A number of people resided in the county and were, so to speak, "squatters" before the land was opened for settlement and entry could be made. A few of the following names and locations will give the reader an idea of some of the old settlers who came here, some of whom resided on their respective claims before entry could be made.
Peter Kepler entered land in section 1-82-5 June 15, 1842; A. M. McCoy, James Huntington, Edward Isham, Horatio Sanford entered land in section 2-82-5 from May 17, 1844, to November 3, 1845.
Mary Ann Doty entered part of section 4-82-5 November 29, 1844; Abner Doty entered land March 11, 1845, in section 3-82-5; William Abbe entered land in section 5-82-5 in 1844; Henry Kepler entered land in the same section two years previously. Jesse H. Holman entered a forty acre tract in section 6 in the same township and range October 12, 1842. During the year 1845 Horatio Sanford, William Abbe and William Johnson entered considerable land in the same locality; also Allison I. Willits and Fred Kinley as early as 1842. James, Joe and Robert Boyd entered considerable land from February, 1843 to 1844 in section 8, while entries were made in section 10 from 1842 to 1844 by John I. Gibson, Oliver Day, Oakley Parker, and Robert Stinson.
During the same period the following entries were made in section 11, to-wit: by Simeon Archer, Oliver Day, John I. Gibson, Nathan Peddycord, and James Kelsey.
In section 13 the following entries were made from February, 1843, to 1845, viz: by Saul Elliott, Gabe Archer, James Bartley, and G. B. Bowman.
In section 14 entries were made from 1843 to 1844 as follows: by James Kelsey, Leonard Platner, John Donahoo, Joe Smith, Ackley Parker, and Reuben Ash.
In section 15 entries were made from February 22, 1843, to September 18, 1844, by Dan Hahn and James Muckalls; and in section 17 by John Stewart and John McLaughlin.
In section 18 during the same period entries were made by Nate P. Wilcox, Meron C. Barnes, and A. J. McKean; George Greene entered a tract in section 29 February 21, 1843. Nearly all of the above described sections seem to have been picked up between the years 1842 and 1844.
A few names appear in various localities as having entered lands in smaller or larger tracts, viz: Hugh Downey, J. G. Berryhill, John J. Gibson, H. W. Sanford, William Abbe, A. J. Willits, and Morgan Reno; a number of those men were not residents of the county at any time as far as is known, with the exception of William Abbe.
In Linn Grove township 83, range 5, the following entries were made: