~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OBITUARY - November 10, 1883
On Last Monday evening, November 5th at about half past 6 o'clock the eyes of William Mahan were closed in death. He had been failing rapidly for several weeks and his death was not unexpected. "By the death of Mr. Mahan, Lexington loses one of it's oldest and most highly respected citizens, the county and state one of their most notable men.
William Mahan was the son of Reverend Jacob Mahan, formerly of Kentucky, and was born in Kentucky on May 25th, 1803. At an early age he moved to southern Ohio where he resided until 1842 when he came to Illinois and settled near Lexington on a farm now owned by Crawford Baily. He lived there one year and then settled on land now owned and occupied by J.B. Carson, just east of Lexington, which was the first farm improved on the Illinois prairie, called at that time a second tier farm, owing to its being out of the timber. it was predicted at that time that he would never succeed in farming on the prairie. Not only did he succeed in that undertaking, but he lived to see the entire prairies of Illinois improved and successfully farmed. He lived on that farm until 1865 when he moved to Lexington, and into the property he occupied at his death.
Mr. Mahan was in early years a carpenter, and has built many houses and barns on the prairies of Illinois, but his principle occupation was that of farming, at which he was very successful.
For the past 50 years he has been an active member of the church the greater part of his life. He became a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Ohio, about the year 1828. When he came to Illinois, he united with the same church by letter, at Pleasant Hill, and became an active, earnest church worker in that place. In 1844 or '45, owing to the free expression of his anti-slavery ideas, he was requested to withdraw from the church or cease his speech upon the anti-slavery question. He, being a man who believed that all men were born free and equal, and that the colored man was entitled to as much liberty as the white, chose to withdraw from the church, rather than to close his mouth against what he considered a serious wrong. He being at that time the only anti-slavery man in Northern McLean County. A short time afterwards, he united with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church of Pleasant Hill, and remained a member of that church until he moved to Lexington in 1865, when he became a member of the Presbyterian Church of this place, and continued in active membership during the remainder of his life.
Poltically, he was originally a Whig, voting with that party until 1840.
In 1844 he went with what was at that time called the Liberty Party, voting for James G. Birney for President, and was the only man in Northern McLean Co. voting that ticket, the entire county only giving the ticket seven votes. In 1848 he was still with the same party, called then the Free Soil Party, and voted for Martin VanBuren, and in 1852 for John P. Hale. At the organization of the Republican Party he united with it, and was a member of that party till his death.
He has always been a strong liberty man. He opposed oppression or slavery in any form; an exceedingly liberal man in the support of any reform; a free supporter of the church and charity. He was a strong anti-secret society advocate all his life; a pronounced temperance man - a teetotalar - a good man in every sense of the word.
Deceased leaves a widow, to whom he had been married for fifty-nine years. She is now in her eighty-fourth year and in good health for one of her age. Out of a family of ten children, only four survive the father: Jacob C. Mahan, W.Q. Mahan of Lexington; Erasmus Mahan of Eureka, Kansas, and Reverend Issac S. Mahan of Champaign, Illinois. The funeral services of deceased were held at his late residence, Wednesday afternoon, Rev. Robert Conover of the Presbyterian Church officiating.
On Last Monday evening, November 5th at about half past 6 o'clock the eyes of William Mahan were closed in death. He had been failing rapidly for several weeks and his death was not unexpected. "By the death of Mr. Mahan, Lexington loses one of it's oldest and most highly respected citizens, the county and state one of their most notable men.
William Mahan was the son of Reverend Jacob Mahan, formerly of Kentucky, and was born in Kentucky on May 25th, 1803. At an early age he moved to southern Ohio where he resided until 1842 when he came to Illinois and settled near Lexington on a farm now owned by Crawford Baily. He lived there one year and then settled on land now owned and occupied by J.B. Carson, just east of Lexington, which was the first farm improved on the Illinois prairie, called at that time a second tier farm, owing to its being out of the timber. it was predicted at that time that he would never succeed in farming on the prairie. Not only did he succeed in that undertaking, but he lived to see the entire prairies of Illinois improved and successfully farmed. He lived on that farm until 1865 when he moved to Lexington, and into the property he occupied at his death.
