Oak Grove Cemetery

OWNER: CHATHAM TOWNSHIP

LOCATION:  9855 OAK GROVE RD, LOAMI, IL 62661

BOARD OF DIRECTORS:  BLAKE LADAGE, DEREK SKINNER, ZAC BROADDUS

PLOTS AVAILABLE:  CALL ZAC BROADDUS  (217) 971-5463

Oak Grove Cemetery History

War of 1812 Veterans buried in the cemetery include:

            Simon Lindley, Sr., Pvt Capt Jones’ Co. IL Militia

            John Bradley, Pvt 1 Regt WTN Militia

            John Darneille, Lt 16 Regt Ky Militia

            Thomas A. Greening, Lt 9 Regt TN Militia 1809

            Daniel A. Jacobs, Pvt 1 Rifle Regt KY Volunteers – POW River Raisin

            Samuel Wyckoff, Pvt Trimble’s Mtd Regt OH Volunteers

James G Webb Pvt KY Vol- POW River Raisin

Real Daughters of 1812 Veterans buried in the cemetery include:

            Elizabeth Lindely Harbour, Real Daughter

            Mary Jacobs Darneille, Real Daughter

            Samuel Harbour, Jr.

            Jasper N. Harbour

            Elzina Harbour

            Ida Darneille (daughter of Mary (Jacobs) Darneille

            Isabella Bradley

            Anna Lindley (Wife of Simon Lindley)

SIMON LINDLEY –

Father John Lindley, born 13 Sept. 1747, London Grove, Chester county, Pennsylvania, (Age 50 years)
Mother Sarah Pyle, born 10 Nov. 1750, Pennsylvania, , died Jan. 23 1829, Christian county, Kentucky, USA
Married 16 Mar, 1768, Orange county, North Carolina.

 Children:

1 - Simon Lindley 1769                      3 - Mary Lindley 1772

2 - William Lindley 1770                     4 – John Lindley Jr. 1775

5 - James Lindley 1775                      8 – Jehu Lindley 1782

6 - Thomas Lindley 1779                    9 – Ruth Lindley 1786

7 - Jacob M Lindley 1781                   10 – Johnathan Lindley 1790

Simon Lindley and Anna Stanley were married July 14, 1789.  Their home was in Orange County, North Carolina until four children were born, and they moved to Christian County, Kentucky, where they had three more children.  In the fall of 1807, Simon and his family moved to Madison County, Illinois, and the next spring to what is now Bond County. 

All was quite there for about three years, but the latter part of 1811 the Indians became hostile, and began to murder the settlers and steal property.  Mr. Lindley was warned by a very old, white-haired Indian, of the threat of danger.  Simon and the other settlers united in building a fort or stockade (Lindley Fort), about two and a half miles from where Greenville now stands.  They lived in that fortification during the whole time the war with Great Britain was raging. They could not have held their ground and provided for their families, but the soldiers who were stationed there guarded the men while they worked in the fields.  They lived that way four years, many of their members being murdered.

The Indians continued to swarm about them in greater numbers.  Simon abandoned the Lindley Fort, and moved his family and others to the Hill’s Fort in September,1814, and the next spring,1815, a treaty was made, in consequence of which, hostilities ceased. 

Hill’s Fort Blockhouse and Stockade

Mr. Lindley remained near Edwardsville four or five years, and moved to what became Sangamon County, arriving April 14, 1820, in what is now Chatham Township.  Where Mr. Lindleys’ family was one of the seven families that settled in the Chatham/Loami area at the time.  Simon was educated in Philadelphia where he studied theology.  During the War of 1812 he was a private in the Illinois Militia.  In Illinois, he helped establish the Shoals Creek Baptist Church in Bond County and the Liberty Baptist Church, which was built near Lick Creek here in Sangamon County.  Mr. Lindley was the minister at both churches.  In those years, the nearest mill to grind corn was about 80 miles away.  To save a long trip, Mr. Lindley built one of the first horse mills, near Sugar Creek in western Sangamon County.

While living in Bond County, Mr. Lindley worked as a surveyor alongside Isaac Hill. In the 1820’s Mr. Lindley was one of the surveyors who helped harmonize the boundary dispute between Calhoun and Springfield.

