Elijah F. Woodman, one of the prominent citizens and
extensive farmers of Macoupin County, Illinois, now residing on a farm of
405 acres, situated in sections 15, 21 and 22, Bird township, was born near
Carrollton, Illinois, January 8, 1840, and is a son of Nelson and Zerelda
(Boiles) Woodman.
Nelson Woodman was born in Vermont, July 12, 1815,
and removed to Greene County, Illinois, in 1821, being one of the early
pioneers of that section. He married Zerelda Boiles, who was born in 1825,
near Lexington, Kentucky, and they reared a family of 12 children, our
subject being the second member of the family. Nelson Woodman died in 1884.
In the fall of 1852, Elijah F. Woodman accompanied his parents to
Montgomery County, Illinois, and remained with them until he was 17 years of
age, when he left home to make his own way in the world. His educational
opportunities had been few, but after he began to earn money for himself by
teaming and breaking up prairie land he used a portion of it to educate
himself. In 1859 he rented a farm of 40 acres and in 1860 made a purchase of
40 acres, this being the nucleus of his present large land possessions. Mr.
Woodman now owns 1,200 acres of land in Montgomery, Greene and Macoupin
counties. In 1864 he secured the position of government auctioneer and made
the trip to Nebraska, from Ottumwa, Iowa, by coach. During this trip, to
reach Fort McPherson, now North Platte Junction, teams of cattle were
driven. He located there for three years and during the 13 months he was in
the government employ he sold thousands of dollars worth of condemned
government property. While there he dealt also in real estate, carried on a
mercantile and contracting business and returned to Illinois well pleased
with his financial success.
On December 28, 1871, Mr. Woodman was
married at Litchfield, Illinois, to Annie Shaw, who was born at Lyons, New
York, February 15, 1854, and was a daughter of Joseph and Betty M.
(Woodruff) Shaw. Two children were born to this union: Loy Legrand, now
living near Los Angeles, California; and Commodore Beecher, now manager of
the "Comer Store" at Comer, in Bird township. Mrs. Woodman died April 27,
1881. In November, 1886, Mr. Woodman was married to Rejena M. Adams, who was
a daughter of Austin and Maria (Anderson) Adams. Austin Adams, who was born
in Kentucky, was a large farmer and stock raiser. He died in 1891 in his
66th year, his wife having passed away in the preceding year. The children
of the second marriage are: Elijah F., Jr., born September 6, 1887; Josie
M., born August 4, 1889; Annie Lena, born June 4, 1891; Lolah Tena, born
February 3, 1895; Gratia Pauline, born April 10, 1897; and Jessie M., born
March 10, 1900.
In March, 1887, Mr. Woodman removed to Macoupin
County and located on his wife's farm of 190 acres, to which he has added
200 acres. Here he has successfully engaged in general farming, but is
preparing to retire from active labor in order to enjoy the ease and comfort
which a long and industrious career has entitled him to.
Mr. Woodman
is a school director in his district and is active in demanding many reforms
for the present school system. Fraternally he is a Master Mason and Knight
Templar and a representative member of those bodies. Mrs. Woodman is a
consistent member of the Baptist Church.
Extracted 2018 May 04 by Norma Hass from Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Macoupin County, Illinois, published in 1904, pages 53-57.
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