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 448-450; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
John H. Breeden, M. D., is prominent not only as one of
the leading physicians of the county, but as one of its most successful
financiers and business men, who has became wealthy by judicious
investments, and is one of the largest landholders in this part of
Illinois. He has not only been very active in developing the
agricultural and other interests of the county, but as a valued
minister in the Christian Church and as a man of pure character and
earnest purpose, he has been very influential in elevating its social,
moral and religious status.
Dr. Breeden was born in Sullivan County, Ind., November 18,
1834. His father, Lewis Breeden, was a native of Fayette County, Ky.,
born October 15, 1811. His father, Elijah Breeden, was a native of
Shelby County, Ky. The great-grandfather of our subject was born in
England and came to America and settled in Virginia previous to the
Revolution. He was engaged as a farmer and when the Colonists fought
for independence he entered the Continental army and did good service.
His wife, a patriotic woman, sat up nights and moulded bullets for the
soldiers in the fort near by. He finally moved to Shelby County, and
was one of the very first settlers of Kentucky. He took up land,
cleared a farm from the woods, and in his pioneer home he and his wife
reared a family of six boys and one girl, and there died at a ripe old
age.
The grandfather of our subject was reared in Shelby County, and after
attaining his majority he moved to Monroe County, Ind., of which he
thus became an early pioneer. He remained there several years and then
returned to Kentucky. A few years later he started out again with a
team and wagon, and made his way through the wilderness to Clark
County, Ill., and then took up his residence in Galena. From there he
went to Pike County, and spent the remnant of his life with the father
of our subject, dying when more than sixty years old. In early manhood
he had married Elizabeth Simpson, who was likewise of Kentucky birth.
She lived to be over fifty years old and died in Pike County, this
State. She was the mother of eleven children, nine of whom grew to
maturity, namely: Elizabeth F., Louis, John, Lucy, Preston, Fanny,
Simpson, Bland B., and William.
The father of our subject was eight years old when he
accompanied his parents from their old Kentucky home to the wilds of
Indiana. He attended the pioneer schools of both States at different
times and can well remember the rude log schoolhouses made of logs with
slab benches and wooden pins inserted into the slabs for legs, and with
a large open fireplace across one whole end of the building, and
greased paper instead of glass in the windows.
Our subject was married in Indiana and came thence to Clark
County, this State, with his parents. He afterwards became a resident
of Pike County in 1839, and purchased land there. He was among the
early settlers of that place and owned and improved several fine farms
in Pike County. In 1856 he sold out and moved to Mason County, where he
farmed eight years. He took up his abode in Bath, Ill. and thence went
to Hancock County, where he lived four years. We next hear of him in
McPherson County, Kan., where he bought eighty acres of land which he
tilled nearly two years. Coming back to this county he located in
Summum, Woodland Township, and now lives with our subject. He has been
a stanch member of the Christian Church for forty years and politically
has been a Democrat all his life.
Mr. Breeden married Anna Hendy who was born in Tioga County, N.
Y., May 18, 1809. They became the parents of seven children, named as
follows: John H., Lucinda, James, Amanda, (Mrs. Sawyer), Orrin H.,
Phoebe A. (Mrs. Renshaw), and Louisa. The mother of our subject is a
welcome inmate of his home. She has been a tried and true
member of the Christian Church for over forty years.
Samuel Hendy, the maternal grandfather of our subject was born
in New York. He was a farmer and boatman and followed the latter
calling on the Susquehanna and Wabash Rivers a good deal of the time.
He removed to Indiana, and later to Clark County, Ill., but finally
went back to the Hoosier State, where he died at the age of sixty-five
years. He was Captain of a company in the War of 1812. His father, John
Hendy, was born in England and came to America before the Revolution,
he and his bride having run away from home and crossed the water to get
married, and were united in New York City after their arrival. He was
twice married, his last wife having been the great-grandmother of our
subject. His first wife was Phoeba Burr, and she was a sister of the
noted Aaron Burr. He was quite an extensive farmer near Elmira, N. Y.,
where he owned over four hundred acres of land. He died at the
venerable age of eighty-five years.
