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File contributed to the Fulton County ILGenWeb Project
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Source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County
Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago, 1890

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The Biography of Jesse HEYLIN 

Pages 227-228, transcribed in full by Danni Hopkins. 

[Surnames: CARRISON, HEYLIN, McQUEEN, SCOTT] 

    
JESSE HEYLIN, editor of the Lewistown Lance, a weekly paper devoted to the interests of the Republican party and the people, is a native of this county and is one of whom it may well be proud, for, though he is a young man, he has already won his way to distinction as a journalist of signal ability. 
    
Farmers Township is the place of the birth of our subject and December 15, 1865, the date of that important event in his life. His father, Henry Heylin, was of English birth and antecedents, the city of London the place of his nativity. His father, whose name was Joseph Heylin, was also born in that great metropolis. He was a silk manufacturer and carried on that business in London some years. He came to America before the war, located at first in Fulton County, where he resided for a time, and then took up his residence in New York City, where his remaining days were passed. He reared four children, who were named, Joseph G., Mary, William and Henry. Mary died in London when quite young and Joseph still resides there. William and Henry came to this country, and William engaged in the silk and tassel business in New York City and there died. 
    
The father of our subject was reared and educated in London, and came to the United States about 1840. He located in New York City, and soon became a sailor, followed the sea some years in a whaling vessel, and during the Mexican War was in the marine service. After that he came to Illinois and followed the trade of a carpenter in Bernadotte Township. After a few years he removed to Farmers Township where he dwelt until death rounded out his life April 29, 1886. The maiden name of his wife was Eliza L. McQueen. She was born in Syracuse, N. Y.; her father, John McQueen was also a native of that State, and a farmer of that place. He removed from New York to Missouri and settled near Jefferson City where he bought land and improved a good farm, which remained his home until his death. The maiden name of his wife, the grandmother of our subject, was Mary Scott. She was born in New York City and spent her last years at the home of her son-in-law in Missouri. The mother of our subject resides in Farmers Township. She reared four children, John, Ellen, Joseph and Jesse. Joseph died at the age of twenty-six years; John lives in Frontier County, Neb.; Ellen married George Carrison, since deceased and lives in Farmers Township. 
    
Jesse Heylin, of whom we write, was given his first schooling in the home district and his learning was further advanced by his attendance at the Normal School at Macomb, and later he pursued a course of study at Jennings Seminary at Aurora. He thus obtained a sound basis for his future professional career. At the age of eighteen he commenced teaching, and was thus quite steadily engaged for the three ensuing years. In 1887 he went to Garden City, Kan. as a proof reader and night reporter on the Garden City Daily Sentinel. Five months later, so well appreciated were his services, he was appointed city editor of that sheet, which position he held until he resigned it in 1888. He then returned home and commenced teaching, continuing thus employed one year. August 2, 1889, Mr. Heylin established the Lewistown Lance, a carefully edited paper issued weekly, having its full share of patronage from the reading public. 
    
Energy, patience and perseverance have accomplished their good work in the efforts of our subject to establish a newspaper that shall be readable and justify its claim as a wide-awake, public spirited journal of sound literary merit, and a pure family paper, one of the best of its kind published in this part of Illinois. 

Note: Eighteen years after this biography for Jesse Heylin was published, he edited the important book, The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Fulton County, published by Munsell Publishing Co., Chicago, 1908--Alice