Maquon Cemetery
Maquon Cemetery is located in the southwest quarter of Section 34 in Haw Creek Township
SIMKINS FOUNDING
of the
MAQUON CEMETERY
1839
The Simkins family consisting of three brothers their wives and
children, the eldest brother being my grandfather, the second Benoni, around
whom this little history centers to day.
Hiram, the youngest, emigrated from near Pittsburg, Pa to Martinsburg,
Highland Co ohio in 1833 engaging in agriculture of which the chief product
was tobacco, a little more than two years later they advanced to Terra
Haute, Indiana arriving there in Feb. 1836. there they assisted in quarrying
and hauling stone for the building of the National Bridge across the Wabash
River, working till September they journeyed on to Illinois though having
traveled some out of the way they crossed they crossed the Illinois River 16
miles below Lewiston, came within two miles of Lewiston Nov. 1836 with
weather very much below zero and plenty of snow and here they camped for a
month, while Benoni investigated and decided on a permanent location, which
resulted thus: Benoni purchased land located on the south west quarter of
section 34 lying northeast of the depot with only a road between, he moved
into a little log cabin on the northeast corner of the southeast 40 of this
quarter section, the other two families occupying cabins about 50 ft apart
on the spot now the old homestead of Aunt Betsy Selby. only 20 acres of this
land purchased by Benoni was enclosed, the remainder, and all land
surrounding him for which was open prairie.
He brought to this country with him a young man whos name was Van Winkle to
assist in tilling the soil and building up a home in famed Illinois.
While yet in his service in 1839 young Van Winkle sickened and died,
emeadiatly Benoni sought a place to bury this young man. He was refused by
John Walters who owned what now is termed the Briggs cemetery, also by
Barbero both being owned by individuals and were considered family burying
plots. He bethought himself returned saying that he would have a place to
bury the dead of his own so he buried this young man close in the northeast
corner of his farm near the corner stone, a young man by the name of Ben
Weeden who also died while making his home with him the same year, was the
second. a daughter of Benoni's was third, Mrs. Claypole my fathers sister
was the fourth, several years it was thus, not enclosed, lying out in open
prairie. The owners of the other three quarters of the same section, that
comes in the center of the old cemetery - later on was owned as follows: Mr.
Miles the south east quarter, Elisha Barrett or Philomon Selby the northeast
quarter and Nagle the northwest quarter, Mr. Simkins soliceted these
different owners to each donate a quarter of an acre making an acre in all
in the center of the section, it is generally understood that this is
authentic, but I find it controdicted. It has been stated to me that Mr.
Simkins & Miles were willing and agreed upon the south half acre but that
the owners of the two north quarters were not willing at that time, that the
plan of this cemetery was carried out is evident to us all although there is
no record of exact dates, no transfer by deed acceptable as a gift, used for
the purpose for which it was given and generally recognized by each
succeeding owner of theas lands. Through an agreement and a specified sum of
money a transfer by deed of 160 acres of land on the northwest quarter of
section 34 from Mr. Nagle to Noah Simkins was made May 31st 1855. This land
was unimproved mostly prairie at that time. My father the same year enclosed
the southeast 40 fencing out the quarter of acre, by so doing built the
first fence around this part of Old Cemetery ever after, furnished and kept
in repair this fence till his death in 1892 when another half acre was added
from his land for a family burial lot - this enclosed with a new post and
five-board fence same year.
About the year 1867 or 68 something of a cemetery association was formed and
I am not sure of facts but their meetings were held in the Old Brick
schoolhouse. The object mainly to get means to erect a new fence around
cemetery.
Wm. Swigert, J. Burkhalter and Jack Henderson were the committee on the
fence. They let the contract to Wm. Simkins the fence to be made of pickets
and painted white, and surrounded the south half of Old Cemetery south east
south and west. When the work was finished as per contract there was neither
money nor association, consequently he never recieved any cash for material
or labor.
Until the present road leading to the cemetery was made in 1859 the people
went through fields or any way to get there, principaly through by Benoni
Simkins house and down east of the depot through a gate near the farm
residence of Mrs. Clark then across.
The first addition was the purchase of a quarter of an acre by David Housh
for a family lot in 1877, the second addition was quarter of an acre by
Samuel Andrew . North of theas were lots purchased by Con Jones, Donason and
Barbero, also a quarter of an acre on the east, theas lots bought by Joshua
Burnett 1877. The recent additions and lots improvements are well known to
us all needing no further reminder. I will close with this statement that A.
P. Weeden who died in the early day and Mattie Foster served in the War of
1812. No trace of a revolutionary soldiers nearer than two sons of one who
served in the War of the Revolution, theas are Benoni and Horatio Simkins
again I can say My great grandfather served in the Revolutionary War.
[Author Unknown]
This was probably written prior to 1904, due to the statement about "Aunt
Betsy Selby's homestead". Elizabeth (Gullett) Selby died March 25, 1904. It
was possibly written when the Maquon Ladies Cemetery Association was formed
in 1900. The author is unknown other than they were a grandchild of Benoni
Simkins Jr., possibly one of Noah Simkins children. It was found in the
Maquon Public Library in the Maquon Historical Society files that were
accumulated for the publication of "History of Maquon and Vicinity 1827 -
1976", and I copied it as written from a photocopy of original handwritten
copy. It was never published, although Ruth (Simkins) Swearingen used some
of the information to compile a short history of the Maquon Cemetery. Her
essay states that the first person buried here was James Van Winkle. He does
not have a stone. Mattie (Matthew? Mathias?) Foster and Mrs. (Simkins)
Claypole (Claypool?) do not have one either.
Up into the early 1900's most obituaries refer to this cemetery as Simkins
Cemetery.
Contributed by Todd Walter in December 2001.
