People

Elisha D Ketchum

Elisha D. Ketchum (August 31, 1822 – date unknown) was a farmer and stock-raiser who relocated to Kane County in 1879 and established a large farm near Dundee, Illinois. Born in Clarksburg, Massachusetts, he represents the pattern of late-nineteenth-century agricultural migration into the Kane County region. He is listed as deceased in the 1904 *Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Kane County*, though the precise date of his death is not recorded in that source.

Known Activities

Ketchum pursued farming and stock-raising as his primary occupation throughout his life. Upon arriving in Kane County in 1879, he purchased what the 1904 encyclopedia describes as a "large farm" situated near Dundee. The scale of the property suggests he was a substantial agricultural operator rather than a subsistence farmer, though no further detail about the farm's acreage, precise location, or the nature of his stock-raising operations is provided in available sources.

He married Betsy Hayden in 1844, prior to his move to Illinois. No information about children or surviving family members is recorded in the source consulted.

Timeline

Year	Event
1822	Born August 31 at Clarksburg, Massachusetts
1844	Married Betsy Hayden
1879	Relocated to Kane County, Illinois; purchased large farm near Dundee, Illinois
by 1904	Recorded as deceased in county encyclopedia

## Sources

Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Kane County (1904). Retrieved from https://archive.org/details/historicalencycl00unse#offset-4772120. (Source: Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Kane County (1904))