Abram Lower

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Though in early life the

On coming to Illinois in 1861 he age of eighty-eight years. To them were born ten children, of whom one died in infancy. the civil war, who now lives in Kansas and whose sons are prominent in banking circles; Samuel, a resident of Dwight, Illinois: Abram, our subject; Catherine, wife of Samuel McCoy, of Lanark: Rebecca, who died in 1864; Martin, who died from disease contracted in the army during the civil war: Anna, wife of John Chestnut, of „Adair, Iowa: Leah, wife of George Weed, of Lanark; and ЕН L., who was also one of the boys in blue during the civil war and is now a resident of Lanark.

The others were Levi, a veteran of

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was reared upon his father's farm.

In 1860 he came to Livingston county, where his father had purchased land, and he undertook the arduous task of opening up the farm, on which not a furrow had been turned nor an improvement made. For some time he operated a half-section of land and still owns one hundred and sixty acres in the home place on section 10, Broughton township, and eighty acres on section 14. all of which has been under cultivation for and is many years well improved. In connection with general farming he carries on stock raising and has made a decided success of his life work. October 16, 1860. Мг. Lower married Miss Catherine Miller, a daughter of George and Margaret (Davis) Miller, natives of Germany and Pennsylvania, respectively. The Miller family made their home in Pennsylvania until 1854, when they came to Illinois and settled in Carroll county, where the parents spent the remainder of their lives, the father dying in June, 1877. the mother in December, 1891. They had thirteen children, of whom two died in infancy. Тһе МЕ OM. wie on (C. IE, Cres а veteran ar the consi)

others are still living, namely:

war and а railroad engineer residing in Marion, Iowa; Catherine, wife of our subject. who was born August 7, 1842: Samuel E.. a resident of Chenoa, Illinois; Emma R.. wife ot Philip Galwicks, of Butler county, Nebraska; William A., a hotelman of Streator: John 1. of Beatrice, Nebraska; Martin 1. twin brother of John L. and a resident of Mt. Carroll; Upton, a magnetic healer; Gertrude, wife of Edward Sullivan, of Aurora; A. L.. a physician of Dixon; The three youngest were born in Illinois, the and Margaret. а resident of Rockford.

others in Pennsylvania.

Of the twelve children born to Mr. and Mrs. Lower three died in infancy. The (1) Maggie is the wife of Walter Morrison, a railroad man of Omaha. Nebraska, and they have four chil- Clarence, Lillie, [ее and Clara. (2) Augusta is the wife of P. D. Glover, others were as follows:

dren: a farmer of Custer county, Nebraska, and they have seven children: Earl, Fay, Guy, Ruth, Lloyd, Glenn and Rex. (3) Albert. who lives on his father’s farm, is extensively engaged in general farming on a half-section of land and also carries on stock raising. He married Mary E. Lorigan, and has five children: Abram, Salisbury, Bernice, Albert and Madeline. (4) LeRoy, a prosperous farmer and stock raiser, operating a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Broughton township, married Hannah E. Morris and has two children, Arthur and an infant. (5) Frank D., also a farmer and stock raiser of Broughton township, married Магу Е. Weller and has one daughter. Eulalia. (6) Marriette is the wife of Cyrus Hiddleson, of Broughton township, and they have two children, Vera and George. (7) Lillian is a dressmaker residing at home. (8) Grace is the wife of Benjamin Morris, of Round Grove township, and they have one daughter, Lila. (9) Gertrude is at home.

In politics Mr. Lower is a stanch Democrat, and his fellow citizens, recognizing his worth and ability, have often called. him to office. He has served as supervisor five years, road commissioner seventeen years, and after assisting in organizing the school district in 1860 was made one of the first directors, which office he held for fifteen years. He assisted in laying out all of the roads of Broughton township, and did not resign his position as commissioner until the last mile had been opened up. Не is one of the best known men of his community, and that he has the entire confidence and respect of his fellow citizens is manifest by his being called upon to act as guardian for several children and as administrator of several states, which were settled up most satisfactorily. Since 1894 he has lived a retired life upon his farm, surrounded by all the comforts which earnest toil in former years have brought hun.

As printed in 1900 Biographical Record Of Livingston County, Illinois (1900). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

LOWER, Abram, one of the very earliest settlers of Broughton Township, Livingston County, who settled here in 1858 and in 1860 commenced to open up a farm which he has brought to a high state of cultivation, was born in Blair County, Pa., October 10, 1835, and comes of an old and famous German-American family. His grandfather, Adam Lauer (as the name was then spelled) was born in Germany, but came to the Colonies prior to the Revolution and was with Washington at Valley Forge, and served through the remainder of the war, dying April 16, 1833, aged seventy-eight years. His son, David Lower, born in Blair County, Pa., married Susan Rhodes of the same county, and they had nine children, five boys and four girls.

The early life of Mr. Lower was spent on his father’s farm, and while he was working on it he attended public school, learning the carpenter trade in Pennsylvania. He has followed this occupation in connection with farming, and has been very successful, his property now being one of the best in the county. On October 16, 1860, Mr. Lower married at Dixon, Ill., Catherine Miller, born and educated in Pennsylvania, and who died in 1906. The following children were born to them: Margaret, Mrs. Walter Morrison, of Barclay, Neb.; Augusta, Mrs. Percy Glover, of Custer County, Neb.; Albert and Leroy, farmers of Livingston County; Frank, a farmer on the homestead; Marietta, Mrs. Cyrus Hiddles- - son, her husband a farmer of Kankakee County,

Ill.; Lillian, Mrs. T. P. Maguire, of Campus, Ll; Grace, Mrs. B. C. Morris, her husband a farmer of Livingston County; Gertrude, Mrs. John W. Parsons, her husband in hardware business at Piper City; and three children who are deceased,

In politics Mr. Lower is a Democrat and, for a number of years, served acceptably as Supervisor and for six terms was Collector. He is a member of the German Baptist church, to the support of which he liberally contributes. Haying lived for so many years in Broughton Township, he is recognized as one of its representative citizens and enjoys the confidence and respect ot all who have the honor of his acquaintance. Through hard work and frugal saving he has accumulated a considerable property and brought up his family, and is deserving of all consideration.

