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EARLY SETTLERS OF SANGAMON COUNTY - 1876
By John Carroll Power

These biographies were submitted by a researcher and evidently abstracted from the 1876 History of Sangamon County, IL. Errors could occur, so one should always verify the correctness by obtaining copies of vitals and performing all necessary research to document what is contained herein.



GIGER, BENJAMIN, was born July 25, 1803, in Jefferson county, Tenn. He came to Sangamon county on a visit in 1828, returned to Tennessee, and moved, in company with his widowed mother and his brother-in-law, John North, arriving April 12, 1829, in what is now Cooper township. Benjamin Giger was married in Sangamon county, Nov. 18, 1832, to Susanna Todd, who was born Dec. 20, 1808, in his native county. They had three living children in Sangamon county, namely--

LETITIA A., born Sept. 15, 1836, in Sangamon county, married Jan. 27, 1853, to Aaron H. Martin, who was born Dec. 4, 1825, in Clarke county, Ind. They had five children, ALBERT T., SUSAN A., MARY L., FLORA L. and JENNIE I., and live in Mechanicsburg.

HENRY, born June 28, 1840, in Sangamon county, married Feb., 1863, to Mary J. Kirk. They have two children, ALBERT O. and LAURA B., and live near Norborne, Corroll county, Mo.

BENJAMIN H., born June 30, 1846, in Sangamon county, married April 6, 1865, to Sarah A. Dickson. They had three children: SUSANNA, the youngest, died in her fourth year. ALVIN C. and MATTIE T. reside with their parents in Mechanicsburg.

Benjamin Giger had natural talents for inventing useful machinery. It is believed by his descendents that it was from some machinery of his inventing that the original ideas embodied in the McCormick reaper were obtained. He did invent and construct many ingenious and useful implements. He would often study for days at a time, sometimes quitting his work in the daytime, would go to bed, cover up head and ears, and continue in the deepest study. When a plan or design was fully matured, he would leave his work, or arise from bed, as the case might be, and write, without stopping to eat or sleep, until his thoughts were transferred to paper. He invented a machine for heading grain; also some plows and other agricultural implements, and was on his way to Washington with his models, for the purpose of obtaining patents. He was taken sick on board a steamer ascending the Ohio river, and died at Brownsville, Pa., June 23, 1850. His widow died Nov. 28, 1858, in Sangamon county.



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