Following is one of the Biographies and Stories which where gathered by Charles Sumner McKamy in the 1950s for publication in a Crawford County History Book. Unfortunately he passed away before the book was published.
The History of Crawford County would be lacking indeed if it contained no mention of the Guyer family, which has numbered among its members some of the finest citizens the County has ever produced. The first trace available of the Guyer family is that John and Abigail Guyer lived in Charles, North Carolina, and they had three sons who came to Crawford County in 1813. These three sons were Jesse, Exum and Aaron. Jesse was the oldest of the three boys and was married when he arrived in Illinois and he located on an 80 acre tract of land which was later the residence of George Raines, and Jesse is now buried in the Draper Cemetery. Exum Guyer was married Susie Conrad and located on the place which was later the residence of Will Guyer, and Exum Guyer was the great-grandfather of Reverend Lee Guyer, still living. Exum had six children, named William, Axum, John, Aaron, Matilda and Abraham. Axum Guyer was the father of Henry, Franklin, Ellen, Melissa, Jane and Eliza. Henry Guyer, the son of Axum, was the father of Reverend Lee Guyer, Harry, Murray, Raymond and Stanley. Murray Guyer, the son of Henry Guyer, is the same Murray Guyer who served this County so efficiently as Circuit Clerk. Aaron, who was the youngest of the three boys who came to Crawford County, was married to Elizabeth Willard, also known as Polly Willard, and he settled across the road South from the place known as Nathan Musgraves. Aaron too, is buried in the Draper Cemetery.
The descendants of John and Abigail Guyer, who apparently were the ancestors of most of the Guyers who settled in the Middle West, through their descendants have made a wonderful contribution to the citizenry of Crawford County and this part of the State. Their descendants have occupied places of honor and trust in the religious, political and industrial activities in this part of the Country, and the records they have made in the various positions they have filled and places where they have lived, serve as an everlasting monument to a sturdy upright strain of fine American citizens.