ABSALOM BROWN, the oldest resident of Decker Township, Richland County,
resides on section 1, where he has followed farming for many years. The sketch
of this pioneer well deserves a place in the history of his adopted county, and
with pleasure we present it to our readers. A native of Tennessee, he was born
in Franklin County on the 27th of August, 1822. His father, John Brown, was born
in North Carolina, and when a young man went to Tennessee, where he met and
married Phoebe McCoy, a lady of Scotch descent. He participated in the War of
1812, and served under Gen. Jackson at the battle of New Orleans. His life work
was that of farming. In March, 1828, he emigrated to Edwards County, Ill., where
he spent two years, and in 1830 came to Richland County, although it was then a
part of Clay County. From the Government he entered three hundred and twenty
acres of land on the edge of Fox Prairie, where he lived until August, 1843,
when, thinking the country was too thickly settled, he went to Missouri to look
for another location. He never returned, and it is thought that he was killed by
the Indians. His wife died on Christmas Day of 1874, at the age of eighty-four
years. Both were members of the Baptist Church.
The children of the
Brown family were as follows: David M., who died in Kentucky in 1845; Lucinda,
who died in November, 1864; Absalom of this sketch; Jo, a farmer of Decker
Township, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work; James M., who occupies
the old homestead; Jemima, who is the widow of Isaac Anderson, and lives near
the old homestead; and Rachel M., who was born in this county in 1830, is the
widow of Jackson Shelby, and now resides in Edwards County.
Absalom
Brown spent the first nine years of his life in his native State, and then came
to Illinois. He was early inured to the hard labor of developing a new farm. He
made a wooden mould-board for the plow, and did other work common to the
frontier. The nearest mills were at the Big Wabash, and there were only three
settlers living on the prairie. Wild deer roamed around at will, and he has
hunted on the site of Olney. Amid such surroundings, engaged in the hard labor
of clearing and developing land, Mr. Brown spent the days of his boyhood and
youth. He remained at home until he was twenty-seven years of age, aiding his
mother in the care of the family.
On the 23d of December, 1849, in
Decker Township, Mr. Brown was united in marriage with Miss Lucinda Smith, a
native of Kentucky, and a daughter of Joseph and Mary (Fryman) Smith. The young
couple began their domestic life upon the farm which is still their home,
although it then comprised only forty acres, and to its cultivation Mr. Brown
has since devoted his energies with the exception of a few short periods. In
1859, he went to Pike's Peak, making the journey with ox-teams. In 1879, and
again in 1884, he went to southwest Missouri for his health. He now owns
ninety-five acres of land under a high state of cultivation, and the place with
all its improvements is as a monument to his thrift and enterprise, for it has
all been acquired through his own efforts.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Brown were
born eight children: Mary M., wife of Merrill Klingensmith, of Decker Township;
Isabel, who became the wife of John Smith, and died leaving three children, who
now live with their grandparents; Joseph F., a hunter and fisher in Arkansas;
Louisa, Mrs. French, of Jacksonville, Ill.; Sarah, who died in Texas; Susan, now
in Idaho; John, who died in childhood; and Luella, in Salt Lake City. The
children were all born and reared on the home farm and educated in the public
schools.
Mr. Brown is an active member of the Farmers' Mutual Benefit
Association, and his wife belongs to the New Light Baptist Church. He cast his
first vote for James K. Polk, and has since been a supporter of the Democracy.
He served one term as Constable, and for nine years held the office of Justice
of the Peace. His duties of citizenship he has ever faithfully discharged, and
has ever borne his part in the work of upbuilding and developing the county
which has so long been his home. Few in the county have longer resided within
its borders than our subject, who has been identified with its history since the
days of its early infancy.
Extracted 12 Apr 2020 by Norma Hass from 1893 Portrait and Biographical Record of Effingham, Jasper and Richland Counties, Illinois, pages 229-230.
| Jasper | Crawford | |
| Clay |
 |
Lawrence |
| Wayne | Edwards | Wabash |
