Duncans in Kane Co. IL

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Duncan research files of
Mary Ann (Duncan) Dobson
the Genealogy Bug

Last revised July 31, 2008

KANE CO. IL
Formed 1836 from La Salle
DeKalb formed 1837 from Kane
Kendall formed 1841 from LaSalle, Kane
 

CENSUS RECORDS

1840 Kane Co. IL Census
Pg.5  Craig Duncan      1010,1  -  1000,1
            (MAD: one James Duncan mar. Nancy Aldeman 2/14/1837)
 

1850 Kane Co. IL Census
Elgin
Pg.4, #44-108, John McDONALD 24 IRE laborer $500
                  Annosa? (Armosa?) (f) 21 IRE
                  Martin 9/12 IL
Pg.4, #44-109, Patrick DUNCAN 33 IRE stone mason $0
                  Ellen 24 IRE
                  John 4 IL
                  (MAD: Patrick Duncan mar. Ellen McGraw 9/27/1848; 1860 Carroll Co. IL census)
Rutland
Pg.30, #17-17, Samuel WILLOUGHBY 56 NH farmer $500
                  Margaret 51 NY
                  Martha McMILLAN 75 NY
                  (MAD: Arthur McMillan born 1769 Washington Co. NY, died 1845 Kane Co. IL, mar. Martha Duncan who died 1852; of Franklin Co. NY, of Clinton Co. NY 1813, to Kane Co. IL ca 1838, per info of Verdell Green-Hall 1993)
Town of Virgil
Pg.86, #12-1241, Duncan McMILLAN 37 NY "none" $1000 blind
                  Sarah 37 VT
                  Mariah 10, Lovina 8, Manly? (m) 6
                  Ronson? (m) 2 IL.
Virgil
Pg.89, #51-1284, Patrick DUNCAN 42 IRE farmer $0
                  Mary 40 IRE
                  Patrick M. 10 SC
                  Ellen 9, Katharn 7, Jane 4, IL
                  Patrick MEDANBLE? 19 IRE Laborer
St. Charles
Pg.109, #60-1567, Creig DUNCAN 39 NY chairmaker $800
                  Jannatt 38 NY
                  Hellen 14, Charles 12, Lucas 7 IL
                  William 5, Julia 2 IL
                  (MAD: 1860 Winona Co. MN census; wife Jennett)
Pg.121, #136-1765, Daniel KERR 27 SCT mason $0
                  Mary 26 SCT
                  Jessie 4, William 2 SCT
                  William WALKER 70 SCT "none" $0
Pg.121, #136-1766, Robert DUNCAN 28 SCT laborer $0
                  Margaret 28 SCT (mar/in/year)
 

1860 Kane Co. IL Census
Plato Twp.
Pg.953, #7713-4777, John LEPAY (Jr?) 45 ENG farmer $6900-$1500
                  Dorcus 47 NY wife
                  Sarah 15 CANada W.
                  William 13, Martha 10, John 9 IL
                  "Amada" (f) 7, Dorcus 3 IL
                  John GREENBANK 20 ENG f.hand
                  Henry DUNCAN 38 AFRICA BLACK farm hand
                  Sary? WATERBURGHE (f) 28 NY seamstress
Town of Plato
Pg.967, #7806-4862, David PINGSER 41 NH doctor & farmer $7000-$1000
                  Jane 34 KY wife
                  Alice HAVERHILL 6 IL
                  Wm. DUNKIN 18 SCT labr on farm
 

1870 Kane Co. IL Census
Aurora, Ward 7
Pg.96, #116-116, DUNCAN, Arad (m) 56 VT machinist $0-$0
                  Alice 50 SCT house keeper, parents of foreign birth
                  Hattie 16 CAN, mother of foreign birth
                  Fred 15, Ella (f) 10 MI, mother of foreign birth
                  JOHNSON, Robt. 22 IL clerk
                  (MAD: Erhardt Duncan, 1860 Wayne Co. MI census)
Virgil
Pg.490, #109-105, KEEFE, Patrick 70 IRE farmer $2400-$0, parents of foreign birth
Pg.490, #110-(blank), KEEFE, John C. 33 New Brunswick farmer $7206-1191, parents of foreign birth
                  KEEFE, Cullen (m) 29 New Brunswick farmer $7206-1191, parents of foreign birth
                  DUNCAN, John 21 WI works on farm, father of foreign birth
                  BURNS, Mary 40 IRE housekeeper, parents of foreign birth
                  KEEFE, Ella J. 23 ME keeping house (not par. of for. birth)
(next household #111-106)
 

