JOSEPH VOORHEES was born on the 2nd of
February 2, 1814, at Reading, Hamilton County, Ohio. He was the son of Garrett
and Jerusha (Rugg) Voorhees. She was a native of Long Island, New York. His
brother Harvey, lived at the old homestead in Ohio, was in the best of health,
and was a highly esteemed and wealthy citizen (1873).
Joseph came to Elmwood on a visit in 1835 and returned, buying land in Kickapoo Township. In 1841 he moved to Peoria County and located on land in Section 6, in Kickapoo Township, where he was largely engaged in farming and stock-raising. He lived in a log cabin and was known for his hard work ethic. He had a brick yard on his farm and was for years engaged in brick manufacture. He had over 800 acres of land, a part of which was in Nebraska. He married Sarah Rynearson in Peoria, Illinois, March 10, 1840. She was born in Franklin County, Indiana, August 19, 1823, and was the daughter of Minnie and Sarah Rynearson, residents of Rosefield Township. Her family was of revolutionary stock. Her father took a particularly active part in the early Indian wars, and in the second war against England, and was at one time taken prisoner by the Indians and sold to the British at Malden during the War Of 1812 for three gallons of whisky.
The Voorhees ancestry is traced from Holland. Joseph’s father Garret, along with his family, settled in New Jersey before the revolutionary struggle. They were participants in that great struggle, and although there is no evidence of participation, it was safe to assume that they bore and acted their part with patriotism and valor. Mr. Voorhees' father, Garret Voorhees, was born June 9, 1763, in Somerset County, New Jersey, and died near Reading, Ohio, at the remarkable age of ninety-nine. Garrett Voorhees and his wife came to Ohio, in the early settlement of that State, when there was but one shingle-roofed house in Cincinnati. He bought a farm in Hamilton County and devoted most of his life to agriculture. He entertained, to the last, a vivid recollection of the War of Independence, and was particularly delighted to remember his service under General Wayne, the hero of Stony Point (“Mad Anthony"), and who was a great favorite with Mr. Voorhees. He was with him in the fight against the Indians who had defeated St. Clair and who were so terribly vanquished in the conflict in which Wayne commanded.
When Joseph Voorhees first came to Illinois, he bought two hundred and thirty acres of prairie land. His industrious habits and economical ways increased his lands until his farm contained 800 acres of the best soil. His property at the time (1873) was worth forty thousand dollars. Mr. Voorhees' early education amounted to little, if any, but he had, through life, been a constant reader. He was particularly interested in politics and was always a strong democrat and voted for Van Buren. He was an enthusiastic admirer of the democracy of which Jackson and Jefferson were the honored exponents.
In religion, Mr. Voorhees' views were peculiar. Although he was never connected with any church, he was always a respecter of the genuine followers of Christ. He entertained the opinion that churches improve society, and that, without them, all respect for law and order would be at an end. His advice to the troubled conscience of the sinner was to get religion and stick to it. Mr. Voorhees led a peaceable upright life and could never find the language to express his disgust of hypocrisy and sinister motives. It was very seldom that anyone met with one who led such a temperate life. From his boyhood up, he never used tobacco or liquor.
Excerpt from the Atlas Map of Peoria County: 1873: “He is now living at the homestead, surrounded.by family and friends, in the enjoyment of perfect health. As his health and contentment are of so delightful a nature, the writer predicts years yet before yielding to the debt of nature. As his father died at the advanced age of ninety-nine years; it may be possible the family longevity will preserve the writer's subjects as long, if not longer.”
Joseph Voorhees died on Oct 14, 1909 and is buried at Combs Cemetery in Edwards, IL
Sources:
Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Peoria County, Edited by David McCulloch, Vol. II; Chicago and Peoria: Munsell Publishing Company, Publishers, 1902
Peoria County 1873, Publisher: A. T. Andreas, Publish Date: 1873
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/30312598/joseph-voorhees
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