Eustace Families Association
RICHARD
EUSTICE
EUSTICE, RICHARD The
pioneer history of JoDaviess County would scarcely be complete without prominent
mention of this gentleman, who came within its limits as early as 1840. He
has for the last eleven years made his home on sec. 23 in Elizabeth Township,
among whose people he has lived and labored to excellent purpose, establishing
himself in their confidence and esteem, and securing a goodly proportion of this
world's goods. Our subject received his first impressions of life in
the County of Cornwall, England, his birth taking place July 15, 1840. He
was the oldest child in a family of eight, the offspring of William and Mary
(Williams) Eustice, the former of whom died June 3, 1858. The latter
is living and makes her home at Lena, Stephenson County, this State. When
their son, Richard was an infant of four months the family set out for America,
and the father employed himself a short time thereafter in the coal mines of
Pennsylvania. In 1842 they came to this county settling first at
Weston, in Elizabeth Township, where the father was engaged in lead mining a
number of years. He also spent about two years in the copper-mining
regions of Lake Superior, having his family with him there also. Upon
returning from there he purchased seventy acres of land on section 27 in
Elizabeth Township, this county, where he prosecuted agriculture successfully
until his death, which occurred June 3, 1858, from a stroke of lightning. With
him also perished his son William. They were standing in a door of
their house, and the electric fluid came down the chimney, killing them
instantly. The mother of our subject, after thus being sadly widowed,
moved to Elizabeth Village of which she was a resident a number of years, and
whence she repaired to Lena Ill., and is now making her home with her son James
H., being now nearly seventy years old.
Richard our subject, was deprived of many of the advantages
given the youth of to-day in the way of schooling and social training, working
mainly on a farm until twenty years of age. He then began teaming for the firm
of Greene & Goldthorpe, proprietors of a lead blast furnace which located in
the vicinity of the present farm of our subject. He was thus employed for a
period of seventeen years, and in the meantime also was assigned the duty of
weighing the mineral at the mines before hauling it to the furnace. A portion of
this was transported to Galena for shipment elsewhere.
About 1878 Mr. Eustice in the company with his brother-in-law,
William Tippett commenced farming on a tract of rented land, that which is now
owned by Mr. Eustice. They operated together five years, it being at that time
owned by the Hon.H.Green. It was purchased by our subject in the fall of 1882
and comprises 146 acres, the soil of which has been brought to a though state of
cultivation and the farm improved with neat and substantial buildings, which may
be classed among the best in the township. A self-made man Mr. Eustice is
indebted solely to his own persevering efforts for the handsome property which
he enjoys to-day. The 1st of January, 1865 witnessed the marriage of our subject
with Miss Mary K., daughter of William and Jane (King) Tippett, who, like the
Eustice family, were numbered among the pioneer settlers of Jo Daviess County.
The young people commenced their wedded life at a modest, but comfortable home
in Elizabeth Township, and labored together with a mutual purpose for the
future. Their union has resulted in the birth of six children, viz: Edith A. ,
William M., James E., Richard J., Authur R., and Ernest Russell. Mr. Eustice
upholds with all the natural strength of his character, the principles of the
Republican party. He served two terms as Commissioner of Highways in Elizabeth
Township, and as School Director, also, two terms. Both he and his estimable
wife identified themselves with the Methodist Episcopal Church many years ago,
and take an active interest in its prosperity. Their sterling worth of character
and their habits of industry and economy have had a perceptible influence upon
the people around them, stimulating them to exertions of a like character. No
man can live very long in a community without imparting to it something either
good or bad, and the former has unquestionably been the character shed upon
their community by Richard Eustice and his estimable partner. Mr.
Eustice is a breeder of Shorthorn cattle.
From the Portrait and Biographical
Album of Jo Daviess County, Illinois (1889)
Submitted by Ray W. Justus
Back to the index of the 1889 History of Jo Daviess Co., IL