|
Hispanic Division: Back to Protestant Exiles from Madeira in Illinois
View of Portuguese-Owned Farm near Springfield, IllinoisThe land holdings of the Madeirans who settled in neighboring Sangamon County, Illinois, are also illustrated in an 1874 county land ownership atlas. Among the illustrations is this full-page view showing the farm of one of the more prosperous Madeirans, Emanuel Gouveia. His land holdings, comprising 400 acres, were located six miles north of Springfield, the county seat and Illinois state capital. Also included in the atlas is a biography, which includes the following description of Emanuel and his family:With no other means than that gained by persistent, hard, honest daily toil coupled with prudent management, the Gouveias, consisting of father, mother, two sisters, and three brothers, of which Emanuel is the eldest, in the midst of many discouragements, fought their way step by step from comparative obscurity to opulence and to a position in society that reflects credit upon their race. . . Mr. Gouveia, though early deprived of the facilities for securing an education, has, by his unflagging diligence since arriving at the year of maturity, acquired a thorough business education. He is a ready conversationalist, and speaks six languages quite fluently.The biographer also described the Gouveia vineyard, which is illustrated in the lithographic view of the farm, and then concludes that "Mr. Gouveia justly ranks among the best citizens of his adopted home."
The Library of Congress101 Independence Ave. SE Washington, D.C. 20540 |
SELECT FROM THE FOLLOWING: Portuguese Land Owners near Jacksonville, Illinois Place Names Document Nineteenth-Century Portuguese Settlement near Jacksonville View of Portuguese-Owned Farm near Springfield, Illinois
|
