Pioneer, Indian trader, founder of Oquawka, IL, close friend of Abe Lincoln. He was the fifth of seven children born to Stephen and Lois Phelps. He started his first trading post in 1826 near Ottawa. By September 1828 he had purchased a claim in Oquawka (Yellow Banks) and moved there with his wife Phebe (Chase) and brother William. He was given the nickname "Hawkeye" by his friends the Sac and Fox Indians. He financed the first newspaper in Burlington, Iowa--still known as the Hawk-eye, in his honor. He was the first Sheriff of Warren County and the first mayor of Oquawka. [NOTE - Warren County included Henderson County until their division in 1841.]
After his first wife's death, he married Salome Patterson in 1838.
He was the father of nine children; the six with his first wife were Alexis, Isabelle, William, Laura, Emily, and Adaline [Hodson], and the three children with his second wife were Phebe [Button], Henry, and Stephen. He was predeceased by his first wife and five children. He was survived by his second wife and his children William, Adeline, Phebe, and Henry. He donated the land on which this cemetery was established.
The following anecdote (from the 1911 History of Henderson County) is often told regarding the Phelps/Lincoln friendship:
"Abraham Lincoln was known for his quick wit as evidenced by an occurrence when he was a guest of S. S. Phelps. Mr. Phelps resembled Lincoln very much. After dinner as they were talking at the home of Mr. Phelps, Lincoln took from his pocket a very dilapidated looking pocket knife.
"Mr. Phelps said to him, 'Abe, it seems to me that is rather a poor pocket knife that you have.'
"Lincoln replied, 'Sumner, it is. That knife . . . was given to me on the condition that if I ever met an uglier man than myself, I was to give him the knife; fulfilling that condition, I now present the same to you."
An article from the Monmouth Daily Review Atlas [date not noted on the clipping] continues the story:
"The next day Mr. Phelps was whittling [with Abe's former knife], surrounded by some acquaintances were enjoying the joke. 'Well boys, see what you missed by being so handsome,' was his only comment."
The knife in question is today part of the Morris privately-held collection of Lincoln memorabilia in Monmouth, Illinois.
After his first wife's death, he married Salome Patterson in 1838.
He was the father of nine children; the six with his first wife were Alexis, Isabelle, William, Laura, Emily, and Adaline [Hodson], and the three children with his second wife were Phebe [Button], Henry, and Stephen. He was predeceased by his first wife and five children. He was survived by his second wife and his children William, Adeline, Phebe, and Henry. He donated the land on which this cemetery was established.
The following anecdote (from the 1911 History of Henderson County) is often told regarding the Phelps/Lincoln friendship:
"Abraham Lincoln was known for his quick wit as evidenced by an occurrence when he was a guest of S. S. Phelps. Mr. Phelps resembled Lincoln very much. After dinner as they were talking at the home of Mr. Phelps, Lincoln took from his pocket a very dilapidated looking pocket knife.
"Mr. Phelps said to him, 'Abe, it seems to me that is rather a poor pocket knife that you have.'
"Lincoln replied, 'Sumner, it is. That knife . . . was given to me on the condition that if I ever met an uglier man than myself, I was to give him the knife; fulfilling that condition, I now present the same to you."
An article from the Monmouth Daily Review Atlas [date not noted on the clipping] continues the story:
"The next day Mr. Phelps was whittling [with Abe's former knife], surrounded by some acquaintances were enjoying the joke. 'Well boys, see what you missed by being so handsome,' was his only comment."
The knife in question is today part of the Morris privately-held collection of Lincoln memorabilia in Monmouth, Illinois.
Pioneer, Indian trader, founder of Oquawka, IL, close friend of Abe Lincoln. He was the fifth of seven children born to Stephen and Lois Phelps. He started his first trading post in 1826 near Ottawa. By September 1828 he had purchased a claim in Oquawka (Yellow Banks) and moved there with his wife Phebe (Chase) and brother William. He was given the nickname "Hawkeye" by his friends the Sac and Fox Indians. He financed the first newspaper in Burlington, Iowa--still known as the Hawk-eye, in his honor. He was the first Sheriff of Warren County and the first mayor of Oquawka. [NOTE - Warren County included Henderson County until their division in 1841.]
After his first wife's death, he married Salome Patterson in 1838.
He was the father of nine children; the six with his first wife were Alexis, Isabelle, William, Laura, Emily, and Adaline [Hodson], and the three children with his second wife were Phebe [Button], Henry, and Stephen. He was predeceased by his first wife and five children. He was survived by his second wife and his children William, Adeline, Phebe, and Henry. He donated the land on which this cemetery was established.
The following anecdote (from the 1911 History of Henderson County) is often told regarding the Phelps/Lincoln friendship:
"Abraham Lincoln was known for his quick wit as evidenced by an occurrence when he was a guest of S. S. Phelps. Mr. Phelps resembled Lincoln very much. After dinner as they were talking at the home of Mr. Phelps, Lincoln took from his pocket a very dilapidated looking pocket knife.
"Mr. Phelps said to him, 'Abe, it seems to me that is rather a poor pocket knife that you have.'
"Lincoln replied, 'Sumner, it is. That knife . . . was given to me on the condition that if I ever met an uglier man than myself, I was to give him the knife; fulfilling that condition, I now present the same to you."
An article from the Monmouth Daily Review Atlas [date not noted on the clipping] continues the story:
"The next day Mr. Phelps was whittling [with Abe's former knife], surrounded by some acquaintances were enjoying the joke. 'Well boys, see what you missed by being so handsome,' was his only comment."
The knife in question is today part of the Morris privately-held collection of Lincoln memorabilia in Monmouth, Illinois.
After his first wife's death, he married Salome Patterson in 1838.
He was the father of nine children; the six with his first wife were Alexis, Isabelle, William, Laura, Emily, and Adaline [Hodson], and the three children with his second wife were Phebe [Button], Henry, and Stephen. He was predeceased by his first wife and five children. He was survived by his second wife and his children William, Adeline, Phebe, and Henry. He donated the land on which this cemetery was established.
The following anecdote (from the 1911 History of Henderson County) is often told regarding the Phelps/Lincoln friendship:
"Abraham Lincoln was known for his quick wit as evidenced by an occurrence when he was a guest of S. S. Phelps. Mr. Phelps resembled Lincoln very much. After dinner as they were talking at the home of Mr. Phelps, Lincoln took from his pocket a very dilapidated looking pocket knife.
"Mr. Phelps said to him, 'Abe, it seems to me that is rather a poor pocket knife that you have.'
"Lincoln replied, 'Sumner, it is. That knife . . . was given to me on the condition that if I ever met an uglier man than myself, I was to give him the knife; fulfilling that condition, I now present the same to you."
An article from the Monmouth Daily Review Atlas [date not noted on the clipping] continues the story:
"The next day Mr. Phelps was whittling [with Abe's former knife], surrounded by some acquaintances were enjoying the joke. 'Well boys, see what you missed by being so handsome,' was his only comment."
The knife in question is today part of the Morris privately-held collection of Lincoln memorabilia in Monmouth, Illinois.
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