In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printings (1879 and 1899) are folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1823
From The History of McLean County, Illinois; portraits of early settlers and prominent men (1879), The Biographical record of McLean County, Illinois (1899), 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)
Sylvester Peasley was born in Grayson County, Virginia, August, 31, 1823. His father's name was Isaac Peasley, and his mother's name, before her marriage, was Rachel Holsey. His father was of Scotch descent. His great grandfather came from Paisley, in Scotland, and this was the fixmily name, but the spelling was changed to Peasley. This great grandfather Paisley was a general in the Revolutionary war, and served with distinction in the Continental army\ Sylvester Peasley's grandfather, John Peasley, was also a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and fought in seven general engagements. Pie was at the battle of Guilford Court House, and his home was near the battle-ground. When the battle opened, Mrs. Peasley, Sylvester's grandmother, was told by some British officers to go into her house and wrap some beds around her to protect her from being shot. They milked her cows, but honestly paid for the milk. Those who know anything of army life will consider the latter a very extraordinary circumstance.
In the fall of 1834, Mr. Isaac Peasley's family came to McLean County, Illinois, and arrived jSTovember 3. On their journey they saw in Kentucky many drovers taking large droves of swine to the south. He saw thousands of turkeys driven on foot to Louisville, where they were shipped on steamboats down the river. When the family arrived in McLean County, they had a hard time to iind a house to live in through the winter, but finally obtained a cabin of Jesse Funk. It was built of logs, with a chimney of sticks on the outside. This chimney was built of sticks with clay between them, and was plastered on the inside with soft clay. The fire-place was built of clay pressed against a rack of puncheons; the health was of pounded clay, and the mantlepiece was made of clay and sticks. They used a goods-box for a table and goods-boxes or three-legged stools for chairs. The doors were made of clapboards split and shaved with a drawingknife. The floors were made of puncheons, which had been first split and then hewed with a broad-axe. The cradle was made of shaved clapboards; but sometimes the baby was rocked in the sugar through, which was hewed out of a trunk of a tree. The pioneer bedstead has been so often described that anyi;living further is superfluous here.
The Peasley family lived for two years as renters in Jesse Funk's cabin, and then built one of their own.
Mr. Peasley obtained a prairie team of four yoke of oxen which drew a plow with a hear of cold-hammered iron, which cut a furrow two feet wide. The wooden would-board was from four to six feet long. This laid down the sod much better than any modern plow. Mr. Peasley could plow twenty acres before going to the shop to sharpen the hear. The routine of the day was to rise at daybreak and hunt the oxen which had been turned out the night previous to grade. This was the greatest hardship, as the dew was on the high grass, and whoever Avalked through it became soaking wet to the waist. After breakfast, began the work of ploughing. At noon the oxen were allowed to grade for two hours, and at night they were turned loose until morning. The snakes were sometimes very thick, and they- continually retreated from the furrow as the sod was turned over, and collected together in the unplowed center. When the latter part of the patch was plowed the snakes became so thick that the grass would fairly wriggle with them. The rattlesnakes were very thick. Mr. Peasley has killed fifteen in one day. The oxen were sometimes bitten by rattlesnakes, and Avere made lame for sometime. Mr. Peasley never knew an ox to die of snakebite. The oxen dreaded the rattlesnakes, and when the rattle sounded the oxen sprang up faster than they ever would because of the whip. The danger of the rattlesnake's bite depends much on the season of the year. They are most dangerous in August, for then the poison is most virulent. Mr. Peasley's brother was bitten by rattlesnakes three times in one season, and still feels the effect in August.
Mr. Peasley lived AAdth his father in a log cabin on the prairie during the winter of 1836 and '37. He speaks of the sudden change of the weather in Decemlier of that winter, so often described in this volume, and says that the sun rose on the following morning accompanied by two sundogs, which glistened on the ice-bound prairie, and the country was like some picture of the polar regions. The longest winter known among the early settlers was the one of 1842 and '43. Winter weather commenced on the tenth of November, and did not break up until between the tenth and twentieth of April, jo ploughing could be done in April. Nevertheless, the settlers raised tine crops of wheat sowed in May, and good crops of corn planted in June.
m'lean county. 499
Sylvester Peasley speaks warmly of the social feeling which existed among the early settlers, and how glad they were to see every newcomer. "When meeting was held in the neighborhood everyone attended. The Methodists were the first in the field, then the Cumberland Presbyterians, then the Baptists and then the Christians. At a camp-meeting the whole country had a reunion, and families frequently went fifteen miles to meeting with their ox-teams. In warm weather preaching was held in the open air.
