This little cemetery, roughly about an acre in extent, was undoubtedly the
earliest burying-ground among the six in Whitefield township, yet, according to
the prevailing custom of the times, the land itself was never conveyed nor
dedicated for that purpose.
Though in frequent and regular use for about
55 years, and presumably well maintained at that time, today it presents a
rather sorry sight, well filled with brush and volunteer trees, but at least,
with most of its 60-odd stones still intact. There is at present a fairly new
and completely sound fence around it, which effectively keeps cattle from the
adjoining pasture land behind it from any more depredations than already have
been made; however, it is open on the road face.
This cemetery is located close to the southeast corner of Section 35 in
Whitefield, on the rather steep westward slope leading up from the former
course of Rt. 29 which starts climbing along the bluff just below the
present Charles Meihsner home (formerly the State Game lodge), about
half-way between this point and the former beginning of the Bonham, or
Waughop, Hill road. It lies just a few rods south of a former coal mine, but
is so densely filled with brush that it could easily be missed by a
passer-by – except when the foliage is completely gone.
Not many
years ago, it was plainly visible from Rt. 29's newer course, at any time of
year. Several rather tall needle-type monuments can still be picked out
above the brush-tops among the trees, but a careful watch to see them is
usually necessary, nowadays.
Even though the property of the Bonham family, and used almost exclusively
by its generations, Warford Bonham, Sr., owner of the land, always made it
clear that his neighbors and friends were welcome to make use of it as the
occasion arose. Although only 16 of the stones carry the Bonham name, many
of the other names, including Hoskins, Tanquary, Teagarden, Taylor, and
Swift, were all related to the Bonhams, mostly by marriage. Still other
names, which may or may not be related, include: Norris, Schrader, Jenkins,
Larr, Hubbard, Lee, Bennett, Christman, Wright, Stephenson, Bickerton,
Tuttle, Timmons, Scade, Henry, and Beyer.
There is not much doubt
that the cemetery was first begun in 1846, as three burials with ath date on
their stones are still to be found; if there were any earlier ones, they no
longer have stones. These thee were: Sarah Bonham, first wife of Jeiah
Bonham (son of Warford, Sr.), born Aug. 5, 1821, died July 30, 1846; and
just a few weeks later, their infant son Hardin Bonham, died Sept. 12, 1846,
at the age of one year. In between these two, on Aug. 29, 1846, was Norman
W. Bonham, six-months-old son of William M. and Amanda Bonham, William M.
being another son of Warford, Sr.
From then on, the cemetery was in consistently frequent use, ranging from
one to four burials per year, up until about 1870; through the 1870's and
1880's, only occasionally; then, a considerable flurry of activity through
the early 1890's, which terminated with two burials, one in 1900 and one in
1901, which, (unless some unmarked ones have occurred since) were the last
two: Margaret C. (Mrs. George Jacob) Christman (Oct. 27, 1900), and
six-year-old Dolly May Hubbard, who died Sept. 4, 1901.
Five stones
indicate births in the 1700's: Warford Bonham, Sr. (Nov. 18, 1781 – July 23,
1869); his wife, Rebecca (Mason) Bonham (Nov. 28, 1789 – Feb. 17, 1858);
Peter Larr (Dec. 31, 1786 – June 22, 1852); Margaret Stephenson, wife of a
T. Stephenson (died April 1, 1864, in the 69th year of her age, making her
born about 1794 or 1794); and Arzilla (Edgebert) Swift, wife of Philander
Swift (July 10, 1799 – Feb. 21, 1856); these last named being the
progenitors of the very large Swift family of Whitefield and Henry
townships, and also a portion of it which settled many years ago in the
Rooks Creek – Graymont area in Livingston county, about 10 to 15 miles west
of Pontiac.
The senior Warford Bonhams were among the early settlers of the township,
history stating that they arrived in Whitefield in 1835. They came
originally from Ohio to Illinois stopping first for a two-year period in
Tazewell county, near Pekin, then coming by flat-boat up the river to where
they claimed land in Section 35 of Whitefield.
With them were their
nine children, two of the eldest already married. These were: Mahala, wife
of James Tanquary; both are buried in the cemetery; James Tanquary died
quite young, just past 40, on Jan. 24, 1849, and Mahala re-married Abraham
Tanquary; among the great-grandchildren of Mahala (Bonham) Tanquary still
residing in this area are: Lucian Fosdick, and Beulah (Mrs. Clarence S.)
