Biography - Aharte Pierce
Aharte PIERCE, deceased, was born in Wythe County, Va., on May 22, 1808, and removed with his parents to Johnson County, Ind., when a young man. About 1842, he came to Illinois, and first settled in Macoupin County. In 1848, he entered 160 acres of land, with another party, on which the city of Litchfield now stands. In September same year, he rented a house on the mound where Mr. W. S. PALMER now lives. In the fall of 1849, he built a small log house on the site where W. H. FISHER now resides, and, when the town was laid out, the east side of the house extended into Madison street. He farmed his land, which was all raw prairie, until the laying-out of the town, by which time he had it all under cultivation, and stood above debt, for it and its improvements. He sold fifteen acres, to be platted at that time, to Wesley ANDREWS, and Benjamin HARGRAVES. The remainder was laid out by Mr. PIERCE himself, and it reached five additions; it is now all included in the corporation limits, and the lots, excepting two, on which his son Granville resides, are all sold. Before the war, he purchased another farm of eighty acres near the city, and lived on it three years during the war excitement. He passed the remainder of his days near his first settlement, and lived a retired life in his latter years. His first marriage was in Indiana, to Polly BROWN, who bore him one child. His wife died in Macoupin County, Ill. In 1847, Mr. PIERCE married Mrs. BROWN, daughter of David JONES, a Virginian, who settled in what is now South Litchfield in about 1833. The first coal-shaft of this city was sunk on a part of his original purchase. Mr. PIERCE gave several lots to various benevolent enterprises of the city, including schoolhouse and various church lots. Politically, he was a Democrat, and was the first Assessor elected after the city's organization. He died June 15, 1878; his widow has three children by her last marriage. One son, Granville F. PIERCE, was born in Macoupin County, Ill., October 27, 1845; he received an education in the Litchfield schools, and in 1862 left the farm and became a clerk in a clothing house, continuing for some years; he afterward engaged in the grocery business for about four years; he then began clerking, and has been for nine years with the present grocery house of G. A STODDARD, as salesman. In January, 31, 1877, he married Miss Dora A. WARE, of this county, and has two children - Essie May and Gracie A.
Extracted 19 Nov 2016 by Norma Hass from 1882 History of Bond and Montgomery Counties, Illinois, Part 2 Biographical Department, pages 163-164.
