Part II
Not long after the Scots arrived in Washington County, New York, the “clouds of war” began to gather over the young nation. The young men, as they do in every generation, marched off to war; but here and there was to be found a Loyalist, mostly among the later arrivals. Their property was confiscated and many of them fled to Canada. The War of Independence actually lasted a long time, the first battle being fought at Concord in April 1775. Fighting continued through 1782 and finally ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1783.
When peace arrived and independence came, the community in Salem, New York, had found “a certain prosperity and comfort” on their little farms. Houses had been built, lands cleared, and roads constructed. Children had gone to college, like John Savage in our last Blog or Mary Dunlop who went to Princeton. The church was the center of life and schools were functioning, teaching grammar, philosophy, spelling, Latin and Virgil. Life was good. However, some worried about the future.
George Beveridge and his wife, Ann Hoy, had seven children. They were comfortably living in their clapboard house. They were active in the life of the community and were members of the South Argyle United Presbyterian Church. They raised their children to be “God-fearing citizens.” However, the settlement in Washington County was no longer the land of opportunity for their children. Andrew Jackson, in their opinion, had ruined the banks and financial panics swept the country. The land around them was mostly occupied and available lands were expensive. “In this crisis they turned their thoughts to the new world beyond the Alleghenies.”
There undoubtedly was a lot of discussion and prayer about the future. It was Mrs. Beveridge who finally persuaded her husband to undertake the journey. So, this “middle-aged” father and his fourteen-year-old son, John L., began the preparations.
On an autumn day in 1838, they started the journey. A covered wagon pulled by two stout horses was loaded with their necessities, along with a stock of woolen cloth which would finance their expedition. Across the state of New York and the farming communities of Ohio and Indiana, they traveled toward their unknown destination. They rounded the end of Lake Michigan and came to a small settlement. Chicago wasn’t much in 1838. They had now traveled one thousand miles and had not found a home.
They continued west, leaving civilization as they knew it for the “broad stretches of the valley of the Mississippi.” They took the new road to the lead mines of Galena, passing through Dixon’s Ferry and finally came to a rolling prairie between the Fox and the Rock rivers. It was fertile ground. It was Indian country until 1832 and had not long been opened to settlement.
One October evening, George Beveridge and his son came to Somonauk Creek. On the north side stood a log cabin with the stage road running at its door. It was the first house built by a white man in De Kalb County and had often served as an inn for the stage coach. Before he slept that night, George Beveridge had traded his wagon, his horses, and the remaining stock of woolen goods for the log cabin and 400 acres of land occupied under squatters’ rights.
He stayed one entire year and in the autumn, of 1839 returned to his home in Salem, New York. But, it was not until 1842 that final preparations for the move were completed. The farm had to be sold and decisions made as to what household effects and stock could be taken. Finally in May 1842, the family started for their new home on the prairies of Illinois. This time they used the canal and the Great Lakes making the journey in seventeen days.
In the party were Mr. and Mrs. Beveridge, and four unmarried children: James Hoy who was twenty-five, Thomas George, twenty-two, John Lourie, eighteen, and daughter Agnes who was thirteen. Isabel, an older daughter and her husband William French were also going. Jennett, the oldest child, had married James Henry and was left behind as was the second son, Andrew. He was entering Jefferson College at Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, to study for the ministry.
“There is something valiant, courageous, in the picture of this middle-aged pair, planning to break with all the traditions of life as they knew it, to leave their comfortable house and a lifetime’s associations to set out for a new country, a veritable wilderness to their eyes, and begin anew as pioneers at a time of life when they might have thought only of rest and surcease from labor.”
When they finally arrived at the Somonauk creek and their log cabin, George Beveridge found his wife weeping on the back porch.
To be continued...
Please Note: Most of the above information and all the quotations were taken from The Somonauk Book, privately printed for James A. Patten and Henry J. Patten in 1928.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois St. Andrew’s Society
Home office - 630-629-4516
Upcoming Events:
August 3, 2013 - Scottish Home Picnic - Museum open from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
September 7, 2013 - History Club meeting - 1933 World’s Fair
Monday, July 29, 2013
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
The Scots Arrive in Washington County
In the early 1700's a group of Scots settled in eastern New York and were a mixture of Highland Scots and those from Northern Ireland. They were stalwart, rugged, independent, knew how to use guns and were not afraid to fight. The colonial governors encouraged people of this type to immigrate because they provided a barrier between the Colonies and the French and Indians. They occupied land east of the Hudson River in Washington County, New York, and had some 40 miles of farm land in the foothills of the Green Mountains.
Their forefathers were Presbyterian Highland Scots living in Western Scotland. They had supported the first Jacobite Rebellion in 1715 and had lost. Economic conditions were bad, crops failed and there were famines. In addition, there was general discontent with their own Church of Scotland. They looked beyond the sea to America in the hope of finding political, economic and religious freedom. Conditions were just as difficult for the “Scottish Nation” in Northern Ireland.
In 1738, a group of people belonging to the Scotch Presbyterian church and living in Argyleshire, were offered free land near Lake George. One thousand acres of land given to every adult person who paid for their passage and every child received 500 acres of land if they paid passage. In the years 1738, 1739 and 1740 some 472 persons were brought in groups by Captain Lauchlin Campbell to the New World. Originally there were some legal problems about the land but in 1764 a grant of 47,450 acres known as the Argyll Patent was secured.
