"They Called It Sangamon Town
by Carrol Carman Hall"

"At this point, I am going to give you a completely prejudiced story of one family that lived at Sangamon Town -- my family; my mother's people, the Carmans. Of course, there were others there but this is the one in which I have most interest and the basic reason for my interest in the town."

"The first member of this family entered from England to the colonies in 1631. He was a member of a group of Puritans settling in Massachusetts. By 1640, he was in Long Island, New York, where, with a group, 120,000 acres of land were negotiated from the Indians and Dutch. They founded Hempstead, L.I., now a major city."

"The next three generations of my particular family were fishers, seamen, farmers and 'tide' mill operators on Long Island. They married into Dutch families and we have numerous Dutch cousins. Other branches of the family migrated to New Jersey and upper New York State. About 1730, my branch into the Quakers and moved upstate to Dutchess county, where they were farmers and mill operators."

"The Revolutionary War tore the family apart. Division among family members was particularly bad in New York state. The Carmans furnished leaders for both sides of the conflict. Because of their Quaker dislike for war, many of my branch of the family fled to Canada along with the Tory members. Among the Carman cousins that went to Canada were the ancestors of the poet Bliss Carman."

"My Carman group returned after the Revolution to Greene County, New York. They were following their trades as 'carders' and mill operators. The census of 1810 finds them in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. Around 1820, they head for the Illinois country. They are lost to the census of 1820 but appear in the head-count of 1830 at Sangamon Town."

"The route they took or how they traveled to Illinois is not known; neither is the reason for their being at Sangamon Town. It is a good guess that being there was a good opportunity to follow their trades. They are at Sangamon Town at the date of its founding in 1824."

"The total personnel of the Illinois Carman party is not known -- however, we are concerned with two brothers, Samuel and Jacob. From 1824 through 1840, these men and their families were part and parcel of life at Sangamon Town. They were tradesmen and mechanics, never framers. After Sangamon Town days they moved north and west to Salisbury, New Salem, Petersburg, Beardstown and Havana. Today, we find their descendants in Illinois and many states west of the Mississippi."

"Regardless how the name is spelled -- Carman -- on -- in -- en, etc., nearly all of this family name are descendants of an English sea captain and adventurer named John Carman who came from England in 1631."

"Samuel Carman was the older, born in the 1780's. He was a 'carder' and worked at this trade in the carding mill. A carder worked with wool, preparing it for spinning or making wool rolls which were traded fro merchandise by the farmers. He did not own the mill, later one of his sons did. He must have been a modest, retiring man as so little can be learned about him."

"His family at Sangamon Town consisted of five sons -- Caleb, John, Jacob, Merritt and James; one daughter, Lucretia. James from whom I am descended was born in Illinois in 1822, indicating that the family may have been in Sangamon County at that time. He is the only Illinois-born member of the family."

"James spent most of his life at Salisbury, and was a veteran of the Civil War. With his sons, he followed the trade of a plasterer and lather. Today, he would be known as a contractor, as they converted many a log cabin into the living room of a more modern farm house."

"Caleb was Samuel's oldest son, born in Canada in 1805. He reached his maturity at Sangamon Town and promptly settled it by becoming constable and getting married. He noted in the Census of 1830 that he was a 'carder'. But being constable brought in cash which was hard to come by in those days."

"The early records of Sangamon County contain many references to Caleb. He was busy attending courts, serving in elections and looking after 'estrays'.

"In the unfenced Illinois country, livestock frequently wandered far from their owner's cabins. If a horse or cow was found by someone, the animal came under his care and a group of the neighbors would appraise the value of the animal. This appraisal was recorded at the county seat. If the owner reclaimed the animal he would have to identify it and pay for its keep to whoever held it."

"If no owner was found, then the finder could buy it at the appraised value or the animal could be sold to anyone who would pay the appraisal. The county gained money for its treasury from the sale of such animals. In the early days of the county, this was an important matter and surviving today are records of the 'estrays'."

"I have in my hand an appraisal made at Sangamon Town in 1825. Unfortunately, it doesn't have Caleb's name on it, but that of his uncle Jacob."

"It reads: 'Taken up Millers' of Richland Township Sangamon County on the twenty-fifth day of March last a Bay mare suppose to be six year ould riding twelve Hands High a blase face three white feet mane cut off. Between the Ears Some Saddele marks had a bell on an with a Leathere Coller and Buckle the End of this Strap tied in a Large Nott. Had a Colt Since taken up appraised to twenty dollars by us. April 5th 1825. Jacob Carman John B. Clark."

"Caleb Carman is responsible for the most exact description of Lincoln as a young man between the years of 1831 - 1837 that we have and his letters are the basis of much work of historians from the time of Billy Herndon to the present."

"After leaving Sangamon Town, Caleb became a 'shoemaker' and lived in the building that is known as the Lincoln-Berry store in restored New Salem. Lincoln boarded with Caleb off and on for about two years. Later, Caleb followed his trade at Petersburg. In 1884 at the age of 80 he was elected Alderman at Petersburg on the anti-local option ticket. He lived until 1890."

"From the Sangamo Journal: 'April 6, 1833. BUYS SANGAMON TOWN WOOD CARDING MANUFACTURY CARDING The subscriber having purchased and rented the Carding Factory at Sangamon Town respectfully informs the public that he will have his machinery in complete operation on the first of May next. He will card on the usual terms. Wool must be well picked and washed, and accompanied with one pound of oil or grease to eight pounds of wool. Those who favor him with their custom from a distance of two or three days of travel, going and returning, will be attended without delay. My best endeavour will be exerted to make better wool than has been produced in the State, and flatters himself that he shall not fall short of one. John Carman'".

