My Genealogy Hound

JOHN CUSEY, farmer, Sec. 2; P. O. Heyworth. One of the early pioneers and prominent men of McLean Co.; born in Ashland Co., Ohio, April 9, 1822, where he devoted his attention to mechanical pursuits until October, 1836, when he emigrated to Illinois and located in McLean Co.; he followed carpentering, cabinet-making, etc., until 1840, when he, with his father, engaged in contracting and building, continuing the same in McLean and adjoining counties for several years; among their first frame buildings was the barn of Lewis Case. Mr. Cusey located upon his present place of 560 acres in 1868, where he has been extensively engaged in farming and stock-raising; he has been most constantly in public offices for many years, having held the office of Town Trustee twenty years; Assessor, nine years; Supervisor, two years; was elected in 1872 to represent the 28th Senatorial District in the State Legislature, serving four years; during the late war of the rebellion he was appointed Marshal, or Enrolling Officer, of the 39th and 40th Districts, which position he held until the close of the war. About the year 1870 he traced a map and suggested to Mr. Fisher, the Vice-President of the Narrow Gauge Railroad, the advantages of a railroad running west through McLean Co. Mr. Fisher acted upon these suggestions, and called meetings at Rantoul and other places, which resulted in the building of the Narrow Gauge Railroad from West Lebanon, Ind., to Le Roy. Mr. Cusey has been in every respect a public-spirited man, and has filled every office to which he has been elected or appointed with great credit to himself and satisfaction to the public. There are many things of interest to the public that we should like to mention of him which this brief sketch will hardly admit and do him justice, a circumstance which the writer of this article deeply regrets. His marriage with Hannah Bishop was celebrated upon the 23d of Nov., 1843; she was born in Perry Co., Ohio, Jan. 30, 1824; she is a daughter of Jacob Bishop, who emigrated to Illinois in 1829, and now lives in Randolph Township, at the advanced age of 82 years, and is in possession of all his faculties. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Cusey were nine in number, of which two are deceased; the living are Charity E., Thomas H., John A., James C., Joseph M., Mary J., and Hannah E.