Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County,
Illinois: containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of
prominent and representative citizens of the county: together with
portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States,
and governors of the state; Biographical Pub. Co., Chicago, IL; 1890;
page 390 & 393; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
John B. Baylor. There is no one trait of human nature that
endears a man more to the community in which he resides than does a
heartfelt interest in the success and prosperity of his State, county,
and immediate place of residence. A patriotic man, one fond alike of
his family and of the incidents connected with the success of his home,
is always well liked. And such is the case of John B. Baylor, who
coming to Fulton County, when a boy of only ten years of age, in the
spring of 1846, ranks as one of the old pioneers and has witnessed the
rapid and long strides that progress has made.
Our subject's parents settled in Buckheart Township, where he
grew to manhood. He attended the log schoolhouse, which was merely a
rickety old building standing alone in a large space of uncultivated
ground, indeed such a schoolhouse as Lowell has beautifully pictured in
one of his noted poems, and which he terms "a ragged beggar by the
way-side sunning."
Mr. Baylor's father was born in Washington, N. J., and his
mother, who previous to her marriage was Miss Annie Lydia, was born in
Warren County, N. J. They were married in the latter named place, and
to their marriage were born eleven children: viz., Margaret, Isaac,
Mary Ann, Mary, Betsy, William, John B., George, Washington, Isaiah,
and James, of whom only six are living at the present time. The father
died when sixty years of age and the mother breathed her last in 1885,
having attained her eighty-first year. The subject of our sketch was
born September 26th, 1835, in Knowlton Township, Warren County, N. J.
In 1863 he married Miss Prudence Hiles of Warren County, and their
union was blessed with one child--George, who died with diphtheria a
day or two after his mother's death. Mr. Baylor was married the second
time, to Miss Kate Nelson, daughter of Maj. Horatio C. and Eliza
(Jones) Nelson, and born in Fulton County, the 24th of June, 1846.To
this marriage were born eleven children: Leonard, Ernest, Ida M., Maud,
Ellsworth, Eva, Reginald, Royal, Edith, Ethel; and Elmer who died in
infancy and was a twin of Ellsworth.
The subject of our sketch purchased his present estate in 1866,
and takes great interest in all matters of local importance. He has
been Steward of the Church for the past twenty years, has also served
as Class Leader, for seventeen years was Superintendent of the
Sunday-school, and has done much to advance all religious causes
throughout the community in which he resides. He is also interested in
educational matters, having served for the last fifteen years as School
Director. His political sympathies are with the Republican party, and
he was appointed delegate to the County Republican Convention at Canton
in 1889. Being the happy possessor of a sunny and amiable disposition,
Mr. Baylor is naturally very popular, and is looked upon as a most
interesting companion.
