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| McClean County War Monument, Miller Park Could William Lee be mis-marked? Or is he buried in another county? |
~Revolutionary War Gravesites in McLean County~
Introduction - Ebenezer Barnes - Joseph Bartholomew - Samuel Beeler - David Haggard - Frances Hodge - Moses Hougham - John Karr - William Lee - John Maxwell - Thomas McClure - William McGhee or Gee - William McCullough - John Toliday - Jacob Williamson - Gravesites Not in McLean County
*Blog article that will be published later
William Lee is the most mysterious of all the American Revolution veterans buried in McLean County. Because so little is known about him, and there is no direct evidence of his service in the Revolutionary War or burial in McLean County, he is one of three veterans who are only possibly or probably buried in McLean County (the others being Thomas McClure and Jacob Williamson).
Searching for Direct Evidence of William Lee
After reviewing several sources, I have not found any direct evidence that a William Lee who served in the American Revolution ever lived or was buried in McLean County.
His name is first mentioned in a transactions of the McLean County Historical Society report in 1899. His name is cited in 1901 and 1913 in Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.) reports. None of these reports provide biographical or other information about Lee, other than to metion than he is buried in "Downs."
William Lee also has an inscription in the Miller Park Soldiers Monument. This would imply that research was conducted to proved that Lee was buried in McLean County. He is the only one listed without a home state.
A William Lee is cited as an early resident of Blooming Grove in a Pantagraph article from 1900. This William Lee was Blooming Grove's (and later, Bloomington's) first postmaster, appointed in May 1831. He was also a methodist minister. However no mention is made of this William's military service.
A find-a-grave search of the names "William Lee" in McLean County yielded only three names, none of whom were buried in Downs or born before 1841. Finally, a search of U.S. Census records revealed no persons with the name "William Lee" or "Bill Lee" in McLean County between 1800 and 1850.
So, other than several indirect references, the Miller Park Soldiers Monument inscription and an alleged gravestone in Downs, no other information about William Lee as a veteran of the American Revolution is known, including the locations and dates of his birth and death.
Could William Lee be Someone Else?
A 1935 Pantagraph article makes reference to the placing of a marker at Lee's gravesite in Downs in 1912 by the D.A.R. This artile omits William Gee or McGhee, another Revolutionary War veteran buried in Downs Township. So it's possible the marker was placed on the Gee/McGhee grave. Another possibility is that William Lee refers to another American Revolution veteran, William H. Lee, who died in Fayette County, IL, although there is no information about where this person was buried. Filing errors or other mistakes often led to confusion about where veterans were buried, so it's possible this William Lee was mistakingly identified as being buried in McLean County.
Searching for Direct Evidence of William Lee
After reviewing several sources, I have not found any direct evidence that a William Lee who served in the American Revolution ever lived or was buried in McLean County.
His name is first mentioned in a transactions of the McLean County Historical Society report in 1899. His name is cited in 1901 and 1913 in Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.) reports. None of these reports provide biographical or other information about Lee, other than to metion than he is buried in "Downs."
William Lee also has an inscription in the Miller Park Soldiers Monument. This would imply that research was conducted to proved that Lee was buried in McLean County. He is the only one listed without a home state.
A William Lee is cited as an early resident of Blooming Grove in a Pantagraph article from 1900. This William Lee was Blooming Grove's (and later, Bloomington's) first postmaster, appointed in May 1831. He was also a methodist minister. However no mention is made of this William's military service.
A find-a-grave search of the names "William Lee" in McLean County yielded only three names, none of whom were buried in Downs or born before 1841. Finally, a search of U.S. Census records revealed no persons with the name "William Lee" or "Bill Lee" in McLean County between 1800 and 1850.
So, other than several indirect references, the Miller Park Soldiers Monument inscription and an alleged gravestone in Downs, no other information about William Lee as a veteran of the American Revolution is known, including the locations and dates of his birth and death.
Could William Lee be Someone Else?
A 1935 Pantagraph article makes reference to the placing of a marker at Lee's gravesite in Downs in 1912 by the D.A.R. This artile omits William Gee or McGhee, another Revolutionary War veteran buried in Downs Township. So it's possible the marker was placed on the Gee/McGhee grave. Another possibility is that William Lee refers to another American Revolution veteran, William H. Lee, who died in Fayette County, IL, although there is no information about where this person was buried. Filing errors or other mistakes often led to confusion about where veterans were buried, so it's possible this William Lee was mistakingly identified as being buried in McLean County.
Today, there is no evidence of William Lee's gravestone in Downs. If Lee's gravestone did exist in McLean County, and was located somewhere in Downs, it is long gone or missing. Based soley on his inscription, Lee is included as a possible burial in McLean County.
References & Map
See the Introduction to Revolutionary War Gravesites in McLean County for references.
References & Map
See the Introduction to Revolutionary War Gravesites in McLean County for references.
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