English Immigrants to Hancock County, Illinois: Lizzie Merriman Clark

One can only imagine the difficulties the Merriman family had in adjusting to life in Hancock County, Illinois in 1860.  Arriving at the eve of the Civil War, Hancock was a rough place. The Mormons had settled there early on and after 1846 and the murder of Joseph Smith, left for the more favorable Utah.  Other religious groups stepped into the void.  During the war years, there was a real fear of guerrilla and bushwhacker attacks.

These photos are identified on the verso as Lizzie Merriman (photo taken before her 1883 marriage) and Lizzie Clark. Both of these photos are Carte de Viste taken by photographer Crit Sympson of Carthage, Hancock, Illinois.