BIOGRAPHY - PETER PAPINEAU
PETER PAPINEAU, of Paxton, is numbered among the early settlers of Ford
County. He was born in Montreal, Canada, on the 20th of June, 1837, and is a
son of Joseph and Maria Papineau. Both of his parents were of French
extraction. The subject of this sketch is a self-made man, and whatever
success he has achieved in life is due entirely to his own efforts. He had
very limited school privileges, only attending until about eleven years of
age, and no special advantages of any kind. He remained under the parental
roof until seventeen years of age, when he left his father's home and
started out to earn his own livelihood. His choice of an occupation fell
upon the blacksmith's trade, and after learning that business, he followed
it for some years in his native land.
It was in 1857 that he came to the United States, and his first location was
made in Illinois. He became a resident of Kankakee, where he worked at his
trade for three years, and then went to Galena, Ill., where the succeeding
year of his life was passed. He then spent one year in St. Ann, and in 1863
we find him a resident of Ford County. He made a location in the city of
Paxton, and soon afterward erected a blacksmith shop and began business.
Since that time he has engaged in blacksmithing and carriage-making
continuously, and, being an expert workman, has secured a liberal patronage,
which he retains by his courteous treatment and earnest efforts to please
his patrons.
On the 6th of July, 1859, Mr. Papineau led to the marriage altar Miss
Caroline Beaugard, who is a native of Canada, and is also of French descent.
Their union has been blessed with a family of thirteen children, who, in
order of birth, are as follows: Peter, Edward, Charles, Josephine; George,
who died in infancy; Joseph, River, Reener, Arthur, John, Amy, Leo and
Loraine. The parents and the children are members of the Catholic Church,
and throughout Ford County the family is well and favorably known. Mr.
Papineau is an enterprising business man, who by his own efforts has made
his life a successful one. He is wide awake to the interests of the city,
faithfully performs all his duties of citizenship, and is well worthy of
representation in this volume.
Extracted 14 Dec 2017 by Norma Hass from Portrait and Biographical Record of Ford County, Illinois, published in 1892, pages 217-218.
