The possibilities of agriculture in Macoupin county are well understood
by John C. Nixon, who has been engaged in farming in this county ever since
his boyhood. He was born in Bird township, October 22, 1863, and is a son of
George and Mary (Womack) Nixon, the former of whom was a native of Ohio and
the latter of Macoupin county. The father grew to manhood in the Buckeye
state and engaged in farming there, but in 1861, about the time of the
outbreak of the Civil war, came to Macoupin county, Illinois, and rented a
farm. He was married to Miss Mary Womack in this county and shortly after
that event purchased sixty acres of land in Bird township, which he cleared
and improved. He continued upon this place for twenty-two years, when he
sold it and rented a large farm, being assisted in his work by a family of
eight boys. He died October 9, 1909. The mother is still living on the old
Scotch Carr farm, where her husband spent his last days, and is now
sixty-seven years of age, being one of the honored residents of the
community.
John C. Nixon was reared in Macoupin county and in the
district schools he secured his introduction to education, which he has
greatly widened by reading and observation. He assisted his father in farm
work until twenty-six years of age, and was then married and rented land,
which he cultivated on his own account. He is now renting the Dr. Mathews
farm of eighty-six and two-thirds acres in Carlinville township and meets
with well merited success. He raises fifty head of hogs each year and also
keeps thirty head of sheep, nine head of cattle and nine head of horses, his
income each year showing a gratifying increase.
On the 4th of
September, 1889, Mr. Nixon was married to Miss Emma J. Bown, a daughter of
John and Charlotte (Sawtell) Bown, both of whom were born in England. The
father came to Ilinois many years ago and engaged in farming in Macoupin
county but later removed to Kansas, and is now living retired having reached
the age of seventy-four years. The mother died in June, 1899. Mrs. Emma J.
Nixon was called away March 25, 1905, and on January 4, 1907, Mr. Nixon was
again married, his second union being with Miss Bessie Thompson, a daughter
of Richard and Clara (Bown) Thompson, both of whom were born in Illinois.
The father is engaged in farming in Macoupin county and is now fifty-four
years old. The mother died in July, 1906. Three children have been born to
Mr. and Mrs. Nixon: Clara M., who is four years of age; Annetta May, aged
two years; and Harold C., who is one year old.
Fraternally Mr. Nixon
is identified with the Modern Woodmen of America and politically he gives
his adherence to the republican party. He has never aspired to public office
but has served as school director, a position he filled to the general
satisfaction of the people. In religious belief he is a Methodist and is an
active church member, his wife also belonging to this denomination. He has
taken advantage of modern ideas in the conduct of his business and the
results have been uniformly satisfactory.
Extracted 18 May 2018 by Norma Hass from History of Macoupin County, Illinois: Biographical and Pictorial, by Charles A. Walker, published in 1911, Volume 2, pages 121-122.
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