Crawford County IL Archives Biographies.....Pearce, L. B. 1810 - 
************************************************
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:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com December 4, 2007, 2:33 am

Author: William Henry Perrin (1883)

  L. B. PEARCE, retired farmer, Hutsonville, was born September 18, 1810, in
Champaign County, Ohio; is the son of John and Elizabeth (Stewart) Pearce,
natives, the former of the State of New York and the latter of Maryland, and the
parents of eight children, four of whom are living, Joseph, L. B., Lewis and
John. The parent are deceased, the father was in the war of 1812; he and consort
were members of the Methodist Church. L. B. experienced the scenes that made up
the life of the early country school boy, in the time of log cabins, slab seats,
puncheon floors, greased paper for window lights. His father's avocation being
that of a farmer, he of course was employed the greater portion of the time in
rural pursuits. Before entering farm life for himself, he engaged in the
construction of some saw and grist mills, at the present site of the city of
Logansport, Ind. These mills were erected for the Pottawatomie Indians, under
the supervision of Gen. Tipton. Our subject began farming for his own benefit on
the Shawnee plains, Fountain County, Ind., and two years later he bought land in
Warren County, the same State. Three years were spent here, after which he moved
to the Kankakee "marshes," near Lake Michigan, in Indiana, where he remained but
one year and returned to Warren County. He soon after sold out and bought,
herded and sold cattle in Benton County, Ind., at which he was successful. He
entered the dry goods business at Independence, the same State, for awhile, and
then, in 1851, settled on the LaMotte Prairie, Crawford County, Ill., and
subsequently engaged in the mercantile business at Hutsonville, under the firm
name of Pearce & Neely. In three years, the firm sold to John Merrick, and Mr.
Pearce again entered farm life for a few years and then traded his farm to John
Merrick and resumed the dry goods business for awhile at Hutsonville. In 1861,
he sold his business and engaged in carrying soldiers to and from Sumner, a
point on the O. & M. Railroad. At the close of the war, he bought a farm and
owns the same yet. He settled in Hutsonville in 1863. Was married, 1830, to Anna
Hurley, a daughter of Zadock and Lillus (Campbell) Hurley, natives, the father
of Maryland and the mother of South Carolina. Her parents died in Warren County,
Ind., and were blessed with eleven children, two of whom survive, Anna and
Elizabeth. Her father was in the war of 1812. Her parents were Methodists. Mr.
P. was blessed with eight children as the result of his union; two of whom are
living, Zadock and John. His wife is a Methodist, while he belongs to the
Universalist Church. He has served in some small offices. Has been a stanch
Republican since the Dred Scott Decision; has always been a temperance man. His
son John was born January 13, 1835, in Fountain County, Ind. He was educated in
the country schools. He was with his parents until reaching his majority. He
engaged for awhile with his father in the mercantile business at Hutsonville. He
was in the employ of Parker in the furniture factory some time. On June 14,
1863, he married Mary J. Willard, a native of Crawford County, being born here
February 9, 1843; is a daughter of Charles and Lucy M. (Fulton) Willard, natives
of this borough. He began farming soon after marriage, and in 1869 he settled on
his present farm of 220 acres, in which he makes a specialty of grain. He and
wife are members of the La Motte Union Association. He is a Republican. His
union resulted in several children, six of whom survive, viz.: Claudia, Mattie,
Fred W., Edward, Charley, Lucy Ann and John B. Mr. P. has always contributed
liberally to benevolent institutions.

Additional Comments:

Extracted From:

HISTORY OF CRAWFORD AND CLARK COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
EDITED BY WILLIAM HENRY PERRIN.

ILLUSTRATED

CHICAGO: O. L. BASKIN & CO., HISTORICAL PUBLISHERS,
LAKESIDE BUILDING.
1883.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/crawford/bios/pearce1953nbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/

File size: 4.4 Kb