The subject of this sketch was only six years old when he
accompanied his parents to Pike County, this State. His boyhood days
were spent amid primitive pioneer surroundings and he laid the
foundation of his education in a log schoolhouse. He had to assist in
the farm work as soon as he was large enough to be of any use. When
twenty years of age he became a student at the Wesleyan University at
Bloomington, Ill., for one term, paying his own way with the $80 which
he had earned. Immediately after leaving school he began to teach, and
was thus engaged in the district school the ensuing six months.
At the expiration of that time the Doctor was married and he and
his wife began their wedded life on a farm in Mason County, where they
remained one year. He devoted much of his spare time to reading medical
works, as he was much interested in all that pertained to his
profession, and he subsequently attended medical lectures in Chicago.
He taught school during the winter that he might procure money to
defray his expenses. He was unable to graduate with his class on
account of the illness of his wife, but was given a certificate
entitling him to graduation. After leaving college our subject located
at Summum, March 2, 1858, and has resided here ever since. He has
practiced medicine continuously and in the course of time has built up
an extensive and lucrative practice. He has bought land from time to
time till now he owns over one thousand acres, six hundred and
forty-one acres of which are in Pleasant Township, and the remainder in
Woodland Township. He has superintended the cultivation of his land and
its improvement a part of the time, but of late years has been so much
occupied by his professional work and his other duties that he has
rented it.
Dr. Breeden and Miss Sarah A. Stoner were united in marriage
March 6, 1856. Mrs. Breeden was born in Clermont County, Ohio, May 25,
1833. Her marriage with our subject has been productive to them of
three children all of whom are living: Harvey O., Louis C., and Dolly
V. Mrs. Breeden is a daughter of Joseph Stoner, who was born in
Pennsylvania in 1795. He removed to Clermont County, Ohio, when a young
man and was a pioneer farmer and brickmason of that part of the
country. He was Colonel of a militia regiment in that county. In 1835
he came to Illinois and was among the first settlers of Brown County.
He is quite well-to-do in this world's goods and owned and farmed over
five hundred acres of land. He died at the age of fifty-seven years. In
politics he was a decided Democrat. He married Margaret Fred who was
born in Virginia and she died at the age of fifty-seven years. She was
the mother of ten children, of whom eight grew to maturity. Her father,
George Fred, was a native of Virginia and a farmer by occupation. He
died there at the early age of thirty years, and thus a good and useful
citizen was lost to his community. The maiden name of his wife was
Sarah Woodford. Shortly after the death of her husband she moved in
1805 in a wagon over the mountains to Clermont County, Ohio, and was
one of the first settlers of that county. She came to Brown County,
Ill., in the year 1835, with the parents of Mrs. Breeden and died at
the age of sixty-five years. She was a good Methodist and a true
Christian.
Philip Stoner, Mrs. Breeden's paternal grandfather, was born in
Germany, and after coming to America settled on a farm in Pennsylvania.
Later he became a pioneer of Clermont County, Ohio, and farmed there
till his death, which occurred in middle life. He married Sarah Ringer,
who was of German descent and she died in Ohio at the venerable age of
ninety-two years.
Dr. Breeden is one of the foremost members of the Christian
Church and his life is an exemplification of the faith which he
professes. He and his wife have been active in the church for many
years, he having united himself with it in 1856 and she in 1859. In
June, 1866, Dr. Breeden was inspired to preach the doctrines of his
church, and has done so more or less ever since in the surrounding
neighborhood. His work as a minister has been greatly blessed; he has
held some very successful revival meetings and through his untiring
efforts eight hundred accessions have been made to the church.
Politically the Doctor has been a Democrat nearly all his life till two
years ago, since which time he has allied himself with the Prohibition
party.
