Untitled Document

Hosea F. Bliss

Hosea F. Bliss, is a retired farmer on section 36, of the township of Geneseo . He was born in Lewis Co., N.Y., Oct. 13, 1809 . He is the eldest son of Isaac and Hannah (Brown) Bliss. His father was a native of Hebron , Conn. , and his mother was born in Massachusetts . The senior Bliss went to the State of New York when a young man, where he met and married his wife in the city of Utica . After their union they located in Lewis County , and were early settlers in that part of the State.

Mr. Bliss, Sr., bought a tract of the land of the county, which was in the heavy timber that was characteristic of the Empire State , made a small clearing and erected on it a little log house for the shelter of himself and wife, and proceeded with vigor in the work of improvement. He was the occupant of the place until 1844, when he made a removal to Ohio . The son who is the subject of this sketch was then a resident of that State, and the father remained in the land of the Buckeye two years. He had a younger son in the city of Memphis , and at the end of the time mentioned he went there to remain for a time. While there he died with the cholera. His wife had died several years previously.

Mr. Bliss grew to manhood in the county of Lewis and was brought up on the farm. He was educated in the subscription school. The first important event of his life was his marriage to Amy Briggs. Their union was consummated Nov. 18, 1830 . She was born in Rome , N. Y., March 5, 1810 , and is the daughter of Michael and Olivia (Waterhouse) Briggs. Her father was a native of the State of Vermont , and her mother was born in the State of Connecticut . They were early settlers in the county of Oneida . At the date of his marriage Mr. Bliss bought a farm near Martinsburg, where he was a resident four years. They then went to Ohio , and settled in the part of the State which was then included in Concord Township , Lake County .

The family settled on a tract of timber land on which a log house has been erected. The residence there was maintained until 1853. In that year they came to Illinois . They made their first location in the township of Loraine , where Mr. Bliss bought 640 acres of land, of which 120 acres were under cultivation. Mr. Bliss retained the ownership of the place three years, when he sold out and bought improved land in the township of Atkinson , which was situated on section 30. He improved a good farm, and was its resident owner four years, when he bought a place on section 3, in Geneseo Township , on which a small frame house had been erected. There had also been improvements made on 40 acres, which had been placed under a slight degree of cultivation. In 1862 he bought a farm on section 36, of Geneseo Township , and has since occupied this farm continuously. It contains 120 acres, and lies partly in the township of Atkinson .

Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Bliss, viz.: George, who lives in Evansville , Ind. ; Henry, who is a citizen of Alameda Co., Cal. ; Rosaltha, who is the wife of Samuel Taylor, of Greene Co., Iowa; and Fred, who is a resident of the city of Des Moines, in that State.

1885 Portrait & Biographical Album of Henry Co., Illinois page 517

Transcribed by Jan Roggy

Illinois Ancestors