DAFFERN, Anthony and Sarah (wife) – Helped organize the first Baptist Church in El Paso on January 21, 1858.

DARLING, Levi – Lived in El Paso in 1857. He was in the Methodist Church organization in 1859.

DAVENPORT, William H. and Mary J. Willis – William was born in Kentucky on June 7, 1823, to William and Eliza Tribue Davenport. He purchased the SW 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of Section 16 in El Paso Twp. from the State of Illinois (school land) on September 7, 1854. William was a graduate of Knox College in 1843. His wife was the daughter of Francis M. Willis, very early pioneer. (See "Bowling Green" in Chapter 3.) He died January 17, 1863.

DAVIS, David B. – Born November 30, 1811 in Cumberland, Maryland, and was an early resident of the Centennial Church area, where he died September 24, 1883. He was probably a relative of James M. Davis.

DAVIS, James M. – Born in 1820. He was a resident of the Greene-Panola area in the '50's. He died June 17, 1858 and is buried in Harper's Cemetery.

DAY, Rev. A. E. – Pastor of early Methodist Church in 1858 when Panola-El Paso held joint services in the I. C. R. R. freight depot. He may have been circuit riding preacher and not an actual resident here.

DeBOLT, John Sr. – Came from Pennsylvania in 1854, and finally bought land and settled on the E 1/2 of the NW 1/4 of Section 31 in Panola Twp., the land which surrounded the St. Mary's Cemetery at its formation date.

DEHART, J. and M. R. – Lived in or near El Paso in 1859-60.

DEHORITY, Absalom and Eliza – Absalom was born in January of 1825, and in 1838 came to Illinois from Ohio. Sometime later Eliza and he settled on the center of Section 10, Palestine Twp., where he finally owned 320 acres of land.

DEINER, Christian and Margaret (1817-1896) – Christian was born in Germany on April 15, 1820. He came to a Palestine Twp. farm in 1855, having emigrated from Germany to Woodford County in 1850. He and Margaret lived just south of the railroad, on the NW 1/4 of the SE 1/4 of Section 4. Christian died at Secor November 3, 1871.

DENMAN, John and Rachel Cotton – Lived in Palestine by 1840, when they were married. They owned land in the SW 1/4 of Section 3 in Kansas Twp., purchased on January 8, 1853, and in Section 7, purchased on March 8, 1858.

DENMAN, Smith – Settled in Kansas Twp. along the McLean County line in 1829. He was from Ohio. Denman Creek is named for him. He later lived in McLean County.

DENMAN, William M. Sr. – Born in Essex County, New Jersey, December 7, 1807, and died November 25, 1879. He came to Tremont, Illinois in 1842, made some unfortunate business ventures, finally opening a hotel known as the "Denman House" which he operated for four years. He then moved to Bowling Green, where he engaged in merchandising and again operated a small hostelry known as the Denman House. At both Tremont and Bowling Green he had such distinguished visitors as Abraham Lincoln, David Davis, Ashael Gridley, etc. Ruth J. Denman patented 120 acres of the present Robert Mayne, Sr. farm in the SE 1/4 of Section 7, El Paso Twp., on July 21, 1853, and William built the Mayne home, still occupied, in 1856, the oldest country home still in use near El Paso.

DEWEY, Mrs. Ann – Taught Kappa's first school in Caleb Horn's home in 1854. She was a sister-in-law to Admiral George Dewey's grandfather.

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