Articles | Haunted Rockford

Jehial Harmon

Jehial Harmon was born in Suffield, Connecticut, Oct. 5, 1762. This made him only 12 years old in April of 1775 when the Battle of Lexington (and the beginning of the Revolutionary War) occurred. Jehial’s older brother served in the army but Jehial’s parents thought he was too young to go with his brother. The parents finally relented in 1779, when Jehial turned 16. His brother was ill and was forced to leave the service. Jehial joined up and from all accounts fought bravely.

Jehial survived the war and went on to have a family. Some of his children came to the “west” to settle and start families of their own here in Rockford. Jehial came to live with his children in 1844. He died here in Rockford on March 3, 1845. Jehial was buried at Greenwood Cemetery. His grave was marked June 14 1902. “Connecticut in the Revolution.”

Barbara Hamilton

Barbara Hamilton was only 14 years old when she died on June 6, 1909 in her home on North Second Street. She had been ill for a while, in fact, her parents had just brought her home from a hospital in Chicago where she had spent a couple of months struggling to get better.

Little Barbara took a turn for the worst and her father was called home from a business trip to Minneapolis. He was a successful attorney. He made the journey by from Minneapolis to Janesville by train and the rest of the journey by “automobile”. He got to her bedside just a few minutes before she passed away. Unfortunately, Barbara was unconscious and the father voiced doubt whether she knew he was there.

Before her illness Barbara spent time riding horses and was a member of the Children of the American Revolution.

Barbara was said to have been a very sweet young girl and that everyone who knew her loved her. She was the Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Hamilton’s only child and they were devastated when she
died.

There is a legend surrounding this little girl. It seems she loved horses and when her beloved horse passed away, rumor has it that the family buried it here in this hillside so that it could be close to Barbara. Psychics visiting the area in Cedar Bluff have been confused and startled to see a horse running through the cemetery.