On May 10, 1764, the Rev. Dr. Thomas Clark, born in Galloway but now a pastor in Northern Ireland, brought his entire congregation of 300 people to New York. Their plans were to “carry on the linen and hempen manufacturer to which they were all brought up.” It is believed that this is the only instance where an entire congregation moved to the New World.
Not all of them made the trip up the Hudson River; a few were persuaded by real estate agents to go south where they settled at Cedar Springs and Long Cane near Abbeville, South Carolina. For those who did make the trip up the Hudson there were unexpected surprises.
The land near Lake George proved to be unsatisfactory. It became necessary for Dr. Clark to purchase other land which became known as the Turner Patent. It was composed of some 25,000 acres nearly all in Washington County. This land was divided into lots of 88 acres each and given to families. “The land was rent-free for five years, after which a yearly rental of one shilling per acre was to be paid.”
The country was a wilderness. There were no roads. One had to either walk or use a horse. Mary McNaughton, the mother of chief justice John Savage, walked 7 miles to attend a church service. (John Savage was a lawyer and politician. He was Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court from 1823 to 1837. In 1828 he was appointed Treasurer of the United States but he declined.)
In 1736, there were one thousand Scottish families in Belfast waiting for ships to bring them to America. This new life in America was not easy. It was very difficult. But, they possessed a common bond - their membership in the Presbyterian Church. Many of these families were related to each other before coming to American and as time passed, the younger people intermarried, making the bond even stronger.
To be continued . . .
Wayne Rethford, Pres. Emeritus
Illinois Saint Andrew Society
office phone - 630- 629-4516
Some of the above information was taken from The Somonauk Book, privately printed for James A. Patten and Henry J. Patten in 1928. This information is also available from various sources on the Internet.
Upcoming Events:
August 3, 2013 - Scottish Home Picnic - Museum open from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
September 7, 2013 - History Club meeting - 1933 World’s Fair
Their forefathers were Presbyterian Highland Scots living in Western Scotland. They had supported the first Jacobite Rebellion in 1715 and had lost. Economic conditions were bad, crops failed and there were famines. In addition, there was general discontent with their own Church of Scotland. They looked beyond the sea to America in the hope of finding political, economic and religious freedom. Conditions were just as difficult for the “Scottish Nation” in Northern Ireland.
In 1738, a group of people belonging to the Scotch Presbyterian church and living in Argyleshire, were offered free land near Lake George. One thousand acres of land given to every adult person who paid for their passage and every child received 500 acres of land if they paid passage. In the years 1738, 1739 and 1740 some 472 persons were brought in groups by Captain Lauchlin Campbell to the New World. Originally there were some legal problems about the land but in 1764 a grant of 47,450 acres known as the Argyll Patent was secured.
On May 10, 1764, the Rev. Dr. Thomas Clark, born in Galloway but now a pastor in Northern Ireland, brought his entire congregation of 300 people to New York. Their plans were to “carry on the linen and hempen manufacturer to which they were all brought up.” It is believed that this is the only instance where an entire congregation moved to the New World.
Not all of them made the trip up the Hudson River; a few were persuaded by real estate agents to go south where they settled at Cedar Springs and Long Cane near Abbeville, South Carolina. For those who did make the trip up the Hudson there were unexpected surprises.
The land near Lake George proved to be unsatisfactory. It became necessary for Dr. Clark to purchase other land which became known as the Turner Patent. It was composed of some 25,000 acres nearly all in Washington County. This land was divided into lots of 88 acres each and given to families. “The land was rent-free for five years, after which a yearly rental of one shilling per acre was to be paid.”
The country was a wilderness. There were no roads. One had to either walk or use a horse. Mary McNaughton, the mother of chief justice John Savage, walked 7 miles to attend a church service. (John Savage was a lawyer and politician. He was Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court from 1823 to 1837. In 1828 he was appointed Treasurer of the United States but he declined.)
In 1736, there were one thousand Scottish families in Belfast waiting for ships to bring them to America. This new life in America was not easy. It was very difficult. But, they possessed a common bond - their membership in the Presbyterian Church. Many of these families were related to each other before coming to American and as time passed, the younger people intermarried, making the bond even stronger.
To be continued . . .
Wayne Rethford, Pres. Emeritus
Illinois Saint Andrew Society
office phone - 630- 629-4516
Some of the above information was taken from The Somonauk Book, privately printed for James A. Patten and Henry J. Patten in 1928. This information is also available from various sources on the Internet.
Upcoming Events:
August 3, 2013 - Scottish Home Picnic - Museum open from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
September 7, 2013 - History Club meeting - 1933 World’s Fair
Friday, July 12, 2013
A Very Busy Life
Thomas C. MacMillan was born October 4, 1850 in Stranraer, Scotland. Born in the same village was his father, James H., and his mother (Susan Cumming). The family emigrated to Chicago in 1857 where Thomas C. attended high school and then attended the old Chicago University. After the Great Fire of 1871, he began his newspaper career as a cub reporter; and, for more than twenty years, he was associated with the Inter-Ocean newspaper. By the time he retired, Dr. MacMillan was a stockholder and director of the company.
