Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Messenger, Horace I 1844 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com May 10, 2007, 12:08 am

Author: Portrait & Bio Album, 1890

HORACE I. MESSENGER, of Homer Township, is comfortably situated at his 
father's old homestead on section 33. It comprises a fine body of land, two 
hundred and eighty-seven acres in extent, and is embellished with a set of 
good buildings, together with all the other appurtenances of the well-
regulated country estate. Mr. Messenger is a modest, unassuming citizen, whose 
course in life has been such as to commend him to the esteem and confidence of 
all with whom he has had dealings. His life-long habits of industry have 
resulted in the acquirement of a competence, and he is in the enjoyment of all 
of the comforts, and many of the luxuries of life. In noting the parental 
history of the subject of this sketch, we find that his father, Horace 
Messenger, was a native of Chenango County, N. Y., and born April 26, 1807. 
The mother bore the maiden name of Fannie Shedd, and she was born in Oswego 
County, N. Y., June 13, 1810. They were married in their native State, and 
came directly to this county in 1835, settling in Homer Township, in June of 
that year. They were among its early pioneers, and in Homer Township 
thereafter sojourned until called hence. They were not long separated, the 
father dying August 31, 1882, and the mother July 3, 1884. Their family 
consisted of five children, the eldest of whom, a son, William, died when 
three years old; Mary J. is the wife of Benjamin White, of Geneseo, this 
State; Frances is a resident of Joliet; Horace I., our subject, is the next in 
order of birth; Helen also lives in Joliet. Mr. Messenger was the fourth child 
of his parents, and is the only living son. He was born in Homer Township, 
February 5, 1844, and therein spent his early years, attending the common 
schools and becoming familiar with the various details of farm life. He 
completed his studies in Knox College, Galesburg, Ill. During the third year 
of the Civil War he entered the ranks of the Union army, enlisting February 
29, 1864, in Company F, Eighth Illinois Cavalry, and served seventeen months. 
During that period he became fully acquainted with the hardships of a 
soldier's life, although escaping some of its sterner features. Aside from 
this, he has always followed agricultural pursuits. Mr. Messenger was married 
May 31, 1883, in Lockport, Ill., to Miss Bell Fox. This lady was born in 
Ashtabula, Ohio, October 13, 1849, and is a daughter of Gibson Fox, who still 
resides there. In politics Mr. Messenger is a stanch supporter of the 
Republican party, and as a Union soldier, belongs to the Grand Army of the 
Republic.

Additional Comments:
Portrait and Biographical Album of Will County, Illinois, Containing Full Page 
Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens 
of the County; Chicago: Chapman Bros., 1890 

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/will/bios/messenge577gbs.txt

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