Canton town founder Isaac Swan and the Addis connection

 Over years of research a long tome ago from history books to library microfilm  findings I read up on the founder of Canton Isaac Swan and found out his wife Elizabeth Addis was related to us distantly through the Suydam and Addis line. This blog is history on him, Canton also the Addis family of Fulton County, Illinois.

Isaac Swan was the founder of Canton, Fulton County, Illinois. He originally came from the state of Vermont.  He moved to New York where he served in the War of 1812. In about 1818 he and his brother in law Nathan Jones came to Illinois, first to St. Clair County, then to Montgomery County in 1820. While there Swan sold i0 acres of his patent to Jones. 

Isaac arrived in the Canton area in 1824. He presented a Military title to land of Theodore Sargeant. Though some mistake in the records in Vandalia, this quarter section had been listed as "unentered" land. Sargeant left immediatley, moving to Farmington,where he died in 1871. Swan realized that his land was suitable for a town site, so Canton was laid out on December 10, 1825.  The name was chosen because the site was suppose to be diametrically opposite of Canton, China. 

One of the first buildings was Swan's " Catch- all", a log cabin of the northest corner of Chestnut and Second Avenue. This building was designed as a Carpenter shop, and a stopping place for new settlers until they could build. A man named Kinney came about the same time as Swan, and the two were in a partnership for a while. However, John Coleman came with a military title to Kinney's land, and like Sergeant, Kinney had to give up his claim. Kinney remained in Canton for a while, but when he approached Swan with a plan for manufacturing bogus silver, Swan gave him twenty four hours to leave town so Kinney disappeared from history.

Isaac Swan on January 16, 1828 married Elizabeth Addis, the ceremony being performed by Squire John Orendorff of Orion Township. Elizabeth was the daughter of Richard and Jamina ( DeHart) Addis. Her siblings were Eleanor (Addis) Stephens/Stevens(?), Aaron Dean Addis ( whoses second wife was Jane Suydam whoses father Joseph was brother to my great great great Grandfather Peter H. Suydam), Richard Addis, Simon Addis, Ann Addis, Mariah Addis and Henderick Addis. The source of marriage was found in a history book but the marriage license states Isaac and wife married on December 30, 1827.

On the evening of June 18, 1835 Isaac Swan and an infant son were killed in the great tornado of 1835. The storm killed a total of five people including Swan and son. On March 13, 1836 his widow Betsy Addis Swan married George W. Gould, who also lost a spouse in the tornado. Later on in history there was an Elizabeth Swan that married A.J. Roosa on April 21, 1861. If she is the same one or maybe a daughter I have no idea. There is debate on where Swan is buried but he is suppose to be buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in Canton where a big stone.

Pictures are of the City of Canton in modern day:

Now onto Elizabeth Swan's parents and siblings. Her brother married a Suydam so that's how my line fits in. Its very distant ofcourse.

Richard Addis (II) was born September 3, 1766 in New Jersey and was the son of Simon & Mariah ( Hollingshead) Addis. He came from Middlesex County, New Jersey near New Brunswick in 1802 to 3 miles from Vienna, New Jersey as a surveyor. He also surveyed much land in Illinois. He also built the first frame house in Canton, Illinois. Richard came early and identified himself with the infant village of Canton.

While subject to the malarial atmosphere to a new  Country, he soon afterwards succumbed to it's deadly influence and died. He died April 9, 1827. 

Richard married Jemina DeHart on March 26, 1789. Jemina DeHart was born December 7, 1767 and survived him many years. She died in 1853.

Richard and Jemina DeHart Addis children:

1. Eleanor Addis was born May 6, 1790 and died August 3, 1833 in Ohio. She married Richard Stephens II on June 1, 1815. They had five known children: Sarah H, Nancy, Elizabeth, John Wesley and Lorenzo Dow Stephens.

Richard Stephens Ii remarried after Eleanor  to Nancy Mount on May 5, 1834 in Ohio. He had a store in Canton in the 1830's before moving to Ohio.

