Petition of T. J. Nance and Others to Illinois General Assembly, November 18381
To the Hon. the Legislature of the State of Illinois—Whereas, By an Act of the Legislature of Ills. at a former Session a State Road,2 to lead from Wm. Crow’s in Morgan Co. to Musick’s Bridge in Sangamon Co. was ordered to be laid out & opened— The road was accordingly reviewed— its location
was nearly universally unsatisfactory to the people in the vicinity of the route—at
a subsequent session, this dissatisfaction was made known to your Body by forwarding
a petition requesting a second location; this second call was not attended to as was
contemplated by the Legislature— So that, at present the existence of said Road is
^a^ subject of dispute & discontent— The undersigned citizens of sangamo Co. do therefore
Respectfully Petition that the Legislature declare all Acts in relation to said Road
null & void; & hereafter leave the issue with the County Court of Sangamon and the people, to whom its settlement more property Belongs— And your
Petitioners as in duty Bound will ever pray &c.3
November A.D. 1838
| Names of Petitioners— | names of Petitioners— |
| T. J. Nance— | Miles Stevenson |
| James Goldsby | Wm Batterton |
| William Irwin | Solomon Miller |
| John Pemberton | Thomas Peake |
| Milton Stevenson | Thos Morgan |
| Reuben Harrison | William T H Duncan |
| Geo M Davidson | Reuben Buchanan |
| John Harrison | Richard Walker |
| William Yoakum | Thos [Farake?] |
| Enos Osburn | John P Phillips |
| Thomas Mosteller | John Tolley |
| Christopher Mosteller | Jas Tolley |
| Henry Shepherd | Valentine Crite |
| George Davis | Thomas [Sparnhower?] |
| Henry Antle | Marshal T Duncan |
| Andrew Antle | Marshal Duncan |
| George Goodman | John Davis |
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A. Lincoln
Vandalia
1On January 7, 1839, Abraham Lincoln in the House of Representatives presented this petition and two others, one signed by sixty citizens and another signed by fifty-six citizens, all from Sangamon County, requesting the repeal of
all laws related to a state road from William Crow,’s in Morgan county, to Musick’s
Bridge in Sangamon County. The House referred the petitions to a three-person select
committee that included Lincoln. In response to these petitions, Lincoln of the aforesaid
select committee introduced HB 127 in the House on January 11. The House passed the bill on February 5. On February
14, the Senate refused to order the bill to a third reading.
Illinois House Journal. 1838. 11th G. A., 1st sess.,
177, 197, 265, 277, 350, 402; Illinois Senate Journal. 1838. 11th G. A., 1st sess., 284, 328, 334.
2State roads were those public roads established or designated by the General Assembly
and usually crossed county lines. Only the General Assembly could establish, alter,
or abandon state roads, until 1840 and 1841, when the General Assembly gave counties
the authority to alter or to abandon state roads upon petition by a majority of voters
in the area of the change.
3In February 1835, the General Assembly passed the first act to lay out the state road. In December 1835, Lincoln introduced and the legislature
passed a bill calling for the re-location of the road. In July 1837, Lincoln introduced and the
General Assembly approved another bill re-locating the road.
Handwritten Document, 2 page(s), Folder 100, HB 127, GA Session 11-1, Illinois State Archives (Springfield, IL).