Mr. Peasley was a Democrat until the formation of the Republican party, when he joined the latter because of his opposition to slavery. The political excitement of that period is well remembered, and when the Republican and Democratic parties first fairly tried their strength in 1856, the excitement was intense. Mr. Peasley remembers a practical joke played upon the supporters of Buchanan by the friends of Fremont. The Democrats had raised a hickory pole, and on it was a pair of buck's horns; but some Republicans came and secretly bored the pole at the bottom until it fell, and then stole the buck's horns.
Mr. Peasley was elected one of the first Supervisors under the township organization, which was effected in 1858.
Mr. Peasley has endured the privations to which the early settlers were subjected. He has made the usual trips to Chicago, has been out twenty-six days in succession exposed to the coldest of winter weather, has waded the Kankakee River when his clothes Avere frozen as soon as he came out, and he has slept on the ground in wet weather by cutting brush and lang it down to protect him from the mud. He has given away the better portion of his life to itinerant work when the salary was little or nothing, and has attended to five churches. He never had the advantages of an education, and the information he possesses has been gained in a great measure by study near a fire at night. He is a very humorous man, and loves his joke. His eyes sparkle when he tells sonic funny anecdote, and he enjoys it over again as well as at first. He is generous, kind and hospitable, and wishes to live in peace with all men. He is very conscientious, but does not wish to be a fanatic in anything. He has been an ardent worker in Sabbath-school enterprises and still takes great interest in the cause. He is six feet and one inch in height; his appearance and manner suggest the old settler, and he takes comfort in sitting by the old fashioned fire-place.
[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]
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.
REV. SYLVESTER PEASLEY, farmer; P. 0. Downs; one of the early settlers of McLean Co.; born in Grayson Co., Va., Aug. 31, 1823. His father, Isaac Peasley, was born Aug. 30, 1708, in North Carolina. He was married in Grayson Co., Va., to Rachel Holsey. She was born in Virginia in 1803. They were the parents of eight children, of whom four are now living. Mr. Peasley died Oct. 16, 1851. His widow died in the spring of 1865. The subject of this sketch emigrateil with his parents to Illinois and located in McLean Co. in the fall of 1834. They lived in a log cabin with sick-and-mud chimney; it had a luncheon floor and was in all respects a rude structure. They lived in this cabin for two years, when they built one of their own. Mr. Peasley lived with his parents several years, and upon the 3d of November, 1842, he was united in marriage with Mary Stillman. Six children were the fruit of this union, of whom one is deceased; the living are— Granville, born Oct. 14, 1845; Rachel S., Oct. 29, 1848; Lsaac, Oct. 24, 1851; John. July 16, 1854: Esther C, Oct. 13, 1859; and one who died in infancy. Mrs. Peasley died Oct. 2, 1863. His marriage with Mrs. Susan Crosby was celebrated April 6, 1864. One child was the fruit of this union, who died when upward of three years of age. Mr. Peasley has endured all the privations of frontier life; he has made frequent trips to Chicago; has been out twenty-six days in succession, exposed to the coldest of weather; has waded the Kankakee River when his clothes were frozen as soon as he came out, and has slept on brush which he cut to protect him from the mud in the rainy weather. He has taken a deep interest in the cause of religion, having devoted a large part of his life to the cause, and has attended five churches. He has been an ardent worker in the cause of the Sabbath school, and still continues his good work. He was elected the first Supervisor of Downs, in 1858, which office he held for twelve years in succe-sion. He was the first Postmaster in Downs Township, which office he held twelve years. He is now President of the McLean County Fire Insurance Company, of which he was.a charter member. Mr. Peasley is a Republican in politics, having joined the party upon its organization, and has since labored in support of the same. He has been a member of the Baptist Church since 1840, of which he was an ordained minister, but was forceil to discontinue preaching on account of weak lungs. He removed upon his present place in 1847, where he has since lived during a period of upward of thirty years. Mrs. Peasley remarks about the sudden change of 1836. The weather had been mild for some time; rain had been falling, changing the snow to slush, when suddenly a cold wind-storm came and changed the temperature nearly sixty degrees in a very short time; the face of the country was changed from water to ice immediately, and, as Rev. Mr. Peasley remarked, appeared like a picture of the polar regions.
