My Genealogy Hound

HUGH M. HARKER, farmer and stock-raiser, is one of the most successful farmers in Sheridan township. He was born in Peoria county, Ill., Feb. 29, 1840, and was educated in the common schools of that county by attending during the winter months. He is the son of Daniel and Mary Harker. They had five children, Hugh being a twin child. He remained at home until he was twenty-two years of age. He then worked at digging coal by the bushel for six months; and then went to work with his twin brother (James) on a threshing machine for one season. He threshed, dug coal, and farmed for two or three years. He was married to Mary Thompson March 29, 1866; she is the daughter of J. C. Thompson. Mrs. Harker was born Sept. 15, 1846. Mr. Harker engaged in farming in Peoria county until 1869, and then moved to Jasper county and lived with two other families in a small house until he could build, and located on his present farm in Oct., 1870. He has four children: Mollie, Margaret, Bertha M., and Gracie M. In 1877 Mrs. Harker’s health being poor, they started with a mule team for Colorado and were on the road six weeks. It was a wet season and they had a hard time of it, and got stuck in the mud several times. On the road they fell in with another party. Two thieves tried to steal their mules; they did not succeed, however, but managed to escape with their lives, being shot several times. One of them came into town the day following to have his wounds dressed, but Mr. Harker did not stop to learn what was done with him. They also found two families (movers) whose teams had been stolen and could not travel any farther until they got other teams. Mr. and Mrs. Harker went to Colorado Springs, where Mrs. Harker remained, and he took an excursion into the mountains with an exploring party and relic hunters; also took a trip to Leadville and took a load of ore sacks and made $7 a day on the trip. He took one trip upon the Divide afterwards; got caught in a snow storm, and came very near freezing to death. They got their matches wet, and one of the men dried them by putting them next to his flesh; then they built a fire, which was all that kept them from freezing. They were thirty-six hours in the storm without shelter. He then returned to Colorado Springs and engaged in teaming at $4 to $5 per day, and returned to Jasper county after an absence of about two years with Mrs. Harker’s health almost entirely recovered. Mr. Harker has a fine improved farm of 204 ½ acres, with a good two-story frame residence, a fine large barn, and other good buildings; has also a good orchard, two good springs, and can water any part of the farm from them. He raises an average of from eighteen to twenty bushels of wheat to the acre, and from thirty-eight to forty of corn. Mr. and Mrs. Harker are members of the Presbyterian Church, are well known, and universally respected.