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 389-390; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Redding P. Willcoxen belongs to the famous Willcoxen family, a
graphic description of which is given in the sketch of George W. Ray,
whose wife was, previous to her marriage, Miss Anna A. Willcoxen.
Our subject was born in Liverpool Township, August 29, 1838,
being the son of Elijah Calloway Willcoxen, who was born in Estel
County, Ky., March 12, 1817, and of Prudence (Putnam) Willcoxen, who
was born in Kentucky September 22, 1820. His father attended the early
schools of his native county up to the time of reaching his thirteenth
year, at which date he moved with his parents to Fulton County, after
which he attended school and assisted in cultivating the farm. After
his marriage he settled on a farm where he owned a sawmill, and
afterward added a gristmill, and continued to run the two in connection
with his farming for about twelve years. In connection with his
brother, Jeremiah F., he also owned a sawmill in Lewistown Township,
and in this way made a good deal of money, and at the time of his death
left between $15,000 and $20,000. He had a remarkable mind and was a
good mathematician. He was a member of the Baptist Church. He belonged
to the Democratic party and held many offices of public importance, and
was Supervisor for several years. He built his spacious brick residence
in 1855 at a cost of $6,000. His death occurred January 22, 1872. His
wife was born in Kentucky as above stated, but came with her parents to
Fulton County in 1830. She was a lovely Christian woman, and died
October 24, 1882, when sixty-two years of age, being the mother of
fourteen children, viz.: Redding P., Alvina, Nancy M., Anna, Elizabeth
A., Louisa J., James M., Marshall, Prudence, Hiram, Calloway E.,
Stephen A. D., Rebecca and Pacanina.
Our subject's maternal grandfather, Redding Putman, was a native
of Kentucky, but moved to Fulton County in 1830 and settled in Putman
Township, which was named in his honor. He served in the Black Hawk
War, and was shot through the breast at the battle of Stillman's
Defeat. About 1842 he removed to Washington County, Ark., where he
settled on a farm and where he died after attaining his eightieth year.
Mr. Willcoxen passed his youth on a farm in Liverpool Township,
attending the district school that was very common and where the
information imparted was very meagre. He was married May 8, 1862, to
Miss Amanda Stoutt, a native of Logan County, Ill., who died when
thirty-one years of age, leaving four children, viz.: Thomas Lee, Anna
P., Andrew J. and Noah C. On December 22, 1873, our subject was again
married, this time to Miss Lucinda Morgan, who was born in Fulton
County, December 21, 1848. This marriage has been blessed with seven
children, viz.: Viola A., William W., Redding Q., Jessie D., Melinda
M., James O. and Bert M.
The subject of our sketch after his marriage settled on a
portion of his father's farm, and after the death of the latter bought
the old homestead, which consisted of two hundred and nineteen acres,
and has continued to reside on this property. Besides farming he is
also largely interested in stock-raising. His residence is very
elegant, being indeed about the finest in this section of the country,
and is surrounded by a gently sloping lawn that is shaded by large oak
trees. He is a member of the Democratic party, and is in every way a
worthy representative of the family so well and favorably known
throughout this State.
