Biographies

  SquireJames M. Watkins  SQUIRE JAMES M. WATKINS, a popular Justiceof the Peace and one of the most prosperous farmers of Cass county, Illinois,residing in township 18, range 9, was born in Richmond precinct, same county,February 5, 1839. His parents were Elijah and Lydia A. (Montgomery)Watkins, both natives of Kentucky, the former born in Green county, in1797, and the latter a native of Hart county. His father’s parents wereSamuel and Mary (McClure) Watkins, the former a native of Wales and thelatter of Maryland. Samuel Watkins came to America when a very young manand settled in Maryland, where he was married, … Read more

    JohnMcCabe     JOHN McCABE, well-known in business circlesin Schuyler county, Illinois, was born in Coshocton county, Ohio, September11, 1828. His father, John McCabe, Sr., was a native of Pennsylvania, butwas taken to Ohio when quite young by his parents; there he learned theblacksmith’s trade, which he followed until 1844. In that year he emigratedto Indiana and settled in Marion county; here he resumed his occupation,remaining for three years. In 1847 he came to Illinois, and settled inthe town of Woodland; he afterward entered a tract of land on which heerected a log house; he followed his trade … Read more

    JosephMeservey    JOSEPH MESERVEY, of Elkhorntownship, was born here, June 22, 1841. He is the son of Joseph and ElizaMeservey. Joseph was the son of Nathaniel, both of Vermont. He spent hislife there and died when nearly ninety years of age. Joseph followed thebusiness of shipping horses for nine years, and then went into a distillery,and then sold out and came to this State at an early date. He continued at home untilhis marriage, worked with his father, and attended the subscription schoolwhen able. When he married he had a little farm, and afterward he boughtmore land. He … Read more

    JamesN. Robison     JAMES N. ROBISON of Lee township, was born inHuntingdon county, Pennsylvania, November 22, 1823. His father, Henry Robison,was born in the same county, April 22, 1798, and his father was born inScotland, but spent his last years in Huntingdon county, dying when hisson Henry was six years old. Henry after his father’s death was obligedto earn his own living and remained on a farm in the same county until1824, and then with his wife and infant son emigrated to Ohio and livednear Cadiz for two years, then returned to Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania,there engaged in … Read more

    JonathanPatteson     JONATHAN PATTESON was born in State of Virginia,June 1, 1797. His father was Charles Patteson, also a native of Virginia,who removed from that State to Green county, Kentucky about the year 1800,and was thus one of the pioneers of that locality. He bought a tract oftimber land, and erected thereon a log cabin, in which were domiciled thefamily. They were in a wilderness and were compelled to live off the productsof their little place and the game that was found in abundance in the woods.Mr. Patteson was an owner of slaves, and they cultivated flax … Read more

    JohnS. Dodge    JOHN S. DODGE, one of themost prominent farmers of Littleton township, Schuyler county, Illinois,was born in Bloomington, McLean county, this State, March 14, 1837. Hisparents, Solomon and Betsey (Springer) Dodge, were both natives of Ohio,his father being a carder and filler by trade. His mother’s ancestors wereoriginally from Cork, Ireland. In 1833, his parents came by way of theOhio and Mississippi rivers to Bloomington, Illinois, where our subjectwas born in his father’s hotel, which was the first in that town, calledthe Caravansary. His father retired about twenty-five years before hisdeath, he being ninety-one years of … Read more

     JohnK. Clark    JOHN K. CLARK, a well-to-do and prominentfarmer, living on sections 31 and 32, Township 18, Range 11, Cass county,Illinois, where he owns a fine farm, well improved and well supplied withfarm buildings, of about 400 acres, lying in the Sangamon valley, nearBluff Springs, was born in this county, in what is now Monroe precinct,in 1828. He is the oldest man in Cass county that was born here. The family later came to what is now Bluff Springs precinct in 1846, andhere the parents afterward lived. Prior to coming to Bluff Springs theyhad lived for a time … Read more

     JohnKerr    JOHN KERR, Rushville.—Americahas drawn her population from every continent and all the islands of thesea. Ireland has contributed her quota, sending many of her sturdy sons,who have aided in the development and growth of the New World, and pushedtheir way to the frontier, that the path might be made for the onward marchof civilization. John Kerr, proprietor of the Schuylerville coal mine andone of the prominent agriculturists of Schuyler county, Illinois, is anative of County Fermanagh, Ireland, born near Five-mile Town, July 15,1840. His father was also a native of the Emerald Isle, but the grandfatherwas … Read more

  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 … Read more

    JohnW. Snyder    JOHN W. SNYDER, a well known and highlyrespected citizen of section 20, Buena Vista township, became a residentof Schuyler county in 1834. He is a native of Virginia, having been bornin Frederick county of that State, June 4, 1823. His father, Jacob Snyder,was a farmer. He married Margaret Hughes, and in 1834 emigrated to Illinois,locating in Buena Vista township, where he at first rented land, but laterpurchased a tract, adding to it from time to time until he owned about500 acres. This he improved by erecting a good substantial residence andcommodious barns for his grain … Read more