BIOGRAPHY - JOHN TALBOT
John Talbot, who resides on section 29, Lyman township, was born in Lancashire, England, June 28, 1851, his parents being William and Mary Talbot, both of whom passed away in that country. They had but two children; the brother of our subject being Thomas, a resident of Harvey, Illinois.
John Talbot acquired a common-school education and after the death of his parents emigrated to America in company with his aunt, a location being first made in Henry, Marshall county, Illinois. As his aunt was in limited financial circumstances he was hired out as a farm hand, being thus employed for fourteen years. On the expiration of that period he rented a farm on section 29, Lyman township, where he still resides and which he has rented for the past thirty-one years. He is also the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of valuable land on section 4, Lyman township, and is recognized as one of the prosperous and enterprising agriculturists of the county.
In January, 1877, Mr. Talbot was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary Heart, of Bureau county, Illinois, whose birth occurred in 1857 and whose parents, were Joseph and Harriet (Harvey) Heart, the former a native of England and the latter of Ohio. Joseph Heart emigrated to America in 1847, first locating in New Jersey, where he remained for two years, when he removed to Bureau county, Illinois, being there employed by the month at farm labor. Subsequently he was engaged in the operation of rented land in that county for two years, on the expiration of which period he came to Ford county, purchasing land from the Illinois Central Railroad Company. When he arrived here the county was nothing but swamp land, over which roamed deer and other wild game in great abundance. He now makes his home at Harvey, Illinois, having attained the age of seventy-three years, while his wife passed away in 1879. He made his home in Ford county until the year 1889, and is numbered among its honored pioneers, who aided in reclaiming a wild and uncultivated region for the purposes of civilization. His family numbers ten children, as follows: Mrs. Talbot; Fred, who resides in Iowa; Adeline, the wife of Walter Wickland, of Roberts, Illinois; Isabelle, who became the wife of Isaac Healer and makes her home in Kansas City, Missouri; Warren, of South Dakota; Joe, who lives in Alabama; Harvey, residing in New Mexico; George, also of South Dakota; Hattie, the wife of Harry Dillon, living in Iowa; and Helen, who makes her home with Mr. Talbot. Unto our subject and his wife have been born the following children: Thomas, living in Roberts; Joseph, at home; Warren, who is attending school at Urbana, Illinois; Walter J. and Elmer, both at home.
Mr. Talbot is a republican in his political views and is at present serving as school director, which office he has held for twenty years. He is also ditch commissioner and takes an active and helpful interest in all measures tending to promote the general welfare. Fraternally he is connected with the Woodmen lodge at Roberts and also with the Court of Honor, while both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. During the long period of their residence in this county they have gained an extensive circle of friends, and have, moreover, been active participants in the arduous toil which transformed the region from a barren and trackless waste into one of the richest agricultural districts of this great commonwealth.
Extracted 17 Oct 2016 by Norma Hass from History of Ford County, Illinois, From Its Earliest Settlement to 1908, author E. A. Gardner, Volume 2, pages 867-868.
