(Peabody) Currier (the latter raised by Gen. Putnam's sister), natives of Massachusetts. She married Samuel Spencer about 1803, Rev. Leonard Wooston officiating. To them six children were born, viz., Sarah, born in 1804, residing in Rock Island county; Isaac, born March 26, 1812, died in Elmira, December 27, 1884; Betsy, born January 1, 1817, married Dan N. Beall in 1836, resides in Rock Island county, and celebrated their golden wedding in 1886; Simon B. resides here, and two died in infancy. In 1842, Simon B. Spencer set out for the west, arrived in Elmira, May 19th, and worked for his brother Isaac at eleven dollars per month. Early in 1843, he revisited Vermont, returned in the fall with his father, mother and elder sister, and completed the Spencer settlement here. From 1844 to 1848, his health did not permit him to engage in any kind of work. In the spring of 1852, he purchased the southeast quarter of section 2, and here has since been an agriculturalist and stock-grower. The forty acres which he entered in 1843, on section 14, he still holds, together with seven acres of coal land on section 16, eighty acres on the west half of section 2, and his residence in the village of Osceola. He belonged to the Union League (1861—65), has always been republican, but is content with going to the polls. In religion he is a Baptist.

Isaac Spencer, born in Vermont in 1812, came to Peoria in 1835, and to the northeast quarter, section 10, Elmira township, in 1838, and subsequently purchased more lands, all of which he improved, his steam flouring mill being one of the early industries of the county.

Sturms Family. —Much has been written of this family in the sketches of Osceola and Toulon townships, as well as in that of this township. Again in the general history many references are made to them. For the purposes of this part of the chapter, the following notice of the family is given: Louis Sturms, who came to LaSalle Prairie, Ill., about the period the first settlement was made in Essex township, came to Spoon river about 1834; in 1835, visited what is now Elmira township, remained some time, but returned to Ohio. Matthias Sturms, who came in September, 1834, brought with him his wife and ten children, thus giving a population at once to this part of the wilderness. In the history of the Methodist Episcopal church throughout the county, many references are made to this pioneer, for in his cabin were held the first Methodist services north of what is now Wyoming, in this county. Among his sons were Henry S. (not Henry Sturms, who settled here in 1838), Nicholas, who was a juror in 1839, Samuel, Matthias and Simon. Of this number, there were assessed in 1839, Matthias, junior, Henry S., Samuel and Nicholas. Henry S. was married to Miss Osborne in Ohio, and brought his wife with him, as his sister, who married John Kirkpatrick, brought her husband with her in 1834. Another sister married the pioneer—Peter Pratt. Matthias Sturms died in February, 1862, aged seventy-six years; but prior to this time the old people had passed away. The records of the cemeteries all around Elmira and in the township contain the names of this family, even as the marriage record tells of the beginnings of other families of the same name.

John Turnbull, commonly known as "Uncle John," was born in