In 1882, under the leadership of Jacob Cress, Thomas Phillips and Solomon Harkey, plans were adopted and carried out to erect a memorial log cabin, on the Old Fair grounds, each of the old settlers to prepare a log, to go into the cabin, on the smooth outside of which was to be painted the name of the contributor, the date of his birth or entrance into the country or state. We have no list made at this time of the building, and at this time the names are too dim from age to read, with any certainty. But in 1903, twenty-one years after its building the following inscriptions were taken from the logs, which are approximately correct:

• Martin A. Ludewick, born in North Carolina; December 9, 1825, came to Illinois December 3, 1831
• David McEwen, born in North Carolina in 1807, came to Illinois in 1831
• Jasper Clark, born in Massachusetts in 1802, came to Illinois in 1821
• Henry Phillips, born in Randolph County, Ill., in 1821
• T. J. Rutledge, born in Hillsboro July 8, 1828, and was the first child born in Hillsboro
• John T. Maddux, born April 5, 1833 in Greenville, Ill., came to this county in 1836
• Levi Hill, born in Montgomery County July 17, 1826
• Peter Cress, born in North Carolina in 1808, came to Illinois in 1823
• William Walcott, born in 1820
• George L. Warren born in 1837, came to Illinois in 1838
• H. N. Pope born in Fayette County, Ill., in 1844
• J. M. Berry, born in Kentucky in 1811, came to Illinois in 1828
• William Bowles, born in Kentucky 1836
• John T. Whitledge, born in 1830, came to Illinois in 1831
• Jacob Bost, born in North Carolina in 1794, came to Illinois in 1836
• Joseph T. Eccles, born in Kentucky, came to Illinois in 1832
• William Brewer, born in Kentucky, came to Illinois in 1834
• W. S. Clotfelter, born in North Carolina in 1817, came to Illinois in 1833
• Solomon Harkey, born in North Carolina in 1806, came to Illinois in 1829
• J. A. Cress, born in Montgomery County in 1829, this log was hewn in 1831 by Peter and Joseph Cress
• G. V. Brockman, born in Missouri in 1811, came to Illinois in 1833
• J. J. Phillips, born in Hillsboro in 1837
• James Clotfelter, born in North Carolina in 1826, came to Illinois in 1833
• J. T. Williamson, born in 1818
• Peter Berrie, born in Pennsylvania July 28, 1811, came to Illinois in 1837
• John H. Scherer, born in North Carolina May 1, 1831, came to Illinois in 1837
• John T. McDavid, born in Montgomery County in 1818
• M. S. Barry, born in Barren County Ky., in 1818, came to Illinois in 1831
• E. B. Hubbel, born in Vermont in 1819, came to Illinois in 1833
• Dan Lingofelter, born in Canton, Ohio, in 1828, came to Illinois in 1836
• John D. Williamson, born in Nodaway County, Va., Dec. 13, 1814, came to this county in 1834
• William Young, born in Tennessee, Oct 5, 1810, came to Illinois in 1830
• A. B. Smith, born in Ohio November 4, 1821, came to Illinois in 1834
• Edward Crawford, born in Tennessee in 1812, came to Illinois in 1833
• David Gregory, born in North Carolina December 1, 1809, came to Illinois in 1831

Subsequent to erecting the cabin, the following deaths were engraved thereon:

• John Williamson, died January 9, 1885
• Levi Whitten died September 4, 1885
• David McEwen died October 4, 1884
• Jacob Bost died October 7, 1884
• Noah Lipe died October 9, 1884
• William Brewer died October 31, 1883
• Peter Cress died October 1, 1885
• Thomas J. Rutledge died March 18, 1885
• William Watson died January 17, 1885

Taken from "The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Montgomery County" Volume 2 – 1918