Rankin, David

Born: 1794-XX-XX Virginia

In 1829, Rankin purchased eighty acres of land in Scott County, Illinois. In 1830, he lived in Morgan County, Illinois, and his household included six other persons. During the Black Hawk War, Rankin served in Abraham Lincoln's company of the 4th Regiment of Mounted Volunteers. After losing his horse, Rankin transferred on May 19, 1832, to Captain Seth Pratt's foot company, and Isaac Guliher transferred in his place from Pratt's company to Lincoln's. Rankin purchased more land in Scott county in 1835 and 1837. He served as one of Scott County's first commissioners. By 1850, he was a carder in Scott County and owned $5,000 in real estate.

Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales, Scott County, 343:26, 209, 339:167, 169, Illinois State Archives, Springfield, IL; U.S. Census Office, Fifth Census of the United States (1830), Morgan County, IL, 103; Muster Roll of Abraham Lincoln’s Company of Mounted Volunteers; N. M. Knapp, Historical Sketch of Scott County, Illinois (Winchester, IL: Times Job Printing House, 1876), 12; U.S. Census Office, Seventh Census of the United States (1850), Scott County, IL, 19; Ellen M. Whitney, comp., The Black Hawk War, 1831-1832: Illinois Volunteers, vol. 35 of Collections of the Illinois State Historical Library (Springfield: Illinois State Historical Library, 1970), 1:178, 222, 224, 543, 544n.