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1881 HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY, ILLINOIS
Inter-State Publishing Company
Chicago, Illinois, 1881






Page 646

EVANS E. BRITTON, Springfield, Illinois, was born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, October 28, 1791. His father, Elijah Britton, was a farmer, and Evans E. was reared on a farm, and received a common school education. When seven years old, his father died, but previous to his death had rented a farm in Virginia for three years, which his mother, with a family of seven children, shortly after moved upon, where they remained until 1800. She then removed to Ross county, Ohio, then a vast wilderness, where she leased a piece of land for seven years, and at the expiration of that time went to Champaign county, where she bought a piece of land. While in Ross county, they had to go into Kentucky, something over one hundred and fifty miles for breadstuff, on horseback. They lived in a cabin 16x18 feet, with puncheon floors. In 1818, the subject of this sketch married Miss Mary England, who was born in Kentucky in 1800, and in 1820 he came to this county with his wife and one child, which was a renewal of pioneer life. He located on Fancy Creek, where he took up land and made a farm. St. Louis was the nearest point where they could buy their farming tools, salt, and all other articles; for grinding meal and flour, they went to American bottoms, east of St. Louis. There was plenty of game in an early day for their meat; his father-in-law, Mr. England, was an expert hunter, and they had plenty of venison and bear meat; the wild turkey were so thick that he would take a pole and knock them down from the trees. Mr. B. remained on the old homestead until about 1870, when he came to Springfield, and is at present making his home with his daughter, Mrs. Wilbur. Mrs. Britton died in August, 1846; she was a member of the Christian Church, and was loved and respected by all who knew her. Mr. Britton is nearly ninety years old; he has seen the rough side of life; one of his most severe afflictions was the loss of his left arm, from the cause of a cancer. He is a Christian, and respected by all who know him.


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