Collection of Biographical Sketches, Calvin Tunnell & Family, Greene County, Illinois Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives Copyright 2000 Jim THE TUNNELL FAMILY IN GREENE COUNTY, ILLINOIS page 22 Past and Present of Greene County "1818....About this time Luther and Calvin Tunnell came into Greene County and made a permanent settlement. Luther located in Linder Township and Calvin in Carrollton Township on the farm later owned by Jackson Tunnell. They both became prominent in the affairs of the County." page 686 History of Greene County ..."In 1839 Calvin Tunnell was elected to the office of probate judge and served in that capacity for four years. He was a native of North Carolina, born October 4, 1791 and was one of the large family of William and Mary (Massey) Tunnell, who were married in 1771 in Fairfax County, Virginia, their ancestors being formerly from England. When their son Calvin was four years old Mr. Tunnell and his wife moved to Anderson County, Tennessee, locating on a wild tract of land there, where he made a farm. It was in that County and State that Calvin was educated, his learning being such as the schools of that day afforded. Quite early in his life he became inured to the toils and hardships of frontier life. On the 25th day of August, 1811 he was married to Jane Adair, a native of West Virginia, born July 28, 1795. After his marriage Mr Tunnell started out in life on his own account, continuing to reside there until 1817. He then moved with his wife and two children to Madison County, Illinois where they stayed until late in the Fall of 1818, and early in the Spring of 1819 came up to Greene County. Here he located on a piece of land and made an improvement and was one among the early settlers of the township where he resided. Like the majority of pioneers of this county he came there very poor. He had hardly any money, and but three head of horses, and they died before he was able to make any improvements, and 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 previous to making a settlement here, he came and selected this piece of land and by some it has been said that he split the first rails north of Macoupin Creek. Mr. Tunnell and his wife had fourteen children, nine of whom are yet living (1885) and are married and comfortably settled in life. Not many years after they came to Greene County Mr. Tunnell and wife joined the Baptist Church. He also preached a few sermons in the earlier part of his pioneer life. He was a member of the 9th General Assembly which met in Vandalia in 1834-5 and also of the 14th General Assembly of 1844-6 and when the Democratic Convention met in 1866 his name was presented for the same position but was positively declined by him. He died on the 7th of April, 1867, mourned by a large circle of friends and regretted by all who knew him." page 926 ..."Luther and Calvin Tunnell in 1818 commenced some improvements in this township (Linder). Luther finished and moved into his cabin, but sickness prevented Calvin from moving until the Spring of 1819...A sketch of these pioneers is given elsewhere." HISTORY OF GREENE & JERSEY COUNTIES, ILLINOIS PUBLISHED IN 1885 BY CONTINENTAL PUBLISHING CO. NOTE: There is no mention of a purported Huguenot descent in this article. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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