JABEZ WEBSTER, who formerly engaged in the nursery business, but is now living retired in Centralia, was born in Cambridgeshire, England, June 10, 1832, and is a son of Thomas and Mary (Hyde) Webster. The latter is a daughter of Walter Hyde. The Hydes were sea-faring men, who engaged in trading in India, and at one time were very wealthy people. Many of their descendants now live in America, and it is expected that a large fortune to which they are heirs may be secured for them.
The father of our subject was reared and educated in England and there followed the boot and shoe trade. Jabez also spent the days of his boyhood and youth in his native land, at Sutton, Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire, and acquired a good education in its public schools.
In his boyhood days he worked with a professional gardener, and at the age of twenty-one he sailed for America. Before leaving his native land, he wedded Mary Ann, daughter of Henry Kent, who served for sixty years as Constable of the village in which he lived and died, known as Welches Dam Parish. For many years he was foreman of the Bedford Level Drainage Corporation. With his family of seven he lived in Manea Fen, Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire.
Mrs. Webster was born and reared in Cambridge County. The young couple crossed the Atlantic to New York and made their way direct to Chicago, but not finding employment in that place, they started for Mendota, where Mr. Webster had an aunt living, the wife of the Rev. William Edwards, one of the pioneer Methodist preachers of Illinois. He built the first brick court house in Mt. Vernon and burnt the brick, and will be remembered by many in this section of the state. He too was a native of Cambridge County, England, and emigrating to America, located in Washington, D. C., whence he came more than seventy j'ears ago to the west.
Through the influence of Mr. Edwards, our subject took up his residence in this locality, and for a number of years worked for farmers and fruitgrowers. At that time, the raising of vegetables was not considered a profitable enterprise, but Mr. Webster began raising early peas for the market, and also sold the first cultivated strawberries raised in Centralia. From this beginning he drifted into the nursery business.
In the fall of 1865 he bought seven acres of land in Clinton County, close to the city limits south of Centralia, and afterward became owner of forty-eight acres of unimproved land in Marion County. The property now known as the Webster Nursery, situated on section 19, was virtually without improvements when it came into the possession of our subject, having no buildings nor any trees except the twin elm, which still stands. The land was bought from the Government at $ 1.75 an acre, May 10, 1853, when the capital of the state was at Vandalia, the purchaser being Benjamin Counsil, supposed agent of Gen. Madison Miller, of Randolph County, ILL. From the latter gentleman Mr. Webster bought the property before 1875, paying $65 per acre. The Illinois Central cutting the farm in two diagonally, he bought a piece of land at a time as he was able to pay for it. Such has been his industry, that for fifteen or twenty years he worked fifteen and often sixteen hours per day. Upon his land he raised a greater variety of small fruits, vegetables and trees than had ever before been attempted by anyone in this vicinity. The first year he budded sixty thousand peach trees. The cultivation of peaches was just then being developed into a business in this locality. He continued setting out fruit trees, and at length found himself at the head of a large nursery. In 1867 he sold fifty thousand peach trees, and each year he sold about four hundred thousand hedge plants. He also had other kinds of fruit trees, and engaged in raising strawberries and vegetables for the market.
Mr. Webster is a very enterprising and progressive man, and has won a well merited success. He began advertising his business in the local and horticultural papers, and in this way secured an excellent trade, which by fair and honest dealing he has constantly increased. He issued his first catalogue in 1867, and has published one every year since. Orders have come to him from all over the country, and he has prospered from the beginning. He also established a green house, but gave the business over to his nephew, A. W. Webster, an orphan whom he reared and educated, and who has built up an extensive trade in that line.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Webster were born five children, three living:
Mr. Webster cast his first Presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln, but is independent in politics. While in Clinton County he served as School Treasurer of Brookside Township for many years.
Two years ago he and his wife came to Centralia, where they now make their home. During the past summer he was purchasing agent for the Illinois Horticultural Society, securing fruit for the World's Fair fruit exhibit in the National Horticultural Building. He is the first Vice-President of the Horticultural Society of southern Illinois, and has been twice President of the State Horticultural Society. For a time he was temporarily placed in charge of the fruit exhibit for Illinois, and purchased seventy per cent, of the fruit for this state on exhibition at the World's Fair in the National Horticultural Building.
Since March 10, 1894, he has been President of the Centralia Fruit & Truck Shippers' Association. He is one of the stockholders of the Centralia Fruit Package Company, and has written a number of articles on horticulture. Few men are better informed on the subject than Mr. Webster, who has devoted nearly his entire life to the business. He has been most successful in his work, and his sagacity, perseverance and well directed efforts have brought him a small, but adequate, competence. He became the head of the leading nursery business of this section and thereby acquired the means which now with moderate economy enables him to live retired.
Source: "Portrait and Biographical Record Clinton, Washington, Marion and Jefferson Counties, Illinois"
Chapman Publishing Co, Chicago, 1894
Pages 349 - 350
Submitted by Sandy (Whalen) Bauer