My Genealogy Hound

FREDERICK R. COWDEN, retired farmer, Sec. 31; P. O. Downs; one of the early pioneers of McLean Co., and one of the oldest living of the early settlers of McLean Co.; born in Allen Co., Ky., Nov. 30, 1811; his father, James Cowden, was born in Virginia, and emigrated to Kentucky at a very early day, where he followed farming until his decease, which occurred about the year 1835. The subject of this sketch lived with his father and was brought up to heavy farm labor, until 21 years of age, and, in 1833, emigrated to Illinois and located in Greene Co., and, the following year, 1834, he entered eighty-one acres of land in this and Downs Township, which he at once commenced to improve. He built a hewed-log cabin, cutting and hewing the logs himself; his cabin was at that time considered of a superior quality, as it had a brick chimney and plank floor, the boards of which he sawed by hand; he afterward built a frame addition, and in the cabin lived thirty years, and a portion of it is now used as a kitchen to his present residence. He has driven stock to Galena, Ill., and St. Louis, Mo.; his milling was done at Mackinaw, and afterward at Bloomington, which he considered quite near. At the time Mr. Cowden settled here, there were but few settlers; some few had settled upon the streams and timber, but not a single house was to be seen upon the prairie; there were no roads at that time, nothing but deer-paths and Indian trails, and to go to Bloomington or any point, a direct line would be taken, with no fence to obstruct the way. Such has been the progress of improvement during the forty-five years’ residence of Mr. Cowden, that the whole vast prairie has been improved to such an extent that upon nearly every quarter-section stands one or more houses; there was not a single railroad in the State at that time, while now you can reach a railroad by going a distance of five miles in nearly every part of the county, and within a distance of seven miles from where Mr. Cowden now lives, center eight railroads, one of which passes by his door the station of which is located upon his land, and is named Gillum, in honor of Mrs. Cowden. He has suffered all the hardships and privations of frontier life; he was his own carpenter in building his first house, burning the bricks for the chimney; he cut and split his own rails, broke his own prairie, which he has brought to a high state of cultivation. His marriage with Polly (Gillum) Price was celebrated Aug. 17, 1842; she was born in Kentucky Feb. 24, 1824, they had eight children, one died in infancy; the living are — John J., born May 24, 1843; Amanda J., born Nov. 12, 1845; William R., born Dec. 19, 1847; Eliza A., born March 10, 1850; Matilda B., born Aug. 16, 1852; Frank, born Dec. 22, 1854, and Elizabeth G., born Jan. 17, 1857 — all of whom are married and live within four miles of their parents. Of township and school offices, he has had his full share, having been Collector, Supervisor and School Trustee for most of the time of his residence here. Mr. Cowden had no capital when he located here except one horse, which he rode from Greene Co. He borrowed the money to enter his first land, and paid it from the receipts of his wages, at $9 per month; he has since, by his hard labor, accumulated about five hundred acres; has given each of his children some $3,000 in land, and has reserved the old homestead for the support of himself and wife, who has nobly assisted him in accumulating all the above property.