In 1883, he married Mary C. Goudie whose family came from Ayrshire, Scotland. She attended the Brown public school and he attended the old Central High school on Monroe near Halstead Street. Thomas and Mary Goudie MacMillan had three children: a daughter, Mrs. Jeanie Pocock, and two sons, James and Hugh.
Tina Beaird will explain how they met when we visit the Naausay cemetery on our coming history tour. It’s an interesting story.
In 1885, Mr. MacMillan was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives where he served until 1889. Then, for the next four years served in the state senate. Later, he was for twenty-five years clerk of the United States District Court in Chicago. Like many other Scots, he served on the Cook County Board of Education and was once the Director of the Chicago Public Library.
Dr. And Mrs. MacMillan were members of the LaGrange, Illinois Congregational Church. They were very active church workers and he became one of the “most widely known laymen in that denomination.” Their home was at 67 Sixth Avenue in LaGrange.
Here are other facts about this busy man:
In 1919, Dr. McMillan wrote a paper (28 pages) which was presented to the annual meeting of the Illinois State Historical Society. Anyone starting to study the influence of Scots in Illinois should start with his small booklet.
In 1933, The Illinois Saint Andrew Society held its annual banquet at the Palmer House. Among the 1,300 who attended was Mr. & Mrs. McMillan. It was his 45th consecutive time to attend the banquet.
Thomas C MacMillan died December 13, 1935 at the age of 85. According to his death certificate he suffered from “General & Coronary Arteriosclerosis” for five years. His physician was J. C. Clark of LaGrange.
We will pay our respects to this great man and his wife on the July 20 history tour.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois St. Andrew’s Society
Home office 630-629-4526
Upcoming Events:
The Annual History Tour is scheduled for July 20. Our chartered bus will leave the Scottish Home at 10:30 a.m. First stop will be St. James church at the Sag Bridge where we will pay our respect to James Michie, president of our Society in 1847.
Second stop will be at the Wheatland Presbyterian Church, established in 1848 by Scottish immigrants. We will have our lunch at the church, visit the church cemetery and hear from direct descendants of those pioneer families.
Our last stop will be at the Na-Au-Say cemetery, 12 miles west of Plainfield. In this country cemetery Thomas C. MacMillan, president in 1906 and 1907, is buried. Tina Beaird will meet us at the cemetery and she is an expert on this entire area. Tina is the Reference Librarian at the Plainfield Public Library. She is also a Blackhawks fan.
Cost $30.00 per person includes a box lunch. You can register using our secure website, call 708-447-5092 or my home office at 630-629-4516. Don’t be Scottish and wait til the last day. Call now!
In 1883, he married Mary C. Goudie whose family came from Ayrshire, Scotland. She attended the Brown public school and he attended the old Central High school on Monroe near Halstead Street. Thomas and Mary Goudie MacMillan had three children: a daughter, Mrs. Jeanie Pocock, and two sons, James and Hugh.
Tina Beaird will explain how they met when we visit the Naausay cemetery on our coming history tour. It’s an interesting story.
In 1885, Mr. MacMillan was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives where he served until 1889. Then, for the next four years served in the state senate. Later, he was for twenty-five years clerk of the United States District Court in Chicago. Like many other Scots, he served on the Cook County Board of Education and was once the Director of the Chicago Public Library.
Dr. And Mrs. MacMillan were members of the LaGrange, Illinois Congregational Church. They were very active church workers and he became one of the “most widely known laymen in that denomination.” Their home was at 67 Sixth Avenue in LaGrange.
Here are other facts about this busy man:
- President of the Chicago Congregational Club - 1900
- Moderator of the Illinois State Congregational Association
- First President of the American Congregational Deaconess’ Association
- First vice-president of the Third International Congregational Council, Edinburgh, Scotland
- Moderator of the National Council of Congregational Churches of the U.S. - 1907-1910
- President of the Cook County Saving Conference
- A corporate member of the American Board for Foreign Missions
- President of the Illinois Saint Andrew Society - 1906
- President of the Patriotic Association, McClintock Post, G.A.R.
- First President of the Travelers’ Aid Society of Illinois
- Treasurer of the Central Howard Association of Illinois
- Chairman of the State Senate on Waterways
- Chairman of the State Senate Committee on World’s Fair, 1893
- Author of the first Woman’s School Suffrage Act
- Member of the Chicago Charter Convention
- Cook County Board of Education 1879
- Director of the Public Library 1882
- Board of Managers Illinois State Reformatory, Pontiac, 1897
- President of the LaGrange School Board - four successive terms
- Masters degree from Illinois College
- LL.D. from Knox College - 1911
In 1919, Dr. McMillan wrote a paper (28 pages) which was presented to the annual meeting of the Illinois State Historical Society. Anyone starting to study the influence of Scots in Illinois should start with his small booklet.
In 1933, The Illinois Saint Andrew Society held its annual banquet at the Palmer House. Among the 1,300 who attended was Mr. & Mrs. McMillan. It was his 45th consecutive time to attend the banquet.
Thomas C MacMillan died December 13, 1935 at the age of 85. According to his death certificate he suffered from “General & Coronary Arteriosclerosis” for five years. His physician was J. C. Clark of LaGrange.
