JAMES N. RIGG, of the firm of Rigg & Smith, merchants of Camden, one of the well known pioneers of Brown county, settled in 1869 at Camden. He was born in Anderson county, Kentucky, January 18, 1826, being a son of Richard and Margaret (Utterback) Rigg, natives of Virginia. Each removed with their respective families to Kentucky, where they were married. In 1831 they emigrated to Illinois and settled in what is now Brown county, but was then a part of Schuyler. Mr. Richard Rigg purchased land near Mount Sterling, and entered land, and then became the owner of 400 acres of land on which he made many improvements. His death occurred in 1879, aged eighty-four years. His wife died in 1877, aged eighty-four years. They were members of the Baptist Church, of which Mr. Rigg was a Deacon. He had already made money when he started farming in Illinois, and added to his fortune in this State. He and his wife had three sons and four daughters: Elizabeth, married to John B. Ausmus, deceased; Susan A., married to J. P. Singleton, of Mount Sterling; Eliza married James A. Parker, who died in Brown county; James N.; Peter, a farmer; and John J. died in Brown county. By a former marriage Richard had two children, William T. and Sarah.
James was only five years of age when the family came to Illinois. He was reared on the farm and resided there until he grew to manhood, attending school in the log schoolhouses of the section, where the teaching was as rude as the furniture. After his marriage James purchased a farm in Brown county, and continued on it until he came to Camden in 1869, when he sold his farm of 160 acres and with his father-in-law, Willis Watts, engaged in general merchandising in Camden, under the firm name of Watts & Rigg, and continued business for ten years. Mr. Rigg continued alone some years, until 1881, when the cyclone passed through the town; his store and dwelling-house were badly injured, and his family were badly hurt. He subsequently associated with his son-in-law in business, under the firm name of Rigg & Donnell. This firm continued two years. At the end of that time his present partner purchased an interest in the business, and the name was changed to Rigg & Smith.
He was married in 1849, to Emily I. Watts. (For family history see history of Dr. B. P. Watts.) Mr. and Mrs. Rigg have five children: John J., of Keokuk, Iowa; Richard W. is a physician of Pulaski, Illinois; Francis M. is in the insurance business at Quincy, Illinois; Olie married John Donnell, a farmer of Iowa; and Gertrude, at home.
In politics he is a Democrat. He has been Supervisor of Camden township, until he declined to accept the office, and during this time was chairman of the Board of Supervisors of Schuyler county for four consecutive years. He has held many of the offices of the township. He has been Justice of the Peace for seven years, and been prominent in local politics, frequently having been a delegate of the county and district conventions. Mr. Rigg is a member of the Baptist Church, and his wife of the Christian Church. He has devoted his attention to merchandise, and is one of the oldest merchants in the county. He and his wife are respected throughout the county, where they are well known, and Mr. Rigg is regarded as a reliable, honest business man.