77 years 6 mos 18 days
DUNCAN FAMILY HISTORY
Copied from an essay by Alice Duncan
George Duncan was born in Edinburg, Scotland ,in 1787. He was educated as a physician in Glasgow, but gave up his proffesion for coming to America. In 1816 he was first located near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At on time he lived in Pottsrown, PA. He helped survey the Erie Canal. In 1835 he moved to Shawneetown, IL. but soon after moved to the picturesque and beautiful spot on the Spoon River, now known as Duncan Mills. At this spot there were rapids, suggesting to him that the erection of a dam and flouring mills. Thus came into being the family Duncan Mills-completed in 1836. Mr.Duncan had able assistance in his sons, John and Thomas.
The mill became famous for 50 miles around. In that large area at the time, this was one important and reliable mill. Winter ice nor summer drought ever stopped it's wheels. Only a great flood that overflowed the bottom could make it silent. It was the bad fate of this widely popular mill to be burned by an incendiary in March of 1870. When rebuilt the great expense threw Thomas Duncan into bankruptcy and the mill and dam disappeared years ago. In the days of the mill prosperity, that spot was Lewistown's summer resort for fishing and lathing.
George Duncan was one of our most remarkable pioneers. He died November 14, 1864,at an age of 77 years. He built one of the first good houses any where near here; nearby all were log homes at that time. When they moved into the new house, the log house was used for a school house.
George and Elizabeth Primerose were married in Scotland. On the trip over here someone on the vessel got hard up for money and George bought the Grandfather's clock. It had pictures on it of Queen Mary's escape from Lochlever Castle, but does not give a date. It can be found chiming the time in the home of great-great-great grandson Charles Sherman Duncan of Duncan Mills, who also has George's medicine bag and survey equipment.
George Duncan had a brother, Henry Duncan. He remained in Scotland caring for their aged mother. In a letter he wrote from Leitte,Scotland on November 15, 1833 stated that he planned to come to America in the next year(1834) and make his home with George and his family. He never married. George and Henry are buried just across from the home in Duncan Mills, Illinois.
John H. Duncan(born December 6,1816) was from near Philadelphia,Pa. He lived with his father and mother, George and Elizabeth, his brother Thomas and his sister, Margaret, until he grew to a young man. In the year of 1835, he and his father started to look for a location. They left their home in the spring in a one horse spring wagon, formely called a Dearborne. On their way they passed throught the states of Ohio and Indiana to Chicago, Illinois.
The following story is by John H. Duncan. The personal account indicates that John may have written the paper of their travels to Illinois.
"We forded the streams that chanced to be on the road; among some of them was the Susguehanna, the Maumee, and the Fox. We saw two bark canoes filled with Indians which my father motioned to. They at once came to shore and inquired if we had any whiskey. When told no they seemed to be disappointed. My father asked them if they had any venison, they had none. Father gave them 25 cents and they were pleased. We met Indians every day on the road. They were all friendly. After crossing the Maumee we went up the river into Indiana. We stopped at Fort Wayne all night. After leaving Fort Wayne, we started in a north westerly direction. We crossed several large prairies, among them was Dorr. We got our board as we traveled from place to place. Sometimes we found the houses where people lived by noticing the blazed trees as we passed along. But on the Dorr Prairie we traveled along until nearly night. Finally we met a man and inquired of him where we could stay all night. He directed us to the edge of the woods in the distance. We went where we were directed, but to our sorrow the house was vacant. We thought the next best thing to do was to look for another house in which to shelter for the night. Finally darkness overtook us and we were obliged to camp in the woods without supper. In the morning we started out to look for a house where we could get refreshment, of some kind, as we had been without food since breakfast the day before. On the way out we met quite a few Indians with guns. They had been to the pigeons roost. The number of them was something wonderful. There were thousands and thousands of them. This roost was about 10 miles long. We traveled about halfway thru before we found a house where we could get our breakfast. We came to the Lake about 40 miles above Chicago, which was the Fort Dearborn. The road we traveled along the the lake was sandy and most of the time two of the wheels of the wagon was in the water. We found Fort Dearborn a small place. There were soldiers there. (Chicago was only a small village at that ime. It was so low, wet and swampy no one would have thought of what it is now.) My father could have bought any amount of land any place near Chicago for very litle money, but he never dreamed of what it would be. After staying all night in Chicago, we started east the