Hiram Havens

As printed in 1874

Hiram Havens was born March 29, 1817, in Licking County, Ohio. He worked for his father, Jesse Havens, in his younger days and broke prairie with an ox-team. He and his brother

John broke prairie together and together kept bachelor's hau. John usually brought up the oxen in the morning, while Hiram pounded the cornmeal for breakfast. They often killed deer, sometimes early enough in the morning to have denison for breakfast. In March, 1833, Hiram Havens went to More's mill on Panther Creek, in company %vith a man named Piatt. But on his return he found it impossible to cross the Mackinew. His companion, Piatt, managed to cross on the ice with a pole, intending to go home and return with something for Havens to eat, but on his return it was impossible to re-cross the Mackinaw, as it had risen to an enormous height. Havens was left to lay all night on an open sled, on the bank of the Mackinaw in a sleeping storm. But he fortunately had his feet protected by a big dog, which kept them warm. The wolves came unpleasantly near and seemed very anxious to make mutton of him. The next morning; he rode eio-ht miles in the storm on one of his horses, leading the other. He obtained some parched corn for breakfast, of a man named More, then rode two miles farther to a house where he was given some boiled corn and denison. He lived there sixteen days before he could re-cross the Mackinaw. He found that the crows and mice had eaten much of his flour, and possibly the wolves might have assisted in the matter.

Hiram Havens was a good shot and pretty certain to bring down his game. His father once tried a l3mx, which is an immensely long-bodied animal, with spots or short stripes, and with legs which are short, thick and powerful. Hiram was called to shoot the animal, and put a bullet into its brain. It fell to the ground and an incautious dog came rather close, when the lynx gave it a blow with its paw, which sent the dog rolling senseless. The lynx died in a few moments. It measured six feet from tip to tip, but its tail was short. Its nails were two inches in length.

The lynxes, as may be seen by the description, are ferocious animals, and have given rise to many stories. One of these was the story of the once celebrated Clem Oatman. It was said that Clem Oatman was once coming home from mill, when he saw one of these lynxes and killed it with a club and carried it on his horse, which was a very tall one. And it was said that this lynx dragged its head in the snow on one side and its hindquarters in the snow on the other, and in this manner the wonderful lynx m'lean county. 633 was carried home. The news of Clem Oatman's lynx was carried over the country, and was told in every school house, church and grocery. So far as the truth of this story is concerned, the reader can believe as much or as little as he chooses. If he wishes to cultivate his faith, this story is a good one to practice on.

Mr. Havens takes delight in stories, and tells one on a certain man named Wood, an English sailor, who came to the neighborhood with Mr. Samuel Lewis. Wood went hunting, with a fine gun, which Lewis had brought from England. The gun was scoured up brightly, and was of beautiful workmanship. Wood wounded a deer, which turned for fight, and came with its hair all bristling forward, though it was much worried by the dogs. Wood turned to the deer and said: "Don't you come 'ookin at me, Mr. Deer, or I'll knock 'ee in the 'ead with the gun." But the deer was not familiar with broad English dialect and did not heed the warning. The old sailor mana;ed the o-un as he would a handspike and broke the deer's horns and mashed its head and laid it out dead. But the pretty gun, which had been brought from England, with pretty mountings and fancy trappings, was broken and battered and useless for further service.

Hiram Havens commenced work for the Illinois Central Railroad Company in 1851, when that great undertaking was put under contract. He worked two years and a half, furnishing ties, bridge lumber, etc., and could have remained in the service of the company, but was afraid of the uncertainty of a life on the road.

Mr. Havens has been pretty successful in life, and has made his money by the hardest of labor. AVlien he married and commenced life for himself, lie was on sixty acres of land, which was given to him by his father. He lived in a cabin twelve feet square, made of split logs. It had only one window, and was a hard looking aflJair. He and his wife had two cows, one pony, two chairs, one bed and one blue chest, which they used as a table. During the first year he did his ploughing with a borrowed horse, but succeeded well and bought more land and in about three years was able to build a house. He continued farming and raising stock and accumulating property, until he became pretty independent. In 1859 he bought the farm of Enoch S.

Havens, and since that time built the house where he now lives. His property is not tied up with trust deeds or mortgages, but belongs to him in fee simple.

He married Sarah A. Trimmer, April 5, 1838. She is still living. He has had five children, of whom three are living. They are:

Mrs. Martha E. Johnson, wife of John S. Johnson, lives in White Oak Grove.

Alice Havens and Etta B. Havens, the pet, live at home.

Mr. Havens is nearly six feet in height, and has a fair amount of muscle. His hair was once what is politely called intensely auburn, that is, it had a reddish cast, but now it is sprinkled with gray. He has been a hard and industrious worker, and has the respect and confidence of the community where he resides, as is seen by the fact that he has been justice of the peace for sixteen years.

Benjamin Wheeler.

As printed in The good old times in McLean County, Illinois / containing two hundred and sixty-one sketches of old settlers, a complete historical sketch of the Black Hawk War and ... all matters of interest relate (1874). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.