History of Fulton County, Illinois; together with
Sketches of its Cities, Villages and Townships, Educational, Religious,
Civil, Military, and Political History; Portraits of Prominent Persons
and Biographies of Representative Citizens. Chas. C. Chapman & Co.,
Peoria, Illinois, 1879, page 966, Woodland Township
Moses Van Sickle, farmer, sec. 6; P. O., Astoria; was born in
Venango county Pa. in 1806; his father, Abraham Van Sickle, settled in
Pa., in an early day, where he married Miss Mary Jewel, by whom he had
4 children, - John, Moses, Edith and Nellie; he moved to Hamilton
county, Ohio, in an early day, where our subject resided up to his 30th
year; he married Maria Marshall, and they have 6 children, - Abraham,
Mary Ann, J. M., Andrew and Margaret. In 1839 Mr. V. came to Fulton
county, horseback, settling in Woodland township, where he bought 200
acres of land. Is in comfortable circumstances.
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 374-375; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Moses Van Sickle. A goodly number of the old settlers of Fulton
County have won a competence sufficient to allow them to retire from
active duties, surround themselves with the comforts suited to their
declining years and spend their last days unharassed by anxiety. Among
this number is Moses Van Sickle who for almost a decade has been
occupying a pleasant home in Astoria, his dwelling having been erected
for his own occupancy. Beginning his career in life as a poor boy,
obliged to assist his widowed mother in the support of her family, he
put his shoulder to the wheel with so much energy and good judgment
that he became well-to-do, was able to bestow upon his own offspring
good advantages and bear a hand in many worthy enterprises.
Mr. Van Sickle is descended from good families of Holland, both
his paternal and maternal great-grandparents having emigrated from that
kingdom to America in Colonial times. His grandfathers, John Van Sickle
and Seth Jewell, were Revolutionary soldiers from New Jersey, and
became pioneer settlers of Venango County, Pa. The former bought a
tract of timber land there, cleared quite a farm and continued to
reside there until 1815, when he accompanied his son Abram to Ohio,
spending his last years in Hamilton County. Abram Van Sickle was, like
his progenitors, born in New Jersey and was quite young when his
parents removed to Pennsylvania. Upon growing to maturity he married
Mary Jewell, a native of the same State as himself, and whose father,
like his own, after having resided in the Keystone State some years
became a citizen of Ohio, dying in Van Wert County.
Some years after their marriage the parents of our subject
turned their faces toward Southern Ohio. The father built a flatboat
which he launched on the Alleghany River, loading upon it his household
goods and the various members of his family. They floated down the
stream to Pittsburg and thence on the Ohio River to Columbia, a
settlement now included in Cincinnati. After remaining there for a time
Mr. Van Sickle located in Butler County where his death took place
about 1817. His widow was left with five children and in very limited
circumstances. She subsequently married Thomas Gray, continuing to make
her home in Butler County until her death which occurred at the
residence of her son-in-law, Joseph Gray. The children born of her
first marriage were John, Moses, Edith, Sarah and Nellie: her second
marriage resulted in the birth of a daughter, Rebecca.
The subject of this notice was born in Venango County, Pa.,
February 16, 1806, and was about nine years old when his parents
removed to Ohio. There were no free schools in that section during his
youth, but he made the best of the opportunities afforded by the
subscription schools to acquire an education. As soon as he was large
enough he began to assist in the support of the family, ere long
learning the trade of a cooper, at which he worked during the winter
season, farming during the balance of the year. He resided in Butler
County and vicinity until 1838, when he came to the Prairie State, soon
after his arrival securing a tract of one hundred and sixty-three acres
of timber land in Woodland Township, this county.
The price of the land bought by Mr. Van Sickle was $260. He
bought a wagon, plow and team to begin his agricultural operations
with, borrowing money at ten per cent, with which to pay for them. He
was much in need of a harrow, but his means being limited he was not
able to buy it and "necessity became the mother of invention" in his
case as in that of many another pioneer. Cutting a forked white oak, he
inserted pins of the same wood, and of similar material made a
cultivator for his cornfield. He built a log cabin on his land and when
married began housekeeping therein, moving into it before a chimney had
been built or a piece of glass set for windows. While residing upon the
estate he placed the greater part of it under thorough cultivation,
making it his home from his marriage until 1881, when he bought his
town lot and removed thereto.
The good woman who for many years shared the burdens of our
subject and enjoyed with him their increasing prosperity became his
wife June 6, 1839. She was previously known as Mariah Nancy Marshall,
being a daughter of William and Margaret Marshall, both of whom died in
Ohio. Mrs. Van Sickle was born in Jefferson County, that State, and
with her brothers and sisters came to Fulton County in 1839. She was
proficient in the arts of spinning and weaving and during her early
married life did much of that work, the sight and sound of her busy
wheel recalling to her husband the days when his mother had clothed her
little family in cloth of her own construction by a similar preliminary
process. In accordance with the custom of the frontier, Mrs. Van Sickle
did all her cooking by a fireplace until some years after her marriage.
She breathed her last August 21, 1875, leaving behind her a memory of
domestic virtues and motherly care which is recalled with pleasure by
the surviving members of her family.
Mr. and Mrs. Van Sickle reared five children, the youngest of
whom, Margaret A., resides with her father; William is a citizen of
Marshall County, Kan.; Abram lives in Dundy County, Neb.; Joseph Moore
died in Nemeha County, Neb., in 1873; and Andy occupies the homestead.
Mr. Van Sickle cast his first vote for Andrew Jackson and has been a
Democrat from that day. A peaceable, law abiding citizen, just to his
neighbor, and of friendly spirit, he is well respected by those who
know him and pointed out as a fine example of the self-made man.
