Tazewell County Genealogical & Historical Society

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Home > Records & Indexes > Tazewell County Pioneer Certificates

Tazewell County Pioneer Certificates

Photo of William & Phebe Hodgson - early settlers in Tazewell County
William & Phebe Hodgson

To honor the first families of Tazewell County, the Tazewell County Genealogical & Historical Society is compiling a roster of settlers who were county residents by 1875.

The Society will issue certificates to documented direct descendants of early settlers of Tazewell County. A list of the Tazewell County Pioneers we've recognized so far is at the bottom of this page.

Image of Sample Prairie Pioneer Certificate
Actual Size: 11 x 8.5

Eligibility

To qualify for a Pioneer Certificate, an applicant must be directly descended from an ancestor who settled in Tazewell County as follows:

  • Early Family Certificate (1851-1875) - Silver Seal
  • Old Settlers Certificate (1827-1850) - Gold Seal
  • Pioneer Certificate (prior to 1827) - Gold Seal with Purple Ribbon

The application, with the completed lineage and documentation, is kept on file in our library and may be accessed by researchers. Eventually, the information may be published online or in book form.

How to apply for a Pioneer Certificate (click)

Expand

Documented evidence connecting each generation must accompany the application such as census records; birth, death, and marriage records; school or church records; Bible records; military records; obituaries; estates records; land records; tombstone inscriptions (give location of cemetery); county histories; etc.

Please send only copies of the original documents—as all applications and verifying material will become the property of the Tazewell County Genealogical & Historical Society.

Anyone may apply. Applicants need not have ever been residents of Tazewell County. After proof of direct descent has been submitted and eligibility has been determined, we will mail the appropriate certificate.  Separate certificates will be issued for each ancestor properly submitted.  The fee for each application is $10.

You may fill out your application using our fillable pdf form—then you can save & print it and mail it to us along with your payment and supporting documentation.

Some folks want certificates for both the pioneer husband and wife.  Separate applications and fees are required.  However, they may share supporting documentation.  Both spouses will be issued a separate certificate.

When requesting additional certificates for members of the applicant's immediate family (mother, father, siblings, children), proof of descent needs to be sent only once. To request additional certificates, send $10.00 and a separate completed application and straight-line lineage chart for each additional certificate needed. 

For example, suppose you wanted three Pioneer Certificates to recognize you and your two children, Jack & Jill, are direct descendants of John Quincy Doe. The first application (yours) must contain everything to document you are a direct descendant of John Quincy Doe.  Once that is done, Jack & Jill's applications can just refer to the contents of your application, adding just the additional documentation to prove they are your direct descendants (such as birth certificates).

If any of the Documented Prairie Pioneers listed below are an ancestor, the Pioneer Certificate application file can be a treasure trove of resources such as legal documents, family photos, ancestor charts, family group sheets, research contacts, etc.  If you are interested in the contents of a pioneer's application file, ask us for an inventory of the file and estimated cost of making copies.

