William Farr’s Journey to Illinois
In 1853, William Farr loaded his belongings and small children onto a wagon and set out on a long trek from Hamilton County, Ohio to Fulton County, Illinois. His brothers had left for Fulton County years before, and now he, his wife Zuby, and their children were following suit. The farm was sold and they were moving to Illinois, out West as people said.
The journey to Illinois was long and difficult, covering over 350 miles. The Farr’s had to travel across Indiana and through central Illinois, navigating rough roads and unpredictable weather. But they were determined to start a new life in the West, and they eventually arrived in Pleasant Township, Fulton County, Illinois safely.
Pleasant Township (later renamed Ipava) was a small town, but it was growing. On March 4, 1856, the Farr’s bought land from William’s niece and nephew, eighty (80) acres of land consisting of the south one half of the northeast quarter of section seventeen (17) of Pleasant Township. He paid $850 dollars to his niece Mary Jane (Farr) Lindsey and her husband Joseph Lindsey. William began farming, and Zuby raised their eight children. The Farr’s were active members of the community, and they attended the Christian Church also know locally as the Howard Church, named after the first pastor.
William Farr was born in Jefferson County, Ohio, most likely in 1814. His exact birth year is uncertain, as various U.S. Census records list his birth as 1810, 1811, and 1817. However, his obituary states that he was 77 years old when he died, which confirms his birth year as 1814.
Little is known about William Farr’s childhood. However, we do know that he learned to write his name in a unique way, with a decorative line circling the word “Farr.” This practice was used to prevent others from counterfeiting a person’s signature. William Farr used this decorative signature on several documents throughout his life.
William Farr’s journey to Illinois was a bold undertaking. He and his family left behind everything they knew in Ohio to start a new life in the West.
William Farr and Azuba Predmore marry in 1839
William married Azuba Predmore on January 27, 1839 in Clermont County, Ohio. Zuba Predmore was born in Monmouth, New Jersey in 1812. Her parents were Ephriam and Mary (Brown) Predmore. Azuba’s paternal grandmother was named Azuba Cramer Predmore. Zuby did not learn to write, when she and William took out a mortgage on their farm she signed the document with an X. In the summer of 1878 Zuby fell from a wagon, she was hurt pretty badly. She never really recovered and six months later, she died on January 24, 1879 of dropsy and heart trouble in Pleasant Township, Fulton County, Illinois. She was 57 years old.
Anderson Township, Ohio – William had lived in Anderson Township since he was a young boy. His parents Nathan and Susan Farr had moved to Anderson Township around 1815. In the 1850 U.S. Census, William and Zuby Farr were living in Anderson Township in Hamilton County, Ohio just outside of Cincinnati. He was a farmer. In 1853, William as mentioned previously, moved his family to Pleasant Township, Fulton County, Illinois following his two brothers and a sister who had moved to Fulton County in 1836.
Fulton County, Illinois – By 1860, William was prospering as a farmer. He owned a farm of 50 acres of improved farming land, which included four horses and two milch cows. Over the course of the year he had slaughtered $200 dollars of animals. He raised 40 bushels of wheat, 11 bushels of buckwheat, 2000 bushels of Indian corn, 408 gallons of molasses, 12 bushels of sweet potatoes, 100 pounds of honey, 156 pounds of butter, and 15 tons of hay.
William Farr: A Life Well-Lived
After the death of his first wife, Zuby, in 1879, William Farr married Mrs. Susan E. Janes, a widow, on October 1, 1880. Eleven years later, William died on February 2, 1891 of neuralgia of the heart.
It is not known where William and his first wife Zuby are buried. However, Montgomery Cemetery in section 4 of Pleasant Township (Ipava) is just about two miles from William’s farm. In this cemetery, beside the graves of Susan Farr Horner (William’s daughter) and Lucy Farr Swartbaugh (also William’s daughter), are two sunken grave sites with no markers. Could these be William and Azuba’s unmarked graves?
The Astoria Argus, the local paper, published the following obituary for William Farr:
Died in Pleasant Township February 2 of neuralgia of the heart. William Farr, aged 77 years. Mr. Farr was born in Jefferson County, Ohio in 1814. Married a Miss Predmore in 1838 in New Jersey; moved to Fulton County in 1846, since which time he has resided on the farm on which he settled. His first wife died twelve years since and he married to Mrs. Susan Janes in 1880. His aged wife and five children and numerous friends attended the funeral. Rev. Cooper delivered the funeral address.
The obituary could easily have added the following: William Farr was a well-respected member of the community. He was a hardworking farmer and a loving husband and father. He will be remembered for his kindness, generosity, and strength of character. William is also remembered as a pioneer who helped to settle the West. His journey to Illinois is a testament to the courage and determination of the early settlers.
Children of William and Azuba Farr
(1) Catherine Farr born about 1839 (2) Lucy Farr born March 23, 1843 (3) Susan Farr born September 3, 1847 (4) Samuel Farr born August 7, 1849 (5) Aryeline (Angeline) Farr born January 1, 1852 (6) Benjamin A. Farr born May 15, 1856 (7) John Taylor Farr born February 14, 1859 and (8) James Oliver Farr born March 4, 1861.
Farr's of Fulton County, Illinois 