We will pay our respects to this great man and his wife on the July 20 history tour.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois St. Andrew’s Society
Home office 630-629-4526
Upcoming Events:
The Annual History Tour is scheduled for July 20. Our chartered bus will leave the Scottish Home at 10:30 a.m. First stop will be St. James church at the Sag Bridge where we will pay our respect to James Michie, president of our Society in 1847.
Second stop will be at the Wheatland Presbyterian Church, established in 1848 by Scottish immigrants. We will have our lunch at the church, visit the church cemetery and hear from direct descendants of those pioneer families.
Our last stop will be at the Na-Au-Say cemetery, 12 miles west of Plainfield. In this country cemetery Thomas C. MacMillan, president in 1906 and 1907, is buried. Tina Beaird will meet us at the cemetery and she is an expert on this entire area. Tina is the Reference Librarian at the Plainfield Public Library. She is also a Blackhawks fan.
Cost $30.00 per person includes a box lunch. You can register using our secure website, call 708-447-5092 or my home office at 630-629-4516. Don’t be Scottish and wait til the last day. Call now!
Thursday, June 27, 2013
A Scot and Freedom of the Press
In America’s quest for freedom, the case of John Peter Zenger is a milestone. Journalism students learn that the trial was the first major court test over freedom of the press. What they probably don’t know is that the case was won by the eloquence and acumen of Andrew Hamilton, perhaps the most able lawyer in the American colonies at the time.
Zenger was a New York printer. Four Scots named Alexander, Morris, Smith and Golden asked Zenger if he would print their New York Weekly Journal with James Alexander as editor. He agreed. Alexander’s editorials roasted New York Governor William Cosby, who was heartily disliked for being arbitrary and unfair.
Andrew Hamilton was born in Scotland about 1676. Other than that his early life is shrouded in mystery. He emigrated to Virginia about 1697. There he married a well-to-do widow and practiced law. Later he moved to Philadelphia.
Governor Cosby was outraged by Alexander’s attacks, but jailed Zenger as owner of the printing establishment. The trial judge, a friend of Cosby’s, wanted to confine the issue to whether Zenger printed libel and lies as charged.
Hamilton was called in on the case and rejected the court’s hypothesis. He insisted that the jury had the right to decide the truth or falsity of the charges. Hamilton’s defense included a polemic on press freedom as a control over tyranny no matter what the source.
To tumultuous applause, the jury returned a verdict of “not guilty.” Hamilton was also a founder of the colonial postal service. He died April 16, 1741, at Perth Amboy, New Jersey.
Though he is virtually unknown, the role he played in the Zenger case made a lasting contribution to the doctrine of freedom of the press in America.
(The above information was taken from the Scottish American Hall of Fame, maintained by the Illinois St. Andrew and located in North Riverside, Illinois a suburb of Chicago. The Hall of Fame was the work of James C. Thomson, former editor of the "Prairie Farmer." He was a friend and greatly missed.)
Wayne Rethford
President Emeritus
Illinois Saint Andrew Society
Upcoming Events:
The Annual History Tour is scheduled for July 20. Our chartered bus will leave the Scottish Home at 10:30 a.m. First stop will be St. James church at the Sag Bridge where we will pay our respect to James Michie, president of our Society in 1847.
Second stop will be at the Wheatland Presbyterian Church, established in 1848 by Scottish immigrants. We will have our lunch at the church, visit the church cemetery and hear from direct descendants of those pioneer families.
Our last stop will be at the Na-Au-Say cemetery, 12 miles west of Plainfield. In this country cemetery Thomas C. MacMillan, president in 1906 and 1907, is buried. Tina Beaird will meet us at the cemetery and she is an expert on this entire area. Tina is the Reference Librarian at the Plainfield Public Library. She is also a Blackhawks fan.
Cost $30.00 per person includes a box lunch. You can register using our secure website, call 708-447-5092 or my home office at 630-629-4516. Don’t be Scottish and wait til the last day. Call now!
Zenger was a New York printer. Four Scots named Alexander, Morris, Smith and Golden asked Zenger if he would print their New York Weekly Journal with James Alexander as editor. He agreed. Alexander’s editorials roasted New York Governor William Cosby, who was heartily disliked for being arbitrary and unfair.
Andrew Hamilton was born in Scotland about 1676. Other than that his early life is shrouded in mystery. He emigrated to Virginia about 1697. There he married a well-to-do widow and practiced law. Later he moved to Philadelphia.
Governor Cosby was outraged by Alexander’s attacks, but jailed Zenger as owner of the printing establishment. The trial judge, a friend of Cosby’s, wanted to confine the issue to whether Zenger printed libel and lies as charged.
Hamilton was called in on the case and rejected the court’s hypothesis. He insisted that the jury had the right to decide the truth or falsity of the charges. Hamilton’s defense included a polemic on press freedom as a control over tyranny no matter what the source.
To tumultuous applause, the jury returned a verdict of “not guilty.” Hamilton was also a founder of the colonial postal service. He died April 16, 1741, at Perth Amboy, New Jersey.
Though he is virtually unknown, the role he played in the Zenger case made a lasting contribution to the doctrine of freedom of the press in America.
