|
I.
N. MERCER
FROM:
The
History of Gallatin, Saline, Hamilton, Franklin, and Williamson Counties,
Illinois (Chicago: Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1887).
P.
725-726.
I.
N. Mercer, justice, farmer, and proprietor of the Broughton Hotel, was
born May 28, 1833, in Green County, Ohio, the tenth of thirteen children,
six deceased, of John and Rebecca (Dalby) Mercer, the former of English
origin, born in 1790 in Frederick County, Va., and the latter of Scotch
and German descent., born in the same county in 1796.
After their marriage they settled on a farm in Greene County, Ohio,
where they died in 1881 and 1877 respectively.
Our subject was educated in Jamestown and Antioch College (now
Wilberforce College, colored) and at twenty-two went to Clinton County,
Ind., where he married Elizabeth Clark, and soon established a
merchandising business in Colfax and farmed some also.
In 1862 he moved to Vermillion County, Ind., where he engaged in
live-stock dealing, farming and merchandising.
His wife died in November, 1864, and in 1866 he married again, and
sold out and moved to Hamilton County and settled on his farm one and a
half miles southeast of McLeansboro.
Eight years later he moved to Broughton and engaged in
merchandising, but since 1885 his attention has been devoted to
superintending his farm.
He was postmaster also for some time.
By his first marriage his children are Daniel, Lurett J. (wife of
Henry Kanier), John W., Abram and Lanford N.
Elizabeth, daughter of Daniel and Harriett (Crawford) Shroyer, the
second wife of our subject, was born September 4, 1847, Lawrence County,
Ill., and reared in Vermillion County.
August 12, 1866, is the date of their marriage.
Their only child was Amy I., deceased at thirteen.
Our subject now owns about 300 acres of land besides town property,
which is the result of his active and careful career.
Politically he is independent, first voting for Fremont.
He was postmaster after 1877 until he abandoned mercantile life.
Since 1881 he has been justice.
He and his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church, while the
children are all Methodists.
He is a great-grandson of Gen. John Mercer, of Revolutionary war
fame. |
