My Genealogy Hound

O. S. HARMING, farmer and stock-raiser; Sec. 4, Town 21; P. O. Le Roy; born in Henry Co., Ind., Dec. 12,1826; his father, Saul Harding, was a native of Kentucky, and, with his parents was driven to Ohio by the Indians at a very early day; they then removed to Indiana, and were among the first settlers of the State, living in Rush, Wayne and Henry Counties, emigrating from the latter county in 1841, to Wapello Co., Iowa. The subject of this sketch remained with his father, farming, until 21 years of age, after which he engaged in farming for himself until April 6, 1850, when he started by team overland to California, taking the Oregon route, crossing the Rocky Mountains at South Pass, and arriving at Placerville July 26, having been nearly four months upon the trip. He engaged in mining in the vicinity of Placerville, until November following, when he went to San Francisco and embarked upon a sailing vessel for home. He was landed upon the coast of Guatemala, from which place he packed across the country upon mules to New Granada, thence via San Carlos, down the San Juan River to the coast of the Caribbean Sea, thence to the Isthmus of Darien, from which point they sailed to New Orleans, where they arrived after a tedious and perilous voyage. He then returned to Jefferson Co., Iowa, and engaged in farming and stock-raising until 1867, when he returned to Illinois, and located in Empire Township, where he has since lived. He owns upwards of 200 acres of land, and is engaged in farming and stock-raising. He married Leona Eskew, Jan. 15, 1857; she was born in De Witt Co., Ill., Aug. 14, 1838; eight children were the fruit of this union — Paran H. T., born Dec. 20, 1857; Julia H., born Dec. 11, 1859; William H., born March 6, 1862; Rufus A. J., born Jan. 22, 1864; Nimrod, born May 31, 1868; Cloey E., born Aug. 29, 1871; Mary E., born Jan. 5, 1874; Dolly May, born Feb. 3. 1877. Mrs. Harding is the oldest child of P. C. Eskew, one of the early settlers of McLean Co., and whose biography appears in this work.