Champaign Co, ILGenWeb, The USGenWeb Project - Biography

Jesse M. Sadorus

SOURCE: The Biographical Record of Champaign County, Illinois, The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1900

SURNAMES: FIELDS, HASTINGS, JORDAN, NOGLE, SADORUS, TITUS

JESSE M. SADORUS, one of the representative young men who is successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits in Sadorus township, his home being in section 12, belongs to the oldest family of the county, his ancestors being among its honored pioneers and influential citizens. His father, Henry T. SADORUS, was born in Rush county, Indiana, in 1823, and when a year old was brought to this state by his parents, Henry and Mary (TITUS) SADORUS, being the first people to settle in Champaign county. Their family consisted of six children, three sons and three daughters, of whom only two now survive: Allen M., of Sadorus, and Mrs. Eliza JORDAN, of California. The town of Sadorus was named in honor of this worthy family.

Here Henry T. Sadorus grew to manhood. In 1849, with other young men, he went to California during the gold excitement in that state to seek his fortune. After following mining for two years he saw that there were other industries by which wealth could be gained, and turned his attention to the butcher business. He bought cattle in Texas and drove them to Butte county, California, but on the way the Indians stampeded a part of his herd, causing a loss of about seventeen thousand dollars, which was partly settled for by the United States government in 1893. In 1852 he came to Illinois and purchased a drove of cattle, taking these to the same place. In this venture he was very successful. On his return home in 1867, he embarked in farming, purchasing four hundred acres of valuable land in Pesotum and Sadorus townships, and he also owned three hundred and twenty acres of farm land in Kansas. The land he acquired in this county was all improved by him during his life time, it being all timber and wild prairie when he took up his residence thereon. During his career as a farmer he devoted his attention principally to the raising of stock for market, using in this way all the grain he raised upon his land.

In 1868, Henry T. Sadorus married Miss Sarah FIELDS, a native of Kankakee county, Illinois, and to them were born five children, but John died in infancy. The four surviving are Jesse M., the subject of this sketch; Melissa, now the wife of George HASTINGS, of Sadorus township, Aldula, a resident of Effingham, Illinois; and Jordan, a liveryman of Sadorus. The mother died July 12, 1885, and the father departed this life June 12, 1895. He was one of the three pioneer brothers who with their father aided materially in the early development and upbuilding of this county, doing all in their power to advance its interests. He was a Democrat in politics and an active party worker in his community. He was always ready to assist by his advice or financially any project worthy of advancement, and in his death the community realized that it had lost a valuable citizen.

Jesse M. Sadorus was born in Pesotum township in 1870, and as he was reared to manhood on the home farm his education was obtained in the common schools of the township. When of age he began farming for himself and has become quite a prosperous young business man. In 1893 he married Miss Mattie NOGLE, who was born in Sadorus in 1872. Her parents, David Isabella (PEAT) NOGLE, have been residents of Sadorus for many years, and now reside within the western corporate limits of the village. Our subject and his wife have one child, Chester H., who was born in 1896, and is the joy of the household.

After his marriage Mr. Sadorus began farming on the place which he still owns and occupies, consisting of eighty acres on section 12, Sadorus township. When he located thereon, the only improvement upon the place was small house, but by hard work and perseverance he has cleared acre after acre of the timbered tract, and ha placed the land under a high state of cultivation. He has erected a good modern residence and other buildings, and has made many other improvements which add greatly to the value and attractive appearance of the place. Politically his is a Democrat and has served his fellow citizens in the office of assessor for two years. Fraternally he belongs to the Odd Fellows Society of Sadorus and to J. R. Gorm Lodge, No. 537, F. & A. M.