Heaton, Orange B.

Born: 1802-10-27 Vermont

Died: 1876-10-26 Cook County, Illinois

Orange B. Heaton was a physician, farmer, and real estate investor. He moved to Carrollton, Illinois, around 1830 and practiced medicine. In November 1844, he married Sarah H. Holton, with whom he eventually had at least four children. Between 1834 and 1854, he purchased thousands of acres of public land throughout Illinois. By 1850, he owned $20,000 in real property. Soon after the census of 1850, he relocated to Virden in Macoupin County, Illinois. In 1858, he served as one of Macoupin County's delegates to a pro-James Buchanan Democratic convention. His wealth grew over time, particularly in relation to his real estate investments. By 1860, he owned $75,000 in real property and $3,500 in personal property.

Vermont, U.S., Vital Records, 1720-1908, 5 November 1844 (Lehi, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, 2013); Daily Illinois State Journal (Springfield), 26 June 1851, 3:1; 11 September 1855, 2:4; 22 April 1858, 2:2, 4; History of Greene and Jersey Counties, Illinois (Springfield: Continental Historical, 1885), 724; For a full list of Orange B. Heaton's land purchases in Illinois, search "Heaton O," https://apps.ilsos.gov/isa/landsrch.jsp; U.S. Census Office, Seventh Census of the United States (1850), Carrollton, Greene County, IL, 82; U.S. Census Office, Eighth Census of the United States (1860), Macoupin County, IL, 68; Cook County, Illinois, U.S., Marriage and Death Indexes, 1833-1889, 27 October 1876, (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, 2011); Gravestone, Virden Cemetery, Virden, IL.