Note: The compiler hereby acknowledges the valuable assistance provided by C
larence Wemple in compiling this genealogical report. Thanks Clarence
. DRW

An article from the Gazette South, dated April 13, 1994 and forwarde
d to the compiler in a letter from Clarence dated December 2, 1995:

Gazette South, Wednesday, April 13, 1994

WE REMEMBER - THE FOUNDING OF WEMPLETOWN

by Laura Clymer, editor

Winnebago County - Wempletown is no longer on the county map, but that
´s OK with Clarence Wemple - now that he´s only 11 miles from the sett
lement his great-great-grandfather founded in 1855.

During their retirement, Clarence and his wife, Peggy, have slowly, bu
t not necessarily intentionally, moved closer to his ancestor´s home
. They live in Machesney Park now where Clarence enjoys tracing the h
istory of his family and being close to Wempletown.

According to Clarence, Jacob Van Alstyne Wemple arrived in Burritt Tow
nship in the summer of 1855. He came from Chicago where he was a manu
facture of farm implements. Jacob Wemple was an inventor. He manufac
tured threshing machines, corn shellers, provender mills and corn crus
hers at his business located on Canal Street along the Chicago River
. But after seven years, he went bankrupt. So he packed his family a
nd possessions and headed west, eventually buying land in Burritt Town
ship.

He must have had a vision of Rockford, Clarence said of his great-gr
eat-grandfather´s move. I have no idea how he picked the area.

Clarence assumes he chose the township because of its rich farmland.
Either that or he was too tired to keep going and decided this was fa
r enough, Clarence said with a laugh.

Jacob bought land for homes and in the fall of 1855, he donated land f
or a church. Burritt Township residents chopped down trees, took the
m to the Milne sawmill nearby and then brought the lumber to the site
. The church was built and no longer did the congregation have to hol
d its services outside.

They were Baptists, Clarence said. They used the Pecatonica Rive
r for baptisms - all year long.

Jacob built a large home and general store. The store served as the p
ost office until rural delivery began. In 1859 he gave a warranty dee
d to William Beauchamp for a wagon shop and Alfred Tessier for a black
smith shop. The upper floor of the blacksmith shop served as a meetin
g place for the group of Woodmen of America. Townspeople attended dan
ces there on Saturday nights. Later, a stagecoach stop and inn were a
dded making Wempletown a full-fledged community.

Jacob and his wife, Eleanor, had 11 children. His son, Edward, joine
d the Volunteer 74th Infantry Division, Company D in 1862 during the C
ivil War. Jacob and Eleanor left Wempletown. He died in Branch Count
y, Michigan in 1873 at age 76.

When Clarence was a child his father told him about Jacob and Wempleto
wn. They were living on the northwest side of Chicago when his fathe
r took the family on a trip.

When I was nine we piled into a car and went to the one-room Wempletow
n Church. I never thought that much about it because I was a child,
Clarence said. But in 1982, we were in Naperville (at the time) an
d I remembered I had been in the Rockford area.

It was February and Clarence and Peggy decided to go for a drive in se
arch of Wempletown. When they got to Rockford they stopped at a gas s
tation and asked an attendant if he knew where Wempletown was. The att
endant didn´t know.

So I went to the Rockford Police Department. There was an old desk s
ergeant. I asked if he could direct me to Wempletown. He told me ho
w to get there but said, ´Don´t blink your eyes - all that´s there i
s a church,´ Clarence said.

The rededication marked the 45th anniversary of the joining of the Wem
pletown Church and the Burritt Church. In 1937 the community consider
ed tearing down the two churches but, instead, an architect suggeste
d that part of the Burritt Church be moved and joined to the Wempletow
n Church. This plan was done in 1938 and the community named Burrit
t Community - its congregation is Methodist, no longer Baptist.

The Wemples went to the rededication in April 1982 as guests of honor
. The ceremony was complete with a history of the church and dinner
. They have potlucks like you wouldn´t believe, Clarence said. Fr
om that time on we got close to the people.

Wempletown might be a wide spot in Trask Bridge Road to and from Rockf
ord for many, but not Clarence or anyone else who grew up in Burritt T
ownship. They know, like Jacob Van Alstyne Wemple knew, that Wempleto
wn is special.

Obituary sent to the compiler by Ashley, brother of Clarence, on Jul
y 3, 2002:

CLARENCE L. WEMPLE JR., 75, LOVING HUSBAND, FATHER AND GRANDFATHER

ROSCOE-Clarence L. Wemple Jr., 75, of Roscoe died at 7:30p.m. Tuesday
, June 11, 2002,in Rockford Memorial Hospital emergency room. Born Nov
. 20, 1926, in Chicago, the son of Clarence L. and Edith Tufty Wempl
e Sr. Married Peggy Fox on June 25, 1950, in Three Rivers, Mich. He wa
s employed more than 15 years by School District 48 in Villa Park. Mem
ber of SAR and attended Burritt Community Church. Survivors include wi
fe, Peggy