“James Boyd was born September 10, 1825, in Shelby county, Kentucky. His father, Stephen Boyd, was born in same county. (See portrait and sketch of father elsewhere in this issue.) His mother was Jemima Kitson, also a native of Kentucky. James, subject of this sketch, was only six years old when he came to this county in November, 1831, with his father. He was subjected to the hardships of pioneer life thus early in his career, and made of him that hardy and substantial man the portrait above indicates. At the age of 22, to-wit, august 19, 1847, young James married Miss Frances Rhodes, who shared his burdens and partook of his joys until March 22, 1864, when she died. August 17, 1864, he married Mary Ann Collins; who died the following winter. August 5, 1866, he married Caroline Turnipseed, who is his present wife. Thus he was married three times in August. His children are John W., William M., Jemima, who married M. M. Harry, of this city; Sarah, who married H. Strover, now of Bloomington, Ill.; Anna, Frank and Florence, are living at home, the eldest being 17 the youngest 13 years old. Alfred, Stephen and George are dead. James received early impressions and education which made him a democrat until 1856. He says he voted for james Buchanan in 1856 and shortly afterward solemnly declared he would never vote a democratic ticken again. He kept his word, voting for Abraham Lincoln in 1860 and in 1864, and for the republican candidates ever since. He owns a well improved farm three miles east of Urbana, and has followed all his life his present occupation, that of a farmer. His farm is clear of encumbrances and he owes no many anything. Like his father before him, he prides himself in keeping his contracts to the letter, thus building up the reputation he has among those who know him of a square business man and good citizen.”320, pg 30

“...I mention also others who died within a few years after coming here, as follows: James Brownfield, brother of John, and father of Robert. Thomas Rolland, father of Mrs. Wm. I. Moore of Danville. isaiah Corray, father of Elisha. John Truman, the ancestor of those remaining of that name. William Boyd, the grandfather of James Boyd...”320, pg 113

Old Settlers Meeting - Crystal Lake Park, June 28, 1883
“J. O. Cunningham invited the old settlers who had been residents for fifty years and over to come forward, and J. F. Scroggin, the photographer, would take a photograph of them. Those who came forward were Silas Johnson, Rev. A. Bradshaw, F. J. Busey, M. E. Busey, David Swearingen, Eleazer Freeman, James Brownfield, Edward Ater, Mrs. W. I. Moore, Mrs. L. B. Gunn, James W. Boyd, Nathan Haline, James Kirby, J. C. Johnson, Harrison Heater, Mrs. Malinda Bryan and Mrs. Emily Scott....”320, pg 124

“Shemauger told another early settler (James W. Boyd, who died many years since), or in his hearing, that many years before there came in this country a heavy fall of snow, the depth of which he indicated by holding his ramrod horizontally above his head, and said that many wild beasts, elk, deer and buffalo, perished under the snow. To this fact within his knowledge, he attributed the presence of many bones of animals then seen by the prairies.”321, pg 642-43

“During the Black Hawk War, and before the passage through the country of the volunteers from Indiana and the Wabash country, many wild reports of Indian depredations nearby, and the reports that histiles were encamped as near as on the Sangamon River and at the Mink Grove, spread from cabin to cabin through the country, and made a general stampede from he country imminent. Like reports of threatened danger were rife amonng the Sangamon settlers; but in their case the supposed hostiles were camped lower down the river, near the Piatt settlement. so great was the alarm in the latter case that all gathered at the cabin of Jonathan Maxwell, where the men made defensive preparations against the apprehended attack. [The study of this affair was told the writer by James W. Boyd, then a child at his father’s house.]”321, pg 643

James W. Boyd came to Champaign County in 1831 (along with his father, Stephen, and grandfather, William) and settled Sections 9 and 10.321,320