HILL, AMASA was born two and half miles from Friendship, Allegany county, New York, July 1, 1830. His grandfather Hill, a pioneer of Allegany county, and a farmer by occupation, died in 1832. His father, Nathaniel Hill, was born in Delaware County, New York; removed from there to Allegany county, bought a tract of timber land, and from the wilderness developed a farm. He spent his life there, and died in 1838. The maiden name of the wife of Nathaniel Hill and the mother of Amasa was Rhoda Tiffney. She was born in Delaware county, New York, daughter of Horace Tiffney. She came to Illinois, and died at the home of her son, Amasa, in 1875. Mr. and Mrs. Hill reared four children: Chancey, Horace, Mary and Amasa. Chancey now lives at Fredericktown, Knox county, Ohio, Horace and Mary are deceased.

The subject of our sketch attended the primitive schools of Allegany county, which were held in log schoolhouses, with greased paper for windows and the seats made of slabs with wooden pins for legs. When he was nine years old his mother sold the farm, his father having died the previous year, and emigrated to Ohio, the western journey being made in a two-horse wagon. They settled in Knox county. There were no railroads in Ohio then, and the people lived off the products of their farms and wild game. The mother bought fifty acres of land, eight miles from Mount Vernon, and there Amasa Hill was reared to manhood. At the age of fourteen he began to make his own way in the world, starting out from home with all his possessions tied up in a handkerchief. He went to Fredericktown, and there served a three years' apprenticeship to the trade of wagon and carriage maker. After learning his trade he journeyman work there one year. In 1846 he came to Illinois, landing in Cass county, September 20. He found employment in a carriage shop at Beardstown, where he worked four years. He then started in business in company with Richard Miller, and together they conducted a carriage shop four years. At the end of that time he and his brother, Horace, bought a farm and engaged in agricultural pursuits. They farmed together till the latter's death, April 13, 1877. Since then Mr. Hill has operated it alone.

He was married in 1850, to Mary A. Streeter, who was born in Pennsylvania, August 11, 1832, daughter of Andrew J. and Diana Streeter. Mr. and Mrs. Hill had three children: Chancey, Amanda and William. Chancey married Lucy Schaeffer, and Amanda is the wife of J. Theirget, and has one child, Nettie. Mrs. Hill died December 3, 1885. She was a consistent member of the Presbyterian Church, of which her children are also members.