But few of the
farmers of Lee County have met with
more substantial success in their calling
than Mr. Gehant, whose push, determination and practical ability have placed him among
the foremost agriculturists of this section of the
State. He has extensive landed interests in Brooklyn Township, and his large farm, with its broad,
well-tilled fields and fine improvements, is classed
among the most valuable in the locality.
Our subject was born in Haute Saone, France.
April 23, 1826. his father, whose name was
Claude Gehant, was a native of the same place
and was a son of John Claude Gehant, who was a
life-long resident of France. The father of our
subject was reared on a farm, and farming was his
life work. He had five children, and three of his
sons came to America, namely: Lauran, Claude
and Modeste.
The latter, of whom we write, attended school
until he was fifteen years old, and acquired a good
education. He then worked on the farm with his
father until he was sixteen, and at that age began
life on his own account, working as a farm laborer
in his native country, France; until 1855, when he
came to the United States, where life seemed to
him to hold greater promise than the land of his
birth. He set sail from Havre on the 15th of
March on the sailing vessel "Trumbull," and
thirty-seven days after he embarkation arrived in
New York harbor. He came directly to Illinois,
traveling by rail to Chicago, whence he made his
way to Franklin Grove, in this county, and thence
proceeded to Bradford Township, where be found
employment on a farm by the month, and was thus
engaged one year. At the end of that time he
bought a tract of land on section 15, Bradford
Township, paying $1O an acre for it, and he
farmed there with his brother Claude for eight
years. Then, selling him his share of the place,
he came to Brooklyn Township and bought the
farm that he now occupies. He devoted his energies to its improvement, and has been handsomely
rewarded for his outlay of time, labor and money,
as he has not only developed his first purchase into
a choice farm, but has bought other land at different times until he now has upwards of twelve
hundred acres of valuable land, and he is accounted
one of the most successful farmers in the county.
Mr. Geliant was married in 1862 to Miss Olimphy Choan who is also a native of the fair land
of France. She has truly been to her husband a
helpmate; assisting him in the accumulation of his
property by her ready co-operation in his work, by
her skill, thrift and frugality in the management
of household affairs, and by her watchful care of
the interests of her large family. To her and our
subject have been born fourteen children, to whom
they have given the following names: Xavier,
Josephine, August, Laona, Margaret, Joseph, Mary,
Susan, Modeste, Phamia, Frank, Adolph, Zedol
and Louis. The family are all members of the Roman Catholic Church and are highly regarded by
the people among whom our subject came to make
his home more than a quarter of a century ago,
and whom he has helped to make this one of the
richest farming regions in this part of the country.
1892 Portrait and Biographical Record - Lee County Pg 652

