My Genealogy Hound

REV. SYLVESTER PEASLEY, farmer; P. O. Downs; one of the early settlers of McLean Co.; born in Grayson Co., Va., Aug. 31, 1823. His father, Isaac Peasley, was born Aug. 30, 1798, in North Carolina. He was married in Grayson Co., Va., to Rachel Holsey. She was born in Virginia in 1803. They were the parents of eight children, of whom four are now living. Mr. Peasley died Oct. 16, 1851. His widow died in the spring of 1865. The subject of this sketch emigrated with his parents to Illinois and located in McLean Co. in the fall of 1834. They lived in a log cabin with stick-and-mud chimney; it had a puncheon floor, and was in all respects a rude structure. They lived in this cabin for two years, when they built one of their own. Mr. Peasley lived with his parents several years, and upon the 3d of November, 1842, he was united in marriage with Mary Stillman. Six children were the fruit of this union, of whom one is deceased; the living are — Granville, born Oct. 14, 1845; Rachel S., Oct. 29, 1848; Isaac, Oct. 24, 1851, John, July 16, 1854; Esther C., Oct. 13, 1859; and one who died in infancy. Mrs. Peasley died Oct. 2, 1863. His marriage with Mrs. Susan Crosby was celebrated April 6, 1864. One child was the fruit of this union, who died when upward of three years of age. Mr. Peasley has endured all the privations of frontier life; he has made frequent trips to Chicago; has been out twenty-six days in succession, exposed to the coldest of weather; has waded the Kankakee River when his clothes were frozen as soon as he came out, and has slept on brush which he cut to protect him from the mud in the rainy weather. He has taken a deep interest in the cause of religion, having devoted a large part of his life to the cause, and has attended five churches. He has been an ardent worker in the cause of the Sabbath school, and still continues his good work. He was elected the first Supervisor of Downs, in 1858, which office be held for twelve years in succession. He was the first Postmaster in Downs Township, which office he held twelve years. He is now President of the McLean County Fire Insurance Company, of which he was a charter member. Mr. Peasley is a Republican in politics, having joined the party upon its organization, and has since labored in support of the same. He has been a member of the Baptist Church since 1840, of which he was an ordained minister, but was forced to discontinue preaching on account of weak lungs. He removed upon his present place in 1847, where he has since lived during a period of upward of thirty years. Mrs. Peasley remarks about the sudden change of 1836. The weather had been mild for some time; rain had been falling changing the snow to slush, when suddenly a cold wind-storm came and changed the temperature nearly sixty degrees in a very short time; the face of the country was changed from water to ice immediately, and, as Rev. Mr. Peasley remarked, appeared like a picture of the polar regions.