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JOHN MOORE FISK, a prominent farmer and stock-raiser of Fancy Creek Township, is one of the most popular and influential citizens of this part of the country. He has mingled much in its public life, and is well known in social and religious circles. Our subject comes of an old Colonial family who located in New England in the early years of its settlement, two of the Fisks coming from Westmoreland County, England, about ten years after the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. They first settled in Waltham, Mass., where some of their descendants still reside. Some members of the family afterward went to Tolland County, Conn., where Eli Fisk, the father of our subject, was born.

William Fisk, the paternal grandfather of our subject, was a native of Massachusetts, where he was engaged as a farmer and stockman. He served throughout the entire Revolution. Eli Fisk was reared on a farm, and early in life he learned the trade of a carpenter. He was married in Connecticut, in 1816 or 1817, to Margaret Moore, a native of Tolland County. Her father, John Moore, was also born in Connecticut and there died. He was a farmer, and during the Revolution was a soldier in the Continental army. His ancestors were originally from Scotland, and the family settled in Connecticut in an early day, where they took part in the Indian wars. His wife was a Lawson prior to her marriage.

After he was married Mr. Fisk removed to Indiana County, Pa., where he followed his trade and beside operated a sawmill which he had built. In 1823 he removed to Hamilton County, Ohio, and settled in Cincinnati. He was engaged as a builder in that city and also worked in a machine shop. He was a resident of the Queen City eleven years, and in August, 1835, came from there to Mason County, Ill. He lived two years in Havana, where he engaged in building houses. He then located on a farm, and he put up the first sawmill in Mason County at Havana. He entered three hundred and twenty acres of land five miles east of there and improved it into a valuable farm. He remained there till his death in 1861 at the venerable age of eighty two years, when one of the most useful and honored pioneers of that section of the State was removed from the scenes of hi busy life, where he had engaged in helping forward the development of that county. His wife preceded him in death, dying on the old homestead in Mason County in 1858. These worthy people were the parents of three children, namely: Esther L., who married F. Buck, and is now deceased; John M., of whom we write; and Eli C., a farmer in Mason County.

The subject of this sketch was born in Indiana County, Pa., in the month of September, 1822. His first recollections are of Ohio, and of being nearly drowned when the family went to Cincinnati on a flatboat. He lived in that city till he was past twelve years old, and received the most of his education in its schools, attending school after the family removed to Havana only two months. In the month of July, 1835, he left Cincinnati with his parents on a steamboat and proceeded to St. Louis, and from there on the boat "Illinois" to Havana. They were among the early settlers of that place, as there were then only seven families there, who were living in log houses. Mason County was then a new country, sparsely settled and uncultivated, and formed at that time a part of Tazewell County. Mr. Fisk was early set to work in helping his father develop his farm. He made and used a wooden mold-board plow, with which he broke prairie for seven or eight years, using cattle as the motor power. Game abounded then, and he has seen as many as fifty deer at once, but he never cared much for hunting. He remained at home with his parents until he was past twenty-two, assisting in the management of the farm.

Mr. Fisk was married in Mason County, February 27, 1845, to Miss Sarah A. McReynold, a native of Columbia County, Pa., and a daughter of Robert McReynold. Her father was also born in Pennsylvania, his people coming to this country from Ireland. He was engaged in that State as a contractor on railroads and canals. He was an early settler in Illinois, and from 1838 was County Commissioner of Mason County for years, was Assessor and Treasurer, and for a long time was County Judge, he being one of the most prominent citizens of the county during his life.

After marriage Mr. Fisk remained on the home farm two years, and in 1847 bought one hundred and sixty acres of land six miles east of Havana. He subsequently added to it two hundred and forty acres of land, and developed it into a good farm. In 1865 he sold his property in Mason County, and coming here bought two hundred and twenty acres of land on section 19, Fancy Creek Township. He has his farm all fenced, and on its sixty acres of pasture he raises fine herds of stock. He has here a well-improved farm, advantageously located ten miles from the Capital, and has on it a neat set of buildings and all conveniences for farming.

Seven children have been born to our subject and his estimable wife, of whom the following is recorded: Wilbur died in 1875; Lucinda is the wife of Asa Canterbury, of Peoria; Warren is married and lives on the home farm; Margaret J. married Thomas A. Bently, a farmer of Spink County, Dak.; Willis is a farmer in Jefferson, Ill.; Elizabeth married J. Canterbury, of Menard County, Ill.; Elmer McReynold is connected with the Equitable Life Insurance Company in St. Louis. All the children have had excellent school advantages, and are graduates of commercial colleges.

Mr. Fisk stands high in the estimation of his fellow townsmen, and his sagacity and business tact have been found very useful in the management of public affairs. He has served as Supervisor of this township one year, and as Treasurer, and was Commissioner of Highways ten years, holding that position till he refused to serve any longer. He has been Township School Trustee, School Director and was Clerk of the Board for years. While a resident of Mason County he was School Treasurer for years. Politically he is a Republican, and was a member of the Union League during the war. He has been a delegate to county conventions frequently, and has served on grand and petit juries. In him the Methodist Episcopal Church finds one of its leading members. He has been lay delegate to annual conferences three times. He belonged to the church of that denomination at Strodes Point, Athens Circuit, assisted in organizing the class, and is Stewart. He has been Trustee of the church at Cantrall, and has been Superintendent of the school for years.