**************************************************************************** File contributed to the Fulton County ILGenWeb Project Copyright 2008, all rights reserved. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format without the written consent of the author at http://fulton.ilgenweb.net. **************************************************************************** Source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago, 1890 **************************************************************************** The Biography of Theodore PUMYEA Pages 843, 844 & 847, transcribed in full by Karen CRANE Goggin [Surnames: ALCOTT, COONS, DAVIS, DECKER, DYER, FIELDS, HALL, PUMYEA, STRYKER, SNYDAM, SUYDAM, TEATHWORTH, VAN DOREN, VAN NOSTRAND, WILSON] THEODORE PUMYEA. In giving the history of this county, as told in the lives of its citizens, mention should certainly be made of the gentleman above named, who came here in early childhood, and has done much to aid in the section of the country in which he has lived. He is engaged in mercantile pursuits in Fairview, also shipping poultry and managing his affairs so energetically that he can scarcely be competed with. He is now also engaged in the coal business and has devoted much time to the pursuit of agriculture. For a few years he was at London Mills on Spoon River in the saw and grist mill business. Mr. Pumyea is the youngest son of Peter Pumyea, one of the most active pioneers of this county, and one of the founders of Fairview. He not only laid out the place in connection with Moses Hall and Richard Davis, but generously assisted in building it up, donating grounds for religious purposes and worthy secular movements. His donations aggregated many hundreds of dollars. Peter Pumyea was born in Somerset County, N. J., and there married Catherine Sarah Stryker, an estimable lady of that county. He there engaged in tilling the soil and acquired a competency. In 1836 he and his family, accompanied by that of Abram Teathworth, late of Ellisville, started from their Eastern home in wagons to establish themselves in the Mississippi Valley. The party crossed Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, experiencing all the hardships of overland journey, but also enjoying some of its pleasures. They would sometimes get "stuck," when it would become necessary to use double teams to get the wagons out of the mire. The journey was begun in the month of May and the vicinity of Fairview reached in June. Mr. Pumyea bought a quarter section of land of Samuel Dyer. The improvement was a double log cabin, which, after a lapse of sixty years, is yet standing as an old landmark. He acquired other property, eventually becoming the owner of fifteen or sixteen hundred acres. At that early date the taxes on the whole tract were no higher than for many years they have been on one quarter section with about the same improvements. Mr. and Mrs. Pumyea had eight children, namely, Simon Peter, who married Ester Van Nostrand, an estimable lady, and they had eight children; both died in California. John, who married Miss Wilson, is a farmer in Fairview; DeWitt P. married Rebecca Davis, and died in Fairview October 13, 1890; Luther, who recently died in Fairview, leaving three children; Theodore, the subject of this sketch, is the next in order of birth; Sarah E., born in New Jersey, died of scarlet fever in 1838; Sarah E., born in Illinois, married Seymour Decker, and they both died, leaving four children; Lydia A., who married John Fields, lives in Fairview, and has two children living. The father died at the age of fifty years, but the mother survived until eighty-four years old. The Pumyea family is of French and Dutch extraction, the first settlement by those of that name having been made in New Jersey prior to the Revolution. The maternal ancestors of our subject are of equally good blood, his great-grandfather Stryker having been well and favorably known among the Colonial soldiers during the War of Independence. He was commissioned directly by Gen. Washington to raise an independent company of troopers (now called cavalry) and served valiantly as Captain of the same. The subject of this notice was born November 27, 1830, and was therefore in his sixth year when he became a resident of the Prairie State. He attended school in the first schoolhouse in Fairview, the structure being of logs, designed and furnished according to the primitive fashion. Mr. Pumyea says the school was, at different times, under charge of excellent teachers, and although the curriculum was not so extended as in some of the higher schools in larger places, still the most thorough instruction was given. Only the most competent teachers applied, for others were unable to pass the rigid examinations of that day. Our subject attended the first celebration in the village and vividly recalls the excitement attending the first log cabin campaign of 1840, whose rallying cries still echo in political history. Fairview at an early day excelled many other towns for business, having two or three pork-packing, rendering and slaughtering houses, wool-carding factories, foundry, and many large mercantile houses, grain-buying being carried on extensively. During the early life of our subject, the families in the vicinity depended altogether on the Spoon River for milling after they came to use water-power, which succeeded the Fairview ox-tread wheel mill, managed and operated by "Bice" Snydam [sic, Suydam] for grists and Vanderbilt Van Doren for wool carding, etc. Game of various kinds was abundant, and the father, who was a crack shot brought down many a deer, squirrel, turkey, fox, wildcat, wolf, etc. On October 11, 1872, Mr. Pumyea and Miss Elizabeth Alcott were united in marriage in Fairview. Mrs. Pumyea is a native of the Hoosier State, and the daughter of Israel and Mary (Coons) Alcott, natives of New Jersey and Virginia respectively. This couple were married in Ohio and removed to Illinois in 1844, locating in Joshua Township, this county. Of their family the only members now living are Elizabeth, Rachael and Mary A. Two sons, Henry and Josiah, and two daughters are deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Pumyea have had three children, but one of whom is living, Mary Beatrice, who is possessed of superior talents and accomplishments. Mrs. Pumyea is a lady whose Christian character, efficiency in domestic affairs and devotion to the interests of her family make her influence felt and her life admired. Mr. Pumyea has served as Town Clerk and for about twenty years has had the appointment of Notary Public. He finds sufficient occupation for his time and talents in pushing his own affairs and is quite content with the ordinary duties of citizenship. Politically he is a believer in the principles of the Democratic party, and is in favor of tariff for revenue, not prohibitory nor for protection, and opposed to the unjust principle of taxing one's interest to support another's. Mrs. Pumyea is identified with the Methodist Episcopal Church. From long observation of the workings of secret societies Mr. Pumyea feels that they are injurious and therefore stand aloof from them and discourages their organization. His decided stand has incurred for him the displeasure of many, but acting from conscientious motives only, he pursues the even tenor of his way and looks outside for support in his mercantile pursuits. Standing aloof from all petty annoyances and thievish depredations even to the taking of an apple, melon or anything from ground, tree or elsewhere, without permission, he naturally assumes an uncompromising attitude and is very bitter toward liars and prevaricators, swearing them on affidavits very reluctantly.