EVEY, John M. and Elizabeth D. – Came on into Greene Twp. in 1854 from Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and worked around the new town of Secor in the building trade, finally buying land and settling as a farmer on the southwest corner of the NE 1/4 of Section 29, his residence being about the middle of that Section and west 3/4 mile from Gabetown.

EVEY, Michael – Came to Greene Twp. from Ohio in 1852. They were originally from Pennsylvania. There were twelve families in the Evey party which followed Michael into Greene Twp.

EWING, Rev. F. N. – Organizer and presiding officer of the first El Paso church, the Presbyterian, organized May 11, 1857. He may not actually have lived in El Paso, probably being sent here to organize the church of which Rev. W. T. Adams was the first pastor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

FISHBURN, Jacob and Mary (1808-1895) – Jacob was born March 31, 1804 and died in El Paso January 20, 1878. Hollanders, the family came from Pennsylvania by water in 1850, settling near Washington, Illinois. In 1854 they came by ox cart with daughter Jennie and son James, to a spot on the prairie two miles east and a mile south of the surveyed, but unbuilt, town of El Paso, where they built their cabin on the prairie, first to do so in that section. The "Fishburn School" nearby came later, and was named for them. They purchased Lot 6 in Block 45 from Gibson on July 9, 1857, and later lived there, the place being the George Burroughs location today. Their daughter, Jennie E. (Young, 1839-1912), in later life taught a private school there. Their son, James M. (1848-1931), was an El Paso dentist for many years.

FISHER, Josiah H. and Eliza M. Brown – Josiah was born. in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, September 24, 1826 and settled in Greene Twp. in 1859 on Section 4. He came to Peoria on May 11, 1849 and worked there 10 years before settling on the farm. There were three children born to Josiah and Eliza: Benjamin, Thaddeus and Sarah Ann (1) (Parks), (2) (Stumbaugh).

FITZGERALD, Michael Sr. and Elizabeth Smith – Michael was born in Ballingary, Tipperary, Ireland, April 16, 1830. He came to El Paso City in 1856 having migrated to America in 1849. He purchased 120 acres of Illinois Central land and was first to break it. There were eight children born to Michael and Elizabeth. Marie and James Fitzgerald of El Paso are grandchildren.

FOLKERS, Wirt – Settled in the SE corner of Linn Twp. in 1855 with sons, Charles and John. He moved from Germantown among the first to "settle on the prairie" something there Germantown friends wouldn't do "if you gave us a free eighty" (Moore-p52.) His cabin on the prairie started these settlements in that area.

FRANKLIN, Jared D. and (1) Cynthia Hinshaw, (2) Louisa Brown – Jared was born in Connecticut November 28, 1814, and came to Illinois in 1837, and into Kansas Twp. in 1840, buying the SW 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of Section 11 on February 15, 1851. He died in 1896 and is buried in the East White Oak Cemetery. He was Kansas Twp.'s first Supervisor when it was formed in 1860.

FREY, Joseph – Settled in Palestine Twp. in 1858. He was the grandfather of C. W. Frey, who was for years a Bloomington auto man. He came overland in a covered wagon with William Billinger from Ohio in 1857.

Page 371

Go to previous page

Go to next page

Go to El Paso Story gateway page