In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1906) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1844, Bucks county
From The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois .. (1896), Past and present of Bureau county, Illinois (1906)
HENRY S. SWARTS, an energetic and reliable farmer residing on section 30, DoVer township, Bureau county, was born on the 27th of August, 1844, in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, a son of Owen Swarts, who was a native of the same county, where his father, David Swarts, had located on coming to America from Wales. There Owen grew to manhood and married Lydia A. Bruner, who was born in Pennsylvania, of German parentage, and in that state her death occurred. After farming for a number of years in Bucks county, the father emigrated to Illinois, in 1852, first taking up his residence at Quincy, Adams county, to which place he removed by way of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. In 1857 he came to Bureau county and purchased a farm in Dover township, section 30, adjoining the one on which our subject now resides. There his death occurred October 27, 1859.
Our subject is one of a family of three sons and two daughters, four of whom grew to man and womanhood. Joel came to Illinois in 1852, was here married, and died in Dover township, Bureau county, April, 1865; Margaret wedded John M. Matthews, and died in California in 1865; Addie married Mason Potts, and died in Princeton, April, 1885.
By the second marriage to Rebecca Stone, Mr. Swarts had five children: Helen, who died in 1858; Ella was married to Dr. W. H. Lachman, and died in Anaheim, California, in 1896; Em ma, who married Mason Lachman, now resides in Bureau township; Amie is the wife of Dr Al fred Barter, living in Anaheim, California, and Ona became the wife of Robert Lincoln, a dent ist at La Grande, Oregon.
Mr. Swarts, of this review, is the only one of the children by the first marriage now living. He accompanied his father on his removal to Bureau county in 1857, and completed his education at the Miller and Wagner school at Prince ton, known as the Bureau County academy. After his father's death he made his home with his brother-in-law for a few years, and in 1864 crossed the plains to California, leaving Prince ton on the 1 2th of April, and arriving in Stockton September 12. For two years, or until his sister’s death, he was with his brother-in-law in a grocery store at Marysville, California, and then returned by way of the Isthmus of Panama and Xew York city to Princeton. He then went on a farm with his brother-in-law, Mr. Potts, and in 1868 began farming on his own account, operating rented land for several years. Subsequently he purchased eighty acres in Dover township, which he cultivated until 1876, when he rented that tract, and for two years leased the farm on which he now resides. He then sold out and purchased the latter place, which comprises one hundred and sixty acres of arable land and seventy acres of timber. His home is a neat brick residence, and is surrounded by good barns and other outbuildings, whose neat appearance testifies to the thrift and industry of the owner.
On the 1 8th of July, 1870, in Dover township, Mr. Swarts was united in marriage to Miss Mary A. Cusic, who was born on the farm where she now resides, and is a daughter of Dennis A. Cusic, a pioneer of the county. He entered the land from the government, walking to the land office in Galena, and broke and improved the farm where his death occurred. Nine children have been born to the parents of Mrs. Swarts, six sons and three daughters, all still living. Three brothers, Frank, Albert and Marshall, are residents of Chicago, and are traveling salesmen for a boot and shoe house of that city; another brother, Oscar, is a carpenter of Princeton, and Thomas is a merchant in Massena, Iowa; Lamuel is a clerk in a store at Jerseyville, Illinois. Of the daughters, Anna was married to Henry Smith, a farmer of Princeton township; Clarinda is the wife of Eli Smith, living in Earlville, Illinois. and Mary. Three children grace the union of Air. and Mrs. Swarts — Frank O., who was given good educational privileges and is now assisting in the labors of the home farm; Addie, who expects to graduate from the Princeton high school in the class of 1897, and Howard W., who is also a student in that school.
Fraternally, Mr. Swarts is connected with the Masonic order, the Modern Woodmen of America and the Knights of the Globe, while politically he has been a stalwart republican since voting for
Lincoln in 1864. For three terms he served as assessor of his township, was also collector six terms, township clerk one term, supervisor four years and school director sixteen years. His services in public interests have ever been loyal and patriotic, while his career in private life is one that commends him to the confidence and respect of all. He has also acceptably served as a delegate to many county conventions of his party. His estimable wife holds membership in the [Methodist Protestant church of Princeton, while he is a member of the North Prairie Baptist church of Heaton Point. [Mr. Swarts has the confidence and respect of all who know him. The utmost fidelity marks the discharge of all his duties, whether public or private.
As printed in The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois .. (1896). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
HEXRY S. SWARTS.
