Biographical Sketch of Calvin TUNNELL & family, Greene County, Illinois Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives Copyright 2000 Jim THE CARROLLTON PATRIOT MARCH 6, 1919 A Century Ago--Just a century ago last month, in February 1819, Calvin Tunnell and his wife, Jane Addair Tunnell, settled about 3 miles southwest of that particular bit of wild prairie, that 2 years later became the site of Carrollton. Samuel Thomas had become the first settler north of Macoupin Creek the preceding autumn and it is claimed that Mr. Tunnell came up from Madison County, selected his location and built his cabin before the winter of 1818, but was unable to return with his family until February. It is claimed for the Tunnells that they were the second family settling north of the Macoupin. It is worthy of note, at any rate, that the coming of the Tunnells marked the beginning of immigration into Greene County, which assumed some importance in the spring of 1819 and that we are now entering upon the centennial of what was practically the beginning of things in this locality. In a sketch of his pioneer days, written for his grandchildren many years afterward (and from which The Patriot published some extracts about a year ago) Mr. Tunnell said that "It was on the 14th of February, 1819 that I with my family arrived at my little log cabin or shanty. The cabin was built of small round logs, making 1 room 15x12. It had no door to close the entrance. My wife hung up a quilt to stop the aperture by which we made our ingress and egress and to separate our happy little family from the prowling monsters which were roaming about the country." Mr. Tunnell told also how he had to return to Madison county, forty miles for another load of their worldly goods, the trip occupying a week, and while he was gone his wife arose one morning she found a very large black wolf sitting on his haunches in the yard. She got the gun and then found that the trigger wouldn't work. In sheer desperation she actually scared the wolf away by clapping hands and hallooing at him. Miss Lucy M. Ball of Jacksonville, who is a great granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Tunnell, has furnished The Patriot the portraits of the pioneer couple printed herewith, and Miss Ball has furnished some facts and incidents that are of interest. The following incident is especially interesting: Calvin Tunnell was a member of the Illinois General Assembly, 1834 to 1836. The state capital was then at Vandalia, and the first session at which Mr. Tunnell was to take his seat convened Dec. 1, 1834. With this high honor bestowed upon her husband, Mrs. Tunnell decided that the home-spun "jeens," blue in color was hardly dignified enough for a member of the Illinois legislature. She accordingly dyed a suit brown. Mr. Tunnell set out on horseback for the long ride to Vandalia on a rainy day, and when he arrived he was soaked to the skin. It then developed that the brown dye Mrs. Tunnell had used lacked the fadeless quality that characterized the blue with which the "jeens" was usually colored. The brown of that suit "ran" in a most aggravating and cowardly fashion. It stained his skin wherever it ran and the story has been handed down thru several generations that it took the brown a long time to wear off. The hat he wore was one of those fuzzy high "lids" sometimes called a "stovepipe". It had a very heavy nap and was light in color. Mr. Tunnell was born Oct. 4, 1791, in North Carolina. He grew to manhood on a farm in Anderson county, Tennessee, and there Aug. 25, 1811, married Jane Addair. Mrs. Tunnell died Aug. 30, 1858, and Mr. Tunnell passed away April 7, 1867. Both were buried on the farm on which they had settled just a century ago. One of the county histories relates that Mr. Tunnell, like the majority of pioneers, came here very poor. He had hardly any money, and but three horses, and they died before he was able to make any improvements. In order to break up his first piece of ground he found it necessary to work for a neighbor by the day to get his first team of oxen to plow with. A few months before making a settlement here, he came and selected a piece of land, and it is said by some that he split the first rails north of Macoupin creek. Mr. and Mrs. Tunnell had fourteen children, nine of whom grew up, married and had families of their own. Greene county grew in those days. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb Archivist with proof of this consent. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Jim