JohnW. Seaman
JOHN W. SEAMAN, an old representative citizenand successful stock raiser, was born in Jefferson county, Virginia, sixmiles north of Harper’s Ferry. September 21, 1820. His father, Joseph,was also a native of Jefferson county, and was engaged there for yearsas a boatman on the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers, and kept a public innfor some time. His parents, who lived and died there, were American born,but of German ancestry, the father being in the Revolutionary war. JosephJ. was a soldier in a Virginia regiment, was in many engagements, and forsome time was stationed at Baltimore, Maryland. His wife was Nancy Deaver,who was born and reared in Jefferson county, and came of similar ancestryas her husband. After the birth of their children, of whom our subjectis the youngest, Joseph Seaman and wife, in the spring of 1832, came West,taking a boat at Wheeling, and came down the Ohio, and up the Mississippiand Illinois rivers, and landed at Beardstown when it was a hamlet of afew houses. There the family lived for some years, Mr. Seaman followingthe trade of carpenter. He later went to Frederick, Schuyler county, andthere died when sixty years of age. His wife died the next day, at aboutthe same age. They had many acquaintances among the pioneers of Cass county.John is the only surviving member of thefamily that came from Virginia to Illinois. He came here in l832, foundit new and unbroken, and has lived to note the many changes that have takenplace during the past thirty years. He reached here about the time theIndians left the county, and hence has been closely connected with allpioneer history. He has seen the county settled, all the roads laid outand built, all the school houses built, all the railroads and all the otherimprovements made that have made this the garden spot of Cass county. Hisfarm of about 500 acres, highly improved and well stocked, is located insection 16, township 18, range 11 west. He can boast of the character ofhis soil, except 100 acres on a sand ridge, and sixty-five acres in thebluffs. He purchased the place in 1852, and its present substantial conditionis due to his perseverance and industry.
He was married in this county, to Mary E.Thompson, born in New York, in 1828. She came to this county with her parents,George B. and Hannah Thompson, late in the ’30s. Both lived and died inthe county, Mr. Thompson being a farmer, and at one time a merchant inBeardstown. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson were quite well known as pioneer settlersof this county, the former dying in Beardstown, about seventy years ofage, and the latter in 1850. Mrs. Seaman was one of five children. A brother,Seth Thompson, now at the soldier’s home at Quincy, Illinois, and Mrs.Seaman, are the only remaining members of the family.
Mr. and Mrs. Seaman are members of no church,but are good, moral people, and are beloved by all who knew them. He isnot an office seeker, but is a decided Democrat in politics.
They are the parents of eleven children,four of whom are dead: Frank, Harriet, Charles and an infant. Those livingare: John, a farmer on the old homestead, married Ida Kruse; George, amachinist living in Cass county, married Susie Reiket; Fred, at home helpingon the farm; Hannah Heaton, living in Washington, on a farm; Cora, wifeof James Heaton, also lives in Washington; Anna S. Pearn, near Virginia,Illinois; and Bertha S. Hale, of Springfield, Illinois.
The entire family are excellent people, andexcellent representatives of Cass county.
Biographical Review of Cass, Schuylerand Brown Counties, Illinois, Biographical Review Publishing Co., Chicago,1892, pages 221-222.
Copyright1999-2006 Judi Gilker; all rights reserved. For personal use only.Commercial use of the information contained in these pages is strictlyprohibited without prior permission. If copied, this copyright must appearwith the information.
Recent Comments