Harden, Jerome bio

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 606 & 609; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Jerome Harden. The spirit of progress so characteristic of the American citizens of the nineteenth century finds an exemplification in the gentleman above named. He is a farmer and stock-raiser, operating two hundred and twenty acres of land on section 12, and sixty acres on section 13, Fairview Township. He paid his own way while pursuing his studies, and from his youth has toiled industriously to gain a competence and make for himself a good home. In this endeavor he has succeeded, and while making no pretensions to elegance, his dwelling is comfortable, well fitted and abounding in good cheer for body and mind, while the various other buildings upon the estate are neat and well built.
The father of our subject was John Harden, a native of New York, having been born six weeks after the arrival of his parents in this country from England. They settled in Oneida County, N. Y., where the lad grew to maturity and married Caroline Armstrong. After his marriage he removed to Oswego County, where he became the owner of a farm and enjoyed easy circumstances. He died in Oneida County when about fifty-two years of age, while his wife reached the age of seventy-three years. The family consisted of twelve children, of whom the following grew to manhood and womanhood: Maria, Thomas, Julia A., John, William, Jeanette, Jerome, James and Mary. Those who died in infancy were named Henry, Dollie and Caroline.
Our subject was born June 22, 1841, in Oswego County, N. Y., and in that State passed his time until he had entered his teens. After the death of his father he accompanied his mother, brothers and sisters to Illinois, the mother settling in Fairview Township, this county, where her death occurred. The first recollections of our subject go back to the county in which he was born, but he remembers move vividly the scenes at Clinton, Oneida County, whither his parents removed when he was a boy. Immediately after coming to the Prairie State he began to work out on a farm, thus paying for his schooling. He continued his farm work as an employe until 1863, when he rented a part of Stephen Dykeman’s farm and began tilling the soil for himself. Mr. Harden makes a specialty of breeding swine for the general market, and has now on hand a drove of one hundred and sixty head. In partnership with his brother-in-law, Mr. Manning, he raises Galloway cattle, their heard including some very fine specimens of that breed. He has also a heard of twenty horses, among which are some fine roadsters.
The marriage of our subject and Miss Margaret Manning was solemnized September 7, 1865. The bride is a daughter of John and Theodosia (Morton) Manning, whose lives are outlined in the biographical sketch of Elijah Manning, found elsewhere in this Album. Mr. and Mrs. Harden have four handsome and intelligent children, named respectively, Rachel, Elsie, Matilda and John. All are at home except Rachel, who lives on a farm in the same township, being the wife of John Scudder and the mother of one child – Maggie. Mr. and Mrs. Harden have lost two children – Carrie and Ora.
Mr. Harden has served as School Director, faithfully discharging the duties of the office, and doing good service during a term of six years. He is a firm believer in protection to American industries, and therefore a stanch member of the Republican party. Prominent among his personal characteristics are his hospitality and geniality, two qualities which predispose strangers in his favor and which, backed by his uprightness and progressive ideas, secure for him many friends. His estimable wife stands side by side with him in the esteem of their fellow-citizens.
In connection with this biographical sketch the reader will notice a view of the pleasant homestead of Mr. Harden.