next morn, or started towards home. We arrived at our home again in Philadelphia some time in the summer. I do not remember how long we was out on this journey. In the fall of the same year(1835) my father's family,one of his brothers, and Isiah Wallace and family started with household goods, horses, and cattle to look for a location for a grist mill. We traveled by wagon until we reached Pittsburg, there my father bought a flat boat 80 feet long and 17 feet wide. Here we loaded all our property on the flat boat and started down the Ohio River. We boarded ourselves while coming down the river when we wanted some eatables we would stop at some town along the bank of the river and get a supply. On the way down the river at night we ran the boat on a snag in the river. We tried to get off but without success. We saw a light on shore and called for help. They came out, but said there was no use trying to get out at night. So we went ashore with a small boat we made a purchase and by working and pulling we finally freed the boat and started on once more. We landed in Shawneetown where we sold our boat and started into Illinois by wagon driving our cattle. We traveled to Fairfield in Wayne County. Here we lived for the winter. In the spring of 1836 we started for Fulton County. We reached Fulton County sometime in April. We crosssed the Illinois River at Havana on a ferry boat. Our journey from Wayne County to Fulton County was a dreadful one. The mud was so deep in places that we were obliged to draw one wagon aways with the team, then unhitch and take them back to the other wagons. So it made it very unpleasant. My father,George Duncan, seeing Spoon River just the thing to run a grist mill. He concluded to settle where I now live. He built a house of logs. The land was Government land, but father bought this claim from Alex Shaver. He then built a barn after which he began the erection of a dam and saw mill. The saw mill had burrs for grinding wheat. The saw mill was just west of the bridge on the Lewistown Road. After a while he built the mill which was burned in 1870. My brother Thomas and I helped my father in the mill. Shortly after we got settled in our new home a friend and I went on horseback to Philadelphia on business from Duncan Mills. We was on the road about 30 days. I remained in Philadelphia until spring. I came home on a boat in 1840, I was married to Jane Branson of Woodland Township. I brought my wife to Duncan Mills to live and where we have lived ever since. Born to my wife and I were nine children, six of whom are living. They all live near us. Seven years ago, this eleventh of June our children and many friends made a surprise for us to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. It was a complete surprise. There was four present who was at the wedding, namely Charles and Calvin Branson of Ipava, Mrs. Mary Schenk, wife's sister, and my sister Mrs. Margaret Dilworth. The mill is a thing of the past. The town which was named for my father is still dotted down on the classic Spoon River. It improved very slowly. My wife and I live with our three daughters in the story and half frame house which my father built about 50 years ago. I also own a farm but my family days are over. At this time, there was only a few homes near. Solomon Winchell lived on the farm now known as the Tom Brown farm and later belonged to Warren Hendee. Moses Meeker lived on the farm now owned by Harry Strouse. East of us was the Farrises, our nearest neighbor was a mile away. Our post office was Lewistown. There was but few woods, the woods were mostly along the river. It was no uncommon thing to look south from our home and see deer bounding over the hills. I shot my first and last deer in Spoon River bottoms. Wild turkeys were also plentiful.
The following information is provided by W.J. Scott after he read the sketch about John H. Duncan.
"In 1857, I built the first store room in Duncan Mills. John H. Duncan had held several township offices, such as assessors, collector, and town clerk. He was elected Justice of the Peace in 1856. Shortly after receiving his commision, he was called on to marry Dave Comingore of Summon to a Miss Shawgo. And that ended it, he immediately resigned his commission as J.P. at once. In the spring of 1858 he went to St. Louis for a stock of goods suitable for a country store. By the time the goods arrived at Havana, the Illinois and Spoon was on a rampage and the entire bottom land overflowed and teams could not get to Havana. Tom Duncan and myself built a flat boat and together with John and William Wallace floated the goods up the raging Spoon to Duncan Mills-making the trip in one and half days. That is historic, as the wet season the grist mill only ran about three months of the year. John H. Duncan had been appointed Postmaster with Tom as assistant. The post office and mill together with the store brought quite a good many people to the little city. Frank Paul platted the town of Duncan Mills about the year 1867. Thomas Boyd wanted to call it Duncannon, after a town of that name in Scotland, but it was given the name Duncan Mills, which is the name it stills bears."
W.J.Scott also helped build Charles and Henry Duncans' houses. Charles' home was built in 1868 and Henry's in 1869.
