Joseph ALLEN ^{1 2}

  General Notes:

1860 IL CENSUS, Henderson Co, Twp 8N5W, Terre Haute P.O.:
Joseph Allen, 39, farmer, $1200 real estate, $100 personal property, b. NY;
Anna C., 38, b. NY
Orville, 12, b. NY;
Anna D. Wescott, 75, b. MA.

1870 IL CENSUS, Henderson Co, Township 8NR5W:
Joseph Allen, 48, farmer, $5600 real estate, $1795 personal property, b. NY;
Amy, 47, keeping house, b. NY;
Bell, 9, b. OH;
William J., 5, b. NY.

1880 IL CENSUS, Henderson Co, Terre Haute:
Joseph Allen, 58, married, farmer, b. NY, father b. CT, mother b. NY;
Amy C. Allen, 57, wife, married, keeping house, b. NY, parents b. MA;
Belle J., 19, dau., single, at school, b. OH, parents b. NY;
William J. Allen, 15, son, at school, b. NY, parents b. NY;
Amasa Allen, 91, father, married, retired farmer, cannot read/write, b. CT, parents b. CT;
"Susana" Allen, 87, mother, married, cannot read/write, b. NY, parents b. CT;
sister "Hunah" (Hinah?) Coon, 66, sister, widowed, b. NY, father b. CT, mother b. NY.
(Near Jacob Snick on census.)

1900 IL CENSUS, Henderson Co, Terre Haute:
Joseph Allen, July 1821, 78, married 52 yrs, b. NY, father b. CT, mother b. NH, landlord;
Am, Oct 1822, 77, married 52 yrs, 0 children, 0 living, b. N, parents b. MA.

FIND A GRAVE:
Name: Joseph Allen
Birth Date: 4 Jul 1821
Age at Death: 87
Death Date: 14 Mar 1909
Burial Place: Terre Haute, Henderson County, Illinois, USA

The History of Mercer & Henderson Counties (IL), Chicago, H. H. Hill & Co., 1882:
"A History of Terre Haute County"- p. 1282:
JOSEPH ALLEN was born in New York in 1821. His parents were Amasa and Susanna: his father, of Connecticut, his mother, of New York, where they were married. In 1855 they came to Henderson county, and now live with their son, Joseph. They raised a family of twelve children, seven of whom are now living. Mary, Rodger and Joseph live in Henderson county. He and wife are members of the Free Will Baptist church, at Terre Haute. He is now ninety-five, his wife ninety-one years old. Joseph Allen was reared on the farm, his education was that of the common school. He resided in his native state till 1854, when he came to Henderson county, Illinois, and located where he now resides. In 1848 he was married to Miss Amy C. Wescott, a native of New York, born in 1823, and daughter of Henry and Amy D. Wescott, both of Massachusetts, and emigrated to New York when young. In 1854 they, her parents, came to Henderson county, where her father died shortly after his arrival, in the seventy-seventh year of his age. Her mother lived thirteen years after her emigration to this county, and died at eighty-four years of age. She was a member of the Close-Communion Baptist church. The last nine years of her life she was blind, but bore patiently her loss and was never heard to complain. Joseph Allen and wife have one adopted son, Willie J. He and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, at Terre Haute. He has held most of the offices in the church. He was county commissioner five years, and held the office of school treasurer twenty-five years. He has a well improved farm of 80 acres, located one mile north of Terre Haute.
(Note: It is possible that there was a typo and that "Mary, Rodger" listed above should have been "Mary Rodgers".)

Portrait and biographical record of Hancock, McDonough and Henderson counties, Illinois : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, Lake City Pub. Co., Chicago, IL, 1894, p. 560:
JOSEPH ALLEN, a farmer residing on section 21, Terre Haute Township, Henderson County, is a native of the Empire State. He was born near Bath, Steuben County, N.Y., July 4, 1821, and is a son of Amasa Allen, who was born in Connecticut, and followed agricultural pursuits throughout his life. The family was of English lineage. On leaving his native State the father removed to New York, and in 1855 came to Henderson County, Ill, locating in Terre Haute Township, where he purchased a tract of land upon which he made his home until his death. Had he lived two months longer he would have reached the age of one hundred years. He held membership with the Baptist Church, and was most highly respected citizen. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Susanna Farrington, passed away at the advanced age of ninety-two years, and in Terre Haute Cemetery both were laid to rest. They became the parents of twelve children, namely: Jacob, Elizabeth, Martha, Hannah, Theodama, Mary, Joseph, Catherine, Amasa F., Alfred T., David and Charles.
In the usual manner of farmer lads, Mr. Allen of this sketch spent the days of his boyhood and youth. He attended the district schools of his native State until twenty-one years of age, and acquired a fair business education. On attaining his majority he began working as a farm hand, receiving about $10 per month, and in this way was employed for three years. On the expiration of that period, he purchased a farm in New York, and made his home there until October 1, 1854, when he came to the West. Believing that he could better his financial condition thereby, he emigrated to Henderson County, Ill, and purchased one hundred acres of land on section 21, Terre Haute Township. This was a wild tract, still in its primitive condition, but the care and labor he has bestowed upon it has transformed it into rich and fertile fields. The farm has become one of the best in the country. The fields are well tilled, good improvements have been made, and the owner is now successfully engaged in owner farming and stock raising.
On the 24th of February, 1848, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Allen and Miss Amy C. Westcott, who was born in Jefferson County, N.Y., October 25, 1822, and is a daughter of Henry and Amy (Cushing) Westcott. Her father was a native of Massachusetts, and was of English descent. Mr. and Mrs. Allen have no children of their own, but have reared two: William J., who is now an attorney-at-law of West Superior, Wis., and Belle J., wife of Joseph H. Donaldson, a farmer of Waverly, Ohio.
In his political views, Mr. Allen has always been a Republican, having voted with that party since supporting Gen. Fremont, its first candidate, in 1856. He has been honored with several local offices, having served as County Commissioner for five years, and as Township Treasurer for the long period of thirty-five years. He and his wife are consistent members and earnest workers in the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Allen has served as Class-Leader for forty years, an das Trustee and Steward, and was Sunday school Superintendent for fourteen years. His wife has been teacher of the primary class in Sunday school for fourteen years. The poor and needy find in them friends, and they are prominent in benevolent and charitable work, through all is quietly and unostentatiously performed. Mr. Allen began life a poor boy, with little capital save a bright hope of the future, but he has steadily worked his way upward, and enterprise and a resolute purpose have overcome the difficulties in his path. He has thus achieved success, and become one of the leading and substantial farmers of the community.

Joseph married Amy C. WESTCOTT on 24 Feb 1848 in NY.¹ (Amy C. WESTCOTT was born on 25 Oct 1822 in Jefferson Co, NY,^{1 3 4} died on 11 Nov 1908 in Henderson Co, IL ³ and was buried in Terre Haute Cem., Terra Haute, Henderson Co, IL ³.)