A native of Erie County, Pa., Mr. Pond was born Feb. 9, 1829, and is the son of Martin J. and Amanda (Simons) Pond, the father a native of Connecticut, and the mother of New York State. The paternal ancestors of our subject, were of English descent. The Pond family can be traced back to three brothers who left England prior to the Revolutionary War, in which it is believed they participated, and after its close, settled in New England. The father of our subject later served in the War of 1812.
About 1838, when our subject was a lad of nine years, his parents, leaving Connecticut, emigrated to Illinois, and for a short time resided in Sangamon County. Thence they removed to Brown County, where they sojourned two years, and in 1841 came to this county, where the father secured the land which his son Carl now owns and occupies. He first entered 160 acres from the Government, upon which there had been no improvements whatever, it lying as the Indians had left it. The story of the years which followed, has been too often told in this work, to need repetition here. Suffice it to say that the Pond family endured their full share of privation and hardship, and in due time received the legitimate reward for their labors. The father departed hence about 1865. Five of the eight children comprising the parental household are still living, namely: Annie, Melissa, Mrs. Kinney, a widow of Concord; Alfred a resident of Menard County; Carl Jr., and Harriet (Mrs. Thorndyke), of Concord. The deceased are: Lovina, Loretta and Cyrus.
The father of our subject was a well-educated man, with excellent business capacities, and became quite prominent in his adopted county, serving as Township Trustee, and occupying other positions of trust. He for a time after coming here, taught school during the winter seasons, and interested himself in all the projects tending to benefit the people. He voted the straight Republican ticket, after the organization of this party, and was widely and favorably known throughout this region. In his death the community lost one of its most valuable men.
The subject of this sketch received a limited education in the subscription school, and assisted his father in development of a new farm, remaining under the home roof until ready to establish domestic ties of his own. He was married Feb. 19, 1857, to Miss Manilious Moore, a native of West Virginia, and who was born July 29, 1832. Mrs. Pond was the daughter of William and Keziah Moore, who left the Old Dominion at an early day, and settled in Cass County, this State. They were farmers, and lived and died in Cass County, in the same home where they first settled. Of this marriage there were born twelve children, eleven of whom are living: Xavier married Alice Clark, of Cass County, and he was also a resident of the same place; William, Katie; Charles married Nettie Webster, and is a farmer in this precinct; Edward married Florence Wildy, he is also a farmer of this township Frank, Nina, Truman, Haleyon, Royal and Arthur G., are at home with their parents.
The father of Mrs. Pond was a native of Pennsylvania, and of Irish descent. The mother was born in Ohio, and traced her ancestry to Scotland. To them there were born thirteen children, twelve of whom are living, namely: Manilious, the wife of our subject; Nelson, a resident of Cass County; Nancy F., the wife of Alfred Pond, of Menard County; Robert B., of Cass County; Thomas S. of Washington County, Kan.; Amanda (Mrs. Robert McNeal), of Cass County; William A., of Montgomery County, Iowa; John, of Phelps County, Neb. Charles in Morgan County; Ulysses G. in Phelps County, Neb.; Adelaide, the wife of George Wubker, of Montgomery County, Iowa; Alma, of Cass County, this State; Calvin died when an infant. Mr. Moore died in 1865. He may be most properly classed among the pioneers of Illinois, as he settled in Cass County about 1835, and there both parents spent the remainder of their days. The mother survived her husband for a period of twenty years, remaining a widow, and died in 1884. She was a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The father had served as Township Trustee, and was a man of good judgment, and excellent business capacity. Mr. Pond, politically, is a live Republican, as are also all his children, and has served in the capacity of School Director, but further than this has carefully avoided the responsibilities of office. His brother, Cyrus, served in the Union army three years during the late Civil War. During Mr. Pond's long live, he has always been a temperate man, never having indulged in intoxicating liquors or tobacco in any form.