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S. L. CALEF, one of the old, representative families of Cass county, lives on a fine farm on section nine, township eighteen, range eleven, where he owns 320 acres, all well improved except a few acres, and all lying in the familiar and famous Sangamon bottom. On this fine land he has erected two sets of fine buildings. He came to the county in the fall of 1844, when he was a man of small means, but in a year's time he was able to purchase his first land of eighty acres and began to farm on his own account. Soon after this he bought another eighty, and some years later invested in 160 acres more, making 320 acres in all. He has as fine land as there is in the county, and it is all paid for. He has a comfortable bank account in addition, and is considered one of the well-to-do men of the county. He gave up active farming some fifteen years ago, and since that time has been taking life easy, having rented his farm to William Coleman (see biography), Mr. Calef came to this county and State from New Hampshire, where he was born, near Plainfield, Sullivan county, June 25, 1820. He came of New England parents, born in New Hampshire, of English ancestry. His father, Nathaniel Calef, was a native of Salisbury, New Hampshire, son of Benjamin Calef, who was born in New Hampshire, and lived and died in Salisbury, New Hampshire, being a farmer all his life. He was an old man when he died, and had always been a prominent member of society. He married a New Hampshire lady who lived and died there when quite old. Nathaniel Calef was married twice. He was married for the first time to Miss Elizabeth Hall, who died on the farm where they had settled after marriage. She left several children, of whom John Hall Calef is still living. He is on the old Calef farm in New Hampshire, and is an old man, aged eighty-six. His second wife, mother of subject, was Sarah Pettengill, she having been first married and borne a family to a Mr. Little, who died, and she married Nathaniel Calef, to whom she proved a good and faithful wife. She bore him our subject and a daughter, Lucinda, who became Mrs. Harrington, and died in New Hampshire, as did her mother, both old people. Nathaniel Calef the oldest half-brother of the subject of this sketch, was a soldier in the war of 1812.Our subject was married in Cass county to Lucy A. Main. She was born, reared and educated in Geauga county, Ohio, in 1829, and came to Illinois when young, settling on a farm in Cass county with her parents, Lodrick and Ann Eliza (Beard) Main. They were early settlers and improved their farm, and died when old people. They were natives of Connecticut and went to Ohio when young, marrying in Geauga county, from which they came to Cass county, Illinois.
Mr. and Mrs. Calef have no children, but have raised and helped several young people. They are very well known people and have made a host of friends for themselves during their lives in this county. Mrs. Calef is a Methodist, and her husband is a Republican in politics.
Biographical Review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois, Biographical Review Publishing Co., Chicago, 1892, pages 146-147.
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