Another of the representative farmers of Richland county is the subject
of this sketch, who is the owner of a fine landed estate in sections 22 and
23, Denver township, and is carrying on the various departments of his
enterprise with that discretion and diligence that insures success.
Aaron B. Farquhar was born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, January 5, 1841,
the son of William and Sarah (Moss) Farquhar. They were both natives of
Washington county, Pennsylvania, and were married in Fayette county, that
state, living on a farm there the remainder of their lives, the father dying
January 26, 1856, at the age of fifty-five years; his wife survived him many
years, dying about 1898, at the advanced age of eighty-five and was buried
in Red Stone cemetery, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, while the remains of
her husband rest in the Quaker cemetery, near Fayette City, Pennsylvania.
They were the parents of six children, five of whom grew to maturity, one
dying in childhood, the subject of this sketch being the youngest in order
of birth.
Aaron B. Farquhar remained at home on the farm and attended
the free schools there until about eighteen years of age, his father having
died when he was about fifteen years of age, he remained on the place with
his mother for three years after his father's death. In 1860 the subject
came by rail to Illinois where he worked on a farm by the month in Knox
county, near Galesburg. He left Knox county in 1861, returning to
Pennsylvania and began the study of dentistry and began practicing the same
in Knox county, Illinois, in 1861, to which place he had returned from
Pennsylvania. He was very successful in his practice and he remained in Knox
county until 1862. In May of that year he went to California, where he
practiced his profession part of the time, also did some gold mining while
there. In October, 1863, he returned to his old home in Pennsylvania, where
he remained that winter and on March 24, 1864, gave way to his patriotic
feeling and enlisted his services in defense of his country, in Company H,
Eighteenth United States Infantry, under Captain Mills, in which he served
until October, 1866, when he was transferred to Company C, Second Battalion,
where he remained until he was mustered out of service, March 24, 1867, at
Fort Philip Kearney, Dakota. This was at the place of the Sioux Indian
massacre, December 21, 1866. Eighty-four men were sent out to protect a wood
train from the Indians and not a man returned alive, all having been killed
and scalped by the Indians, and had it not been that the subject was on
guard duty at that time he would have been with the unfortunate soldiers
that fell a prey to the Sioux. During the Civil war Mr. Farquhar served
gallantly in the battles of Resaca, Buzzard's Roost, Missionary Ridge,
Kenesaw Mountain, Chickamauga and many others, comprising ten principal
battles, from Missionary Ridge to Jonesboro, Georgia. He returned to Lookout
Mountain and did picket duty during the winter of 1864. In March 1865, he
was detailed to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, where he did recruiting service. He
was also at Ft. Wayne, Indiana, and Chicago, on the same mission. In April
1866, he again joined the regiment and moved to the Dakotas, where he
remained until mustered out. He returned to Pennsylvania where he remained
one year after he had been mustered out, enjoying a rest after the many
hardships of an army career.
Mr. Farquhar then came to Illinois,
first settling near Galesburg, where he had formerly lived. He remained
there for one year, then moved to Richland county and purchased the farm
which he now owns in Denver township, consisting of two hundred and forty
acres in this township and thirty-two acres just across the border in Noble
township. It was on February 14, 1870, that the subject came to this county,
paying as high as twenty-five dollars per acre for some of this land. He has
an excellent farm which he has greatly improved and he has good buildings on
it; also keeps some good stock on the place.
Mr. Farquhar was married
January 18, 1870, in Fayette City, Pennsylvania, to Maria Eckard, who was
born April 1, 1839, in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, the daughter of
Daniel and Elizabeth (Rhinehardt) Eckard, also natives of Pennsylvania,
where they were married and where they lived all their lives, Mr. Eckard
dying in 1876, and his wife in 1888. Both are buried in the Fayette City
cemetery, Fayette county, Pennsylvania. They were the parents of eight
children, all of whom grew to maturity, only three of them now living, Mrs.
Farquhar being the fourth in order of birth. She remained with her parents
at home until her marriage to the subject. Mr. and Mrs. Farquhar are the
parents of four children, three of whom grew to maturity, one having died in
childhood, namely: Frank D., who married Ida Cope, resides in Olney,
Illinois, where he is interested in the marble works. One child born to
them, died in infancy. Following are their children: Iola, who at this
writing, 1909, is eleven years old; Alora, age eight; Aaron, age seven;
John, age six; Ersula, age four; Ira Ennis, age one. Ennis M., the second
child of the subject and wife, is single and is still a member of the home
circle on the farm; Dessie B. is the wife of Walter Hall, residing on a farm
in Denver township. Mrs. Farquhar has been an invalid for the past three
years, totally helpless.
Our subject has held the office of Township
Trustee for twenty-one years in a very acceptable manner in this township.
He is a very staunch Republican, although he never aspires for any political
office. He voted first for Abraham Lincoln for his second term. The subject
and his wife have always been active in church work, always attending the
Methodist church, giving assistance to its work, both morally and
financially, although neither of them are members. The subject has held the
office of trustee of the church for twenty years or more.
The subject
has been very successful financially and now owns one of the modern and
valuable farms of Denver township, also a very desirable home. He is now
sixty-eight years old and his wife is two years his senior. They live as
nearly a retired life as a farm will permit and they are both held in high
esteem by their neighbors.
Extracted 26 Apr 2017 by Norma Hass from 1909 Biographical and Reminiscent History of Richland, Clay and Marion Counties, Illinois, pages 263-265.
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