In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1879) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1826
From The History of McLean County, Illinois; portraits of early settlers and prominent men (1879), 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 relati (1874)
James H. L. Crumbaugh was born May 1, 1826, in Henderson County, Kentucky. His father was Henry Crumbaugh, whose sketch is given above, and his mother was Sarah Baldock. His father was of German descent, and his mother was of French and Irish stock. When James Crumbaugh was two years old his father moved to Springfield, Illinois, and afterwards to Elkhart Grove. There the family remained two years and then came to Buckles' Grove, where they have lived ever since. James Crumbaugh received his early education at the Clawater school, which was kept about one mile south of the present town of Leroy. He went four miles to school to receive instruction from William Johnson, who, when barred out, treated his scholars to whisky and made them intoxicated. Mr. Crumbaugh afterwards went to the first school in Leroy, and his wife attended the same. His teacher was 'Squire Lincoln, now living in Leroy. Mr. Crumbaus:h tells an incident which occurred durinsi: the school days of Thomas Buckles, when they were both boys together. Buckles and some of his companions caught a blue-racer, tied a strip of bark around its neck, and proposed to lead it. At first the snake held back; but soon it took a start and went after young Buckles. The latter ran at the top of his speed to get rid of the snake, and was clear out of breath before it occurred to him to let loose of the bark.
In 1840 Mr. Crumbaugh had an opportunity to go to Chicago, which was then a town of thirty-five hundred people. Old Fort Dearborn, the block house and the palisades were still standing.
Mr. Crumbaugh went on his first wolf hunt when he was only nine years of age. His father caught wolves in a pen with a lid to it. When the wolf came to eat the bait placed there for him, it'touched the trigger, which let down the log and held him in the pen. Mr. Crumbaugh has often chased wolves and caught them. When they are chased in the winter time, they take to the ice on the creeks and sloughs. Mr. Crumbaugh has seen a wolf follow\v a slough in all its angles and turns and get quite away from the dogs, for it had longer class and was lighter built.
Mr. Crumbaugh married Amanda Melcena Buck, September 28, 1851. She is a daughter of 'Squire Hiram Buck, whose sketch appears in this volume. She was a school-mate of her husband in the days when they were young. After their marriage they lived A\'1th Henry Crumbaugh until 1857, when they moved to the farm where they now reside, about three miles southwest of Leroy in Empire township.
Mr. Crumbaugh is five feet and ten inches high. He is a man of great energy and gets up bright and early in the morning to attend to his business. He has been remarkably successful in life. He has had three children, all of whom are living. They are:
Laura Elizabeth, born August 26, 1852, is married to William Scott Laiierty, and lives in Downs township.
Edith May, born May 8, 1856, and Hiram Henry, born June 29, 1861, live at home.
Silas Waters.
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.
JAMES H. L. CRUMBAUGH, farmer and stock raiser, Sec. 7; P. 0. LeRoy; one of the pioneers of McLean Co.; born in Henderson Co., Ky., May 1, 1826; he emigrated with his father Henry Crumbaugh to Illinois in 1828. and first located in Sangamon (.o. for two years, when they removed to what is now Emj)ire Township, McLean Co., in 1830; Henry (Brumbaugh was born April 26, 1789, in Frederick Co., Md.; he died Oct. 22, 1877, in McLean Co., Ill.; his widow still survives him, and lives upon the old place; her maiden name was Sarah Baldock.
The subject of this sketch remained with his father and engaged in farming and stock-raising until 27 years of age, the last ten years of which he was in partnership with his father in the above business, as well as buying and driving cattle to Chicago; he removed upon his present plHce in 1857, where he purchased "210 acres, where he has since lived, and to which he has since added by purchase, until now he owns 950 acres, all of which is under fence and cultivation. His marriage with Amanda M. Buck was celebrated Sept. 28, 1851; she was born Feb. 10, 1828; three children were the fruit of this union— Laura E., born Aug. 26, 1852; Edith, May.31, 185ti, and Hiram H., June 20, 1861; Mr. Crumbaugh has frequently made trips to Chicago with oxen and horses, loading up with grain and provisions, and back with salt, leather, etc.; he hauled the lumber for his present buildings from Bloomington in 1865 and 1867.
As printed in The History of McLean County, Illinois; portraits of early settlers and prominent men (1879). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Named in this biography: Henry Crumbaugh (b. 1789) Silas Waters (b. 1803) Thomas Buckles (b. 1812) William Johnson William Scott (b. 1832)
Their biographies name James H. L. Crumbaugh: Hiram Buck (b. 1801) Hiram Buck
The printed record stops around 1879. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.