ROCKFORD SOCIETY of EARLY SETTLERS

The pioneers of Winnebago County organized a society in 1870, that is known as the Rockford Society of Early Settlers.

The first formal meeting was held in the City Council rooms, January 10, 1870, when a constitution and by-laws were adopted, and signed by such of the old settlers as were then present. Some other preliminary arrangements were perfected, when the Society adjourned until the following Saturday, January 15th, when the following officers were elected:

President—Tliatcher Blake; Vice President---David S. Penfield; Secretary—Duncan Ferguson: Treasurer—A. C. Spofford; Directors—John Lake, Thomas D. Robertson, and David D.

At the time of this election twenty-six of the Old Settlers had signed the constitution and thus become members of the society. A residence in the county of thirty years, and the payment of three dollars as an initiatory fee, and one dollar per year as annual dues, are qualifications of membership. If at any time a further sums is needed for any specific charitable purpose, the Board of Directors are clothed with power to levy an assessment upon the members. The object of the Society is thus defined in article two of the constitution:

"It is designed to be a moral and benevolent association for the purpose of cultivating social intercourse among its members, and creating a fund tbr charitable purposes in their behalf: To collect and preserve information connected with the early settlement and subsequent history of Winnebago County; and to perpetuate the memory of those whose sagacity, energy and enterprise, induced them to settle here and to encounter the toils and privations incident to those who first settle in a new country."

Article three provides that "this Society shall be composed of those male residents who settled in this county previous to the year 1840, and who are now residents of the town of Rockford and vicinity. That hereafter thirty years residence in the town of Rockford or vicinity, will be a sufficient qualification for any such settler becoming a member of this Society."

There are now (October, 1877) ninety-two members, whose names, date and place of birth, and date of arrival in the county, are given below:

Thatcher Blake, Turner, Maine, March 16, 1809; August, 1834.

Ephraim Wyman, June 26, 1809, Lancaster, Mass.; Sept. 20, 1835.

Chas. Works, Nov. 24, 1803, Westmoreland, N. H.; Feb. 20, 1836.

Henry W. Loomis, Deckertown, N. J.; May 15, 1836.

Alonzo Carey, Onondaga Co., N. Y.; March 17, 1836.

Chas. P. Brady, Dec. 14, 1814, Bucks Co., Pa.; November, 1836.

Wm. P. Dennis, Ipswich, Mass.; March 14, 1837.

D. D. Ailing, April 27, 1813, Westfield, Conn.; Oct. 10, 1837.

John Fitch, April 18, 1804, Groton, Mass.; Nov. 23, 1838.

John Lake, March 20, 1821, England; Nov. 1, 1837.

H. H. Silsby, Nov. 1, 1817, Ackworth, N. H.; April 27, 1837.

Asa W. Weldon, Yarmouth, Mass.; July 11, 1838.

Wait Talcott, Connecticut; Oct. 1, 1838.

Thomas D. Robertson, March 4, 1818, Scotland; December, 1838.

E. H. Baker, Ferrisburg; Vt.; Oct. 6, 1838.

*David S. Penfield, April 3, 1812, Pittsford, Vt.; April 12. 1839.

S. C. Fuller, Hawksborough, Canada; May 9, 1839.

James Gilbert. New York City; May 20, 1839.

Jason Marsh, Woodstock, Vt.; June 22, 1839.

H. N. Baker. Ferrisburg, Vt.; Oct. 6, 1838.

*Willard Wheeler, Vermont; Oct. 6, 1839.

Wm. J. Cole, Richmond Co., N. 1 .; July 31. 1889.

Phineas Howes, Sept. 25, 1817, Putnam Co., N. Y.; June 26, 1839.

A. C. Spofford, Adams, N. Y.: October, 1839.

Austin Colton, Jan. 30, 1817, Northampton, Mass.; May, 1839.

Duncan Ferguson, Nov. 15, 1809, Glasgow, Scotland; Nov. 3, 1839.

Bethuel Houghton, Cheshire Co., N. H.; Nov. 1, 1836.

*Chas. I. Horsman, Boston, Mass.; Dec. 1, 1836.

Thos. Jefferson Jewell, Oct. 24, 1816, Genesee Co., N. Y.; Oct. 1,1838.

*William Twogood, Rensselaer, N. V.; July 3, 1837.

William R. Wheeler, May 31, 1810, Onondaga Co., N. Y.; Sept., 1835.

Nathaniel Wilder, June 30, 1794, Lancaster, Mass.; March 4 . 1837.

Isaiah Lyon, Woodstock, Conn.; June, 1838.

A. I. Enoch, July 24, 1819, Dayton, 0., Sept., 1835.

Homer Denton, Dec. 19, 1812, Otsego Co.. N. Y.; May 1, 1837.

Elias Martin, Oct. 21, 1796, Peacham, Vermont; Jan. 20, 1839

William Jones, May 18, 1811, Monmouth, Wales; June 30, 1837.

R. K. Town, June 3, 1802, Granville, N. Y.; June, 1842

William H. Higbee. June 30, 1826, Shipton, Lower Canada; Oct.,1839.

Selden M. Church, March 4, 1804, East Holden, Conn.; Nov., 1836.

Alfred Hart, March 19, 1797, Huntington, Suffolk Co.. Long Island, N. Y.; June 6, 1839.

John Spafford, Nov. 26, 1821, Adams, Jefferson Co., N. Y.; May, 1839.

Richard Montague, August 2, 1799, Hadley, Hampshire Co., Mass.; July 1, 1835.

*Spooner Ruggles, August 1, 1795, Hardwick, Worcester Co., Mass.; May 1, 1836.

Thomas B. Talcott. April 17, 1806, Tolland Co., Conn.: July 4, 1835.

