Crawford County IL Archives Biographies.....Reavill, A. J. 1834 - ************************************************ 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 7, 2007, 10:10 pm Author: William Henry Perrin (1883) A. J. REAVILL, stockman and farmer, P. O. Flat Rock. This gentleman was a descendant of an old pioneer family, and of whom he acquired many of their virtues, was born December 24, 1834, in this township, where he now lives. His grandfather was born in France, but was married in this country to a Miss Crow. Their son, David, born 1782, in Delaware, on the bay, came to this State in 1810, making his home in Kaskaskia, which was then the capital. In 1812, he returned to Vincennes, Ind., and joined the rangers. After the war, he removed to Pales tine, where he followed the tanner trade. He was married to Ann Montgomery, born September 12, 1792, in South Carolina; she is a daughter of Andrew and Elizabeth (Colwell) Montgomery, and the mother of nine children, four now living; their father was killed at Palestine by lightning. Our subject was educated in this county and was also joined in matrimony here December 13, 1856, to Miss Martha A. Seaney, born October 9, 1835, in this county, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Attaway) Seaney, who are classed among our pioneers. Mrs. Reavill is the mother of nine children, six boys and three girls—Sarah J., wife of Marlin Mail; William D. D., deceased; John D., married Ada Taylor; Almera, deceased; Charles McClellen, born April 28, 1863; David A., born May 11, 1865; Parmer Seymore, born February 6,1868; Dora, October 6, 1869; and Edmund H., deceased. Mr. Reavill still owns the place which his parents entered as Government land in Vincennes, at $2.50 per acre, in installments, but it was reduced to half the price by act of Congress about 1817. Mr. Reavill lived on a farm of 840 acres with good improvements; he has about 340 acres near Robinson, on which tenants lived. At the age of twenty-two, he was elected Justice of the Peace; afterward he was Township School Treasurer for twelve years, and filled other school offices. He has been township Supervisor for two terms, and director of the Robinson Bank ever since its re-organization. Mr. Reavill has been connected with railroad history, as he has been a director of the Paris & Danville Railroad till it was connected to the Wabash system. In 3 875, he helped to organize the Bishop, Meserve & Co. syndicate, which completed the Paris & Danville Railroad from Hutsonville to Vincennes, Ind. In 1877, Mr. Reavill was elected by the Democratic party to the Legislature, representing the Forty-fifth District, comprising Crawford, Clark, Lawrence and Jasper Counties. During this term occurred the memorable contest which terminated in the defeat of John A. Logan and the election of David Davis to the United States Senate. Mr. Reavill was re-elected to the Legislature in 1879. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, Robinson Lodge, No. 250. No comment is needed on the past life of our subject; the different positions which he has filled in life speak for themselves and show that manly qualities are appreciated by his fellow-men. 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/reavill1295gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ilfiles/ File size: 3.7 Kb