Quite a number of
the leading and prominent citizens of
Whiteside county were born on the other
side of the Atlantic, and have transported
to this land of fertility and plenty the thrifty
habits of their native country. Among
these none is better known or more widely
respected than the gentleman whose name
heads this sketch. His home is on section
27, Coloma township, where for many
years he was actively engaged in farming,
but is now living retired.
Mr. McNeil was born in Paisley, Scotland, November 27, 1836, a son of Alexander
and Janet (Mason) McNeil, also natives of that country. In 1849, with their
family, they sailed for the United States,
and arrived safely in New Orleans, but the
mother was taken sick and died before
reaching this county, being laid to rest in
the cemetery at Albany, Illinois. The
father, who was a machinist by trade, remained in Whiteside county for two years
and then went to Chicago, where he worked
at his trade until his death. In the family
were five children, namely: (1.) Isabella is
the widow of Burrell Stone, who was an
extensive and prosperous farmer, and she
now spends her summers in Rock Falls,
Illinois, and the winter in Florida. She
has four children living, Mary J., Mina,
Jessie and George, and one deceased. (2.)
Mary is the wife of Henry F. Batcheller, who was supervisor of Coloma township for
twenty-five consecutive years, but is now living retired in Rock Falls, and they have
three children; Imogene, wife of S. 0.
Roberson; Addison; and Mrs. Fay Roddemeyer. (3.) Robert, our subject, is the next
of the family. (4.) Jane is wife of John A.
Lyde, of St. Andrews Bay, Florida. (5.)George
lives in Chicago, and is a machinist; has
charge of R. F. Crane's machine shops.
Robert McNeil acquired his education in
the schools of his native land, and after the
emigration of the family to the new world,
he began life for himself as a farm hand,
being thus employed until able to purchase
land. During his boyhood, he also engaged
in teaming from that county to Chicago and
Aurora, and drove cattle to market in the
former city. From his wages, he at length
saved one hundred dollars in gold, and with
it purchased a tract of government land before he was twenty years of age. For a
number of years he successfully engaged in
general farming and stock raising, making a
specialty of Durham cattle, and at one time
owned two hundred and eighty acres of
very valuable and productive land, one hundred and eighty acres of which he still
owns.
In July, 1856, Mr. McNeil was united in
marriage with Miss Jean Lyle, who was also
born in Paisley, Scotland, January 22, 1839,
and was one of a family of ten children.
Her parents were James and Agnes (Allison) Lyle, who came to this country in
1843, and took up their residence at Buffalo Grove, Ogle county, Illinois, where the
father followed farming, though in Scotland
he was a manufacturer. Of the nine children born to our subject and his wife one
died in infancy. The others are as follows:
(1.) Alexander J., a hardware merchant of
Rock Falls, is married and has one child,
Jean E. (2.) Agnes is the wife of Jame...
(This book is online with American Libraries. Robert McNeil is suppose to be on page 480 .. but of course --
this page wasn't there)
History of Whiteside Co. Biographical Record 1908 Pg 480
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