1854
David Selleck bought from the Board of the Illinois and Michiagan Canal on May 30, 1854, 80 acres described as the E½ of the SW¼ of Section 1 in Township 33 north of Range 2 east of the 3rd Principal Meridian. He paid the Treasurer of the Board of Trustees $280 for this land. (LaSalle County, Illinois, Deed Book 39, p. 153)
1855
David and Maria Selleck sold the E½ of the SW¼ of Section 1, Township 33, Range 2 East consisting of 80 acres to Samuel Cole in consideration of $1,640 via Warranty Deed. (LaSalle County, Illinois, Deed Book 40, p. 710)
David sold the land to Samuel Cole for $1,640. Cole who could not pay the full amount borrowed $720 from David and mortaged the land because he could not pay the full amount. The agreement was that Cole would pay $360 on or before May 1, 1856, and the other $360 on or before May 1, 1857. (LaSalle County, Illinois, Deed Book 40, p. 710) Power of Attorney to collect the money was given to Isaiah Strawn whose second wife, Elizabeth (Champlin) Morey, was the mother of David's wife Maria. Isaiah was also the father of Eliza Jane Strawn who married James Selleck, brother of David.
1871
On February 9, 1871, David Selleck of Harrison County, Iowa, bought 160 acres in Cloud County, Kansas, consisting of the NE¼ of Section 18 in Township 8 South of Range 5 West of the Prime Meridian from William and Caroline Slusher of Cloud County for $800. (Cloud County, Kansas, Deed Book A, p. 276)
Actually, David's brother James who had filed on a homestead, SW¼ in Section 18, Township 8, Range 5 West, was taking care of the transaction. David was sending a draft for the $800 to Salina for James to pick up.
David wrote a letter from Woodbine, March 13, 1871, to his brother James in Cloud County, Kansas.
I have sent a draft on you to Salina for eight hundred dollars to pay Slusher for Said land you didn’t give me quite as much notice as I would [have] liked to get the money but thought by what you wrote you Could lend it for a short time I wrote with the draft some
We are all wel [sic] [I] think I shal [sic] send the Draft by mail you see that the deed is all right you had better send it to me or keep it til I come down Theire [sic] is a good many going from here to Kansas in the spring Baskins [and] 2 or 3 more Write as soon as you receive this and let [me] know whether you received [the] draft and the deed alright David Selleck
Fearful of robbery, James took his son Arthur to Salina with him and used caution in returning to their home in Cloud County. A robbery attempt was made during the night of April 22 resulting in James getting shot and dying 16 days later.
It is not known if David intended on moving to Kansas or if he intended on speculating on the land with the hopes of turning a profit. David and his wife Maria sold the quarter section of land the following year to James' widow Eliza
David Sellock [sic] and Maria Sellock his wife of Harrison County, Iowa, in consideration of $900 paid by Eliza Sellock of Cloud County, Kansas, sold the NE¼ of Section 18 in Township 8 South of Range 5 West of the Prime Meridian containing 160 acres. (Cloud County, Kansas, Deed Book A, p. 574)
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| Maria (Morey) Selleck, David Selleck, Nellie (White) Kennedy (grand niece of David and Maria), a daughter of David and Maria possibly Abba Marie Selleck, and a cat. |
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| Under Construction |
to Isaac Selleck