MILITARY RECORDS

Pension Index Card File, alphabetical; of the Veterans Administrative Contact and Administration Services, Admin. Operations Services, 1861-1934; Duff to A-J Duncan (negative FHL film 540,888, some cards very faint); Joseph Duncan to Dunn (positive FHL film 540,889, some cards very dark)
      Cataloged under Civil War, 1861-1865, pensions, indexes; does not say if Confederate or Federal, but probably Federal. Negative film, some cards much too faint or dark to read, some cards blurred or faded, particularly the service unit and the dates of application. Most of the very faint or dark cards were in a slightly different format, with space for years enlisted and discharged which were sometimes filled in. Many of these were for service in later years, although one or two were for service ca 1866.
      Name of soldier, alias, name of dependent widow or minor, service (military unit or units), date of filing, class (invalid or widow or minor or other), Application #, Certificate #, state from which filed (sometimes blank), attorney (sometimes blank, MAD: did not usually copy), remarks. Sometimes the "Invalid" or "Widow" class had an "s" added to it before the application #; occasionally the area for the service information included a circled "S". The minor's name was frequently that of the guardian rather than the minor.
      The military unit was frequently the Company Letter, the Regiment Number, sometimes US Vet Vol Inf. (US Veteran Volunteer Infantry), L.A. (Light Artillery), H.A. (Heavy Artillery), US C Inf (US Colored? Infantry), Cav. (Cavalry), Mil. Guards, V.R.C. (?Volunteer Reserve Corps?), etc. Sometimes there were several service units given.
      Cards appear to be arranged by the last name, first name, middle initial if any, and state (including "US") of service.
      Duncan, George; G 17 Ill. Cav.; 1888 June 13, Invalid Appl. #659455, Cert. #645549, Kans. (MAD: enlisted Dorr, IL; ? Kane or Warren Co. IL)
      Duncan, Harrison; K & A 41 Ill. Inf., K 53 Ill. Inf.; 1879 March 6, Invalid Appl. #270789, Cert. #181115. (MAD: of Clinton [Kane Co.] IL per IL Civil War database IL)
      Duncan, John, widow Duncan, Mary A., minor Victory, C.E., Gdn.; D 107 Ill. Inf.; 1865 Feb. 20, Widow Appl. #83565, Cert. #64692; 1870 July 1, Minor Appl. #188544, Cert. #144076. (MAD: of Clinton [Kane Co.] IL per IL Civil War database IL)
      Duncan, John; D 17 Ill. Cav.; 1891 Oct. 10, Invalid Appl. #1063465, Cert. #774693; remarks C2568349. (MAD: of Virgil [Kane Co.] IL per IL Civil War database IL)
      Duncan, Lewis A., widow Duncan, Flora L.; H 52 & H 59 Ill. Inf., E 89 Ill. Inf.; 1880 Jan. 19, Invalid Appl. #339075, no cert.; 1890 July 17, Widow Appl. #437768, Cert. #350252, Ill. (MAD: of Aurora [Kane Co.] IL per IL Civil War database IL)
      Duncan, Lewis S.; B 154 Ill. Inf.; 1890 Sept. 4, Invalid Appl. #933548, Cert. #648258, Ill. (MAD: of Clinton [Kane Co.] IL per IL Civil War database IL)
      Duncan, Robert, widow Duncan, Francis W.; A 59 Ill. Inf.; 1866 May 15, Invalid Appl. #108261, Cert. #76175; 1899 Feb. 17, Widow Appl. #692043, Cert. #490902, Ill. (MAD: of ? Kane or Knox Co. IL)
 

HISTORIES before 1923

1898 "Biographical Record of Kane Co. IL" by S.J. Clarke Pub. (CA State Library, Sutro Branch, film M70, reel 31)
      Pg.41-42: THOMAS W. DUNCAN ... manager of the IL Watch Case Factory. ... A native of Lindsay, Canada, Thomas Wellington Duncan was born December 6, 1858, a son of James and Mary (Hawkins) Duncan. His paternal grandfather was Thomas Duncan, a native of Belfast, Ireland, which city was also the birthplace of James Duncan, who left his native land in 1837 and immigrated to Lindsay, Canada. He was by trade a carriagemaker and followed that occupation until his retirement from business life about 15 years ago. He is still living in Lindsay, a respected and valued citizen of that community. His wife was a daughter of Thomas and Jane Hawkins and was born in Edinburg, Scotland, where her parents spent their entire lives. Mr. and Mrs. Duncan are members of the Episcopal church. Their family numbered six children: Thomas, Jane, Margaret, John, James and William, of whom the first and last are still living, William being a resident of St. Louis, MO.
            In the city of his birth Mr. Duncan, of this review, acquired his education and in Toronto, Canada, he learned the watchmaker's trade. In 1881 he removed to Chicago ... In 1888 the IL Watch Case Co. was incorporated ... on the 1st of May, 1890, the factory was removed from Chicago to Elgin ... The officers of the company are Thomas W. Duncan, president and treasurer; M. Abraham, secretary; and T.W. Duncan, M.C. Eppenstein and S.C. Eppenstein, directors. Mr. Duncan ... Republican, Mason.
 

