SimonA. Reeve
SIMON A. REEVE, who has long been closelyconnected with the agricultural interests of Schuyler county, is a nativeof the State of Illinois, born at Springfield, December 28, 1828. His father,John Reeve, was a native of New York, and the paternal grandfather wasborn in the same State; the latter is supposed to have visited Illinoisat an early day, as he purchased land in Fulton county. John Reeve wasstill a youth when he accompanied his parents to Kentucky, and there hewas married to Betsey Ross, a Kentuckian by birth; from the Blue GrassState he removed to Indiana, and thence to Illinois, being one of the pioneersof Springfield; he resided there some years before it became the capitalcity of the commonwealth. In 1829 he came to Schuyler county, and settledin Bainbridge township on land his father had given him; the tract washeavily timbered, and there were no improvements. Mr. Reeve erected a lughouse, and began the task of placing the land under cultivation. He residedthere until after the death of his wife, which occurred in 1843, when hereturned to Indiana; in a few years he came back to Illinois and locatedin Peoria county, where he spent the last days of his life. His death occurredin his seventy-fifth year. Simon A. Reeve was but an infant when his parentsremoved to Schuyler county; here he was reared amid the privations andhardships incident to life on the frontier; tile country was thinly settled,Indians still roamed the prairie, and wild game was abundant. The motherspun and the sister wove all the cloth with which the children were dressed.Our subject attended the pioneer schools taught in the primitive log house,and in early youth began to earn his own living; for some time he receivedas compensation only his board and clothing; later he had $8 or $9 permonth, which he considered excellent wages. He afterward learned the cooper’strade, which he followed a number of years, and at this vocation earnedthe money with which he bought the first land he owned. An incident worthyof note as illustrating the value of neighbors as compared with that ofland, is furnished in the act of the father of the subject of this sketch:When he settled on 160 acres of land in Schuyler county, his neighborswere few and far between, and in order to secure a near neighbor, Mr. Reevesold fifty of his 160 acres to a gentleman for $25, upon the conditionthat he would reside upon it. Mr. Reeve has been very successful as a farmer,and has accumulated considerable amount of property; to his oldest sonhe has given 107 acres, to another 91 acres, and now occupies a farm of120 acres, which is well improved.Mr. Reeve was married, in 1854, to Miss JaneOrr, a native of county Tyrone, Ireland, and a daughter of Joseph and Mary(Burn. side) Orr. Two sons have been born of this union, William H. andPulaski; the former married Harriet E. Ackley, who was born in Adams county,Illinois, a daughter of Latham and Pauline (Spangler) Ackley; their threechildren died in infancy: Pulaski married Mary I. Ward, and they have onechild living, named Bertha. Mr. and Mrs. Reeve are consistent members ofthe Methodist Episcopal Church. In his political opinions Mr. Reeve adheresto the principles of the Democratic party.
Biographical Review of Cass, Schuylerand Brown Counties, Illinois, Biographical Review Publishing Co., Chicago,1892, pages 202-203.
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