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 611–612; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
John F. Simpson. The life of this gentleman has been
passed on the homestead in Farmington Township, and has been quite
uneventful. It has been marked, however, by preserving industry,
the best of citizenship and the exhibition of much ability in
agricultural and horticultural work. Mr. Simpson has become quite
prominent in the political and social circles of Farmington, and his
many friends will be pleased to read this record of an honorable life.
The parents of our subject, John and Margaret (Cordner) Simpson,
were natives of Ireland. The former emigrated to America when he
was quite young, settling in Philadelphia where he was employed at his
trade of a weaver. His marriage took place in that city, and
there two children were born to the good couple. From the
descriptions given in Flint’s Geography, Mr. Simpson became convinced
that the soil in this part of the Northwest possessed unequalled
fertility, and that the other resources made this State a desirable
place of residence. And on account of his religious scruples in
regard to enslaving man, he desired to settle in a country where there
would be no slavery, although his brothers, strange as it may seem,
located in the South and became slaveholders.
Mr. Simpson visited the Prairie State in 1833, and at once took
up his permanent abode in this county. The family traveled hither
by way of the canal to Pittsburg, thence down the Ohio and up the
Mississippi and Illinois Rivers to Copperas Creek. Mr. Simpson
bought the claim of one hundred and sixty acres, which for many years
has been known as the Simpson homestead, it being located in what was
then called the Marchant Settlement. He here labored assiduously
to develop his estate, and to aid in the pioneer work of
civilization. So truly was this region a trackless wilderness,
that when going on a visit to friends living northwest of Yates City,
Mr. Simpson drove stakes for a guide on his return.
Five children were born to his good wife after their removal to
the West, the entire family bearing the names respectively, Annie,
Margaret, Sarah, William, James, John F., and Mary. James
enlisted in Company A, Fifty-fifty Illinois Infantry, and shed his
life’s blood for his country, dying at Pittsburg Landing; Annie married
H. R. Rose, a farmer who makes his home in Avon, and their family
includes four children; Margaret married H. W. Sebree, a wagon-maker in
Canton, and died in 1880, leaving two children; Sarah is the wife of
William Wilkinson, and is the mother of two children, their home being
in Woodson County, Kan.; William married Sara Matthews, and lives in
Kansas, having a family of eight children; Mary lives in Farmington,
being the wife of Blake Barrows, who is engaged in the marble business.
The subject of this sketch was born June 9, 1842, on the farm
which he now owns, an of which he has had the management since he was
sixteen years old. He had begun work when quite young, his father
having died when he was ten years old. His education was obtained
in the schools of Farmington, and to the foundation there received he
has added much of the knowledge which can only be gained by personal
efforts and contact with human kind. In the quality of the crops
raised by him and the yield per acre the results of his labors will
compare favorably with those of any farmer of the county. For
some time he has been doing an extensive business in the culture and
sale of blackberries, having devoted four acres to this fruit.
The first marriage of our subject was solemnized in 1870, his
bride being Martha, daughter of John and Sarah Dickey. Several of
this lady’s ancestors fought in the Revolutionary War, having settled
in Pennsylvania in Colonial days. In that State Mr. and Mrs.
Dickey were born, their progenitors being Scotch-Irish and
Huguenot. Mrs. Simpson was born in Westmoreland County, Pa., and
came to Illinois with her parents in 1856. After a wedded life of
ten years, she crossed the river of death in 1880. She left six
children, named respectively: William, Walter, Warren, Mary,
Maggie and Bertie. The latter is living with a relative in Kansas.
Mr. Simpson contracted a second matrimonial alliance in 1885,
having won for his wife Miss Sarah Patterson, a capable and intelligent
woman, well and favorably known in the society of Farmington. Her
father, James H. Patterson, lives there retired from active life.
The last union of Mr. Simpson has been blessed by the birth of one
daughter, Alice.
After weighing the merits of political questions, Mr. Simpson
identified himself with the Republican party, for which he has acted as
a delegate at several county conventions. He has served his
fellow-citizens in the capacity of Highway Commissioner, and has also
been a juryman. He belongs to the Presbyterian Church of
Farmington, has served as Trustee, and on the Building Committee.
