Andrew Barrowman, Macon County

Andrew Barrowman (1868 - 1943) was sent to Illinois in 1880. The only information regarding Andrew in the report is a very brief statement from his guardian about his health, which was good. Andrew Barrowman, an immigrant from Scotland, does not appear in the census until 1900. He was married at that time and already a father. His wife was the former Maggie Clayton and they had two daughters, Grace Irene and Flossie Mae. They lived at Hickory Point, in Macon County, Illinois.

Andrew had apparently had very good training as a farmer and he had finished three years of high school. Although he did not own his own farm and was a tenant farmer, his skills as a farmer were much appreciated by fellow farmers and the editors of his local paper. In 1911 he was the subject of a long piece in the Decatur Review. The title of the piece was "Best Kept Farm in County -- in State." The 320 acre farm owned by William Hanna was said to be as clean and neat as any manicured lawn in the city of Decatur. The owner, William Hanna, was a resident of Bloomington, and it was said that he never stepped foot on the farm in the working season, but let Barrowman run it without supervision. Hanna had an eight room home built on the property entirely to the specifications of the Barrowmans. A gasoline engine pumped water to the home and provided power for the laundry. On this farm they raised the usual crops of corn, wheat, oats, and hay. About 200 hogs were raised each year and three cows were kept for home uses. Twenty head of horses were kept. In 1900 two hired men lived on the farm.

In 1930 Andrew and Maggie lived in the city of Decatur and Andrew was retired from work. They owned their own home and their daughter Flossie and her husband, William Munson, lived with them. His daughter did not have any children before 1940 and was 37 that year.

When Andrew died December 20, 1943, his parents were not named in his obituary, further confirming his orphan status. He was buried at the Maroa cemetery.