1889
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL ALBUM OF
MORGAN AND SCOTT COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
Chicago, Chapman Brothers
Morgan County IL
(reprinted by the Jacksonville Area Genealogical and Historical Society, 1984)
ALEXANDER YOUNG, a representative of one of the oldest families of Scott County, was born three miles northeast of Winchester, Aug. 19, 1826, and is consequently approaching the sixty-third year of his age. He is comfortably located in township 13, range 13, where he has a good farm of 275 acres with fair improvements. Many and great have been the changes which he has looked upon as he has “been growing up with the country,” and he can relate many an interesting tale of life in the pioneer days. He and his estimable wife are widely and favorably known throughout this section, as honest, industrious and praiseworthy people, who number their friends by the score. Although their lives have passed in a comparatively quiet and uneventful manner, they have uniformly exercised a good influence in their community, and their names will be held in kindly remembrance long after they have departed hence.
Jonathan Young, the father of our subject, was born, reared and married in Adair County, Ky., and lived there until 1824, engaged in farming pursuits. That year he determined to seek the West, and accordingly with his wife and five children came to Illinois and settled in that part of Morgan which is now Scott County. He was one of the first men to venture into this region, and taking up a tract of wild land established himself in the wilderness and proceeded to build up a homestead. He endured many hardships and privations, but he possessed that spirit of resolution and perseverance which admitted no such word as fail, and in due time reaped the reward of his toil and sacrifices. He was a man of good judgment and sound common sense, - one who invariably made friends wherever known. After the labors of a long and useful life he died at the old homestead when about seventy-six years old.
Mrs. Elizabeth Young, the mother of our subject, was a native of Virginia, and died prior to the decease of her husband, at the age of seventy-three years. The parental family included nine children, viz: William, Jesse, Chloe, Robert, Ervin, Campbell, Almina, Alexander and Ephraim. Five of these are living and making their homes in Greene and Scott Counties. Alexander, our subject was born at his father’s homestead, close to the present site of Winchester, and still remembers very many of the incidents connected with his boyhood days. Wild game was plentiful around the pioneer home, deer, turkeys, geese and ducks abounded. The wolves also made night hideous with their howlings. The Young boys were at an early age taught to make themselves useful, and assisted their parents in opening up the new farm. The nearest school was eight miles distant and consequently our subject, like his brothers and sisters had no educational advantages. They grew up, however, strong in muscle and healthy in mind and amply fitted for the duties of citizenship, having been carefully trained in those principles which made of them good and useful members of the community.
In 1848, at the age of twenty-two years, Alexander young was united in marriage with Miss Emily, daughter of Joseph and Dorsia (Holley) Glasson. The parents of Mrs. Young were natives of Virginia, whence they removed later to Kentucky, where their daughter, Emily, was born Aug. 9, 1828. The family came to Illinois while she was an infant, in 1829, and settled near the present site of Winchester, upon which there was then nothing to mark it as the location of a future town. Mrs. Young was reared under the parental roof and acquired a limited education in the subscription schools. She, however, was a bright and intelligent girl and taking advantage of the few books which came in her way, became quite well informed, and was a great favorite among her young companions. She became acquainted with her future husband when about fifteen years old, in fact they practically grew up together, and at quite an early day there was formed between them the mutual attachment which resulted in their marriage.
Mr. and Mrs. Young commenced their wedded life in a modest manner, in township 13, range 13, and our subject for several years thereafter farmed one of his father’s farms. He made his first purchase of land probably in 1852, and he and his estimable wife have labored hand in hand in the accumulation of their property with a common interest for themselves and their children. There were born to them three sons and three daughters the eldest of whom, Mary J., is the wife of Richard Cowen, and they occupy a part of the homestead; they have six children, - Robert, Alex, Emma, Harry, Nellie and Joseph. Oscar married Miss Harriet Langly, rents his father’s farm, and has one child, - Alex Jr., named after his grandfather. Ella is the wife of John Longnecker, a prosperous farmer of Scott County, and a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this volume; they have four children, - Carrie, Mabel, Emma and Nancy. Elmer married Miss Anna McLaughlin, and resides three miles west of Winchester; he is occupied as a teacher, and is both successful and popular. Mrs. Young is a member of the United Baptist Church at Glasgow. Our subject cast his first Presidential vote for James K. Polk, and for a long period of forty-two years, has given his undivided support to the Democratic party.
JESSE YOUNG. The Young family is one of the oldest and most prominent of Scott County, and this branch represents property to the amount of 468 acres in township 13, range 13. The subject of this notice was one of the oldest settlers of this region, coming to what was then a part of Morgan County, but is now Scott, probably as early as 1831. He was a man of great industry and enterprise, and accumulated a fine property. The homestead is operated by his three sons - Robert, George and Charles, and, in addition to general farming, they make a specialty of stock-growing, principally Shorthorn and Durham cattle.
The widow of our subject, Mrs. Elizabeth Young, was born in Clark County, Ky., April 4, 1822, and lived there until about ten years old, when she was brought by her parents to Illinois. Her father selected a tract of land, north of the present site of Winchester, some years before there were any indications of a town. Her early educational advantages were exceedingly limited, but she was carefully trained in all useful housewifely duties, and at the age of eighteen years became the wife of Mr. Young, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride, March 4, 1841. Mr. Young was likewise a native of the Blue Grass State, and came with his father’s family to what is now Scott County in his youth.
After their marriage Mr. And Mrs. Young commenced life together in a modest manner on a farm, and worked their way steadily upward to a good position, socially and financially. Mr. Young, personally, was what might be called a good man in the broadest sense of the term, kindly, generous and hospitable, who made for himself scores of friends. He was ever ready to lend a helping hand to those in need, and his whole career was distinguished by those qualities which made him beloved and revered by all with whom he came in contact. He rounded up the ripe old age of seventy-six years, nine months and twenty-three days, departing hence on the 12th of April, 1889. Not only was he deeply mourned by his whole family and immediate relatives, but by the whole community, wherein his influence had been nothing but good.
To Mr. and Mrs. Young there were born nine children, six of whom are living. Mary is the wife of Patrick O’Donnell, and they have eleven children, nine of whom are living, viz: Johnie, Lizzie, Olive, Mary Ann, Nellie, Charles, Thomas, Lilly, and Susie. Miss Susie Young, together with Robert and Annie, remain at home with their mother. The fourth child was an infant, who died unnamed. George married Miss Mary Mouldridge, and they have two children - Joe, and an infant unnamed. This son lives on a part of the farm. Emma married William McLaughlin, became the mother of one child, who died and she died in 1876. Miss Olive Young died when an interesting young lady of twenty-two years; Charles married Miss Alice Fletcher, and is the father of two children - Hardin and Percy.
The young homestead is considered one of the most valuable in this part of Scott County. It is embellished with good buildings, and supplied with all the machinery for carrying on agriculture in the most profitable manner. The family represents in a high degree the worth and respectability of Scott County.
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