DANIEL STEPHENS has been closely identified with the history of Schuyler county, Illinois, since 1836, and it is fitting that his name should appear in this volume. He was born in Davidson county, North Carolina, April 4, 1819, a son of Alexander Stephens, who died in 1825; the mother of our subject, whose maiden name was Mary Dealy, was a native of New Jersey; she was married a second time in Illinois, spending the last of her life in Bainbridge township. Daniel Stephens, in early life, became inured to the hard labor of a farm; he made the most of his opportunities to secure an education, but as there were no free schools and his father was in limited circumstances, the advantages offered him were very few. He lived in North Carolina until 1836, when he emigrated to the West, and settled in Illinois; the entire journey was made overland with teams, and the country reached was little better than a wilderness. Mr. Stephens settled in that portion of Schuyler county which is now included in Brown county, but he had no means to invest in land, and so was obliged to work for wages; he received $12 a month, and from this small sum saved enough to make a beginning. In 1841 he settled on a tract of patent land that is now a part of his farm, and three years later he bought eighty acres, for which he paid $170; this place was covered with timber and brush, and in the heart of the forest he erected a cabin that afforded protection and shelter; he courageously undertook the task of placing the land under cultivation, and as he prospered he invested in other lands, until he now owns 572 acres, lying in Bainbridge and Woodstock townships.

Mr. Stephens was married January 26, 1840, to Rebecca Kimbel, a native of Simpson county, Kentucky, and a daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Kimbel. Of this union were born seven children: George W., William M., David, Samuel, John R., Samantha Jane and Olive.

George W. Stephens has been three times married, his present wife being Ann Irvin; they have seven children: William M. has been married twice, Martha J. Eason being the second wife; he has eight children; David married Martha Landreth, and has a family of seven children; Samuel married Cornelia Persinger, and has four children; John married Mary J. Macombs, and has one child; Samantha J. is the wife of Richard Black, and has three children; Olive married L. F. Nooner, and is the mother of four children. Mr. Stephens has thirty-five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Biographical Review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois, Biographical Review Publishing Co., Chicago, 1892, pages 229-230.

Copyright 1999-2006 Judi Gilker; all rights reserved. For personal use only. Commercial use of the information contained in these pages is strictly prohibited without prior permission. If copied, this copyright must appear with the information.

Return to Biographical Review index

 
DANIEL STEPHENS has been closely identified with the history of Schuyler county, Illinois, since 1836, and it is fitting that his name should appear in this volume. He was born in Davidson county, North Carolina, April 4, 1819, a son of Alexander Stephens, who died in 1825; the mother of our subject, whose maiden name was Mary Dealy, was a native of New Jersey; she was married a second time in Illinois, spending the last of her life in Bainbridge township. Daniel Stephens, in early life, became inured to the hard labor of a farm; he made the most of his opportunities to secure an education, but as there were no free schools and his father was in limited circumstances, the advantages offered him were very few. He lived in North Carolina until 1836, when he emigrated to the West, and settled in Illinois; the entire journey was made overland with teams, and the country reached was little better than a wilderness. Mr. Stephens settled in that portion of Schuyler county which is now included in Brown county, but he had no means to invest in land, and so was obliged to work for wages; he received $12 a month, and from this small sum saved enough to make a beginning. In 1841 he settled on a tract of patent land that is now a part of his farm, and three years later he bought eighty acres, for which he paid $170; this place was covered with timber and brush, and in the heart of the forest he erected a cabin that afforded protection and shelter; he courageously undertook the task of placing the land under cultivation, and as he prospered he invested in other lands, until he now owns 572 acres, lying in Bainbridge and Woodstock townships.

Mr. Stephens was married January 26, 1840, to Rebecca Kimbel, a native of Simpson county, Kentucky, and a daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Kimbel. Of this union were born seven children: George W., William M., David, Samuel, John R., Samantha Jane and Olive.

George W. Stephens has been three times married, his present wife being Ann Irvin; they have seven children: William M. has been married twice, Martha J. Eason being the second wife; he has eight children; David married Martha Landreth, and has a family of seven children; Samuel married Cornelia Persinger, and has four children; John married Mary J. Macombs, and has one child; Samantha J. is the wife of Richard Black, and has three children; Olive married L. F. Nooner, and is the mother of four children. Mr. Stephens has thirty-five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Biographical Review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois, Biographical Review Publishing Co., Chicago, 1892, pages 229-230.

Copyright 1999-2006 Judi Gilker; all rights reserved. For personal use only. Commercial use of the information contained in these pages is strictly prohibited without prior permission. If copied, this copyright must appear with the information.

Return to Biographical Review index