Biography - James Allen
JAMES ALLEN, one of the leading citizens and most successful farmers of
Chestnut Township, owning a large and finely-cultivated farm of 200 acres,
situated on section 4, is the subject of this personal history. He is engaged
not only in farming, but in the raising of Short-horn cattle and Poland-China
hogs, and owns a blooded bull five years old, weighing 2,000 lb., by name "Judge
Willetts."
Mr. Allen entered life in Jefferson County, Ind., April 19, 1825. He is the son
of Josiah and Jane W. (McDowell) Allen, natives of Kentucky, in which State they
were wedded, removing to Indiana in 1810. From that State they emigrated to
Illinois in 1838, at which time the subject of this sketch was a boy of 13
years. The mother departed this life in the year 1852, and his father in 1863.
Of this matrimonial alliance there were born nine children, six girls and three
boys, namely: Rosanna, who married John Moore, and lives in the State of
Indiana; Margaret, wife of Alkana Moore, resident of Knoxville, Ill.; Sarah
married Jonathon Minor, both deceased; William took to wife America A. Maxey,
and lives in Orange Township; Nancy married John Carico, a resident of Bureau
County, Ill., and is deceased; Matilda married Alfred Carico, and lives in the
State of Iowa; James espoused Miss Sarah M. Bragg, and lives in Chestnut
Township; John married Miss Lydia Eperson, and lives in Bureau County, Ill.;
Mary N. died at the early age of 16 years.
Mr. Allen the elder settled in Orange Township in 1838. James remained at home
on his father's place until after his marriage, when he purchased land in 1862
on section 4, in Chestnut Township, and where he has since remained.
Mr. Allen of this notice, early in manhood, took to wife Miss Sarah M. Bragg,
March 16, 1848 [the Illinois Statewide Marriage Index lists a James Allen
marrying a Sarah M. Bragg in Knox County on March 16, 1848]. She was born Nov.
30, 1828; she is the daughter of Elias and Mary (Bryant) Bragg, natives of
Virginia, who came to Illinois in 1836. They settled in Orange Township, and two
years later removed to Chestnut Township. Her father was born in September,
1784, and departed this life Jan 20, 1861, in the State of Illinois. He was a
soldier in the War of 1812. The date of her mother's birth was 1789, and she
closed her eyes to this existence Sept. 14, 1865. Both she and her husband were
of both English and Scottish lineage, and upon them were bestowed 15 children,
viz.: Jane, wife of Benjamin McCort; James, who wedded Nancy M. Carter;
Elizabeth, who wedded a Mr. Moore; Mary, wife of E. Hall; Abner, who formed a
matrimonial alliance with Miss Julia Carpenter; Frances, who married Mr. John
Hendricks; John, husband of Miss Sarah Hurley; Harriet, wife of D. Mooers;
Matthew died at the early age of 18 years; Mark, at the time of the California
gold fever, went to that state and no word has been received from him for a
number of years; Joseph married Miss Nancy Heppenstall; Sarah, wife of James
Allen, of this sketch; Eliza died at the early age of five years; Andrew, in
infancy, was removed from this earth, and there was an infant unnamed.
About the parental hearth of Mr. and Mrs. Allen have grown up three children,
although seven were born to them - Francis, born Aug. 24, 1847; Harry, Sept. 30,
1851; Darius, Sept. 7, 1855; Julius, born Aug. 20, 1864; James, Sept. 7, 1867;
Frank, Sept., 1872. Four children of the family were deceased in infancy, viz.:
Harry, Darius, and two unnamed.
Although the possessor of a handsome property, Mr. Allen has suffered loss
through the agency of fire, being once burned out, at which time all the family
records were destroyed, and also the records of his farm; the entire detriment
to his possessions he estimated at $2000. He began work work in this section of
the county in 1861, since which time he has been remarkably successful in his
particular line of labor. He is in character moral and upright, and his wife is
a member of the United Brethren Church. His parents were, politically, of the
old-line Whigs, but Mr. Allen is Democratic in sentiment and belief.
Contributed by Todd Walter, extracted from the 1886 Portrait and Biographical Album of Knox County, Biographical Publishing Company, Chicago, page 475.
