Constant Powell - St. Clair County. Illinois Pioneer

Constant Powell - St. Clair County. Illinois Pioneer

When I was in St. Louis a couple of weeks ago, I took the opportunity to visit the Edwardsville Public Library which was reported to have an extensive local genealogy area.

An internet search prior to our visit showed that the Powell Family (my Dad's side) had some write ups in  a History of St. Clair County, Volume II published by the St. Clair County Genealogical Society in 1992. The Edwardsville library had a copy of this book and I was able to copy the writeup.

The book was an over-sized book and when I tried to make copies of the page, the public usage copy machine would automatically size the page to the wrong size.  When I asked the librarian for help, the allowed me to use their office use only copy machine to make my copies.  I want to thank the librarians for their assistance in making this trip more productive.

The first write up was on Constant Powell by H. Michael McTeer.  It was largely based on a write up by my great Aunt, Blanche Powell Miller.  Michael also used data from Martha Schildknect Bode as well. Michael also submitted a biographical sketch on Constant Powell to the Montgomery County, Tennessee Family History Book published by Turner Publishing in 2000.

What do I know about Constant Powell.

• Accord to Aunt Blanche, her grandfather Constant Powell was born Christmas Day, 1806, in Montgomery County, Tennessee. According to Michael, he was possibly the son of Hampton Powell (based on circumstantial evidence). What evidence?  Probably the 1820 census. In the 1820 census there were 3 Powel families living in Montgomery County, Tennessee. Constant, born in December of 1806 would probably have been 15 years old. Of the Powel families living in Montgomery County in 1820, only the Hampton Powel family was enumerated with a male between the ages of 10 to 15.

          1820 Census          WHITE MALES            WHITE FEMALES                 

                           0  10  16  26         0  10  16  26               

                          to  to  to  to  >     to  to  to  to  >     

                          10  15  25  44  44    10  16  25  44  44               

     Powel, Eden           2   0   0   1   0     1   0   1   0   0          

     Powel, Hampton        3   2   1   1   0     1   2   1   0   0          

     Powel, James          2   0   1   0   0     2   0   1   0   0  

• He married Mary Lyons before 1830. Constant and his wife were enumerated in the 1830 census in Montgomery County, Tennessee, both between 20 and 30 years of age.  No children and No slaves were in the household.

         1830 Census            WHITE MALES                 WHITE FEMALES

     Montgomery       0   5  10  15  20  30  40   0   5  10  15  20  30  40  

                     to  to  to  to  to  to  to  to  to  to  to  to  to  to 

                      5  10  15  20  30  40  50   5  10  15  20  30  40  50 Slave

    Powell, Constant  0   0   0   0   1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   0   0  0  

• Their first known child Sarah was born in November 1830.

• When Constant was about 33 years old, (about 1839) the family migrated to St. Clair County in southern Illinois. The settled in the New Design/High Prairie region where they were enumerated in the 1840 census.

           1840 Census            WHITE MALES                 WHITE FEMALES

     St. Clair Co.    0   5  10  15  20  30  40   0   5  10  15  20  30  40  

                     to  to  to  to  to  to  to  to  to  to  to  to  to  to 

                      5  10  15  20  30  40  50   5  10  15  20  30  40  50 Slave

    Powell, Constant  1   0   0   0   0   1   0   2   1   1   0   0   1   0  0  

• According to the family narrative, the family lived in New Design before moved to Ridge Prairie. We haven't been able to located the family in the 1850 census.  And although the family narrative states Sarah married John Distler about 1849, the marriage record shows the pair actually married on January 1, 1851.

• The 1850 Census  has not been found. The family narrative states they were living in the New Design region.

• Mary died before 1858. A marriage record found in the Illinois State Archives  Marriage Index  states "Constantine Powell" married "F. Owens" on Feb. 23, 1858.  

• Constant was one of the earliest residents of O'Fallon.  The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois, Part 2, states that in 1859 Henry Stocker, Philip Schildknecht, and John Distler the first German settlers came to this community. In January 1860 the only families resident at O Fallon were those of Anderson Unbarger, William Peach, Mrs C Knowlton, John Daily, John Salter, Dr C Hixson, Henry Stocker, Philip Schildknecht, Cornelius Neville, Henry Farr, John Distler, C Powell, Benjamin Orcutt, Henry Mace and GW Pawson.

