Biography - Hiram Shepherd
Hiram SHEPHERD, farmer, P. O. Hillsboro, was born in Montgomery County, Ill., August 18, 1830, to Pleasant and Anna (BROWN) SHEPHERD. He was born in North Carolina in 1803. When quite a young man he emigrated to Kentucky after a period of seven years; there married and removed to Illinois, and settled in Fillmore Township, Montgomery County. During his life he followed the occupation of a farmer. In the fall of 1832, he sold his property in Montgomery County, and returned to Kentucky, Adair County, and in the spring of 1833, returned to Montgomery County and settled in North Litchfield Township. Here he remained to the time of his death, which occurred April 10, 1834; at the time of his death he owned a farm of 120 acres. His wife, and mother of our subject, was born in Virginia in 1804, and died in 1848. She was the mother of eight children, Hiram SHEPHERD being the fifth child. His early life was spent in receiving such an education as the common schools of his day afforded, and in assisting in tilling the soil of his father's farm. In his eighteenth year he was left an orphan, and at that age embarked on his career in life as a hired hand, which he followed for one year, when he worked a farm on shares. In 1852, he went to California, and there followed gold mining. In 1854, he returned to Montgomery County, Ill., and embarked in a saw-mill business, near Litchfield. In 1856, he bought eighty acres of land, but soon traded the same for a 100-acre tract of partially improved prairie. He remained upon his farm about three years, when he sold out and bought 100 acres of the same farm he is now residing on. By his energy and business habits, he has succeeded in accumulating 200 acres of well-improved land, upon which he raises all farm products, but makes wheat, corn and oats a specialty, and aims to keep his farm well stocked. On October 21, 1857, in Montgomery County, he married Miss Nancy A., daughter of James and Sarah (BEER) WILLIAMS. Mrs. SHEPHERD was born in Washington County, Ill., December 10, 1832. She is the mother of nine children, viz., Anna E., Sarah E., Martha J., John P., Rosa A., Lillie L., Charles H. Hiram F. and Edward E. Politically, Mr. Shepherd is 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 296-297.
