Hiram Weston Biography

Hiram WESTON was born 16 Oct 1836, in Franklin County, Illinois. His parents were William and Jane (DUFF) WESTON.

1840 Census
Franklin County, Illinois
William WESTON family
5 males, 4 females

1850 Census
Franklin County, Illinois
Jane WESTON age 34,
Caroline 18, Hiram 13, William 11, Elizabeth 9, Andrew 6

1857 Marriage
Franklin County, Illinois
Hiram WESTON &
Matilida A. DREW

1860 Census
Franklin County, Illinois
Hiram WESTON age 22,
Matilida 20, William 1

Hiram and Matilda's son, William, was born 16 Dec 1858, in Franklin County, Illinois. They may have also had a daughter, Mary A. WESTON, born 11 Oct 1862, died 29 Aug 1864, buried in Drummond Cemetery, Benton, Franklin County, Illinois.

A couple of weeks after his enlistment, Hiram and Matilda were divorced on 14 Apr 1862.

On 24 Mar 1862, Hiram WESTON enlisted at Benton, Franklin County, Illinois, for three years in the 36th Regiment of Illinois Cavalry Company A, by Capt. DOLLINS. He was 25 years old, stood 5 feet 9 inches tall, had a dark complexion, hazel eyes, and black hair. His occupation prior to enlistment was that of a sawyer.

Hiram WESTON, a Private in Company C in Stewart's Battalion of 15th Regiment IL Cavalry, was on detached service detailed as orderly for General John A. Logan. He was in Vicksburg Mississippi with one private horse in September and October of 1863. He was on roll in Memphis TN in November and December 1863. He was transferred from Company C to I on 04 Aug 1864 in Helena, Arkansas, and reorganized to Company K on 31 Jan 1865. Hiram WESTON, Pvt. Co. K, 10 Reg't Illinois Cavalry, mustered out 23 Mar 1865 from Little Rock, Arkansas. Clothing account: $75.59. Bounty due: $100.

On 01 Mar 1866, Isaac WARD, Sheriff of Franklin County, Illinois, appointed Hiram WESTON, Deputy. Hiram sworn in before John A. RODMAN, Circuit Clerk.

"I will recollect that about the year 1867, I was working at a mill in Benton, Ill., hauling logs … My Post Office address is Benton, Illinois … I was a soldier in Company C, 15 Illinois Cavalry …" Source: Deposition by Hiram WESTON regarding Jeptha MARTIN, 27 Jun 1889.

Hiram WESTON's second marriage to Laura Ann SKEEN began 26 Aug 1866, in Benton, Franklin County, Illinois. Laura was born 28 Oct 1844, in Chesterfield, Macoupin County, Illinois, daughter of John Jackson and Maria H. (FITZJARRELL) SKEEN.

Hiram and Laura had seven children, all probably born near Benton, Franklin Co., Illinois. Their first child, Jennie, was born 11 Sept 1868. Mary M. "Minnie" was born 10 Jan 1871. Margaret "Magga/Maggie" was born 04 Sep 1872. John E. WESTON was born 15 Apr 1874. Emma C. WESTON was born 11 Nov 1876. George Harrison "Harry" was born 28 Dec 1878. Hiram WESTON, Jr., was born 22 May 1882.

"The 17 month old child of Bud WESTON, who as so severely scalded a couple of weeks ago by turning a pot of boiling coffee on itself, died Saturday last from the effect." [*FCIO&T, 1850-1884, 28 Sep 1883]

"Hiram WESTON was a strict parent who made most of the decisions in his household, but was loved and respected by his children. Their house was built of logs with a large room which served as living quarters during the day and a bedroom for the adults at night. There was a large kitchen where the family cooked and ate, washed and ironed, etc. There was a narrow stairway leading to the attic where the children slept. In the winter when it snowed during the night, the bed covers would have snow on them where it sifted through the cracks between the logs. There was a small shed behind the house that was known as the "Pout House" where the children were taken for punishment or were sent when they were just out of sorts." [*FHA]

"One incident that remained long in the memory of his children was when his neighbor threw an ax at one of Hiram WESTON's cows and injured it because it had strayed into the wrong pasture. Hiram WESTON stood beside the neighbor with the ax in hand and forced the neighbor to sew up the cow. It is not known if the cow survived." [*FHA]

1870 Census
Franklin County, Illinois
Hiram, age 33; Laura, age 24; William, age 12;
Jennie, age 1

1880 Census
Franklin County, Illinois
Hiram, Laura, Jenny, Mary M., Magga, John, Emma, and George

1900 Census
Franklin County, Illinois
Hiram, age 64, widower
owns farm, living alone

1910 Census
Franklin County, Illinois
Hiram WESTON, age 73; Sarah WESTON, age 47; Edith WESTON, age 6; Jackson BOLEN, step-son, age 16; Maggie BOLEN, step-daughter, age 13
(see 1908 family photo)

A Franklin County, Illinois Land Record page shows Grantor Alex WASHINGTON & wife and Grantee Hiram WESTON on 29 Jul 1876, then Grantor Hiram WESTON & wife and Grantee Alex WASHINGTON on 14 Dec 1877. (The copy of the page is very difficult to read and does not have column headings.)

