McDonough County Genealogical Society
RIGDON HUSTON, BLANDINSVILLE
Rigdon Huston came from one of the early pioneer families of Illinois. The Hustons first lived in Virginia before moving to White County, Tennessee, and then on to McDonough County during the early days of Illinois settlement. Rigdon was born here on October 27, 1833, making him a true son of McDonough County.
Not much has been written about his younger years. He was one of eight children born to John and Anna Melvin Huston, but the records and stories he left behind paint the picture of a hardworking man who was satisfied to spend his life right here at home while still leaving a lasting mark on the county.
In 1854, at only 21 years old, Rigdon helped settle the estate of his grandfather, John Huston, serving as executor along with William Berry. By then, the Huston family already had deep roots in the county and owned valuable land in the area.
On December 24, 1857, Rigdon married Caroline Charter. Caroline was the daughter of Jonathan and Nancy Ward Charter. Sadly, her father had passed away only a month before the wedding.
By the time of the 1860 Federal Census, Rigdon and Caroline were building both a family and a successful farming operation. Their oldest son, Theodore, was just a year old, and another son, James Allen, would be born later that same year. Caroline’s younger brother and sister, Harrison and Laura Charter, were also living in the household. The young couple had already accumulated real estate worth $9,000, a considerable amount for the time.
Over the next decade, the Huston cattle business grew quickly. The 1870 census showed Rigdon and Caroline raising four sons — Theodore, James Allen, Charles Rigdon, and John Henry. Three young hired men also lived on the farm, likely helping with the cattle work. By then, the family’s land holdings were valued at $55,000, showing just how successful the operation had become. The last Huston child, Louella Huston (Mrs. Charles Lambert Blandin) was born in 1879.
Rigdon was not only known for his cattle business, but also for serving his community. During the 1870s, he served as a petit juror, sat on the Board of Trustees for Abingdon College, served on the McDonough County Board of Supervisors, and helped with the county’s Centennial Celebration Committee in 1876.
By the late 1870s, the Huston name had become well known in cattle circles. Histories of McDonough County praised the cattle raised by Rigdon and his son. Their operation, known as Hilldale Stock Farm, covered 1,250 acres in northeastern Blandinsville Township. The farm specialized in Durham Shorthorn cattle, one of the finest breeds of the day.
Writers of the time claimed that “no man was better versed in cattle lore” than Rigdon Huston.
The Hustons owned 127 head of registered cattle, and some animals were valued at astonishing prices. In fact, one history book recorded that in 1881 Rigdon Huston & Son made what was said to be the largest private cattle purchase in the United States up to that time. They paid Colonel LeG.
Cannon of Vermont $50,000 for 32 head of prized Shorthorn cattle, including several animals of famous bloodlines.
After a life spent building cattle herds and serving his neighbors, Rigdon Huston died in the same county where he had been born on May 17, 1887. Caroline outlived him by another 27 years. Just a year after Rigdon’s death, she found herself in court fighting a Bloomington insurance company that refused to pay on his life insurance policy. Even after his passing, the Huston name continued making news in McDonough County.
Pioneers of the Past by Julie L. Terstriep, of the McDonough County Genealogical Society, facebook.com/mcdcgs, www. mcdcgs.com/pioneers-of-the-past/