Documented Prairie Pioneers

wdt_ID Name of Pioneer Location Date Settled Name of Spouse
1 Ackerman, John 1850 Birkey, Magdalena
2 Bailey, Josiah Gordon Delavan 1853 Barnes, Catherine B.
3 Bailey, William before 1867 Smith, Francis B.
4 Beal, Moses H.  Washington Township 1841 [?], Anna Amelia
5 Berry, Samuel  1835 Larimore, Elizabeth
6 Blust, Arnhold Tremont 1864 Hotze or Hatze, Catherine Maria
7 Boyle, John Adolph Dillon 1835 Miars, Sarah A.
8 Brecher, Phillip John (Jacob) Groveland 1847 Gable, Anna Catharina
9 Brooks, Thomas Pekin 1837 Curtis, Mary
10 Brown, Nathanial ca 1838 Emerson, Sally Densmore
11 Broyhill, James Sr 1830 Bailey, Rebecca
12 Burge, Jane Carr Danby Forbes Hittle Township 1837-1840 Adam Burges, Jasper Forbes
13 Burlingame, Joseph Delavan Township 1850 Allison, Jane
14 Burnes, Garrett 1850-1859 (?), Ellen
15 Burwell, John Hittle Township 1832 Whitman, Jemima
16 Campbell, William Wilson Morton Township 1834 Porter, Sarah Ann
17 Camelin, Thomas 1823 Barker, Mary Elizabeth
18 Caswell, William Seaver Sr Delavan 1840 Williams, Lydia T.
19 Cornwell, Gilbert Morton Township ca 1846 Rugg, Samantha
20 Cullom, Richard Northcraft Deer Creek Township 1830 Coffey, Elizabeth (Betsy)
21 Davies, James E. ca 1829 Taylor, Mary Polly
22 Davis, Alexander B. 1831 Smith, Narcissa
23 Day, William Delavan 1851 Tyson, Sarah Jane
24 Dillon, Daniel Jr Dillon Township 1825 Peugh, Ann
25 Dillon, Joseph Sr Near Eureka 1824 Musick, Delilah
26 Dillon, Nathan Dillon Township 1824 Hoskins, Mary
27 Dobson, Benjamin 1831 Wolf, Keziah
28 Duvall, Josiah M. 1850 Williams, Mary “Polly”
29 Farran, Michael Tremont Township 1835 Fowler, Sarah “Sally”
30 Fornoff, Philip Sand Prairie Township 1860 Friedenberg, Christine
31 Eyrse, John H. Delavan Prairie 1847 Ruple, Hanna Amanda
32 Fleming, James 1840-1849 Hulse, Jane
33 Fleming, John Lorenzo Mackinaw Township 1851 Rork, Emma Louise
34 Fleming, Joseph West 1840-1849 Brewer/Brower, Margaret
35 Fleming, Margaret Bower 1840-1849 Fleming, Joseph West
36 Fleming, William Hulse 1840-1849 Farran, Jane
37 Friend, Michael Little Mackinaw Township 1860 Wilson, Susan
38 Gainer, George 1840 Conzelmann, Anna Maria
39 Gardner, Nicholas Hittle Township 1845 Richards, Rebecca
40 Gulon, Johann Heinrich Pekin 1857 Oeh, Elizabeth
41 Hafliger, John Dillon Township 1840 Fink, Catherine/McClintick, Sarah Elizabeth
42 Hasty, Archibald Mackinaw 1860 Brown, Nancy Jane
43 Herget, Johann Philipp 1868 Klein, Anna
44 Hieronymus, William Armington 1834 Darnall, Alvira
45 Hodgson, Amos 1832 Barnett, Mary
46 Hodgson, Edwin 1842 Worley, Sarah E.
47 Hodgson, William 1832 Bennett, Phebe
48 Hyers, Eleanor Waggoner Spring Lake 1847 Hyers, William Benjamin
49 Jackson, William H. 1873 (Reaugh) Bobbitt, Lucretia Clay
50 Jacobs, Christian H. Pekin 1861 Weber, Mary Christine
51 Johnson, William H. Little Mackinaw Township 1856 Ward, Ann
52 Johnson, William R. 1850 (?), Margaret
53 Joy, Sarah Ann ca 1844 Orr, John B.