DUNCAN FAMILY HISTORY
Copied from an essay by Alice Duncan
George Duncan was born in Edinburg, Scotland ,in 1787. He was educated as a physician in Glasgow, but gave up his proffesion for coming to America. In 1816 he was first located near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At on time he lived in Pottsrown, PA. He helped survey the Erie Canal. In 1835 he moved to Shawneetown, IL. but soon after moved to the picturesque and beautiful spot on the Spoon River, now known as Duncan Mills. At this spot there were rapids, suggesting to him that the erection of a dam and flouring mills. Thus came into being the family Duncan Mills-completed in 1836. Mr.Duncan had able assistance in his sons, John and Thomas.
The mill became famous for 50 miles around. In that large area at the time, this was one important and reliable mill. Winter ice nor summer drought ever stopped it's wheels. Only a great flood that overflowed the bottom could make it silent. It was the bad fate of this widely popular mill to be burned by an incendiary in March of 1870. When rebuilt the great expense threw Thomas Duncan into bankruptcy and the mill and dam disappeared years ago. In the days of the mill prosperity, that spot was Lewistown's summer resort for fishing and lathing.
George Duncan was one of our most remarkable pioneers. He died November 14, 1864,at an age of 77 years. He built one of the first good houses any where near here; nearby all were log homes at that time. When they moved into the new house, the log house was used for a school house.
George and Elizabeth Primerose were married in Scotland. On the trip over here someone on the vessel got hard up for money and George bought the Grandfather's clock. It had pictures on it of Queen Mary's escape from Lochlever Castle, but does not give a date. It can be found chiming the time in the home of great-great-great grandson Charles Sherman Duncan of Duncan Mills, who also has George's medicine bag and survey equipment.
George Duncan had a brother, Henry Duncan. He remained in Scotland caring for their aged mother. In a letter he wrote from Leitte,Scotland on November 15, 1833 stated that he planned to come to America in the next year(1834) and make his home with George and his family. He never married. George and Henry are buried just across from the home in Duncan Mills, Illinois.
John H. Duncan(born December 6,1816) was from near Philadelphia,Pa. He lived with his father and mother, George and Elizabeth, his brother Thomas and his sister, Margaret, until he grew to a young man. In the year of 1835, he and his father started to look for a location. They left their home in the spring in a one horse spring wagon, formely called a Dearborne. On their way they passed throught the states of Ohio and Indiana to Chicago, Illinois.
The following story is by John H. Duncan. The personal account indicates that John may have written the paper of their travels to Illinois.
"We forded the streams that chanced to be on the road; among some of them was the Susguehanna, the Maumee, and the Fox. We saw two bark canoes filled with Indians which my father motioned to. They at once came to shore and inquired if we had any whiskey. When told no they seemed to be disappointed. My father asked them if they had any venison, they had none. Father gave them 25 cents and they were pleased. We met Indians every day on the road. They were all friendly. After crossing the Maumee we went up the river into Indiana. We stopped at Fort Wayne all night. After leaving Fort Wayne, we started in a north westerly direction. We crossed several large prairies, among them was Dorr. We got our board as we traveled from place to place. Sometimes we found the houses where people lived by noticing the blazed trees as we passed along. But on the Dorr Prairie we traveled along until nearly night. Finally we met a man and inquired of him where we could stay all night. He directed us to the edge of the woods in the distance. We went where we were directed, but to our sorrow the house was vacant. We thought the next best thing to do was to look for another house in which to shelter for the night. Finally darkness overtook us and we were obliged to camp in the woods without supper. In the morning we started out to look for a house where we could get refreshment, of some kind, as we had been without food since breakfast the day before. On the way out we met quite a few Indians with guns. They had been to the pigeons roost. The number of them was something wonderful. There were thousands and thousands of them. This roost was about 10 miles long. We traveled about halfway thru before we found a house where we could get our breakfast. We came to the Lake about 40 miles above Chicago, which was the Fort Dearborn. The road we traveled along the the lake was sandy and most of the time two of the wheels of the wagon was in the water. We found Fort Dearborn a small place. There were soldiers there. (Chicago was only a small village at that ime. It was so low, wet and swampy no one would have thought of what it is now.) My father could have bought any amount of land any place near Chicago for very litle money, but he never dreamed of what it would be. After staying all night in Chicago, we started east the next morn, or