Jason W. Strevell
From birchyHistory
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Strevell was heavily involved in the incorporation of Pontiac in 1856 and was one of the five first trustees of the village. He was selected to spearhead the selection of land for the first town cemetery. | Strevell was heavily involved in the incorporation of Pontiac in 1856 and was one of the five first trustees of the village. He was selected to spearhead the selection of land for the first town cemetery. | ||
| − | On 15 August, 1858, Jason was married to | + | On 15 August, 1858, Jason was married to Elizabeth Butler Kelly Nettleton, daughter of Dr. John Kelly, a physician and surgeon of Lake City, Minnesota. She was a recent widow with two children and a one month old baby. Their father was Zelas H. Nettleton, probably "Z. N. Nettleton", a founding father of Pontiac, also one of the five first trustees in 1857. Zelas had died in late 1857, after Elizabeth became pregnant. The marriage took place in the bride's home town. Jason moved in to the house that Nettleton had shared with Elizabeth and added on to it. The house has been restored. |
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| + | John Nettleton was age 7 when his father died and was age 10 when Abraham Lincoln visited the home. In addition to that house, Zelus Nettleton had owned a lot of farmland and Jason Strevell also assumed ownership of that land. John Nettleton, married Olive Potter in Pontiac in 1870. However, in 1872 he filed suit in Livingston County as the oldest son and rightful owner of the farmland. He was granted ownership of the land, plus was given a monetary settlement for a share of the crops raised and sold over those years. In 1871 he and Olive had a son name Wilson. John then packed up his family and moved to the Joliet-Plainfield area. | ||
After being spared by a tornado in May, a strong tornado swept through Pontiac at 4:45 o'clock on the afternoon of [[November 26, 1859]]from the southwest. The roofs of J. W. Strevell's hardware store and four other businesses were blown off. The roof of the court-house, cupalo and gable end were blown down. The two-story Sinsel house was torn to splinters, burying two women and a child, but none was seriously injured. Several other houses were either blown to pieces or were blown from their foundations and turned around. Barns all over the village were demolished. | After being spared by a tornado in May, a strong tornado swept through Pontiac at 4:45 o'clock on the afternoon of [[November 26, 1859]]from the southwest. The roofs of J. W. Strevell's hardware store and four other businesses were blown off. The roof of the court-house, cupalo and gable end were blown down. The two-story Sinsel house was torn to splinters, burying two women and a child, but none was seriously injured. Several other houses were either blown to pieces or were blown from their foundations and turned around. Barns all over the village were demolished. | ||
