Recent Gathering
Forreston, Ill.
August 30, 1947

The 100th anniversary of the coming of the first members of the Kaney family, who were among the earliest settlers in Illinois, was observed Sunday Aug. 24 on the grounds adjacent to North Grove Church, situated about 5 miles north-east of Forreston, by about 150 descendents of the original parents, Henry and Elizabeth Fosha Kaney. After the picnic dinner, A. O. Kaney introduced Dr. Charles Carpenter of Baileyville, Illinois, one of the oldest residents of that community, who is well versed in the early history and remembers many of the early settlers. He gave an address in which he cited many interesting facts about the Kaney family, dating from the time Elizabeth Fosha emigrated to America in 1844 from the province of Lippe Detmold, in the Western part of Prussia, to join her brother and family who had come to America in 1836, settled in Baltimore, Md. later moving to Shepherdstown, Va. Within a year Henry Kaney followed her and about 2 months later they were married in Shepherdstown, Va. The next year they began the long, hard journey by wagon from Virginia to Illinois. When they reached the place where Dayton, Ohio, now stands, the wagon became unsafe for further travel and they were obliged to transfer to a boat on the Ohio river, which took them to the Mississippi river, going as far as the spot where Fulton, Illinois is now located then traveling overland - again and finally reaching the territory north of the place where the village of Adeline now is situated. There they settled, building their log cabin which they shared with other families. Until a few years ago this log cabin remained on the farm now occupied by Walter Kaney. Four sons and three daughters were born to these parents: August, Lewis, John and Henry Kaney, Mrs. Anna Richter, Mrs. Elizabeth Kilker, on daughter passing away in infancy. Descendants of these early pioneers now number over 300 parents of whom 235 are sill living. It is a unique fact that the greater number of their descendants are living in and around the same community where their forebears began and ended their married life, making their contribution to the life and spirit of that community.
Mr. Kaney, having the trade of blacksmith in his native country, obtained work at the Grand Detour Plow factory, walking the distance from that village to his home each weekend and returning in the same manner. After a few years he took up farming and continued in that occupation until he retired from active life. Mrs. Kaney passed away Oct. 12, 1897 and her husband on Aug. 21, 1899. The history of the Kaney family is interwoven with the history of northern Illinois and with that of subsequent migration from their homeland of Lippe Detmold. In his address, Dr. Carpenter brought out many of these facts as they concerned - the early life of these people in a land where there was no democracy, as we know it, and where religion was not always unhampered but who, with courage and determination left behind them relatives and friends to come to a land that offered not only a great many advantages but hardships as well. The small province of Lippe, Detmold had an area of only 23 square miles to support a population of 165,000 people. The largest farm was but 34 acres and many contained only one acre of land. Quite a different picture greeted these people in Illinois where in 1818, when it became a state, it had a population of but 40,000 people and that figure was undoubtedly padded considerably.

Freeport Journal Standard - clipping August 30, 1947

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