Lot S Pennington was born in Somerset county, New Jersey, November 12, 1812. In 1826 he emigrated to the West and settled in Jersey county, Illinois. After remaining there a short time he settled in Macoupin county. Dr. Pennington married Ann P. Barnett, who was born in Barnett, Vermont. Mrs. P. died December 19, 1866, and Dr. Pennington was married to Ruth A. Morrison in 1868. In 1839 he removed north and settled in Sterling in May of that year. He practiced his profession for about one year. In the meantime he purchased a farm in section 32, Jordan township, and embarked in the farm, fruit and nursery business, devoting about 150 acres to fruit trees and a nursery, which he gradually increased. Owing to the distance from which grafts and trees had to be transported, the danger from the annual prairie fires, and the depredations of the myriads of rabbits, indefatigable energy and persistence were required to make the business a success. In 1856 Dr. Pennington abandoned the nursery business and devoted his energies to the production of fruit, and the great Illinois corn-crop. Dr. Penningtons home farm comprises eight hundred acres, in addition to which he has lands and lots in Sterling township and city, and also lands in Hopkins township, making him one of the largest land owners in the county. All of this land is of excellent quality. Upon his home farm he has 160 acres in orchard, a large amount of the fruit raised from it being of the finest varieties. In 1876 he raised about eight thousand bushels of apples from this orchard. To utilize his immense apple crops, he erected last year a factory of a large capacity for the purpose of making cider vinegar. A very large quantity, and of excellent quality, was manufactured. Upon his farm are also magnificent quarries of building stone, which have been developed, but not worked extensively owing to their distance from railroads. Recently the Doctor has been engaged in boring an artesian well upon his farm, and a depth of 2,200 feet has been reached, but as the water does not as yet flow to the surface, he contemplates during the coming winter (1877- 78) to continue the work until a satisfactory supply can be had, as he expects at no distant day to furnish the city of Sterling with a supply of water. Besides being an agriculturist, Dr. Pennington is a prominent horticulturist and pomologist, and has written several valuable papers upon these pursuits, all of which have been widely copied by agricultural and horticultural papers and by the general press, and the suggestions made and ideas advanced by him highly commended. He has also been a delegate to a large number of meetings and conventions held for the promotion of agriculture and horticulture, at each of which he took a leading part. Dr. Pennington was Supervisor of Jordan township from 1867 to 1876, inclusive, and has held various other township offices.
Pg 263 Bent-Wilson 1877
