We pick up the story in Kentucky in 1850. Elet Houston Chowning is but a one-year-old child living with his family of nine in Henry County, Kentucky. The parents John Chowning (aged 50) and Mary [Wagner] (38), live with children G Chowning (16), ??? Chowning (9), James (7), Mary A. (6), Butler (4), Ann (3), and Houston (1).
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| 1850 United States Census, District 2, Henry County, Kentucky |
Sometime between 1850 and 1870, the Chownings make it to Illinois. The 1870 census shows them residing in Cass County, Illinois, although much of the family has moved on. John is a farmer and is shown owning real estate valued at $600 and personal estate valued at $500. Elet (aged 20) is a farm hand. His father John is 73, his mother 58, and his little brother George is 15. [Due to likely census errors, John is only 12 years older than Mary in 1870 but is shown as being 15 years older in 1880!]
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| 1870 United States Census, Lancaster Precinct, Cass County, Illinois |
In 1880, Elet Houston has begun his own family. He has moved over to Eminence Township in Logan County, Illinois, the first record we have of our family living in Logan County. Elet is 29 years old and married to Louisa (Louiza) [Ware] who is 24 years old. They are already busy raising two daughters: Addie M. (6) and Edith L. (4). Elet is listed as a farmer. His wife Louisa was born in Illinois, but both of her parents were born in Kentucky just as Elet's were. Mary is still alive at 67 years old and is living in the same house with her son, daughter-in-law, and two grand-daughters.
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| 1880 United States Census, Eminence Township, Logan County, Illinois |
By the time 1900 comes around, we learn that Elet and family temporarily left Eminence Township for reasons uknown. The 1900 census shows Elet Houston (aged 50) living with his wife Louisa (aged 44) of 26 years. They are living with daughter Addis (25 years old now and married for six years), Ida (12), twins Lola and Lula (6), and young Bertha (3). But note that Ida, Lola, and Lula were all born in Nebraska! Sometime between 1880 and 1900, Elet takes his family out to Nebraska. The birth dates show us that the family was living in Nebraska in at least 1887 and 1893 but were back in Illinois at Bertha's birthdate of 1896. Also in the house are two grandchildren: Addis' two sons Fredie E. (5) and Harold (4). A total of nine people are living in this house in Eminence Township! (It is unknown if Addis' husband is living or lives in the house, as well).
Also, this census shows us that Louisa has eight children, all of whom are still living. With the five still living in the house, it appears that three others have already grown and moved on to families of their own between 1880 and 1900.
The census shows Elet being a farm laborer who rents a house, a common theme we will see with our family.
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| 1900 United States Census, Eminence Township, Logan County, Illinois |
In 1910, Elet and Louisa have now been married for 36 years. An additional child has been added and nine of the nine children are still living. Elet is 60 years old; Louisa is 54. Daughters Lola (16) and Bertha (13) are still living at home with the ninth child, a son named Glenn (10).
Elet's occupation is listed as "general farm" (as opposed to "home farm") and is shown still renting a house.
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| 1910 United States Census, Eminence Township, Logan County, Illinois |
In 1920, Elet and Louisa Chowning have moved out of Eminence Township and now reside in Atlanta Township. They have been married for 46 years now. They finally now own a home of their own, although they are listed as having a mortgage on it. Elet is 70 years old, and Louisa is 64. Both appear to be retired as their occupations read "none."
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| 1920 United States Census, Atlanta Township, Logan County, Illinois |
Neither parent would make it to the next census. Elet Houston would die April 7, 1923, and Louisa would die three years later on August 1, 1926. (But not before she was able to meet her grandson Robert!).
This is how the Chownings came to reside in Logan County, Illinois.
Now for the other half.