"The Past and present of Kane County, Illinois : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., a directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, portraits of early settlers and prominent men, general and local statistics, map of Kane County, history of Illinois, illustrated, history of the Northwest, illustrated, constitution of the United States, miscellaneous matters, etc., etc." by F.W. Arlen; pub. Chicago: Wm. LeBaron Jr. & Co., 1878, 818 pgs. (LH4491, HeritageQuest images 4/2007)
      Pg.358: Elgin Township ... in the Fall of [1835], Mr. Corron was rejoiced at the arrival of neighbors, Anson Leonard, from the State of Ohio, and a man named Duncan, from New York, who took up adjoining claims.
      Pg.754: Taxpayers and voters of Aurora ... Duncan, A., machinist; P.O. Aurora
 

"History of Kane County, Ill." by R. Waite Joslyn; pub. Chicago: Pioneer Pub. Co., 1908, 1786 pgs. (LH5444, HeritageQuest images 4/2007; FHL book 977.323 D3j v.1 and film 934,991 items 2-3)
      Vol.I, pg.642: L.A. Duncan, Company H, 59th Illinois Infantry; died September 6, 1888.
      Vol.II, pg.371-372-373: Charles D. Rossetter, born in Chicago, November 18, 1852. His parents were Asher and Sophronia (Newton) Rossetter, natives of New York. ... On the 18th of November, 1878, Mr. (Charles Decatur) Rossetter was married to Miss Ella Duncan, a daughter of Arad and Mercia Ann (Watles) Duncan. Her father was a native of Vermont and her mother of New York. He learned and followed the machinist's trade, and about 1860 removed from Detroit to Aurora, having formerly owned and cultivated a farm in Michigan. In Aurora he followed his trade in the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad shops, and here he died in 1882, at the age of 67 years, while his wife passed away in 1859, at the age of 45 years. Their family numbered six children, of whom Mrs. Rossetter is one, the others being as follows: Louis, deceased; Libby, the wife of Samuel Emery, of Memphis, Tennessee; Lucy, the wife of Charles Hathaway, a resident of Grand Rapids, Michigan; Belle, the wife of Major Safford, of Detroit, that state; and Fred, of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Mrs. Rossetter was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1859, and by her marriage has become the mother of six children, namely .... (MAD: 1860 Wayne Co. MI)
 

1919 "History of Chickasaw and Howard Cos. IA" Vol.II, by Robert Herd Fairbairn, pub. by S.J. Clarke (Los Angeles Public Library book R977.71 C533Ht v.2; FHL book 977.73 H2f and film 982,015 items 1-2)
      Pg.23: ROBERT A. DUNCAN. ... Chickasaw county ... He was born in Blackhawk Co. IA, August 27, 1857, and is a son of Robert and Margaret (Walker) Duncan, who were natives of Scotland, the former born June 1, 1821, and the latter on the 11th of May of the same year. They were reared in the land of hills and heather and were there married in 1846, after which they came immediately to the United States. They first settled near St. Charles {Kane Co.], IL, where they resided for only a brief period and in the spring of 1850 came to Iowa, taking up their home in Blackhawk county. In 1864 they removed to Chickasaw county, ... On the 1st of January, 1895, Mr. Duncan was united in marriage to Miss Nellie Newbury, a daughter of George Newbury, who was one of the early settlers of Floyd Co. IA, and is now living retired at Osage, Iowa.
 

1890 "Biographical and historical memoirs of Adams, Clay, Hall and Hamilton counties, Nebraska : comprising of a condensed history of the state, a number of biographies of distinguished citizens of the same, a brief descriptive history of each of the counties mentioned, and numerous biographical sketches of the citizens of such counties ..." by Goodspeed (from Kathy Cawley 6/2004 and FHL film 1,000,183 item 2 (book 19))
      Chapter XVIII, Adams Co.
      Pg.240: JOHN P. DUNCAN is a prosperous grain, stock and coal merchant of Roseland [Adams Co.], Neb., and in partnership with his brother. He was born in Elgin, [Kane Co.] Ill., September 14, 1845, being a son of P.W. Duncan, a native of Ireland, who came to the United States in 1841 and settled in Illinois, having previously married in Hartford, Conn., Miss Bridget Kingsley, who died when John P. was an infant. The latter grew to manhood in his native State, and after reaching his tenth year was a resident of Savannah, and is pricipally self educated, the most of his knowledge of books being acquired since reaching years of maturity. He learned the stone mason trade of his father, and after starting out in life for himself worked at this trade in Illinois up to 1870, coming to Nebraska in May of that year, and settling in Adams County, where he took up homestead in the southern part of the county, on the Little Blue River, which place he still owns. Many fine improvements were made on this farm, which continued to be his home until 1887, since which time he has been a resident of Roseland, being one of the first business men of the place. He has always held to the principles and supported the men and measures of the Democratic party, and for a number of years has held the position of supervisor of Silver Lake Township, and in 1888 was elected in Roseland Township for the same position. He was married in Iowa in 1878, and wedded his second wife in Illinois in 1883, her maiden name being Bridget Loughran. A daughter blessed his first marriage, named Frances, and his second union has resulted in the birth of four children: Stephen P., Mary E., Anna and John William. Mr. and Mrs. Duncan are members of the Roman Catholic Church.
 