started towards home. We arrived at our home again in Philadelphia some time in the summer. I do not remember how long we was out on this journey. In the fall of the same year(1835) my father's family,one of his brothers, and Isiah Wallace and family started with household goods, horses, and cattle to look for a location for a grist mill. We traveled by wagon until we reached Pittsburg, there my father bought a flat boat 80 feet long and 17 feet wide. Here we loaded all our property on the flat boat and started down the Ohio River. We boarded ourselves while coming down the river when we wanted some eatables we would stop at some town along the bank of the river and get a supply. On the way down the river at night we ran the boat on a snag in the river. We tried to get off but without success. We saw a light on shore and called for help. They came out, but said there was no use trying to get out at night. So we went ashore with a small boat we made a purchase and by working and pulling we finally freed the boat and started on once more. We landed in Shawneetown where we sold our boat and started into Illinois by wagon driving our cattle. We traveled to Fairfield in Wayne County. Here we lived for the winter. In the spring of 1836 we started for Fulton County. We reached Fulton County sometime in April. We crosssed the Illinois River at Havana on a ferry boat. Our journey from Wayne County to Fulton County was a dreadful one. The mud was so deep in places that we were obliged to draw one wagon aways with the team, then unhitch and take them back to the other wagons. So it made it very unpleasant. My father,George Duncan, seeing Spoon River just the thing to run a grist mill. He concluded to settle where I now live. He built a house of logs. The land was Government land, but father bought this claim from Alex Shaver. He then built a barn after which he began the erection of a dam and saw mill. The saw mill had burrs for grinding wheat. The saw mill was just west of the bridge on the Lewistown Road. After a while he built the mill which was burned in 1870. My brother Thomas and I helped my father in the mill. Shortly after we got settled in our new home a friend and I went on horseback to Philadelphia on business from Duncan Mills. We was on the road about 30 days. I remained in Philadelphia until spring. I came home on a boat in 1840, I was married to Jane Branson of Woodland Township. I brought my wife to Duncan Mills to live and where we have lived ever since. Born to my wife and I were nine children, six of whom are living. They all live near us. Seven years ago, this eleventh of June our children and many friends made a surprise for us to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. It was a complete surprise. There was four present who was at the wedding, namely Charles and Calvin Branson of Ipava, Mrs. Mary Schenk, wife's sister, and my sister Mrs. Margaret Dilworth. The mill is a thing of the past. The town which was named for my father is still dotted down on the classic Spoon River. It improved very slowly. My wife and I live with our three daughters in the story and half frame house which my father built about 50 years ago. I also own a farm but my family days are over. At this time, there was only a few homes near. Solomon Winchell lived on the farm now known as the Tom Brown farm and later belonged to Warren Hendee. Moses Meeker lived on the farm now owned by Harry Strouse. East of us was the Farrises, our nearest neighbor was a mile away. Our post office was Lewistown. There was but few woods, the woods were mostly along the river. It was no uncommon thing to look south from our home and see deer bounding over the hills. I shot my first and last deer in Spoon River bottoms. Wild turkeys were also plentiful.
The following information is provided by W.J. Scott after he read the sketch about John H. Duncan.
"In 1857, I built the first store room in Duncan Mills. John H. Duncan had held several township offices, such as assessors, collector, and town clerk. He was elected Justice of the Peace in 1856. Shortly after receiving his commision, he was called on to marry Dave Comingore of Summon to a Miss Shawgo. And that ended it, he immediately resigned his commission as J.P. at once. In the spring of 1858 he went to St. Louis for a stock of goods suitable for a country store. By the time the goods arrived at Havana, the Illinois and Spoon was on a rampage and the entire bottom land overflowed and teams could not get to Havana. Tom Duncan and myself built a flat boat and together with John and William Wallace floated the goods up the raging Spoon to Duncan Mills-making the trip in one and half days. That is historic, as the wet season the grist mill only ran about three months of the year. John H. Duncan had been appointed Postmaster with Tom as assistant. The post office and mill together with the store brought quite a good many people to the little city. Frank Paul platted the town of Duncan Mills about the year 1867. Thomas Boyd wanted to call it Duncannon, after a town of that name in Scotland, but it was given the name Duncan Mills, which is the name it stills bears."
W.J.Scott also helped build Charles and Henry Duncans' houses. Charles' home was built in 1868 and Henry's in 1869.
