1925 Biography - James Whitehead
James Whitehead was born in Mississippi in 1820 and married Minerva Payne. They came to the county in 1852. The father of James was Mathew, born in 1735 in Maryland or South Carolina. The father of Mathew was also James, a farmer born in Maryland or South Carolina, whose wife was a Miss Melton. He was a planter and also a Methodist minister. Their children were Mathew, Mary, John, Sophia. Mathew married Anna, a daughter of Hezekiah Walker, a native of Maryland. They moved to Mississippi about 1815 and began lift on a farm, there James the head of the Johnson County Whiteheads, was born. He married at the age of seventeen and settled on the western line of Mississippi, later moving to Arkansas, and from there to Johnson County where he acquired a large tract of land entering some of it under the "bit act.'' He was a Tunnel Hill Township resident about 60 years. Their children were John (2), Finus (2), Sylvester (2). John married Narcissa Webb. Their children were Narcissa (3), James (3). Nancy (3) married C. Johnson; Tal (3) married R. Goddard; Delia Ann (3) married Newbolt; Isadore (3) married Webb; Ida (3) married Albright; John (3) married Zilla Webb; Nora (3), Cora (3). James Whitehead (3) the first son was educated in our public schools and served the county twice as sheriff. He resides on a farm in Tunnel Hill Township and married Bell Brooks. Finus (2) married Nancy Vincent. He is a retired farmer living near Tunnel Hill. Sylvester, the youngest, was educated in public schools attending two Normal terms at Vienna. He entered the mercantile business at Tunnel Hill with J. F. Graham in 1873 and continued this with other business interests such as farming and dealing in grain the remainder of his life. He also served as post master nine years and Notary Public twelve years at Tunnel Hill. He was very active and successful in business. He built the brick store and residence now standing in Tunnel Hill on the west side of the Big Four R. R. in 1882. He was a Mason and member of the Baptist Church. He died in 1906. He married Mary Brooks 1873, one son Noel married Estella (see Chapman). Sylvester married second Mrs. Avaline Cover who resides with her daughter, Mrs. Herbert Galagha in Goreville (1923).
Extracted 08 Feb 2017 by Norma Hass from 1925 A History of Johnson County, Illinois, by Mrs. P. T. Chapman, pages 479-480.
