People

Hugh Todd

Hugh Todd (born 1818, Lanarkshire, Scotland; death date unknown) was a farmer and dairyman who settled in Dundee in the spring of 1838, making him one of the earlier Scottish immigrants to establish roots in the community. Over the course of several decades he accumulated substantial property holdings in the area and became a recognizable figure in local agricultural life.

Known Activities

Todd emigrated from Scotland to America in 1837 and arrived in Dundee the following spring. He worked as a farmer and dairyman, eventually acquiring 196 acres of land, of which 20 acres lay within the Dundee township proper. He also held two houses and lots in the village itself. In 1877 he completed construction of what a contemporary source describes as a "fine residence" in Dundee, suggesting a measure of prosperity by the later years of his career. (Source: Past and Present of Kane County, Illinois (1878))

Politically, Todd was a Republican, and in his religious life he was a member of the Congregationalist church. (Source: Past and Present of Kane County, Illinois (1878))

In 1847 Todd married Magdalen Rankin in Dundee. Rankin had been born in Ayrshire, Scotland in 1828, indicating that Scottish-born settlers were finding one another and forming families within the Dundee community by the mid-nineteenth century. Together they had eight children: Jane C., Grace H., Mary R., James, William, Hugh, Allen, and Robert. (Source: Past and Present of Kane County, Illinois (1878))

Timeline

YearEvent
1818Born in Lanarkshire, Scotland
1837Emigrated to America
Spring 1838Arrived and settled in Dundee
1847Married Magdalen Rankin (born 1828, Ayrshire, Scotland) in Dundee
1877Completed construction of a new residence in Dundee
## Sources
  • The Past and Present of Kane County, Illinois (1878). Available at archive.org.