Henry County IL

Biographical Sketch of R. C. Newland

Mr. & Mrs. R. C. Newland were married March 20, 1856, in Bedford, Indiana, which was also their birth place. Mrs. Newland’s maiden name was Catherine J. Swan and she was born August 17, 1834. Mr. Newland was born Dec. 24, 1836. In 1864, they moved to Galva, Illinois, where they resided until 1881 when they moved to Ida County, Iowa and made their home on a farm near Clarendon. Through the influence of Mrs. B. M. Miller (their daughter) who was born at Galva, Illinois, the name of Clarendon, Iowa, was changed to Galva, Iowa. They had 5 children: … Read more

Biography of Henry Van Deman Faris

Henry Van Deman Faris, of Kanopolis, is a Kansas around whom center many associations of territorial and pioneer times. He is by five years the oldest living pioneer in Kansas west of Salina. He had been continuously identfied with Ellsworth County more than half a century. Mr. Faris comes of that adventuresome pioneer stock that in successive waves had peopled and developed American soil. His grandfather, John Faris, was born in Ireland of Scotch descent. On coming to this country he partieipated as a soldier in the struggle for independence, and afterwards became a farmer in Virginia. He located on … Read more

Biography of Carl Aaron Swensson, Rev. Dr.

Rev. Dr. Carl Aaron Swensson was the founder and chief upbuilder of Bethany College, the institution around which cluster the best and most noteworthy distinctions of Lindsborg as a community and from which have gone influences that now permeate and give character to many localities through the useful men and women educated there. In an important degree Bethany College is a monnment to the late Doctor Swensson, and to a nobler one few men could aspire. He was born at Sugar Grove, Pennsylvania, June 25, 1857, a son of Jonas and Maria (Blixt) Swensson. His parents came to America in … Read more

Biography of Claus J. Sjogren

Claus J. Sjogren is not only one of the pioneers in the agricultural district of Saline County, but as much as any other citizen had had a part in the progress and upbuilding of that flourishing little Town of Smolan, a name that reflects and preserves the native district in Sweden from which many of the early colonists here came. Mr. Sjogren had at different times been a figure in the commercial life of Smolan, and is now well to do and influential though at one time he was dependent entirely upon his manual labor and had come to America … Read more

Biography of Olof Olson

Olof Olson on coming to America from his native land of Sweden had only three dollars in money, and was in debt for his transportation across the ocean. He has been a resident of Champaign County nearly twenty years, and it is truly remarkable what he has been able to accomplish in the way of accumulating property and in the rearing and founding of a splendid country home and a family of most industrious children. No small share of the credit for this distinctive success is due to his capable and energetic wife. Mr. Olson was born in Sweden, a … Read more

Biography of S. M. Elrick, Jr.

S. M. Elrick, Jr., owning and operating a valuable and productive farm of seventy-seven acres in Valley township, was born in Henry county, Illinois, on the 18th of February, 1864, his parents being S. M. and Margaret (Ferlhing) Elrick, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania. The year 1868 witnessed their arrival in Page county, Iowa, and here they subsequently purchased a tract of land. Both the father and mother still survive, being now residents of Minnesota. Of their family of eleven children, the following are yet living: S. M., of this review :H. C., of New Mexico; F. P., … Read more