The Lenington name has been found to be spelled various ways, Lennington, Lenington, Linnington , etc. A close examination of Baltus' will shows that he most probably spelled his name "Lenington", as that is how it appears that he signed his name.
Baltus Lenington's headstone reads that he died 5 February 1853, however, he signed his will on 28 January 1854 and died shortly after. His will was filed 8 July 1854. No death records have been found. It is assumed then, that he died 5 February 1854.
His lone grave is located on land he sold to the railway and is located west of Freeport where the State Highway (Route 20) crosses the Illinois Central Railway tracks, at a place called Flansburg Crossing.
Interest in his lone grave site has sparked curiosity over the years and four newspaper articles have been found regarding it:
1. Freeport Journal Standard (Freeport, Illinois) 7 Feb 1933 "Baltus Lennington, in 1-Grave Cemetery West of City, Dead 80 Years" - no reporters name.
2. Newspaper clipping - name of paper unknown (Rockford, Illinois??) - 1971?? "Mystery Of A Lonely Grave."
3. Village Voices (Lena/Freeport, Illinois) week of 7 July 2010 - 13 July 2010, page 6A "No "Body" Under 20" by Dan Stevens.
4. Shopper/Scope (Lena, Illinois) Page 2-S 10 August 2010 "Flansburg project to include re-setting gravestone" by Larry Nelson.
Baltus Lenington married Maria Churchill Wilcoxson, (daughter of Ashel Churchill and Amy Broadway) the widow of Levi Wilcoxson on 18 August 1853, in Stephenson County, Illinois. He died without knowing his wife was pregnant, I'm quite sure of this as he made no provision in his will for the child. Instead he left a portion of his estate to his nephew Baltus Dayton, son of his sister Sarah Ann Lennington Dayton. The Freeport Journal Standard newspaper article of 1933 states that when his nephew learned of the birth of the child (Baltus Reason Lennington), Baltus Dayton signed a quit claim deed. I have been unable to locate that deed. Maria gave birth to a son and named him Baltus Reason Lennington. Maria later married John Thornton Edwards. No record of her death or burial place has been found, but it is believed that she died in childbirth or shortly after on the journey west.
Baltus Lenington's headstone reads that he died 5 February 1853, however, he signed his will on 28 January 1854 and died shortly after. His will was filed 8 July 1854. No death records have been found. It is assumed then, that he died 5 February 1854.
His lone grave is located on land he sold to the railway and is located west of Freeport where the State Highway (Route 20) crosses the Illinois Central Railway tracks, at a place called Flansburg Crossing.
Interest in his lone grave site has sparked curiosity over the years and four newspaper articles have been found regarding it:
1. Freeport Journal Standard (Freeport, Illinois) 7 Feb 1933 "Baltus Lennington, in 1-Grave Cemetery West of City, Dead 80 Years" - no reporters name.
2. Newspaper clipping - name of paper unknown (Rockford, Illinois??) - 1971?? "Mystery Of A Lonely Grave."
3. Village Voices (Lena/Freeport, Illinois) week of 7 July 2010 - 13 July 2010, page 6A "No "Body" Under 20" by Dan Stevens.
4. Shopper/Scope (Lena, Illinois) Page 2-S 10 August 2010 "Flansburg project to include re-setting gravestone" by Larry Nelson.
Baltus Lenington married Maria Churchill Wilcoxson, (daughter of Ashel Churchill and Amy Broadway) the widow of Levi Wilcoxson on 18 August 1853, in Stephenson County, Illinois. He died without knowing his wife was pregnant, I'm quite sure of this as he made no provision in his will for the child. Instead he left a portion of his estate to his nephew Baltus Dayton, son of his sister Sarah Ann Lennington Dayton. The Freeport Journal Standard newspaper article of 1933 states that when his nephew learned of the birth of the child (Baltus Reason Lennington), Baltus Dayton signed a quit claim deed. I have been unable to locate that deed. Maria gave birth to a son and named him Baltus Reason Lennington. Maria later married John Thornton Edwards. No record of her death or burial place has been found, but it is believed that she died in childbirth or shortly after on the journey west.
