Bureau County IL Archives Biographies.....Burden, Thomas
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Virginia Perry vperry@midwest.net January 1999

Biography for Thomas Burden, Bureau County, Illinois

Thomas Burden, Fairfield, was born in Queens County, Ireland, in the 
year 1831.  His parents, Thomas and Mary (White) Burden, were natives of 
the same place, where the father died.  The mother immigrated to Oswego, 
N. Y., in 1847, and was accompanied by the following children: Richard, 
John, Thomas, Dennis, William and Mrs. Julia Henricken.  The last-named 
also came to Fairfield Township, Bureau County, where she died.  The 
mother died in Oswego, N. Y. Our subject, Thomas Burden, worked one year 
in Oswego, and then came to Elgin, Ill., where he worked till about 
1850, when he came to Bureau County and railroaded for nearly two years 
and then bought 160 acres in Fairfield Township, which he pre-emptied 
and improved.  He started on a small scale in farming and stock-raising 
and bought more land from time to time till at present he has about 
2,000 acres of land in Fairfield Township.  He is one of the largest 
land owners not only in this township but in the county, which is saying 
a great deal when we remember that he came here a poor man.  Stock-
raising is his main occupation.  Mr. Burden was married in LaSalle, 
Ill., to Miss Eleanor Fitzgerald, daughter of Marten and Margaret 
(Cavanaugh) Fitzgerald, who came here in an early day.  Mr. and Mrs. 
Burden are members of the Catholic Church, and are the parents of eight 
children, viz.: George, John, Charles, William, Mary, Emma, Elizabeth 
and Nellie Burden.  I political matters Mr. Burden is identified with 
the Democrat party.

http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/bureau/bios/b/tburden.txt