2. Eli Ford 1, 2 (Mr. ) was born about 1809 in Tennessee.
Eli married 3 Adaline Butler 1, 2 on 15 Jan 1845 in Jefferson County, Illinois. Adaline was born about 1825 in Tennessee.
They had the following children:
4 M i Louis Ford 1, 2 was born about 1845. Louis resided in Jefferson County, Illinois. 5 M ii Jacob Ford 1 was born about 1858. Jacob resided in Jefferson County, Illinois. 6 M iii Thomas E. Ford 1 was born about 1859/1860. Thomas resided in Jefferson County, Illinois. Thomas married Mary Eliza. Mary was born about 1852. She died on 24 Jul 1932.
3. Solomon Ford 1, 2 (Mr. ) was born on 26 Jan 1812 in Anson County, North Carolina. He died 3, 4 on 26 Jan 1893 in Jefferson County, Illinois and was buried on 28 Jan 1893 in Wolf Prairie Cemetery, Bonnie, Jefferson County, Illinois.
BIOGRAPHY: In a periodical entitled: Prairie Historian which is published by the local genealogical society in Jefferson County, IL we read the following folk history from an interview with Solomon Ford and his life as a pioneer: "... There was an incident that happened on the road I will mention. Joel Middleton owned an old bull dog that was a favorite, and George Ford, a cousin, owned a fine young bull dog that was a favorite also. We were somewhere close to the Kentucky and Tennessee line when these two favorite dogs got into a fight. They had been growling and quarreling all the way, so they got into a fight right. Of course, I respected the old dog most as he belonged to the man I was moving with and at the commencement of the fight I wanted the Ford boys to part them, but no they would not do it. Their dog was young and his antagonist was old and they wanted the young dog to whip the old one. After they had fought a considerable time, the old dog was turning the tide. Then the Ford boys were going to part the dogs whether or no, but I gathered my ox whip and turned the butt end of my whip stock and told them I'd knock the first one down that interfered. Well, from that the whole crew got into quite a mess, the women not excepted, so for a while, they, the dogs got into a mud hole. There the old dog would have drowned the young dog. I then told George Ford he could go in and pull the old dog off, so he did not wait to be invited the second time, but pushed into the mud and water up to his knees and pulled him off. That ended the fight, but it was several days before we all got right, but finally we did.
Then after we got near the Ohio River, we had stopped for dinner. While eating the boys commenced complaining of being tired, to grunting considerably and all at once, bantered anybody for a foot race. Well, the crowd kept silent. Finally, Joel Middleton's wife said, "Sol,are you going to take that?" I said, "No, I'm not." So we all left our dinner, went up the road, stepped off 50 yards and we started off. The first thirty yards we ran,I had no advantage of the old man, but at the end of fifty yards I came out about 1 1/2 feet the advantage. We then went back, finished our dinner and then we pulled on across the river."
OBITUARY: The Mt. Vernon Register published the following on February 1, 1893 which read as follows: "Solomon Ford, one of McClellan townships oldest and most respected residents, died yesterday, it being his 81st birthday (this doesn't match the newspaper date). He was taken ill about ten days ago. The funeral will occur 10 o'clock tomorrow morning at Wolf Prairie, and will be in charge of Mt. Vernon Lodge No. 31 A.F. and A.M. of which he was an honored member.
Solomon Ford was born in Anson Co., North Carolina, January 26, 1812, and at the age of three years with his parents moved to near Woodbury, Tenn. at the head of Stoneriver. When nineteen years of age he left his parents and emigrated to Marion county, Ill., and while camping and resting in that county he met one Sarah Morrison with whom he fell in love, which ripened into marriage July 21, 1831, Rev. David R. Chance performing the ceremony. The next morning after his marriage his father-in-law, Joseph Morrison, who had cut and harvested all but four or five acres of his wheat offered to give him the remainder if he would harvest it. He and his wife did so, and secured bread enough to last the next twelve months. They harvested all of it with a reap hook. After making two crops on rented ground in Marion county, he and his wife moved to Mississippi, where they cleared about four acres in the wilderness, built a cabin and planted some corn. Here he killed a snake which measured ten feet in length and five inches in diameter. In a short time, however, he moved back to Illinois. On the way back and while camped in Kentucky one night, a cyclone struck them and carried the wagon and themselves a distance of fifty yards without injury, but the oxen with which they traveled wee out of the path of the cyclone.
But they had a rough experience getting out of there. They only made a difference of a quarter of a mile the first day as timber was scattered all along the pathway. They arrived in Illinois in September having been nearly two months on the way, to find that Mrs. Ford's fther had died about the time they left Mississippi to be found in the southwest, and moved to Marion county, Arkansas. Shortly after arriving in that country he killd his first panther, and contracted for a supply of meal in exchange for pelts. He made while there 1200 rails for 50 pounds of salt and 200 for one pound of coffee. After one years residence in Marion county he moved to Benton county, same state, and there saw an Indian hung who bad killed his wife by sticking a knife in the top of her head.
