History of White County, Illinois
Inter-State Publishing
Chicago, Illinois, 1883
Page 712

Benjamin Austin

Benjamin Austin, born in Warren County, Tenn., Dec. 6, 1816, is a son of Elisha Austin, a native of North Carolina. When a small boy his parents moved to Kentucky. In March, 1830, he came to Shawneetown, Ill., in 1831 to Shelby County and in March, 1833, to White County. He saw the stars fall that year, when returning from a corn shucking. He was raised on a farm, and received a very limited education, always being obliged to work hard. He was married in February, 1837, to Lucinda, daughter of William Emerson, deceased. To them have been born nine children, only two now living - Benjamin F. and Sarah J. One son, Alex, was shot by accident in Kansas, in January, 1877, and left a family. A son, Jesse, and a daughter, Mary E. (Mrs. Matsel), both died with small-pox in the same house in March, 1877. Mrs. Austin died in 1856, and he married Susanna Kello. They are the parents of eleven children, ten living - Emily A., Elisha, Mary E., Isaac, Elijah, Angeline, Minnie, Josephine, Dolly and William. Mr. Austin is a member of the Christian church. He owns 400 acres and is engaged in farming and stock-raising. He acquired his property by his own labor, as a two-year heifer and a two-year-old billy was all he had to begin life with.