GEORGE YATES

Was born in Baren county, Kentucky, on the 17th day of January, 1807, being the second son of Samuel Yates, a native of Virginia, who emigrated in an early day to Kentucky. He was married to Miss Nancy Boyd, who was also a native of Virginia. The subject of this sketch emigrated to Illinois, in 1823, and spent one year in Washington county, from there removing to Morgan county, Ill., settling near Naples, which is now a part of Scott county. In the spring of 1833 he crossed the river, into Pike county, and settled on section 6, Griggsville township, where he still resides. A view of his farm and residence is shown in this work. {pg 89} When Mr. Yates, at the age of eighteen, started out in life to make a living for himself, he hired out to a gentleman by the name of Thomas Smith. He was to work for Mr. Smith at eight dollars per month, one half to be taken in trade. He worked for three months, was taken sick, and on recovering from a long spell of sickness, he engaged to work for a Mr. Pifer. Mr. Yates was married to Miss Maria Hinman, a daughter of Gen. W. Hinman, Esq., a native of Kentucky. They have had born to them a family of twelve children, seven of whom are yet living. Mrs. Yates died at their residence in October, 1868. Mr. Yates has two daughters married, one the wife of Jerome W. Rush, who resides close by. His second daughter is the wife of J. W. Fisher, who now resides in Griggsville. His oldest sons, William and Richard, are at home; they are among the most enterprising farmers of Pike county. His third son, a lawyer, is married, and located at Trenton, Grundy county, Mo. Mr. Yates has grown and sold wheat for thirty-seven cents per bushel, and has bought corn for ten cents per bushel. His farm consists of about thirteen hundred acres, one thousand acres of which is under a good state of cultivation. The farm is about equally divided between Perry and Griggsville townships.
     Mr. Yates is one of those gentlemen who have been very successful in life, and has raised a family of children who are a comfort to him in his declining days, and who are respected for their generous and social qualities. Mr. Yates and sons are among the largest stock dealers in Pike county. Mr. Yates has been a professor of religion many years, a man loved and respected by his neighbors, who know him. He has been a life-long democrat; cast his first vote for Gen. Jackson when he ran the first time for the presidency. Speaking of Mr. Yates as a stock man, — he now has some of the descendants of a stock of milch cattle that his great grandfather raised, and which they brought to Pike county with them forty years ago. The money he first earned he used in entering land in Morgan county, which he sold for three hundred dollars, when he came to Pike county. Mr. Yates is now residing on his farm, in Griggsville township, surrounded by the accumulated wealth of honest and well directed industry.