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 759-760; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
J. Madison Tucker. How often it seems that the
younger men outstrip their elders in the race for commercial and
political honors. The activity and energy of youth is known to be
greater than in after life, and thus a child properly trained to habits
of industry and frugality will most likely win success quite early in
life. Such has been the experience of J. Madison Tucker, whose
sketch now invites attention from the reader.
Mr. Tucker first made his appearance in this world on the 4th of
May, in the year 1846, at the homestead of his grandfather Lake.
He spent his childhood and youth in Farmington, receiving a good
common-school education, and being taught those grand principles of
industry and self-denial which have always remained with him.
After reaching manhood, our subject farmed for a while on the old
Tucker homestead before death robbed him of his father, and in 1889 he
purchased his present property that embraced ninety acres of
land. He has continued to add to his possessions, and is at the
present writing the owner of one hundred and forty-four acres of
valuable land.
Our subject is very successful as a farmer, a horseman, and in
running a threshing machine. His political sympathies are all
with the Republican party, and he takes great interest in the political
issues of the day. He cast his first Presidential vote in 18y8
for U. S. Grant, “the soldier President,” as he is so frequently
called. Mr. Tucker has not missed more than one caucus since he
reached his majority, nor has he failed to attend a single
election. Such men we know form the bulwark for their party, and
are invaluable to the community in which they reside.
Mr. Tucker is serving his sixth term as School Trustee of
Farmington, and has lot no opportunity to advance educational causes
and so promote the advantages of this city. He is also a
committeeman on the Republican Central Committee of Fulton County, from
Farmington Township, an office that he dignifies very much by his good
habits and careful movements. He also served as Commissioner of
Highways three years and has been on the grand jury.
Our subject’s father, Elevon Tucker, was one of the pioneers of
Farmington Township, and his death in 74 caused universal regret.
He was a good man, and held several public offices. For seven
years he served as Assessor, and was also Highway Commissioner and
School Trustee. Our subject’s mother died in 888, at the advanced
age of seventy-two years. The father was born in Hamilton, Ohio,
and was reared by John Lake, the father of the lady he afterward
married, his own father being drowned in the Ohio River while
attempting to cross that stream in a small boat. The mother and
her children were in another boat crossing at the same time. The
Lake family and the Tuckers were old friends, and Mr. Lake, therefore,
very naturally assumed charge of Elevon Tucker when death had deprived
him of his natural protector. The Tucker family is of
Scotch-Irish descent, and the Lakes originally came from Holland and
are connected with the family of the renowned Anneke Jans, whose vast
estate in New York has been so long in litigation. Our subject’s
mother was Miss Catherine Lake, and she had three sisters – Eliza,
Elleanor and Mary Ann. Eliza married Thomas Leeper (deceased) of
Farmington; Elleanor is now Mrs. William Leeper, of Farmington
Township; and Mary Ann, wife of Cunningham Brown, of Farmington, died
in 888. Our subject is a worthy representative of an old and
honored family, and though he has never married, lives a happy and
comfortable life, surrounded by a host of admiring friends.
