Person:Harriet Polk (2)

Harriet Wilmot age 50, washerwoman, b. KY with Simeon Wilmot entry.

Independence,
House 8 Family 8
Harriett Redden age 39, black b. MD
Isaac age 20, mulatto, b. IL
Mary age 1, mulatto, b. IL
Nancy age 8, black, b. IL
Jane age 3, black, b. IL
James Redden Extended Family (includes Josephus) is House 6; Assa & Lettecia Redden are House 7; Stephen & Vashti Redden are House 9.

Josephus Redden.
The ancestors of Mr. Redden were former residents of the state of Maryland. His grandfather, James Redden, moved from there to Kentucky, of which state he was among the earliest settlers. He lived in Bracken County. He subsequently removed to Illinois, and settled on Big Creek in Edgar County. He had eight children, of whom the father of Josephus, also named James Redden, was the second, and was probably born in Kentucky. In Illinois he married Becky Walters, who lived wither on Big Creek, or in Crawford county. He had seven children, Josephus, Jacob, John, Eliza, Mary Jane, James and Sarah. Of these James and John are the only ones deceased.
Josephus Redden, the oldest of the children, was born in Edgar County, Illinois, on Big Creek, on the 22nd of November, 1829. He was about two years old when his father and grandfather removed with their families to the upper part of Coles County as it then was. The grandfather lived on the spot now occupied by the residence of Josephus Redden, and his father some distance to the west. Most of their land was bought second-handed. At that early day there were but few schools. The children of the first settlers had few opportunities for securing an education. Josephus went to school, however, a short time when he was from ten to fifteen years of age. Although he had but little schooling, he was early initiated into the mysteries of hard work, and learned the lessons which have been the foundation of his subsequent success in life. He worked at home until after he had attained his maturity.
On the 28th of February, 1849 his marriage occurred to Miss Emily Shelton, a native of Ohio, who parents had emigrated to Coles county, when she was eleven years of age. She was born July 20, 1829. Neither Mr. or Mrs. Redden were twenty years old at the time of their marriage. For about two years Mr. Redden remained with his father, and kept house for him. His mother died, meanwhile, of consumption, and on his father marrying again, Mr. Redden moved on a place of rented land and began farming for himself. He lived on rented land until after the war, when he came into the possession of ninety acres from the estate of his father. He has since gradually bettered his condition. As soon as he could command sufficient capital he began stock feeding which he has carried on with success. He has now about six hundred acres of land.
Mr. Redden has been a quiet, unobtrusive citizen, held in high esteem by his neighbors and those with whom he has had business relations. He has generally been a Republican in politics. He has had five children, the oldest, Elizabeth Jane, the next Enoch Howe, and then John William, Sarah Ellen and Charles Albin. Of these John William died on the 16th of April, 1861, when nearly six years old. Elizabeth Jane married George M. Grace, and after the death of her husband was married again to Henry Daniels. Enoch Howe lives three miles south on a farm belonging to his father. Sarah Ellen is the wife of John W. Burget, living in the same township. Mr. Redden's career, like that of most of the prominent citizens of Douglas county, has been that of a self-made man. He began life with nothing. He was not afraid of work, and his position is the result of diligent, unremitting toil in the face of great difficulties. Mrs. Redden has been sick much of the time since their marriage, and this has been an additional obstacle to their progress. A view of Mr. Redden's residence, on section twenty-three, township fifteen, range ten, can be seen among our lithographic illustrations.

Camargo Township House 229 Family 240 (other family in this house is white)
Simeon Wilmot b. 1816 64 yrs. Farmer b. KY parents b. KY
Harriett age 69 Keeping House she and parents b. MD
Walter Curby 19 no relation in law Farm laborer b. IL Father b. TN Mother b. IL
Sarah Stewart 8 granddaughter at home b. IL Father b. IN Mother b. IL

Simeon Wilmot, single man of Mattoon in Coles County for $159 to John Baxter of Murdock County of Douglas: 7 acres off North side of 10 acres deeded by H. Rutherford to F. M. Friend: begins NW corner Lot 4 of NW quarter Sec. 2 T15N R9E then S 00 degrees 20' E 16.20 chains then S 89 degrees 55' W 6.17 chains to beginning containing 10 acres which said 7 acres is located in the NW corner of Lot No. 4 of the NW quarter of Sect. 2 T15N R9E signed Geo. P. Ramsey, Notary 15 Oct 1886 Filed 18 Oct 1886