Abram Isaacs, proprietor of that beautiful and valuable farm
of 280 acres, known as the "Shady Hill Farm," located in sections 1 and 2,
Dorchester township, Macoupin County, was born October 4, 1851, on this
place, which has always been his home. He is a son of Abraham and Mary
(Eaton) Isaacs.
The Isaacs family is of English extraction, and the
family was founded in America by two brothers of the name, who emigrated
from Sheffield, England, prior to the Revolutionary War, in which struggle
both took part, one as a tory and the other as a patriot. Richard Isaacs,
the grandfather of our subject, was born at Washington, D. C, and went to
North Carolina, settling in Rowan County. He married Mary Stonestreet, who
was a daughter of Butler Stonestreet, who served through the Revolutionary
War. They had issue as follows: Jane, Charles C, Abraham and Richard. By a
second marriage. Grandfather Isaacs had an additional family of six sons and
one daughter.
Abraham Isaacs, father of our subject, was born
November 10, 1810; in Rowan County, North Carolina. When three years old,
his mother died and he went to live with his grandfather Stonestreet, with
whom he remained until he was married, in 1836, when he came to Illinois. He
settled first in Madison County, but in 1840 removed to the present farm of
our subject, where he died January 29, 1897. Like other early settlers, he
came a poor man, in search of better agricultural opportunities. He lived
for a long time in a small log cabin on his first purchase of land, but
later, after he had acquired a large property through his own efforts, he
built a fine dwelling and commodious barns. Early in life he was a Democrat,
later a Whig, and still later, a Republican. Both he and his wife were
regular attendants and liberal supporters of the Methodist Church. The
mother of our subject was born July 23, 1815, in Adams County, Mississippi,
and died on our subject's farm in Dorchester township. May 9, 1891. She was
a daughter of Thomas and Sarah (King) Eaton. The ancestors of the Eatons
came from Wales and settled in Maryland at a very early day. The Eatons took
part in the Revolutionary War and the name is held in esteem in that State.
Our subject's parents had 10 children: Mrs. Sarah Sinclair, who died in
Macoupin County; Richard, of Macoupin County; Charles C., a retired farmer
of Litchfield, Illinois; Thomas W., a farmer of Madison County, Illinois;
Henry K., a farmer of Bond County, Illinois; Mrs. Amanda C. Ayers, of
Fayette County, Illinois; Abram; Alfred A., who died at the age of three
years, and three babes who died in infancy.
Our subject was educated
in the local schools and has followed farmingall his life. While engaging in
a general agricultural line, he has paid especial attention to the raising
of grain, and to the breeding of Shorthorn cattle, Poland-China hogs and
many horses and mules.
Mr. Isaacs was married November 12, 1878, to
Nancy Fruit, who was born March 29, 1856, near Edwardsville, Madison County,
and is a daughter of Jefferson and Elizabeth (Vawter) Fruit, of Madison and
Bond counties, respectively. Mr. and Mrs. Isaacs have three sons, who are
representative young men of the township. Thomas, after spending one year at
De Pauw University, Indiana, entered Cornell College, Mount Vernon, Iowa,
and in one year graduated from the academic department; he then pursued a
classical course at that institution. Alfred A. is a student at Cornell
College. Walter F. is a graduate of the Gillespie High School.
Mr.
Isaacs has been a Republican all his life, casting his first presidential
vote for General Grant. He has taken only a citizen's interest in township
affairs but has served in offices connected with the public school system.
With his family, he belongs to the Methodist Church, to which he is a
liberal contributor.
Extracted 2018 May 08 by Norma Hass from Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Macoupin County, Illinois, published in 1904, pages 441-443.
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