My Genealogy Hound

JOHN A. EWINS, farmer and stock-dealer; P. O. Danvers. The subject of this sketch, whose portrait appears in the work, was born in Kingston, N. H., in November, 1825. He is the son of James P. and Mehitable (Clement) Ewins. His father and family came West in 1834, stopping a short time in Chicago. At that time, the present city of Chicago was a village of not more than 300 inhabitants. Here John A. attended school on what was known as the South Side. In October, 1834, he remembers seeing wolves chased over the very ground whereon now stand the finest portions of the city, many being pushed into the Lake near where the Exposition Building now stands. Indians, at that time, were numerous in Chicago, and on one occasion, as young Ewins was carrying home a bucket of water, he was accosted by a very large Indian, who, in broken English, said to him, “Gimme drink of water.” He replied, “I have nothing from which you can drink;” whereupon the Indian took up the bucket and drank from it, and, with a grunt of satisfaction, passed on. Mr. Ewins, though but a boy, deemed this act rather cool on the part of the noble red man of the forest. He remembers to have seen a wedding celebrated, in which the contracting parties were a gentleman of 60 and a blooming and blushing lassie of sweet 16. In December, 1834, the family settled in La Salle Co., at Waupaunsie Grove, his father pre-empting 200 acres of land. This was afterward purchased by an Eastern capitalist, and one-half, or 100 acres, given to his father in compensation for the information he had given him of the country. In the fall of 1836, the family came to McLean Co., and stopped a short time near the present village of Danvers. In the spring of 1837, his father purchased forty acres of what is now included in the homestead of his son. He died in November, 1846. Mr. Ewins lived with his parents till his majority. Starting in life for himself, he engaged in farming. In the spring of 1856, he moved to Danvers, and engaged in merchandising. In 1858, he returned to his farm, where he now resides; now owns 600 acres in McLean Co. Most of his land is in pasture and meadow, and he deals largely in cattle and hogs. In 1869, he purchased one-half interest in the Danvers Mills; this he sold in 1873. In 1865, he was chosen Supervisor of Danvers Township, and his efficiency in managing the interests of the township is best attested by the fact that he is now serving out his eleventh term in that capacity. He was married, in 1854, to Euphemia B. Blair, a native of Illinois; she died ten days after marriage. He was married to his present wife, Malinda T. Franks, a native of Boone Co., Ky., in 1856 ; has three children—Jennie L., Frank P., Chester R. Mr. Ewins has been largely successful in his various enterprises, and is today one of the wealthy men of his township.