McDonough ILGenWeb

In the earlier days all stock was permitted to run at large, and in order that one might distinguish his or her property, a mark was placed upon the animal, and a record of the same made in the County Clerk's office at Macomb. The following are specimens of the same taken from the old records:

William Job records his mark as follows, to-wit: A crop off of the left ear and a swallow fork in the right ear. This second day of September, 1830.

John Hardesty records his mark as follows: A small crop off of the left ear. Oct. 6, 1830.

James Clark records his mark as follows: A crop off of and an under bit in right ear, and a split in the left ear. Dec. 8, 1830.

Daniel Campbell records his mark as follows: A small crop and an under bit out of the right ear, and an open bit in the left ear. May 16, 1831.

William Osborn records his mark as follows: An under half crop in each ear. June 10, 1831.

William Pennington records his mark as follows: A crop and an under bit in the right, and a crop and slit in the left ear. July 16, 1831.

Elias McFadden records his mark, to-wit: A crop off of the right and an under bit in the left ear, and his brand, M. C. and flour dealers. Aug. 2, 1831.

Robert Grant records his mark, to-wit: A crop, a slit, and an under bit in the left ear. Feb. 4, 1832.

James Head records his mark and brand, viz: A smooth crop off of the right and an under bit in the left ear, and his brand, J. H. May 12, 1832.

Peter S. Wood records his mark, viz: A square crop off of the left and a hole in the same ear, and a square crop off of the right ear. Oct. 6, 1832.

Salem Woods records his mark, viz: A crop and slit in each ear. Jan. 23, 1833.

John Cannon records his mark, viz: A smooth crop off of the left ear and an over bit in the same, and an over bit in the right ear. Dec. 13, 1834.

Daniel Seybold records his mark, viz: A crop off of both ears and an under bit in the left, and a slit in the right ear. May 30, 1835.

Levi Hamiton records his mark as follows, viz: A crop off of each ear, and a slit on each ear and an under slit in the left ear. September 5, 1835.

Willis Wayland records his mark viz: A crop and two slits in the left and an under bit in the right ear. December 31, 1836.

James Vest, records his mark as follows: A crop off of each ear and a slit in the right. November 23, 1838.

John W. McCord records his mark as follows: A crop and an under bit and a split in the left ear and an under bit and a split in the right ear. June 7, 1838.

Samuel Humberd records his mark, viz: A slope to a point in each ear. January 29, 1839.

Samuel C. Dewey records his mark, viz: The left ear cut entirely off from his jaw and a long slit in the right hind leg, also, a brand next side to the fence. March 9, 1839.

Lewis Mason his mark, viz: A hole and a slit. January 12, 1839.

Timothy Robinson records his mark, viz: Two slits in the left ear and a half penny in the underside of the right ear. June 2, 1845.

James Greenwill records his mark as follows, viz: An under slope on under side of each ear, both ears foxed to a sharp point on the under side of the ears. August 13, 1873.

Jeremiah Sullivan records his mark as follows, to-wit: Letter S on the left side of the rump, ear mark; a crop off the right ear and a split in the left ear. 1854.

Nancy Ryan records her mark as follows: Cattle branded on both horns with the letters N. R., and a split on the side of the right ear, the wrong side of the R turned down, and the N at the top of the horn. Hay mark: A split on the top of the right ear and a crop off the top of the ear with a notch on the side of the left ear and the tail cut short, lives in Colchester. March 3, 1858.

---

Source: History of McDonough County, Illinois, It's Cities, Towns, and Villages with Early Reminiscences, Personal Incidents and Anecdotes, and a Complete Business Directory of the County, by S. J. Clarke, published in 1878, pages 244-246.