1840. The ages of the adult male and female listed seem to be appropriate for the ages that David and Nancy would have been at this time- one male and one female, both between the ages of 20-30. The only child in this record is a female of less than 5 years of age. Although the precise years of the births of this couple's children is, as yet, unknown, it is believed that their first child was born around 1841. This child was a male. Perhaps the couple had another child of which I am unaware, or maybe the census taker entered the wrong gender for the child.
 The 1840 Census again accounts for Daniel and Nancy Owens Crotser. They are listed in the Eastern Division of Fayette County. Daniel was also a voter in the County election previously mentioned.
 On November 18, 1842, the only hanging ever to occur in Vandalia took place. George Ogle was executed for the murder of the woman he had been living with. Ogle and Noah Langston were accused with Langston being found guilty of being an accessory to the crime. David was on the jury that tried Ogle. Murder in the first degree was the verdict, and he was sentenced to hang the following November 18th. The sentence was carried out on, what was said to have been “the coldest day ever known in Vandalia”.
 1846 found many pioneers still moving westward. The group known as the Donner party began their journey from Riverton, Illinois outside of Springfield. The group was struck by early blizzards while trying to cross the Sierra Nevada. Only half of those who began the trip finally made it to California in 1847.
 1846 to 1848 also found the country involved in the Mexican War, which centered around boundary disputes between the two countries, Mexico and the United States. Although Texas had already won its independence from Mexico and had been annexed to the Unites States in 1845, Mexico still refused to recognize the annexation and disputed the boundary of the Rio Grande. The company that was raised from Fayette County to serve in this conflict was ordered to Alton, Illinois. The group consisted of 90 men. They were infected with measles at one time, and many lives were lost to this illness. Their term of service ended, and they were ordered back to New Orleans, where the remainder of the company were honorably discharged. Only about half of the original number survived the battles and the poor health conditions.
 The war ended February 2, 1848, and Mexico ceded all claims to Texas. This, however, intensified the slavery issue- should the new territory be free or slave? The debate continued for another 12 years, ending in the Civil War.
 It is believed from land records that David made at least 5 different land purchases before his death.I  In 1841 he bought two tracts of land from Richar and Tellitha Brown, one located in Section 19- NENE, and the other in Section 21 SWNW, lying just on the west side of Rt. 51, south of the Sharon Cemetery.  In the year 1849 records show that David purchased 40 acres of land at the price of $1.25 per acre in a federal land sale. This land was located a few miles north of Vandalia approximately where the State Correctional Center now stands- Section 33. He made a fourth purchase on July 9, 1850. He again bought 40 acres at the same price from the government.  This acreage was found in Section 19, just west of the small town of Vera in Sharon Township. The fifth purchase, which is believed to be his, occurred in 1854 from Joseph Ford.  The records are hard to read, but the land was either located in the 32nd or 33rd section SESW.  David's actual place of residence at this time is only known as being in Fayette County. In the records of thefederal land purchases, his residence is given as County 26, which was Fayette.
 The Compromise of 1850 helped to settle the dispute that had risen over the slavery issue in the newly acquired western regions. The land would be organized into the Utah and New

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