• By 1860 Contstant was living in O'Fallon with his second wife, Perlitha, his son William and his step daughter Virginia.

          1860 Census O'Fallon, St. Clair County, Illinois  - Family number 3465

          Powell  Constant         52           1808      Male                  Tennessee  Farmer   $250   $ 350

          Powell  William           16           1844      Male                  Illinois

          Powell  Perlitha           33           1827      Female               Kentucky

          Owens  Virginia          13           1847      Female               Illinois

• The family narrative states Constant used his wagon to haul brick for the Methodist church in Shiloh, Illinois.  The Methodist church at Shiloh was among the first Methodist churches in Illinois. According to the Shiloh website, the meeting house was the longest organized Methodist church in the State of Illinois. It began as a log building erected around 1807. According to the Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois, Part 2, the second brick structure was erected in 1819. The O'Fallon Methodist church grew out of this congregation. In 1864 the Methodists erected a $7,500 brick church in O'Fallon. Based on these dates, it is more likely that Constant hauled materials for the O'Fallon Church.

• Constant died June 1, 1866. He was buried in the Shiloh cemetery. On June 19, 1866, Wilson Powell applied to the St. Clair County court of Probate for Letters of administration of the Estate of Constant Powell. He stated that Constant died intestate (no will). Wilson stated he was a friend of the family. He estimated the value of the real estate at approximately $500. He and Levi Simmons secured a bond of $1000.

• On Jan 31, 1868, Levi Simmons was appointed administrator of the estate of Constant Powell. On March 16, 1868, Levi Simmons petitioned the court for authorization to sell the real estate held by the estate.  Opposing the sale was Perlitha Powell, widow, Triphena Davis and William Davis her husband, William Powell, Charity Powell, Sarah Distler and John Distler her husband, and Flora Powell. On May 19, 1868 Levi Simmons reported the sale of the said real estate.

• A search of the Illinois State Archives marriage index for St. Clair county found the following marriage records for the family: 

          Family member             Spouse                                   Date            County

          Powell, Constantine      Owens, F                           1858-02-23     St. Clair

          Powell, Sarah               Distler, John                       1851-01-01     St. Clair

          Powell, Trifine              Worly, Lother                    1853-09-08      St. Clair

          Worlds, Triphina           Johnson, William               1859-08-30      St. Clair

          Worley, Luther             Adams, Martha                  1866-09-20     St. Clair         

          Johnson, Triphini           Davis, William                   1867-06-06      St. Clair

          Powell, Rebecca I        Woodington, George G      1853-09-08     St. Clair

          Powell, William             Dale, Mary                        1867-10-10     St. Clair

          Powell, Charity             Harrison, James                 1870-05-11     St. Clair

• Constant and Mary's known children were as follows: 

1. Sarah "Sally" Distler was born Nov. 1830 (based on the 1900 census) in Tennessee.  She married John Distler on January 1st, 1851. They settled in St. Clair County, Illinois.
2. Trifina Powell, born about 1836 (based on the 1900 census) in Tennessee. She married Luther Worly on on September 8, 1853. They were probably divorced as subsequent marriage records were found for both of them. She married second William Johnson on August 30, 1859. It is unknown what happened to William (perhaps he was a casualty of the civil war. She married third William Davis on June 6, 1866.
3. Rebecca Powell was born about 1839 in either Tennessee or Illinois. She married George Woodington on November 3, 1859. She may have died before 1866 as she was not listed in her father's probate record. 
4. Charity Powell was born about 1842 (based on the 1860 & 1880 censuses)  in Illinois.  She married James Harrison May 11, 1870. After their marriage they moved to Washington State.  Charity died in 1931.
5. William Henry Powell  born in 1844 in St Clair County, Illinois. He married Mary Ellen Dale on October 10, 1867. He was a civil war veteran.  His life and Civil war record will be the subject of my next blog.
6. Betty Powell / Flora Powell. Betty is listed in the Family narrative as possibly married to a Davis.  No marriage records were found under the name of Betty. There was a Flora Powell listed on Constant's estate; perhaps this is Betty. No marriage record was found in St. Clair County for Flora Powell.