THE POLSON-CHENEY FAMILY

        Husband: Jonathan Cheney
           Born: 13 SEP 1785 in Freeman's Fort, Harrison County, WV
        Married: 22 MAR 1805 in Freeman's Fort, Harrison County, WV
           Died: 21 MAR 1862 in Cheney's Grove, McLean County, Illinois
         Buried: in Riverside Cemetery, McLean County, Illinois
         Father: Thomas Cheney
         Mother: Keturah Owen
        Spouses: 
           Wife: Catherine "Katie" Owen
           Born: 16 OCT 1787 in Edward's Fort, WV
           Died: 1877 in Cheney's Grove, McLean County, Illinois
         Buried: in Riverside Cemetery, McLean County, Illinois
         Father: Owen Owen
         Mother: Mary Thomas
        Spouses: 
       Religion: Methodist
Children
01          (F): Mary Cheney
           Born: 13 SEP 1806 in Champaign County, Ohio
           Died: 09 AUG 1867 in Cheney's Grove, McLean County, Illinois
        Spouses: Abraham Stansbury
02          (M): Thomas R. Cheney
           Born: 06 OCT 1808 in Goshen Township, Champaign, Ohio
           Died: 20 APR 1893 in Petaluma, Sonoma County, California
        Spouses: Susan Maxwell
03          (M): Owen Cheney
           Born: 02 SEP 1810 in Goshen Township, Champaign, Ohio
           Died: 15 SEP 1848 in Mechanicsburg, Ohio
        Spouses: Maria Dawson
04          (M): Robert Cheney
           Born: 06 JAN 1813 in Union Township, Champaign County, Ohio
           Died: about 1817
        Spouses: 
05          (F): Elizabeth Cheney
           Born: 06 JAN 1813 in Union Township, Champaign County, Ohio
           Died: about 1817
        Spouses: 
06          (F): Keturah Cheney
           Born: 16 FEB 1815 in Union Township, Champaign County, Ohio
           Died: 14 JAN 1834 in Cheney's Grove, McLean County, Illinois
        Spouses: 
07          (F): Emilia "Milley" Cheney
           Born: 29 JAN 1817 in Union Township, Champaign County, Ohio
           Died: 12 JUN 1862 in Cheney's Grove, McLean County, Illinois
        Spouses: Ashley Davenport Horr
08          (M): George Cheney
           Born: 18 FEB 1819 in Champaign County, Ohio
           Died: 17 AUG 1866 in Cheney's Grove, McLean County, Illinois
        Spouses: Cynthia Ann Hall
09          (F): Rachel Cheney
           Born: 1820 in Union Township, Champaign County, Ohio
           Died: 1820 in Union Township, Champaign County, Ohio
        Spouses: 
10          (M): William Haines "Haines" Cheney
           Born: 19 FEB 1822 in Mechanicsburg, Ohio
           Died: 24 AUG 1878 in Cheney's Grove, McLean County, Illinois
        Spouses: Mary Jane Orendorff; Caroline Brown
11          (F): Katherine Cheney
           Born: 30 MAY 1825 in Union Township, Champaign County, Ohio
           Died: 09 MAY 1869 in Cheney's Grove, McLean County, Illinois
        Spouses: John Prothero
12          (M): Return Jonathan Cheney
           Born: 24 AUG 1828 in Cheney's Grove, McLean County, Illinois
           Died: 06 JUN 1890 in Cheney's Grove, McLean County, Illinois
        Spouses: Margaret Elizabeth Green; Martha Ellen Rice; Cordelia Louisa Towner
13          (F): Rebecca Cheney
           Born: 07 DEC 1831 in Cheney's Grove, McLean County, Illinois
           Died: 21 NOV 1874 in Cheney's Grove, McLean County, Illinois
        Spouses: Benjamin Prothero

Additional Information

Jonathan Cheney:

Notes:
Jonathan Cheney stormed out of the house. As he strode towards the front gate of his fiance's home, she stepped to the porch and called "Return Jonathan"! With that he did, and he married his Welsh bride named Catherine Owens. Later, the Cheneys named one of their sons Return Jonathan.

Jonathan and Catherine followed Jonathan's brothers to Ohio. They moved on horseback in the fall of 1806 to Champaign County, Ohio. Two days after their arrival, their first child, Mary, was born. The family lived in Ohio for over 17 years. Mr Cheney bought 700 acres of land from General McArthur. He put up a saw mill and a grist mill. The flouring-mill called Hunter's Mill was built in 1823 by Jonathan. (From the "History of Champaign County")

Jonathan moved his family on September 21, 1825 to McLean County, Illinois. They arrived on October 16, 1825 at John W Dawson's place in Blooming Grove. On November 4th, Jonathan moved his family to what became known as Cheney's Grove.

Cheney's Grove was something more than four square miles and covered nearly all of sections 19, 20, and 28; and half of 27 and 21. The Grove began in the broken hills where the Sangamon River rises and runs in a southeasterly direction. The river although small at this point is fed by springs and never is dry. Mr Cheney placed his stock on the south side of the river and built his log cabin on the north side in section 28. Friends from Blooming Grove, 25 miles away, came to help raise the cabin.

Jonathan Cheney was about 5 feet 10 inches, and was straight and muscular. He had a large forehead, gray eyes, auburn hair and a sonorous voice. He was an excitable man and very determined, but with a strong sense of humor, was cheerful, fond of practical jokes, and possessed a fund of anecdote. He was always listening to the call of the far West--he used to remark that "It's getting too thick here, I must go on." Jonathan had a great distrust of banks, and would have his money in gold. When his money was not loaned he kept it buried, usually in the woods, where only he knew the hiding place. (From the Bloomington, Ill, "Daily Pantograph" of September 9, 1907)

The 1850 Census for Cheney's Grove, Jonathan was listed as being 65, a farmer and born in Virginia. No value of real estate was listed for Jonathan. Catherine was 63 and born in Virginia. A female named Sarah Owens was living with Jonathan and Catherine. Sarah was 32, born in Virginia and blind.

In the 1860 Illinois Census for Cheney's Grove, Mc Lean County, only Jonathan & his wife were listed in the household. They stated their ages were 72, and that Jonathan was a farmer. Real Estate Owned was listed at a value of $250.00 and the value of Personal Estate owned was at $800.00.

Catherine "Katie" Owen:

Notes:
Edward's Fort was near Big Spring in Berkeley County. (From "The Echoer" a West Virginia monthly by Mary Freese Warrel-the 7/1/1968 edition).

Catherine became known as "Aunt Katy" in Cheney's Grove. There was no Doctor in the Grove for more than thirty years. Aunt Katy filled the opening, she kept many medicines and knew how to use them. It was of great comfort to fellow grovers to see Aunt Katy riding up on her gray single-footer.

After Jonathan died, Catherine went to live with her daughter Rebecca Prothero.

(06) Keturah Cheney:

Notes:
DIED AT THE AGE OF 19 YEARS OLD

Marriage Notes
From "Harrison County Marriages 1785-1894" by Wes Cochran, 1985:
Page 18: Jonathan Cheney to Catherine Powers, d/o Owen Owens 21 Mar 1805. (Does this mean Catherine was married before?)

Footnotes

  1. Dr E. Duis, Good Old Times in McLean County, Illinois (Reprinted by Heritage Books, 1992), 238.

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Revised: August 13, 2005
Copyright © 2005 Lisa Sorensen. All rights reserved.