BILBREY, Eli Patrick and Melisia Maple – Eli was a son of Young and Amanda Bilbrey, born in their Greene Twp. cabin on October 5, 1849. He died on April 8, 1930 and is buried in the Hinthorn Cemetery. Melisia J. Maple was born April 24, 1842 and died July 6, 1886. Eli and Melisia were parents of David Young Bilbrey and Ira Bilbrey, long residents of El Paso.
BILBREY, Young and Amanda Patrick – Young was born May 21, 1802 in Overton County, Tennessee and died in Money Creek Twp., McLean County, June 13, 1873. He is buried in the Hinthorn Cemetery. His wife was born October 31, 1805 and died August 26, 1883, is buried beside him. They migrated to Greene Twp. in the spring of 1830, (Radford's 1828 date being, we believe, in error) just before the "winter of the deep snows." To them in 1831 was born the first white child of record in the Greene area. "Young" was his mother's family name, and his given name.
Young patented the NW 1/4 of Section 25 in Greene Twp. on May 18, 1836, and owned other land soon after the surveys were completed, one being the east 80 acres of the Ray farm now owned by Leo Render, where S. Y. Barnard ran the post office "Josephine." They moved into Money Creek Twp. a year or so after their son Eli Patrick Bilbrey was born in Greene in 1849. Eli became the father of David Young and Ira Bilbrey of El Paso, making the Bilbreys the oldest family to continually live in our area. Allen Bilbrey and Polly Ann (Armstrong) were other children of Young and Amanda.
BILLINGER, William and Sarah A. (McManus) Brower – William was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, April 1, 1819. He came from Ohio to Illinois in a covered wagon in 1857 with Joseph Frey, and settled later on the S 1/2 of Section 3 near where the east curve of the Peoria & Oquawka Railroad was built. Ten children were born to William and Sarah. He was a Presbyterian and a Democrat.
BISTORIANS, A. – Came from France to Illinois in 1851 and later settled in El Paso. He was one of our earliest bakers.
BLACKMORE, James W. and Emma Parkhouse – James was born in Devonshire, England, March 29, 1829. He came to America in 1851 and settled, possibly a little later, on the SW 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of Section 8 in El Paso Twp. on the James Parkhouse farm of 1954. James and Emma had no children.
BLACKMORE, James W. and Sophia Bird – James was born in Devonshire, England, November 6, 1829, and died near El Paso on September 18, 1917. He came from England in 1852 buying land in Section 27 of Panola Twp. and settling on its NE 1/4. Children born to James and Sophia were: William, Elizabeth, John and Douglas. James finally moved to Cullom, Illinois where he ran a hotel.
BLACKMORE, John and Elizabeth Romleau – John was born in Devonshire, England, January 20, 1832, and died near El Paso on June 16, 1884. He came to America in 1852 and settled on the SE 1/4 of Section 26 in Panola Twp. Children born to John and Elizabeth were: James, William, Sarah (Guard), Eli (father of John L.), Albert (father of Arthur, Emmett, Claude and Clarence), Lillie, Lincoln, Charles, Hattie (Agnew), and Grant.
BLISS, John – Lived at Bowling Green at early unknown date.
BLUMENSHINE, Philip and Margaret Liebold – Philip was born in Germany in 1828, and died in El Paso in 1902. His wife was born in 1834 and died in 1916. Both are buried in Evergreen Cemetery. He migrated in 1838 with his parents, who settled in Tazewell County. After marriage, the couple came to the El Paso area in 1853, and probably rented the Shickendanz farm on the the