old guy” they said.

Addressed to: Mr. Isaac Reinhart, Seward Neb. Seward Co.
Urbana, Ill. Feb. 18-82
Read your card all right. Am glad Cal paid the mule business out just leave the money in the bank till I come will be there about July will be glad to see Jim’s paper have not had much winter here roads muddy everybody with a sore arm by vaccination Mrs. Donigan is dead was only sick 2 or 3 days no frost in the ground here now could plough if it was not too wet winter wheat looks well so far will go to Wis. about May to Iowa about June friends all well
M. Reinhart

“Fifty seven years ago, Martin Rinehart first set foot upon Champaign county soil. Then he was a lad of seventeen years, with his life before him. Today he is here. He has passed the milestone of his boyhood and early manhood, and is rapidly approaching one across whose face is written “Mature Age.” Three score and ten alloted to manhood have been his, and nearly all these years have been passed within the borders of this county. To write the history of the county is simply to tell his story. The hardships and privations endured, the hopes and fears, that alternately chased each other flitted across the pathway of this sturdy old pioneer, as he marched from boyhood down to old age.

Martin Rinehart was born in Chester County, Pa., December 8, 1812. His parents, Matthias, and Elizabeth (March) Rinehart were natives of the same county and state. They came west in the fall of 1829, and made a settlement on the farm now owned by A. M. Pauley in Somer Township. There young Rinehart grew to manhood. In 1832 during the Black Hawk War, he enlisted in Capt. Brown’s company of mounted rangers, and served one year. He furnished his own horse, gun and clothing. He received for his service, one dollar per day. He and Thomas Butler are the only survivors of that war living in Champaign Co. After this war was ended, he returned home. In 1835 he married Miss Sena, a daughter of Wm. Corray. She died in 1878. In the year 1843 he united with the M.E. Church. Politically he votes with the Republican Party. When he came to the county there were but thirty five families. He related the following about those early days.

The year 1831 was almost without a summer. The cold weather continued until late in the spring, and a hard frost set in on Sept. 20th. It was so severe that it froze the corn, cob and all. In consequence of the loss of the crop, times got close, and money was extremely scarce. The following year the settlers were compelled to send to Kentucky for their seed corn. In Dec. 1836 a deep snow lay upon the ground. It began to rain and continued all day, when suddenly it turned intensely cold, making ice over the ground and freezing very hard. The sudden change caught many persons unprepared, and they were frozen to death. Two men named Hildreth and Frame were crossing Four Mile Prairie on that day. They became bewildered and lost their way when the change came. They killed their horses, and Frame crawled inside the body of his horse for protection against the cold, but it proved his tomb, as he was found therein frozen to death. Hildreth wandered around all night and when found in the morning he was so badly frozen, that he lost his toes and fingers.

Mr. Rinehart also speaks of the early doctors of that day. Dr. Sadler was the first physician in the county, and he was counted a good one. It is related of him that he attended a family east of Urbana. This family had a large patch of fine ripe and juicy watermelons. The Doctor continued his trips long after the patient was convalescent, and the family dropped upon the idea that the watermelon patch was the chief attraction, and the cause of the Doctor’s repeated visits. They gently broke the news to him that his patient was entirely well, and hinted that further visits were entirely superfluous. The Doctor went home, and sent a bill that covered all visits. The family refused payment. Suit was brought to recover the amount. Then the family rendered an account for the watermelons devoured by the Doctor as an offset, and obtained a small judgement against the Doctor. All of the neighbors declared that the decision was a most righteous one. Many other incidents might be mentioned of a similar character, illustrative of the times we speak of, but space forbids.

Mr. Rinehart was very successful in life. He secured a competency and now in the declining years of his life, he takes things easy.”320