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The Picket family origin is Norman, first recorded at the time of William's Conquest of England in 1066. The name evolved from medieval Picot to Picquette and finally to Pickett. First American ties were through Captain William Pickett, 1575-1640, a member of the Virginia Company. Although he never visited Virginia Colony, his son William, 1600-1684, arrived there in 1857 and settled in Westmoreland County. William Picket, 1820-1895, of Spring Garden Township was a descendant of that colonial family. Born and raised in Tennessee, he married Margret Ann Hackworth, 1820-1906, at Chickamauga, Tennessee in 1844. They moved to Illinois between 1850 and 1860. Their farm was on the present-day Log Cabin Road and their home was a two-story log house with a 50-foot porch on the front and fieldstone fireplaces at both ends. One of the upstairs rooms was used for weaving linsey-woolsey cloth from flax and lambswool raised on the farm.William and Margret raised 7 boys and 4 girls: Jesse C., 1852-1927, was a teacher who specialized in Spencerian penmanship. His son Dana, 1899-1968, was Chief of Mt. Vernon Fire Department in the 1930s. Ambrose, a farmer in McClellan Township, was grandfather of Herbert "Bud" Pickett, 1925-1976, farmer who served on the Jefferson County Board from 1972 until 1976. Burrell Jefferson Davis Pickett, 1861-1930, born five months after the Civil War began, married Minerva Pateline Willis, 1865-1938, of Moore's Prairie. He was a farmer, a local road commission, and served as director for St. Elmo Grade School. . They raised 4 girls and 1 boy: William Perle Pickett, 1896-1926, soldier in World War I; Luvera, 1885 --- educator in Jefferson County schools 1904-1911, Postmaster of Nason, Illinois 1935-1936, married Henry Leonard, 1883-1945, in 1910. They had one child Hazel (Leonard) Mihall, 1911-1977, who witnessed the Tornado of 1888 as it destroyed Mt. Vernon. During the presidential campaign of 1896 attended a rally for and met William Jennings Bryan, "Silver-tongued Orator" from Salem, Illinois. She taught at Hopper Grade School 1905-1907 and liked it there as it was well equipped and the students were eager to learn. At 93 (in 1977) Mrs. Luvera Leonard is still an avid reader and active homemaker. -- Robert L. Mihall Source: Facts and Folks of Jefferson Co, IL - 1978 Submitted By: Sandy (Whalen) Bauer |
For corrections or additions, please contact me: Sandy Bauer