Thomas Burden, Fairfield, was born in Queens County, Ireland, in the year 1831. His parents, Thomas and Mary (White) Burden, were natives of the same place, where the father died. The mother immigrated to Oswego, N. Y., in 1847, and was accompanied by the following children: Richard, John, Thomas, Dennis, William and Mrs. Julia Henricken. The last-named also came to Fairfield Township, Bureau County, where she died. The mother died in Oswego, N. Y.
Our subject, Thomas Burden, worked one year in Oswego, and then came to Elgin, Ill., where he worked till about 1850, when he came to Bureau County and railroaded for nearly two years and then bought 160 acres in Fairfield Township, which he pre-emptied and improved. He started on a small scale in farming and stock-raising and bought more land from time to time till at present he has about 2,000 acres of land in Fairfield Township. He is one of the largest land owners not only in this township but in the county, which is saying a great deal when we remember that he came here a poor man. Stock-raising is his main occupation.
Mr. Burden was married in LaSalle, Ill., to Miss Eleanor Fitzgerald, daughter of Marten and Margaret (Cavanaugh) Fitzgerald, who came here in an early day. Mr. and Mrs. Burden are members of the Catholic Church, and are the parents of eight children, viz.: George, John, Charles, William, Mary, Emma, Elizabeth and Nellie Burden.
In political matters Mr. Burden is identified with the Democrat party.
Source: History of Bureau County, Illinois, H. C. Bradsby, Editor. World Publishing Company Chicago 1885