The next meeting of the Tazewell County Genealogical and Historical Society will be on Tuesday, February 10th at 7 PM. The speaker will present a program on a few of the American Revolutionary War Soldiers that came to live in Tazewell County. What better way to begin the local America 250! Celebration. 

All history is local until it is woven together with other stories to become part of the National fabric and there is no aspect of National history that doesn’t touch Tazewell County.

This month we’ll feature two of Tazewell County’s early French settlers, John Florent Louie and John Pierre Mougeon, who are listed near each other in the 1840 census:

John F. Louie

John F. Louie (1796-1848) was born in Bertrambois, France where he married Marguerite Simon 12 Nov 1822. They immigrated to Illinois on the Ship Marengo, arriving at the Port of New Orleans on 24 March 1832 with their children John (1824-1870) and Marie (1829-1915).

Francis Clairmont and Jean Florent Louis purchased land as tenants in common, in and near Wesley City in the 1830s. Both men died in 1848 and it is presumed that the Cholera scourge may have been the cause of death for both.

Son John Louie was married to Louisa Cessna (1833-1915) and the couple had the following children: John H. (1849-1928), Joseph (1851-1906), Margaret Loew (1857-1907), Edward (1862-1935), Rosella Schaefer (1864-1940) and Julia Schaefer (1867-1955). These children moved toward the southern parts of Tazewell County and became farmers.

Daughter Marie first married William Hammond and then Joseph Silvey (1830-1896). Her children were John, Jasper, and James Hammond, who moved over to Peoria and worked as miners; Frances Silvey Karoly (1865-1917) who eventually moved to Texas and John Silvey (1869-1962) who also lived in Peoria and worked as a coal miner.

Mougeon/Moushon

John Mougeon (1792-1852) was born in Tanconville, France where he married his second wife, Catherine Jacquot, on 01 June 1829. His first wife, Marguerite Crolotte, died in France when the children were very young.

John was conscripted to serve under Napoleon in January 1813, just after the disastrous Moscow campaign. 

The couple travelled to Illinois about 1832 with children John Pierre, Genevieve, and Francois. Their children Marie Appolina, William, and Francois Isadore, were born in Tazewell County.

The first record found for Mougeon in Tazewell is a land record dated 1835 in which he bought 80 acres in Section 9 of what is today Groveland township, followed by another 40 acres in the same township a year later.

The 1840 and 1850 census records captured the family living in Tazewell county. The next record found for John P. is his will dated 7 August 1852 and executed 18 Sep 1852. It names his wife Catherine, daughter Marie Appolina, son Francois Isadore, and grandchildren Mary J. and Francis N. as those to inherit his property. The oldest son, John P., was given $10. His sons William and Francois the first had predeceased.

The Moushon family is one of several buried in what is now often referred to as Fagotte Cemetery, but is actually located on ground that originally belongs to J. P. Mougeon. The oldest known burial is that of his son, William age one, dated 1837. That would lead one to believe that the little plot began as a Mougeon family burial ground but grew to include neighbors as well. The ground changed ownership many, many times over the years, but of the known stones, it would seem they were all of French descent or married to someone who was French.

After her husband’s death, Catherine married Etienne Badrot. They are both buried in the Old French cemetery, as is her son, Isadore.

So, John Peter Moushon (1818-1897) had the following children: John (1847-1927), William (1849-1927), Mary (1850-1921), Sophia (1858-1921), Sarah (1860-1945), and Minerva (1870-1879).

Genevieve J. Mitchell (1819-1875) had a daughter, Genevieve (1856-1922). Francois Moushon (1824-1849) had two children, Mary Josephine (1845-1921) and Francois Napolean (1847-1926).

Mary Appolina Irmeger Knasel Brown (1834-??) had children Mary, Elizabeth, Henry, Martha and Michael Irmeger, followed by Mary Knasel.

William (1836-1837) died as a toddler and Francois Isadore (1838-1857) had no children. 

If anyone would like more information about these families, contact TCGHS.

The Tazewell County Genealogical & Historical Society is an award-winning 501c3, all-volunteer organization that has been in continuous service to our members and the public for 47 years. TCGHS operates an archive, library, and research facility at 719 N. 11th St., Pekin. Visit our website at www.tcghs.org to learn more about us. If you have any point of interest that you would like to know more about, stop in at TCGHS or drop us a line.