Excerpt from: Kane Co. Illinois Biographical Record, 1898
Capt. A.C. GRAVES, born 1825 in Cortland Co.NY, the son of Phineas and Anna
(KENDALL) GRAVES, he a native of Cortland, she of Vt. Phineas removed to
Will Co. Ill. in 1834 with his family, and brothers Amos and Jesse. In 1837,
he moved to Dupage Co. Ill, and died 1889 in Kane Co. Capt. GRAVES was the
2nd of 11 children.
Kane Co. Biographical Record
S.Clark Publishing Co. Chicago, Ill. 1898
Page 253
Captain A.C.Graves
Capt. A.C. Graves, a veteran of the war of the Union, and a pioneer of the
state of 1834, but now living a retired life in the city of Aurora, is well
known throughout Kane , Dupage, and adjoining counties. He was born in
Cortland co., NY, Feb. 15, 1825, and is the son of Phineas and Anna Kendall
Graves., the former a native of CORTLAND CO. and the latter of Vermont.
Pheineas Graves grew to manhood in his native state, where his marriage with
Ann Kendall occurred. By occupation he was a farmer, and with that laudable
desire to better himself he determined to come west. Accordingly on the
10th of Feb. 1834, with his family, accompanied by his brothers, Amos and
Jesse, he left his old home and drove through with teams, being 31 days on
the road. He first located in Will Co., three miles from the present
village of Lockport, where he bought a claim, on which there was a log
house, and which had 8 or 10 acres broken. This was known as canal land.
Three years later he sold out and moved to Du Page Co., located near
Warrensville, taking up a claim of 160 acres, which he improved and made one
of the finest farms in the county. He later sold that farm and purchased
another in the same township, where he resided a number of years and reared
his family. He subsequently sold the farm, and moved to Aurora, where he
died Dec. 24, 1889, in his 90th year. His wife passed away Feb. 8, 1887,
and they were laid to rest side by side in the west side cemetery, where a
substantial monument marks their last resting place.
Capt. Graves is the oldest son and second in order of birth of the family of
eleven children born to Phineas and Anna Graves. The others are Lucy Ann,
wife of Samuel Bartholomew, who resides near Turner Junction, DuPage Co.;
Capt. A.C.; Mary, widow of Lucius Bartholomew, residing in Batavia, Ill.;
Juliet, widow of Richard S. Reynolds, residing in Iowa; Betsy, widow of
Orlando Stolp, residing in Missouri; Ellen S., wife of James Vallett of
Naperville; Martha, now desceased, was the wife of Norman T. Gazette of
Chicago; Emma, wife of Samuel Wright of Denver, Colorado; Addison B., of
Lamont, Will Co.; James D. of Chicago; and A. Judson, of Calhoun Co. Iowa.
The subject of this sketch came to Illinois with his parents, a lad of 9
yrs and was 12 when his family moved to Du Page Co. There he assisted his
father in opening up and carrying on the home farm. His educational
advantages were limited and were confined to the country district schools.
After arriving at mature years he settled on a farm of 60 acres connected to
that of his fathers, which he operated for some years, then sold out and
moved to Naperville.
Capt. Graves marred in DuPage Co. Dec. 3, 1847, to Mary A Buck, a native of
Erie Co., NY, and a daughter of Stephen Buck, who was one of the pioneers
of DuPage Co. She was reared and educated in her native state, and previous
to her marriage was teacher in the public schools of DuPage Co. By this
union are four daughters: Julia E., wife of Judge Gary, of Wheaton, Ill.;
Anna P., wife of William Judd of Aurora; Eva Viola, wife of Oscar Hamilton,
of Aurora; Bertha, wife of Lemuel Northam of Joliet, Ill.