(The above information was taken from the Scottish American Hall of Fame, maintained by the Illinois St. Andrew and located in North Riverside, Illinois a suburb of Chicago. The Hall of Fame was the work of James C. Thomson, former editor of the "Prairie Farmer." He was a friend and greatly missed.)
Wayne Rethford
President Emeritus
Illinois Saint Andrew Society
Upcoming Events:
The Annual History Tour is scheduled for July 20. Our chartered bus will leave the Scottish Home at 10:30 a.m. First stop will be St. James church at the Sag Bridge where we will pay our respect to James Michie, president of our Society in 1847.
Second stop will be at the Wheatland Presbyterian Church, established in 1848 by Scottish immigrants. We will have our lunch at the church, visit the church cemetery and hear from direct descendants of those pioneer families.
Our last stop will be at the Na-Au-Say cemetery, 12 miles west of Plainfield. In this country cemetery Thomas C. MacMillan, president in 1906 and 1907, is buried. Tina Beaird will meet us at the cemetery and she is an expert on this entire area. Tina is the Reference Librarian at the Plainfield Public Library. She is also a Blackhawks fan.
Cost $30.00 per person includes a box lunch. You can register using our secure website, call 708-447-5092 or my home office at 630-629-4516. Don’t be Scottish and wait til the last day. Call now!
Monday, June 17, 2013
James Michie, A Robert Burns Look Alike?
James Michie was born in 1806 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. He married Margaret Katherine Guthrie who was from the area around Huntly, Scotland. They emigrated in 1835 to Boston, Massachusetts and from Boston came to the Township of Lyons in Cook County, Illinois. He was an original land owner in the County owning 123 acres, and paying $3.50 per acre. It is unclear what inspired them to make the long and difficult trip, and I don’t know the exact location of their farm.
James Michie most likely attended the first St. Andrew’s Day dinner in Chicago in 1845 although a list is not available. He was elected president of the Society in 1847 becoming the third person to serve in that capacity. He must have been an educated man although I know nothing of his life in Scotland. An honest man who could read, write and do math was very valuable to his community. The majority of the frontier people were illiterate.
A very active man in serving his community, he was one of the first officers of his township. In 1850, he was elected town clerk and Justice of the Peace. He owned the first private road in the county with Eden Eaton and Samuel Vail. In 1855 he was elected as “Overseer of the Poor.” He started the first public school in Summit, Illinois in 1846. He was a member of the Board of Commissioners for Cook County from August 1845 to August 1848 and was a member of the Board of Education in Chicago.
James Michie and Margaret Guthrie had 11 children but only three children lived to adulthood: Jane, John Charles and Katherine MacGregor. Margaret Guthrie Michie died in 1873 and her husband, James Michie, died in 1876. They are both buried in the St. James cemetery at the Sag Canal. One of their descendants lives in Oak Park and has his original membership certificate as a charter member of the Illinois Saint Andrew Society. If she is able to attend the History Tour she may bring along the framed certificate. I saw it several years ago but have forgotten what it looks like.
It is fascinating how Scots are connected. For instance John McGlashan was a brother-in-law to James Michie and he was president of the St. Andrew’s Society in 1853. We have little information about John McGlashan except he may have been an early Chicago farmer living at 22nd street and the Chicago River.
Here is another interesting connection: Katherine MacGregor Michie married David Francis Bremner on November 30, 1865 in Chicago. He was born in 1839 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and was of Scottish descent. He came to Chicago at the age of nine and when the Civil War began, he served with the 19th Illinois regiment. It was he who raised the flag on Missionary Ridge. Not completely confirmed but David F. and Katherine may also be buried at St. James.
Please read the Blog posted on October 27, 2010.
Thanks to a grant from The Elizabeth Morse Genius Charitable Trust, we now have the Scottish American Museum on line. In the museum there is a picture of young James Michie and he looks a lot like Robert Burns. Here is how to access the museum and see the photograph.
Go to: chicagoscots.net
On the left side click on "museum"
In the first line, click on “PastPerfect web site”
In the “search box” type in the name “Michie”
To see the entire collection of over 1,000 items, click on “Random Search”
Years ago, I was in touch with Tawnya Michie Kumarakulasingam who lived in Lawrence, Kansas. She was a direct descendant of James Michie through his son, John Charles. Her husband is from Moolai, Sri Lanka. She sent a large amount of information about the family which I can bring on the tour is anyone is interested.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois Saint Andrew Society
630-629-4516 (home office)
The annual History Tour is scheduled for July 20. Our chartered bus will leave the Scottish Home at 10:30 a.m. First stop will be St. James church at the Sag Bridge where we will pay our respect to James Michie, president of our Society in 1847.
Second stop will be at the Wheatland Presbyterian Church, established in 1848 by Scottish immigrants. We will have our lunch at the church, visit the church cemetery and hear from direct descendants of those pioneer families. Our last stop will be at the Na-Au-Say cemetery, 12 miles west of Plainfield. In this country cemetery Thomas C. MacMillan, president in 1906 and 1907, is buried. There are always surprises along the way.
Cost $30.00 per person includes a box lunch. To register call 708-447-5092 or my home office at 630-629-4516.
