My Genealogy Hound

FESTUS M. GUMM was born March 25, 1831, in Galesburg, Knox county, Ill., and is the son of Jesse Gumm, a native of Kentucky, who came to Illinois in 1830. He was in the Black Hawk War, and the battle of Tippecanoe. Young Festus’s mother was also a native of Kentucky. The subject of this sketch was a pioneer of Illinois, and has seen the time when he hauled wheat 175 miles to Chicago, and sold it for fifty cents a bushel; hauled pork the same distance and sold it for $1.25 a hundred. There was no money at that time and they had to take their pay out of the store or wherever they sold their produce. Once in a while they would get money enough to pay their taxes. They raised all their own wool and made all their own clothing. Mr. Gumm remained at home until twenty-one years of age; was then married to Miss Mary E. Willis, a native of Indiana; then moved to Knox county; from there to Marshall county, Kan., and remained there five years, engaged in farming. He then started to go to Arkansas, but did not like the looks of the country, got discouraged, turned back and came to Jasper county, Mo., and finally settled on his present farm of 221 acres, 170 acres under cultivation; the rest is fenced and is good pasturage. He has eight acres in all kinds of fruit; has fair buildings and is a substantial farmer. He has nine children living, whose names are: Eliza—married to James Edgar, a native of Illinois, and lived in Marshall county, Kan., and had one child, James A.; Mr. Edgar died Nov., 15,1877, and Mrs. Edgar returned to her parents and has lived with them ever since—William, Milton, Newton, Charles, Annie L,, Julia, Estella, and Edna. Mr. Gumm is a staunch old Democrat and has been all his life. He is a very sociable gentleman and very hospitable to strangers and has a nice family.