"This firm operated under the name of Carman & Ruckel for many years."

"Now -- a 'quickie' look at other members of Samuel Carman's group at Sangamon Town. The real miller of the group was John who acquired the carding mill in 1833m presumably after having worked in it for several years. This mill was operated by him and in partnership with others until it was finally closed. We can trace his business activities through the law suits and other business records in the county archives. John likely ended his days in the milling businesses at Beardstown."

"Little is known of Samuel's son Jacob, in as much as he spent his adult life away from Sangamon County.. He did marry into the pioneer Lacy family that lived at Sangamon Town. Descendants of the Lacys are still in Sangamon County."

"Merritt Carman who bore a name that dated back to Revolutionary War times in New York, married into the Dorrell family, which was long associated with the area. One item about Merritt that bears noting: He was in Captain Abe Lincoln's company in the Black Hawk War. The company was mustered in at Richland -- which could have been in Clayville. Lincoln in his only autobiography noted that being elected militia captain 'was one of the greatest events of his life'."

"Nearly all the Carman men militia age served in various units of the militia during the Indian wares of 1831 and 1832."

"Rachel, Jacob Carman's daughter, participated in one of the earliest divorce suits recorded in Sangamon County. She married Jacob E. Roll on July 1, 1836 -- on April 12, 1837 the circuit court of Sangamon County granted the divorce with Jacob absent, he had skipped the country. On October 12, 1837 Rachel married Pierson Roll, a cousin of Jacob. The Pierson Roll's were a highly respected family. This divorce is noteworthy in that they were very uncommon at that time."

"Most prominent and influential of the Carman group was Jacob Carman, the youngest of the two Carman brothers, yet senior to Charles Broadwell who was of the same age as Jacob's older children. Jacob's name is found throughout the early records of Sangamon Town and Sangamon County. He kept the tavern at the village!"

"The tavern was the principal residence structure in the town and was the polling place. Jacob was usually judge of the elections, supervisor of the roads, leader in the Whig party and, in general, a prominent citizen."

"One of Jacob's principal activities was directing the laying out of the roads in the area so that they not only crossed the river at Sangamon Town but came right by his tavern. How primitive the country was can be determined from a report Jacob gave the county commissioners about his surveying the road to Edwardsville via Sangamon Town. He tells of 'blazing the trees through the woodlands and planting stakes where the road cut through planted fields.'"

"Of Jacob's numerous brood we will discuss only three members:"

"His daughter Ellen married Charles Broadwell, Jan. 9, 1825. They had eight children. She died at Pekin, Ill. in 1879. Thus, Jacob was the father-in-law of the chief promoter of Sangamon Town."

"Samuel's daughter, Lucretia, married Jay Slater, March 12, 1826. They had six children. Following his Sangamon Town days, Slater joined the 'gold rush' to California, eventually settling in Oregon. His enthusiastic reports of Oregon, then a territory, were reported in the Sangamo Journal by editor Francis, who was to end his own days there. Jay Slater's son, James Harvey Slater, became on of Oregon's early prominent citizens. A lawyer, publisher and judge, he served in the territorial legislature; later in the U.S. Congress and from 1879 to 1885 was a U.S. Senator from Oregon."

"Old timers will remember that a county road in the vicinity of old Sangamon Town was known as 'Slater's Lane.'"

"Only one of Jacob's sons will be discussed. He is Waters Carman. Waters was a family name from the New York days. Younger than Charles Broadwell, they were kindred spirits and associated in several business ventures, all of which ended in disaster."

"In 1835, Waters married Lavina Buckman, they had four children. Lavina died in 1846. Today one can find her marker on the Buckman family lot in the cemetery at Farmingdale. There are likely Buckman descendants still living in this area."

"As a very young man, Waters formed a business partnership with his brother-in-law, Charles Broadwell, to run a general store at Sangamon Town. In 1839 he took it over as his own. Three years later he petitioned for bankruptcy."

"He then followed Broadwell to Pekin, Ill. and was associated with him in the grocer. After Broadwell's death, he operated the store until it was destroyed by fire in early 1849."

"Waters then joined the Gold Rush to California and his letters back home reprinted in the Sangamo Journal are the best descriptions of traveling west in 1849 to be found. If he wasn't a business man, he was a good writer."

"Not finding gold in California, he journeyed to the Oregon territory where he joined his brother-in-law, Jay Slater. In Oregon, he finds a new wife and the last we hear of him he is planning to found a new town on a river in northern Oregon."

"Through the minutes of the Sangamon County Commissioners, we learn the story of Jacob Carman's Tavern at Sangamon Town. He had to furnish bond, renew his license annually and abide by the Commissioners' rulings."

"From the Sangamon County Commissioners' Record Book No. 2 Monday, March 5, 1827: 'Order that Jacob Carman be authorized to keep a public house in the Town of Sangamon on his entering a bond in the clerk's office and pay as a tax six dollars and that he be allowed the following rates: Brandy Punch, per half pint, 37c; Brand Apple, half pint, 25c; Brandy Peach, half pint, 25c; Gin, Holland, half pint, 25c; Gin, Domestic, half pint, 25c; Wine, half pint, 50c; Whiskey, half pint, 12 1/2c;Breakfast, dinner supper, 25c; Horse for night, 50c; Single Feed, 25c."

"Now you know what it would have cost you to stay overnight in Sangamon Town.!"