Vermilion county Illinois, JOHN L. JACKSON ==================================================================== Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives Joy Fisher ==================================================================== p. 238 JOHN L. JACKSON. In the career of this leading business man of Sidell, we recognize the type of the live, energetic American citizen, who has been peculiarly favored by Providence, being the owner of a fine property, the son of one of the wealthiest men in the county, and one of its leading citizens, and having had the happy faculty of improving all his advantages. By his straightforward methods of proceedure he has fully established himself in the esteem and confidence of all with whom he has had dealings. He is at present engaged in general merchandising at Sideil, and is in the enjoyment of a patronage which is steadily increasing. The firm of John L. Jackson & Co. is considered A 1. Mr. Jackson was born in Douglas County, this State, Sept. 22, 1860, and is the son of Amos and Sarah (Hesseler) Jackson, the former of whom was born near Frankfort, Ind., and the latter in this county. They were married in Michigan. The elder Jackson operates as a farmer and cattle raiser, and is now a resident of Danville. He is represented on another page in this volume. The parental household was completed by the birth of four daughters and two sons, and of these John was the eldest. He was twelve years of age when his parents came to this county, and settled near Indianola, in Carroll Township. Later they removed first to Paris and then to Danville. At the age of nineteen years our subject entered the Commercial College at Terre Haute, from which he was graduated in the class of 1879. Upon leaving school he engaged in buying and shipping stock, with which business he had been familiar since a boy. He shipped his first load from Archie Station, and was occupied at this business until 1883. The marriage of our subject with Miss Eva Gray was celebrated at the bride's home, in March 1883. This lady was born and reared in Champaign County, and is the daughter of Henry and Louisa (Weisiger) Gray, who settled in the above named county in 1861. The father died in 1876 aged about forty years. The mother was subsequently married and now resides near Kankakee, The three daughters were named Eva, Cora and Nettie. Mr. and Mrs. Jackson have one child, a daughter, Meta J. Mr. Jackson purchased the store and stock of general merchandise belonging to William Danley, the pioneer merchant of Sideil, and in addition to looking after the affairs of this establishment, continues to deal in cattle. Politically, he is an uncompromising Democrat, and socially belongs to Peace Dale Lodge Number 25, I. O. O. F. He is also a member of the Modern Woodmen. His farm comprises 172 acres of choice, land, pleasantly located southwest of Sidell.