JOHN ARCHER, who resides on Section 10, Chelsea township, is one of the representative farmers of Fillmore county. He was born January 9, 1845, in Coles county, Illinois, and is a son of Ellison and Elizabeth (Street) Archer, who were farmers of Coles county. He was reared and educated in the common schools of his district, acquiring such an education as the schools of that time afforded. He lived with his parents until he was twenty years of age, when he was married April, 1864, to Miss Rachel J. Raines, a daughter of Samuel and Lydia (Young) Raines who was also farmers of Coles county. After his marriage he rented a part of his fathers farm, and by carefully saving his money, he was enabled the next autumn to buy forty acres of land, paying five hundred dollars in cash, and getting time on the balance. They then moved on their own farm, but only lived there a few months, when the house was completely destroyed by fire, and they barely escaped with their lives. This loss embarrassed him so much financially that he was compelled to sell his land in order to relieve the indebtedness that was hanging over it. Truly life was not opening very promising for them, and he was very much discouraged, but it seems that the darkest clouds always have a silver lining, and it is always darkest just before the break of day. Just at this critical time in their affairs, Mrs. Archer opportunely received her portion of her deceased fathers estate, and she came heroically to the assistance of her husband. With this money they bought a small but extremely valuable tract of land, and after a few years of hard work and carefully saving their money, they were enabled to buy an additional twenty acres of land. They lived on this farm until 1871, when they determined to try their fortune in the west. They loaded all their goods in a canvas covered wagon and started for Nebraska, and after a long and tiresome journey they finally reached Fillmore county, and purchased a farm in section 10, Chelsea township. Here they erected a sod house and stable, and covered them with shingle roofs. The land was unbroken and they set to work with a will to convert the rolling prarie (sic) into a cultivated farm. Fortune finally smiled on them, and in a few years they were able to add an addition of eighty acres to their farm, and they now have a good, fertile and well cultivated farm of one hundred and sixty acres of land, which is well improved in every respect.
To their marriage have been born sixteen children, eleven of whom are still living. George B., who married Miss Jennie Falkton, Samuel E., who married Miss Carrie Tuttle, Lydia M., who married Henry Hennecamp, Ellen J., who married Frank Brewer, Emery, who married Miss Grace Bland, Mary B., who married Relphkin Shuffler, John W., Arthur, Anna May, Hattie Eva, Minnie Viola. Five died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Archer are both members of the United Brethren Church, and are active workers in church matters. Politically he is a member of the Populist party, and is an ardent believer in its principles
from Memorial and Biographical Record .... Butler, Polk, Seward, York and Fillmore Counties © 2002 for the NEGenWeb Project by Pam Rietsch, Ted & Carole Miller