Person:Thomas Humphreys (5)

Taken from Portrait and Biographical Albums of Vermilion County, Illinois published by Chapman Brothers, Chicago, Illinois 1889, copyrighted by Chapman Brothers 1885.

Thomas B. Humphreys - Few men in Ross Township are more widely known than this honorable pioneer and none are more generally respected. He is a man plain in speech and manners, contented with plain and comfortable surroundings, but a thorough and skillful farmer and owns 200 acres of the most valuable and fertile land in the vicinity. Under his careful management it produces in abundance the rich crops of the Prairie State, yielding to the proprietor a generous income and enabling him like Longfellows "Blacksmith" to look the whole world in the face as not owing any man. The paternal grandfather of Thomas B. Humphreys was named John Humphreys. He was a native of North Carolina where it is supposed he was married and reared his family and where indoubledly his son, Jonathan B., the father of Thomas B. was born. When Jonathan B. was reared to man's estate he was married about 1815 to Miss Nancy Johnston and to them there was born one child, a daughter Deborah, before their removal to the North. About 1817 they changed their location to Harrison County, Indiana settling on a tract of land in the woods and where their son, Thomas B. was born June 27, 1818. It was probably four years later, about 1822, when they removed from Harrison to Putnam County, Indiana settling in the heavy timber where the chief amusement of Thomas B. in his boyhood was picking up and burning brush, alternated occasionally with the recreation of fishing. He assisted his father in the clearing of the farm at a time when bears and wolves roamed through the forest, and the latter often made night hideous near the cabin of the pioneers. The mother of the family spun and wove wool and flax and manufactured most of their clothing. In his boyhood Thomas much of the time wore leather breeches made from the skins of deer. His first pair of boots were purchased when he was nearly a man grown for $2.50. Prior to this the father had made the shoes worn by the family. The Indians had not then left Putnam County and were frequently seen skulking through the forest stealing when they could but offering no particular molestation to the family. Jonathan, the father of Thomas, died in Putnam County, Indiana about 1832. He had prior to this time come to this county and purchased a farm, building upon it a log house for future occupancy but upon returning to his family was soon afterward seized with the fatal illness which terminated in his death. The mother and children then remained in Indiana until the latter were nearly grown, then coming to this county in 1838. A few years later the mother died leaving five children namely Deborah, Thomas B, Barbara A, Mary J and Margaret B, of whom three are living (at time this was published). She and her husband were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The old home farm of the Humphreys family was in Blount Township. this county from which they hauled their grain and drove their stock to Chicago to market. Sometimes they would drive their hogs to Wabash, Indiana and have them slaughtered there, receiving two and one half to three and one half cents a pound. Thomas B. Humphreys was married in Danville, Illinois, this county in 1842 to Miss Rachel, daughter of Albert Cossart one of the earliest pioneers of this county. Of this union there was born four sons, Albert, now a resident of Barber County, Kansas (at the time this was printed) and Samuel, who operates the home farm (also at the time this was printed), James who died September 6, 1854 and Jonathan who died September 12, 1858. Mrs. Rachel Humphreys, who was born May 12, 1816, departed this life on December 12, 1877. She was a lady possessing many excellent qualities and was a consistent member of the Christian Church. Mr. Humphreys has 160 acres in the homestead proper, besides forty acres of timber formerly belonging to the old home farm of his father. He has given to each of his sons a part of his original purchase. The home of Mr. Humphreys is one to which the people of the neighborhood love to resort. Although making no pretentions to style or elegance there is about the dwelling an air of comfort and hospitality which invariably goes to the heart.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 BaberFamilyTree.org.
2.   Wilsie Humphreys Alexander. Humphreys Family History.
   Image:Humphreys Family History.pdf