My Genealogy Hound

ROBERT FINCHAM, farmer; P. O. Towanda; one of the old settlers of Money Creek Township, McLean Co., Ill. The subject of this sketch is known as Uncle Robert Fincham; he was born in Culpeper Co., Va., May 7, 1811; at 10 years of age, he commenced to follow the plow, and from this time was constantly employed upon the farm. Upon the 25th of January 1831 he was united in marriage with Emma Weakley; she was born Jan. 11, 1815, in the above county. In September, 1831, their capital consisted of one bed, their clothes, three knives and forks, one skillet, two tin cups and $13 in cash; with the above worldly goods, they started out in the world to seek their fortune, their destination being Ohio; contracting for the bringing of their bed and clothes to Ohio, they crossed the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains and arrived in what is now Licking Co., Ohio, upon Oct. 12, 1831, having traveled the whole distance upon foot. Upon arriving at their place of destination, and paying $7 for bringing his bed and clothes, his capital consisted of 11.50; they invested $1 in provisions, and in a short time paid their last 50 cents as double postage upon a letter; he obtained permission to occupy a vacant cabin into which he moved and lived the first winter; he first obtained work at chopping cord-wood at 25 cents per cord, which business he followed the first winter, in connection with making and hooping barrels and tubs in bad weather, and shoe-making during the evenings by the light of a tallow candle; their furniture consisted of some stools, and, for a table-board was laid across two blocks. The spring found them in possession of a cow and an established credit; he then hired out for six months, for $12 per month, and, the following year, had saved the means to purchase a horse, which he placed with one of his neighbors, and they put in thirty acres of corn, selling their product at 18 cents per bushel he continued the struggle against poverty until 1842, when he purchased sixty-two acres of land and improved it, until 1851, when he disposed of the same, and, emigrating to Illinois, located in Money Creek Township, where he has since lived, driving from Ohio by team, the trip consuming forty days; he first secured 110 acres, to which he afterward added, until he had 320 acres, with buildings erected, at a cost of upward of $6,000, all of which he, with the assistance of his wife, had accumulated by their own hard labor, energy and industry. Mr. Fincham has held the office of Commissioner of Highways for twelve years, and several other petty offices. In the spring of 1879, he, with his wife and two daughters, removed to Towanda, to look after the interest of some property he had there, but his residence will soon be upon his farm again. They were the parents of fifteen children, of whom thirteen are now living — Alexander T. William J., Henry M., Mary, Martha, Elizabeth, Margaret, Lemuel, Benjamin F., Rachel, Laura, Adeline and Nellie; the deceased died in infancy.