By 1870, the Cheney family had established themselves in Christian County, Illinois. Over the previous decade, several of the children had married and started farms of their own, many within a few miles of the original homestead. The family was closely connected—parents, siblings, and in-laws living nearby and working the land.
The 1860s were full of Cheney family events.
The Civil War had ended. The Cheney boys were home.
The Cheneys continued their lives, marked by births, marriages, work and civic life, and loss.
Continue readingIn November 1860, just a few months after the Cheneys arrived in Christian County, Abraham Lincoln from neighboring Sangamon County, Illinois was elected president. That caused seven Southern states to secede from the Union. They formed the Confederate States of America.
The Confederate army attacked Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor on April 12, 1861, igniting the start of the Civil War.
Continue readingIn 1859, after decades of circuit riding, Shadrach Cheney hung up his saddlebags and headed west. The destination: Christian County, Illinois. With seven of their twelve children still at home, Shadrach and Mary Cheney joined a growing network of their family already rooted in the prairie.
Family Nibbles 