JENKS' WEB PAGE
In Illinois
The Warren Jenks family purchased a farm in Whiteside County near Fenton, Il. You can see the location on the county map. This was in about 1872 after the school site was established on a corner of the farm. You can find the main farm land in the upper left of center. I have put a larger rectangle around it. There is also a smaller 40 acre lot further Northwest that was added later. Here is a picture of the farm house in the later years.
The original house was the smaller part and the larger two story part was added as the Henry Edwin Jenks family grew.
The two older boys, Austin and Martin did not stay at Fenton but went on further to the Mississiippi River. Martin had been injured by a fall and was somewhat cripped. He settled in Albany, IL on the Mississippi and raised a family there.
Austin went on to the river and became involved with lumber traffic on the river, becoming a river boat pilot and eventually, a boat owner/operator. He settled in Stillwater, MN.
The school house was an important part of the farm life for the kids. Some of the daughters even were teachers there.
We are not sure but it may have been that Elizabeth Norton was a teacher here when she met Henry Edwin and became Mrs. Jenks.
Here are some pictures of Warren Jenks and his wife, Freelove Potter Jenks. These were taken some time ago and are not very good photos by todays standards.
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