Biography - James Q. Reighley
JAMES Q. REIGHLEY is a representative farmer and stock-raiser of
Moweaqua Township, Shelby County, who is prominent in the public, political
and social life of this part of the county. He was born in the town of
Winchester, Adams County, Ohio, December 15, 1850, and is the eldest son of
William and Rachel (Bailey) Reighley, of whom see sketch on another page of
this volume. He was three years old when his parents came to establish a new
home in Illinois. He was given superior advantages for an education, of
which he laid the foundation in the graded schools of Paxton in Ford County,
he subsequently attended the Illinois Industrial College at Champaign, and
also pursued a liberal course of study at Westfield University.
Thus well-equipped by a sound mental training for life's duties, our subject
after leaving the latter institution taught one term of school, and then
entered the employ of the Chicago, Danville and Vincennes Railway Company as
civil engineer, and later engaged with the Chicago and Paducah Railway
Company in the same capacity. He also had experience as a civil engineer in
the West, going to Colorado in 1875 in the service of the Kansas Pacific. In
January, 1876, in common with many others he was attracted to the Black
Hills by the discovery of gold in that region, and made the journey hither
from Denver, a distance of four hundred miles, with teams. At that time
Deadwood was a hamlet of a few log houses, and hostile Indians infested the
locality. Our subject and some others started out with the intention of
locating a mining camp, but their wagons were burned and their ponies and
provisions were stolen by the Indians.
Thus frustrated in his attempts to search for gold Mr. Reighley concluded to
return to civilization, and made his way on foot to Cheyenne. He then
resumed work with the Kansas Pacific for a few months, then entered the
employ of a ranchman as foreman, and in the fall of 1876, took a train load
of cattle to Chicago. From there he visited the Centennial Exposition at
Philadelphia, thence went to New York, where he embarked on a steamer for
Galveston. His intention is going to Texas was to start a ranch in that
State, but after his arrival there he was thrown from his horse and so
severely injured that he was forced to abandon his design. As soon as he was
able he returned to Chicago and for a few months was foreman in the packing
house of Hutchinson and Kent. In 1878, our subject, who had already had
experience in handling cattle, came to Moweaqua and was actively engaged in
stock-raising the ensuing year. At the expiration of that time he invested
in eighty acres of land finely located one mile east of the village
mentioned. There being no buildings on the place, he rented a dwelling until
1886, when he erected his present neat and conveniently arranged residence.
He has added to the original size of his farm by further purchase; and it
now contains one hundred and sixty-five acres of well-improved prairie land.
In December, 1878, Mr. Reighley was happily married to Miss Elizabeth Ann
Knowles, a native of Erie County, Ohio. Their pleasant home circle is
completed by the one child born to them, John Henry.
Our subject is influential in the councils of the Republican party in this
section as one of its most thoughtful and intelligent supporters in his
community, and he has served as delegate to various political conventions.
He has always taken a deep interest in all that pertains to the welfare of
his township, especially in the education of its youth, and he is a member
of the District School Board. He has served two terms as Highway
Commissioner, and has twice assessed the township. In his social relations,
he is identified with Shelby Lodge, No. 274, I. O. O. F.; and Moweaqua
Lodge, No. 1013, K. of H.
Extracted 13 Jan 2018 by Norma Hass from 1891 Portrait and Biographical Record of Shelby and Moultrie Counties Illinois, pages 432-433.
