David Peabody

 

SOURCE: "Portrait and Biographical Album of Champaign County, Illinois," Chapman Brothers, Chicago, 1887
SURNAMES: APPLEBEE, BROSIER, CLARK, HILLEGAS, LESTER, PEABODY, PRATT, STOOPS

DAVID PEABODY, an enterprising and prosperous farmer of St. Joseph Township, and whose portrait is presented on the opposite page, is pleasantly located on section 18, where he has a good farm of 208 acres and is surrounded by all the comforts of life. His history, briefly narrated, is substantially as follows: The Peabodys were originally from Scotland. Our subject was born in Switzerland county, Ind., Sept. 11, 1833, and traces his ancestry back to New England, of which his grandfather, Stephen PEABODY, was a native, having been born in Massachusetts. From there, when a young man, he removed to Scottsville, N.Y., thence to Pennsylvania, and from there to Switzerland County, Ind., where he permanently located, and spent the remainder of his days. He married a Miss CLARK, and they reared a family of three daughters and four sons. Among the latter was Adolphus A., who was born in New York, accompanied his father to Indiana when a lad fourteen years old, there grew to manhood, and married Miss Permelia LESTER, who became the mother of our subject. Her parents were David and Sarah (APPLEBEE) LESTER, of German descent.

After their marriage, the parents of our subject remained residents of Switzerland County, Ind., until the spring of 1834, then removed to La Gro, Wabash Co., Ind., where the death of the father took place in 1880, when he was seventy-eight years of age, his birth having occurred in 1802. The wife and mother is still living, making her home in La Gro, Ind. She was born in 1811, and by her marriage with Adolphus Peabody became the mother of eight children, five sons and three daughters. Of these, one died in infancy. Sarah, the wife of Joseph PRATT, is a resident of Wabash County, Ind.; David, of our sketch, was the twin of his sister Sarah; Hiram is now deceased; Edward and Cyrus are living on a farm in Wabash County, Ind.: Mary is the wife of Henry STOOPS, of that county; William A., the youngest, is farming in La Gro Township, Ind.

The boyhood and youth of David Peabody were spent after the manner of most farmers’ sons, attending the district school in winter, and assisting his parents around the homestead the balance of the year. After the outbreak of the Civil War he enlisted in Co. G, 72d Ill. Vol. Inf., and followed the vicissitudes of army life for three years. he was present at some of the most important battles of the war, namely, Champion Hills, Black River, and the siege and capture of Vicksburg, where he was detailed as a sharpshooter. Afterward he went to Nashville and Franklin, Tenn., where the enemy was met and vanquished, and after various other engagements and skirmishes, in which he was fortunate in escaping without a wound or imprisonment, one day there came news of the final surrender of Lee’s army, and he and his comrades not long afterward received their honorable discharge.

After being mustered out of service, Mr. Peabody returned to this county and began making preparations for the establishment of a future home. One of the most important steps was his marriage, in 1868, to Miss Anna HILLEGAS, who was a native of Wabash County, Ind., and the daughter of Jonathan and Mary E. (BROSIER) HILLEGAS. The latter were of German descent, but natives of Pennsylvania. Our subject and his bride located not long afterward upon the farm which has since remained their permanent dwelling-place, and in the community with those interests they have been identified for a period of nearly twenty years. Upon this Mr. P. has effected all the improvements which now attract the eye of the passer-by, and which constitutes one of the most desirable homesteads in St. Joseph Township. The household circle includes one daughter and two sons, namely, Eugene F., Charles A. and Mary Bertha.

Our subject and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at St. Joseph, and Mr. P. belongs to St. Joseph Post No. 220, G.A.R., in which he takes great interest. He is one of the valuable factors of the community which has known him long and well, and by whom he is held in the highest respect. In politics he is an uncompromising Republican.