1882 History of Dewitt Co, IL. Amos DICK. Who is one of the prominent retired farmers of DeWitt County, was born in Muhlenberg county, Kentucky February 18th, 1812, and was the son of Peter and Christina DICK. Mr. DICK'S father was a native of North Carolina, and of German and English descent. When he arrived at the age of maturity he went to Kentucky where he afterwards married his wife, Miss Christina SHUT, who was a native of Pennsylvania, and of clear German ancestry: her forefathers having emigrated to America at a very early date. Peter DICK was a farmer, an avocation he followed for nearly a quarter of a century in Kentucky. He then, with a view to better his, condition in life emigrated to Illinois, and settled in Sangamon county, this being in 1829. In the spring of 1831, be moved into what is now Cass county, where he lived until his death, March 1, 1849, aged 68 years. His wife survived him three years, and died December 7tb, 1852, aged 64 years. They raised a family eight children, five boys and three girls, who married and raised families. The subject of this sketch, being the third, was in his seventeenth year when he came to this state. His advantages for receiving an education were limited, but by a close application in after life, he has qualified himself sufficiently to transact most any ordinary business. He was united in marriage January 1st, 1843, to Miss Barith J. Combs, a native of Kentucky ; she died September 15th, 1862, leaving four children, viz: Thomas J., John K., James A., and Ruth J. Mr. DICK was married the second time October 19th, 1869, to Miss Harriet N. SCOTT, who was born in Sangamon County, Illinois. They have one child, Emma. Mrs. DICK'S parents were among the first settlers of that county, having emigrated there in 1819 from Kentucky. The old homestead is a short distance east of where Pleasant Plains in that county now is. Mr. DICK was educated to farm pursuits, and in consequence has made that his life occupation. He started out in the battle of life unaided, and by hard work, good management and economy he has acquired sufficient of this world's goods to live the remainder of his life in comparative ease. He lived in Cass county until 1865. February of that year, he came to Waynesville township, and bought a farm, where he was actively engaged in his chosen vocation, farming and handling stock until quite recently. He gave each of his children a farm, thereby enabling them to start in life more full handed than was his lot. He reserved his homestead place near Waynesville, upwards of two hundred acres. In November 1881 he came to Clinton, where he now resides. In politics Mr. Dick has always been a Democrat. In 1877 and 78 he represented his township in the County Board of Supervisors being the Representative of his township when the Midland Railroad Company sued Waynesville township for $50,000, bonds given by the township, in which suit the company was defeated by failure on part of the company to fulfill their contract. Religiously Mr. and Mrs. DICK are members of the Christian Church. (DeWitt Co, IL GenWeb)

1882 History of Dewitt Co, IL. R. M. EWING. The editor of the Reaper was born in Clark County, Kentucky, July 23d, 1822. The EWING family were originally from Virginia. He is the youngest son of three children of William and Sarah (COOMBS) Ewing. Mrs. EWING'S parents were natives of Loudon County, Virginia. R. M. EWING had fair advantages in youth for receiving an education. He attended the common schools until his sixteenth year, when he entered college at Georgetown, Kentucky, and remained there two years. In 1841 he came to Illinois and stopped at Quincy [Adams Co] and taught school. In the winter of 1841-42 he went to Missouri and the same year returned to Quincy, and engaged in the profession of teaching. In 1844 he went to Pike County, then to Morgan, and at Waverley engaged in manufacturing wagons, in which business be continued for three or four years, then removed to Menard County and taught school. He remained in Menard County until 1862, when he removed to Clinton in De Witt County. In 1872 he came to Farmer City and engaged in the grocery trade, in which he continued until the fall of 1879, when be established the Reaper, a newspaper which he still continues to edit. On the 27th of April, 1848, while a resident of Waverley [Morgan Co] he married Miss Martha M. CHAMBERS, a native of Greene County, Ills. She died July 31, 1878. He is a member of the order of A. F. and A. M. Politically he was originally an old line Whig, and supported Henry CLAY for the presidency in 1844. In 1860 he voted for Abraham LINCOLN and remained a Republican until 1880, when he supported General HANCOCK for the presidency. (DeWitt Co, IL GenWeb).