William Peters, Sept. 14, 1809, County Antrim, Ireland; Oct. 10,1837.

Hiram R. Enoch, Jan. 2, 1828, Warren Co., Ohio; May 10, 1836.

Duncan H. Ferguson, Sept., 1835, Scotland; Nov. 3, 1839.

Henry P. Reddington, April 6, 1814, Walpole, N. H.; May, 1836.

Benjamin Franklin Cunningham, Feb. 3, 1820, Petersborough, N. H.: May, 1839.

Samuel Cunningham, August 15, 1815, Petersborough, N. II.; July 11, 1839.

Goodyear A. Sanford, August 28, 1814. Hamden, Conn.; Aug. 31, 1837.

James M. Wright. June 1, 1809, Norwich. Mass.; Sept.. 1835.

Ephraim A. Herrick, April 28, 1817, Andover, Mass.; June 6, 1836.

John H. Thurston, March 8, 1824, Glens Falls, N. Y.; March 12, 1837.

*Eliphalet Gregory, April 23, 1804, Danbury, Fairfield Co., Conn.; June 17, 1835.

Ephraim Sumner, Feb. 9, 1808, Windham, Vermont; Oct. 19, 1835.

Jonathan Wilson, Sept. 2, 1795, Yarmouth, Mass.; Feb. 18, 1836.

Richard S. Stiles, Aug. 15, 1811, Nelson, N. H.; March 29, 1837.

Harris Barnum, Sept. 8, 1819, Danbury, Conn.; June 9, 1838

Nathaniel Belknap, March 4, 1805, Worcester, Mass.; August, 1838.

Jesse Blinn, August 9-, 1809, Bennington, Vermont; July, 1838.

Elijah L. Herrick, Sept., 1820, Andover. Essex Co., Mass.; May, 1838.

Asa G. Spalding, August 10, 1809; Sheshequin, Bradford do., Pa.; April, 1836.

Anson S. Miller, Sept. 24, 1810, Lee, Oneida Co., N. Y.; July 15, 1840.

Daniel Dow. March 16, 1816, Perthshire. Scotland; March, 1841.

Michael Burns, Oct. :31, 1818, Ireland; Aug. 10, 1840.

Robert J. Cross, Oct. 1, 1803, Newburgh, N. Y.; August, 1835.

Alfred Hart, Jr., Dec. 13, 1835, Tompkins Co., N. Y.; Sept., 1839.

Lewis S. Swezey, Aug. 6, 1812, Oneida Co., N. Y.; Sept., 1839.

*Reuben Barrett, Oct. 1 , Barre,Worcester Co., Mass.; Oct.1, 1839.

Mowry Brown, Jan. 29, 1814, Burrillville, Providence Co., R I.; April 28. 1838.

Louis Jackson, July 15, 1815, Cecil Co., Maryland; July 28, 1839.

John Platt, March 8, 1813, New Haven, Conn.; May 11, 1837.

M. H. Regan, Cobourg, Canada West; March 1, 1840.

C yrus F. Miller, Feb. 13, 1815, Lee, Oneida Co., N.Y.; April 23, 1841.

Henry O. Brown, Aug. 15, 1812, Madison, N. Y.; Jul y, 1840.

G. Tullock, July 4, 1815, Rothiermay, Banffshire, Scotland; Dec. 1, 1841.

William Halley, June 4, 1818, Fifeshire, Scotland; June 12, 1838.

Darins Fish, Aug. 30, 1800, Washington Co., N. Y.; Sept. 30. 1839.

*John W. Dyer, A,. 22 , 1813, Stockton, Chautauqua Co., N. Y.; April, 1838.

C. H. Spofford, Jan. 6, 1819, Adams, N. Y.; May 30, 1839.

' Eli Hall, Nov. 5, 1803, Wallingford, Conn.- 1837.

Levi M. Taft, Nov. 12, 1817, Cortland Co., N. V.; June 4, 1837.

Geo. S. Haskell, Oct. 4, 1838, Rockford, Winnebago Cu., Oct.
4, 1838.

Hiram Richardson, Aug. 24, 1818, Orange Co., Vermont; Oct.10, 1837.

Levi Moulthrop, March 16, 1841. New Milford, Winnebago Co., March 16, 1841.

M. H. Trainer. Sept. 30, 1818, Riga Town, Monroe Co., N.Y.; June 25, 1838.

J. Taylor, Sept. 13, 1808, Salisbury, Hillsboro Co., N. H.; April, 1836.

Sylvester Talcott, Oct. 14, 1810, Rome, Oneida Co., N. Y.; Feb. 26,1836.

Elijah B. Guilford, April 21, 1824, Spencer, Worcester Co.. Mass.; Oct. 19, 1835.

James B. Martyn, Dec. 28, 1801, Parish of Provus, County of Cornwall, England; April, 1836.

Two of the members whose names appear in this list, George S. Haskell and Levi Moulthrop were born in this country

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*Since the or ganization of this Association of Old Settlers; thirteen of them, those whose names :are marked with an asterisk (*), have passed away. D. S. Penfield died May 20, 1873; Willard Wheeler, April 24, 1876: C. I. Horsman, March 2. 1875: William Twogood, April 13. 1874: Spooner Ruggles. March 7. 1874 , E. Gregory, February 16, 1876; J. 1 . Veldon, March 16, 1874: 31. Burns, May 16. 1877; C. J. Cross, February 15, 1873: R. Barrett, Nov. 30, 1872; 31. H. Regan, February 27, 1375; H. 0. Brown, February 27, 1875; J. W. Dyer, November 11. 1875; George S. Haskell, August 23, 1876; Peter Grimes, February 16, 1876.