JAMES K. P. FLEMING, a skillful reinsman and dealer in imported French coach horses, is a native of Pennsylvania, and has been a resident of Illinois since 1854. He was born in Indiana County, Dec., 13, 1844, and is the son of Thomas and Jemima (Jewell) Fleming, who left the Keystone State in the spring of 1854, located first in Jo Daviess County, and afterward removed to Lena, where they now reside.

Our subject is the second of six children comprising the parental household, three of whom are living, and passed his childhood and youth in Jo Daviess County. After the removal of his parents to Lena, he practically started out in life for himself. At the age of seventeen, while on the farm, he met with a terrible accident, in which his hand was torn off just above the wrist by a threshing-machine. But notwithstanding this, there are few men who can manage horses with both hands equal to Mr. Fleming, who has but one. After recovering from this disaster he was employed in a planeing-mill (sic) at Lena, and three years later began dealing in stock in a small way, handling first hogs and cattle. A few years later he included horses in his operations, buying and shipping to the Eastern markets. He is an admirable judge of these animals, and is seldom misled in his estimate of their value. His stables are located upon the grounds of the John B. Taylor Park, which are mentioned in the sketch of that gentleman elsewhere in this work. His transactions of late years have extended across the Atlantic, parties there contracting for the animals which had undergone a thorough course of training by Mr. Fleming. The barn at the park was built expressly for his accommodations, and his is one of the familiar and important figures which add to the popularity of the place.

Mr. Fleming, in 1868, was united in marriage with Miss J. L. Hickox, of Cortland, N. Y., and they have a family including two sons and one daughter - Otto O., Alice E. and Miles. The family residence is pleasantly located at Taylor's Park, and the friends of Mr. Fleming comprise a large proportion of the best people of Freeport. He is President of the Freeport Trotting Association, and a member in good standing of the I. O. O. F. at Lena.

Contributed by Carol Parrish from Portrait and Biographical Album of Stephenson County, Ill. (1888), p. 565