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Author: djjones58
Surnames:
Classification: queries
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this may be of interest to you:
DeWitt County Illinois GenWeb
Biographical Album - 1891- Surnames C-D
JOHN K. CARR Page 196
John K. Carr is distinguished in the annals of Nixon Township as being the third man to
settle within its precincts, and for many years he has aided in carrying on the
agriculture of DeWitt County. He was born in Greenbrier County, W. Va., in the town of
Lewisburg, September 18, 1812. His father, Thomas Carr, was born and reared in the Old
Dominion, and was there married to Diana Martin, who was also of Virginian birth. They
were the parents of six sons and three daughters, whom they called Mary, John K., James,
Elizabeth, Ezekiel, William, Marion, George and Violetta.
Of these children our subject was the second in order of birth and the second son. His
boyhood days were passed in the place of his nativity, and he attended school in the
little log house, that had a dirt floor and slab benches, and was lighted with greased
paper window. His schooling was very limited, as he never attended school only two
months.** He remained with his parents, assisting his father in his work of building
flatboats on the Kanawha River. December 6, 1833, his marriage with Margaret Wiont took
place. Mrs. Carr was born in Dearborn County, Ind., but was reared in Virginia. Our
subject and his wife have had a pleasant wedded life of unusual duration as for more than
half a century they have traveled life's road hand in hand, and their marriage has
been greatly blessed to them by the birth of the following children--Clarke, Violetta,
John, Isaac, Julia A. (deceased), Mary, (deceased), Jane, Sarah, Samantha, Michael and
Leonard S. All of these children were train!
ed to useful lives and all married and reared families, and are now scattered in
different parts of the country. Mr. and Mrs. Carr have besides many grandchildren, thirty
great-grandchildren among their descendants.
Mr. Carr soon after marriage took up his residence among the pioneers of Brown County,
Ohio. He had a uncle who fitted him out with a peddler's outfit and for two years he
was engaged in peddling in that State. In 1836 he returned to Virginia and resumed his
calling as a builder of flatboats on the Kanawha River for awhile. In 1837 he again went
to Ohio and engaged in a shipyard in Cincinnati at building steamboats. In 1838 he went
from there to Rising Sun, Ind., where he operated an engine in a cotton factory, helping
to build a steamboat there before he commenced to run the engine. In 1839 he removed to
Boone County, Ind., and wintered on the Rock River in the season of 1839-40, engaging in
carpentering, etc., and he also worked in the spring at the trade of a carpenter, erecting
barns and other buildings. His next venture was to buy a tract of one hundred and twenty
acres of heavily timbered land, which he cleared and on which he erected a house, beside
making other impro!
vements. He remained there several years, and then sold the farm at a sacrifice that he
might move to Northern Missouri, where he thought he could better his condition. He
located on the Grand River in Mercer County, that State, and remained there one year.
Apparently not finding the situation agreeable, he came to DeWitt County in 1852, and the
first year of his residence here rented land, and during that time entered the farm on
section 9, Nixon Township, where he now resides. But two men had preceded him to this
location, and he found it in a state of nature much as the Indians had left it. His tract
comprised one hundred and sixty acres of wild prairie, and his was the pioneer task to
break the sod and cultivate the virgin soil. He and his boys made the rails, and drew them
a distance of six miles to fence the land into convenient fields, and it is now all neatly
fenced. He built a little house for the shelter of his family, which is still standing on
the place, and he !
also erected a barn which has fallen to decay. He has here a fine farm
which is under the best of cultivation, and yields him ample harvests, which are the
source of a good income, so that he is now taking the world easy. He has always been very
industrious and has shown practical skill in his work and in his dealings with his
fellowmen has been fair and honest. He and his good wife are justly regarded as people of
great worth, and are held in respect and esteem by the entire community. Mr. Carr is a
sturdy advocate of the policy of the Republican party. He has always taken a true interest
in whatever concerned his adopted township, and besides the assistance he has given in its
development he has faithfully served it as School Trustee and School Director.
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