1916 "Past and Present of Adams County, Nebraska" by William R. Burton, pub. by S.J. Clarke, 2 vols. (FHL film 1,000,183 items 3-4, books 20-21)
      Vol.II, pgs.112-116. JOHN P. DUNCAN. John P. Duncan has resided in Roseland since 1887 and has had a part in the business development of the town. For a number of years he was engaged in the grain, coal and live-stock business but is now living retired. His birth occurred in Elgin [Kane Co.], Illinois, on the 14th of September, 1845, and his parents were Patrick William and Bridget (Kingsley) Duncan, the former born in County Monaghan, Ireland, and the latter in County Wexford. They were married, however, in the vicinity of Hartford, Connecticut, about 1843 and in the following year removed to Chicago [Cook Co.], whence they went to Elgin, Illinois. The father, who was a stonemason, worked on the construction of the Illinois Central Railroad and after leaving the employ of that corporation continued to follow his trade for some time. He also farmed near Elgin for a few years but later went to Savanna [Carroll Co.], Illinois, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits and also worked as a stonemason. In 1870 he decided to try his fortune still farther west and came to Adams county, Nebraska, homesteading on section 14, Silver Lake township. That place remained his home until 1879, when he took up his residence in Roseland, where he died about 1900 and where he is buried. He was a man of marked public spirit and held the esteem of his fellow citizens in full measure. He lost his first wife when their only child, our subject, was but six months old and subsequently he married Ellen McGrath, by whom he had the following children: William F., a resident of Roseland; James, of Thorp, Washington; Eugene, Julia, Mary and Kate, all of whom are deceased; Anna, the wife of Lee Arnold, of Roseland township; and Ella Bovard, who lives at Ayr, Nebraska.
      John P. Duncan was educated in the common schools of Illinois and through assisting his father gained much valuable knowledge of farming. In 1870, when about twenty-five years of age, he came to this county and took up a homestead on section 10, Silver Lake township. His first residence here was a shanty built of palings, and his farm equipment was very primitive. But he was determined to succeed and by dint of much hard work and careful planning he gained a start and from that time on his resources increased steadily. He engaged in farming until 1887 and during that time brought his place to a high state of development. In October of that year he built a residence in Roseland, the second house to be erected there, and he has since resided in the town. About 1888 he and his brother William built an elevator in Roseland and for a number of years he was one of the leading grain, coal and live-stock dealers of the locality. The enterprise and sound judgment which enabled him to succeed as a farmer were again demonstrated in the conduct of his business interests in Roseland and he gained a gratifying measure of prosperity. He is now living retired and is enjoying a leisure which his former labor has made possible.
      Mr. Duncan was married when twenty-eight years of age to Miss Anne Dempsey, who passed away leaving a daughter, Bridget Frances. In 1881 Mr. Duncan was again married, Miss Bridget Loughran becoming his wife. To them were born seven children, namely: Stephen P., a druggist of Blue Hill, Nebraska; Mary Ellen, the wife of Frank J. Roth, of Roseland; Annie F., who is a stenographer in the employ of the Peters Trust Company of Omaha; John W., a practicing physician of Omaha; Sarah, at home; James, attending the State University; and Kathleen, deceased.
      Mr. Duncan is a democrat in politics and served as supervisor for a number of years. He and his family are members of the Assumption Catholic church and observe its teachings in their lives. Fraternally he is associated with the Workmen lodge at Roseland. He is acquainted with practically the entire history of the county as it was but sparsely settled when he arrived here in 1870, and in the fall of 1871 he planted what was probably the first fall wheat sown in the county. While so occupied the Indians stole a horse and it was not until the following April that he recovered it. This incident is of interest as it indicates the annoyances to which the early settlers were subjected by the red men and there were also many other unpleasant features of pioneer life, but Mr. Duncan had faith in the future of the county and lived to see that faith amply justified.
 

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