For nearly thirty
years Austin Landon, now deceased, was a resident of Sangamon and Macoupin
counties, and few men in the community have been more highly respected. He
was remarkably successful as a farmer and stock-raiser and in all his
relations showed a breadth of spirit and an appreciation of the feelings and
rights of others which marked him as a natural leader in the community. His
death, which occurred July 21, 1910, when he was seventy years of age,
occasioned profound regret among a wide circle of friends, and his memory
will ever be sacredly cherished by those who had the honor of his
acquaintance.
Born in Jersey county, Illinois, December 23, 1839, he
was a son of William and Alvira (Cory) Landon. The parents were both natives
of Vermont and came to Illinois at an early day. The mother was twice
married, her first husband being a Mr. Cowan. Ten children were born to Mr.
and Mrs. Landon, namely: Edward, deceased; Austin, of this review; Oscar,
also deceased; Alice, who is the wife of B. F. Workman, of Auburn, Illinois;
Horace, who also lives at Auburn; Mary, who married Marion Cowan, of Jersey
county; Emma, the wife of John Everts, of Missouri; Truman, deceased;
William, a resident of Jersey county; and Sarah, who married T. S. Chapman,
of Jersey county.
Austin Landon was reared upon his father’s farm
and in the district schools secured the foundation of an education. After
attaining his majority he took charge of a farm belonging to his father and
later purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Sangamon county,
applying himself with such judgment and ability that he became the owner of
nineteen hundred acres of valuable land, three hundred and twenty acres of
which constituted the old home place in Jersey county, the remainder of his
land holdings being in Sangamon county. He engaged in general farming and
made a specialty of raising shorthorn cattle, in which he was fairly
successful. He became the owner of a beautiful home at Virden, to which he
moved with his family in 1882, making his residence in this city during the
remainder of his life.
On
March 27, 1866, Mr. Landon was married to
Miss Alma Argo, a daughter of William and Clarissa (Bigelow) Argo, both of
whom were natives of Vermont. By this union one child was born, Clara, who
is now the wife of George McNaught and resides upon the old home place in
Sangamon county. The father of Mrs. Landon came to Illinois with his family
and settled upon a farm in Fulton county, becoming one of the prominent men
of the community. There were ten children in his family, two of whom died in
infancy, the others being: Jerome, now deceased; Alma, now Mrs. Ahstin
Landon; Adrian, deceased; Alice, who is the wife of William Rush, of
Arkansas; Emily J., who married Frank Vansell, of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania;
Ernest, who is living in St. Louis; Loren, a resident of Kansas; and Lucius,
who makes his home at Auburn, Illinois.
Mr. Landon of this review
was a stanch believer in the Bible and was a member of the Methodist church,
whose teachings had an important influence in shaping his life. He gave his
support to the republican party and, being a man of earnest convictions,
there was never any doubt as to where he stood on important matters
affecting the community or the state. He was diligent in his business, a
lover of his home and his country, and never hesitated to make any personal
sacrifice if it added to the happiness of those with whom he was associated.
No record of Macoupin county would be complete without adequate mention of
Austin Landon and the part he performed in the development of this section
of the state, with which he was closely identified during all the years of
an active and useful life.
Extracted 18 May 2018 by Norma Hass from History of Macoupin County, Illinois: Biographical and Pictorial, by Charles A. Walker, published in 1911, Volume 2, pages 68-73.
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