Samuel Mong, born on July 26, 1829, in Clarion County, Pennsylvania, was a prominent farmer in Bradford Township, Lee County, Illinois. He was the son of Henry and Sarah (Hurket) Mong, natives of Maryland and Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. Mong spent his early years in Clarion County, gaining practical agricultural knowledge from his father. At sixteen, he learned the tanning trade, which he practiced for seven years. In 1855, he moved to Lee County, Illinois, and married Margaret K. Kelley in 1857. They had five children: John, Lucy (wife of Haber Schmucker), Hattie (wife of William Schrenner), George, and Peter. Mong’s industrious efforts resulted in a well-maintained 110-acre farm in Bradford Township. He was a dedicated Democrat, serving as School Director, and a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Despite his successes, he faced challenges, including the loss of his barn to lightning in 1890.
Samuel Mong, an influential farmer of Bradford Township, Lee County, operates a fine estate of one hundred and ten acres on section 6, and through unremitting industry has become well-to-do. He was born in Clarion County, Pa., July 26, 1829, and is the son of Henry and Sarah (Hurket) Mong, natives of Maryland and Huntingdon County, Pa., respectively. The parents passed most of their lives in the Keystone State and died in Clarion County when past the prime of life. They reared a large family of children, our subject being the sixth.
In his native county, our subject passed his boyhood days, attending the district schools and gleaning a common-school education from the textbooks then in vogue. However, he enjoyed none of the opportunities that are considered essential by the youth of today, but his habits of observation and systematic reading in a large measure made up for the defects in his schooling. As soon as old enough, he began to assist his father in his farming operations and gained a practical knowledge of agriculture when he was still quite young. He was about fifteen years old when he removed to Huntingdon County, Pa., where he grew to a stalwart and vigorous manhood.
At the age of sixteen, Mr. Mong commenced to learn the trade of a tanner, which he followed about seven years with success. In the spring of 1855, he came to this State, settling in Lee County, and working on a farm near Dixon for about two years. He was married in China Township, this county, in February 1857, to Miss Margaret K. Kelley, daughter of William and Mary (Jacobs) Kelley. Mr. Kelley is deceased, having passed away at his home two miles south of Dixon. Mrs. Kelley is also deceased. Mrs. Margaret Mong was born in Pennsylvania and is the mother of five living children, namely: John; Lucy, the wife of Haber Schmucker; Hattie, who is now Mrs. William Schrenner; George, and Peter.
After his marriage, Mr. Mong engaged in farming for about two years in Dixon Township, from which place he removed to China Township, and later located on his present farm on section 6, Bradford Township. His industry has been rewarded by the possession of one hundred and ten acres, which he cultivates. His estate presents a most attractive appearance to the passer-by, with its substantial set of farm buildings, its commodious residence, and well-tilled fields. In politics, he is a staunch Democrat and has served to the general satisfaction as School Director, having always maintained a great interest in educational matters. He is a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and a man whose daily life proves his earnest religious belief. While he has been in the main successful, he has met with many losses, perhaps the most severe being the destruction of his barn by lightning during the spring of 1890.