Whiteside County IL Archives Biographies.....Courtright, John 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Deb Haines http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00003.html#0000719 January 31, 2008, 3:17 am

Author: Portrait/Bio Album, Whiteside County IL 1885

John Courtright, general farmer, section 32, Genesee Township, was born Oct. 
10, 1823, in Sussex Co., N. J. His grandfather, Samuel Courtright, and his 
father, Reuben Courtright, were both farmers, and were born in Sussex County. 
The former died in that county. They were farmers and were the descendants of 
the settlers from the Netherlands who located in New Jersey. The mother of Mr. 
Courtright, Deborah Bedell before her marriage, was the daughter of a New 
Jersey farmer, and passed her whole life in her native State, where she died 
about 1827. She was the mother of ten children. Reuben Courtright took a 
second wife, by whom he had also ten children. Nearly all his 20 children grew 
to mature age. Reuben Courtright died Aug. 8, 1875, aged 86 years and some 
months. Mr. Courtright was four years of age when his mother died, and he was 
under the care of his stepmother after the second marriage of his father, 
continuing a member of the paternal household until he was 22 years of age. He 
went then to Port Jarvis, N. Y., where he apprenticed himself to learn the 
trade of a carpenter with John Clark and John Kyte. The terms of his agreement 
provided that he was to remain with them two years and receive six dollars a 
month for his first year's service. He abandoned the plan under which he began 
to acquire his trade and completed his preparation for a mechanic's career 
with a man named Westbrook Williamson. He afterwards returned to his native 
county in New Jersey, and was married Dec. 29, 1848, to Sarah A. Trauger. She 
was the daughter of Lewis and Elizabeth (Adams) Trauger, natives of Bucks Co., 
Pa., and of German descent and ancestry. They were farmers and were married in 
their native county, afterwards removing to Sussex Co., N. J. Their two eldest 
children were born in Bucks Co., Pa., and the eight younger were born in 
Sussex County. Mrs. Courtright has a twin sister and they were born July 25, 
1825. Her father died in 1836 and was about 46 years of age at the time of his 
decease. The death of her mother occurred about 1853 and she was 65 years old. 
Mrs. Courtright remained with her mother until two years previous to her 
marriage, and the intervening time she was a member of the family of an older 
sister. After the union in marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Courtright, they lived 
nearly three years in Sussex County, whence they came in 1852 to Illinois and 
settled for a few months in the township of Sterling, in Whiteside County. In 
the year following, in company with his brother, he bought 160 acres on 
section 32, Genesee Township, on which they operated together some time and 
afterwards made a division of the estate, Mr. Courtright taking the southern 
half, adjoining which he had bought 40 acres, the whole constituting a 
valuable and finely located farm of 121 acres. The entire acreage was all 
unbroken prairie at the date of his purchase. It gives substantial proof of 
the quality of the energy and thrift brought to bear on the property by its 
advanced cultivation and its excellent farm buildings. Mr. Courtright is the 
owner of two additional farms, containing respectively 79 and 75 acres, which 
are all under improvement. He owns besides 10 acres of timber. Two children 
were born to Mr. and Mrs. Courtright. Amanda married Francis A. Gould, and 
they reside with her parents. Lester died when six years of age. Mr. 
Courtright is a decided Republican.

Additional Comments:
Portrait and Biographical Album of Whiteside County, Illinois, Containing Full-
page Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative 
Citizens of the County. Chicago: Chapman Brothers, 1885.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/whiteside/bios/courtrig2369nbs.txt

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