Whiteside County Biographies 1908
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Whiteside Biographies 1908 > Miletus S Heaton

History of Whiteside County, IL by W Davis, 1908
25 Oct 2006

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

Page 760

MILETUS S. HEATON

Miletus S. HEATON has now passed the seventy-seventh milestone on life's journey and, having retired from active business cares, is now living quietly in the enjoyment of well-earned ease, deriving his income from valuable property interests. He was born in Jefferson county, New York, February 2, 1831, his parents being Tertius and Almira (RIDER) HEATON, both of whom were natives of Vermont. The father was born in Montpelier and came of ancestry represented in the patriotic army in the Revolutionary war. He served his country as a soldier of the war of 1812, enlisting from New York. When not engaged in military duty he followed farming and won a fair measure of success for his day. His life was characterized by industry and perseverance and those qualities never fail to bring a good return. In early manhood he wedded Almira RIDER, a sister of Horatio  RIDER, who was also a soldier of the war of 1812. Both Mr. and Mrs. HEATON were devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal church and their lives were in constant harmony with their professions. The father was a whig in his political views until the organization of the republican party, when he joined its ranks. His death occurred in 1878 when he had reached the age of seventy-eight years, and his wife died in 1887 at the age of eighty-two years. Their family numbered five children, but our subject is the only one now living. Phineas R., the oldest, was born January 20, 1825, and died April 4, 1860; Orange G., born October 25, 1828, died July 24, 1865; Claudius B., born February 23, 1833, died May 19, 1841; Doreas F., born January 15, 1836, died in December, 1898.

No event of special important occurred to vary the routine of farm life for Miletus S. HEATON in his boyhood days. He attended the country schools and from the time of early spring planting until crops were harvested in the late autumn he worked in the fields, soon becoming familiar with  the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops. He continued farming in the east until the fall of 1855, when he arrived in Whiteside county, Illinois, and settled on a farm five miles northeast of Morrison in Mount Pleasant township. He bought the first ticket sold in Chicago by the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad from Chicago to Morrison on the 8th day of October, 1855.

After reaching this county, Mr. HEATON bent every energy toward the development and improvement of the farm, making it a valuable property, the fields being brought under a high state of cultivation, while large crops were annually gathered. He continued to cultivate and improve his tract of land of two hundred and twenty acres until 1884, when he came to Morrison, but still owns the farm. His property interests also include two hundred and sixty acres in Mount Pleasant township and a large tract of land, a part of which is now the manufacturing addition to Morrison. He has two residence properties in the city, one of which he occupies. He wisely made investment in property, securing some of the rich farming land of Illinois - of which there is none better to be found in the whole world.

On the 27th of February, 1861, Mr. HEATON married Miss Susanna E. CHURCHILL, a native of Clinton County, New York, born October 9, 1830. She belongs to a family that was represented in the revolutionary war, and on the paternal side is of Scotch and the maternal side of Irish descent. Her father, Joseph CHURCHILL, was born in Benson, Vermont, January 18, 1775, and died January 25, 1848. By occupation he was a farmer. He was married September 13, 1809, at Chazy, Clinton county, New York, to Susanna Bailey and soon after the Civil war they removed to Mooers in the same county, where Mr. CHURCHILL died. His wife was born in Windsor, Vermont, November 1, 1792. Her father died January 1, 1813, and her mother February 4, 1813, both dying of fever. In 1858 Mrs. CHURCHILL came with her family to Whiteside county, Illinois, passing away here at the home of our subject, Never\member 25, 1884. HJer children were as follows: Eliza A., born October 24, 1810, died October 29, 1829; Calista, born September 28, 1812, died November 8, 1833; Joshua B., born November 11, 1814, died March 6, 1815, Benjamin L., born February 7, 1816, died March 14, 1865 in the army; Jeremiah, born May 4, 1818, was captain of a vessel on Lake Huron and was drowned April 17, 1849; Joseph B., born June 23, 1820, was a soldier of the Civil war and died March 1, 1905; George W., born April 10, 1825, died October 7, 1904; Sylvester S., born November 6, 1827, died June 26, 1884; susanna E., wife of our subject, is the next of the family; and Charles C., born June 15, 1836, died July 22, 1887.

Mr. and Mrs. HEATON have one daughter, Nettie C., who was born in 1868 and is now the wife of William BOYD, son of John BOYD, in the employ  of the Libby, McNeill & Libby Milk concern. Mrs. HEATON belongs to the Presbyterian church and like her husband, is well known and highly esteemed socially. His political endorsement is given the republican party and he has held various township offices. He does not consider himself bound by party ties, however, and voted on one occasion for Bryan. His life has been one of signal usefulness and activity and he belongs to that class of representative men who do much to uphold the political and legal status of the community and to further its substantial development along other lines.

 

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