Pioneer History by Richard C. Schmal
The Sanders Family of West Creek Township
(in the December 24, 1980, Lowell Tribune, page 17)Theophilus Sanders was born in Massachusetts on Mar. 29, 1775, married Tryphosa Azuba Call, born Sept 9, 1779 in the year 1789. Tryphosa died in 1802, leaving five children.
The two eldest sons, William and Oliver, became dissatisfied with their home life after their stepmother came, and left Essex County, New York on foot and headed west when they were about 17 and 19 years of age. They wandered thru the east, and finally settled in Erie County, Ohio. In 1821 William married Emma Harris. Emma was born in Bennington, Vermont in 1805.
In those days in Ohio, the country was wild and the story is told of the experience of Emma Sanders, who was visited by a group of Indians one night when she was alone, but Emma had piled logs against the door to keep them out.
William and Emma Sanders purchased land in Erie County, Ohio and farmed there until 1841, when they traveled to West Creek settlement. They had 12 children nine of whom were born in Ohio and three in West Creek settlement.
The oldest, Ralph Theopilus Sanders was born in 1822 and died in 1847; William Warren Sanders was born in 1824, married Louisa Haskell, and died in 1876; Irene born in 1826, died in infancy; Tryphosa Azuba born in 1827, married Harvey Childers, died in Kansas; Henry born in 1830, married Susan Phillips, died in 1914; Royal born in 1832, first married Jane Ann Saunders who died in 1906, and then married Mrs. Betty Sein died in Kansas in 1927; Nathan born in 1834, married Roxy Sherard, died in 1901 at Long Prairie, Minn; Horace born in 1837, married Indiana Doolin of Illinois, died in 1863 at Murfreesboro, Tenn.; Martin John born in 1840 married Myra Hopkins and died at Shelby, Ind., in 1914.
Those born in West Creek settlement were Betsy Ladora in 1844, married to William F. Graves, later to William Wallace Ackerman who was in the Mexican War; Forlorn Hope born in 1848, died in infancy; Sarah Lodema born in 1850 married to James Pinkerton, died in 1926.
Martin was one year old in 1841 when his parents settled on the West Creek farm. Not long after their arrival in West Creek William Sanders cut logs from his own timber for a schoolhouse near what is now known as the Sanders Cemetery.
Down through the years there was much sorrow along with the happiness a large family will have. William's son Ralph, died in the Mexican War, and was buried at the National Cemetery at Mounds, Ill., near Cairo. Horace died in the Civil War at Louisville, KY., and was buried in Tennessee.
A need for a cemetery arose at the time of the death of a grandson, the son of Tryphosa and Harvey Childers. William Sanders then put aside land for a cemetery and for a church. This land was mentioned in T.H. Ball's History of Lake County--1872, where Mr. Ball listed burial grounds, as follows: "Sanders Burial Ground: Probably not deeded to the public but protected." This ground was deeded to the township in 1879.
In the deed, William asked that it be well kept. For some years it was a wilderness of blackberries, wild roses and hazelbrush. In later years it has been well kept by the township, after the township trustee of that time was reminded of the terms of the deed by William Sanders' grandson, Cassius Pinkerton. Sanders Cemetery is located on 205th Ave. just east of U.S. Hightway 41.
Earlier, a young girl had been buried on the hill east of the Sanders home in a grave which was kept fenced until the Chicago, Indiana and Southern Railway forced the grave to be moved to Sanders Cemetery.
This little girl was Charlotte Lown, the daughter of immigrants passing thru on the Potawatomi Trail. The trail was later known as Tattle Street and is now 205th Ave.
A plaque, one of the many marking historical places in Lake County, was placed at the front of Sanders Cemetery. It reads: "William Sanders, Emma Harris Sanders, Pioneers, who settled this section, built the first schoolhouse here and deeded this cemetery to the township. Centennial Memorial 1841-1941, erected by the Sanders Clan."
The Sanders home was a refuge for weary travelers who would try to make it to the "Sanders Place" by nightfall. They were always welcome and were given beds and food. Their hospitality was well known throughout the county.
In 1854, William Sanders house was established as the county asylum for the poor of Lake County, at which time he was appointed superintendent. All trustees of the county were directed to convey all permanent paupers to this home.
We had the privilege of seeing a piece of linen-like cloth with a pleasant design, which had been woven by William's wife, Emma. Mrs. Sanders was a real pioneer, as she did her own weaving. Her spinning wheel could always be seen, spinning wool into yarn, and the yarn knitted into stockings for her large family.
The ladies had many quilting parties. The latchstring was always out at their home, and at a moment's notice Emma would serve popcorn, apples, and honey with biscuits to their company.
Mrs Sanders loved flowers, and her large yard was a riot of color. She brought lilac bushes and trumpet vine with her from Ohio. These flowers are still evident where the old pioneer home stood. Emma Harris Sanders lived for 76 years, forty of these of Indiana, and passed away at the home of her daughter Sarah and son-in-law James Pinkerton in 1881.
After Emma's death, William moved into a home next to the cemetery, and his daughter Sarah and her family moved into the old home place, at the site of the old log school south of the cemetery.
At one time William owned 1,100 acres of land, but by 1872 he had deeded the greater portions of his properties to his children and was enjoying the fruits of his early industry and economy. Emma Sanders died November 1881, and on July 13, 1882, William married Mrs. Abigail "Abba" Slocum (1848-1917).
In 1870 William was elected Justice of the Peace. His home burned to the ground during an electrical storm during the spring of 1892. Later in that year he built another home, lived there until 1897, then moved to East Chicago, Ind., where he died in 1898.
He was buried in the cemetery which he had given to the township, and beside his seven children, 32 grandchildren, 69 great grandchildren. Funeral services were at the Pine Grove Church at the Sanders Cemetery. Abigail Slocum Sanders died in 1917.
William's daughter Sarah and her husband James Pinkerton had four children: Cassius David (1867-1939) married in 1889 to Minnie Trump (1871-1950); Amma Edna (1871-1949) married to Bert Nichols who died in 1894; Emma Ellen (Bird) (1873-1969) married in 1891 to William Sisson (1866-1938); and Grace Lodema (1878-1947) married in 1897 to Julius Claude Rumsey (1877-1937).
Cassius and Minnie Pinkerton's children are listed a s follows: Leota Madeline, Forrest Joy, DesMoine Cassius, Florene Clare (Mrs. Fred Fisher), Dewey Raymond, Delta E. (Mrs. James Bales), Cordell Clifton, and Ogden Delmar Pinkerton. Delta and James Bales are presently living at the site of her great grandfather's home.
William Sander's granddaughter, Emma (Bird) Sisson, and her husband William Sisson had five children: Mignon Grace (Mrs. Thorne Clark), William Zelbert, Cecil Guy, Inice Floenda (Mrs. Henry Tribbey), and Delpha Helen (Mrs. John Bruce.)
There is no member of the Sanders clan, bearing the Sanders name, now living in this area.
Delta Pinkerton Bales and Judge Cordell Pinkerton provided much of the information for this column from a book of family records kept by their sister, Leota Pinkerton, now deceased. My afternoon visit at the Bale's home proved that the family hospitality has carried down thru the years.
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