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 534; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Alfred Hughbanks may be considered a pioneer of Fulton
County. He has been actively identified with its practical,
prosperous farmers for many years, and is the proprietor of a large and
valuable farm on section 30, in the southwestern part of Joshua
Township. He is a Kentuckian by birth, born near the town of
Newport, November 15, 1823. His parents, George and Retty
Hughbanks, were natives of Pennsylvania and Maryland,
respectively. His father was a farmer and removed from Kentucky
to Parke County, In., in 1837, making the long and tiresome journey
through the intervening wilderness with a yoke of oxen, he and his
family subsisting partly on the game that they killed on the
road. Mr. Hughbanks lived in Indian for many years, but he did
not make much headway in acquiring property so he concluded to try life
in the Prairie State, and in 1840 he came hither. He located in
Young Hickory Township, and lived there until the time of his death,
which occurred in 1843. His wife departed this life one year
before he did. They were the parents of ten children.
He of whom we write, remained an inmate of the parental home
until he was twenty-two years olf and was of great assistance to his
father in his farm labors. In 1846 he married and established a
home of his own, taking Miss Louisa Wilson as his wife. Her
parents came from New York and were early settlers of this State.
Mr. and Mrs. Hughbanks have reared a large family of children, all of
whom are living but two. Three of their boys are at home and all
of them are interested in agricultural pursuits in connection with
their father.
Our subject may be considered one of the early settlers of
Fulton County and he has done much to promote its material
prosperity. He is one of our self-made men and had to start
out in life with but ittle education. A cool head, sound common
sense, and good business tact have perhaps served his purpose better as
by hard work and close economy he has placed himself amongst the
wealthy farmers of this part of the county. He owns two hundred
acres of good farming land, which is well stocked it cattle and hogs of
a fine grade, and from his agricultural interests he derives a handsome
income. When he and his wife began life together, they started
out with but the bare necessities and none of the comforts of
home. They had no bed to sleep on but had to devise a rough couch
to take the place of one, and their other furniture was of the same
primitive order. Now they have a pleasant home, replete with
every comfort that one could desire. For several years Mr.
Hughbanks resided in McDonough County, and his investment in land in
that county in eleven years gave him a net profit of $10,000, or forty
per cent realized on the worth of his real estate in that region.
His present residence is on his fine farm on section 30, in the
southwestern corner of Joshua Township.
