Lucas, Martin MAGA © 2000-2014
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BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF CASS, SCHUYLER and BROWN COUNTIES, Illinois - 1892

Chicago: Biographical Review Publishing Co.

Page 155

NEWTON LUCAS, a resident of Pea Ridge township, was born in what is now Cooperstown township, December 11, 1838. His father, D. R. Lucas, was one of the pioneers of Brown county, born in Butler county, Ohio, March 21, 1810. His father, John Lucas, was born September 7, 1760, in Virginia, and was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. He was taken prisoner by the Indians and by them taken to Kentucky and Ohio. He was pleased with the country, and after the close of the war located in Kentucky, but failed to secure a good title to his land and lost it, and then went to that part of Ohio now included in Butler county, secured a large tract of land in the Miami bottom, improved a farm, residing there until his death June 15, 1836. His wife's name was Jemima Robbins, who was born November 19, 1768, who died on the home farm, November 22, 1831, aged sixty-three years. She was the mother of twelve children. Daniel Robbins Lucas was raised in his native county, but when a young man went to Indiana and commenced the study of medicine.

In January, 1836, he came to Mt. Sterling, Illinois, and commenced to practice his profession. He also engaged in teaching and in the mercantile and lumber business. About 1843 he purchased land in Lee township, and resided there the greater part of the time until his death, which occurred January 26, 1884. His wife's name was Sarah Ann Keith, to whom he was married in 1836; she was born in Hardin county, Kentucky, December 14, 1817, and died March 22, 1890. She was the mother of twelve children; their names are: William, Newton, Martha, Ann (now dead), Mary E., George W., Henry C., (now dead), John H., Ethan A., Helen A. (now dead), Daniel W., Benjamin F., James E. Three dead and nine living, seven of whom live in the county, one, B. F. lives in Colorado. I. E. lives in Missouri. Newton received his earlier education in the pioneer schools which were held in the log houses with furniture of the most primitive kind, where the teacher boarded around among the scholars; as soon as he was large enough to manage a yoke of oxen he worked upon the farm. He caught the Pike's Peak fever in the spring of 1860, went across the plains in an ox wagon to the Rocky Mountains, returned in July of same year. He met with an accident December 25, 1860, while cutting a tree for firewood; in trying to get out of the way of some falling limbs, the tree struck and crushed his hip, making a cripple of him for life. He was appointed route agent on mail route from Clayton, Illinois, to Keokuk, Iowa, in 1864, but after some two months' service resigned; taught school during the winter of 1862-'63 at what is now Fargo, in this county; taught at Ashland, Adams county, during the winter of 1869-'70; remained with his parents until he was married in 1865; then farmed and operated a saw mill until the spring of 1871, when he moved to Scotland county, Missouri, and operated a saw mill for three years; then moved to Memphis, Missouri, and went into the hay business with his brother for two years; moved back to Brown county, Illinois, engaged in farming and running a sawmill; operated a sawmill on Sangamon river bottom during the winter of 1880-'81; moved to Mt. Sterling in the spring of 1882, and operated a steam thresher, lived there until December, 1883; then bought the farm he now lives upon; owns 220 acres; farm is well improved and has good buildings; the house he built himself.

In politics he is a Republican; cast his first ballot for Abraham Lincoln for president, and Richard Yates for governor; has always been a Republican; and was a delegate to the Republican State Convention, May 4, 1892.

August 29, 1865, he married Barbara Frank, who was born in Davison county, North Carolina, February 21, 1842, daughter of William and Sarah (Winkler) Frank. Mr. and Mrs. Lucas have three children: Minnie S., William D., Ruth R. Minnie is the wife of Henry L. Lee and has two children; they live in Maxwell City, New Mexico.


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