[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]
Henry S. Swarts was only thirteen years of age when his parents came from the east to Bureau county and his education was acquired in Princeton. He comi)pleted his course in the Princeton Academy under the direction of Jacob Miller, G. W. Wagner and Jacob Ernest, and in 1864, when a young man of twenty years, he crossed the plains to California and returned in 1866 by water by the way of isthmus of Panama, since which time he has followed farming. He was employed as a farm hand for two years and then purchased eighty acres of land which he continued to cultivate and improve until 1879, when he sold that tract for forty dollars per acre, which was an increase of ten dollars over the purchase jjrice. He then purchased his present farm at forty dollars per acre. It comprises two hundred and thirty acres, now worth about two hundred dollars per acre. He has brought the land under a high state of cultivation, the fields annually producing good crops, and in addition he raises Xorman horses, Durliam cattle and Poland China hogs, his live-stock interests proving an important branch of his business.
Mr. Swarts was married, July 13, 1870, to Miss Mary A. Cusic, whose father, Dennis A. Cusic, with his wife, who bore the maiden name of Betsy Cox, settled in early days upon the farm now owned and occu])ied by Mr. Swarts. In the Cusic family were eight sons and three daughters and three sons were Sdldiers of the Civil war, one of them, Frank Cusic, being held a prisoner at Andersonville for thirteen months. He is now a resident of Chicago.
In his political views Mr. Swarts is a stalwart republican and has been honored with various local olhces. He has been township clerk for one year; collector six years; assessor four years; supervisor for four years; highway commissioner three years; and a member of the school hoard twenty-seven years, and the fact that he lias been called by popular suffrage to these various offices is proof that his duties have been discharged promptly and efficiently else public opinion would speak loud to the contrary and he would no longer be elected. Fratcrnallv he is a Mason and belongs to Princeton lodge,' A. F. & A. M.; the Knights of the Globe; Jlodcrn Woodmen of America and the Hankers' Union of Des Moines, Iowa. He luis also lieen a member of the Baptist church since 1 867 and his life has been characterized by honest purpose, by strong determination and by unfaltering enter]irish. His integrity stands as an unquestionable fact in his career, both public and private, and lie commands the eonlidenee of all with whom he comes in contact.
D.AXIEL HOLKOYD. Daniel A. llolroyd, a farmer residing on section 7, Wyanct township, is a native of Chenango conntv. Xew York, and was born Ot-tober 31. 1817, his parents being william and Amelia ( Knickerbocker) Holrovd. The father was born near Wingate, Wadsworth, Yorkshire, England, April 10, 1812, and remained a resident of that country to the age of eighteen years, when he bade farewell to friends and native land and sailed for America in 1830. He located first in New York, where he worked at the shoemaker's trade and also engaged in preaching, being a member of the Baptist church. In 1853 he came to Illinois, locating in Bureau county upon the farm which is now the home of his son Daniel. He bought this land, a tract of eighty acres, from Solomon Sapp, father of Henry Sapp, a retired farmer residing in Princeton, and taking up his above upon his newly acquired property, he spent his remaining days there, improving the land and carrying on general farming. He came to Illinois because of poor health, hoping that a change of climate would prove beneficial and there he resided for many years, passing away August 17, 1874. He was an upright, honorable man, held in uniform esteem by all who knew him. Prior to the Civil war he was a stanch abolitionist, strongly opposing the system of slavery as practiced in the south. His wife, who was born in New York state, was of Holland descent and died in 1900. at the advanced age of eighty-two years. In their family were seven children, four daughters and three sons: Mrs. Amelia Jackson, of Nebraska; Mrs. Cordelia Root, of Albion, New York; Mrs. Mary Barber, of North Dakota; Louisa, deceased; William H.. of Iowa; Daniel A., and Zira F., who is now living with Daniel. He married Mary C. Ditrow and after her death wedded [ary White, of AVyanet. They have one child, Anna Teresa. Zira Ilolroyd owns a farm in Kansas.
Daniel A. Holroyd was only four years of age when brought to this county by his parents and was here reared and educated in much the usual manner of farmer boys, attending the district schools in the winter and assisting in the farm labor during the summer months. He now owns eighty acres of fine land on section 7, Wyanet township, which is devoted to general farming and he also keeps some stock on the place. In politics he is a republican. He performs successfully the duties devolving upon him as a good citizen, but has never desired to hold office, serving only as school director. His business interests absorb his attention, and although he now rents part of his land he still lives upon the farm, which is a valuable property and which returns to him n verv desirable income.
As printed in Past and present of Bureau county, Illinois (1906). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Named in this biography: Henry Sapp (b. 1834) Jacob Miller (b. 1835) Solomon Sapp (b. 1808)
The printed record stops around 1896. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.