Grundy County IL Archives Biographies.....James, E B 
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Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com March 25, 2006, 3:20 pm

Author: Bio/Gen Record LaSalle/Grundy 1900

E. B. JAMES.

Among the pioneers of Grundy county none is more worthy of representation in 
this volume than the gentleman whose name forms the caption of this article.   
Through the long years which have passed since his arrival in the community he 
has witnessed wonderful changes, having seen the wild land transformed into 
rich farms, while hamlets have grown into thriving towns, supplied with the 
various business enterprises which contribute to the general prosperity of the 
public. The inventions and enterprises which are indicative of civilization 
have been introduced one by one, and through the efforts of the representative 
citizens the county has taken rank among the leading counties of this great 
commonwealth. At all times Mr. James has been deeply interested in the growth 
of the locality and has withheld his support from no measures which have been 
intended for the public good.

A native of Ohio, he was born in Hamilton county, November 19, 1824, and at 
the age of ten years went to Rush county, Indiana, where he was employed as a 
farm hand for eight years. At the expiration of that period he came to 
Illinois, locating in Kendall county, where he worked by the day and month for 
a time and then began farming on his own account on rented land, which he 
operated for about five years. He then came to Grundy county and settled on 
section 25, Norman township, where he rented a farm for two years. Later he 
took a claim which he afterward purchased, and as his financial resources 
increased he added to his landed possessions from time to time until he is now 
the owner of six hundred and eighteen acres of fine land. He came to this 
country a poor boy and by determined purpose and unflagging industry he has 
overcome the difficulties and hardships that fell to his lot and has wrested 
from the hand of fate a comfortable competence. For fifty-two years he has 
resided on the farm which is now his home, his first place of residence being 
a primitive log cabin, which in 1850 was destroyed by fire, together with all 
its contents. He replaced it with a rude frame building, but now he has a 
commodious and substantial residence, together with good barns and other 
buildings for the shelter of grain and stock. He was very unfortunate in an 
attempt to raise horses, but was very successful in his other stock-dealing 
ventures. Thus it will be seen that success has not always smiled upon him, 
yet he has persevered and his labors have ultimately brought to him a 
desirable and merited reward.

In 1844 Mr. James was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Pyatt, a daughter of 
John and Margaret (Elder) Pyatt, the former a native of Virginia and the 
latter of Pennsylvania. Their children are John Wesley, who died in the army 
during the civil war; Charity, who also has passed away; Emily E., who is the 
wife of W. H. Benson, a resident of Norman township, Grundy county; Huldena, 
deceased; Sarah F., the wife of John Whitten, a resident of Norman township; 
M. F., who married Myra Marks and is living in Kansas; and Mary A., the wife 
of C. R. Flanders, a resident of Harvey, Illinois. The mother of these 
children died in 1863, and Mr. James afterward married Sarah P. Evans, a 
daughter of Francis Evans, of Illinois. They have but one child, Dr. Robert 
L., who married Jessie Butler, and is a practicing physician at Blue Island, 
Illinois.

In his political views Mr. James is a stalwart Republican, who warmly 
advocates the principles of his party, for he believes that its platform 
embodies the best views of government. He has held a number of local offices, 
including that of supervisor, in which he acceptably served four years. He is 
an earnest worker and faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and 
is a man whom to know is to respect and honor. His success is indeed 
creditable and his life is an illustration of what may be accomplished through 
determined and continued labor.

Additional Comments:
Source:  Biographical and Genealogical Record of La Salle and Grundy County, 
Illinois, Volume 11, Chicago, 1900, p630-632

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