FURSMAN, Elias S. and Myra E. Pool – Elias was born August 16, 1837 in Niagara County, New York, and came alone to Bloomington, Illinois in 1855, where he worked in a store for two years. He then settled on 160 acres of Illinois Central land over the line in Waldo Twp. While he did not move into Panola Twp. until 1865, we list him because of his many activities. He established a nursery and sold fruit trees when they were badly needed in the new country. He sold the scrapers used with teams to do so much of the early open ditching and excavating and grading, and had the state agency for them. Elias and Lee S. Straight founded the El Paso Tile & Brick Works where our old "tile pits" were, until recently filled in. He then built what El Paso called the "Fursman Block" –four brick buildings in the east business district. He was a Mason, a Democrat, and a Methodist. Elias was a founder and the first president of the Farmer's Club. His father was William H. Fursman who died in El Paso with his son and is also buried in Evergreen. Elias died in 1907.

GARDINER, James L. – Believed to have lived in the Kansas Twp. area. He was the first victim of a Woodford County Circuit Court action, April, 1842 at Versailles, where he was fined $30 for "intent to inflict bodily injury." He was possibly the father of 14 year old William M. Gardiner, who died November 20, 1845,and is buried in East White Oak Cemetery.

GARDINER, John D. – An early El Paso resident, who told of passing through the future El Paso town site upon his return from the Black Hawk War campaigns to the north in the year of 1832. This is the oldest written record of a visitor in these sections, although others unknown must have passed through here earlier. Gardiner was born February 13, 1811 and died February 12, 1889, and is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery. He wrote (in pension claim) that he "was bitten by a rattlesnake the last of August, 1832; marched to within seven miles of Rock Island, where a Fort surgeon named PHILEO treated me for cholera and the old snake bite."

GARDNER, Andrew J. B. (1830-1869) and wife, Elizabeth Angell – Lived in Panola Twp. in 1858. Andrew died June 29, 1869. Elizabeth died October 7, 1893, aged 56 years. They buried a son in the Evergreen Cemetery in 1863.

GARDNER, W. H. – Came from New York in 1856 and settled on the SE 1/4 of Section 20, the land east of Panola, then or a little later. He was an educator as well as a farmer and stock raiser, and in the early 1870's served as County Superintendent of Schools.

GASSNER, Lawrence (1844-1918) and Jane (1843-1916) – Lawrence emigrated from Germany in 1853, and settled then or later on the NW 1/4 of Section 17, Palestine Twp., his home being 1 1/2 miles south of Secor on the west road.

GASTON, John R. and Frances – John was the first Greene Twp. Supervisor in the first session, April 16, 1855. He was at the meeting on May 11, 1857 in El Paso when its first church, the Presbyterian, was organized, and was a charter member.

GEIGER, Christian and Sarah Webb Young – Christian was born July 5, 1826 and died June 19, 1905. He and Sarah were early settlers west of Panola, moving to the NE 1/4 of Section 13, Greene Twp. in 1856. A son, Clay Clement

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