LYNN, George, Justice of the Peace, a prominent citizen and popular official, as well as a veteran of the Civil War, has been a resident of Fairbury, Ill., since the fall of 1859. On first arriving in this locality he was employed at farm work by a Mr. Cropsey, attending the district school during the winter months. On April 3, 1851, he enlisted in Company B, Eleventh Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, for three months’ service under President Lincoln’s first call for 75,000 men, being mustered into service by Capt. Pope, then the mustering officer at Springfield, and subsequently a Major-General in the army. The Eleventh Regiment was sent to Villa Ridge, near Cairo, where it was drilled in military tactics, and then to Bird’s Point, Mo., where it was engaged in several skirmishes with a band of guerillas under command of Jeff Thompson. On the expiration of his term of service, Mr. Lynn returned to Fairbury, and on July 8, 1861, enlisted for three years in the Third Regiment Illinois Volunteer Cavalry, which went to Camp Butler, near Springfield. The Regiment was organized by Col. Eugene A, Carr, was first dispatched to St. Louis, Mo., finally becoming a part of the command of Gen. John C. Fremont. The regiment was then ordered to Springfield, Mo., with Gen. Fremont, who was superseded by Gen. Hunter, who marched the troops back to Rolla, Mo. Later Gen. Samuel R. Curtis ordered the troops to Springfield, Mo., and drove the forces of Gen. Price into Arkansas, fighting every day, and during this campaign Mr. Lynn’s horse was shot under him. The regiment was in encampment at Cross Hollow, Ark., under Gen. E. A. Carr. Gen. Siegel’s Division was at the same time at Bentonville, Ark., and Gen. Curtis’ headquarters were at Sugar Creek, Ark., the three Divisions comprising about 10,000 men. The Confederate forces were driven out of Arkansas after the battle of Pea Ridge. There the Army of the Southwest, under Gen. Curtis, met the enemy under Gen. Van Dorn, at Pea Ridge, March 7 and 8, 1862, the regiment of Mr. Lynn being engaged on the second and third days of the fight. The Confederate forces having cut off his supplies, Gen. Curtis was obliged to change his position, and for thirty-six hours the fighting was fierce, ending in the first decisive victory for the Union forces. The command of Mr. Lyun was then sent to Batesville, on the White River, the objective point being Helena, Ark., Island No. 10 having been taken shortly before. At Helena the regiment received supplies, of which it was sorely in need, and there remained until the Vicksburg campaign began.

Fight companies of the regiment were then sent to Tennessee. four remaining behind. The company to which Mr. Lynn belonged did not rejoin the regiment until it reached Memphis, late in the summer of 1864. In the meantime the four companies joined Gen. Grant in the Vicksburg campaign, and participated in the battle at Port Gibson, Miss. Afterwards they were sent to Jackson with Gen. Sherman, later were with Gen. Grant, after which they faced Gen. Pemberton on the road to Vicksburg, at Champion Hills. There the Union troops were victorious and drove Pemberton back to Black River, where a battle was fought, and then began the siege of Vicksburg, which lasted until July 4, 1863, when the city was surrendered with 30,000 prisoners. Mr. Lynn then went with the Third Battalion, to New Orleans, which was attached to Gen. Banks’ Division, Department of the Gulf, and afterwards sent to New Iberia. when they were attached to Gen. Franklin’s Command, and operated there until the first of the year 1864, when they were sent to Port Hudson, La., to relieve the Third Massachusetts Cavalry, the latter taking the place of the Illinois regiment in Gen. Franklin's Command. Afterwards, in the summer of 1864, the Illinois battalion sold their horses to the Government, and the regiment was sent by boat to Memphis, Tenn., then went by boat to Cairo, and thence by rail to Camp Butler, near Springfield, where it was mustered out after three years’ hard service, In September, 1874, Mr. Lynn was honorably discharged. and returned to Fairbury, resuming his former occupation.

Mr. Lynn was united in marriage on February 15, 1863, while at home-on furlough, to Sarah A, Sypes, who was born at Troy, Ohio, and at an early day was brought by her mother to Fairbury, Livingston County, 11l., her father being then deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Lynn became the parents of seven children, six of whom are still living, namely: Dora, wife of Dr. Thatcher of Fairbury; W. G., who lives in Minnesota; Edna, who married M. P. Bartlett of Decatur, Ill.; Minnie, wife of Arthur Beard of the same city; John F.. who also lives there; and Nellie who is at home. Bertha, the fourth in order of birth, became the wife of Piercy B. Streater of Decatur, but is now deceased. All of the children received a good education, the girls graduating from the Fairbury High School.

Mr. Lynn has always been very active in connection with public matters in Fairbury. For a considerable period after the close of the war he was engaged in farming, after which he turned his attention to various other occupations, among them being those of fire and life insurance and real estate, Politically, he is a Republican, and in 1896 was elected to the office of Justice of the Peace, the functions of which he has discharged with ability and fidelity. His religious faith is that of the Baptist church. He is an honored member of the Grand Army of the Republic, being connected with Aaron Weider Post No. 75, in which he now acts in the capacity of Adjutant, having formerly been Commander. He enjoys the esteem and respect of a wide acquaintance.

As printed in 1909 Illinois And History Of Livingston County Vol 2 (1909). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.