Lyman Alger 1879 biography

ALGER, HAWKINS, KNIGHT, BERROUD, CURTIS

Posted By: LuAnn Goeke (email)
Date: 11/27/2015 at 18:16:02

LYMAN ALGER, farmer, Sec. 5, P.O. Calamus; owns 700 acres of land in this county, besides several hundred acres in the western part of the State; son of Sorrel and Polly Alger; born Sept. 12, 1800, in Madison Co., N.Y. In 1807, his parents moved to Erie Co. In 1821, he went into Pennsylvania, returned, and married Dorcas Hawkins in 1822, and moved into Cattaraugus Co. in 1824. In 1835, emigrated to La Salle Co., Ill., and put up the first house in what was known as Four-Mile Grove. In 1836, came to this county, made claim and built cabin, and, in the spring of 1838, moved his family there. On the 14th of August, 1839, his wife died, and he married a brother's widow (maiden name, Martha Knight), in 1840; she was born in [next page] 1815, and died in 1841. On the 14th of August, 1841, he married Miss Esther Hawkins, sister to his first wife; she was murdered by unknown hands on the evening of the 25th of September, 1872. Had five children by first wife; those living are Mary J. Knight and Almira Berroud; deceased - Damon O., Serrell and Maria Curtis, and one son by second wife, who was in the 2d Iowa Inf., and was killed at the battle of Spanish Fort. Member of the Free-Will Baptist Church Republican. - Olive Twp. – Source: 1879 History of Clinton County, Iowa, pg 808-809.