Foren, William

Born: 1793-XX-XX Virginia

Died: 1863-09-25 Texas

Flourished: 1830-1850 Decatur, Illinois

Alternate name: Foron

During the War of 1812, Foren served as a private in the Virginia militia. In 1816, he married Elizabeth Martin in Rockbridge County, Virginia, and they eventually settled in Huntsville, Alabama. In 1830, the Forens moved their eight-person household to Macon County, Illinois. Foren operated a meat market in Decatur and he also owned a farm, which by 1850 was valued at $4,000. Soon afterward, he sold his land for $14 per acre and moved his family to Missouri. By 1860, Foren and his family were living in Collin County, Texas, where he was a farmer.

U.S. Census Office, Fifth Census of the United States (1830), Macon County, IL, 123; U.S. Census Office, Seventh Census of the United States (1850), Macon County, IL, 127; U.S. Census Office, Eighth Census of the United States (1860), Collin County, TX, 105; Mabel E. Richmond, Centennial History of Decatur and Macon County (Decatur, IL: Decatur Review, 1930), 47; U.S., War of 1812 Pension Application Files Index, 1812-1815, NARA Microfilm Publication M313, 102 rolls, Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, RG 15, Roll 33, National Archives, Washington, DC.