Eli Lloyd is widely known and honored as one of the first pioneers in that part of Lee County of which he has been a resident for more than half a century, making his home a part of the time in the city of Dixon, and the remainder of the time on his farm on section 13, Nelson Township, which he purchased of the Government in 1837. On this beautiful place which has been made attractive by his labors he is now serenely passing the declining years of a life well spent, in retirement from active business.

The birth-place of our subject is near the seat of the court of justice in the County of Huntingdon, Pa., where he first opened his eyes to the light on the glorious Fourth of July in the year 1823. His father, whose given name was Henry, was also a native of that county, and was a son of Henry Lloyd, Sr., who was of Welsh descent, but was a native and life-long resident of Huntingdon County, where he died when past eighty years of age. his wife, who was also a Pennsylvanian by birth, lived to be very old. The elder Lloyds were stanch Baptists in religion. Henry Lloyd, Jr. grew up on the old Lloyd estate, and was married in his native county to Miss Jane Schwapish, who was born and reared in the same county as himself, and came of the high Dutch stock that had settled in that part of Pennsylvania in Colonial times. After their marriage the Lloyds moved to Cambria County, and there they spent their remaining days on a farm, dying full of years. They were members of the Baptist Church.

Our subject is the sixth of a family of twelve children. He was reared in a good home by worthy parents, whose instruction, no less than their example, led him to form good habits and principles of right living early in life. He grew to manhood in his native county, but was subsequently married in Blair County. He was in the full flush and vigor of the prime of life when he came to Lee County in 1837. He was one of the first to perceive the fine natural advantages of this part of the State and to avail himself of them. He saw the country when it was in all its original wildness, and has been lost on the prairie when it was so new that there were no roads to travel by, and when there were but very few settlements within a radius of many miles of the site which he selected for his future home on what is now section 13, Nelson Township. He may well be proud of the fact that he has done his share of the hard labor necessitated in bringing about the wonderful change that has been wrought by the hand of man within half a century whereby this has become one of the richest and best improved farming regions in Illinois. It contains two hundred acres of arable land, which is now highly cultivated, and is complete in its appointments as regards buildings and machinery, and its fertile soil is capable of supporting a great deal of stock. Mr. Lloyd himself has retired from farming, and his son now operates the farm, keeping it up to the same high standard it had attained before it came under his care. Besides his homestead Mr. Lloyd owns a fine property in Dixon, aud is one of the wealthy men of the community. He has spent much of his time for the last twenty years in that city and has done conspicious service in the line of public improvements during his incumbency of the office of Street Commissioner and in other civic positions. He has also been prominent in the political life of the city and township, and has exercised a favorable influence on the fortunes of time Republican party in this section.

April 5, 1891, the wife of our subject passed away from the home that had been blessed and sanctified by her presence for so many years, her death, which occurred very suddenly at their residence in Dixon, being caused by the rupture of an artery. Mrs. Lloyd's maiden name was Adveanna (Adrianna) Anderson. She was born in 1812 in the town of Phoenixville, Chester County, Pa., and was there reared to womanhood. Her father, Julius Anderson, lived and died a farmer in Pennsylvania, dying in the prime of life of consumption contracted while serving as a soldier in the War of 1812. Mrs. Lloyd came to Illinois with her husband, and was his helpmate, companion, counselor and comfort in the hardships of the rough pioneer life that they shared together in the founding of a new home. She was a woman of more than ordinary intelligence, her mind ripened by culture and much reading of the best literature , she being well known as a scholar and historian, and her death was mourned by many friends she and her husband had gathered around them during their many years sojourn in this county. She was possessed of a lovely Christian spirit, and as one of the earnest and active members of the Baptist Church she is greatly missed.

Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd, of whom two are deceased, Anna M., who died at the age of six and Catherine who was 28 years old when she died. Their son Julius, an enterprising and successful farmer, residing on and managing the old homestead, married Miss Harriet Goodyear, and they have five children.

The above from Portraits and Biographical Lee County IL

From the website of Ramona Householder on Rootsweb:

Per Family History Anderson Book: "Adriana S. Anderson was born Sept 12, 1812, while her father was absent in the war. After her father's death, she lived with her aunt Julia Davies and her grandfather Hezekiah Davies. After her brother Jerome's marriage, she was invited to live with him in Newark, N.J. Here she lived for a time, attending school. She lived with her brother after he took up residence in Stonington. Removing to Philadelphia she learned the milners trade on North Second St. with a family named Abby. On the removal of her sister Annie and brothers Julius and Hezekiah to Alexandria, Adriana and her mother changed their home to that place, where she and Annie carried on the trade of millinery and dressmaking and selling fancy articles of dress. Their brothers above named assisted the in fitting up their store. On March 1, 1848, she was married to Eli Lloyd by the Rev. William Gibson. In 1851 she and her husband moved west to Dixon, Illinois, where they purchased a farm. Not satisfied with the country, they sold out and returned to Pa., after about a years sojourn in the West. But the rough roads, stony fields, and rugged mountains had lost their charms; or, at least, the West seemed on the whole, more attractive for in 1858 they moved again to Dixon where they finally purchased a farm of Julius B. Anderson, Adrianna's brother, on the Three Mile Branch, two and one half miles southwest of Dixon. on this a commodious house was built, while only two other houses were visible on the wide, bleak prairie. ... Additional purchases of adjoining land were made and the occupation of farming continued until the autumn of 1878 when a house was purchased in Dixon, then a thriving town of about 5000 inhabitants."

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