Grundy County IL Archives Biographies.....Hill, Hugh M 1841 - 
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Author: Bio/Gen Record LaSalle/Grundy 1900

Hugh M. Hill

For more than a third of a century Hugh M. Hill has been a resident of Grundy 
county, and is one of the substantial agriculturists of Maine township. His 
entire life has been devoted to the work of the farm, and in his career he has 
at all times manifested those sterling qualities of enterprise, industry and 
honesty which lead to success and win the respect and confidence of people of 
worth.

Mr. Hill was born in Delaware county, Ohio, December 7, 1841, a son of John A. 
and Esther (Marsh) Hill. His grandfather, Stephen Hill, was a native of 
Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, and was of Pennsylvania Dutch lineage. In 
pioneer days in that county Stephen Hill, Sr., the great-grandfather of our 
subject, cleared a good farm of two hundred and fifty acres in the midst of 
the forest and made a comfortable home for his family.  On leaving the 
Keystone state Stephen Hill, Jr., the grandfather, took up his abode in 
Concord township, Delaware county, Ohio, where he purchased eleven hundred 
acres of land. That was at a period of development in the history of Delaware 
county and land could be bought for a nominal price.  He cleared much of the 
tract which he purchased, making a good pioneer home, and as the years passed 
by he gave one hundred and twenty acres of land to each of his sons and sixty 
acres each to his daughters. In the family were eight children, namely: 
Joseph, George, Adam, Stephen, Benjamin, Joshua, Sarah, and Betsy. His son 
Joseph bored a deep well for salt, and when he had reached a depth of one 
hundred and forty feet discovered a famous sulphur spring, which has made the 
place known as a watering resort. It is situated about ten miles north of the 
city of Delaware.  Stephen Hill spent his remaining days upon the homestead 
farm in Delaware county, where he died at the age of ninety-six years. He was 
a well-known pioneer citizen of the community, having taken up his abode there 
when Indians were still in the neighborhood, but he always treated them kindly 
and found that they gave him their friendship in return. He was a noted hunter 
and skillful marksman, and his trusty rifle brought down excellent game. Upon 
his farm he erected a large stone residence, his children all remaining at 
home until they were married and went to homes of their own. The family was 
one of the most prominent pioneer families of Delaware county. Mr. and Mrs. 
Hill were consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and were the 
friends of progress along all lines.  Mr. Hill was particularly well educated 
for his day, and several of his sons became school teachers. In Pennsylvania 
he had been a slave owner and brought two of his slaves with him to Ohio, 
where he gave them their freedom. One of them, William Utter, afterward became 
a successful barber of Columbus, Ohio, where he lived for many years. In the 
death of Stephen Hill, Delaware county lost one of its most reliable, 
enterprising and honored pioneer citizens.

John A. Hill, the father of our subject, was born in Westmoreland county, 
Pennsylvania, near the Monongahela river, remaining in that locality until 
seventeen years of age. He went with his father’s family to Delaware county, 
Ohio, and there became celebrated for his skill as a marksman.  He often 
entered into contests with the Indians, and on many occasions demonstrated 
that he was a better shot than they. They often hunted together and the 
Indians frequently did him a good turn. All kinds of wild game could be 
secured during the days of his early residence in Delaware county and he 
killed as many as seventeen deer in a single week.  Becoming one of the 
pioneer farmers of the community, he operated one hundred and twenty acres of 
the old Hill farm given him by his father, and his enterprising efforts 
brought to him creditable success. He married Esther Marsh, who was born in 
New York and was a representative of an old English family, her father being 
Benjamin Marsh, who removed from the Empire state to Delaware county, Ohio, in 
pioneer days. Here he bought one hundred and fifty acres of land, becoming one 
of the leading agriculturists of the neighborhood. He died in Delaware county, 
Ohio, at the age of seventy-four years, and in his death the community lost a 
citizen of the highest respectability. He long held membership with the 
Methodist church, in which he was a class-leader. He played exceedingly well 
on the fife, and during the civil war he often played for the soldiers. His 
children were Josiah, Joel, William, John, Esther and Martha, who married John 
Swain, of Ohio.

After his marriage John A. Hill located on the farm given him by his father 
and performed the arduous task of clearing away the trees, developing the wild 
land into richly cultivated fields. His home was blessed with the presence of 
the following children: Joseph, Martha, Henry D. and Clarinda (twins), Jane, 
Sarah, Lucinda, Lucy, William, Hugh M. and Esther, all of whom were born on 
the old homestead in Delaware county. The mother of this family died in 1855, 
and Mr. Hill afterward wedded Mary Goodwin.  He sold the old homestead farm in 
Delaware county and purchased a small timber farm in Kenton county, Ohio, upon 
which he spent his remaining days, his death occurring at the age of eighty-
five. He was a straightforward, honorable man and a good citizen and reared an 
excellent family.

