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Residences & events: Sangamon Co, IL. 1829 Shelby Co, IL. James entered 80 acres at the bend of the (Okaw)river. "The bend in the river is nearly the shape of a horse-shoe,and is three and one-half miles around, and at the neck it is onlyseventy steps between the streams. At this point it is said there isabout nine feet fall. He, in the company with his brother, John G,built a water mill on this neck in 1833, and it has ever since beenknown as the old 'Mill seat.' It was a grist and saw mill, and wasoperated for several years by the Purvises and others, and finally washed away." 3/1830 Sangamon Co, IL. In the proceedings of the Board ofSupervisors was a petition to fill the vacancy of Constable by a JohnDurley. The signatures on the petition included James and hisbrothers, Isaac and John. 4/1/1830 E Nelson Twp, Shelby Co, IL. James and brother, John,arrived, being only the second in the county behind the Freemanbrothers and their families. Historians recorded: They "built acabin of rough unhewn logs on section 7, where George Purvis stillcontinues to live. They broke the first prairie and put in a crop,and in the following month their father, John Purvis, his wife, anddaughter, Malinda, came from Sangamon county. They all lived in thiscabin one year." Other records verify that George also came with hisfather. In the history of the village of Old Nelson it states: "This villagewas located just south of the "Mill Seat" in section 17. Mr. Vandakinfailed to get a deed to this tract before James Purvis, the owner,died, and the heirs being minors, could not convey; hence the place became extinct. Soon after the death of Mr. Purvis, his brother, JohnG. Purvis, Dr. Montague and Jonathan Dazey, laid out a tract a halfmile east, into lots and blocks, and called it East Nelson." 11/12/1830 He was still living in Shelby Co when he purchased 80acres in Moultrie Co at S17 T13N from a federal land sale for$1.25/acre. According to land records, James was the first of thefamily to purchase any Federal lands of IL, the next not until 6 yrslater. |