Illinois:  History of Cass County, Illinois, ed. William 
Henry Perrin. O. L. Baskin & Co. Historical Publishers, 
Chicago, 1882. Cass County.

WILLIAM STEVENSON, farmer, stock-breeder and dealer, P.O., 
Little Indian; is a descendant of good old Virginia-
Kentucky stock, and a son of James and Mary (Elliott) 
Stevenson, both natives of Virginia; the former born about 
the year 1777, and emigrated with his parents to Kentucky 
in an early day, when that country was, indeed and in 
truth, the "dark and bloody ground," and the home of 
numerous tribes of hostile savages. It was then the custom, 
after rising in the morning, before opening the door, to 
take a close observation of the surroundings of the cabin, 
from some convenient loop-hole made for the purpose, in 
order to discover any prowling Indian that might be lurking 
around. Upon their emigration to Kentucky, the Stevenson 
family settled in what is now Scott County, blue grass 
region, where they remained until the removal of James 
Stevenson to Illinois, in 1829. He settled in that part of 
Morgan County now included in Cass, where he bought 160 
acres of land, and entered enough to make a section. He 
followed farming, and died in 1851, at the age of 74 years; 
his wife died in July, 1829, a short time before the family 
moved to Illinois, and sleeps in the little graveyard, near 
the old Kentucky home. They raised a family of nine 
children-five sons and four daughters. Mr. and Mrs. 
Stevenson were both members of the Presbyterian Church. 
William, our subject, was born in Scott County, Ky., Dec. 
25, 1813, and came with his parents to Illinois in 1829. He 
now lives upon the land entered by his father, and owns a 
fine farm, highly improved and well cultivated, of about 
560 acres, lying on the P.P. & J. Railroad, a short 
distance south of Virginia, the county seat of Cass. Mr. 
Stevenson makes a specialty of rearing fine stock, 
consisting of Short Horn cattle, Cotswold and Southdown 
sheep, and Berkshire hogs. His herd of Short Horns are, 
perhaps, unsurpassed by any herd ever reared in the far 
famed blue grass region-a region that is known the world 
over for its fine stock. But a full and complete sketch of 
the herd of Mr. Stevenson will be found in the chapter 
devoted to the agriculture of the county, in another part 
of this volume. Mr. Stevenson has never been an aspirant 
for office but has given his time principally to the 
improvement of his farm, and the care and breeding of fine 
stock. He took an active part in getting the railroad and 
since its completion has been its agent at the station near 
his residence. He was married Feb. 11, 1836, to Frances 
Berry, a daughter of William S. and Rachel (Row) Berry, 
natives of Virginia; the former born in Stafford County, 
and the latter in Orange County. They emigrated to Cass 
County (then Morgan) in 1833; he died at an advanced age, 
and she died at the age of seventy-two years. Mrs. 
Stevenson was born June 4, 1812, in Orange County, Va., 
before her parents moved to Illinois. She and Mr. Stevenson 
have had seven children born to them, of whom four are 
living, viz.: Robert, Cornelia (wife of John Bergen), 
Joseph and Charles; and deceased, Mary, Thomas, and Rachel 
Ann, wife of William Martin. Mrs. Stevenson is a member of 
the Presbyterian Church; Mr. Stevenson is a liberal 
supporter of the Church, but not a member of any 
denomination. He was an old Whig in politics, and since the 
organization of the Republican party, has cast his vote for 
its standard bearers.

Stevenson Elliott Berry Row Bergen Martin
=
VA Scott-KY Morgan-IL Stafford-VA Orange-VA