54 Kelso, William F. Washington ca 1840 Nelson, Matilda
55 Krob, Andrew Elm Grove Township 1850 (Mary) Schweitzer, Anna Marie
56 Kidder, Thomas Boynton Tremont 1843 Tiffany, Charlotte
57 Kuntz, Marie Salome Groveland Township 1848 Ramige, George Heinrich
58 Layton, David T. Deer Creek Township ca 1839 Pierce/Pearse, Hannah
59 Larimore, Samuel Sand Prairie Township 1855 Cain, Mary
60 Larimore, William 1835 McMann, Nancy
61 Lawson, William 1874 Strope, Susannah Sipes
62 Leiser, Peter Henry Washington Township 1856 Miller, Eva Katherine
63 Lewis, Enoch 1835-1838 Moulton, Caroline Ellen
64 Lorentz, Conrad E. Sr. 1840 Freidinger, Anna C.
65 Louis (Louie), Jean Florent ca 1840 Simon, Margueritte
66 Lux, George Groveland Township 1847 Ramige, Magdaline
67 Lux, Mary Eve (Luse) ca 1847 Umdenstock, Christian D.
68 Matthews, James Mackinaw 1832 Brown, Eliza Pierce
69 Marion, Calvin Groveland Township 1833 Hughes, Elizabeth
70 Marion, Frances 1838 McKibben, Martha Evelyn
71 Martin, Christian Little Mackinaw Township 1850 Zehr, Mary
72 McCalla, William Morton ca 1870 Tourney, Eliza
73 McDowell, Rev. James Hopedale 1825 Rawlings, Kitty Ann
74 McNutt, David Washington Township 1852 Beauchamp, Milcha
75 Miars, Ann Hodgson Elm Grove Township 1825 Miars, Martin
76 Miars, Martin Jr. Elm Grove Township 1825 Hodgson, Ann
77 Montgomery, Benjamin James Groveland 1835 Jennings, Eliza Drace
78 Moulton, Levi 1825 Burnes, Mary
79 Orendorff, Aaron Hopedale 1827
80 Osborn, David Deer Creek Township 1836 Greer, Jane Eckerman
81 Patton, John Mackinaw Timber 1829 Wiley, Margaret
82 Perkins, Isaac Sand Prairie Township ca 1822 Barker, Jane
83 Perkins, Jane Barker Sand Prairie Township ca 1822 Perkins, Isaac
84 Pinkham, Thomas Vincent 1838 Camelin, Anna Maria
85 Pomfret, Michael Emmett Mackinaw 1850 McDowell, Martha Jane
86 Porter, Isaac Voorhees Spring Lake 1853-1855 Arsdale, Martha Van
87 Portman, Nicholas Washington Township 1848 Jacquin, Marquerite
88 Pratt, Uriah Harvey Delavan Township 1853 Scott, Sarah Ann
89 Price, Frederick Mackinaw 1850 Jackson, Maria
90 Rahlmann, August Christian Hopedale ca 1870 King, Martha Ann
91 Ramige, George Heinrich Groveland Township 1848 Kuntz, Marie Salome
92 Ramige, Magdaline Groveland Township 1847 Lux, George
93 Renner, David Pekin Township 1840 Miller, Christiana
94 Rhoads, Jacob Pekin 1840 Haas, Catherine
95 Rich, Joseph Washington Township 1848 Rich, Catherine
96 Richards, Benjamin Franklin Hittle Township 1830-1849 Blizzard, Sara Ellen
97 Roberts, Daniel Morton Township 1833 Phelps, Polly
98 Rork, Emma Louise 1875 Fleming, John Lorenzo
99 Rollings, James W. Dillon 1851 Casto, Sarah Jane
100 Sawyer, Reese ca 1840 Sprague, Martha Shaw
101 Schneider, Johann Heinrich 1858 Wambsgans, Margaretha
102 Schrock, Johannes Pekin 1850 Salzman, Catherine
103 Scott, Peter P. Dillon Grove 1824 Murphy, Sarah Catharine
104 Seaman, Thomas Washington Township 1852 McNutt, Lucinda
105 Sheppard, Dennis Scovel Washington 1836 Young, Mary Jane