77 years 6 mos 18 days
DUNCAN FAMILY HISTORY
Copied from an essay by Alice Duncan
George Duncan was born in Edinburg, Scotland ,in 1787. He was educated as a physician in Glasgow, but gave up his proffesion for coming to America. In 1816 he was first located near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At on time he lived in Pottsrown, PA. He helped survey the Erie Canal. In 1835 he moved to Shawneetown, IL. but soon after moved to the picturesque and beautiful spot on the Spoon River, now known as Duncan Mills. At this spot there were rapids, suggesting to him that the erection of a dam and flouring mills. Thus came into being the family Duncan Mills-completed in 1836. Mr.Duncan had able assistance in his sons, John and Thomas.
The mill became famous for 50 miles around. In that large area at the time, this was one important and reliable mill. Winter ice nor summer drought ever stopped it's wheels. Only a great flood that overflowed the bottom could make it silent. It was the bad fate of this widely popular mill to be burned by an incendiary in March of 1870. When rebuilt the great expense threw Thomas Duncan into bankruptcy and the mill and dam disappeared years ago. In the days of the mill prosperity, that spot was Lewistown's summer resort for fishing and lathing.
George Duncan was one of our most remarkable pioneers. He died November 14, 1864,at an age of 77 years. He built one of the first good houses any where near here; nearby all were log homes at that time. When they moved into the new house, the log house was used for a school house.
George and Elizabeth Primerose were married in Scotland. On the trip over here someone on the vessel got hard up for money and George bought the Grandfather's clock. It had pictures on it of Queen Mary's escape from Lochlever Castle, but does not give a date. It can be found chiming the time in the home of great-great-great grandson Charles Sherman Duncan of Duncan Mills, who also has George's medicine bag and survey equipment.
George Duncan had a brother, Henry Duncan. He remained in Scotland caring for their aged mother. In a letter he wrote from Leitte,Scotland on November 15, 1833 stated that he planned to come to America in the next year(1834) and make his home with George and his family. He never married. George and Henry are buried just across from the home in Duncan Mills, Illinois.
John H. Duncan(born December 6,1816) was from near Philadelphia,Pa. He lived with his father and mother, George and Elizabeth, his brother Thomas and his sister, Margaret, until he grew to a young man. In the year of 1835, he and his father started to look for a location. They left their home in the spring in a one horse spring wagon, formely called a Dearborne. On their way they passed throught the states of Ohio and Indiana to Chicago, Illinois.
The following story is by John H. Duncan. The personal account indicates that John may have written the paper of their travels to Illinois.
"We forded the streams that chanced to be on the road; among some of them was the Susguehanna, the Maumee, and the Fox. We saw two bark canoes filled with Indians which my father motioned to. They at once came to shore and inquired if we had any whiskey. When told no they seemed to be disappointed. My father asked them if they had any venison, they had none. Father gave them 25 cents and they were pleased. We met Indians every day on the road. They were all friendly. After crossing the Maumee we went up the river into Indiana. We stopped at Fort Wayne all night. After leaving Fort Wayne, we started in a north westerly direction. We crossed several large prairies, among them was Dorr. We got our board as we traveled from place to place. Sometimes we found the houses where people lived by noticing the blazed trees as we passed along. But on the Dorr Prairie we traveled along until nearly night. Finally we met a man and inquired of him where we could stay all night. He directed us to the edge of the woods in the distance. We went where we were directed, but to our sorrow the house was vacant. We thought the next best thing to do was to look for another house in which to shelter for the night. Finally darkness overtook us and we were obliged to camp in the woods without supper. In the morning we started out to look for a house where we could get refreshment, of some kind, as we had been without food since breakfast the day before. On the way out we met quite a few Indians with guns. They had been to the pigeons roost. The number of them was something wonderful. There were thousands and thousands of them. This roost was about 10 miles long. We traveled about halfway thru before we found a house where we could get our breakfast. We came to the Lake about 40 miles above Chicago, which was the Fort Dearborn. The road we traveled along the the lake was sandy and most of the time two of the wheels of the wagon was in the water. We found Fort Dearborn a small place. There were soldiers there. (Chicago was only a small village at that ime. It was so low, wet and swampy no one would have thought of what it is now.) My father could have bought any amount of land any place near Chicago for very litle money, but he never dreamed of what it would be. After staying all night in Chicago, we started east the