Abraham W Carlock was prominent among the early settlers in Mclean and Woodford County. He ammassed large tracts of land was was well known for his politics. His father and brothers fought with Andrew Jackson in the War of 1812. Jackson was revered by the Carlocks.

In 1850, Abraham W. donated land for a cemetery for Democrats. He and other Carlocks are laid to rest in White Oak Cemetery, once known as Carlock or Democrat Cemetery.

Children of Abraham W and Mary Goodpasture:

John Goodpasture Carlock 1827 – 1888
Martha Carlock 1827 – 1828
Madison P Carlock 1829 – 1904
Nancy Jane Carlock 1831 – 1868
Sarah Carlock 1833 – 1915 Mahala Carlock 1835 – 1923
Reuben Carlock 1837 – 1842
Lavina Carlock 1839 – 1917
William Bryant Carlock 1842 – 1928
Mary Carlock 1844 – 1869
Abraham H Carlock 1846 – 1921
Margery Goodpasture Carlock 1849 – 1889

Quoted from El Paso, IL Story - pub'd 1954
CARLOCK, Abraham W. and Mary – Abraham came from Tennessee and settled in Illinois in 1827 and in Kansas Twp. near the Montgomery line in 1833, his cabin being on the north side of the SW 1/4 of Section 20, Kansas Twp. It was included in the new Woodford County because he was an influential Democrat. White Oak was renamed Carlock for him about 1875. Abraham and his brother, Reuben, and one other fought with Andrew Jackson at New Orleans.
Carlock, Reuben and Amy – Reuben came to Illinois from Tennessee with his brother, Abraham W. Carlock, in 1827, and into our area in the Kansas Twp. in 1834. He became the first "overseer of the pooor" in Bowling Green in 1841 when Woodford County was organized, and was also on its first grand jury panel.

Taken from "Road trip America" (www.roadtripamerica.com)
Carlock, home of the community-owned Countryside Family Restaurant, has another claim to fame. If you drive down Church Street about a mile, past the point where houses have given way to cornfields, you'll find the town cemetery on the right-hand side of the road. A few hundred feet farther, on the other side of the road, you'll see the second one.
Why does a tiny town like Carlock have two cemeteries? The reason goes back more than a century, when Abraham Carlock, a staunch Democrat, was one of the leading citizens. His nemesis in town was Philip Benson, a Republican of equally strong convictions. When Carlock established a cemetery and announced that only Democrats were welcome, Benson created one for Republicans nearby.
We visited the two cemeteries, and were surprised to find markers for members of the opposing families in both. Carlocks seem to be lying peacefully next to Bensons, all differences forgotten. Did the rivalry die with the two men who started it, or did other family members defect to the opposing party? We don't have the answer, nor can we tell you the solution to another quandary. What happens to people in Carlock who voted for Ross Perot?

Bio by Debra