On November 8, 1823, Mr. Lindley purchased two 80 acre plots of ground (80 acres located at W2SE Sec. 18 T14 N R6W and 80 acres located at W2NE Sec. 19 T14 R6W) for the price of $1.25 per acre, for a total of $200.00. Simon passed away on August 30,1827, and Anna passed on January 23, 1819, both are buried on the north 80 acres that he purchased on 11/08/1823. Oak Grove Cemetery is located on the NE side of the second 80 acres described above in Sec. 19.  The farm was inherited by the heirs of Benjamin F. Daneille.

Seven Children of Simon and Anna Lindley:

Joseph Lindley                      Simon Lindley
1793 - 1874                             1799 - Unknown

Mary Lindley                        Elizabeth Lindley
1795 - Unknown                     1805 - 1890

Sarah Lindley                        Anna Lindley
1797 - Unknown                     1806 - 1848

John Lindley

1799-1863

RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF

TRUSTEES OF OAK GROVE CEMETERY

     WHEREAS, Oak Grove Cemetery is without adequate funds for its operation and maintenance; and,

     WHEREAS, dues and other income of said cemetery are insufficient for its operation and maintenance; and,

     WHEREAS, said cemetery is within the limits of Chatham Township, Sangamon County, Illinois and has been and is used as a public graveyard or burial ground,

     Now Therefore Be It Resolved that said cemetery be conveyed to said township; that a deed of conveyance of said property, more particularly described as follows:

Part of the East Half (E 1/2) of the Southeast Quarter (SE 1/4) of Section 18, Township 14 North, Range 6 West of the Third Principal Meridian, more particularly described as commencing at the Northwest Corner of Lot 19 of Plat in the Partition of Estate of John Darnielle, deceased, made in March, 1855 and recorded in Volume IINII on Pages 471-473 of Sangamon County Records, thence South 4 chains74 and 21/396 L:nks, thence East 4 chains 40 and 335/396 Links, thence North 4 chains 74 and 21/396 Links and thence West 4 chains 40 and 335/396 Links to the place of beginning;

Also one acre of land along and south of a line running from the Northeast corner of the aforesaid cemetery tract eastward to the public highway;

All in Chatham Township, Sangamon County, Illinois.

be tendered to Chatham Township at the regular town meeting of the electors thereof  to be held on Tuesday, April 13, 1971; that the President and Secretary of this corporation be and they are hereby authorized and directed to make, execute and deliver a Deed of Conveyance of said property as aforesaid at said meeting and that, if a majority of the electors at said meeting vote to accept said conveyance, that said officers or either of them be and is hereby directed to deliver said deed to the clerk of said township for said township.

 Be It Further Resolved that if said conveyance shall be accepted as aforesaid, the Auditor of Public Accounts of the State of Illinois be notified of such conveyance and requested to institute proceedings, or authorize the same, for transfer of the care funds of this corporation to said township for use according to law.

Dated March 27,  A. D. 1971.

QUIT CLAIM DEED

 The Grantors, OTTO MILLER, P. F. ALEXANDER, and HOWARD WILLIAMS, as
Trustees of Oak Grove Cemetery, of the Township of Chatham, County of Sangamon, and State of Illinois, for and in consideration of One and more DOLLARS in hand paid, CONEY and QUIT CLAIM to. Chatham Township, County of Sangamon, State of Illinois, the following

    described Real Etate:

    Part of' the East Half (E l/2) of the Southeast Quarter (SE 1/4) of Section 18, Township 14 North, Range 6 West of the Third

-Principal Meridian, more particularly described as commenc-ing at the Northwest Corner of Lot 19 of Plat. in the Partition of Estate of John Darnielle, deceased, made in March, 1855, and recorded in Volume “N" on Pages 471 - 473 of Sangamon County Records, thence South 4· chains 74and 21/396 links, thence East 4 chains 40 and 335/396 links, thence North 4 chains 74 and 21/396 links and thence West 4 chains 40 and 335/396 links to the place of beginning; Also one acre of land along and south of a line running from the Northeast. corner of the aforesaid cemetery tract eastward to the public highway; It being the intention of the Grantor s herein to convey to said  Township all the real estate of Oa.k Grove Cemetery in said  Township.

 Situated in the Township of Chatham in the County of Sangamon, in the State of lllinois, hereby releasing and waving all right under and by virtue of the Homestead Exemption Laws of this State.