Transcribed by: Ellen Booth.

The first death in the settlement remembered with any degree of certainty was Mary Ann Walker, who died September 8, 1830. But there are supposed to have been deaths among the earlier pioneers prior to this date. A son of Mr. Lucas died here very early, though the date of his death is not definitely known, but is thought to have been before that of Mr. Walker�s daughter. Moses Stone and his wife, mentioned in the catalogue of early settlers, died in 1881, within two weeks of each other. They left a family of twelve children, two of whom died soon after the parents, and two others died the next year. These burials were in Irish Grove Cemetery, a regularly laid-out burying-ground on Section 24, and where most of the pioneers of the grove, �sleep the sleep that knows no waking.� The grounds have recently been enlarged, put in excellent order and Trustees appointed to care for them.

The first birth in the neighborhood was George Borders, but the date could not be obtained.

The first marriage on record was that of Alexander Gilmer and Jane Walker, November 4, 1830. They were married by Rev. Mr. Burgin, and went to Kentucky immediately after their marriage, resided there several years, and then returned to this settlement, where they spent the remainder of their lives.

Dr. Morgan, at �Old Sangamon Town,� was the first physician who practiced medicine in this neighborhood. In those days, there was not a doctor�s shingle swinging in the breeze at every cross-roads and county store, as at the present day. Nor did the hardy pioneers get sick so often or so easy as we do now. They fought the malarial fevers with little aid from the medical fraternity, and, if they did not conquer, succumbed without the expense of doctor�s bills. The fever and ague was looked upon as a natural consequence, and received but little attention at their hands. The first Justice of the Peace was John W. Patterson, but several years before his appointment to the office there were some of these dispensers of justice in that part of the Grove, now in Sugar Grove Precinct. The Jacksonville Division of the Chicago & Alton Railroad was completed through this section in 1867. It had been running from Petersburg south several years before this portion of it was finished. It enters the precinct on Section 23, near the village of Greenview, and from thence in a direction almost due north, passes out through Section 31, giving Greenview about five miles of road. It has proved quite valuable to the community as a highway of travel, and a means of transportation of their �exports and imports.�

Politically, Greenview Precinct is Republican, usually giving a small Republican majority. In the late war, it did its whole duty, turning out a large number of soldiers. An entire company was raised in Irish Grove at an early period of the war, but, by some means, was credited to Logan County. By failing to get credit for recruits in this manner, the precinct had to stand a draft, as a result of its negligence. The draft, however, was small, as most of the quotas were filled in advance. Samuel Blane enlisted as a private, and rose to the rank of Captain in Company K., of the One Hundred and Sixth Regiment of Illinois Infantry. Owing to ill health, he was forced to resign, and G.S.Gritman was promoted to Captain in his place. Both of these were from Irish Grove, in this precinct, and, so far as we could learn, were the only commissioned officers it claims. The private soldiers were of the sturdy sons of the soil, who gallantly sustained the reputation of Illinois� soldiers on many hard fought fields.