Biographies

    Alfred M. Thompson     ALFRED M. THOMPSON, a farmer and stock raiser of township 17 north, range 11 west, section 36, Virginia post office, was born on the farm where he now lives, February 27, 1850. His parents were Oswell and Elizabeth (Henderson) Thompson. Both were born near Chillicothe, Ohio, the father in 1806, and the mother, September 22, 1813. They came to Illinois with their parents in the same year, 1827. The father’s parents located on the farm which Alfred now owns, and the mother’s people located near Arcadia, Illinois. They were married here, in 1829. … Read more

  Adam P. Seasly   ADAM P. SEASLY, a progressive and enterprising young farmer of Oakland township, was born in Carroll county, Maryland, in 1860. His father, Adam Seasly, now a resident of Adams county, Pennsylvania, is a native of Germany, but emigrated to America when a young man; he was reared to the life of a farmer, and also mastered the blacksmith’s trade in his own country. After arriving in this country he went directly to Pennsylvania, and there was married to Elizabeth Cook, a daughter of Benjamin Cook; she died in early womanhood in Pennsylvania, leaving two sons … Read more

    Anton Rink     ANTON RINK, a successful brewer of Beardstown, was born on the river Rhine, August 9, 1833. He is the only member of his family now living in this country. His mother died in Germany when he was only two years of age. In 1850, and after his father’s second marriage, he left the old country, and after a long a weary trip finally settled in Perry county, Missouri, where the father died four years later. His wife married a second time, and continued to live in Perry county until her death in 1890. Mr. … Read more

    Adam Schuman     ADAM SCHUMAN, one of the enterprising and successful young farmers of section 13, range 12, owning a farm of 120 acres which he has occupied since the death of his father, John A. Schuman, in October, 1886, has been the proprietor of the farm where he was born, reared and educated. The date of his birth is February 13, 1851. Since he came into possession of the farm, he has greatly improved it and made it very successful, having it well stocked and employing good farm hands. Although only a young man, he is … Read more

  AlexanderHite, Sr.  Contributedby Lela Hite [email protected] AlexanderHite, Sr. was born 1806 in Virginia, he moved to Licking County, Ohio,with his father in 1812. His father died when Alex was 17 years. Alex wasalready working and living with the Haas family as a blacksmith. He movedto Schuyler County in 1843, with him came his wife Arrabellah Mathews andtheir six children. Alexander had two half brothers named Harrison Hiteand Abraham Hite, Jr. These two brothers also moved to Schuyler Countyabout 1850. AbrahamHite, Jr. was in the Civil War joining the 78th, A Company in SchuylerCounty in 1862, and he served until … Read more

      Benjamin F. Rebman     BENJAMIN F. REBMAN, a farmer and dairyman, was born in Schuyler county, Illinois, at Pleasant View, January 12, 1848. He was the seventh child in a family of nine born to John and Margaret (Huffman) Rebman, the former of whom was born at Strasburg, Germany, and the latter near the same place. They emigrated to America in 1830 and were married in New York city in 1832. They lived in New York State about four years, when they removed to St. Louis, and after remaining there two years removed to Beardstown, Illinois, … Read more

   C. E.Jones  C. E. JONES, prominently connected for thelast twelve years, as division road master between Bushnell, Illinois,and St. Louis, Missouri, of the St. Louis division of the Quincy Railroad,with headquarters at Beardstown, was born on a farm near Baldwinsville,New York, February 11, 1847. He was there reared and educated, becomingearly acquainted with hard work. At the age of sixteen, he enlisted inthe Scott’s Nine Hundred Cavalry, but before he reached the front he wasovertaken by his father, and compelled to return home. In 1863, he enlistedin Nine Hundred of New York State Militia, and served until July, 1864,when … Read more

    CharlesF. Johnson    CHARLES F. JOHNSON, practicalfarmer and truck-raiser of Beardstown, was born in Salem county, New Jersey,April 7, 1863. He lived in his native State until thirteen, when his parentscame to Cass county, setting in Beardstown. The father, Chalkley Johnson,followed his trade as a carpenter until February, 1884, when he and alltheir children, but one, Charles, went to Sedgwick county, Kansas, andsettled on a farm, where the father and mother both live. The latter’smaiden name was Luwesia Lippencott. Both were natives of Salem county,New Jersey, where they were reared, married and all their children wereborn. They had … Read more

    CharlesGotthelf Jokisch    CHARLES GOTTHELF JOKISCH, an old settlerand farmer of Cass county, now deceased, was born in Saxony, Germany, February27, 1819. He was one of nine children. His grandfather, believing thatopportunities for young men were better in the United States than in Germany,urged his two sons and their families to emigrate to this country. Thisthey did early in the thirties, and began in Cass county on Governmentland, and here the father of Gotthelf died in what is now Bluff Springsprecinct, at about the age of fifty. He had accumulated a fine propertyand left an estate valued at … Read more

    Cyrus Horrom   CYRUS HORROM dates his birth in Dearborn county, Indiana, September 4, 1820.  His father, Benjamin Horrom, was born in New York state, and when a young man moved to Ohio.  A few years later he continued his way westward, and took up his abode in Dearborn county, Indiana, where he lived till December, 1828. At that time he started with his wife and nine children for Illinois, making the removal with ox teams, and landing in Cass county the following March.  Here he entered a tract of Government land in township 18, range 10, and … Read more