JOHN PRK'E, retired farmer; P. 0. Downs; one of the early pioneers of McLean Co.: born in.Mecklenberg Co., N. C., Jan. 23. 18(l2. His fatiier was of Welsh descent, born in North Carolina Nov. 12. 1768. He removed to Kentucky at an early day, and to McLean Co., Ill., in 1836, where he died Nov. 16, 1852. He was married in North Carolina to Sarah Beatty. She was born in Ireland in 1769, and died in tiiis county in 1843. John Price emigrated with his parents to Kentucky in 1804, being then 2 years of age, and, with the exception of three years' residence in Tennessee, lived in Kentucky until 1830, when he came to McLean Co., Ill., and located eighty acres upon Sec. 4, Town 22, Range 3 east. From 1830 to 1836, he resided a part of the time upon his place here and a portion also in Kentucky, and, at the latter date, he located permanently with his family, and is admitted by all to be the oldest continuous resident of Downs Township. When lie first came in iiere looking for a location, he rode from the place where J. E. Crumhaugli now lives to his present location, a ilistance often miles, at which time there was not a single wiiite settler on the way, the country at that time being occupied by the Kickapoo Imiians. Hloomingtoti contained but a few log houses and one store kept by James Alliti, who kept a limited stock of goods, purchased at St. Louis. His voting-place was in
Bloomington until 1841, when he, with four others, petitioned the Court for a voting-place* which petition was granted, and was named, in honor of Mr. John Price, as Price's Precinct. Mr. Price entered land, as he was able, until he held patents from the Government to 1,000 acres, and a part of which he has lived upon for the past forty-four years. Of township offices he has held his full share, having held the offices of Town Treasurer and Justice of the Peace fourteen years, and other petty offices, and has taken a deep interest and has been looked upon as one of the prominent men of his township. The early settlers at Price's Precinct, unlike the pioneers of many localities, were religious people, and, like the ancient Israelites, experienced no trouble in worshiping God even in the wililerness, and John Price generously donated the use of his house for a tabernacle. In this house, services were held by the Baptists, the Methodists and the Presbyterians, and was used as a place of worship some eight years. Upon Sept. 13, 1821, he was united in marriage with Matilda Rives. She was born in Franklin Co., Va., May 16, 1707. She was a daughter of Burwell Piives, who was one of the prominent men of Virginia, where he was born in 1772. He died in Kentucky in October, 1811. He was married in Virginia to Mary Gillum. She was born in Virginia in 177( and died ten days previous to her husband. Mr. and Mrs. Price were the parents of eight children, of whom two now survive, viz.: Peter B., whose biography appears among the sketches of this township, and Mrs. Frederick Couden, whose sketch appears among the biographies of Old Town Township in another part of this work. The golden wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Price was celebrated Sept. 13, 1871, at which there were upward of one hundred present, among which were four who witnessed the marriage ceremony fifty years previous. The presents were numerous and expensive, among which we mention two solid, gold-headed ebony cases, two pairs gold-bowed spectacles, $20 ia gold, gold-band China tea sets, and many other presents, all of which spoke volumes of respect and esteem in which these early pioneers are held by their neighbors, relatives and friends,
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.
REV. SYLVESTER PEASLEY. We are now permitted to touch briefly upon the life history of one who has retained a personal association with the affairs of McLean county since its early pioneer days, and one whose ancestral line traces back the colonial epoch. His life has been one of honest and earnest endeavor and due success has not been denied him.
This honored pioneer and prominent citizen of Randolph township, whose home is on section 24, was born in Grayson county, Virginia, August 31, 1823, but has made his home in this county since the 3d of November, J 834. His father, Isaac Peasley, was a native of Wilkes county, North Carolina, and was a son of John Peasley, a Revolutionary hero, who was born in Guilford county, North Carolina, but at an early day removed to Wilkes county. On reaching man's estate, Isaac Peasley left the county of his nativity and went to Virginia, where he wedded Miss Rachel Halsey, who was born on the farm where their marriage was celebrated. Her father, William Halsey, was a native of New Jersey, and was also one of the soldiers who fought so valiantly for American independence in the Revolutionary war.
For several years after his marriage, Isaac Peasley continued to follow farming in Virginia, where three of his children were born, and in 1834, with a four-horse team and wagon started for Illinois, accompanied by his family. Finally after a long and tedious journey they arrived in Randolph township on the 3d of November. For two years Mr. Peasley rented a farm of Jesse Funk, and then purchased sixty acres lying partly within Downs and the remainder in Randolph township. This was composed of forty acres of prairie land and twenty acres of timber. In November, 1836, with the assistance of his neighbors for miles around, he built a log cabin on the prairie, with an open fire place, stick chimney, clay jams and clapboard roof. The family moved in before the chimney was constructed higher than the jams, and the following night there was a snow and sleet storm, after which it turned cold very suddenly and everything froze solid. The next morning the trees, bushes, grasses and everything was loaded down with glistening ice, making a beautiful sight, and Mr. Peasley remarked that it looked like the scenery in polar regions. As time passed he added to his original purchase until he had over four hundred acres of fine farming land which he placed under excellent cultivation, and upon that farm continued to make his home until called from this life in 1851. His worthy wife survived him a number of years.
