Henry Holaday, farmer, P. O. West
York, was born in the same house in which he is now residing,
December 4 1827, to Robert and Margaret (Willard) Holaday. His
father was born in North Carolina in 1779; emigrated to Orange Co.,
Ind., in 1816, and to Crawford County, Ill., in 1818. Here he
remained engaged in farming until he died in 1837. He was of Scotch
descent. His mother was born in South Carolina in 1775, and died in
Crawford County 1843. They were the parents of four children, of
whom Henry was the youngest child. He has always made his present
residence his home, but has been to New Orleans several trips on a
flat-boat with grain, and in 1850 went to California and followed
mining for three years and six months. He is now engaged in tilling
the soil of the home farm and is the owner of 197 acres of good
land. In 1855, he married Miss Abigail Prevo, who died March 4,
1875, leaving five children as the result of their union, of whom
four are now living, viz.: William, Elizabeth, Usher and Abigail. In
1881, on the 13th June, he married Miss Nancy Willet, a native of
Tennessee. Mrs. Holaday is a member of the Baptist church. Mr.
Holaday is a man of good principle and bears a name and reputation
which is beyond reproach. He is a Democrat.
Simpson Rains, farmer, P. O. Hutsonville,
was born in Crawford County,
Ill., September 6, 1829. His father, Ambrose B. Rains, was born,
raised and educated in Wayne County, N. C. He emigrated to Illinios
in a very early day, locating in Union County, and subsequently to
Crawford County in 1827. He settled on the farm now owned by our
subject. He died February 22, 1860, aged sixty years. His
grandfather was a soldier of the Revolutionary war. The mother of
our subject was Charlotte Cox, a native of near Goldsboro, N.C. She
was brought to Illinois by her parents in an early day, who settled
in Union County. She died June 1, 1850, aged forty-five years one
month and fourteen days. Of the eleven children born to them, four
are now living, viz., Simpson, Nancy (John) Kaufman, Lafayette and
Henry. Simpson Rains was raised on the farm, and educated from
subscription schools, common in his day. When he was twenty-four
years of age, he left his home and embarked on his career in life
as a farmer. He then bought sixty acres of land, and though he was
compelled to go in debt for it and pay ten percent interest on the
principal, he managed to struggle through and prosper, and in a few
years to make an addition of forty acres to his farm, which was
located in Section 16, Hutsonville Township. In 1864, he sold his
farm and removed to the old homestead farm, buying 302 acres of the
other heirs. He continued to add to this until his farm contained
432 acres. He has deeded forty acres of this to his oldest son. In
1853, he married Miss Nancy Jane Lindley, a native of Crawford
County, born June 22, 1834. She is a daughter of Owen and Hannah
Lindley, natives of Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Rains have the following
children: Edward, Morton, Clarissa, Mary, Emma, George, Louisa,
Nancy and Fanny, twins, and Ellen. He and wife are religiously
connected with the Universalist Church. Politically, he is a
Republican. He has served the people as School Director for about twenty years.
Charles M. Hill, farmer and merchant, Robinson, is a son of John
Hill, and was born in this county, December 5, 1839; he has always
made his home in this county. In addition to the common schools of
the neighborhood, he attended school for some time at Marshall,
Clark County. He was married, January 25, 1861, to Miss Mary Wolfe,
a daughter of Henry Wolfe, Esq. He engaged in farming in Hutsonville
Township, on a farm of 200 acres. They have four children living and
one dead; their names are as follows: Sarah L., Catherine V., John
C., Mary C., Henry E. Politically, Mr. Hill is a Democrat.
Alva G. Hill, farmer, P. O. Robinson, was born August 17, 1845,
and is a native of this county; his early life was spent on a farm
in Licking Township. He attended the common schools of the
neighborhood and the colleges at Westfield and at Merom, Ind. He
taught four winter terms and farmed during the summers. He was
married, August 26, 1873, to Miss E. E. Watkins, a daughter of Jesse
Watkins, Esq., of this county. He owns considerable land. Has
resided with his father-in-law, Mr. Watkins since 1874. He has three
children -- Henry K., Ray W., and Joseph A. Mr. Hill is a
Republican. |
