Early Auction 1859 or You Don't Want the Mule?

James Andre died in Lawrence County about 1858.  Not much is known about the family other than he was married and had children who survived him.  When he died an inventory was taken of his property and it was interesting to see what early Lawrence County pioneer families possessed.   His inventory included plows, chains, 2 sugar kettles, one set of Hanes and Bells, doubletree and singletrees, a bee stand, one carriage, on large and one small yoke of oxen, a log chain, one speckled cow and calf, one old white faced cow, one white heifer, one white faced steer, three calves, one mule, one sorrel filly, one black colt, one sorrel colt, hogs, an old wagon, one center table,  several books, a candle stand, a bureau, a cupboard and a  clock. He also had a double barrel shot gun and a long gun. All of these items were appraised at $586.25 by Thomas L Lemons, Adam Claycomb and J M D Chenoweth on March 26, 1859.

By Illinois law the widow was allowed to keep certain items as her own, not because they belonged to her but because they kept her and her family off the public “welfare” rolls.  These things included the necessary household and kitchen furniture for the family, the beds, bedding, a spinning wheel, one loom, one pair of cards, one stove and pipe, the wearing apparel of herself and family, one milch cow and calf for every four people in the family, one horse valued at $40, a woman’s saddle and bridle, provision for herself and family for one year, two sheep for each member of the family, feed for the above described stock for 3 months, fuel for herself and family for 3 months, and sixty dollars of other property -$17.75 of which was cash. This all amounted to $463.25   

On April 16, 1859, a sale was held to sell items not allotted to the widow, whose name by the way was never mentioned. Alfred Baker was the Auctioneer. Among the buyers were J P Adams, Wm Thompson, Thomas McPherson, Jacob Metzer, Wm Clark, Simon Portee, Chambers Huston, Jacob Durr, Emanuel Richardville, Wm Adams, Samuel Kensler, Enos Organ, Newton Blackwell, James Thompson, and David Vance.   W J Mieure and John Gowers were high bidders for both pairs of oxen at $95.00 and $70.00 respectively.

Daniel Baker, Emanuel Richardville, Charles Pinkstaff, Thomas Jordon and Samuel Kensler purchased the cows. Rosella Andre, who might have been the wife, bought the wagon. C L Thompson bought the mule which the wife could have had, but she decided to keep a horse perhaps having had some previous experience with the mule. James Andre, who may have been a son, bought the sorrel filly for $82. W L Ashbrook bought a colt and Thomas L Lemons the other colt. C L Thompson took home all the hogs, and Philip Bible the old wagon.  Charles Delisle was high bidder for the books and clocks. The total amount received from the sale was $658.00.

Andre descendants, if you are wondering why the two guns were not passed down through the family, talk to the descendants of Emanuel Richardville who bought the long gun and S P Adams who got the shot gun.