DANIEL L. BEAR was born in Lehigh County, Pa., on the 2d of May, 1834, and has been a resident of Stephenson County since boyhood. He is the son of John Bear, native of Lehigh County, Pa. The grandfather was a native of Pennsylvania also. The great-grandfather and two brothers emigrated from Switzerland and settled in Lehigh County; afterward the two brothers went South and settled. About five years ago when the subject of this sketch was in Missouri, he accidentally met one of the descendants of one of these men, and from him obtained the only intelligence ever had of either of the brothers who settled in the South. The great-grandfather was a pioneer settler of Lehigh County. The grandfather was born in that county, spending his entire life there. He was the father of a large family, of whom Mr. Bear’s father was the oldest boy. He was born in Lehigh County, in 1794, where he grew to manhood. He came to Stephenson County overland with a pair of horses and one horse and carriage. He landed at Rock Grove where friends who had preceded had arranged for him a home, in which they lived until after hay cutting, when they removed to Long Hollow, where they resided in a neighbor’s house temporarily until they secured possession of a house he had bought in the spring, which they secured in the fall of 1842. There were two log cabins on the place, which were considered splendid residences in those days. This land was secured by saving a dollar, or fractions of a dollar, at a time, until he had accumulated $50, which he expended in entering the land. In 1849 he built a new house. The products of his farm were disposed of in and around Galena. On these marketing trips they would go from house to house selling flour. Most of the grain in those days was threshed by the tramping process. He remained upon the tract of land he first entered until the time of his death, which occurred in 1850. He was always a hard-working man. What means he had left in the East were lost to him through treachery of friends to whom he loaned money.

The subject of this sketch came to Stephenson County with his parents, and lived with them until his father’s death. In the summer of 1851 he worked on the Northwestern Railroad, near Freeport, but was compelled to return home in the fall on account of ma-larial diseases contracted. The wages he earned were paid to him in sums of $1 and $2 at a time, and it was a long time before he received all his money. During the following winter he was incapacitated from work on account of ague and other complications. In the spring of the next year he rented his father’s old home, his mother furnishing the money with which to purchase horses, wagons and other farm implements. At the expiration of four years he renewed the lease of this land for five years longer, but none other than a verbal contract was exacted of him. During this time he purchased the eighty acres on which he now resides, where he has continued to live since. By dint of industry and prudent economy, he has not only improved his land, but has from time to time added to it until he now possesses 438 acres, thirty-five of which is timber land.

On the 6th of May, 1858, Mr. B. was married to Susannah Wohlford, who was the daughter of George Wohlford, and was born on the 25th of March, 1836. The marriage ceremony was performed by Rev. Miller, at Cedarville. They have had six children, all living – Lucy Ann, Mrs. Potter; Aaron W., Peter D., Christian B., David G. and Jonathan H., the latter being twins.

The measure of success in life attained by Mr. Bear, considering the disadvantages and drawbacks which confronted him in his early career, is above the average. He and his family are members of the United Brethren Church, and politically, he espouses and maintains the principles of the Republican party.

Contributed by Carol Parrish from Portraits & Biographical 1888 Stephenson Co IL Pg 323