We pick up this story again in Kentucky, this time in 1870. James Polley (Polly), born in Ohio, is raising a family in Esculapia Precinct, Kentucky (near Tollesboro). Already aged 61 at this time, he is married to his wife Diana, aged 57. She was also born in Ohio. They are busy raising a family of five children: George R. (21), Priscilla (25), Francis (16), James B. (14), and Austin D. (11). As most other families were in the day, James Polley is a "farm laborer", joined by his sons George, Francis, and James. Perhaps the most interesting note is that neither James Sr. nor James Jr. is able to read, and no one outside of Little Austin is able to write! This story begins with an uneducated family in rural America.
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| 1870 United States Census, Esculapia Precinct, Lewis County, Kentucky |
In 1880, James Polley and family are still found in Kentucky. James is now 70 years old and Diannah (sp?) is 68. James now shows he was born in Kentucky rather than Ohio (unknown if it was he or the census writer who is wrong), although both James' and Diana's parents are shown as being born in Ohio. James and Diana still live with Priscilla (36), George W. (30), Marion [Francis?] (26), James B. (23), and Ostian D. [Austin] (21). James is a farmer with George also working on a farm (unknown if the same farm). Marian, James, and Austin are all shown as laborers. Priscilla and George are shown as being unable to read, with Diana, Priscilla, George, and Marian still unable to write. It appears that father James, younger James B., and Austin all learned to read and write.
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| 1880 United States Census, District 61, Tollesboro Precinct #7, Lewis County, Kentucky |
This Polley family appears to have stayed in Lewis County, Kentucky, for the next 20 years. Not much is known about them during this time. In 1900, we pick the story back up with little James B. Polley, who is actually not little at all. "Young" James B. Polley is now 43 years old with a family of his own. He married Louisa M. (40), of whom they list six children still living with them: Elsie C. (16), Ernest E. (14), Leslie E. (12), Bessie P. (10), Alda E. (8), and Nellie M. (4). James Buchanan is listed as a farmer who rents a house.
The children are all educated although Ernest is unable to write. The children attend school for 3,4,4,4, and 3 months respectively with Nellie not at all. James and Louisa have been married for 18 years at this point with Louisa having had nine children, seven of whom are still living. The census would show this to be a reality for most families in this area. Also of importance is that Louisa's mother was born in Ohio.
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| 1900 United States Census, Magisterial District No. 6, Lewis County, Kentucky |
In 1910, James Buchanan seems to have done well for himself and family. He is shown owning a farm free and clear in Lewis County, Kentucky. All children are able to read and write with the exception of Leslie who cannot write. Only three children are still living at the home.
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| 1910 United States Census, Esculapia Precinct, Magisterial District #6, Lewis County, Kentucky |
Sometime between 1910 and 1920, James Buchanan moves his family up to Eminence Township in Logan County, Illinois. It is unknown exactly when this move takes place.
This is the story of how the Polley's came to Logan County.
And now for the conclusion of the story.
Before the census came around again in 1920, two people had their lives merged somewhere in the middle of Illinois. Bertha Chowning, daughter of Elet Houston and Louisa Chowning, would somehow come to meet Alva Emerton Polley, son of James Buchanan and Louisa M. Polley. These two would marry February 19, 1919, in McClean County, Illinois, and come to reside in Eminence Township, Logan County. The 1920 census shows the newlyweds Alva and Bertha still carrying on the tradition of farming that both had known since childhood. Alva E. (28 years old) is now married to Bertha P. (23) and is a laborer on a farm, oddly enough working on the same farm as his father. James B. (63 years old) and Eliza M. (60) also made the journey up north to Eminence Township, living close to their son and new daughter-in-law. Both families are shown renting houses.
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| 1920 United States Census, Eminence Township, Logan County, Illinois |
The family tradition would be no different. Alva and Bertha will have a son named Robert Omar Polley. As Robert grows up with his dad in Logan County, both will work on the same farms together, will young Robert knowing nothing else other than farming his entire childhood.
Robert Omar Polley will have three children of his own (a fourth was miscarried), and he passes on the tradition that he has always known. Robert Omar Polley will buy a farm in Eminence Township in 1964, and his sons Robert, Jr. and Eric will help with the physical labor and chores.
The Polley family has worked Logan County soil, particularly Eminence Township soil, for more than a century.
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