This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Early Settlers of English River Township 1838 1840
A summary of fringe settlers along English River in the north part of the county from 1838 to 1840. Joseph Edelstein from Switzerland first claimed near Riverside, built a cabin, then lived in a cave during family arrival. John Diehl from Germany joined him. Simon P. Teeple, a New York physician, led early growth and hosted the township’s first 1840 election. A. H. and Charles Haskell with Abraham Owens built a mill site. Haskell perished in a river accident with Owens surviving. Riverside’s Duvall and Gillam established cabins in 1839. Gillam became justice of the peace in 1840. Reuben B. Davis settled near Davis Creek in 1839, erected a frame house intended as a tavern for travelers on the military road. In 1840 population doubled as Hawthorn and family arrived, signaling rapid settlement expansion.