The Lenington name has been found to be spelled various ways, Lennington, Lenington, Linnington , etc. A close examination of Baltus' will shows that he most probably spelled his name "Lenington", as that is how it appears that he signed his name.
Baltus Lenington's headstone reads that he died 5 February 1853, however, he signed his will on 28 January 1854 and died shortly after. His will was filed 8 July 1854. No death records have been found. It is assumed then, that he died 5 February 1854.
His lone grave is located on land he sold to the railway and is located west of Freeport where the State Highway (Route 20) crosses the Illinois Central Railway tracks, at a place called Flansburg Crossing.
Interest in his lone grave site has sparked curiosity over the years and four newspaper articles have been found regarding it:
1. Freeport Journal Standard (Freeport, Illinois) 7 Feb 1933 "Baltus Lennington, in 1-Grave Cemetery West of City, Dead 80 Years" - no reporters name.
2. Newspaper clipping - name of paper unknown (Rockford, Illinois??) - 1971?? "Mystery Of A Lonely Grave."
3. Village Voices (Lena/Freeport, Illinois) week of 7 July 2010 - 13 July 2010, page 6A "No "Body" Under 20" by Dan Stevens.
4. Shopper/Scope (Lena, Illinois) Page 2-S 10 August 2010 "Flansburg project to include re-setting gravestone" by Larry Nelson.
Baltus Lenington married Maria Churchill Wilcoxson, (daughter of Ashel Churchill and Amy Broadway) the widow of Levi Wilcoxson on 18 August 1853, in Stephenson County, Illinois. He died without knowing his wife was pregnant, I'm quite sure of this as he made no provision in his will for the child. Instead he left a portion of his estate to his nephew Baltus Dayton, son of his sister Sarah Ann Lennington Dayton. The Freeport Journal Standard newspaper article of 1933 states that when his nephew learned of the birth of the child (Baltus Reason Lennington), Baltus Dayton signed a quit claim deed. I have been unable to locate that deed. Maria gave birth to a son and named him Baltus Reason Lennington. Maria later married John Thornton Edwards. No record of her death or burial place has been found, but it is believed that she died in childbirth or shortly after on the journey west.
Baltus Lenington's headstone reads that he died 5 February 1853, however, he signed his will on 28 January 1854 and died shortly after. His will was filed 8 July 1854. No death records have been found. It is assumed then, that he died 5 February 1854.
His lone grave is located on land he sold to the railway and is located west of Freeport where the State Highway (Route 20) crosses the Illinois Central Railway tracks, at a place called Flansburg Crossing.
Interest in his lone grave site has sparked curiosity over the years and four newspaper articles have been found regarding it:
1. Freeport Journal Standard (Freeport, Illinois) 7 Feb 1933 "Baltus Lennington, in 1-Grave Cemetery West of City, Dead 80 Years" - no reporters name.
2. Newspaper clipping - name of paper unknown (Rockford, Illinois??) - 1971?? "Mystery Of A Lonely Grave."
3. Village Voices (Lena/Freeport, Illinois) week of 7 July 2010 - 13 July 2010, page 6A "No "Body" Under 20" by Dan Stevens.
4. Shopper/Scope (Lena, Illinois) Page 2-S 10 August 2010 "Flansburg project to include re-setting gravestone" by Larry Nelson.
Baltus Lenington married Maria Churchill Wilcoxson, (daughter of Ashel Churchill and Amy Broadway) the widow of Levi Wilcoxson on 18 August 1853, in Stephenson County, Illinois. He died without knowing his wife was pregnant, I'm quite sure of this as he made no provision in his will for the child. Instead he left a portion of his estate to his nephew Baltus Dayton, son of his sister Sarah Ann Lennington Dayton. The Freeport Journal Standard newspaper article of 1933 states that when his nephew learned of the birth of the child (Baltus Reason Lennington), Baltus Dayton signed a quit claim deed. I have been unable to locate that deed. Maria gave birth to a son and named him Baltus Reason Lennington. Maria later married John Thornton Edwards. No record of her death or burial place has been found, but it is believed that she died in childbirth or shortly after on the journey west.
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