W. R. Willis was born in Hopkins County, Ky., in 1813, came to Illinois in 1834, and settled at Walnut Grove. He came to Kappa in 1854, and kept the first hotel ever kept in Kappa. His hotel was the dwelling just north of Mr. Lallmann's store. This building (except the south part which was added afterwards) was moved from the Ephraim Potter farm in Palestine in 1854, by a man named Reynolds, and is said to have been built in 1840. Mr. Willis is now police magistrate at El Paso.
Asa E. Sparks came from Indiana in 1841. He was among the first storekeepers at Kappa. He now lives at El Paso.
Wm. Yerion, Sr. was born in Montgomery County, Va., in 1801. In 1840 he came to Peoria County, Ill., and in 1852 moved to the vicinity of Kappa. Mr. Yerion is still alive and quite strong for a person of his years. His son, George Yerion, is the well-known stock buyer and farmer.
Joseph Yerion, a brother to Wm. Yerion Sr. was born in Virginia in 1807 and lived at Kappa, where he built a dwelling house where John B. Drake's dwelling now stands. This house was afterwards moved out onto the Glass farm.
The Pattons -- Thomas, Edward, William, and Addison Patton came from Ohio in 1854.
Joseph
and Samuel Grant came from Indiana in 1842. First settled at Bowling Green,
which was then thought to be the "coming city" but it has not yet come.
Joseph came to Kappa in 1853 and started a Wagon Shop. Samuel came in 1855
and worked at the carpenter's trade. These two
gentlemen
are well known to all.
Caleb Horn, a half-brother to the Grants, came to Bowling Green from Indiana also in 1842. In 1850 he moved on to what is yet known as the "old Horn farm", where the Post Office at Roxan was established, of which office Mr. Horn was postmaster. Afterwards he moved to Kappa, where he lived for many years. At present he is living in El Paso with his son David.
-28-