My Genealogy Hound

CORNELIUS COVEY, farmer; P. O. Le Roy; one of the early settlers of McLean Co.; born in Cayuga Co., N. Y., Feb. 26, 1814. He was a son of Edward Covey, who was born in the State of New York in 1772. He emigrated to Orange Township, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, in 1816, and was the third settler of that township. He emigrated to Illinois in 1835, and located in what was then McLean Co., near Farmer City, where he lived until his decease, which occurred Nov. 28, 1854. He was married in New York to Hannah Northrup. She was born in Connecticut in the year 1785, and died March 19, 1861. She was a daughter of Stephen Northrup, who was born near Hartford, Conn., and volunteered as private at the commencement of the Revolutionary struggle and served through the war. In September, 1780, he was detailed as the bearer of the dispatches from West Point, upon the Hudson, to Hartford, Conn., where Gen. Washington and his suit were in session, announcing the traitorous designs of Gen. Arnold. Mr. Northrup drew a pension until his decease, which occurred when 78 years of age. The father and mother of Mr. Covey removed from New York to Ohio with oxen and sled, in the month of February, and used oxen many years upon his farm. The subject of this sketch emigrated with his parents to Illinois in 1835, and, after living near Farmer City until 1845, sold out and located upon his present place, where he has lived for a period of thirty-five years. At the time of locating here, his capital consisted of $450 in cash, one team and one cow. He first purchased 100 acres of land, to which he has since added until he now owns 292 acres, with good farm buildings. In 1847, he took a load of wheat by team to Chicago, loading back with salt and groceries. A few years he did his trading at Peoria, which at that time was considered quite convenient. Upon Mr. Covey locating upon his present place, there was not a single house in view, west, where now upon every quarter of a section stands one or more residences. His marriage with Dicy Johnson was celebrated Sept. 5, 1836. She was born in White Co., Ill., July 29, 1817. Her father was born in Kentucky. Her mother was Catharine Reed, born in East Tennessee in 1785. They emigrated to Illinois in 1823. The children of Cornelius and Dicy Covey were eleven in number, of whom six are now living, viz.: Edmond, James R., Byron, Lorenzo, Stephen H. and Ellsworth. He has given his five oldest children $1,200 in land. He had three sons in the Union army, two of whom served in the 39th Regt. for over four years. He as well as all of his sons are strong Republicans, and labor for the support of their party. He has taken a deep interest in the cause of religion, he with his wife having been members of the Baptist Church for upward of a quarter of a century. He has been a hard-working, industrious man, and, aside from the above-mentioned property, paid taxes upon $8,000 worth of personal property in 1878.