next morn, or started towards home. We arrived at our home again in Philadelphia some time in the summer. I do not remember how long we was out on this journey. In the fall of the same year(1835) my father's family,one of his brothers, and Isiah Wallace and family started with household goods, horses, and cattle to look for a location for a grist mill. We traveled by wagon until we reached Pittsburg, there my father bought a flat boat 80 feet long and 17 feet wide. Here we loaded all our property on the flat boat and started down the Ohio River. We boarded ourselves while coming down the river when we wanted some eatables we would stop at some town along the bank of the river and get a supply. On the way down the river at night we ran the boat on a snag in the river. We tried to get off but without success. We saw a light on shore and called for help. They came out, but said there was no use trying to get out at night. So we went ashore with a small boat we made a purchase and by working and pulling we finally freed the boat and started on once more. We landed in Shawneetown where we sold our boat and started into Illinois by wagon driving our cattle. We traveled to Fairfield in Wayne County. Here we lived for the winter. In the spring of 1836 we started for Fulton County. We reached Fulton County sometime in April. We crosssed the Illinois River at Havana on a ferry boat. Our journey from Wayne County to Fulton County was a dreadful one. The mud was so deep in places that we were obliged to draw one wagon aways with the team, then unhitch and take them back to the other wagons. So it made it very unpleasant. My father,George Duncan, seeing Spoon River just the thing to run a grist mill. He concluded to settle where I now live. He built a house of logs. The land was Government land, but father bought this claim from Alex Shaver. He then built a barn after which he began the erection of a dam and saw mill. The saw mill had burrs for grinding wheat. The saw mill was just west of the bridge on the Lewistown Road. After a while he built the mill which was burned in 1870. My brother Thomas and I helped my father in the mill. Shortly after we got settled in our new home a friend and I went on horseback to Philadelphia on business from Duncan Mills. We was on the road about 30 days. I remained in Philadelphia until spring. I came home on a boat in 1840, I was married to Jane Branson of Woodland Township. I brought my wife to Duncan Mills to live and where we have lived ever since. Born to my wife and I were nine children, six of whom are living. They all live near us. Seven years ago, this eleventh of June our children and many friends made a surprise for us to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. It was a complete surprise. There was four present who was at the wedding, namely Charles and Calvin Branson of Ipava, Mrs. Mary Schenk, wife's sister, and my sister Mrs. Margaret Dilworth. The mill is a thing of the past. The town which was named for my father is still dotted down on the classic Spoon River. It improved very slowly. My wife and I live with our three daughters in the story and half frame house which my father built about 50 years ago. I also own a farm but my family days are over. At this time, there was only a few homes near. Solomon Winchell lived on the farm now known as the Tom Brown farm and later belonged to Warren Hendee. Moses Meeker lived on the farm now owned by Harry Strouse. East of us was the Farrises, our nearest neighbor was a mile away. Our post office was Lewistown. There was but few woods, the woods were mostly along the river. It was no uncommon thing to look south from our home and see deer bounding over the hills. I shot my first and last deer in Spoon River bottoms. Wild turkeys were also plentiful.
The following information is provided by W.J. Scott after he read the sketch about John H. Duncan.
"In 1857, I built the first store room in Duncan Mills. John H. Duncan had held several township offices, such as assessors, collector, and town clerk. He was elected Justice of the Peace in 1856. Shortly after receiving his commision, he was called on to marry Dave Comingore of Summon to a Miss Shawgo. And that ended it, he immediately resigned his commission as J.P. at once. In the spring of 1858 he went to St. Louis for a stock of goods suitable for a country store. By the time the goods arrived at Havana, the Illinois and Spoon was on a rampage and the entire bottom land overflowed and teams could not get to Havana. Tom Duncan and myself built a flat boat and together with John and William Wallace floated the goods up the raging Spoon to Duncan Mills-making the trip in one and half days. That is historic, as the wet season the grist mill only ran about three months of the year. John H. Duncan had been appointed Postmaster with Tom as assistant. The post office and mill together with the store brought quite a good many people to the little city. Frank Paul platted the town of Duncan Mills about the year 1867. Thomas Boyd wanted to call it Duncannon, after a town of that name in Scotland, but it was given the name Duncan Mills, which is the name it stills bears."
W.J.Scott also helped build Charles and Henry Duncans' houses. Charles' home was built in 1868 and Henry's in 1869.
