L. Downs

As printed in 1874

Lawson Downs was born about the year 1809, near IsTashville, Tennessee, where he lived until he was nine years of age. Then his parents moved to White County, Illinois, and there Lawson Downs remained until he was grown. In the year 1829 he came to McLean County, Illinois, and entered his land in the present township of Downs. He was accustomed to raise pigs in the timber, which were so wild, that when he fattened them, he threw down corn and went away, or they would never eat it. "When they were fat he hunted them with his rifle and shot them in the timber.

During the winter of the deep snow Lawson Downs had his sheep covered by the snow, but he found them by looking for the holes which their breath melted up through the crust. In order to get wood during that memorable winter, he was obliged to shovel his way to a tree, cut it down and haul it in with oxen.

Lawson Downs served in the Black Hawk war, having been out thirty days under Covel. For this service he afterwards obtained a warrant for a quarter section of land. He sold the warrant cheap and never located the land,

Lawson Downs and Henry Jacoby hauled goods to Bloomington, for James Allin, at an early day. It was great work and small pay. It was very hard, in early days, to earn a little money, but it would buy a great deal. One dollar and a quarter would buy an acre of land.

The prairie grass in the early days was as high as a man's head while riding on horseback. While hunting for game, the dogs, being down on the ground, could not see far. Mr. Downs m'lean county. 481 hunted with a greyhound belonging to Henry Jacoby. Downs would look ahead and see the wolf or deer running through the grass, and would tell the found to jump on the horse. It would do so, and Downs would point out the game. The dog would immediately take after it, and was sure to bring it down.

Mr. Downs was something of a hunter. He hunted bees in the fall, and he trapped other on the Kickapoo. He often trapped wolves. At one time he found in his trap not one of the large wolves, but one of his neighbors' black hogs. This was, indeed, " catching the wrong pig by the ear."

During the sudden change in December, 1836, many of Mr. Downs' sheep and hogs froze fast in the slush, and many chickens had their feet frozen in it.

Lawson Downs was married in 1836 to Sarah Welch. He had nine children, all boys, six of whom grew up to manhood. They are:

William G. Downs, who lives near Paoli in Miami County, Kansas. He is rather a large, fine-looking man. During the war he was a captain in the Thirty-ninth Illinois Infantry.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

John D. Downs is a man of medium size and light complexion. He was not old enough to get into the army. He lives about three miles south of Gillem Station in Downs township.

Solomon F. Downs lives near Cheney's Grove.

Albert P. and Alfred E. Downs live with their brother George at Diamond Grove.

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.