Mr. Mahan was in early years a carpenter, and has built many houses and barns on the prairies of Illinois, but his principle occupation was that of farming, at which he was very successful.
For the past 50 years he has been an active member of the church the greater part of his life. He became a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Ohio, about the year 1828. When he came to Illinois, he united with the same church by letter, at Pleasant Hill, and became an active, earnest church worker in that place. In 1844 or '45, owing to the free expression of his anti-slavery ideas, he was requested to withdraw from the church or cease his speech upon the anti-slavery question. He, being a man who believed that all men were born free and equal, and that the colored man was entitled to as much liberty as the white, chose to withdraw from the church, rather than to close his mouth against what he considered a serious wrong. He being at that time the only anti-slavery man in Northern McLean County. A short time afterwards, he united with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church of Pleasant Hill, and remained a member of that church until he moved to Lexington in 1865, when he became a member of the Presbyterian Church of this place, and continued in active membership during the remainder of his life.
Poltically, he was originally a Whig, voting with that party until 1840.
In 1844 he went with what was at that time called the Liberty Party, voting for James G. Birney for President, and was the only man in Northern McLean Co. voting that ticket, the entire county only giving the ticket seven votes. In 1848 he was still with the same party, called then the Free Soil Party, and voted for Martin VanBuren, and in 1852 for John P. Hale. At the organization of the Republican Party he united with it, and was a member of that party till his death.
He has always been a strong liberty man. He opposed oppression or slavery in any form; an exceedingly liberal man in the support of any reform; a free supporter of the church and charity. He was a strong anti-secret society advocate all his life; a pronounced temperance man - a teetotalar - a good man in every sense of the word.
Deceased leaves a widow, to whom he had been married for fifty-nine years. She is now in her eighty-fourth year and in good health for one of her age. Out of a family of ten children, only four survive the father: Jacob C. Mahan, W.Q. Mahan of Lexington; Erasmus Mahan of Eureka, Kansas, and Reverend Issac S. Mahan of Champaign, Illinois. The funeral services of deceased were held at his late residence, Wednesday afternoon, Rev. Robert Conover of the Presbyterian Church officiating.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OBITUARY - November 10, 1883
On Last Monday evening, November 5th at about half past 6 o'clock the eyes of William Mahan were closed in death. He had been failing rapidly for several weeks and his death was not unexpected. "By the death of Mr. Mahan, Lexington loses one of it's oldest and most highly respected citizens, the county and state one of their most notable men.
William Mahan was the son of Reverend Jacob Mahan, formerly of Kentucky, and was born in Kentucky on May 25th, 1803. At an early age he moved to southern Ohio where he resided until 1842 when he came to Illinois and settled near Lexington on a farm now owned by Crawford Baily. He lived there one year and then settled on land now owned and occupied by J.B. Carson, just east of Lexington, which was the first farm improved on the Illinois prairie, called at that time a second tier farm, owing to its being out of the timber. it was predicted at that time that he would never succeed in farming on the prairie. Not only did he succeed in that undertaking, but he lived to see the entire prairies of Illinois improved and successfully farmed. He lived on that farm until 1865 when he moved to Lexington, and into the property he occupied at his death.
Mr. Mahan was in early years a carpenter, and has built many houses and barns on the prairies of Illinois, but his principle occupation was that of farming, at which he was very successful.
For the past 50 years he has been an active member of the church the greater part of his life. He became a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Ohio, about the year 1828. When he came to Illinois, he united with the same church by letter, at Pleasant Hill, and became an active, earnest church worker in that place. In 1844 or '45, owing to the free expression of his anti-slavery ideas, he was requested to withdraw from the church or cease his speech upon the anti-slavery question. He, being a man who believed that all men were born free and equal, and that the colored man was entitled to as much liberty as the white, chose to withdraw from the church, rather than to close his mouth against what he considered a serious wrong. He being at that time the only anti-slavery man in Northern McLean County. A short time afterwards, he united with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church of Pleasant Hill, and remained a member of that church until he moved to Lexington in 1865, when he became a member of the Presbyterian Church of this place, and continued in active membership during the remainder of his life.
Poltically, he was originally a Whig, voting with that party until 1840.
