Samuel Aikman and his wife were early arrivals in this county. In 1837, they brought with them nine children. Aikman was smart enough to invest himself in real estate, so he rode horse-back to the federal land office in Shawneetown, Illinois in 1840 and bought 640 acres at $1.25 per acre. The land he purchased started at the north-south bound railroad tracks that parallel Court Street and ran west to about where the Interstate is located. Because of his foresight and the ingenuity of several of his sons, the family did very well. Continue reading →