106 Sheppard, Joel Washington 1850 Gibson, Charlotte
107 Shoemaker, Michael Washington Township 1830 Long, Elizabeth
108 Shreve, Israel Elm Grove Township 1827 Howe, Elizabeth
109 Smith, John ca 1843 Leslie, Jane (Jean)
110 Starrett, Samuel 1854 Best, Perlina
111 Sturdyvin, Obadiah Dillon Township 1830 Musick, Cynthia Ann
112 Stormer, Casper Washington Township 1850 Brownfield, Caderina (Lindenbaum)
113 Stormer, Johan Washington Township 1850 Gatlin, Elisabeth
114 Stout, Rachel Chauncey Stout's Grove 1825 Stout, Samuel
115 Tackaberry, Middleton Pekin ca 1838 Hackett, Eliza(?) Olive L.
116 Tharp, Jacob F. Pekin 1825 Winans, Phebe
117 Tharp, Jonathan Pekin 1824 Egmon, Sarah J.
118 Tuttle, Jesse Dillon Township 1857-1860 Devore, Lavina (first wife)
Jones, Hulda (second wife)
119 Uhrig (Urish), Johann Georg Sand Prairie ca 1830 Weyrich, Anna Eva
120 Umdenstock, Christian D. ca 1854 (Luse) Lux, Mary Eve
121 Van Deusen, Jacob Pekin 1852 Phillip, Catharine C.
122 Varble, Philip Washington Township 1832 Spilman, Eda
123 Vaupel, John Groveland Township 1858 Gainer, Emma E.
124 Vancil, Edmund (Edward) Sand Prairie Township 1833 Thornton, Rachel Ann
125 Vancil, John M. Sand Prairie Township ca 1822 (Tooley), Nancy Tuley
126 Van Horn, Henry Pekin 1870 Sampen, Grace Martin
127 Van Orman, Orlando Wellington Sand Prairie 1852 Neikirk, Sarah Belle
128 Waggoner, Abram 1840 Estes, Sally (Sarah)
129 Webber, George Pekin 1860 Heyl, Anna Christina
130 Weisman, Nicholas C. Circleville by 1862 Michel, Maria Magdalena
131 Welk, George Elm Grove Township 1859 Getz, Hannah
132 Williams, Isaac J. 1833 Jones, Esther
133 Wilson, Seth Elm Grove Township 1824 Hussey, Sarah
134 Woodrow, Richard Sand Prairie Township 1832 McCormick, Sarah
135 Whitfield, James Pekin 1870 Breston, Mary
136 Wileman, Thomas Hartford Sand Prairie Township 1865 Field, Lizzie Drum
137 Wright, Frank 1861 Hartley, Ida
138 Young, Charles E. Pekin 1860 Monaghan, Henrietta
139 Zimmerman, Michael Washington Township 1848 Naffziger, Catherine
140 Harbert, Joseph Bailey Blooming Grove ca 1824 Galloway, Nancy Anna
141 Galloway, Nancy Anna Blooming Grove ca 1824 Harbert, Joseph Bailey
142 Gross, Richard Blooming Grove ca 1824 Harbert, Elizabeth
143 Harbert, Elizabeth Blooming Grove ca 1824 Gross, Richard
144 Conaghan, Thomas Donegar Pekin Twp 1868 Duffy, Anna
145 Prettyman, Lewis ca 1831 Mason, Harriet Ann
146 Meyer, Solomon ca 1853 Hanel (Haenel), Catherina
147 Cline, John Adam Elm Grove Township 1823 Hill, Elizabeth
148
149 Roberts, David Tremont Township 1834-1836 Catherine Gray
150 Berry, George 1842 Summers, Amelia
151 Dillon, Daniel Dillon Township 1824 Hoskins, Mary
152 Berry, Charles Tracy Dillon Township 1873 Hafliger, Clara Ellen
153
154 Summers, Amelia Pekin 1852 Berry, George
155 Buchanan, Margaret before 1850 Summers, John
156 McClintick, Sarah Elizabeth 1843 Hafliger, John
157 Summers, John Dillon Grove 1824 Buchanan, Margaret

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