Grundy County IL Archives Biographies.....Easton, Cassius C 
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Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com March 25, 2006, 9:00 pm

Author: Bio/Gen Record LaSalle/Grundy 1900

Cassius C. Easton is one of the substantial citizens of Maine township and the 
representative of a highly respected family. He was born in Farmington, 
Trumbull county, Ohio, March 21, 1845, his parents being Alexander and Rhoda 
(Plum) Easton. His father was born in Massachusetts, September 25, 1801, and 
was a son of Joseph Easton, who was descended from colonial Puritan ancestry, 
the family having been founded in Massachusetts at a very early period in its 
history. His children were John, James, Luman, Justus, Joseph, Alexander, 
Tamar, and one who wedded a Mr. Strong. There was also another, but the name 
is now forgotten. Alexander Easton, the father of our subject, was reared in 
the old Bay state, received a good common-school education and early learned 
the trade of the carpenter and joiner. In his early years he became a local 
minister of the Methodist church and preached for a long period.

He was three times married,—first to Hannah Lee, of Farmington, Ohio, by whom 
he had six children: Tamar, born July 10, 1830; Harriet, October 30, 1832; 
Mack, April 20, 1835; Alcinous, July 25, 1837; Marion, September 9, 1840; and 
Cyrus M., October 23, 1842. All of these children were born in Farmington, 
Ohio, where the mother's death occurred December 7, 1843. Mr. Easton was again 
married about 1844, in Farmington, his second union being with Mrs. Rhoda Lee, 
the widowed daughter of Elisha Plum. Her father was a farmer and at an early 
day removed to Hillsdale, Michigan. By the second marriage of Mr. Easton there 
were but two children, Cassius C. and one who died in infancy. Their mother 
passed away in Farmington, Ohio, June 20, 1851, and Mr. Easton afterward 
married Eliza Hogan, of Brecksville, Ohio. He purchased land from the 
government at Farmington for a dollar and a quarter per acre and thus obtained 
one hundred acres, which he cleared from the wilderness, making a good home. 
He was well known as a pioneer settler and minister, and served as a delegate 
to the national convention, held in Pittsburg, of the Freesoilers, who 
nominated John P. Hale and George W. Julian. He filled a number of local 
offices of trust and was a much respected citizen. In 1868 he came to Illinois 
to make his home with his son Cassius and died twelve years later, at the age 
of seventy-nine.

Cassius Clay Easton was reared in Farmington, Ohio. He received a good common-
school education and at the age of sixteen years came to Illinois, having in 
the meantime learned the carpenter's trade of his father, who gave his set of 
tools to his son. Mr. Easton is especially successful in mechanical lines and 
has done much carpenter work in the neighborhood. Here he followed both 
carpentering and farming in early life. He was married September 27, 1866, in 
Mazon township, Grundy county, to Miss Mary Jane Spiller, who was born in 
Devonshire, England, May 19, 1849, a daughter of John and Joanna (Wakley) 
Spiller. Her father was born in Devonshire, England, November 28, 1808, 
obtained a good education, and during his boyhood followed farming. He was 
married in his native land to Joanna Wakley, whose birth occurred in 
Devonshire, England, and there they became the parents of eight children: Ann, 
who was born March 11, 1840; William, April 19, 1842; Joel, November 26, 1843; 
Thomas, February 20, 1845; Elizabeth, March 13, 1847; Mary J., May 19, 1849; 
John, February 7, 1851; and Ellen, July 24, 1853.

Mr. Spiller came with his family to America in 1851, sailing from Liverpool to 
New York, where they arrived after a voyage of nine weeks and three clays. He 
continued his westward journey to Kendall county, Illinois, where he worked on 
a farm. For a year he was very ill and his wife had a hard struggle to provide 
for the family, her children being all small at that time. After his recovery 
Mr. Spiller took up his work with renewed energy, and about 1861 succeeded in 
gaining some land in Mazon township. This he improved and also extended its 
boundaries until it comprised one hundred .and sixty acres. He had a good 
house and lot in Gardner, and successfully carried on agricultural pursuits, 
being known as one of the reliable, industrious and progressive farmers of the 
neighborhood. During the civil war he was a strong Union man and his son 
William and his son-in-law, James Livingston, both served for three years in 
an Illinois regiment in order to maintain the supremacy of the national 
government at Washington. From the time of the organization of the party Mr. 
Spiller was a stalwart Republican. He died at his home in Gardner, April 30, 
1887, and his wife, who was a consistent member of the Methodist church, 
passed away February 3, 1893.

Mr. and Mrs. Easton resided for a year after their marriage in Greenfield 
township, Grundy county, and then in Kankakee county, where he purchased one 
hundred acres of partially improved land, on which was a small "shanty." 
Through the succeeding six years he devoted his energies to the cultivation of 
his farm and built a good residence there. He then removed to Gardner, where 
he worked at his trade for two years, and in March, 1876, he came to his 
present home in Maine township, where he secured a tract of land of one 
hundred and twenty acres and by additional purchase became the owner of a fine 
farm of one hundred and sixty acres. He also erected a substantial two-story 
frame residence and added all the other accessories and conveniences of a 
model farm and now has a very valuable property. He also owns one hundred and 
sixty acres of rich and arable land in Butler county, Kansas, which his son 
Addison is now occupying.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Easton have been born four children: Addison Monroe was born 
in Greenfield township, Grundy county, January 2, 1868, educated in the common 
schools and high school of Gardner, and is now engaged in teaching in this 
county. He married Emma C. Wessel and with their two children, Hazel W. and 
Wendel A., they reside in Kansas. Rowland Joseph, born in Norton township, 
Kankakee county, Illinois, October 4, 1871, married Winnie Small and is living 
on a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Butler county, Kansas. Belle R. 
was born on the homestead, July 28, 1880; and Clifford C, June 14, 1885. They 
are still with their parents. Belle R. graduated at the district and high 
schools at Gardner, in 1898, and is a young lady of refinement.

In his political views Mr. Easton was a stalwart Republican for some years, 
and voted for Abraham Lincoln. He became one of the ardent Prohibitionists of 
his township, but in 1896 he cast his ballot for Bryan. He served on the 
school board for twelve years, acting as its secretary and president for a 
part of the time. He has always been a strong advocate of temperance 
principles, and is a man of high moral character, whose well-directed business 
efforts have brought him creditable success, for his reliable dealing has 
secured to him the unqualified regard of his fellow men.


Additional Comments:
Source:  Biographical and Genealogical Record of La Salle and Grundy County, 
Illinois, Volume 11, Chicago, 1900, p720-722

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