James Michie most likely attended the first St. Andrew’s Day dinner in Chicago in 1845 although a list is not available. He was elected president of the Society in 1847 becoming the third person to serve in that capacity. He must have been an educated man although I know nothing of his life in Scotland. An honest man who could read, write and do math was very valuable to his community. The majority of the frontier people were illiterate.
A very active man in serving his community, he was one of the first officers of his township. In 1850, he was elected town clerk and Justice of the Peace. He owned the first private road in the county with Eden Eaton and Samuel Vail. In 1855 he was elected as “Overseer of the Poor.” He started the first public school in Summit, Illinois in 1846. He was a member of the Board of Commissioners for Cook County from August 1845 to August 1848 and was a member of the Board of Education in Chicago.
James Michie and Margaret Guthrie had 11 children but only three children lived to adulthood: Jane, John Charles and Katherine MacGregor. Margaret Guthrie Michie died in 1873 and her husband, James Michie, died in 1876. They are both buried in the St. James cemetery at the Sag Canal. One of their descendants lives in Oak Park and has his original membership certificate as a charter member of the Illinois Saint Andrew Society. If she is able to attend the History Tour she may bring along the framed certificate. I saw it several years ago but have forgotten what it looks like.
It is fascinating how Scots are connected. For instance John McGlashan was a brother-in-law to James Michie and he was president of the St. Andrew’s Society in 1853. We have little information about John McGlashan except he may have been an early Chicago farmer living at 22nd street and the Chicago River.
Here is another interesting connection: Katherine MacGregor Michie married David Francis Bremner on November 30, 1865 in Chicago. He was born in 1839 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and was of Scottish descent. He came to Chicago at the age of nine and when the Civil War began, he served with the 19th Illinois regiment. It was he who raised the flag on Missionary Ridge. Not completely confirmed but David F. and Katherine may also be buried at St. James.
Please read the Blog posted on October 27, 2010.
Thanks to a grant from The Elizabeth Morse Genius Charitable Trust, we now have the Scottish American Museum on line. In the museum there is a picture of young James Michie and he looks a lot like Robert Burns. Here is how to access the museum and see the photograph.
Go to: chicagoscots.net
On the left side click on "museum"
In the first line, click on “PastPerfect web site”
In the “search box” type in the name “Michie”
To see the entire collection of over 1,000 items, click on “Random Search”
Years ago, I was in touch with Tawnya Michie Kumarakulasingam who lived in Lawrence, Kansas. She was a direct descendant of James Michie through his son, John Charles. Her husband is from Moolai, Sri Lanka. She sent a large amount of information about the family which I can bring on the tour is anyone is interested.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois Saint Andrew Society
630-629-4516 (home office)
The annual History Tour is scheduled for July 20. Our chartered bus will leave the Scottish Home at 10:30 a.m. First stop will be St. James church at the Sag Bridge where we will pay our respect to James Michie, president of our Society in 1847.
Second stop will be at the Wheatland Presbyterian Church, established in 1848 by Scottish immigrants. We will have our lunch at the church, visit the church cemetery and hear from direct descendants of those pioneer families. Our last stop will be at the Na-Au-Say cemetery, 12 miles west of Plainfield. In this country cemetery Thomas C. MacMillan, president in 1906 and 1907, is buried. There are always surprises along the way.
Cost $30.00 per person includes a box lunch. To register call 708-447-5092 or my home office at 630-629-4516.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
June 6, 1944
You are receiving this Blog today because it is D-Day. This is the day that 150,000 Allied soldiers landed on the shores of Normandy. It was a massive force; 5,000 ships stretched as far as the eye could see. From British airfields, 800 planes carried over 13,000 men consisting of six parachute regiments. That was preceded by 13,000 bombs being dropped immediately ahead of the invasion. By nightfall 9,000 soldiers, many Americans, were either dead or wounded.
This past Friday, I drove to Springfield, Illinois to attend the funeral of one soldier who landed on D-Day. Stephen L. Gasparin was born July 5, 1921, in the mountains of south-east Oklahoma. He died May 28, 2013. Pam Crombie, his daughter, lives in Winthrop Harbor with her husband Jack. They are a Life Members of the Illinois Saint Andrew Society.
I don’t know the entire story about Stephen Gasparin, but he served with the 5th Infantry Division which came under the command of General George A. Patton. “He fought during the brutal winter in the Ardennes mountain range in what became known as the Battle of the Bulge. His division fought their way across Germany becoming the first to cross the Rhine on the night of March 22, 1945. They drove across Germany liberating concentration camps and stopping at the Czechoslovak border as the war ended. He left the army with five Bronze Stars for bravery in action.”
In 2012, Mr. Gasparin was recognized by France for his bravery by naming him a “knight (chevalier) in the National Order of the Legion of Honor.” It is the highest recognition given by the French government and it is a beautiful medal. When war broke out he tried to enlist but was deferred because he was a tool-and-die maker in Detroit. On his second attempt it was discovered that he was color-blind. The doctor said: “don’t you worry about that. We’ll put you right up front where you can see everything." And they did. Two of his strongest memories were: “praying on his unit’s departure for France for all the soldiers who’d never go home, and the reaction from French citizens as Allied soldiers pushed German forces out of their communities.”
