HART, Allen and (1) Lucy Willis, (2) Ann Baldridge – Allen was born in Westchester County, New York, September 26, 1803; of English ancestors who first came to America in 1632. He came to Illinois in 1836, settling near Hudson for a year. In 1837 he built his cabin on a knoll on the prairie on the south center line of Section 27, Palestine Twp. This was replaced by him and the house still stands on the knoll, owned by his grandson, Allen Hart Hawks. He was threatened because he was known to operate an underground "railroad" station there. He eventually acquired over 1,000 acres of excellent land, mostly eastward from his home, and he also bought the E 1/2 of the NE 1/4 of Section 34 in Greene Twp., January 1, 1857. He was Palestine's first supervisor when the township was formed, and he was a member of the first Woodford County jury in Versailles in April, 1841. Abraham Lincoln was an Attorney in the first case tried: "The People, vs James L. Gardiner; attempt to do bodily injury." The verdict was "Guilty, $30.00 and costs." Hart was a passenger on the first scheduled passenger train to come into Kappa; it arrived there May 23, 1853. Hart died October 29, 1879, and is buried in the Kappa Cemetery.
HARVEY, Gershom – Perhaps the first farmer in the south Palestine area; some records state he was there as early as 1825. If this is true, he was the earliest pioneer into our five township area. We cannot verify, and doubt the authenticity.
HARVEY, William T. – Lived in Greene Twp. in the '50's. He died April 29, 1860 when he was 28 years old. He is buried in the Gabetown Cemetery.
HASSEN, Matilda – Kappa's first school teacher in 1856, after the first schoolhouse was built.
HAUSSLER, Francis X. and (1) Magdalena Dietz (1821-1887), (2) Emma R. Prescott – Francis was born in Alsace, France, March 3, 1834 and came to America with his father, landing July 2, 1841. He lived in New York until 1858 when he moved to the new town of Secor. He was Secor's first furniture dealer, and also its cabinet maker and undertaker. His second marriage was in 1892. One oddity: he went from one religious denomination to another in frequent turns: Roman Catholic, Methodist, German Evangelical and Christian Scientist. He retired about 1900. His date of death is unknown, but burial is in the Secor Cemetery.
HAWKINS, Lamar – Active in the 1858 Methodist Church in the Panola Circuit.
HAWTHORNE, Alexander – Lived in or near El Paso in 1859 when he served on the purchasing committee for the Cemetery Association.
HAY, Captain Gardiner (1802-1861) – He is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery. Nothing is known of him or his war record. He must have been in the Mexican or Indian Wars.
HAYES, Isaac – Early Bowling Green resident.
HAZELTON, Helen – Bowling Green's first school teacher.
HAZEN, Azro – Purchased the NW 1/4 in Section 27, Panola Twp. on April 28, 1856. He was a brother of Mrs. Frederick T. Waite.
HAZLETT, Benjamin – He is believed to have been El Paso's first resident. William Ostler's diary states he was operating a restaurant in the only building in town in 1855, and therefore, he was serving meals before "Count" Chlopicki arrived, to live in the same building. Bestor testified he owned this building that Chlopicki lived in; Wathen testified "Bestor moved the only building he ever owned out of El Paso," i. e., south of the Wathen-Gibson land, to railroad land. Bishop Samuel Chase baptised a Hazlett child at this old one-story depot-restaurant in 1856, no doubt the first religious act in town, according to the St. Andrew's Church baptismal record. Later, a two-
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