A plat book of Franklin County, published in 1917, shows Hiram WESTON as owner of two pieces of land in Browning Township, southwest of Benton; one piece with the railroad passing through; and one piece with roads meeting and a river passing through. There was a brief reference to his property on the internet amid directions from the Eaken Grove Free Will Baptist Church to the William DAVIS farm: "... The church is sitting in, I believe, Sec 26 of Browning Twp ... directions to the William DAVIS old farm ... going west toward Christopher from Benton, turn left at the sign that says 'Eaken Grove Church.' You will then cross a R.R. track. The old William DAVIS home site second house on the right, after crossing the tracks (this is not far from Helen's Ford). His sister, Sarah Mahaly (DAVIS) BOLEN WESTON, lived in a cabin … further down with her husband, Hiram WESTON. From William's house, if you keep going another few miles, you will come to Eaken Grove Church (I had a reference to a Jackson Grove Church, was Eaken renamed?), turn right and follow the road … come to another R.R. track, and it's the first house on the left side of the road. This is not the original house. This is where cuzn Mary Ann (AUTEN) DOWNS grew up with her mother Edith (WESTON) AUTEN. The original cabin was just north of this house, on the same property. This was the Hiram and Sarah (DAVIS) BOLEN WESTON farm."

"Old Settlers Meeting … in attendance … Hiram WESTON, native, age 51 years … " [*FCIO&T, 1885-1899, 02 Sept 1887]

"Hiram WESTON is the only one now living in this county of the famous body guard of General LOGAN in the war of the rebellion. He is holding up fairly well in spirits notwithstanding the agony of his old army disease." [*FCIO&T, 1900-1904, 16 Feb 1900]

"Occasionally, when he was in town, he would drink too much. As he would come out of the saloon, realizing that his horse was in better shape for the trip home than he was, Hiram would get in the buckboard, let out a big "war whoop," give the horse full reign and it would head for home at top speed. The family could hear them approaching long before they arrived, and they could tell by the way the horse was running that Hiram had had too much to drink." [*FHA]

On 20 Oct 1901, Hiram WESTON and Sarah (DAVIS) BOLEN were married in Franklin County.

This was Hiram's third marriage. He was 65 years old.

This was Sarah's second marriage. She had first been married to William J. BOLEN, a son of Henry A. and Martha Jane (ROBERSON) BOLEN.

Sarah was born 22 May 1862, near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, daughter of James Isaac and Margaret (EVANS) DAVIS.

Hiram and Sarah had one daughter, Edith WESTON, born 11 Jun 1903 in Franklin County.

Hiram WESTON is seated third from the left.
Hiram's son-in-law, John Jacob Sanders, is standing in the center of the photo in shirtsleeves.
Benjamin CARTER's brother is seated second from the right.
Photo was taken in front of Hiram's homeplace in Benton, Franklin County, Illinois.

01 Jan 1920
Franklin County, Illinois
Death Certificate

Hiram WESTON died quite suddenly New Year's Day, 1920, at age 83, in Browning Township, Franklin County, Illinois, of heart failure and paralytic stroke. He was survived by his wife, Sarah, and daughter, Edith.

1928 Military Headstone Application

Benton, Franklin County
Masonic & Odd Fellows Cemetery
view of WESTON graves

Photo of unidentified Civil War soldier found in Hiram's belongings. We don't know if he was family or close friend.

"I do remember Mom saying that once Grandpa [Hiram WESTON] rode his horse through the Franklin County Court House!" [*MAD]

"We would go to Benton sometimes (Mom [Emma Caroline WESTON RICE] and Dad [William Franklin 'Frank' RICE] had both been born in Benton and that was 'home' country to all of us for a long time) to Grandpa Weston's [Hiram WESTON] and we would visit Uncle Johnny (Mom's brother-in-law [John SANDERS]). His wife, Mom's sister [Arel Minnie (Mary M.) WESTON SANDERS] died young and he married again and had another house full of kids. He was a Baptist preacher.) Grandpa would always come to the train and meet us with an old white horse named Barney, and he would always be like a whirlwind, and when we would start home he would let Barney take to the road, and we would be sitting there scared to death because he was going so fast. We always had a good time out there. Aunt Sadie (Mom's stepmother; I think he married her soon after Mom married Dad) as we called her, was always good to us like she was really our grandmother, and I guess we were an aggravation to her. They had a room at the back that used to be Aunt Sadie's son's (by a former marriage) who was lost in the war (WWI). I forget his name. We were away from where Grandpa stayed a lot. He sat on the porch and would rock and sing. He never did any work at all. That boy did the farming and all until he had to go to war." [*BRL]

*BRL Beulah Rice Lawrence, *FCIO&T Franklin County Illinois Obits & Tidbits, *FHA Family History, April 1964, possibly written by Janet Banwart, *MAD Mary Ann Downs ]

HASS Family History

Hiram WESTON

1836 - 1920