2. Aaron Dean Addis  was born April 22, 1803 in Middlesex County, New Jersey and died January w3, 1873.  He and second wife are buried in the Orendorff Cemetery in Orion Township in Fulton County, Illinois. His first wife was Mary  Schmock and they produced a son John Addis (born in 1829). Mary died before 1835. Aaron  married Jane Suydam daughter of Joseph Suydam. They had six children: Richard, Simon, Mary, Josrph, Sarah and Ferdinand Addis.

3. Elizabeth Addis who married Isaac Swan founder of Canton in 1827. Her husband and son were killed in a tornado of 1835. The child died in her arms. Her second husband was George W. Gould.

4. Richard Addis

5. Mariah Addis

6. Ann Addis

7. Simon Addis

8. Henderick Addis.

Meeker and Coney family of Fulton County, Illinois

Moses Meeker was a great great great great grandfather on the May side as one of the daughters married a Coney  whoses daughter married a May.

Moses Meeker was an early settler in Fulton County, Illinois. Moses and his second wife Naomi are buried in the Freeman Cemetery near Duncan Mills, Illinois. Moses was born on March 2, 1796 in Pennsylvannia to Caleb and Ichalea Meeker.  Moses married three times though the first wife's name is unknown. He married Naomi Kesnor on May 10, 1824 in Ohio. Moses died March 7, 1858.

.Naomi Kesnor the daughter of a Michael Kesnor was born about 1802 and she died on May 21, 1847 in Fulton County, Illinois.  Moses married for a third time to Louisa Farris between 1847-1854.

Any children born begore 1824 were from the first marriage.

1. Levi Meeker was born in 1820 and married a woman named Ulila.

2. Matilda Meeker was born in 1825 and married William Janson in July 1840 in Fulton County, Illinois.

3. Ellen Meeker. (my connection) She was born about 1829 and died in the 1860's. She married Ira Coney in 1848. Both are said to be buried in unmarked graves in Freeman Cemetery near Duncan Mills, Illinois. Her daughter Samantha would marry my Great great grandfather James May.

4. James Meeker was born in 1836 and married Josephine Moss in 1862.

5. Emily Meeker was born in 1838 and married a Michael Stump in 1860.

6. Abner Meeker was born in 1843.

7. Aaron Meeker was born in 1847.

8. Sarah Meeker.

Moses and Naomi Meekers stones at Freeman Cemetery near Duncan Mills, Illinois.

The Cemetery:

Now moving onto the Coney family.

Ira Coney was born September 10, 1819 in Sullivan County, New York being the son of George Coney ( born about 1800 died after 1855) and Mary "Polly" Wiley ( died July 13, 1854 in Bethel, New York).  Ira married Mary Ellen Meeker the daughter of Moses and Naomi Meeker. Mary was born about 1829 and dird in the late 1860's in Fulton County, Illinois. Ira may have remarried after her death. He died September 13, 1918 and is buried in Freeman Cemetery near Duncan Mills, Illinois.

Children:

1. Samantha Ellen Coney was born in 1864 and died in 1935. She married James May. She is buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Lewistown, Illinois.

2. Mary Coney was born in 1853 and died in 1887. She was married to Daniel Lockard.

3. Charlotte Coney was born in 1848 in Fulton County, Illinois.

4. Elizabeth Coney was born in 1849 and may have married a man with the last name Shepard.

5. George Coney was born in 1850 and died young.

6. Abner Coney was born in 1856 and died in 1918. He married Lydia Frances Sparger.

7. Sarah Coney was born in 1854 and died in March 1910. She was the wife of William Pollard.

8. Mable Coney was born in 1860 and died in 1919. She married twice first to Charles Davis then to George Clark.

9. Michael Coney was born in 1861 and died in December 1901. He married twice first to Allena Braden in 1890 til she died in 1894 then to Ettie Malott in 1895.

Also to be noted is Daniel Lockard who married a Coney and a May. So there are two ties. He is buried with Mary Ellen Coney and the May is buried to her first husband in Lewistown.

