James Carroll wrote family history at 96

In 1928, when James Monroe Jernigan Carroll was 96 years old, he sat down and composed a paper he titled, "A Brief History of the Carroll and Elam Families."
James Monroe Carroll was the oldest son of Raford and Sarah Jernigan Carroll. He was born Dec. 20, 1832, as recorded in the family Bible.
“Raford Carroll was born in North Carolina on Nov. 3, 1808, and came to Tennessee in 1818. It was there married to Sarah Jernigan on March 15, 1829. They started for Illinois in an ox cart the next day, accompanied by Sarah’s sister Aunt Betsy Donnell, and settled near Vandalia.
“Raford entered the first 80 acres of land that was entered in Seminary Township.  Later selling that place to Joel Thomas, they moved to what is known as the John Pugh place, now owned by a Dothager.
“From there, they moved to the Crouch place west of Sam Andrews, later buying the first place back from Joel Thomas and living there until he died on Feb. 26, 1856.
“Raford was elected assessor before township organization, and at that time assessed the whole county. He also served as constable and justice of the peace.
“At the time of his death, he was owing about $300. Mother, not wishing to administer the estate, got the creditors to agree to give her time to dispose of property to pay the bills.
“She had a span of mules, which she got in good shape, but, as there wasn’t any market for such stock here, she had me go with my brother, John, north to see if we could find sale for them.
“We took a wagon and team and the mules, and went to Christian County. We stopped near a town and stayed all night with a good Dunkard man and his wife, and they treated us nicely. We told him our business, and he said that he thought he knew of a man who would buy them.
“We found the man and sold the mules for $250, but got only $50 down. He said he would pay the $200 at Christmas.
“At Christmas time, Mother wanted me to go after the money. I rode John’s mare, and it was cold. A big snow was on the ground. I got to the home of my old friend and stayed all night. The next day, I saw my man and got the money. Mother was thus able to pay all the debts.
“The Archer Elam family came to Illinois in 1836. He was born on Aug. 8, 1812, in Tennessee, and Sarah, his wife, was four days younger. To this union, three children were born, Martha Ann on Aug. 11, 1834, James K. on March 16, 1836, and Susan E. on Jan. 22, 1841.
“Martha Ann Elam became Mrs. James Monroe Carroll on July 30, 1850. Mr. Elam sold his farm to Henry Eller and moved to Iowa in 1854. In 1857, we went to Iowa on a visit, traveling in a two-horse wagon. The trip took 10 days each way, and we stayed 10 days. James Elam came home with us, and we stopped in Meredosia on the Illinois River at the fisheries and bought a barrel of fish.
“When I was a boy, we had water mills on Hurricane Creek. James Bourner had a mill west of Pittsburg, just above where the bridge is, where he ground corn and wheat,  and sawed lumber.
“Then there was a mill on the National Road a mile and a half east of Mulberry Grove. And there was a steam mill at the foot of the hill at what is known as the Lucien Morey place, owned and run by old David Hubbard and his two sons, James and Henry.  All of these mills are long gone. No sign of where they once stood remains.
“The Methodist Church was the only church in the neighborhood when I was a boy. They had no churches, and held their meetings at Uncle Billy Collier’s in a big house. They had four or five benches for seats for meeting day.
“Aunt Sally Collier and her girls would card wool and spin and weave cloth in the house at meeting times. Uncle Jimmie Woollard was the circuit rider. Everyone  traveled on horseback those days, and there was nothing but log houses.
“The first frame house built in Seminary Township was built by James Yarbrough in 1842. It is now owned by Jess Reeves. Then there was another one known as the Israel Eakin place, now owned by Jess Hopkins.
“Sarah Jernigan Carroll died in Fayette County on Nov. 17, 1892. She is buried in Evans Cemetery with her husband.”
The Raford Carroll family Bible lists nine children of the couple: Elizabeth, born in February 1831; James Monroe, born in December 1832; John Dement, born in May 1835; William Raford, born in January 1838; Sarah Ann, born in February 1840; Mary Susan, born in July 1842; Andrew Jackson,  born in October 1844; Josiah Herrick "Doc," born in August 1847; and Martha Evaline Carroll, who died in 1858 at 8 years of age.
Several months after James Monroe Carroll set down his family story for his descendents, he passed away, with burial among his family in Evans Cemetery.