The life record of this venerable citizen of Patoka township is one of
interest and instruction, for it has been active, always so modulated as to
be of the greatest service to those whom it touched. He has lived to see the
transformation of a great country from the primeval forests and the wild
prairies and he has performed well his part in this great work.
Andrew M. Peddicord was born May 9, 1822, in Mason county, Kentucky, where
he lived in 1851, when he came to Jacksonville, Illinois, having farmed
sixteen miles from Jacksonville, paying only two dollars per acre for rent
of land, the first cash rent ever paid for land in that part of the county.
He was at the first state fair ever held in Jacksonville. A few years later
he came to Marion county for the purpose of engaging in farming. He first
landed in Salem and bought wild land here, which he improved.
Our
subject is the son of Andrew and Delilia (Eaton) Peddicord, being one of
fourteen children born to them, consisting of seven boys and an equal number
of girls. They were said to be the healthiest and finest looking family in
Kentucky. The subject's father was born in Mason county, Kentucky, and the
subject's mother was born in Harrison county, the Blue Grass state, both
being representatives from large families.
Mr. Peddicord was united
in marriage on August 29, 1845, to Mary Foley, born September 29, 1829, the
daughter of Daniel and Mildred (Mastison) Foley, the former having been born
in Virginia and the latter in Kentucky. Ten children have been born to our
subject and wife as follows: Daniel E., born May 18, 1848, married Katherine
Weeks and they are living in Decatur, Illinois: William M., born November
27, 1851, married Mary Tune; they are living in Vernon and are the parents
of six children, two children being deceased; Mollie L. married E. Robinson;
James L., born January 1, 1854, married Belle Mann, they have one son and
live near Odin; Martha L., was born November 22, 1855; Ora Anna, born March
20, 1858, married Charles Tillman, and they live in Springfield; Claybrook
B. was born October 31, 1860, and died in infancy; Charles M. was born
September 26, 1862, and is deceased; John Henry was born May 21, 1865,
married Ulga Friar, and they have three children. He is engaged in the
livery business at Vernon.
Mr. Peddicord was one of those brave sons
of the great Prairie state, who offered his assistance in saving the
nation's integrity during the dark days of the sixties, having enlisted in
Company G, Seventh Illinois Cavalry in 1865, and served with credit until
the close of the war.
Our subject is a great lover of horses and he
has always kept some good ones about him. His place used to be stocked with
very fine ones. He was said to have been the finest horseman in Marion
county in his younger days. He had the reputation of bringing more good
stock to Marion county than any other man. He was a well known character in
his younger days, and is today possibly the best known man in the county. He
was a loyal friend of Judge Bryan, father of William J. Bryan. Our subject
saw the great Commoner when he was only three days old. Mr. Peddicord has
been a man of thrift, unusual business ability and foresight and he laid up
an ample competence to insure his old age free from want. He has been living
in quiet retirement for the past ten years. He has been a stanch Mason,
having been identified with the order in Mason county, Kentucky. He is a
good Democrat, but notwithstanding his ability and popularity he never took
much interest in politics. Our subject has been a very able bodied man in
his day, strong, of fine appearance and much endurance, but now his great
weight of years is telling on him and his eyesight and hearing have failed
considerably. He is an uncle of A. M. Peddicord in Carrigan township, a well
known man whose sketch appears in full in this work.
Mr. Peddicord
has a comfortable home in Vernon. He gets a pension of twenty dollars a
month. He has numerous friends who are always glad to pay him the respect
due a man of his years and who has led a useful and influential life.
Extracted 11 Jul 2017 by Norma Hass from 1909 Biographical and Reminiscent History of Richland, Clay and Marion Counties, Illinois, pages 506-508.