History of White County, Illinois
Inter-State Publishing
Chicago, Illinois, 1883
Page 825

Alexander Austin

Alexander Austin, born in Warren County, Tenn., Dec. 24, 1823, was a son of Wm. Austin. He came to this county when a boy and has continued to reside here for the past forty-nine years, never having been over fifty miles from his present residence. Sept. 11, 1842, he married Mary Ann, daughter of Richard and Malinda (Kearney) Fryer, of Herald's Prairie, who was born Oct. 25, 1825. Her father was a native of North Carolina and her mother of Kentucky. The family was one of the earliest settlers of this county, Mr. Fryer being one of the band of rangers to protect the settlers from the Indians. He helped to build the first log house in Carmi. He had a family of five sons and thirteen daughters. To Mr. and Mrs. Austin have been born nine children - Catherine, born Feb. 2, 1844, is married and has three children - Thomas, Frances, and Otis; Richard, born Dec. 4, 1846, married Melissa Aud and has four children - Lear, Sampson M., Alvah E., and Messer J.; Melinda, born April 15, 1848 (deceased); Benj. F., Jan. 17, 1851 (deceased); Julia, born Jan. 17, 1855, married Augustus Willis; Mary A., born Dec. 4, 1856, married James Summers and has three children - Viola, Rose M., and Nora; Elisha, born Oct. 14, 1858, married Eliza J. Austin and has one child - Cornelius; Ellen J., born Oct. 14, 1860, and Hardy, born March 24, 1865.