Mr, Gasparin was buried with full military honors in the Camp Butler National Cemetery. As we made our way to the cemetery, I was impressed with the citizens of Springfield who stopped their cars as the procession moved by. Only one car passed the long line of mourners and we were on a boulevard at the time. It was as if they knew a hero was passing. I didn’t even mind the heavy rain in view of the suffering that soldiers endured during the Battle of the Bulge.
There are days about World War II that I will never forget. One is D-Day and the sacrifices made so the world would be free from oppression. The other is December 7 when Pearl Harbor was attacked. The next day sitting in the auditorium of a school, we listened to the distinctive voice of President Roosevelt and his “Day of Infamy” speech. I can still hear the voices of Roosevelt and Churchill today.
If you are a veteran of WW II and served in the military or the Merchants Marines, would you please contact me? I am compiling a list of veterans. You can contact me by email or call my home office at 630-629-4516.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois Saint Andrew Society
630-629-4516
P.S. We had a most enjoyable History Club meeting this past Saturday as we paid tribute to our veterans. John LeNoble lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance and then gave us an excellent summary of his trip to Washington and the WW II monument. We were also privileged to have Mike and Mary Jane Cole as speakers. They are heavily involved as volunteers with the Honor Flight Chicago program. It was a very good day.
The annual History Tour is scheduled for July 20. Our chartered bus will leave the Scottish Home at 10:30 a.m. First stop will be St. James church at the Sag Bridge where we will pay our respect to James Michie, president of our Society in 1847.
Second stop will be at the Wheatland Presbyterian Church, established in 1848 by Scottish immigrants. We will have our lunch at the church, visit the church cemetery and hear from direct descendants of those pioneer families. Our last stop will be at the Na-Au-Say cemetery, 12 miles west of Plainfield. In this country cemetery Thomas C. MacMillan, president in 1906 and 1907, is buried. There are always surprises along the way.
Cost $30.00 per person includes a box lunch. To register call 708-447-5092 or my home office at 630-629-4516.
This past Friday, I drove to Springfield, Illinois to attend the funeral of one soldier who landed on D-Day. Stephen L. Gasparin was born July 5, 1921, in the mountains of south-east Oklahoma. He died May 28, 2013. Pam Crombie, his daughter, lives in Winthrop Harbor with her husband Jack. They are a Life Members of the Illinois Saint Andrew Society.
I don’t know the entire story about Stephen Gasparin, but he served with the 5th Infantry Division which came under the command of General George A. Patton. “He fought during the brutal winter in the Ardennes mountain range in what became known as the Battle of the Bulge. His division fought their way across Germany becoming the first to cross the Rhine on the night of March 22, 1945. They drove across Germany liberating concentration camps and stopping at the Czechoslovak border as the war ended. He left the army with five Bronze Stars for bravery in action.”
In 2012, Mr. Gasparin was recognized by France for his bravery by naming him a “knight (chevalier) in the National Order of the Legion of Honor.” It is the highest recognition given by the French government and it is a beautiful medal. When war broke out he tried to enlist but was deferred because he was a tool-and-die maker in Detroit. On his second attempt it was discovered that he was color-blind. The doctor said: “don’t you worry about that. We’ll put you right up front where you can see everything." And they did. Two of his strongest memories were: “praying on his unit’s departure for France for all the soldiers who’d never go home, and the reaction from French citizens as Allied soldiers pushed German forces out of their communities.”
Mr, Gasparin was buried with full military honors in the Camp Butler National Cemetery. As we made our way to the cemetery, I was impressed with the citizens of Springfield who stopped their cars as the procession moved by. Only one car passed the long line of mourners and we were on a boulevard at the time. It was as if they knew a hero was passing. I didn’t even mind the heavy rain in view of the suffering that soldiers endured during the Battle of the Bulge.
There are days about World War II that I will never forget. One is D-Day and the sacrifices made so the world would be free from oppression. The other is December 7 when Pearl Harbor was attacked. The next day sitting in the auditorium of a school, we listened to the distinctive voice of President Roosevelt and his “Day of Infamy” speech. I can still hear the voices of Roosevelt and Churchill today.
If you are a veteran of WW II and served in the military or the Merchants Marines, would you please contact me? I am compiling a list of veterans. You can contact me by email or call my home office at 630-629-4516.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois Saint Andrew Society
630-629-4516
P.S. We had a most enjoyable History Club meeting this past Saturday as we paid tribute to our veterans. John LeNoble lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance and then gave us an excellent summary of his trip to Washington and the WW II monument. We were also privileged to have Mike and Mary Jane Cole as speakers. They are heavily involved as volunteers with the Honor Flight Chicago program. It was a very good day.
The annual History Tour is scheduled for July 20. Our chartered bus will leave the Scottish Home at 10:30 a.m. First stop will be St. James church at the Sag Bridge where we will pay our respect to James Michie, president of our Society in 1847.
Second stop will be at the Wheatland Presbyterian Church, established in 1848 by Scottish immigrants. We will have our lunch at the church, visit the church cemetery and hear from direct descendants of those pioneer families. Our last stop will be at the Na-Au-Say cemetery, 12 miles west of Plainfield. In this country cemetery Thomas C. MacMillan, president in 1906 and 1907, is buried. There are always surprises along the way.
Cost $30.00 per person includes a box lunch. To register call 708-447-5092 or my home office at 630-629-4516.
