My Genealogy Hound

JAMES RAYBURN, Jr., farmer and stock-raiser; P. O. Bloomington; one of the old settlers of McLean Co.; born in Madison Co., Ohio, March 14, 1836. He emigrated with his parents to Illinois in 1851. He attended school and assisted his father in farming until 19 years of age, when, upon Dec. 19, 1855, he was united in marriage with Susan Bishop; she was born in McLean Co., June 26, 1836. They have two children now living, viz., Ida May, born May 1, 1858, and Eda Bell, April 10, 1860. He has 280 acres in the home farm, and, aside from farming, is extensively engaged in feeding and shipping stock, feeding about 100 cattle, 150 to 200 hogs, 300 to 500 sheep, and some horses. Besides feeding the products of 250 acres of corn, he last season purchased some 3,000 bushels, which he also fed. He is now feeding sixty bushels of corn per day to his stock, which he ships over the C. & A. R. R. to the Chicago market. He and his wife have been members of the Presbyterian Church for a period of twenty-five years. Mr. Rayburn is the present Supervisor of Old Town Township, which office he has held for ten years in succession, the duties of which he has performed with credit to himself and satisfaction to his township. He is a son of James Rayburn, who was born in Virginia April 6, 1799. He emigrated with his parents to Ross Co., Ohio, at an early day, and followed farming until 1851, when he emigrated to Illinois, and located upon Sec. 30, Old Town Township, where he has lived for a period of twenty-eight years. In 1850, he was a member of the State Legislature of Ohio. Upon the 24th of September, 1816, he was united in marriage with Jane McCoy; she was born in Ross Co., Ohio, July, 1799, and was the first white child born in that county. She died Aug. 15, 1876. Mr. Rayburn now lives upon the home farm with his son, James, Jr. He has been a member of the Presbyterian Church since his youth, and is now one of the Elders of the First Presbyterian Church in Bloomington.