JOHN R. VAN METER, farmer and stock raiser, postoffice, Cantrall, was born on the farm where he now lives, on the 15th day of December, 1837; son of SR and Catharine (Bishop) VanMeter, who were natives of Ohio, where they married, August 5, 1834, and immediately started for Illinois, with his young wife, and located in Fancy creek township. His father gave him eighty acres of land, and afterwards he entered two hundred and forty acres, making in all three hundred and twenty acres of land, which he owned at his death, which occurred, September 6, 1866; he again married, April 3, 1860, Mrs. Mary A. E. Whitemore, whose maiden name was Kaiser. Mr. Van Meter was a soldier in the Black Hawk War, of 1831 and '32; was an old line Whit, up to the time of the organization of the Republican party, with which he afterward affiliated; at the time that the Know Nothing party was organized, he with others took an active interest, holding meetings at his house. J. R. was raised on a farm, and received an academic education. January 22, 1872, he married Miss Eliza J. Cressee, daughter of John and Sarah Cressee, now of Springfield, an came to Sangamon county in 1837; she was born in Menard county, Illinois, October 12, 1845. There are two children, Seymour, born October 29, 1872; William F., born October 31, 1875. Mr. Van Meter is one of the large and well-to-do farmers of the county; has three hundred and twenty acres of land under a high state of cultivation, valued at $65 per acre; raises forty acres of corn; twenty acres of wheat; turns out one car load of cattle, one car of hogs, yearly. Mr. Van Meter makes a specialty of Cotswold and South Downs, and turns his attention to this branch of stock; has three hundred head on his place, and turns out one hundred head per year. In politics, is a Republican, and has represented his township in the board of supervisors, a number of years.