Hugh M. Hill, the subject of this review, first opened his eyes to the light 
of day on the old family homestead in Delaware county. He was reared upon the 
farm and in his youth became familiar with the arduous task of clearing and 
developing land, his labors in that direction making him a skillful woodsman. 
When a small boy he commenced work in a sugar camp, which comprised twenty-
seven acres, the manufacture of maple sugar and molasses being one of the 
principal departments of the farm work. His labors there, however, prevented 
him from attending school in the early spring time and his educational 
privileges were therefore very limited. In 1863, when twenty-one years of age, 
with his brother William he came to Illinois, making the journey by team. He 
arrived in the month of October, after fourteen and a half days spent upon the 
way, and went to the home of his brother Joseph, who was living at Sulphur 
Springs, in what is now Maine township. For a time he engaged in farm work.  
He was married January 21, 1868, in Braceville township, Grundy county, to 
Miss Rosenah Mary Fry, who was born September 9, 1845, in Dorsetshire, 
England, her parents being Henry and Betsy (Stevens) Fry. Her father was born 
in Dorsetshire, England, August 4, 1820, and was a son of John and Emily Fry, 
also natives of that land, in which they spent their entire lives. John Fry 
followed farming and carpentering in Dorsetshire, and by means of the dual 
occupation supported his family, which numbered five children, namely:  John, 
Thomas, Emily, William and Henry. The last named was reared upon the home 
farm, learned the baker’s trade, and in his native county married Betsy 
Stevens, who was born in England and was a daughter of Samuel and Mary 
Stevens. Her father was a well-to-do farmer, and in his last years lived 
retired, his income being sufficient to supply him with all the necessaries 
and many of the luxuries of life. The property of the Stevens family was quite 
extensive, but none of it came into possession of the representatives of the 
name in America. The children of Samuel Stevens were Mary Ann, Eliza, Amelia, 
Betsy, Martha, Isabel, Samuel and Stephen.  The last named died in England. 
Henry Fry, the father of Mrs. Hill, carried on farming in Dorsetshire for some 
time after his marriage, and five children were born of the union in that 
country, namely: Mary R.; Harriet E., who died at the age of two years; 
Isabel; Emily and Julia B. In 1856 Mr. Fry came to America, taking passage in 
Liverpool on the sailing vessel Calhoon, which dropped anchor in the harbor of 
New York in the latter part of June, after a voyage of four weeks, which was 
considered a remarkably quick passage at that time. He immediately continued 
his journey to Kendall county, where he arrived July 3, 1856, making his way 
to the home of Mrs. Mary A. Mabey, a sister of Mrs. Fry, who had located in 
Kendall county four years previous. There a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fry, 
Isabel Emily, died three days later.  Her death resulted from scarlet fever 
contracted on the voyage. Mr. Fry purchased eighty acres of land across the 
road from the farm, upon which E. H. Robinson now resides. A small house had 
been built and a tract was fenced, but otherwise no improvements had been 
made, and with characteristic energy Mr. Fry began its further development. 
Subsequently he purchased eighty acres of the farm upon which Mr. Hill now 
resides, and an eighty-acre tract adjoining his home property, so that his 
landed possessions aggregated two hundred and forty acres. In his undertaking 
he prospered, becoming one of the successful farmers and extensive cattle 
dealers of the community, but on account of lameness his labors were hampered. 
He had no son to aid him, so that his daughters worked on the farm, and the 
united efforts of the family resulted in securing a very comfortable home. Mr. 
Fry was a member of the Methodist church and in politics was a Republican. He 
died February 22, 1874, at the age of fifty-three years, leaving to his family 
a good estate and an untarnished name. After his marriage Mr. Hill located on 
the farm where he now resides, renting the property of Mr. Fry for five years. 
After his father-in-law’s death he lived upon his farm for a year and then 
returned to his present home. By hard work and unflagging enterprise he has 
greatly improved the property, has drained it with tiling and has extended the 
boundaries of the farm from time to time until he is now the owner of two 
hundred acres of rich and arable land. The place is improved with comfortable 
and substantial buildings, and all the accessories of a model farm are there 
found.

The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Hill has been blessed with the following 
children: Julia Ellen, born November 17, 1868; Giles A., born December 6, 
1870; Mary J., born December 20, 1872; Alfred, who was born March 29, 1875, 
and died September 7, 1894; Amelia, born June 12, 1878; Edwin, born March 17, 
1881; and Henry and Emily, twins, born April 28, 1884.  Mrs. Hill is a member 
of the Methodist church and Mr. Hill contributes of his means to its support. 
In politics he is a Republican, unswerving in his advocacy of the principles 
of the party. His life has been one of industry and honesty, and he certainly 
deserves great credit for the success which he has achieved and which has 
resulted from his capable management and unfailing industry. He is widely 
known among the residents of Maine township and enjoys the respect of his 
fellow citizens.

Additional Comments:
Source:  Biographical and Genealogical Record of La Salle and Grundy Counties 
Illinois, Volume 11, Chicago, 1900, pages 681-684

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