Hillsboro Democrat, Montgomery Co., IL - February 5, 1873 From an article on early settlers by A. H. H. Rountree "John Seward, the other of our first county commissioners, settled with his son at Seward's Grove. Israel Seward and Butler Seward were his sons. Mrs. Burnap and Mrs. Glenn, wife of James Glenn, and Mrs. Dan Seward and Mrs. W. H. Brown of Chicago were his daughters. He was an uncle of the late Hon. W. H. Seward. His son Israel Seward left a large family, among them are: William, George, Clarence of Butler; Henry of New Orleans; Charles of Minnesota; Frank and Edward of near Butler; Mrs. Cowdy of St. Louis; Mrs. McGowan of Butler, his daughters. Israel Seward for many years kept a public inn on the Springfield Road, made a large farm, and at one time built a steam flouring mill, saw mill and carding mill on his place about 1841. In his old age he went to the California gold rush and made his pile there and then returned home and died two years ago. He was a man of great energy and decision of character; he owned the first span of mules ever driven about Hillsboro; he owned the first jack we ever saw. Butler Seward settled first on the Burnap place close to the Springfield Road, then removed to Chicago where both he and his wife died. He left a daughter Mrs. Dr. Herrick and a son Oscar Seward." |