This hand-drawn birth record is an example of fraktur,¹ a Pensylvania German folk art tradition. In addition to recording that Ahab Christopher Trumbo was born March 13th, 1836, it adds words of advice to a young man in selecting a wife.

Ahab Christopher was the son of Jacob Trumbo III and his wife, Elizabeth Snyder. He was born in Brock’s Gap, Rockingham county, Virginia, and came to Illinois with his family in 1853. The family settled in Dayton township, on Buck Creek. Christopher married Fidelia Kagy January 28, 1869 in Ottawa. They had one child, who died in infancy. Christopher died of consumption in October, 1869, at the age of 33, and is buried in the Ottawa Avenue cemetery in Ottawa, Illinois. Note that his obituary says that he died on October 22nd. However, his mother’s family Bible gives the date of his death as October 10

Christopher Trumbo

DIED
In the village of Dayton, October 22d, 1869, A. C. TRUMBO, age 33 years.

The subject of this notice was a native of Rockingham county, Virginia, but for several years a resident of the town of Dayton. He was one of our most exemplary young men, and his loss will long be felt by a large circle of relatives and friends. Behind his modest bearing he concealed sterling qualities of mind and heart, – accurate judgment, inflexible devotion to principle, warm, affectionate, exceeding purity of heart and character. He was at an early age marked by the fell destroyer consumption. He leaves a young wife and an aged mother, who but a few days since was notified of the death of her son W. B. T., who had recently returned to Virginia to recruit his failing health. The funeral services of both of her sons will take place at her house on Sunday, the 24th inst, at 10 o’clock a. m., by the Rev. Mr. Thompson, of Putnam county. Thus, in the short space of five weeks, has this aged mother been bereft of two noble, high minded young men, just in the prime of life. She has a hope both sure and steadfast, that what is her apparent loss is their gain.²

1. For more information on fraktur, see http://frakturweb.org/
2. Ottawa Free Trader, October 23, 1869, p. 5, col. 3.

Springfield, Illinois, Old State Capitol

Dayton resident William Stadden was elected to the Illinois State Senate in 1836 and served for four years, representing La Salle, Iroquois, and Kane counties. He served at the same time that Abraham Lincoln was serving in the Illinois House of Representatives. In the Senate, Stadden was on the committee on canal and canal lands, where his familiarity with the Illinois & Michigan canal, and the feeder from Dayton to Ottawa, might be useful.

In 1847, Illinois needed to revise its first constitution to meet the needs of a growing population and a constitutional convention was convened. William Stadden was one of two delegates from La Salle County to the convention, where he served on the revenue committee. The convention met in June, 1847, and spent nearly three months devising a new instrument; the following March its work was ratified by a large majority of the voters; and on April 1, 1848, it became operative. William Stadden was able to see the new constitution become law before he died the following November.

Additional biographical information on William Stadden may be found here.