Daniel Lockard was born December 14, 1851 in Ohio the son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Connor) Lockard. His parents were both born in Ohio. Daniel died on Febuary 14, 1921 and rests with Mary Ellen Coney in the Freeman Cemetery near Duncan Mills, Illinois. Their stones are in good shape.

He remarried to Mary Ellens cousin Oleva Jane (May) Rigdon in 1892.  It is unknown if either marriages produced children.

Peter H. Suydam branch of the Fulton County Suydam's

As I go along I will update with more information on some of the Suydam's of Fulton County, Illinois.


Peter Hagerman Suydam is my great great great grandfather on my father's mothers side. He was born August 4, 1827 in New Brunswick, Middlesex County, New Jersey. He was the son of Henry and Margaret (Williamson) Suydam. Peter married Mary Jane DeHart in December 1852 in New Brunswick, New Jersey.  In his life he was a Civil War veteran enlisting in 1861 and discharged in 1862. He was also a Carpenter. He had heart disease also. He passed away on January 8, 1893 in Canton and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Canton, Fulton County, Illinois.

His wife Mary Jane Dehart was the daughter of a William DeHart having been born on October 18, 1831 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. She died on Dec 22, 1901 in Canton, Illinois. She is buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Canton but has no stone. Her husband has a stone.

Picture of PH Suydam headstone as well as a picture sent by someone ages ago that could have been him but havent confirmed.

Their children:

1. Aaron V. Suydam who was born January 24, 1854 in New Brunswick, New Jersey.  He died November 19, 1861 probably New Brunswick.

2. Ellen Geneva Suydam was born January 15, 1856 in New Brunswick.  She married David Bowman on September 19, 1878 in Fulton County, Illinois.  She died  two years later on September 27, 1880.

3. Edward Stokes Suydam was born March 12, 1858 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He married Elsie Westerfield on Febuary 3, 1881 in Fulton County, Illinois. He died June 24, 1929 in Canton. He is buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Canton, Illinois.

4. Charles Smith Suydam was born November 14, 1863 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He married Sarah Gregg in Fulton County, Illinois in 1898. He died August 15, 1924 in Canton and buried there at Greenwood Cemetery. They had two daughters Nellie and Carrie Suydam.

4. William Henry Suydam was my great great grandfather. It appears he is the first of this family to have been born in Fulton County, Illinois so the Suydam family migrated there between 1863-1866. He was born in Fairview, Illinois on May 16, 1866. He married Susan E. Barrett on June 8, 1892 in Fulton County, Illinois. He was a member of the Canton P&O band at one time. He died in Canton on July 24, 1948 and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery. Their children were Fred A. Suydam ( my great grandfather), Leona Suydam, Vernon C. Suydam, Estella Suydam, and Ruth Suydam who she died young at twenty.

Pictures of William as well as one with wife:

5. John Sylvester Suydam was born in Canton on January 6, 1868. He married Myrtle Spencer on December 7, 1892. They had a daughter Letha who died as a child. He died in Canton on June 8, 1908 and is buried at Greenwood Cemetery.

6. Frank Suydam was born April 23, 1870 in Canton, Illinois. He married Anna Walsh in Canton on June 29, 1902. They had three children Mary Jane, Cecil and Frances Suydam. Frank died in Canton on December 11, 1940 and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery.


This is the picture of Fred Suydam my great grandfather who was son of William.

Also pictures of Fred and his wife's headstone as well as their son who died young after complications of surgery Willard V. Suydam. I am assumed my father Willard May was named after his mothers brother Willard. It's a good bet.

Also going to post Fred's sister Ruth Suydam who died when she was 20 in 1919.

Pictures of my grandmother Jeanne Beatrice Suydam ( 1o17-1993). She married Dean Eugene May and had three children Willard, James and Janice May.
Jeanne was the daughter of Fred and Bessie (Johnson) Suydam. Her mother died when she was a child.

Suydam Obituaries: