History of Macon County, Illinois.  With Illustrations Descriptive Of 
Its Scenery, and Biographical Sketches of some of its Prominent Men and 
Pioneers.  Published by Brink, McDonough & Co., Phildelphia, 1880.  
Reproduced through efforts of The Decatur Genealogical Society, 1972. 
pp. 201-202 [Unknown County].

DR. ROBERT F. CARR is the eldest of a family of six children.  He was 
born in Sussex county, New Jersey, May 13th, 1832.  The Carr family are 
of English ancestry on the paternal side and Irish on the maternal.  
David Carr, the father, was also a native of the same state, and lived 
and died upon the place where he was born and raised.  He was a farmer 
by occupation.  He died in 1865.  He married Elizabeth Ferrier.  She was 
born in Orange county, New York.  She died in 1879.  By a former 
marriage, Mr. Carr had two children.  They were born to Daniel and 
Elizabeth Carr six children, three sons and three daughters, all of whom 
have survived the parents.
        The subject of this sketch, while yet in his youth, met with an 
accident which had the effect of rendering him a cripple for life.  Not 
being able to perform physical labor, owing to his crippled condition, 
he was forced to adopt some profession.  He chose that of medicine.  
While at school he received sufficient education to fit him for 
teaching, and with money earned in this way, he managed to enter the 
academy at Goshen, New York, and there improved his education.  While 
there he also read the standard text books on medicine, and in 1853, he 
entered the Albany Medical College, at Albany, New York, and took three 
courses, and graduated from that institution in 1855, with the degree of 
M. D.  In the spring of 1856, he came West, to Illinois, and commenced 
the practice of his profession in Friend's Creek township, Macon county, 
and continued here with great success until 1866, when he removed to 
Decatur, the county seat. He remained there in the practice for three 
years, when he returned to Friend's Creek, where he has continued to the 
present.  After his return here the second time, he added a stock of 
drugs, and a general line of goods.  Dr. Carr belongs to the regular 
school of medicine, and is progressive, and keeps fully abreast with the 
times and new discoveries in the healing art.
        On the 8th of April, 1858, he was united in marriage to Miss Emily 
Smych.  She is a native of Macon county, Illinois.  Her parents were 
originally from Kentucky.  Seven children have been the fruits of this 
union - four boys and three girls - all of them yet beneath the parental 
roof.  Politically the Doctor is a member of the democratic party.  His 
first presidential vote was cast for Stephen A. Douglas, in 1860.  He 
has been an ardent supporter of the party ever since.  He is not a 
member of any church organization, nor does he subscribe to any of its 
formulted creeds, but believes in doing to others as he would have other 
do unto him, and believes that in that is contained the genuiness of 
true religion.  The life of the subject of this sketch presents another 
evidence of the value of pluck and will-power.  He started in life under 
adverse circumstances, with no money or influential friends to help him 
up and over the rugged places in the race of life; handicapped with 
physical infirmities, and distressed with financial troubles, owing 
money for his medical tuition.  Under these circumstances he came West, 
and started in the business of his life.  He has been successful, not in 
the accumulation of great riches, but in obtaining sufficient of this 
world's goods to render him comfortable in his declining years.  His 
success is due to his industry, economy, and indomitable will-power.  
Among his neighbors and friends who have known him for a quarter of a 
century, all accord him the reputation of a good physician and an 
upright citizen.

Carr Ferrier Smych
=
Decatur-Macon-IL Friend's_Creek-Macon-IL Orange-NY Sussex-NJ

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/unknown/carr.rf.txt