Grundy-Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Eib, George March 17, 1816 - ************************************************ 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: Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com February 20, 2006, 3:26 am Author: Gen/Bio Record of Will Co IL 1900 George Eib, one of the earliest settlers of Jackson Township, represents the fourth generation of the Eib family in America. The first of the name in this country came from Germany and settled in Lancaster County, Pa., from which he went to the front as a soldier in the Revolutionary war. His son, Jacob, was reared in his native county of Lancaster, but in middle life removed from Pennsylvania to the western part of Virginia, where his remaining years were spent. Peter, son of Jacob, and father of our subject, was born in Little York, Pa., March 12, 1779, and accompanied his father to Harrison County, W. Va., afterward carrying on a butcher business in Clarksburg. Later he migrated to Ohio, where he spent one year in Columbus and another year on a farm near the city. Going from there to Fountain County, Ind., for six years he carried on a meat business and engaged in farming. In the spring of 1832 he came to Illinois and located a claim, selecting a tract of land that forms a part of our subject’s farm. After making his selection of land he went to his former home for his family and was detained there for some time, but finally returned to Will County. May 10, 1833, was the date of his second arrival on his claim. At once he began to clear the land and place it under cultivation, and his remaining years were busily devoted to agricultural pursuits on the same homestead. For years he was foremost in the development and upbuilding of his township. He was a loyal patriot and served with courage and fidelity in the war of 1812. His death occurred August 4, 1858, when he was in his eightieth year. By his marriage to Madeline Gilbert nine children were born, five of whom are living, namely: George, who was born in Harrison County, W. Va., March 17, 1816; Mathias, of Oakland, Cal.; Augustus and Amos, both living in this county; and Lemuel, of St. Joe, Mo. At the time the family settled in Illinois our subject was seventeen years of age. He aided his father in the clearing of the land and preparing it for the raising of crops. When he was twenty-one he began to work as a farm hand, but after a year engaged in farming independently. The land on which his father had settled was canal land, and, it failing to come into the market for sale as he expected, he purchased another place known as the Jenkins farm, and George and Levi (the latter now deceased) took the farm on which the father had first settled. Two years later, the land coming into market, they purchased it, and some time afterward divided the property, and our subject acquired another eighty acres. In later years, as he prospered, be added to his land until he now owns two hundred and sixty-eight and one-half acres, forming his homestead farm. He is a progressive man, energetic, industrious, and deserves his present prosperity. The land which he owns has increased in value almost an hundred-fold since he purchased it, and is now one of the valuable estates in the county. He has devoted himself to its cultivation and has never been active in local affairs or politics. May 2, 1844, Mr. Eib married Miss Mary A. Zumwalt, who was born in Adams County, Ohio, a daughter of Joseph and Mary (Ogle) Zumwalt. Her father, who was born in Adams County. Ohio, in 1800, engaged in farming for some years in his native county, but in 1830 removed to Hancock County, Ind., and four years later settled in Illinois, taking up a claim in the vicinity of Mr. Eib’s home. 1n 1849 he went overland to California and began mining near Sacramento. After the mining excitement had subsided he went to Colusa County, Cal., settling at the Willows, where he lived for ten years. Next be moved to Anderson, Shasta County, and there made his home until he died, in 1893. His wife, who was born in Adams County, Ohio, in 1804, died in 1882. Her father, Enoch Ogle, came to America from Wales and settled in Maryland, where he married Anna Cressop; from there he removed to Adams County, Ohio, which continued to be his home until his death. Jacob Zumwalt, the father of Joseph, was a native of Little York, Pa., his parents having settled there from Germany. Nine children were born to the union of Mr. and Mrs. Eib. Of these seven are living, namely: Peter B., of Colusa County, Cal.; Louisa, wife of William Ash, of Colusa County; Alameda, Mrs. George Hibner, of Grundy County, Ill.; Catherine A., who is the widow of Julius Johnston, of Joliet; Mary O., wife of Samuel Owens, of Cambridge, Neb.; George J. W., who manages the home farm; and Jacob L., who resides at Waukegan, Ill., and is an engineer on the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railroad. Source: "Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County, Illinois", 1900, Biographical Publishing Company, Chicago, Pages 141-142 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/grundy/bios/eib138nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/ File size: 5.4 Kb