The history of the ownership and occupation of the Five Mile House is complex.  Owners did not necessarily live there, and oral histories tell us of people who lived there who do not show up as owners in the chain of title.  We do know that for much of its history, the Five Mile House passed between relatives, some distantly related, some closely related.  The Stone, Rennels and Johns families figure prominently in the house's history.  The property changed hands frequently, so the following list of owners is, of necessity, selective.

                                                        Chronology

1837     Levin E. Cartwright purchased 40 acres which included the Five Mile House site

              from the Federal Government on April 27th, 1837.

 

1842     Levin E. and Susan Cartwright, his wife, sold the property to Roley and Sarah

              Strader.

 

1845     Roley and Sarah Strader sold the property to his brother Vincent Strader and his

              wife Patience Strader (who was sister to Sarah Strader).

 

1846     Vincent and Patience Strader sold to John and Peggy Bowan Goodman.

 

1849     John and Peggy Bowan Goodman sold to Stephen and Nancy Bowan Stone

              (Nancy and Peggy Bowan were sisters)  Stephen was a farmer and Veterinarian.  

              He and Nancy were married in 1812.

 

1853     Stephen Stone died without a will.

 

1858     Stephen Stone's heirs conveyed the property to Amos Bishop, farmer, and his

              wife Elizabeth.

 

1862     Amos and Elizabeth Bishop conveyed the property to Jeremiah Stone, one of

              Stephen Stone's sons, and his wife Jane Toland Stone. Jeremiah was  also a

              farmer and veterinarian.

 

1862     Jeremiah Stone died without a will.

 

1877     Jane Toland Stone conveyed the property to William R. and Mariam H. Connelly.

 

1878     William and Mariam Connelly and Jane Stone conveyed the property to Joshua

              Johns and his wife Isabell. (Between 1878 and 1883, all of Jeremiah Stone's heirs 

              relinquished their rights in the property to Joshua Johns.)

             

1882     Joshua and Isabell Johns sold the property to their son George A. Johns and his

              wife Abigail.

 

1885     George and Abigail Johns sold to William Henry Harrison Rennels.

 

1895     William Rennels died in the Five Mile House.

 

1897     Seaton Johns and his wife Armilda Rennels Johns, daughter of William Rennels, 

              purchased the property at auction.

 

1898     Seaton and Armilda Johns sold the property to John Horsley who had married

              Catherine Davis Rennels, widow of William Rennels' son Newton.

 

1917     John Horsley Died.

 

1943     John Horsley's heirs sold the property to Alva L. and Oakney Holsapple.

 

1951     Alva Holsapple died without a will.

 

1957     Wallace B. Eaton and Helen M Eaton purchased the property.

             

1958     The Eaton's built the first all-electric house in Coles County, constructed just

              north of the old Five Mile House.  Wallace Eaton transformed the Five Mile House

              into a museum for his antiques and arrow heads.

 

1998     The Five Mile House purchased the property and began its restoration efforts.