Mound Township

Mound Township

CYRUS CUNXINGHAM, was horn in Vermillion County, Ind., December 15, 1839, and is the only living child of Thomas and Eliza (Cuuniuffhara) Cunningham, three brothers, Nicholas, George and Jared, being deceased. Thomas Cunningham was born in Ross Count}', Ohio, December, 1799; was by trade a tanner; moved to Vermillion County, in i'ii'iO, of which he was one of the earliest settlers; managed a flat-boat on the Wabash and Mississippi Rivers, until 1840, and died in 1846. Cyrus Cunningham left Vermil'ion County when he was twenty-five j'ears old, and came to his present location. He was married, December 17, 1855, to Mary Oliphant, which union was blessed with seven children - Horatio (deceased), Reuben, Walter M., C. v., Marriet, Malinda and James. Mr. Cunningham's residence is three and one-half miles west of Covington, on his farm of over 1,400 acres, well drained and improved, producing good crops of corn, wheat and hay; he also raises and deals in stock. Mr. Cuningham having been born just over the line of the county, and having remained in the neighborhood, has had ample opportunity to note the transition of tlie country from a wilderness to a garden, and recalls many stories of his father's experience with the Indians. Mr. Cunningham has lived a cxuiet, unambitious life, and is a high type of the true citizen, and is an industricjus and thrifty farmer.

F. 6. Dubois was born in Medina County, Ohio. .January 16, 1836, and is one of the seven children born to Abraham and .Julia A. (Randall) DuBois, tlieir names being - Abigail, Sarah, Washington, Francis, Charles, Martha and William, of whom Abigail and Frank alone are living. Abraham DuBois was born in New York in 1799. He was a farmer, but had given some attention to blacksmithing and stone masonry; he still lives in this township. At the age of twenty, F. G. DuBois came to this county, where he has made his liome. He was married, December 25, 1829, to Caroline L. H. Kent, by whom he had two children - Rebecca K. and Mary F. G. Mr. DuBois resides one and three-quarters miles southeast of State Line City, on his farm of 300 acres (123 thereof being one and three-quarter miles southeast of Vermillion County, 111.). His land is fertile, well drained and improved, and adapted to corn, wheat, hay and oats; he also gives some care to the breeding of short-horn cattle. Mr. DuBois has a large frame dwelling, with good staDles, fencing and the like. These improvements and possessions are the result of close and well-directed labor and providence. Mr. DuBois is a much esteemed citizen and exemplary gentleman.

J. R. JOHNSON, Sr., was born in Franklin County, Ohio, September 5, 1818, and is one of the nine children of James and Carley Ann (Clark) Johnson, their names being Thomas (deceased), Henry (deceased), John, George, Nancy, James, Polly, William M. (deceased) and Carley Ann (deceased). The father of our subject was born in Pennsylvania about 1799; was a farmer and stock-dealer ; was a soldier of the war of 1812. and died in Steuben Township, Warren Co., Ind., where also his widow died in 1873. In October, 1828, J. R. Johnson was brought to what is now Kent Township, Warren Co., Ind.. by his parents, where they located for a short time, whence they removed to Steuben Township, where his father owned between 2 000 and 3 000 acres. J. R. Johnson was married November 26, 1840, to S. B. Steeley, by whom he had one child - Elizabeth N. (deceased). Mr. Johnson resides two miles southeast of State Line City, on 533 acres (seventy-three being three-quarters of a mile distant): he has also 150 acres of timber, two miles southeast, and 245, which are well improved, adjoining Hoopstown, Vermillion Co., 111. Over 500 acres of these lands are under the be.st cultivation, producing largely wheat corn, oats and hay Stock-raising is a specialty with Mr. Johnson. From 1861 to 1873, he lived in what is now the finest residence in State Line City, where he was for several vears in the dry goods business. In 1872. he erected a magnificent brick residence, modernly furnished, costing |10,000, from the observatory of which one may command a delectable view of the splendid country. Mr. Johnson is one of the earliest settlers and has acquired his possessions by the hardest labor and longest perseverance which will ever be to him a lasting monument. He is a Freemason and an Odd Fellow- he has acted as Justice of the Peace, County Commissioner and Township Trustee. Mr. Johnson is a true gentleman and worthy citizen, higlily esteemed by the community.