DUNCAN FAMILY HISTORY
Copied from an essay by Alice Duncan
George Duncan was born in Edinburg, Scotland ,in 1787. He was educated as a physician in Glasgow, but gave up his proffesion for coming to America. In 1816 he was first located near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At on time he lived in Pottsrown, PA. He helped survey the Erie Canal. In 1835 he moved to Shawneetown, IL. but soon after moved to the picturesque and beautiful spot on the Spoon River, now known as Duncan Mills. At this spot there were rapids, suggesting to him that the erection of a dam and flouring mills. Thus came into being the family Duncan Mills-completed in 1836. Mr.Duncan had able assistance in his sons, John and Thomas.
The mill became famous for 50 miles around. In that large area at the time, this was one important and reliable mill. Winter ice nor summer drought ever stopped it's wheels. Only a great flood that overflowed the bottom could make it silent. It was the bad fate of this widely popular mill to be burned by an incendiary in March of 1870. When rebuilt the great expense threw Thomas Duncan into bankruptcy and the mill and dam disappeared years ago. In the days of the mill prosperity, that spot was Lewistown's summer resort for fishing and lathing.
George Duncan was one of our most remarkable pioneers. He died November 14, 1864,at an age of 77 years. He built one of the first good houses any where near here; nearby all were log homes at that time. When they moved into the new house, the log house was used for a school house.
George and Elizabeth Primerose were married in Scotland. On the trip over here someone on the vessel got hard up for money and George bought the Grandfather's clock. It had pictures on it of Queen Mary's escape from Lochlever Castle, but does not give a date. It can be found chiming the time in the home of great-great-great grandson Charles Sherman Duncan of Duncan Mills, who also has George's medicine bag and survey equipment.
George Duncan had a brother, Henry Duncan. He remained in Scotland caring for their aged mother. In a letter he wrote from Leitte,Scotland on November 15, 1833 stated that he planned to come to America in the next year(1834) and make his home with George and his family. He never married. George and Henry are buried just across from the home in Duncan Mills, Illinois.
John H. Duncan(born December 6,1816) was from near Philadelphia,Pa. He lived with his father and mother, George and Elizabeth, his brother Thomas and his sister, Margaret, until he grew to a young man. In the year of 1835, he and his father started to look for a location. They left their home in the spring in a one horse spring wagon, formely called a Dearborne. On their way they passed throught the states of Ohio and Indiana to Chicago, Illinois.
The following story is by John H. Duncan. The personal account indicates that John may have written the paper of their travels to Illinois.
"We forded the streams that chanced to be on the road; among some of them was the Susguehanna, the Maumee, and the Fox. We saw two bark canoes filled with Indians which my father motioned to. They at once came to shore and inquired if we had any whiskey. When told no they seemed to be disappointed. My father asked them if they had any venison, they had none. Father gave them 25 cents and they were pleased. We met Indians every day on the road. They were all friendly. After crossing the Maumee we went up the river into Indiana. We stopped at Fort Wayne all night. After leaving Fort Wayne, we started in a north westerly direction. We crossed several large prairies, among them was Dorr. We got our board as we traveled from place to place. Sometimes we found the houses where people lived by noticing the blazed trees as we passed along. But on the Dorr Prairie we traveled along until nearly night. Finally we met a man and inquired of him where we could stay all night. He directed us to the edge of the woods in the distance. We went where we were directed, but to our sorrow the house was vacant. We thought the next best thing to do was to look for another house in which to shelter for the night. Finally darkness overtook us and we were obliged to camp in the woods without supper. In the morning we started out to look for a house where we could get refreshment, of some kind, as we had been without food since breakfast the day before. On the way out we met quite a few Indians with guns. They had been to the pigeons roost. The number of them was something wonderful. There were thousands and thousands of them. This roost was about 10 miles long. We traveled about halfway thru before we found a house where we could get our breakfast. We came to the Lake about 40 miles above Chicago, which was the Fort Dearborn. The road we traveled along the the lake was sandy and most of the time two of the wheels of the wagon was in the water. We found Fort Dearborn a small place. There were soldiers there. (Chicago was only a small village at that ime. It was so low, wet and swampy no one would have thought of what it is now.) My father could have bought any amount of land any place near Chicago for very litle money, but he never dreamed of what it would be. After staying all night in Chicago, we started east the next morn, or started towards home. We arrived