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 639-640 & 643; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Franklin Griggs. Connected prominently with the pioneer
history of Illinois is the name of George Griggs, father of our
subject, and also that of James Harker, his maternal grandfather.
Coming hither from the Empire State in an early day, they took active
part in the labors by which Central Illinois was made to blossom like
the rose, and was developed from its primeval condition into a great
and wealthy region. Our subject himself had a rich pioneer
experience, his boyhood and youth being passed amid primitive
surroundings such as developed in him the sturdy vigor of mind and body
that seem a common growth on the frontier.
The father of Franklin Griggs was born in Cayuga County, N. Y.,
and was at one time engaged in towing canal-boats on North River and in
the Erie Canal. He married Sarah Harper, who was born in New
Jersey, but grew to womanhood in Cayuga County, to which her parents
removed when she was small. They came West in 1830, the men of
the Griggs and Harker families traveling with wagons, and the women
going by rail and boat to Sandusky, Ohio, where the party was
consolidated. Chicago at that time was but an Indian camp, and
savages were employed to take the travelers across some of the
rivers. Peoria, then Ft. Clark, was a hamlet of five or six
houses, and those of the rudest description.
The strangers established a home in Peoria County, where
Mapleton now stands, but after two years removed to Jones’
Prairie. It should have en called Griggs’ Prairie, since that
family was the first to settle there; later they went to Timber
Township. There the father died in 1850, when in his fifty-sixty
year. He was well adapted for the pioneer life, being a tall,
muscular man with a powerful frame, and considered by many to be the
strongest man in the county. To him and his faithful, capable
wife six children were born – Harvey, James, Pruella, Mary, Franklin
and Jeremiah.
The subject of this sketch was born in Cayuga County, N. Y.,
August 5, 1826, and although but four years old when brought to this
State, retains a vivid remembrance of many incidents that transpired in
the eventful journey. He well remembers seeing Indians, both then
and later, as they were numerous throughout this section until after
the Black Hawk War. The country was very wild, deer were found in
abundance, wild turkeys were plentiful, and snakes of different kinds
were a common sight. The prairie grass was very thick, much more
so than any seen by Mr. Griggs in other parts of the Mississippi Valley
in visits to Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas.
There were no schools here when the family came, but George
Griggs was one of those who engaged the services of a teacher in his
home, and the son received a fairly good education. The first
schoolhouse in Timber Township was built on the claim of Mr. Griggs,
and in it our subject continued his search for knowledge. At an
early age he began to take a part in the work of improvement, and broke
land, not only for his father, but for many other settlers. He
and his brother ran a breaking plow with thirty-six inch share, drawn
by five or six yoke of oxen. When nineteen years old he went to
Wisconsin, and there engaged in work in a brickyard, and for several
years continued to make his home in that State, though he changed to
different points and engaged in various occupations, among them being
farming and saw-milling.
Tired of his wanderings, Mr. Griggs returned home, and in the
spring of 848, was married to Miss Deborah Largent, daughter of James
Largent, who was born in Hampshire County, Va. Her mother, who
previous to her marriage was a Miss Sarah Boxwell, was also a
Virginian, her father being Robert Boxwell, a Revolutionary
soldier. Mr. and Mrs. Largent came to Illinois about 1887, and
settled in Peoria County, the daughter who became the wife of Mr.
Griggs, being then in her eighth year. The other members of the
family are: Deborah, Sarah, Rachel, John, James, William, Henry,
Lizzie, Madison, Gabriel, Nancy, and Mary Jane. All of the sons
except James were in the Union Army during the Civil War, and William
laid down his life for the Stars and Stripes.
After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Griggs settled in Timber
Township, Peoria County, and there continued to reside until 1883, at
which date they removed to Farmington. To them have been born
seven children, of whom we note the following: Lizzie, now the
widow of Harvey Hand who died from the effects of army live, lives in
Timber Township, Peoria County, and has five children – Ora, Alice,
Maude, Fred and Jesse; Sarah married Martin Frank, lives in Thomas
County, Kan., and has five children – Stephen, James, Charles, Frank
and Lillie; Wallace lives in Rosefield Township, Peoria County, on a
farm; his wife was formerly Lizzie Folk, and their children are Harry,
Cora, Deborah, Charles, Nelson, and Ethel. Amanda, wife of
Charles Fahnestock, a merchant in Sciota, McDonough County, has three
children – Minda, Gertie, and Bertie; Rachel married John Mattox, now
working at the trade of a blacksmith in Milford, Neb., and has one
child, Charlie; Susan is the wife of Charles Boulton, a farmer in Orion
Township, Fulton County, and has two children, Pearl and Frankie;
Douglas died when but four years old.
Mr. Griggs suffered from ill-health, and at one time made a trip
through Nebraska and California, hoping to derive great benefit from
the change of scene and climate. His wife deserves unlimited
praise for the active part she has taken in the management of their
affairs, and for the constant devotion with which she has care for her
family. In politics Mr. Griggs is now a Greenbacker, but in
former years he was a Democrat. Both he and his wife belong to
the Christian Church. They are extremely popular in their
neighborhood, and much respected.