Sylvester Peasley was a lad of eleven years when he came with his parents to Illinois, and he contributed his share to the work of improving and cultivating the home farm, his educational privileges being necessarily limited, as there were few schools in this region at that time. He remained with his father until the latter's death, though he had previously purchased an improved and adjoining farm. On the 4th of November, 1843, iri Randolph township, he was united in marriage with Miss Mary Stillman, who was born and reared in Hunterdon county, New Jersey, and came to this county at an early day with her father, Joseph Stillman. For a year the young couple made their home with Mr. Stillman and then located on our subject's land, to the further improvement and cultivation of which he devoted his energies for many years. He bought more land and still owns two hundred acres there, upon which he set out one of the first orchards in the county; also planted small fruits and ornamental trees and erected commodious and substantial buildings, making it one of the best improved places of Downs township. There he made his home from 1843 until 1895, a period of fifty-two years. He has given considerable attention to the breeding of and dealing in pure-blooded short-horn cattle and Poland China hogs, and is also interested in feeding other cattle and hogs for the market. The trees that he set out upon his first farm are i)ow two feet and a,
1 86 half in diameter. He is the owner of another valuable and well-improved farm of two hundred and sixty acres, upon which he built a beautiful modern residence in 1895 — one of the best in Randolph township— and there he has since made his home, surrounded by all the comforts and many of the luxuries of life, which have been obtained through his own well-directed and energetic efforts. He started out in life for himself a poor boy, and for seven years worked as a farm hand for Jesse Funk, at first only receiving six dollars per month. By strict economy, fair dealing and unremitting labor, however, he has become one of the most substantial and prosperous citizens of his community, and is now the owner of two valuable farms.
Mr. Peasley lost his first wife in 1863. To them were born five children, namely: Granville, who is now engaged in farming upon the old place in Downs township; Susan, deceased wife of Eli Barton; Isaac, who assists in the operation of the home farm; John, who follows farming on the old homestead in Downs township; and Mrs. Hester C. Johnson, deceased. In Downs township Mr. Peasley was again married, in April, 1865, his second wife being Mrs. Susan Crosby, ncc Barclay. She was born in Mason county, Kentucky, where she first married Andrew Crosby, who died there, leaving four children: William, a farmer of Downs township; Nancy, wife of James Duckett, of Lyon county, Kansas; Harriet, widow of Findley Horner, and a resident of Fonda, Iowa; and James N., who is with his mother. By the second marriage there was one daughter, Ella, who died at the age of three years.
Politically, Mr. Peasley was a Jeffersonian Democrat and cast his first presidential vote for James K. Polk, in 1844, but in 1856 he supported John C. Fremont and has since been an ardent supporter of the Republican party and its principles, having never missed a presidential election since attaining his majority. He has ever taken quite an active interest in local politics and has served in a number of positions of honor and trust. He was the first postmaster of Downs, which office he filled for some years; was a member of the honorable county board of supervisors fifteen years and president of the same two years, and also served on a great many important committees, being chairman of the one that erected the soldiers' monument. For some years he was township trustee, a member of the school board and president of the district, and has been a delegate to numerous county, state and congressional conventions. His public as well as his private duties have always been most faithfully and conscientiously discharged, winning the commendation of all concerned. He was one of the originators and organizers of the Bloomington Mutual Fire Insurance Company; has held the position of president since the start, and has signed all the important papers and policies of this company for twenty-two years. Under his able management it has become one of the most solid and successful fire insurance companies of the county. Always a consistent Christian gentleman, Mr. Peasley was ordained a minister of the Baptist church when a young man and engaged in preaching a number of years, having pastoral charge of five churches at different times, but was forced to give it up on account of throat trouble, though he still takes an active interest in church work. His contact with his fellow men has broadened his nature and views, if such were possible; and hale, hearty and vigorous at over threescore years and ten, his faculties undimmed, his physique but little impaired, many years of undiminished usefulness yet seem before him. Such men are rare and the world is not slow to appreciate them. It is safe to say that no man in his community has more or warmer friends than this honored pioneer.
As printed in The Biographical record of McLean County, Illinois (1899). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Named in this biography: Jesse Funk (b. 1803) John Price (b. 1802)
Their biographies name Sylvester Peasley: C. E. Barclay (b. 1824) William Colaw (b. 1813)
The printed record stops around 1879. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.