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File contributed to the Fulton County ILGenWeb Project
Copyright 2008, all rights reserved.

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Source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County
Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago, 1890

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The Biography of Jeremiah F. WILLCOXEN 

Pages 835-837, transcribed in full by Karen CRANE Goggin 

[Surnames: BOONE, CALLOWAY, COPE, FERRIS, HENDRICKSON, JORDON, RAY, RYNER, WILLCOXEN] 

    
JEREMIAH F. WILLCOXEN. From the early history of Fulton County the name of Willcoxen has been associated with its rise and progress. The father of our subject was one of its most prominent and well-known pioneers, who was for many years very active in developing its agricultural resources and was a prime factor in promoting its growth and laying the solid foundation of its present prosperity. His son, of whom we write is distinguished not only as being one of the native-born citizens of this county but for the part he has taken in its advancement to the front as one of the richest and best improved farming regions in the State. He is living on the old homestead in Liverpool Township, which is the place of his birth, and here he in engaged in farming and stock-raising though not to so large an extent as formerly. He is one of the largest land holders in the county and is a man of wealth and influence in his community, who is widely known and honored. 
    
Our subject was born in the pioneer home of his parents in Liverpool Township, February 17, 1833. He is a son of Capt. Elijah Willcoxen, an early settler of this county, who was a volunteer in the War of 1812 and served throughout the Black Hawk War, first as Lieutenant and then as Captain. He was born in Rowan County, N. C., July 24, 1789. His ancestors for many generations back were famous people, and were held in high esteem where they resided as will be seen by referring to the sketch of George W. Ray, where the history of Mrs. Ray, (who was, in her maiden days, Miss Anna Willcoxen) and her family is given in full. 
    
Samuel Willcoxen, the grandfather of our subject, was a native of North Carolina, and was probably born in Rowan County. He was a son of John Willcoxen, who was either born in Wales or came of Welsh parentage. He was a farmer of North Carolina and was also said to possess great genius as a mechanic, and was a man of strong character. He married Rachael Boone, sister of Daniel Boone, the noted Kentucky pioneer. She possessed a remarkable mind and had a keen sense of justice and appreciation, and indeed was in every respect and illustrious woman. She reared a large family of children in North Carolina and in her old age lived with her grandson Jesse Willcoxen, in Estill County Ky., where she died at the age of seventy years. The grandfather of our subject was a farmer. He moved from his early home in North Carolina to Boonesboro, Ky., and was one of the pioneer settlers of that section of the State. He was a broad-minded, large-hearted man of deep religious convictions and was an influence for great good among his fellow pioneers. He was a member of the Regular Baptist Church and he had two sons who were Baptist preachers. He died in 1825 at the age of sixty years. The maiden name of his wife was Anna Jordon, who is supposed to have been a native of Rowan County, N. C. She was a strict adherent of the Baptist faith and noted for her goodness of heart. Her last years were passed in this county, on the homestead where our subject now lives, she having come hither with her son Elijah in 1830. She had attained the venerable age of eighty-four years at the time of her death. She was the mother of ten children, six sons and four daughters, namely: Squire, Samuel, Elijah, Isaiah, Alfred, Jesse, Sarah, Francis, Mary, and Debbie. 
    
The father of our subject moved from Rowan County, N. C., to Estill County, Ky., in 1815. He was one of the early settlers of that region, which was a somewhat mountainous country and was then full of wild game, which he was very fond of hunting. On several occasions he had hogs killed by the bears. He owned a farm there, which it is thought he must have taken up as patent land. In October, 1830, he came to Fulton County, making the trip with horse and ox-teams and bringing with him six milk cows and a fine stallion called Cultivator. The family spent their first winter here in a little log cabin, on the banks of Little Sister Creek in what is now Liverpool Township, the place being owned by John Ferris. 
    
