Naaman Spencer Sr. (1789 - 1873)

Born 14 May 1789 in Burlington, Hartford, Connecticut, USA

Ancestors

Husband of Diantha (Benham) Spencer — married 16 Jul 1811 in Burlington, Hartford, Connecticut, USA

Descendants

Died 3 Jan 1873 at age 83 in Eagle Point, Ogle, Illinois, USA

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Biography

Naaman was born on 14 May 1789 in Burlington, Hartford, Connecticut, USA. He was the son of Michael Spencer and Amy Edgecomb.

He married Diantha Benham on 16 Jul 1811 in Burlington, Hartford, Connecticut, USA.

About 1833 Naaman and family moved from the Burlington, Connecticut area to Bradford County, Pennsylvania, likely because his brother-in-law, Jehial Benham, had been an early settler there. They labored there four years, clearing the rocky and timbered land. About this time they heard stories of Illinois, a land free from rock and trees, where a farm could be made without years of hard labor in clearing land. In the fall of 1837 Naaman and his oldest son Allen, along with Charles Bowen and Chauncey Grant, trekked to Illinois. They crossed the Rock River at Dixon's Ferry, and then walked on to the Elkhorn Grove. Naaman was trained as a cooper (barrelmaker) and also knew the milling trade. He had brought along his coopering tools on the trip. Elickim Todd had settled on the SW quarter of Section 19, which was south of Elkhorn Grove.

When Mr. Todd learned that Naaman was a cooper he invited them to stay the winter in his cabin to make barrels and cut rails from wood in the grove. A "wet" or "tight" cooper made barrels for storing liquids, usually made of oak. A "dry" or "slack" cooper made barrels for dry commodities like flour or sugar. These barrels were usually made of maple, elm, chestnut or other locally available wood.

The following spring the Spencers moved into a log cabin that had been built by John Ankeny in 1831, but was abandoned during the Blackhawk War. It was then the property of Harry Smith who let them plant corn and potatoes on the grounds so when the rest of the family arrived in June 1838 there was already a nice garden growing. They stayed here for about four years, saving money for land of their own. The first jobs for the family were probably in making pork and flour barrels from the trees of Elkhorn Grove, to be used locally. About 1843 the family moved to Eagle Point and built a home on the SW quarter of section ten. The land was still owned by their descendants in 2001.

DEATH: DEATH OF AN OLD SETTLER - Eagle Point, Ill., Jan. 6th, 1873.

Ed. Press: - This town and vicinity have been called to mourn the loss of one of its most honored and aged citizens Naaman Spencer, Sr., aged 84 years, 8 months and 20 days. He died at the residence of his son; Isaac Spencer of this place, on the 3d inst. Mr. Spencer leaves a large circle of relatives and friends, his direct descendants numbering over one hundred. He was born at Hartford, Connecticut, April 13th, 1788, and was married 1809, and emigrated to Bradford county, Pa., in 1834, where he remained five years. In the fall of 1839, he emigrated with his son, Allen B. Spencer, to Elkhorn Grove, Carroll County, this State. In the spring following, his family joined him in his western home. In 1844 he removed to this place, in Ogle county, where he has since resided.

Mr. Spencer was a strong advocate of all measures of freedom, freely acquiescing in the improvements of the age with that zeal that marks the character of our early western settlers.

He died on 3 Jan 1873 in Eagle Point, Ogle, Illinois, USA.

Children

Children of Naaman Spencer:

• William Trumbull Spencer.
• Fannie Amanda Spencer.
• Alanson Solomon Spencer.
• Allen Benham Spencer.
• Lucinda L. Spencer.
• Lurinda Spencer.
• Naaman Spencer, Jr..
• Diantha Spencer.
• Clarinda Spencer.
• Isaac Spencer.
• Luman Spencer.

Sources

• Naaman Spencer Image 1