Early agriculture in east central Illinois changed the region’s personal, cultural and natural landscapes. These changes paved the way for the agriculturally grounded economies and communities of today. Settlers, farmers, and trades people, like Jane Cade Patton, Allen Little, Jacob Earnest, and Ralph Chesebro, worked hard and endured grueling adversity with great resilience.  Their personal stories and experiences are representative of their peers and the communities they called home. They help us understand the journey that led us to the present day.