Tunnell, Calvin

BIOGRAPHIES
HISTORY OF GREENE & JERSEY COUNTIES, ILLINOIS - 1885

Springfield, Ill.: Continental Historical Co.



Page 686 In 1839 CALVIN TUNNELL was elected to the office of probate judge and served in that capacity for four years. He was a native of North Carolina, born October 4, 1791, and was one of the large family of William and Mary (Massey) Tunnell, who were married in 1771, in Fairfax county, Va., their ancestors being formerly from England. When their son Calvin was only four years old, Mr. Tunnell and his wife moved to Anderson county, Tenn., locating on a wild tract of land there, where he made a farm. It was in that county and state that Calvin was educated, his learning being such as the schools of that day afforded. Quite early in life he became inured to the toils and hardships of frontier life. On the 25th of August, 1811, he was married to Jane Adair, a native of West Virginia, born July 28, 1795. After his marriage, Mr. Tunnell started out in life on his own account, continuing to reside there until 1817. He then removed, with his wife and two children, to Madison county, Illinois, where they staid until late in the fall of 1818, and early in the spring of 1819, came up to Greene county. Here he located on a piece of land and made in improvement, and was one among the early settlers of the township where he resided. Like the majority of pioneers of this county, he came here very poor. He had hardly any money, and but three head of horses, and they died before he was able to make any improvement; and in order to break up his first piece of ground, he found it necessary to work for a neighbor by the day to get his first team of oxen to plow with. A few months previous to making a settlement here, he came and selected this piece of land, and by some it has been said that he split the first rails north of Macoupin creek. Mr. Tunnel and wife had fourteen children, nine of whom are yet living, and are married and comfortably settled in life. Not many years after they came to Greene county, Mr. Tunnel and wife joined the Baptist church. He also preached a few sermons in the earlier part of his pioneer life. He was a member of the 9th general assembly which met at Vandalia, in 1834-5, and also of the 14th general assembly of 1844-6, and when the democratic convention met in 1866, his name was presented for the same position, but was positively declined by him. He died on the 7th of April, 1867, mourned by a large circle of friends and regretted by all who knew him.
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