| JosephFenton Van Deventer |
JOSEPH FENTON VAN DEVENTER was born in Highlandcounty, Ohio, June 25, 1826, a son of Jacob Van Deventer, who was bornin Loudoun county, Virginia, a descendant of the colonial settlers whocame from Holland in the early history of this country. The father of oursubject was reared and married in Virginia, but removed to Ohio, wherehe was a pioneer of Highland county; there he bought a tract of timber-land,erected a log cabin, and made it his home until the fall of 1832, whenhe sold and came to Illinois; he was accompanied by his wife and children,and his brother and family. The trip was made overland, and after a journeycovering three weeks he arrived in Schuyler county, which portion is nowincluded in Brown county; he made a claim to a tract of Government land,bought a log cabin, and lived there until his death in 1833. He was twicemarried, the second wife being the mother of Joseph F. Her maiden namewas Jane Rogers, and she was born near Paris, Kentucky, a daughter of ThomasRogers; she kept the family together until her death in 1843. Joseph F.was a child of six years when his parents emigrated to the frontier; mostof the land was owned at that time by the Government, the country was thinlysettled, and the river towns were the only market-places. He attended thepioneer schools until he was old enough to assist on the farm; the motherhad rented land which the sons cultivated. In 1850 Joseph and his brothers,Thomas and Henson, and a Mr. Adams and his son, crossed the plains to California;they started with ox teams March 27, and arrived at Weavertown, August27. They engaged in mining thirty-five miles east of Sacramento until thefollowing spring, and then went to Humboldt, and from that point acrossthe mountains to Weaverton; there they resumed mining and continued theindustry until June, 1852, when they started to Sacramento. They turnedtheir attention to feeding cattle now, and followed the business until1853, when they returned to Illinois, coming by the Isthmus to New York,and thence overland to their prairie home. Mr. Van Deventer and his brothers,Thomas, Barnett and Henson, combined their interests in farming and stock-raising,and bought land at different times, until they owned at one time 3,500acres; Barnett and Henson are now deceased.Our subject was married in 1868 to LutitiaGivens, who was born at Mt. Sterling, Brown county, Illinois, a daughterof John A. and Mary F. (Curry) Givens, pioneers of Brown county. Mr. andMrs. Van Deventer have two children living, Homer G. and Lloyd T. Theyare both members of the Presbyterian church. He was formerly a supporterof the principles of the Whig party, but has been a Republican since theorganization of that body. He is a man of honor and unquestioned integrity,and has the respect of his fellow-men.
Biographical Reviewof Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois, Biographical ReviewPublishing Co., Chicago, 1892, pages 191 to 192.
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