J W KENT was born in Ross County, Ohio, June 24, 1824, and is one of the eio-ht children of Perrin and Rebecca (Dill) Kent, whose names are Charlotte, 'V^ill- iam, John W.. Sarah, Thomas, Rebecca, Isabel and Caroline. William and John alone are living. Perrin Kent was born in Wa.shington County, Penn., July, 1794. He was a practical and life-long surveyor, and made many government surveys, having located the line between Illinois and Indiana. He was under Gen. Harrison in the war of 1812, and died in January, 1882, on his farm, where he had lived since 1826. J. W. Kent came with his parents at an early age to Kent (then Mound) Township, Warren Countv, with whom he remained until he was twenty-four years old, and afterward became paymaster for the Toledo, Wabash & Western Railroad. After two years, he located in Steuben Township, Warren County, for fifteen years. October 1, 18G7, he was married to Kate Wallace, by which union were born two children - Gertrude and Maxwell. Mr. Kent resides two and a half miles southeast of State Line City, on 312 acres; he also has a farm of 800 acres in Steuben Township, and one of 760 twelve miles southeast of Danville, 111. His farms are almost exclusively pasture land, producing luostly hay, although he raises some corn. He has paid much attention to breeding Berkshire swine and tliorouglibred short-horn cattle, and to tlie latter he now gives his chief devotion. In 186.1-66, he erected a brick residence at a minimum cost of $12,000. wtiich was burned in May, 1880. In 1882, he built his present residence, a magnificent frame structure, at a cost of $6,500; he is also erecting a fine l)rick residence in Danville. 111., to cost |1.5,000, the grandest in Eastern Illinois. In 1817, he was employed by Ellsworth & Co., land speculators, members of which company were Piof. Chauncey A Goodrich, of Yale College, the Schermerhorns, theDaytons, William Sigournej' and others. Mr. Kent was in this service fifteen years, his business being to locate, improve and sell lands, during which time he gave attention to his own stock business. Mr. Kent's record needs no eulogy; it speaks for itself. He is a true Democrat, and one of old Mound's most prominent and successful citizens.

ELISHA EODGERS was born in Connecticut April 14, 1812, and is the eldest ,of the eight children of Allen and Sarah (Warner) Rodgers, the names of the children being Elisha, Daniel (deceased), Jonathan M., Jabez (deceased). John, Hannah (deceased), Mary and Samuel (deceased). Allen Rodgers was a farmer and cooper, at which latter occupation he at one time employed several men. He removed to New Hampshire when Elisha was a child, thence to Hamilton County, Ohio, and in the fall of 1825 to Vermillion County, Ind.. where they remained until Elisha came to his present place in 1836. Mr. Rodgers removed to Iowa between 18.55 and 1858, where he died. Elisha was married, in 1840. to Juliet Evans, by whom he had one child - Melissa. Mrs. Rodgers died June, 1840. He afterward married Mary Ann Jloudy, by whom he had ten children, six of whom are living - Sarah, Emily, ]\Iartha, Lincoln. Rosa and Peter. Mr. Rodgers was an earlv settler of Veriudlion and Warren Counties. He resides fo\ir miles northwest of CoVimrton on a good farm of 393 acres, 200 of which are well cultivated, producim: wheat, corn, oats and hay; he has also engaged largely in stock-raising. The site of this farm was once a flourishing city called Baltimore, at which period steamers plowed the Wabash, and railroads were almost unknown. Mr. Rodgers was Postmaster of this town for twenty-flve years; he was also Trustee. Justice of the Peace and County Commissioner during the lale war. In 1881. he built a fine brick residence, costing $5,000, and comuiaiiding a gruml view of the Wabash River and adjoining country. Mr. Rodgers is an aide and iiilluenlial citizen, an advocate of temperance and education, having himself built on his premises a fine sehoolhouse, a monument to him and a blessing to the township.

JOHN HOUSE was born in Scioto Countv, Ohio. August 16, 1826, and is one of the six rlflldren of Reason and Martha (Olehy) Rouse,''the names of whom are Isaac, Rebecca (deceased), Edwanl, John. Dennis and Elizabeth tdeeeased). Reason Rouse was l)orii in Delaware in 179I1. In earlv life, he studied medicine, intending to be a physician, which he afterward aliamloned to become a farmer ; he died in Seioto County. In 1831, after his father's death, .lohn went with his mother to Vermillion County. III., where he remained until her death in 1832 when he returned lo Scioto County, thence going to Vermillion County, ami coniiu"- lo this county in April, 1852. He now resides three and one-quarter miles soutirof State Line City, on his excellent farm of 130 acres, well improved, and productive of good wheal, corn, oats and liav Mr. Rouse was married, Decemlier 1847 to Phebe Villers who died in the following November. His second marria.'c was to Maria I Ill-cell ; this union was blessed with twelve children, of wMioiu are liviii" Marv F Sarah E.. George W.. Douglas. Marion and Joseph F. Mr. Rouse volunteered for tlie Mexican war. but his regiment was not accepleil. He has lived in his present neighborhood tor halt a century. He has given much time to stoek-raisin.r ami has erected ample slables. as well as other iinprovements. Darin"- the late w'ar he was Hegisler. and acted for two ye;irs. Mr. Rouse is an active and lhorou><-h Deiuocrat. iuid an esteemed and enterprising citizen.