Hancock County ILGenweb

Lyman L. Calkins
Biography

Transcribed by Marcia Siegfried Redding

 

Lyman L. Calkins was born in Bradford county, Pa., Nov. 27, 1811, and married Zilphia White Sept., 27, 1834; Oct. 1, 1836, he started West with a large company, coming with teams; after arriving in Indiana he turned back as far as Cincinnati, took passage on a boat, and after a tedious journey he landed at Warsaw, Ill., in November, on the last boat up the river that fall; after spending the winter here he returned East and started to emigrate, but upon reaching Pittsburg the weariness of wife and child impelled him to take a boat, sending the teams on, which arrived not long after him; he reached Warsaw June 15, 1837. The only friend or relative at the time was Mr. H. Kent, a brother-in-law of Mrs. Calkins, living nine miles east of Warsaw; settled in Wythe tp., on sec. 22, where he lived 13 years, when he sold out and bought of Judge Skinner a half of sec. 10, where he has since resided. He attended the first town meeting. The naming of the tp. belongs to Davidson Harris, a resident at that time and for many years afterward. He rarely misses an election, is a Republican, though not strictly a party man. He remained through all the Mormon difficulties, often going to Nauvoo to their meetings, and though being well known as against them he was never molested. He has always been engaged in farming, and still boasts of doing as much as any man of his years. He has 5 sons and 4 daughters, all living and engaged in farming; 7 are married and living on farms of their own. The entire family are members of orthodox Churches, having united with the Church while children at home. In the fall of 1854 they visited their old home for the first time, taking the train at Rock Island, that being the nearest railway station at that time. In the spring of 1859 Mr Calkins took a trip to the Rocky Mountains, and was gone four months. In 1876, in company with wife and daughter, he again visited their old home in Pennsylvania.

Mr. C.’s ancestors were descendants of Scotch parentage, who settled at Sharon, Conn., in an early day. His grandfather was in the Revolutionary war, and early emigrated to Bradford county, Pa., where he raised a large family, who settled also in that State and New York. His father, Joel Calkins, remained all his life near the old place and died only a few years ago. The subject of this biography is from a long-lived ancestry, hearty and hale, many reaching nearly 100 years of age. Mrs. C.’s ancestors were from Connecticut and Vermont, and also noted for longevity.

Page: 628 & 629

Title: 1880 History of Hancock County, Illinois

Author: By TH. Gregg

Published by: Chas. C. Chapman & Co.

  

 

Copyright 2007 Susan Cheney; all rights reserved.