Schneider, both of Henry, and Rena (Mrs. Ralph Palmer) Greene of Lacon;
among the younger grandchildren are Ethel E. (Mrs. Andrew C.) Kelly and Miss
Nellie Tanquary of Henry, and Bessie (Mrs. Michael Jacobs of Sparland:
George Bonham, married twice: firt to Lucretia Ann _?_, who died very
young, Nov. 4, 1854, and was buried in this cemetery, and second, to a
daughter of another pioneer of the community, the widely-known and
highly-respected Loton Frisbey; there are probably no descendants of this
branch of the family living hereabouts, or at least, who carry the name;
Eliza, wife of John S. Hoskins, whose eldest son, Leonard Hoskins, was
among the first children born in Whitefield township, in 1835; grandchildren
living in this area include Miss Della Taylor of Sparland, J. R. Blackwell
of Sparland, and Lillian (Mrs. Arthur) Kehlenbach of Chillicothe;
Jeriah Bonham, who in 1839, married Sarah Atwood, daughter of the Timothy
Atwoods of Whitefield, and after her death on July 30, 1846 (probably the
first burial in this cemetery), married Ellen W. _?_; he lived much of his
life in Peoria, and was a widely known journalist – among his works being a
volume entitled "Fifty Years Recollections" (pub. 1883, at Peoria), which
includes interesting sidelights on many of the prominent men of the entire
state, from governors on down to country doctors, editors, and business men
of this area; not having access to any genealogical material beyond his two
wives, we are unable to give the names of any of his descendants;
William M. Bonham, who, with his wife Amanda, have probably the largest
number of living descendants in this area, including a large part of the
extensive McLaughlin family in the Sparland area, also the Hill family of
Sparland;
Warford Bonham, Jr., married a daughter of the Philander
Swifts, Lucy Ann; both are buried in the cemetery, together with two
children, Eben and Frances T., and a grandchild, Charles Teagarden; again,
we have no tabulation of descendants to refer to, but any living descendants
must have come from daughters who married other names;
Mary Ann
Bonham married Henry Hoskins, in 1852; some of the present Sparland
residents of that name are descendants of this marriage;
Clayton
Bonham, eight member of the Warford Bonham, Sr., family, is noted in
published history and biography to have "died in 1870," but where, is not
given; presumably it was not in this area, as his grave, unless totally
unmarked, is not in the Bonham cemetery; nor is anything said of surviving
wife and/or children;
Henson D. Bonham, for many years a resident of Henry, who also married into
the Philander Swift family, the latter's daughter Luana, also in 1852; both
are buried in Henry City Cemetery, together with three of their children,
but probably have no living descendants in this area;
And the
youngest, Emily Bonham, who probably died in infancy or early childhood
while the parents lived in Tazewell county, since it is mentioned in family
records in local biography that she did die unmarried; her next older
brother Henson was born in 1831; the family came to Marshall county without
her; and they lived during 1833 and 1834 in Tazewell county.
In spite
of its age and number of burials, estimated at between 70 and 80, only one
war veteran's grave is listed for it, that of Warford Bonham, Sr., himself,
who was a captain in the U. S. Army in the War of 1812. A biographical
sketch of his son, Henson D., published in 1896, states that he raised a
company of volunteers and was its captain throughout the war.
It also
gives his birthplace as along the Potomac river in Maryland, and that of his
wife, in New Jersey. Both, with their families, eventually came to Ross
county, Ohio, where they met and married. (Ross county is in the South
Central Ohio; county seat, Chillicothe.) The date of their marriage is not
given, but was likely about 1808 or 1809, as their eldest daughter was born
March 24, 1810.
(Since writing the major part of this manuscript, we
learn from a Henry resident, who formerly lived close to the old cemetery,
that there was at least one fairly recent burial in it, in probably the
1920's, whose grave, presumably, was never marked with a stone. Our
informatnt did not know, however, whose remains were interred on that
occasion. If there had been one, there may have been others as well. We
would appreciate greatly learning of their names, dates, and relationship,
if any, to the Bonhams.)
There are far more persons residing locally
who are descendants of this very highly respected family of real pioneers
than have been mentioned in this story by name, numbering probably well over
100, but not a single one, to our not too great knowledge on the subject,
still carries the Bonham name. In fact, with the exception of the cemetery
itself, the name has all but vanished completely from Marshall county. Even
the road long known as "Bonham Hill road," is now far more commonly known as
the "Waughop Hill road," from the Waughop family, who have more recently
owned much of the land formerly in the Bonham name.
The Bonham family, however, in spite of all its present-day descendants in
this area now carrying other names (all descended from daughters,
granddaughters, and great-granddaughters of the senior Warford Bonhams), can
claim one distinction with little or no serious competition: within the past
few years, it has begun its seventh successive area-residing generation,
without a break of residence outside western Marshall county.
(The
following have been our sources of information in this genealogical sketch
of the Bonham family, as well as the (probably) history of their cemetery:
(a) Spencer Ellsworth's "Record of the Olden Time," pub. 1880, the
"standard" textbook of early Marshall itself, from the files and records of
Mrs. James Herberger of near Dunlap, who herself is an "old cemetery
hobbyist," and has complete records of many of this county's oldest
cemeteries: (c) a small amount of monument inscription data from Henry City
and Sparland cemeteries, noted by this writer; and (d) several obituaries in
old files of the Henry News-Republican. Also added should be, some personal
information supplied by several persons who are Bonham descendants, in a few
isolated instances. It would be impossible to identify the items, however,
and the informants as well, because many of both overlap considerably, and
also verify some published material. To those people, however, we herewith
express our personal appreciation for the information furnished.)
Source: Henry News-Republican, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 1957
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