DEBORAH (nee-BROWN) SMALLWOOD
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BLOCK 9
LOT : 43
ROW : 3
COLUMN : 9
SUB. R/C : ?
GRAVE # ?
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Deborah (nee-Brown) Smallwood
b. May 12, 1792
Charleston, Jefferson County, West Virginia
d. May 7, 1873
Decatur, Macon County, Illinois
buried: May 1873
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FATHER
Samuel Brown
(1758-?)
MOTHER
Rachel Douglas
(1762-?)
MARRIED
Parmenius Samuel Smallwood
(1782-1851)
June 23, 1807
Washington County, Maryland
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CHILDREN
with Parmenius
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PARMENIUS SMALLWOOD'S WIFE REFUSED TO SEEK DOWER RIGHTS
Stories of persons engaged in an effort to obtain thier "rights" to property long out of possession of the family are not uncommon and the dreamers who engaged in such efforts usually have their trouble for their pains. Spasmodically, for many years Decatur has had such a story. Conditions here are such that the tale loses all of its glamor when it comes home. The last time the story came to Decatur it was to the effect that because the wife of Parmenius Smallwood had not signed the deed of conveyance when Parmenius Samllwood, Charles Prentice, and Easton Whitton gave the site for the original town of Decatur, the house did not cccupy that site as originally intended. It is true that Mrs. Smallwood did not sign the deed and up to the time of her death was entitled to her dower interest whatever that was. When she was an aged woman some of her relatives reminded her that her interest still was there and she could perhaps realize hamdsomely if she pushed her claim. In effect she replied that her husband had in good faith signed the deed of conveyance donating his interest in the town site and in that particular his wishes were her wishes. She would do nothing to undo unaything that he had done. When she died her interest ceased to exist. If her interest had remained alive and could have been inherited by some of her descendants, there might be a different story to tell. So far as the originaol grant is involved the titles to realty in the orginal town of Decaur are not to be questioned. When the venerable Parmenius Smallwood came to this county Decatur was known as Stevens Creek. He was one of the first to enter a deed for land in DeWitt county, securing 80 acres where he erected a saw and grist mill in 1835 on Salt Creek in Creek township. It was in charge of his sons, George, Sam and Daniel. Up to the time that the Smallwood mill was ereted, people in this vacinity and in DeWitt co. went to Pekin, IL for flour, food and provisions.
The Decatur Herald
(Decatur, Illinois)
8 MAR 1914 * page 13
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