His first land purchase was on section 12 of Toulon Township for 200 acres. On March 4, 1854 he married Miss Maria T. Holgate, daughter of Judge Holgate and to them five children were born Wilden P., Wilna P. wife of Watt P. Mansker of Kansas, and Wilbur P. Later Mr. John Snare added 400 acres aggregating 600 acres in Toulon and Penn Townships.
He was a Republican as well as an unconditional abolitionist. He was elected Justice of the Peace for Penn Township, but moving to Toulon, did not hold this office, and became supervisor of Penn. He was a member of the Methodist Protestant church.
James Snare, son of John P. and Esther(Baker) Snare, was born in Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania July 7, 1827. He attended school and worked on the home farm until thirteen years of age, when he was indentured to a tailor. He served under several tailors over a couple of years before entering the employ of John P. Gable, a tailor and a Methodist class leader. Subsequently he worked at his trade at Newburg and purchased an interest in the Kissinger Tailor shop which he held for about four years. He married Miss Rebecca Clark the daughter of Amos and Alley(Baker) Clark on November 13, 1845. Her parents were natives of Pennsylvania. Her mother was the daughter of Capt. John Baker of the War of 1812, who as a private soldier led a forlorn hope against the English, which resulted in victory for the Patriots.
In the fall of 1852 James Snare sold his business interests and moved to Penn Township in Illinois purchasing sixty acres on section 18 where he resided for five years when he traded his home and tract for his brother's property and in 1860 moved to his new farm of 118 acres on section 7 to which he later added 197 acres for a total of 315 acres. Besides his large farm and stock interests Mr. Snare was an auctioneer. There were eight children born to the James Snare family.
In 1859 Mr. Snare was elected Justice of the Peace. In 1886 he was elected Supervisor, served as school trustee of Penn, as well as collector. James and Rebecca were members of the Methodist Protestant Church. During the Civil War he belonged to the Union League. At the breaking out of the rebellion he helped to raise a company and was elected Captain. Mr. Snare played an important part in the drama of Stark's progress.
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