JamesN. Rigg

 
JAMES N. RIGG, of the firmof Rigg & Smith, merchants of Camden, one of the well-known pioneersof Brown county, settled in 1869 at Camden. He was born in Anderson county,Kentucky, January 18, 1826, being a son of Richard and Margaret (Utterback)Rigg, natives of Virginia. Each removed with their respective familiesto Kentucky, where they were married. In 1831 they emigrated to Illinoisand settled in what is now Brown county, but was then a part of Schuyler.Mr. Richard Rigg purchased land near Mount Sterling, and entered land,and then became the owner of 400 acres of land on which he made many improvements.His death occurred in 1879, aged eighty-four years. His wife died in 1877,aged eighty-four years. They were members of the Baptist Church, of whichMr. Rigg was a Deacon. He had already made money when he started farmingin Illinois, and added to his fortune in this State. He and his wife hadthree sons and four daughters: Elizabeth, married to John B. Anumos, deceased;Susan A., married to J. P. Singleton, of Mount Sterling; Eliza marriedJames A. Parker, who died in Brown county; James N.; Peter, a farmer; andJohn J. died in Brown county. By a former marriage Richard had two children,William T. and Sarah.

James was only five yearsof age when the family came to Illinois. He was reared on the farm andresided there until he grew to manhood, attending school in the log schoolhousesof the section, where the teaching was as rude as the furniture. Afterhis marriage James purchased a farm in Brown county, and continued on ituntil he came to Camden in 1869, when he sold his farm of 160 acres andwith his father-in-law, Willis Watts, engaged in general merchandisingin Camden, under the firm name of Watts & Rigg, and continued businessfor ten years. Mr. Rigg continued alone some years, until 1881, when thecyclone passed through the town; his store and dwelling-house were badlyinjured, and his family were badly hurt. He subsequently associated withhis son-in-law in business, under the firm name of Rigg & Donnell.This firm continued two years. At the end of that time his present partnerpurchased an interest in the business, and the name was changed to Rigg& Smith.

He was married in 1849, toEmily I. Watts, daughter of Willis Watts. (For family history see historyof Dr. B. P. Watts.) Mr. and Mrs. Rigg have five children: John J., ofKeokuk, Iowa; Richard W. is a physician of Pulaski, Illinois; Francis M.is in the insurance business at Quincy, Illinois; Olie married John Donnell,a farmer of Iowa; and Gertrude, at home.

In politics he is a Democrat.He has been Supervisor of Camden township, until he declined to acceptthe office, and during this time was chairman of the Board of Supervisorsof Schuyler county for four consecutive years. He has held many of theoffices of the township. He has been Justice of the Peace for seven years,and been prominent in local politics, frequently having been a delegateof the county and district conventions. Mr. Rigg is a member of the BaptistChurch, and his wife of the Christian Church. He has devoted his attentionto merchandise, and is one of the oldest merchants in the county. He andhis wife are respected throughout the county, where they are well known,and Mr. Rigg is regarded as a reliable, honest business man.

Biographical Review ofCass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois, Biographical Review PublishingCo., Chicago, 1892, pages 287-288.

Copyright2000-2006 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.

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