Cooper Farr was born in Pennsylvania on February 8, 1807 the second child of Nathan and Susan Farr. When he was about seven years old, the family moved to Hamilton County, Ohio. There he grew to adulthood. It seems that his father Nathan died when the children were young.
Cooper married Ada (Eddy) Lynn on March 23, 1828 in Clermont County, Ohio which is next to Hamilton County. Ada was born on February 10, 1813 in Pennsylvania to Solomon and Elizabeth Lynn. In Solomon Lynn’s estate papers, Elizabeth requested that her son-in-law Cooper Farr be appointed administrator. Cooper could sign his name very legibly, but Ada made an X for her signature. In 1830, Cooper and Ada were living in Anderson Township, Hamilton County, Ohio, with one daughter under age five who would have been Eliza Jane Farr who was born on March 27, 1829. Cooper was a farmer. In 1836, Cooper sold his farm and moved to Fulton County, Illinois. The family traveled in a covered wagon with several other families which included the families of William Rose, Solomon Lynn, Samuel Farr and we do not know who else. It took them about one month to make the journey from Ohio to Illinois.
“… he (Cooper) landed in Astoria township, where he purchased 160 acres of heavily timbered land, which he set about clearing with energy. The first year he brought about 4 acres under cultivation, and year by year he cleared more and was soon on the road to prosperity. He built on his arrival a rough log cabin, and the first winter he lived rather roughly. Ventilation was quite abundant; although no window or door adorned the cabin, yet the wind, sunlight, rain and snow gained free access through the cracks between the logs…” History of Fulton County, Illinois 1879
On March 15, 1837, Cooper purchased from the Federal Government one hundred-twenty (120) acres of land in the southeast quarter of section three of Astoria Township, Illinois for one hundred-fifty dollars ($150). Then on January 29, 1840, he purchased the remaining forty acres of the southeast quarter. The original log house built by Cooper was still standing in 1908. By 1840 the family was living between the William Rose family and the Solomon Lynn family with John Lynn and Alex McCartney being the neighbors next in line. William Rose and Alexander McCartney married sisters of Ada Lynn Farr. In April of 1850 Astoria Township was formed in Fulton County and Cooper Farr was chosen as a member of the Commissioners of Highways.
In the summer of 1860, the U.S. Census taker visited Cooper as part of the nation census which was taken that year throughout the nation. He stated that Cooper Farr had 130 acres of improved land, which would be land planted with crops. He also had 190 acres of unimproved land along with seven horses, five milch cows, two working oxen, six other cattle, fifteen sheep, and thirty swine (pigs). Plus in the last year the Farr’s had produced four hundred (400) bushels of wheat, two thousand bushels of Indian corn, two hundred bushels bushels of oats, fifty pounds of wool, twenty bushels of Irish potatoes, five hundred and twenty (520) pounds of butter, six tons of hay, twenty bushels of clover seed and fifty dollars worth of home manufactured items.
Cooper and Ada lived out their life on the farm, except for a brief time that they moved to Vermont Township. They were on the farm at the time of the 1880 U.S. Census was taken, but moved to Vermont Tsp. shortly thereafter. By May 1881, they had moved back to the farm and continued to live with their son, Samuel’s family. On May 23, 1881, they deeded their town property to daughter Eliza Jane Farr Webster their only daughter living who had been widowed. The original one hundred-sixth acres in section 3 went to their son William, another one hundred-twenty acres in section 10 of Astoria Township went to son John and son Samuel received one hundred acres.
On October 9, 1885 Cooper died and was buried in the Vermont, Illinois Cemetery. The following is his complete obituary: “B.F. Bader, of Vermont, came down to Bader last Sunday… Frank’s father-in-law, Cooper Farr, an old and respected resident of Vermont, died on the 9th inst., at his home. Mr. Farr was born in Pennsylvania in the year 1807 and came to this state in 1835.” Rushville Times, Rushville, Illinois 1885 On October 14, 1893, Ada Lynn Farr died at the home of her son, Samuel. She had been a member of the Christian Church for more than fifty years. Her funeral was at her son Samuel’s home and she was buried beside her husband in the Vermont Cemetery.
Cooper and Ada Farr had eleven children.
Eliza Jane Farr born 27 March 1829.
Malinda Farr who died in infancy.
Susanna Farr born 9 October 1832.
Elizabeth Farr born 1835.
Mary Ellen Farr born 15 January 1837.
William Farr born 11 August 1839.
John Farr born 29 July 1841 or 1842.
Amanda Farr born 9 April 1844.
Azuba Ann Farr born 31 July 1846.
Samuel Farr born 2 September 1848.
Edith Farr died in infancy.
Farr's of Fulton County, Illinois 