Person:Sarah Sargent (11)

1860 Census: Boston, SUFFOLK, MA, age 43, born NH.

1870 Census: Bloomington, MCLEAN, IL, 53, NH.

http://www.mchistory.org/popups/CemWalk%20Bios/Jackman_Sarah.html Sarah Farnum Sargent Jackman Sarah Farnum Sargent Jackman was born on December 18, 1816 in Boscawen, New Hampshire. She was the oldest of five children born to Isaac, (b. November 21, 1786, d. December 6, 1825) and Rebecca Merrill Farnum Sargent, (n.d.). Her family was one of the earliest settlers of the Massachusetts colony and the New Hampshire land grants. Her father died when she was nine years old in a barn raising accident. Her mother was left to raise five children and run the family farm by herself, which she did. Sarah went to school in Boscawen and then attended Salisbury Academy where she studied to become a teacher. She began teaching in Boscawen and Warner, New Hampshire, before she moved on to study more in Lowell, Massachusetts. She worked as an assistant teacher while attending school in Lowell around 1840. Her salary was $12 a month, which is the equivalent of about $254 in today's money. Sarah was a very eloquent writer, having written many letters in the early years of her life. She has been quoted to have said that she considered letter writing an art. She also contributed to the Offering, in Lowell, MA. The «i»Offering«/i» was the first magazine published by women in the United States, between 1841 and 1849. After completing her schoolwork in Lowell, she moved to Quincy, MA to continue teaching. While in Quincy, Sarah contributed poems frequently to various newspapers in the area, especially the Boston «i»Olive Branch«/i». After her marriage to John A. Jackman on November 22, 1843 in West Newton, MA, she gave up her ambitions of being a writer and devoted her life to her husband and raising a family. She and her husband John moved their family to Bloomington, Illinois in May 1864. The reason for the move was John was promoted to be the superintendent of the Chicago & Alton Railroad, which came through Bloomington. Sarah and John spent the rest of their lives in Bloomington at their home located at 507 West Locust Street, which they had purchased from the attorney William Holmes in 1873. Their home remained in their family for many years after their deaths. Sarah was also very active in community life in Bloomington. She was admired for her compassion and charity towards those who were less fortunate than she. Many who knew her said that she never turned anyone away who came to her door. Sarah was very active in public philanthropy. She was one of the promoters and charter members of the Bloomington Benevolent Association, which organized soon after the Civil War. She was even treasurer of this association for a short time. Because of her interest in books and literature, Sarah became heavily involved in the reorganization of the Bloomington Library Association. In 1867, because of her contributions and efforts for the library association, she was named as one of Board of Directors. She also served as Vice President of the library association from 1870 until her retirement in 1878. She had spent much of her own time and money to supply the library with whatever it needed. Sarah was one of the charter members of the Women's Educational Association at Wesleyan University in Bloomington. She was also instrumental in getting a place set aside in the Bloomington City Cemetery in "Memory of our unknown dead" during the city's 2«sup»nd«/sup» Decoration Day, (also known as The Unknown Soldier Monument). After her children were grown, Sarah began to focus more of her time on developing her artistic talents. She took up painting landscapes and portraits. She took oil painting lessons from a noted portrait painter, Albert Jenks of Chicago. She painted two portraits of her grandchildren and several other studies. These works were lost in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which destroyed the studio where she had worked. She liked to paint landscapes the most, but china painting was her best form. She painted many examples, some of which she left to members of her family. Sarah was very active up until the time of her death. She had been ill for several weeks before her death, having succumbed to an acute infection of the throat and lungs. She died on December 17, 1900 and is buried at the Jackman family plot next to her husband at Evergreen Memorial Cemetery in Bloomington.

1.   DAR Lineage Book. (Copy in Tuck Library, Concord, NH.)
   Vol 6, page 252, #5748, Caroline F. Jackman Kimball, 8 Sep 2006.