Biography - William Hackney
William HACKNEY, retired farmer, Atwater, born in New York City June 30, 1820, to William and Margaret (KEGLER) HACKNEY; he was born in Schenectady, N. Y., July 23, 1789; was a blacksmith by trade, but, during his life in the Est, worked in a foundry, and was the man who first burned coal upon a steamboat for making steam; he emigrated to Delhi, Jersey Co., Ill., in 1836, where he followed the occupation of a blacksmith; he died November 8, 1875, at Brighton; his wife, and mother of our subject, was born in Albany, N. Y., March 22, 1794, and died December 7, 1879; they were the parents of nine children, of whom William was the second child, of whom six are now living. William HACKNEY was removed to Troy, N. Y., by his parents in 1828, where he received his education from the high schools of Troy; at the age of thirteen, he began his career in life by working as a cabin boy, and afterward acted as cook, upon the Hudson River; in 1836, with his parents, removed to Illinois and settled in Jersey County, and again followed life on the fiver as deck hand and watchman for about nine years; he then commenced farming in Jersey County, on a farm of eighty acres; here he remained until 1863, when he removed to his present residence and bought 250 acres, a part of which was in timber and part prairie, lying in Macoupin and Montgomery Counties; by his energy and business habits, succeeded in accumulating a good property, name and reputation which stands beyond reproach; he is now the owner of about three hundred and twenty-five acres of land, all of which is under a high state of cultivation, and has all the necessary improvements; upon his place he makes grain and stock a specialty. In 1842, December 1, in Jersey County, he married Caroline M. WILKINS, a native of Greene County, Ill., born February 8, 1824; she is a daughter of John and Elizabeth (LURTON) WILKINS, who were natives of Kentucky, and among the first settlers of Greene County. Mr. and Mrs. HACKNEY were the parents of nine children, two of whom are dead - Margaret E., Sarah T., Joseph, Matthew, John W., Carey O., Henry D., Udolpho and Katie G. Mr. HACKNEY is an active member of the fraternity of A., F. & A. M., No. 692, at Raymond. In politics, his sympathies are with the Democratic party.
Extracted 20 Nov 2016 by Norma Hass from 1882 History of Bond and Montgomery Counties, Illinois, Part 2 Biographical Department, pages 263-264.
