b. 18 January 1807, d. 5 October 1856
Birth | 18 Jan 1807 | Garner Moffett was born on 18 Jan 1807 in Abingdon, Washington County, Virginia.3,4 |
Marriage | 15 Sep 1831 | He married Mary Jane Beaty Davis, daughter of William Davis and Sarah Ryburn, on 15 Sep 1831 in Washington County. Garner was 24 and Mary Jane was 17. Garner's brother John married Jane Dunn in Washington County the same day.5,6 |
| | A month after their marriage Garner and Mary Jane headed west, stopping first in Hancock County, Indiana where they settled land abutting the newly opened National Road about 2 or 3 miles east of Greenfield. Their first two children, William and John, were born there in 1832 and 1833.
However, Garner, ever in search of better farmland, moved the family further north to LaPorte County in the spring of 1834.7 |
Land-Sell | | Before leaving Hancock County Garner and Mary Jane sold their land. In the fall of 1833 they sold 80 acres to James Loehr for $130 and in April 1834 they sold an adjacent 240 acres to John Wolfe for $1,000.8,9 |
| | When Garner and Mary Jane first arrived in LaPorte County they lived in a hut about 2 miles from their land as they needed to plant a crop before building a cabin. The following fall Mary Jane's father came out from Virginia and along with 2 of Garner's brothers helped finish a cabin for the family. Son Robert was born there in 1835.10 |
| | But again the family did not stay put long, moving on in the spring of 1836 after Garner purchased a claim from Wesley Crain in Freedom township, Carroll County, Illinois (part of JoDavies Co. until 1839). Daughter Sarah was born in 1837 followed by Margaret in 1838. The following summer the family traveled back to Virginia for a visit.11 |
| | Garner took an active role in the growing Carroll County community. He helped establish the Christian Church in the community of Lanark and in 1843 served as its first elder. Garner also served as an itinerant preacher, sometimes traveling 15-20 miles on horseback on a Sunday morning to do so. He was also interested in education. The first school was built on the edge of his property; it sat on E. Georgetown Rd. and was later known as Moffett School. Garner served as the first school superintendant for the county. He ensured that all of his children attended college, the boys studying at Hiram College in Ohio and/or Bethany College in W. Virginia [then Virginia] and the girls at Shimer College in Mt. Carroll.12,13,14,15 |
| | Garner's interests included politics; he was an ardent Democrat and was respected by his peers, holding many local offices. In 1847 he represented Carroll County at the Illinois State Constitutional Convention.12,14 |
Cens-1850- Agric | Jun 1850 | The 1850 census provides a glimpse at Garner and Mary Jane's farm in Freedom Township. They owned 300 acres of improved land and 260 acres of unimproved land valued at $5,600. They also owned 13 horses, 8 cows, 10 oxen, 36 cattle and 60 swine, all valued at $1,250. Their crops included wheat, Indian corn, oats and Irish potatoes. They sold 50 pounds of beeswax or honey in the previous year. This was a good sized farm for the neighborhood and was quite productive. |
Residence | | A few years earlier they had moved from their small cabin to a large brick home. Like many of his neighbors and relatives Garner considered joining the covered wagons heading west in the early 1850s. But the move did not take place.16,17,18 |
Land | | Garner bought and sold many tracts of land during his years in Carroll County. The Public Domain Land tract records list purchases for him in Carroll and neighboring counties totalling 1,500 acres. He sold some of the land and lost some it when the Racine and Mississippi railroad planned to expand into Carroll County. Garner supported the railroad project. It is not clear exactly how he was involved but years later his widow commented that he gave the railroad much of his land. One can surmise that perhaps this was in exchange for a share in the anticipated profits of the venture. Since the railroad was never completed, the family lost at least some of it's investment.19,20 |
Death | 5 Oct 1856 | Garner died of typhoid fever on 5 Oct 1856 in Carroll County, Illinois, at age 49.21,4,14 |
Burial | | He was buried at Wolfe Cemetery in Freedom Township, Carroll County, Illinois.4 |
Probate Recd | | Garner's probate file, which had originally been on file at the Carroll Co. courthouse, was noted to be missing on Jan. 6, 1896. |