In 1844 he went with what was at that time called the Liberty Party, voting for James G. Birney for President, and was the only man in Northern McLean Co. voting that ticket, the entire county only giving the ticket seven votes. In 1848 he was still with the same party, called then the Free Soil Party, and voted for Martin VanBuren, and in 1852 for John P. Hale. At the organization of the Republican Party he united with it, and was a member of that party till his death.
He has always been a strong liberty man. He opposed oppression or slavery in any form; an exceedingly liberal man in the support of any reform; a free supporter of the church and charity. He was a strong anti-secret society advocate all his life; a pronounced temperance man - a teetotalar - a good man in every sense of the word.
Deceased leaves a widow, to whom he had been married for fifty-nine years. She is now in her eighty-fourth year and in good health for one of her age. Out of a family of ten children, only four survive the father: Jacob C. Mahan, W.Q. Mahan of Lexington; Erasmus Mahan of Eureka, Kansas, and Reverend Issac S. Mahan of Champaign, Illinois. The funeral services of deceased were held at his late residence, Wednesday afternoon, Rev. Robert Conover of the Presbyterian Church officiating.
On Last Monday evening, November 5th at about half past 6 o'clock the eyes of William Mahan were closed in death. He had been failing rapidly for several weeks and his death was not unexpected. "By the death of Mr. Mahan, Lexington loses one of it's oldest and most highly respected citizens, the county and state one of their most notable men.
William Mahan was the son of Reverend Jacob Mahan, formerly of Kentucky, and was born in Kentucky on May 25th, 1803. At an early age he moved to southern Ohio where he resided until 1842 when he came to Illinois and settled near Lexington on a farm now owned by Crawford Baily. He lived there one year and then settled on land now owned and occupied by J.B. Carson, just east of Lexington, which was the first farm improved on the Illinois prairie, called at that time a second tier farm, owing to its being out of the timber. it was predicted at that time that he would never succeed in farming on the prairie. Not only did he succeed in that undertaking, but he lived to see the entire prairies of Illinois improved and successfully farmed. He lived on that farm until 1865 when he moved to Lexington, and into the property he occupied at his death.
Mr. Mahan was in early years a carpenter, and has built many houses and barns on the prairies of Illinois, but his principle occupation was that of farming, at which he was very successful.
For the past 50 years he has been an active member of the church the greater part of his life. He became a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Ohio, about the year 1828. When he came to Illinois, he united with the same church by letter, at Pleasant Hill, and became an active, earnest church worker in that place. In 1844 or '45, owing to the free expression of his anti-slavery ideas, he was requested to withdraw from the church or cease his speech upon the anti-slavery question. He, being a man who believed that all men were born free and equal, and that the colored man was entitled to as much liberty as the white, chose to withdraw from the church, rather than to close his mouth against what he considered a serious wrong. He being at that time the only anti-slavery man in Northern McLean County. A short time afterwards, he united with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church of Pleasant Hill, and remained a member of that church until he moved to Lexington in 1865, when he became a member of the Presbyterian Church of this place, and continued in active membership during the remainder of his life.
Poltically, he was originally a Whig, voting with that party until 1840.
In 1844 he went with what was at that time called the Liberty Party, voting for James G. Birney for President, and was the only man in Northern McLean Co. voting that ticket, the entire county only giving the ticket seven votes. In 1848 he was still with the same party, called then the Free Soil Party, and voted for Martin VanBuren, and in 1852 for John P. Hale. At the organization of the Republican Party he united with it, and was a member of that party till his death.
He has always been a strong liberty man. He opposed oppression or slavery in any form; an exceedingly liberal man in the support of any reform; a free supporter of the church and charity. He was a strong anti-secret society advocate all his life; a pronounced temperance man - a teetotalar - a good man in every sense of the word.
Deceased leaves a widow, to whom he had been married for fifty-nine years. She is now in her eighty-fourth year and in good health for one of her age. Out of a family of ten children, only four survive the father: Jacob C. Mahan, W.Q. Mahan of Lexington; Erasmus Mahan of Eureka, Kansas, and Reverend Issac S. Mahan of Champaign, Illinois. The funeral services of deceased were held at his late residence, Wednesday afternoon, Rev. Robert Conover of the Presbyterian Church officiating.
