Source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Whiteside County, Illinois
Origianally Published 1885
Chapman Bros., Chicago, IL

Transcribed by: Denise McLoughlin
Tampico Area Historical Society
www.tampicohistoricalsociety.citymax.com

Pages 627-28

Capt. Austin M. Georgee, a resident of Garden Plain Township, was born Feb. 16, 1803, and is the oldest son of Daniel and Elizabeth (Morse) George. Father and son were born in Conway, N. H. The mother was a native of Peacham, Vt. When Capt. George was 16 his father died, leaving a widow and five children. The son passed three years succeeding in farming in the neighborhood, after which he engaged in a flour-mill at Conway until 1837, when he went to Hiram, Maine. He operated as foreman in a flour-mill at that place one year, after which he went to Boston, Mass. He entered the employment of James Vila, whith whom he remained eight yers.

In 1846 he came to Whiteside County to make a permanent stay. In 1844 he had come here, and entered a claim of land on section 14, of Garden Plain Township, and in 1845 had employed help in breaking 14 acres of land. In the year in which he took possession of his property he built a house and fenced the part of his farm that was under improvement. He raised his first crop of wheat in 1847. The farm is at present under advanced cultivation, with all improvements common to this section.

Capt. George has been an extensive traveler in his own country, and has visited nearly every portion of the United States.

He has bee twice married. Sophronia Bachelder became his wife June 19, 1836, and died Jan. 20, 1850, leaving four children: Daniel lives in Paola Co., Kan.; Charles is a resident of Cordova, Rock Island Co., Ill.; King resides in the same place; Sophonia lives near Blunt, D. T.

Capt. George was a second time married, at Cordova, March 13, 1851, to Mrs. Caroline A., widow of Ira Stowell. She was born Feb. 20, 1823, in New York, and is the daughter of Jeremiah and Abigail *Mitchell) Rice. Mr. Stowell left one son, Andrew, who lives in Garden Plain Township. She has been the mother of five children from her second marriage: Mary and Marth are twins; the former married Hiram Sweet, of Sanborn, Iowa; Martha is the wife of William Page, of Garden Plain Township; Dewit and Etta are the youngest; one child is deceased.

Capt. George received his commission in the State militia of New Hampshire when 18 years of age.