Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2022 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== The Good Old Times In McLean County, Illinois Written by Dr. E. Duis Pub: The Leader Publishing and Printing House Bloomington, Illinois; 1874 P. 135-136 OLD SETTLERS OF M'LEAN COUNTY ALLIN TOWNSHIP RICHARD W. WARLOW RICHARD A. WARLOW, son of BENJAMIN WARLOW, was born March 20, 1822, in Oneida County, New York. The family moved to Ohio, and in the fall of 1834 they came to Dry Grove, McLean County, Illinois. There they settled on a farm bought by JOSHUA BOND, an uncle to RICHARD. The family soon became acquainted with the people in the West, and during the fall of their arrival had a great corn- husking frolic. The inconveniences of the country were severely felt, and Mrs. WARLOW often said she would be perfectly satisfied if she could only have what wheat bread she wished to eat. The paradise on earth would be prepared, if she could have an unlimited supply of wheat bread. Mr. WARLOW sustains all that has been said of the great change in the weather of 1836, and speaks of the geese which he saw frozen fast to the ice which covered the ground. In the fall of 1836 Mr. WARLOW, sr., entered land a little north of Brown's Grove. There he built a little cabin of split logs, roughly notched and fitted and cover- ed with bark. In the cabin three of the WARLOW boys lived for a while, and cut rail timber and hauled it out of the grove. In February the family, which then numbered eight, moved down to their log cabin, which was twelve by fourteen feet. This cabin was near the place were R. A. WARLOW now resides, in Allin township. Mr. WARLOW'S opportunities for obtaining an education have not been very good. For two winters he attended school in Dry Grove. After he was twenty-one years of age he boarded and attended a subscription school at Dry Grove for twenty days, but at that time the school-house burned down and his school days were ended. When he began work for him- self he engaged in various occupations; he worked at pump making; for many years he ran a threshing machine, and for a short time he attended a saw-mill. He was handy at every- thing and succeeded well. Mr. WARLOW tells a pretty hard story of the prices of things in early days. In the year 1844 he attended a sale of stock at Dry Grove, and there bid off a yearling steer for $3.50 and was allowed one year's credit. After keeping it for a year or more he sold it for nine dollars! R. A. WARLOW obtained his start by raising corn and selling it in the neighborhood for twelve and a half cents per bushel. With money so obtained he bought the CLARK estate at Stout's Grove. It consisted of about one hundred and thirteen acres, and he paid four hundred dollars for it. He afterwards sold out in order to enter land at Brown's Grove; but when he was ready to enter, the land office was closed. The charter had been passed for building the Illinois Central Railroad, and no land was sold until the company had selected what belonged to it. But when the Illinois Central Company at last obtained its land the remainder of the unentered government land was all sold at once. When the sale took place the speculators were numerous. They would allow a farmer to buy a hundred and sixty acres of land for a farm, but this was all. If the farmer attempted to buy more they would bid up on the land until he was driven off altogether. Mr. WARLOW afterwards bought land of the railroad company and now owns six or seven hundred acres. He has been once burned out, and has lost some money by becoming security, but otherwise has had good fortune. The good luck, which always attends the care- ful and industrious farmer, has been with him, and he is pros- perous. Mr. WARLOW married Miss LAVINIA BOSARTH, April 29, 1849. He has had seven children, all of which are living. They are: LESLIE, JOHN, BELLE, ELLEN, JULIA, CHARLIE and ANNIE. Mr. WARLOW is six feet and an inche and a half in height, is rather spare but muscular. He has dark and rather straight hair and dark eyes. His features are prominent, and his face is somewhat long. He is a good-natured man and very kind. He attends to his business, sees quickly what will pay, and manages all of his affairs well. He is very straightforward in his dealings. ==========================================================================