Wilson, Douglas L., ed; Davis, Rodney O., ed. 'Register of Informants' in 'Herndon's Informants: Letters, Interviews, and Statements About Abraham Lincoln' . Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1998. [format: book], [genre: history]. Permission: University of Illinois Press
Persistent link to this document: http://lincoln.lib.niu.edu/file.php?file=herndon737.html

Spears was the son of a Kentucky slaveholder. After marrying in 1824, he migrated to Illinois with his wife, parents, and two former slaves. They settled in Clary's Grove, near what would later become the town of Tallula, and built one of the earliest brick homes in the region. (McKenzie; HMMC)