John H. Rardin, farmer; P. O. Rardin; one of the early pioneers of Morgan Tp.; born in the State of Indiana, Feb. 24, 1818; he removed with his parents when 3 months old to Campbell Co., Ky., where he lived until 25 years of age, where he was engaged in farming until he emigrated to Illinois and located in what is now known as Morgan Tp. in the fall of 1842, living within one mile of his present place since that date, a period of nearly thirty-seven years; at the time of locating here, his capital consisted of one team, without a dollar in money; he worked by the day to pay for his first dwelling, which was an old log house; he manufactured his first bedstead by boring a hole in one of the end and side logs, running a pole from each and entering a post at either end; the following year, he went back to Kentucky, where he worked as farm laborer one season, at $9 per month, in which way he obtained means to enter forty acres of land, and upon which he commenced his first farming; he has since disposed of the above, but now owns in his home farm, 280 acres, and 160 acres in Oakland Tp., all of the above being accumulated by his own hard labor, energy and industry; although in his 618t year, and having suffered all the hardships and exposure of frontier life, he is now in possession of all his faculties, and daily attends to the care of his stock, and such other duties as his farm requires. He married March 6, 1845, to Melinda Clark; she was born in Kentucky Oct. 25, 184; they have three children now living by this union, viz., Mary Ann, born Feb. 13, 1846, now Mrs. Porter Johnson; Samuel Rardin, born Jan. 2, 1850, now merchant and Postmaster at Rardin; James K., born June 28, 1851, now practicing law at Charleston; Mrs. Rardin died March 13, 1857. His marriage with Rebecca Hurst was celebrated in the spring of 1859; she was born in Edgar Co., I11., April 17, 1825; she died April 17, 1870, leaving one child, now living – Malinda J., born May 15, 1862. He married for his third wife Mrs. Nancy Campbell, Dec. 17, 1873; she was born in Jefferson Co., Ind., Jan. 30, 1830; she was the daughter of John McCrory, one of the early pioneers of Clark Co., Ill., who located in Clark Co. in 1838; they have one child by this union-John H. Rardin, born Feb. 3, 1875.