at our home again in Philadelphia some time in the summer. I do not remember how long we was out on this journey. In the fall of the same year(1835) my father's family,one of his brothers, and Isiah Wallace and family started with household goods, horses, and cattle to look for a location for a grist mill. We traveled by wagon until we reached Pittsburg, there my father bought a flat boat 80 feet long and 17 feet wide. Here we loaded all our property on the flat boat and started down the Ohio River. We boarded ourselves while coming down the river when we wanted some eatables we would stop at some town along the bank of the river and get a supply. On the way down the river at night we ran the boat on a snag in the river. We tried to get off but without success. We saw a light on shore and called for help. They came out, but said there was no use trying to get out at night. So we went ashore with a small boat we made a purchase and by working and pulling we finally freed the boat and started on once more. We landed in Shawneetown where we sold our boat and started into Illinois by wagon driving our cattle. We traveled to Fairfield in Wayne County. Here we lived for the winter. In the spring of 1836 we started for Fulton County. We reached Fulton County sometime in April. We crosssed the Illinois River at Havana on a ferry boat. Our journey from Wayne County to Fulton County was a dreadful one. The mud was so deep in places that we were obliged to draw one wagon aways with the team, then unhitch and take them back to the other wagons. So it made it very unpleasant. My father,George Duncan, seeing Spoon River just the thing to run a grist mill. He concluded to settle where I now live. He built a house of logs. The land was Government land, but father bought this claim from Alex Shaver. He then built a barn after which he began the erection of a dam and saw mill. The saw mill had burrs for grinding wheat. The saw mill was just west of the bridge on the Lewistown Road. After a while he built the mill which was burned in 1870. My brother Thomas and I helped my father in the mill. Shortly after we got settled in our new home a friend and I went on horseback to Philadelphia on business from Duncan Mills. We was on the road about 30 days. I remained in Philadelphia until spring. I came home on a boat in 1840, I was married to Jane Branson of Woodland Township. I brought my wife to Duncan Mills to live and where we have lived ever since. Born to my wife and I were nine children, six of whom are living. They all live near us. Seven years ago, this eleventh of June our children and many friends made a surprise for us to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. It was a complete surprise. There was four present who was at the wedding, namely Charles and Calvin Branson of Ipava, Mrs. Mary Schenk, wife's sister, and my sister Mrs. Margaret Dilworth. The mill is a thing of the past. The town which was named for my father is still dotted down on the classic Spoon River. It improved very slowly. My wife and I live with our three daughters in the story and half frame house which my father built about 50 years ago. I also own a farm but my family days are over. At this time, there was only a few homes near. Solomon Winchell lived on the farm now known as the Tom Brown farm and later belonged to Warren Hendee. Moses Meeker lived on the farm now owned by Harry Strouse. East of us was the Farrises, our nearest neighbor was a mile away. Our post office was Lewistown. There was but few woods, the woods were mostly along the river. It was no uncommon thing to look south from our home and see deer bounding over the hills. I shot my first and last deer in Spoon River bottoms. Wild turkeys were also plentiful.
The following information is provided by W.J. Scott after he read the sketch about John H. Duncan.
"In 1857, I built the first store room in Duncan Mills. John H. Duncan had held several township offices, such as assessors, collector, and town clerk. He was elected Justice of the Peace in 1856. Shortly after receiving his commision, he was called on to marry Dave Comingore of Summon to a Miss Shawgo. And that ended it, he immediately resigned his commission as J.P. at once. In the spring of 1858 he went to St. Louis for a stock of goods suitable for a country store. By the time the goods arrived at Havana, the Illinois and Spoon was on a rampage and the entire bottom land overflowed and teams could not get to Havana. Tom Duncan and myself built a flat boat and together with John and William Wallace floated the goods up the raging Spoon to Duncan Mills-making the trip in one and half days. That is historic, as the wet season the grist mill only ran about three months of the year. John H. Duncan had been appointed Postmaster with Tom as assistant. The post office and mill together with the store brought quite a good many people to the little city. Frank Paul platted the town of Duncan Mills about the year 1867. Thomas Boyd wanted to call it Duncannon, after a town of that name in Scotland, but it was given the name Duncan Mills, which is the name it stills bears."
W.J.Scott also helped build Charles and Henry Duncans' houses. Charles' home was built in 1868 and Henry's in 1869.
Family Members
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