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 655–656;
Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Mrs. Jane Campbell Hand. Although nearly fourscore years
of age Mrs. Hand is very active, with mind and memory remarkable
preserved for a lady of her years. Her remembrance of the scenes
and incidents which have marked her pathway in life makes her
conversation interesting to those who enjoy reminiscences regarding
earlier times or who are capable of drawing lessons from the
experiences of others. She is one of the most highly respected
residents in Farmington, which became her home in 1849, although for a
period she lived elsewhere. She is attractive in personal
appearance and her manners are indicative of her excellent ancestry.
John Oliver, the maternal grandfather of our subject, served in
the Revolutionary War and was with Gen. Washington at Valley Forge
during the historical winter. He filled the position of
Regimental Clerk. He owned large landed estates in Mifflin
County, Pa., and held a prominent place in the community. For
several years he served as Associate Judge of the county and was also a
member of the State Legislature. The Olivers in former years were
strict adherents of the Presbyterian doctrines.
The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Hand was Robert Campbell, who
was born in Ireland of the Scotch-Irish stock. He married Jane
Campbell who, although she bore the same surname, was of an entirely
different family. This couple emigrated to American in Colonial
times, first settling in Chester County, Pa., and subsequently becoming
residents of Mifflin County. The settlers were much troubled by
the Indians for sometime after the Campbells located there. Mr.
Campbell had strong religious feelings, adhered to the ancestral faith
of Presbyterianism, and did much to aid in building up that
denomination in the vicinity of his home. In 1874 his descendants
celebrated the one hundredth anniversary of his settlement in Mifflin
County. The property bought by him, consisting of more than seven
hundred acres, is still in the family.
In the family of this worthy couple was a son Samuel, who grew
to maturity in his native county of Pennsylvania, marrying Nancy
Oliver, who was born and reared there. In 1814 they removed to
Huntingdon County where the husband was engaged in farming. He
acted as Justice of the Peace of Shirley Township. In 1831 he
removed his family to Ohio, settling in Huron County, but subsequently
removed to Morrow County, where he died at the age of sixty-two
years. His widow died at the home of a daughter in Marshall
County, Ind., when seventy-seven years old. Samuel Campbell was
one of ten children and his own family consisted of the same number.
Mrs. Hand is the third on the family roll. Of her brothers
and sisters we note the following: John Oliver, a farmer, died at
his home in Santa Cruz, Cal., in 1887, leaving five children –
Carlista, Cornelia E., George O., Benjamin F., and Alonzo. Joseph
F., a farmer in Bedford County, Pa., died there, leaving a family of
seven children; Margaret Ann is the widow of James Hume, formerly a
farmer in Marshall county, Ind., and has three children – Robert Allen,
Albert C. and Oliver A. Mary Agnes lives in the same county as
her sister Margaret, being the widow of John Ray, a farmer, and the
mother of a son, John Franklin. Robert died in Marion County,
Ill., leaving two sons – Walter and Robert; his occupation was that of
a tiller of the soil. Elizabeth I., married James Gilson, a
mechanic, and died at her home in McDonough County, leaving four
children; one of them died in the army, ad one is at the Soldiers’ Home
at Quincy. The other two are Byron and Jane. Samuel F. died
in McDonough County, where he had been engaged in farming; he had no
children. Cassandra Lyon, wife of David McDonald, died at her
home in Marion County, Ind., leaving three children, who have since
departed this life. James Alexander, who is unmarried, lives in
Oregon.
The natal day of Mrs. Hand was October 27, 1810, and her
birthplace Mifflin County, Pa. The scenes of her earliest
recollections are of Huntingdon County, where she attended school when
the educational facilities were quite limited. In Huron County,
Ohio, she made the acquaintance of Jacob D. Hand, to whom she was
united in marriage in 1835. They operated a farm in the Buckeye
State five years, then removed to this county where Mr. Hand turned his
attention to mercantile pursuits, locating at Ellisville. In 1849
they removed to Farmington and from that time until his demise Mr. Hand
enjoyed the leisure and comfort of a retired man. For several
years he served as Supervisor of Farmington Township. In politics
he was originally a Whig and later a Republican. His death
occurred at Galesburg June 7, 1876, to which place he had removed in
1856. After his death his bereaved companion returned to
Farmington, where she has since continued to reside. In his
worldly affairs Mr. Hand was prospered exceedingly and when he died
left a large fortune. He wore his religion as an everyday
garment, gaining the goodwill even of the opponents of Christianity and
the deeper regard of those who knew him best.
The parents of Mr. Hand were Henry and Sarah (Davis) Hand,
natives of New Jersey, in which State he also was born. His birth
took place at Westfield, Essex County, October 24, 1805. He was
quite young when his parents removed to Genesee County, N. Y., and he
subsequently accompanied them to Huron County, Ohio.
To our subject and her husband four children were born, named
respectively, Emily, Harriet Reed, George W. and Henrietta J. The
son died when but three years old. The eldest daughter married
Sylvester Reed, a merchant at Galesburg. She died leaving two
children – George H. and Emily M. The former married Minnie
Bartlett and makes his home in Frankfort, Kan., where he is engaged in
the hardware business; he has a daughter, Catherine Beatrice, now a
year old. Emily M. married Alva F. Myers, a farmer at Kankakee,
this State. The second daughter of our subject became the wife of
Capt. John S. Smith, and died in Farmington. The youngest child
is the wife of David Nappin, the Farmington horticulturist; they family
comprises two children – Emily Maude and Frank H. Mrs. Hand has,
as will be seen from the above, four grandchildren and one
great-grandchild,
Mars. Hand was reared under the tenets of the Presbyterian
Church and while a young lady in Pennsylvania taught a class in
Sunday-school. She afterward became identified with the
Congregational denomination, to which Mr. Hand also belonged. The
two gave valuable aid in building up the church of Farmington.
A lithographic portrait of this venerable lady and of her deceased husband will be notice on another page.
