Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County,
Illinois: containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of
prominent and representative citizens of the county: together with
portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States,
and governors of the state; Biographical Pub. Co., Chicago, IL; 1890;
page 373-374; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Rufus K. Bohannon. Among the men who are actively
advancing the stock-raising interests of Illinois, stands our subject,
who occupies a leading position among the farmers and stock-growers of
Bernadotte Township. He has some horses, cattle and hogs of standard
grade that are as fine as are to be found in the State. He is a son of
James E. Bohannon, who was born in Tennessee, in the year 1818. He
married there Eliza H. Byrd, who was also a native of that State, and
was born in 1814. She is now dead; her death occurring in the month of
September, 1867, near Lebanon, Mo. The father is still living in his
old home in Tennessee.
Our subject was the sixth son of ten children, and was born
January 7, 1852. He began life for himself in 1871, as a farmer in
middle Georgia. He resided there one year and then took up his
residence in middle Tennessee, where he lived about eight months.
During his stay there he suffered a severe fracture of the ankle. He
subsequently came to Fulton County, and resided with his brother, T. O.
Bohannon, three months. At the expiration of that time he established
himself on a farm near Table Grove, and remained there two months. His
next venture was to engage with J. B. Cattron in farming in Pleasant
Township. He was with him about eleven months when he married his
daughter, Rachael T. She was born December 5, 1854. The maiden name of
her mother was Nancy Smith.
Immediately after his marriage, our subject rented the old
homestead of his father-in-law, Mr. Cattron, and was actively engaged
in its management three years. At the end of that time he rented a farm
of one hudnred and twenty acres near Ipava, for one year. He next
rented a farm of his father-in-law, and carried it on two years.
After that our subject tried ranching it in Texas, near
Dallas--his father-in-law having made him and his wife a present of a
ranch of eight hundred and forty acres, and for one year he was engaged
in the stock business there. He made many improvements on the place,
building a house and fences, and otherwise putting the ranch in good
order. A year later he was obliged to leave there on account of his
wife's health, as the climate did not agree with her. On his return he
made his father a visit in Tennessee. After he came back here in 1883
he bought one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 23, Bernadotte
Township, where he has since resided. He has cleared about one hundred
acres of heavy brush, doing the most of the work himself. He has built
a neat one and one-half story house, 20x26 feet in dimension, with an
"L" of the same proportions, and he has erected a large barn 64x48
feet, and 24 feet high on the main corners, with a capacity of forty
tons of hay. He has as fine a herd of horses as is to be found in the
State. He has four brood mares, two of them one-fourth, and the others
three-fourths Percheron Norman. He has also of the same breed a pair of
beautiful seven-eights twin colts, three months old, as nearly perfect
as can be; two beautiful three-fourths colts, and one seven-eighths,
three month old, valued at $100. His favorite breed in cattle is the
Durham, and of these he has twenty head of milch cows, one very fine
bull, fifteen spring calves, and thirty-two steers, the most of which
he raised himself. He has seventy-five Poland-China hogs of high grade,
and his farm is one of the best stocked in the vicinity.
Our subject has a pleasant home, and his family consists of
himself, his amiable wife, and their three boys, of whom the following
is the record: Freddie C., was born January 22, 1876; William K., March
29, 1882; David W., September 16, 1887.
Our subject is a man of high Christian principles and tries to
live up to the Golden Rule. He is one of the most consistent and
exemplary Christians in the community, is a prominent member of the
Free Methodist Church, and is very active in all religious works. He is
Class Leader in his church, and is a regular attendant at
Sunday-school. He sets an example as to how a true Christian should act
in his daily walk and conversation. About eight years ago he adopted
the principle of giving one-tenth of his income to the cause of Christ,
and still continues the practice. He is a Prohibitionist in politics
and principles, is temperate in all things, and is rearing his children
to be the same. In all the relations of life he has been true to
himself and others. He was filial and obedient toward his parents,
never giving them a rude or unkind word: and as a husband and father he
is devoted and tender.
