The Deep Freeze of 1830/31

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BIOGRAPHY: The memorable "deep snow," from which the old settler dates events, occurred in the winter of 1830-31. It was an extraordinary event. Nothing like it has been seen since, and if Indian tradition may be trusted, nothing had been seen like it for more than half a century prior to the advent of the whites in this section. The snow began to fall early in the winter, and continued at intervals throughout the season. The snow falls would be followed by sleets, thus forming crusts of ice between the layers. For weeks at a time the sun hid his face, and the cold was intense, and the suffering among the settlers was great. The snow, compact as it was, reached a depth of three feet on the level, and a much greater depth where it had drifted. Vehicles passed over the tops of staked and ridered fences. So far as known no one starved or was frozen, but great hardships were endured, and in many instances only the greatest exertions kept starvation from the door. Much of the game was almost destroyed, and deer, prairie chickens and quails were scarce for years afterward. Mr. Lincoln lived in Macon county during that terrible winter. Another memorable winter in the early annals of the county was that of 1836, when the "sudden freeze" occurred. The suffering from cold was most intense, and attended with loss of life to man and beast. The sudden freeze occurred in January, and it was scarcely fifteen minutes from the time the cold wave struck, "before the water and melting snow were hard enough to bear up a horse." The slush froze about the feet of the cattle, and it was necessary to cut them out. Geese and ducks were imprisoned in the same way.

http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilmacon/earlyset.html

This story is from Macon County Illinois and one that was told over and over again. Especially about the Quick Freeze.

Also from the same article was the documentation of the arrival of Christopher James and David Miller.

In 1829 also came Alexander Bell, Josiah Abrams, Alfred Laymons, Christopher Miller, and James and David Miller.