McDonough County Genealogical Society
The Hendee House Hotel was erected in 1871 by Stephen Ariel Hendee, a merchant and grain dealer in Bushnell. Stephen was born March 9, 1830 in Hartford (Windham County), Connecticut, the son of Amasa and Mary Lock Hendee.
He married Sally N. Grenendike of New Jersey on November 8, 1858. From this marriage they had six children — Luann B., Adrienne (Addie) G., Nathan B., Leo N., Edgar, and Fannie.
“His life was full of business activities.
He came to Illinois in 1838 and located at Halkental’s bridge on the Spoon River in Fulton County. There he followed the miller’s trade until 1849 when he then moved to Lewistown and entered the employment of Joe Solomon as a clerk in his general store. The gold excitement caught him in its grasp and he crossed the plains with an ox team and remained in California for a couple of years, but gained no financial reward by his efforts and gave up mining. He acted as agent for the Wells Fargo express for a year and then returned to Lewistown where he bought the stock of N. Beadles and later conducted stores in Bardolph and Marietta, afterward locating at Bushnell, IL.” Stephen died June 20, 1910. The hotel eventually became the Alexander Hotel. The build no longer exists today.