After three years residence in Arkansas he moved to Lawrence county, Missouri, where he remained two years and then returned to Marion county, Illinois, in 1845, and rented a farm of William Baldridge. In the fall of 1849, he came to Jefferson county, moving to the farm of John Dodds, better known as the Willis Keller farm. After five years in this county he contracted the Texas fever, and started for that state. On they way, and while in Arkansas he was taken down with spinal troubles, and for about three months was not out of the house and was unable to walk without two sticks for more than a year. In 1855 he again returned to this county, and after renting various places for eleven years bought the farm upon which he has since lived and died. His wife still survives him and was his senior by about one year. The above facts are gleaned from notes prepared under Mr. Ford's own direction and can be relied upon as accurate."
PROBATE: The Last Will and Testament of Solomon Ford was written on 12 September 1885. It reads as follows: "In the name of God Amen, I, Solomon Ford of the township of McClellan in the county of Jefferson and state of Illinois, of the age of seventy three years and being of sound mind and memory do make and publish and declare this my last will and testament in the manner following.
I bequeath to my wife Sarah Ford all my real and personal estate good and chattles of whatsoever nature or kind to be accepted by her in lieu of dower to be owned and controlled by her and used for her sole benefit during her natural life and is not to be transfered nor conveyed by her to anyone except with and by the consent of my son Albert H. Ford and my son-in-law Mensus B. Gilbert and in that case the effects of transfer or conveyance is sole executrix of this my last will and testament requesting her to act under the instructions of the above named Albert H. Ford and Mensus B. Gilbert while acting or performing any of her duties as such executrix.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 12th day of September A.D. 1885. Solomon (his X mark) Ford. W.A. Davis witness to mark.
The above instrument consisting of thirty four lines was at the date thereof signed sealed published and declared by the said Soloman Ford as and for his last will and testament in the presence of us who at his request and in his presence and in the presence of each other have subscribed our names as witnesss thereto. D. C. Jones. D.S. Gray.
Solomon married Sarah Morrison 1, 2 on 21 Jul 1831 in Little Prairie, Marion County, Illinois. Sarah was born on 15 May 1812 in Washington County, Tennessee. She died 3 on 4 Sep 1898 in Jefferson County, Illinois.
PROBATE: The Petition for Sarah Ford's Estate reads as follows: "State of Illinois, Jefferson County, to the Hon. R. M. Farthing,county judge of said county: The undersigned, your petitioner, respectfully represents that Sarah Ford late of the town of McClellan of said county and state, died intestate, on Sunday the fourth day of September A.D. 1898, leaving property to be administered on, of the value of about twelve hundred and fifty dollars. that the only heirs of said deceased, known to petitioner, are your petitioners A.H. Ford and Thomas B. Ford, Joseph F. Ford, E.A. Gilbert and Ella E. Brown, all children of deceased, and the following grand children and great-grandchildren, Eddie Lynch, only heir of Daniel Ford and G. Gale Gilbert, Eunice S. Louth, John P. Gilbert, Hattie C. Shaffer and Margie E. Gilbert, children of Susan A. Ford and Jane Ballard, Ollie Wells, William Wells, George Wells, Thomas Wells, John Wells and children of Sarah Wells (Sullivan), children of Mary Wells (Bodine) and children of Martha Wells (Bodine) and Ellen Wells, child or children or grandchildren of Nancy Ford wife of Pink Wells. The undersigned, further represents that he is a son of said Sarah Ford and that she left no husband surviving. The undersigned, therefore, prays that he and M.R. Gilbert be appointed administrators of said estate; and as in duty bound, will -------. Subscribed and sworn to before me this 7th day of September A.D. 1898, G.G. Gilbert, Notary public. (signed) A.H. Ford"
Page 2 - Heirs of Sarah Ford
Joseph F. Ford 1/8
Elizabeth A. Gilbert 1/8
Thomas B. Ford 1/8
Albert H. Ford 1/8
Ella Brown 1/8
Susan A. Gilbert ---- fiveDaniel J. Ford, grandson, Edward
Nancy Wells, deceased: Ellen Bodine, deceased Ollie Lemmons, deceased
Mary Bodine George Wells
Jane Ballard Tommy Wells
Sarah Sullivan Johnny Wells
William Wells
They had the following children:
+ 7 F i Nancy E. Ford + 8 M ii Joseph Franklin Ford + 9 M iii Daniel J. (or G.) Ford + 10 F iv Elizabeth Ann Ford + 11 M v Thomas Benton H. Ford + 12 M vi Albert H. Ford + 13 F vii Susan A. (Susa) Ford 14 F viii Sarah A. Ford 1, 2 was born about 1854 in Jefferson County, Illinois. + 15 F ix Ella Ford 16 M x Willie Ford 17 F xi Jane Ford 18 xii Ford 19 xiii Ford