JACOB F. LANGENSTEIN, of Buckeye Township, who established himself on section 4 in 1853, is numbered among its most thrifty farmers. He is a native of Wurtemberg, Germany, and was born Dec. 16, 1825, on the farm of his father, where he lived until 1833. He is the son of Jacob and Anna M. Langenstein, who were also natives of the same section of country as their son and who, at the date above mentioned, with their four children, determined to seek their fortunes on another continent. Embarking on a sailing-vessel, they landed in New York City after a tedious voyage of sixty days, and proceeded thence directly to Lycoming County, Pa. The father of our subject was better provided for than many of the emigrants of those days, and brought with him sufficient means to purchase 400 acres of land, which with the exception of forty acres, was covered with timber. He cleared a large portion of this and occupied it until 1853, then decided upon pushing further westward. His mind was fixed upon Northern Illinois and, coming into this county, he purchased 240 acres of land in Buckeye Township, and proceeded again, as he had done in Pennsylvania, clearing the timber and building up a comfortable homestead. Here he lived and labored until eighty-five years of age, retaining his native energy to a remarkable degree, and folded his hands for his final rest on the 22d of June, 1885. The wife and mother had preceded her husband to the silent land on the 22d of June, 1878, her death occurring on the same day of the month as his. Their eight children, consisting of six sons and two daughters, all lived to mature years and became reputable and worthy citizens.

The subject of this sketch was the second child of his parents, and was twelve years of age when they emigrated to America. He remembers well the old home in Wurtemberg, the incidents of preparation to leave it, and the long voyage across the Atlantic. He assisted in the improvement of his father’s two farms in Pennsylvania and Illinois, and remained under the parental roof until his marriage. After this event he located on the land which he now occupies. This he has brought to a fine state of cultivation, erected all necessary buildings, and has accumulated a nice little property upon which to fall back in his old age.

The marriage of Jacob F. Langenstein and Miss Sarah Yoorg took place at the home of the bride, in Illinois, in the spring of 1858. Mrs. L. was born in the city of Philadelphia, Pa., April 24, 1836, and is the daughter of Frederick and Catharine Yoorg, natives of Germany, who emigrated to America in 1831, and spent their first few years in this country in Philadelphia. Thence they removed to Freeport, this county, and subsequently Mr. Yoorg purchased a farm near Cedarville, which he occupied until 1863. He then retired from active labor and, returning to Freeport, died there in the spring of 1880. The mother continues a resident of that city. Mr. and Mrs. Langenstein became the parents of six children, namely, Mary A., Catherine E., J. John, Ida S., Ellen C., and Edward. They are numbered among the substantial residents of their township and belong to the Evangelical church.

Contributed by Carol Parrish from Portrait and Biographical Album of Stephenson County, Ill. (1888), p. 286