William Sadorus

SOURCE: "Early History and Pioneers of Champaign County, Illinois," by Milton W. Mathews and Lewis A. McLean, editors of the Champaign County Herald, published by the Champaign County Herald, 1886

SURNAMES: HIXON, MCCONNEY, MILLS, MOORE, SADORUS, TITUS

WILLIAM SADORUS. To write a history of this man who, for over 67 years has been a resident of Champaign county, is to write a history of the county. Such we cannot here undertake, but must content ourselves with a biography, briefly sketching the incidents of a career which spans more than three-fourths of our national life and whose residence here anti-dates the county's existence as a county by nearly ten years. The name is probably of German origin and the family descended from the stock of that people which early in the last century took possession of the eastern central counties of Pennsylvania, and whose presence there is attested even now by the thrift and well-earned wealth of the "Pennsylvania Dutchman." Henry SADORUS, born in 1783, and Mary TITUS, natives of that state, were the parents of William Sadorus, who was born July 4, 1812, being the first born of the family.

In the spring of 1817, when William was a little less than five years old, his parents embarked upon a flat-boat, built for the purpose, on Oil creek, Crawford county, Pa., and set out for a home in the west. They little thought of the untold wealth that there lay beneath their feet already oozing from every spring and bayou, or of the world-wide reputation which the creek and the town, subsequently to grow up and be named after the family of Mrs. Sadorus, were to achieve. They knew they were leaving a cold, unfriendly soil, but did not dream of the "oil kings" it was to produce nor of the far-famed city of Titusville which was to be called into life by the oil which the soil contained. A few weeks brought the family to Cincinnati, then the rising western town, by way of the Allegheny and Ohio rivers. Here they dwelt two years and then, by successive moves, reached Connersville, Flat Rock and Raccoon, Ind., from which latter place they again, in March, 1824, set out for the west, this time making their first and final stop on the banks of the Okaw, in which was then Edgar county, Ill. This point they reached on April 9th and set up their camp. A brief survey of their surroundings satisfied Mr. Sadorus that he need look no further. A soil of unexampled fertility, with a broad expanse of timber and prairie, welcomed them. Here he determined to make a home for himself and his descendants. It was veritably a land of promise. This last move was made in a wagon drawn by two yoke of oxen. The wagon contained the wife and mother and six children of whom the subject of this sketch was the eldest, he then being a little less than twelve years old; Henry T. Sadorus being the youngest, a babe in his mother's arms. A family named Smith accompanied the Sadorus family and stopped one summer in the new home, and then moved westward leaving their companians alone in the wilderness. The nearest neighbors of the family were Runnel Fielder, a squatter on lands two miles northeast of the site of Urbana, and James Hayworth, another squatter, on the site of Monticello. Paris, Edgar county, was the nearest post-office in Illinois, though Eugene, Indiana, was nearer than Paris. There was then no Decatur, Monticello, Charleston, Urbana nor Danville. These names, like the counties of which they are the seats of justice, were yet to appear on the map. A simple wagon tent did duty as a home for the pioneers until after ground had been broken with the rude, wooden mould-board, iron plow-share plow brought with them, and some seed put in the ground as a provision for the future. While living in this frail home, the heads of two of the families with all the members except William and a Smith boy about his own age, left the two boys for four weeks in the tent to care for the goods and stock, while they made an excursion to some distance. The boys held the fort surrounded as they were by wild men and howling wolves. The temporary home happened to be set up within a few rods of the spot which afterwards became the permanent home of the family. Soon after setting up their home, the family was visited by Indians of the Kickapoo, Delaware and Pottawattomie tribes, remnants of which tribes were still roaming through the country and hunting wild game. Mr. Sadorus well remembers Shemaugre, or "Old Soldier," as he called himself, and Wallhoming, chiefs of the Pottawattomie and Delaware tribes, who, with their followers, often resorted to the Sadorus home for shelter and food. These people were always treated kindly by the family and in return received nothing but kindness from the wild men. Before 1833 the Indians had all left this part of Illinois and were seen no more.

Before the first winter set in the family had been comfortably housed in a cabin of split logs, well chinked and daubed, after the fashion of the pioneers everywhere, but though the family home from that time on for many years, the cabin did not have a glazed window for six years. Before that time the hole in the wall which answered for a window had nothing in it to keep out the cold but a piece of greased muslin. The winter found the family well supplied with provisions, grown upon the soil or caught by the chase.

The public lands in their neighborhood had been surveyed but two years and were not yet in market, and the family were squatters on these lands for more than ten years before entries were made. On December 11, 1834, William Sadorus, being then 22 years old, entered the n 1⁄2 ne 1⁄4 Sec. 1, T. 17, R. 7, and his father entered the se 1⁄4 of the same section, on which the family home had been located. These were the first entries of lands on the Okaw. William Sadorus now lives on the land so entered by him almost half a century since. With no people in this country when the Sadorus family came, of course there were no schools, until by the coming of population a demand was created. This event, however, did not take place until William had passed the school age. All the opportunities for schooling he had, after coming to Illinois, were received at a school taught at Georgetown, Illinois, where his father sent him for some months when a young man.

Population began to flow into their neighborhood for permanent residence about twelve years after their coming and slowly increased until the coming of the railroad era, since which, as if by magic, the prairies have been seized upon and made to serve the uses of man.

On the 11th day of March, 1838, Mr. Sadorus was married to Mary Ann MOORE, of Lake Fork, and soon afterwards made for himself a cabin home on lands owned by him near his father's. Of this marriage were born: George W. B. and Henry W., who live near their father; Margaret E., wife of O. C. MCCONNEY, of Sadorus; Sam'l S. who lives in Nevada; Sarilda, married to Thomas HIXON, of Jasper county, Mo.; Sarah S., married to Charles MILLS, of Pana, Ill., and John T., deceased. Mrs. Sadorus died about 1848. Subsequently Mr. Sadorus was married to Miss Jincey Ann BRUMLEY, of Urbana, from which marriage were born a son and daughter, both of whom died young. After the decease of the second Mrs. Sadorus, Mr. S. a third time entered into the marriage relation, this time with Mrs. Charity HASTINGS. One daughter, Ida, has been born of this marriage who, now a young woman, is at home with her parents. George W. B. Sadorus entered the army in 1862 in Co. E., 125 Ill. Reg., and came out in 1865 as captain of his company. Henry W. Sadorus enlisted in Co. G, 25 Ill. Reg., August 25, 1861, and was honorably mustered out of the service September 1, 1864.

Mr. Sadorus has all his life been engaged in farming, at which business he has realized a handsome competency. He was for a time the owner of a small stock of general merchandise, one of the first stores in his town, but soon retired from that business. He has always been a democrat in politics and believing in the democratic maxim, that the "office should seek the man and not the man the office," has never sought nor held office above that of school director. For many years he has been a member of the Baptist church and one of the active promoters of that faith in his neighborhood.

It will be seen by those knowing anything of the early history of this county, that Mr. Sadorus is the oldest resident of Champaign county. His brother, Henry T., came to the county by the same wagon but, when quite a young man, he went to California and took up his residence in the mountains, where he spent fifteen years, thus removing him from this field of competition. At the annual Old Settlers' Meeting held for this county in August, 1890. Mr. Sadorus presented himself as a candidate for the prize offered for the oldest person in citizenship and without a question bore off the prize, a gold-headed cane. He is now venerable in years, honored by his neighbors and highly favored by his Maker of whom he is a sincere worshiper. His children live near him and the evening of life promises an honored close.