The History of Knox County
pub. in 1912 by S. J. Clarke Pub. Co. 

J. W. BRIGGS.

     The late J. W. Briggs, who was one of Maquon's successful business men as well as extensive land owners, his holdings aggregating over fifteen hundred acres at the time of his demise, was a native of the state of New York.
     He was essentially a self-made man, having arrived in Illinois at the age of thirty years with a capital of fifty cents. He was a tinner by trade, hard-working and enterprising as well as ambitious, and subsequently had the means to engage in the livery business, being one of the pioneer livery men of the town. Success in the life of the average man is largely a question of being able to recognize opportunities and to dominate conditions as the advantages afforded are the same in many instances. The essential factors in the success of J. W. Briggs was his ability to anticipate contingencies and so apply his energies as to realize the greatest possible benefit that might accrue therefrom. He dealt extensively in live stock, this proving to be a very profitable source of revenue, and as he was able, from time to time invested his capital in farms, until he had acquired fifteen hundred acres of land. Since his death this has been divided among his widow and children, Mrs. Briggs' portion being three hundred acres, which she is now renting.
     Mr. Briggs married Miss Priscilla Jones, a daughter of Peter and Sallie Jones, who came to Illinois from Pennsylvania when Mrs. Briggs was a girl of thirteen years. Here she grew to womanhood, becoming the wife of J. W. Briggs in 1860, when she was seventeen years of age. Mr. Jones, who always engaged in farming in Pennsylvania, was injured in a railroad strike soon after locating here and subsequently died from the effects. Eight children were born unto Mr. and Mrs. Jones, four of whom are deceased. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Briggs numbered three. Ida, who is living in Galesburg, married William Cauffman, a farmer, and has six children, Nina, Harry, Kate, Maud, Briggs and Samuel. Charles, who is conducting the livery formerly owned by his father in addition to which he has a fine farm, is soon going west. He married Lizzie Combs and has one son, Judson. Frank, who engages in farming in Maquon township married Clara Ouderkirk of this county, and has two children, Faith and Paul.
     Mr. Briggs was an out-and-out republican and a stanch adherent to his party and its policies, a faithful supporter of its candidates, devoting such of his time to political matters as the development of his personal interests, in which he met with such notable success, permitted of. His demise occurred in Maquon on the 22d of February, 1906. (pages 793-794 submitted by Janine Crandell)