The following spring Mr. Willcoxen purchased a quarter section of government land on section 5, this township, on which he erected a commodious two-story and a half hewed log house. His land was all heavily timbered, and the country round about was infested with deer and wild turkeys besides much other game, and as he was an expert hunter he often supplied the family larder with choice venison and turkey. He soon cleared his land, and as he was a hard worker and a good manager he was greatly prospered. He bought other land from time to time until he owned many hundred acres. He gave each of his boys one hundred and sixty acres of land and still had a large estate left at the time of his death. He was a man of great ability, of an enlightened mind, and was known for his great generosity and benevolence. He came to be considered a sort of a patriarch by the people among whom so many years of his life were passed and he was venerated and beloved by all. Religiously he was a pillar of the Regular Baptist Church, and politically he was a supporter of the Democratic party. He was prominent in public life, was a Justice of the Peace for a great many years and served in nearly all the offices of his township. He died July 3, 1860, and his funeral was attended by his twelve children. His posterity numbered one hundred and fourteen. 
    
The maiden name of the mother of our subject was Charlotte Calloway, and she was born in Ashe County, N. C., April 2, 1792. She died June 18, 1874, at which time the fifth generation of her posterity, numbering two hundred and four in all, had appeared upon the scene. She was a kind, motherly woman and reared her children in the paths of honesty and virtue. She was a consistent member of the Baptist Church for sixty years of her life. Her father was Col. Elijah Calloway, who was a distinguished citizen of North Carolina, and for many years an honored member of the Legislature of that State. The following are the names of the children born to the parents of our subject: Zerilda, Jessie B., Nancy M., Elijah C., Andrew J., Mary E. (Mrs. Cope), Isaiah M., Elizabeth C., Anna A. (Mrs. Ray), Marshall N., James C., Charlotte, Jeremiah F. and America. 
    
The subject of this biographical review was reared to manhood on the farm where he now lives. In his boyhood days he attended the pioneer log schoolhouses of that period that were furnished with slab benches, heated by a fire in a large open fire-place, and a slab fastened on the wall under the windows served as a writing desk. The first school he attended was held in the old log Baptist Church, two miles northeast of his home. The teaching was not much after the fashion of the present day, and the scholars studied out loud. The teacher was paid by subscription and boarded a week about with the parents of the pupils. When our subject was a boy the wild sparsely settled country round about was inhabited by deer, turkeys, wolves, lynx, and wild cats. The old deer trail ran just south of the house and he remembers seeing deer come about the farmyard in the evening when he milked the cows. Our subject helped clear the farm which was heavily timbered, and at the death of his father took charge of the estate. The quarter section on which the old home is situated was willed to him and at the sale of the property he purchased two more quarter sections of his father's land adjoining and he has added to this until he has now twenty-seven hundred acres of choice farming land. He has prospered abundantly and besides his realty has other valuable property, including a fourth interest in the Lewistown Bank. He farms some but not as extensively of late years as he used to. He raises a number of horses, cattle, sheep and hogs, and find in them a profitable source of income. Mr. Willcoxen has a beautiful home on the old homestead in the large frame house erected by his father, which is surrounded by a well-kept lawn, covered with large shade trees, making it one of the most attractive places for many miles around. 
    
Our subject has been twice married. His first marriage which took place February 21, 1867, was to Miss Lorinda Ryner. She was a native of Preble County, Ohio, and she died March 19, 1884, leaving these three children: Mary A., Frank B. and Charlie L., all of whom are still at home. Mr. Willcoxen was wedded to his present wife, formerly Miss Mary C. Hendrickson, a native of Virginia, January 19, 1890. 
    
Mr. Willcoxen is endowed with ability and business tact of a high order, and possesses in a large degree other traits that have made his life more than ordinarily successful. He is an example of the fact that nobility of life, liberality of thought, and generosity of heart are handed down from generation to generation in many families, in which these traits have been characteristic for long years. He has not only contributed to the material welfare of his native county, but he has been influential in its public life. He represented his township, as a member of the County Board of Supervisors several terms, and has held other offices of trust. In November, 1862, he was elected Sheriff of Fulton County and served one term. That was at a critical time when the rebellion was under full headway yet he discharged the duties of his office with firmness and justice, and received great credit from all parties for his course while in that trying position. Mr. Willcoxen seems to have inherited his political views, as he is, like his forefathers, a sound Democrat. 

*Note: Jeremiah F. WILLCOXEN is my 4G uncle. I have posted much about his family history on my Elijah Willcockson website (http://stipak.com/willcockson/elijah/bios/2.htm#P3949), including Jeremiah's obituary, his ancestry, and his letters to Daniel Boone's biographer Lyman C. Draper.--Alice