John Littlejohn Jr (1790 - 1868)

Born 10 Oct 1790 in Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died Jan 1868 at age 77 in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska, United States

Biography

John was born in 1790. He was the son of John Littlejohn and Katherine Fairbanks. He passed away in 1868.

John LittleJohn^[1] acquired an academic education, and before he attained his majority had gained considerable reputation as a teacher in the district schools of his native place.

After the outbreak of the war of 1812 he offered himself as a volunteer defender of the Union and was commissioned lieutenant. He was wounded at the famous battle of Lundy Lane, and was commended for his bravery by General Scott, the commanding officer. Following the close of hostilities he engaged actively in business, being connected with the construction of the Erie canal and successfully executing large contracts and winning an enviable name for integrity, honesty and upright character. To him belongs the credit of building the most difficult link in the first important railroad in this country -- the inclined plane between Albany and Schenectady, New York. He was also conspicuous in the building of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and the James river and Kanawha canal.

About the year 1840 he removed to Allegan, where he invested considerable capital, taking up the work of developing the resources of this place with his customary energy and enterprise. One of the commendable results of his business capacity and dilegence was the building of the first flour mill of considerable size in the country. Impaired health, however, obliged him to live retired from active business during the last decade of his life and he passed away while on a visit in Omaha in January, 1868.

Colonel Littlejohn was twice married. He first wedded Miss Amy Dewey, who died seven years later, and in 1823 he wedded Miss Eleanor Newkirk, of Montgomery county, New York, where she was born November 23, 1799. She lived to an advanced age.

Sources

1. ↑ History of Allegany County, pg 80

• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MF8C-XF3 : accessed 25 August 2015), John Littlejohn, Allegan, Allegan, Michigan, United States; citing family 404, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• FindAGrave

• Cemetery marker [1]