My Genealogy Hound

LEONARD A. CRUMBAUGH, farmer and stock-raiser; P. O. Le Roy; one of the early settlers of McLean Co.; born in Sangamon Co., Ill., Nov. 13, 1829; he was the son of Daniel and Martha Crumbaugh, who emigrated from Kentucky to Sangamon Co. in 1828, and located upon Sec. 14, in what is now Empire Township, in the fall of 1830; here they lived until their death; Mrs. Crumbaugh died Jan. 4, 1857, and Mr. Crumbaugh died May 19, 1874; they lie buried in the Oak Grove Cemetery, and over their grave stands a large marble monument, erected sacred to their memory by their loving children. The subject of this sketch remained with his father until 21 years of age, and in August, 1852, he entered 200 acres of land upon Sec. 19, West Township, upon which he then located, and where he has since lived during a period of twenty-seven years; he is, aside from farming, quite extensively engaged in stock-raising, feeding and shipping from 60 to 80 cattle, 100 to 150 hogs, 300 sheep and from 15 to 20 horses; he has since added to his farm by purchase, until it now contains 640 acres of prairie, 45 acres of timber, and 160 acres in Piatt Co. Mr. Crumbaugh has some vivid recollecting of the hardships and privations of frontier life; he has, in times of low water, driven forty miles to mill, and made two trips to Chicago with wheat, which he sold at 50 cents per bushel, loading back with salt, leather and groceries, the trip consuming ten or twelve days, and they camping out and doing their cooking. Of township and school offices, Mr. Crumbaugh has had his full share; he was the first School Trustee of West Township, which office he held for six years; has held the office of School Director for a period of one-fourth of a century, and other petty offices. The marriage nuptials of Leonard A. Crumbaugh and Sarah M. Wiley were celebrated Sept. 25, 1856; she was born in Le Roy Dec. 18, 1838; their children were five in number — Pamelia, born Aug. 27, 1858, and died Sept. 7, 1860; William F., Aug. 27, 1861; Charles, Sept. 10, 1864; Gertrude, Aug. 27, 1868, and one which died in infancy, born Sept. 10, 1863. It will be noticed, by referring to the above dates, that three of their children were born upon the 27th of August, while the births of the other two occurred upon the 10th of September, Mrs. Crumbaugh was the daughter of James Wiley—an early settler and a prominent citizen of Empire Township—and who is more prominently mentioned in the biography of J. S. Wiley, to be found among the sketches of Empire Township, in another part of this work.