Friday, May 24, 2013
St. James Church at the Sag Bridge
Our summer history tour is scheduled for July 20 and the first stop will be St. James Church at the Sag Bridge in Willow Springs. Saint James was founded in 1833 as a mission of the Catholic Church. Archeologists claim that Father Jacques Marquette may have offered Mass on the bluff in 1673. This location has been inhabited for centuries because of its importance as a lookout.
The present stone church is one of the oldest churches in Illinois and the existing church is the “oldest parish in northern Illinois still functioning at its original location.” It was founded in 1833. (The original church was a rough log cabin located on an Indian trail that we know as Ogden avenue.)
The stone is from a local quarry known as the Lemont-Sag. The Chicago Water Tower on Michigan Avenue and Holy Name Cathedral used stone from the same quarry. It took six long years for the people to haul enough stones to the top of the hill. “Those that did the most work were given cemetery plots closest to the church.”
“Some unique features of St. James are: the urn-topped wrought iron gates which were installed in 1914 and serve as the church entrance; the buttresses that were added to the church building in 1919 when dynamiting the Cal-Sag Channel weakened the foundation; the limestone Stations of the Cross lining the church and cemetery walkway were constructed in the 1920s and donated by parishioners in memory of deceased family members; and the historic wrought iron entrance gates to the St. James complex that were acquired from the Western Electric Hawthorne Plant in 1976 and originally fabricated in 1905.”
We are not only interested in the church but the cemetery as well. James Hunt Michie was a charter member of the Illinois Saint Andrew Society and president in 1847. He is buried at St. James along with his wife, Margaret Guthrie. Both were born in Scotland.
Their daughter, Katherine MacGregor Michie married David Francis Bremner on November 30, 1865.
For more information on the Bremner family, please read the Blog for October 27, 2010.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois Saint Andrew Society
630-629-4516
History Club meeting, June 1, 2013. We will honor veterans at this meeting so if you have served please join us. John LeNoble and his daughter, Nancy Strolle, have recently taken the “Honor Flight” to Washington, D.C. John will tell us about his trip. There will also be a video showing the landing of our troops on Normandy, June 6, 1944 (D-Day).
The History Tour is scheduled for July 20. Our chartered bus will leave the Scottish Home at 10:30 a.m. First stop will be St. James church and cemetery where we will find and pay our respect to James Michie. Second stop will be at the Wheatland Presbyterian Church, established in 1848 by Scottish immigrants. We will have our lunch at the church, visit the church cemetery and hear from direct descendants of those pioneer families. Our last stop will be at the NaAuSay cemetery, 12 miles west of Plainfield. In this country cemetery is buried Thomas C. MacMillan, president in 1906 and 1907. There are always surprises along the way.
Cost $30.00 per person. To register call 708-447-5092 or my home office at 630-629-4516.
The present stone church is one of the oldest churches in Illinois and the existing church is the “oldest parish in northern Illinois still functioning at its original location.” It was founded in 1833. (The original church was a rough log cabin located on an Indian trail that we know as Ogden avenue.)
The stone is from a local quarry known as the Lemont-Sag. The Chicago Water Tower on Michigan Avenue and Holy Name Cathedral used stone from the same quarry. It took six long years for the people to haul enough stones to the top of the hill. “Those that did the most work were given cemetery plots closest to the church.”
“Some unique features of St. James are: the urn-topped wrought iron gates which were installed in 1914 and serve as the church entrance; the buttresses that were added to the church building in 1919 when dynamiting the Cal-Sag Channel weakened the foundation; the limestone Stations of the Cross lining the church and cemetery walkway were constructed in the 1920s and donated by parishioners in memory of deceased family members; and the historic wrought iron entrance gates to the St. James complex that were acquired from the Western Electric Hawthorne Plant in 1976 and originally fabricated in 1905.”
We are not only interested in the church but the cemetery as well. James Hunt Michie was a charter member of the Illinois Saint Andrew Society and president in 1847. He is buried at St. James along with his wife, Margaret Guthrie. Both were born in Scotland.
Their daughter, Katherine MacGregor Michie married David Francis Bremner on November 30, 1865.
For more information on the Bremner family, please read the Blog for October 27, 2010.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois Saint Andrew Society
630-629-4516
History Club meeting, June 1, 2013. We will honor veterans at this meeting so if you have served please join us. John LeNoble and his daughter, Nancy Strolle, have recently taken the “Honor Flight” to Washington, D.C. John will tell us about his trip. There will also be a video showing the landing of our troops on Normandy, June 6, 1944 (D-Day).
The History Tour is scheduled for July 20. Our chartered bus will leave the Scottish Home at 10:30 a.m. First stop will be St. James church and cemetery where we will find and pay our respect to James Michie. Second stop will be at the Wheatland Presbyterian Church, established in 1848 by Scottish immigrants. We will have our lunch at the church, visit the church cemetery and hear from direct descendants of those pioneer families. Our last stop will be at the NaAuSay cemetery, 12 miles west of Plainfield. In this country cemetery is buried Thomas C. MacMillan, president in 1906 and 1907. There are always surprises along the way.
Cost $30.00 per person. To register call 708-447-5092 or my home office at 630-629-4516.
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