Pgs 412-686 - Illinois Ancestors

OF ELMIRA TOWNSHIP. 487
had one child, Jane, who married and is living at Tapsham, Vt. He
remained in Vermont the greater part of his life, and died there about
the year 1838. The subject of our sketch passed his boyhood on a
farm. When he was old enough to take part in heavy labor he helped
to cut the timber ancl then assisted in b~~ilclina the second steamboat
that ever ran on Lake Champlain, called the twli7zyton, coininancled
by Capt. Sherinan. He became a boatsman on the boat, followed the
lake inarine for a short time, and in October, 1840, he left Buffalo, N.
IT., for Chicago, Ill., being nine days making the trip. After landing
in Chicago he re~noved to Ottawa, of this state, and engaged in teaming
ant1 breaking prairie. He was inarried in November, 18.16, to Miss
Elizabetll Lyle, daughter of William and A tlnnta (Darling) Lyle. After
his marriage he was e~nployecl on the Chicago & LaSalle or Illinois
canal, and worked at this until the canal was finished, being the man
who drew the last stone, ancl also helped to place the last stone on this
@reat public morlr. After he finished his canal job he engaged in farm-
9 ing, and remained so engaged until 1856, when he removed to Kansals,
where he made a stay of a few months. For a short time after~a~rds
he traveled around, first from one state to another, but in 1857 he settlecl
in Elmira township, purchased 160 acres on section 8, and engaged
in farming and stock-raisi ng. Remaining on his first purchase until
1866, he purchased 160 acres on section 9, and removed to it, and has
remainecl on this purchase up to the present, having added forty acres
more to his last ~nrchase in Ellnira, ancl 330 acres in Osceola township.
He has, since co;ning to Stark county, been cngagecl in farrninw a&
stoclc-growing. In politics he is cle~nocratic ; is not a member 3 any
church, but supports all denominations alike. He has a family of ten
chilclren, namely : IXazen H., married and living at Kewanee ; Ch~rlotte,
married, living at .Cliicago; Charles E., married, living in Penn
township ; Mary, married, living in Ellnim township; Willialn L., unmarriecl,
living, in Osceola township; James, unmarried, living in
Osceola township, Ida M., marriecl, living in Elmira township ; Phcebe,
married, living in Osceola township ; John, at home ; George, marriecl,
living at home. The subject of our sketch in an early day was loo1;ecI
upon as being king of the hunters in this county, having, in company
with his old hunting friend, David Fulk, of Osceola, killecl the last deer
that there is any record of in this townsl~ip.
Gicleon PoZter, son of Thomas ancl Olive (Northrop) Potter, natives
of Porkshire, England, ancl Michigan, respectively, ur:-as born at Hamilton,
Canada, August 21, 1847. His father mas a sash and door
maker, who enlisted in the English army, ancl caine with a division of
that ariny to Canada, in 1837-8, to beat banel< the patriots who souglit
liberty for their country. On being discharged, after his term of service,
he moved to Michigan, inarriecl there, returned to Canada where
he resided unt~l 1353, ~vl~en he left en *oute to Missouri. At Chicago
he was taken sick and died there. Iiis family scattered, Thomas and
Ann are known to be deceased. while C4icleon resides here. The latter,
at the age of seven years, tvas "bonnd out " to a Missouri farmer
named W. H. Elliott, with whom he remained until 1859, when, owing
to the hardship of his work, he eloped, found his way to Nauvoo, Ill.,
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