Biography - George File
George H. FILE was born in North Carolina June 12, 1828; was brought to this county when three years old, by his parents, and worked on the farm until he became of age, and bought a piece of land near his father's, containing 190 acres; he made the first payment by raising castor beans, which he sold for $1.25 per bushel, hauled to St. Louis, seventy-five miles, which was the only market at that day; the yield was about eight bushels per acre, the most paying crop at that time - in fact, the only crop at that early day that brought the cash. Mr. FILE was married, in Montgomery County, in 1852, to Miss Susanna L. CRESS, daughter of Absalom CRESS. At the time of his marriage, he had improved about thirty acres and built a small frame house, which he occupied the first year without plastering; in one year after, he sold that place for $7.50 per acre, and purchased his present home, containing 180 acres of land, with sixty acres improved, and the only building being a log cabin, and afterward added to his first purchase seventy-six acres, on which he has built all necessary improvements, at considerable cost, and has his place under fine cultivation; he has turned his attention to fine cattle, and is making his preparations to go into the stock business. Jacob FILE was born in North Carolina, Cabarrus County; Caroline CRESS, his mother, was also born in same State and county; she was the mother of nine children, our subject being the second child; his wife's father was born in North Carolina; also mother. The subject has had nine children, five of whom are living - Mary Frances Drew, Clara M., Lawrence A., William H., Francis L.; members of Lutheran Church, which they joined while quite young; he has always been identified with the Democratic party.
Extracted 22 Nov 2016 by Norma Hass from 1882 History of Bond and Montgomery Counties, Illinois, Part 2 Biographical Department, pages 284-285.
