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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 Samuel PORTER 

Pages 806-807, transcribed in full by Karen CRANE Goggin 

[Surnames: BABCOCK, BISHOP, GILSON, HEAD, IANSON, LALICKER, LUTGEN, PORTER, SIMMONS, STROUSE] 

    
SAMUEL PORTER has made farming his life pursuit, and in the prosecution of his calling has achieved a success that places him among the leading farmers of Pleasant Township, where he has a valuable well-managed farm on section 22. He is a son of James and Isabel (Simmons) Porter, both of whom were born and reared on the Emerald Isle. 
    
In 1849 the family came to America to enjoy the many advantages offered by this Government to foreigners. They too passage at Liverpool on a sailing vessel, and landed at Philadelphia after a voyage of five weeks. From that point they proceeded directly to Morgan County, Ohio, where the parents lived until death. To them were born nine children, of whom the following are living; Nancy, wife of Jackson Head, of Ohio; John, a resident of Ohio; Margaret, wife of Sidney B. Lutgen, of Nemaha County, Neb.; Mary, now Mrs. Porter; Ann, wife of John Bishop, of Ohio; Samuel and Robert who live in Isabel Township. 
    
Samuel Porter passed the years intervening between childhood and manhood in Ohio, where he was given a common-school education. At an early age he turned his attention to farming and has made a life-long business of agricultural pursuits, devoting to them all the energy of his nature and strength of his judgment. In 1869 he took possession of his present farm which embraces one hundred and eighty acres of fine farming land, which is admirably tilled and has been well-improved. Mr. Porter has accumulated this valuable property, solely by his own industry and ability, having no financial assistance from any one, and he may be termed a self-made man in the truest sense of the phrase. He stands high in the esteem of his fellow-citizens, as is shown by his election to various offices of trust. He was at one time School Trustee for this township, and has also served it as Clerk and Collector, and was for a period of eight years Assessor of the Township. Both he and his wife are popular in social circles and have many warm friends. 
    
Our subject was married June 22, 1861, to Miss Mary M. Gilson, who was born in Fulton County November 25, 1843, and is a daughter of John and Melissa Gilson, natives respectively of Vermont and Pennsylvania. The Gilsons moved from Ohio to Fulton County in the early days of its settlement, and were numbered among the pioneers whose skillful hands in a few years changed a wilderness of trees and undergrowth into one of the most desirable farming localities in the State of Illinois. The father died here and the mother still makes her home in Pleasant Township. They are the parents of eight children, of whom six are living, namely; Lantis, wife of Henry Lalicker, of Nebraska; Sanford, who makes his home in Pleasant Township; Mrs. Porter; Charles, who lives in Vermont Township; Isabel, wife of Moses Ianson, of Kansas, and Josephine, wife of Charles Babcock, of Pleasant Township. Mr. And Mrs. Porteršs marriage has been blessed with eight children, of whom these six are living; Addie; Chloe, wife of Harry M. Strouse, of Pleasant Township; Rills, Otis, Elmer and Guy.