CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY FROM History fees olln 3 1924 028 805 799 Overs The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://archive.org/details/cu31924028805799 44^ 3 2r ,s^^- -tr-e*- -«^^. T AlA ICIL j^ f fH 1 i i' 1 Wrl'l'J V f V i V I ' J i' 1 (■; I'ii'ii I'lTf I'l'i'.l'fVl'l'fVtVtt'tliti RECORD ^j? _^ -vej2jUi'®~^»<^^S^^o-^t>gtf?ifeJ>itfW»au«gt^ OHN ADAMS, the second J President and the first Vice- ' President of the United States, was born in Braintree ( now Quincy),Mass., and about ten miles from Boston, Oct. 19, 1735. His great-grandfather, Henry Adams, emigrated from England about 1 640, with a family of eight . sons, and settled at Braintree. The parents of John were John and Susannah (Boylston) Adams. His father was a farmer of limited means, to which he added the bus- iness of shoemaking. He gave his eldest son, John, a classical educa- tion at Harvard College. John graduated in 1755, and at once took charge of the school in Worcester, Mass. This he found but a 'school of affliction," from which he endeavored to gain relief by devoting himself, in addition, to the ' study of law. For this purpose he placed himself under the tuition of the only lawyer in the town. He had thought seriously of the clerical profession but seems to have been turned from this by what he termed " the frightful engines of ecclesiastical coun- jils, of diabolical malice, and Calvanistic good nature," of the operations of which he had been a witness in his native town. He was well fitted for the legal profession, possessing a clear, sonorous voice, being ready and fluent of speech, and having quick percep- tive powers. He gradually gained practice, and in 1764 married Abigail Smith, a daughter of a minister, and a lady of superior intelligence. Shortly after his marriage, (1765), the attempt of Parliamentary taxa- tion turned him from law to politics. He took initial steps toward holding, a town meeting, and the resolu- tions he offered on the subject became very populaT throughout the Province, and were adopted word for word by over forty different towns. He moved to Bos- ton in T768, and became one of the most courageous and prominent advocates of the popular cause, and was chosen a member of the General Court (the Leg- lislature) in 1770. Mr. Adams was chosen one of the first delegates from Massachusetts to the first Continental Congress, which met in 1774. Here he distinguished himsell by his capacity for business and for debate, and ad- vocated the movement for independence against the majority of the members. In May, 1776, he moved and carried a resolution in Congress that the Colonies, should assume the duties of self-government. He was a prominent member of the committee of five appointed June ri, to prepare a declaration of inde- pendence. This article was drawn by Jefferson, but on Adams devolved the task of battling it through Congress in a three days debate. On the day after the Declaration of Independence was passed, while his soul was yet warm with the glow of excited feeling, he wrote a letter to his wife, which, as we read it now, seems to have been dictated by the spirit of prophecy. "Yesterday," he says, "the greatest question was decided that ever was debated in America; and greater, perhaps, never was or wiL be decided among men. A resolution was passed without one dissenting colony, ' that these United States are, and of right ought to be, free and inde. pendent states.' The day is passed. The fourth of July, 1776, will be a memorable epoch in the history of America. I am alpt to believe it will be celebrated by succeeding generations, as the great anniversary* festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day 0(1 deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to Almighty God. It ought to be solemnized with pomp, shows 24 JOHN ADAMS. games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of the continent to the other, from this time forward for ever. You will think me transported with enthusiasm, but I am not. I am well aware of the toil, and blood and treasure, that it will cost to maintain this declaration, and support and defend these States; yet, through all the gloom, I can see the rays of light and glory. I can see that the end is worth more than all the means; and that posterity will triumph, although you and I may rue, which I hope we shall not." In November, 1777, Mr. Adams was appointed a delegate to France^ and to co-operate with Bemjamin Franklin and Arthur Lee, who were then in Paris, in the endeavor to obtain assistance in arms and money from the French Government. This was a severe trial to his patriotism, as it separated him from his home, compelled him to cross the ocean in winter, and ex- posed him to great peril of capture by the British cruis- ers, who were seeking him. He left France June 17, 1779. In September of the same year he was again chosen to go to Paris, and there hold himself in readi- ness to negotiate a treaty of peace and of commerce with Great Britian, as soon as the British Cabinet might be found willing to listen to such proposels. He sailed for France in November, from there he went to Holland, where he negotiated important loans and formed important commercial treaties. Finally a treaty of peace with England was signed Jan. 21,. 1783. The re-action from the excitement, toil and anxiety through which Mr. Adams had passed threw him into a fever. After suffering from a con- tinued fever and becoming feeble and emaciated he was advised to go to England to drink the waters of Bath. While in England, still drooping and despond- ing, he received dispatches from his own government urging the necessity of his going to Amsterdam.- to negotiate another loan. It was winter, his health was delicate, yet he immediately set out, and through storm, on sea, on horseback and foot,hemade the trip. February 24, 1785, Congress appointed Mr. Adams envoy to the Court of St. James. Here he met face to face the King of England, who had so long re- garded him as a traitor. As England did not condescend to appoint a minister to the United States, and as Mr. Adams felt that he was accom- plishing but little, he sought permission to return to his own country, where he arrived in June, 1788. When Washington was first chosen President, John Adams, rendered illustiious by his signal services at home and abroad, was chosen Vice President. Again at the second election of Washington as President, Adams was chosen Vice President. In 1796, Wash- ington retired from public life, and Mr. Adams was elected President,though not without much opposition. Serving in this office four years,he was succeeded by Mr. Jefferson, his opponent in politics. While Mr. Adams was Vice President the great French Revolution shook the continent of Euroije, and it was upon this point which he was at issue with the majority of his countrymen led by Mr. Jefferson. Mr. Adams felt no sympathy with the French people in their struggle, for he had no confidence in their power of self-government, and he utterly abhored the class of atheist philosophers who he claimed caused it. On the other hand Jefferson's sympathies were strongly enlisted in behalf of the French people. Hence or iginated the alienation between these distinguished men, and two powerful parties were thus soon organ- ized, Adams at the head of the one whose sympathies were with England and Jefferson led the other in sympathy with France. The world has seldom seen a spectacle of more moral beauty and grandeur, than was presented by the old age of Mr. Adams. The violence of party feeling had died away, and he had begun to receive that just appreciation which, to most men, is not accorded till after death. No one could look upon his venerable form, and think of what he had done and suffered, and how he had given up all the prime and strength of his life to the public good, without the deepest emotion of gratitude and respect. It was his peculiar good fortune to witness the complete success of the institution which he had been so active in creating and supporting. In 1824, his cup of happiness was filled to the brim, by seeing his son elevated to the highest station in the gift of the people. The fourth of July, 1826, which completed the half century since the signing of the Declaration of Inde- pendence, arrived, and there were but three of the signers of that immortal instrument left upon the earth to hail its morning light. And, as it is well known, on that day two of these finished their earthly pilgrimage, a coincidence so remarkable as to seem miraculous. For a few days before Mr. Adams had been rapidly failing, and on the morning of the fourth he found himself too weak to rise from his bed. On being requested to name a toast for the customary celebration of the day, he exclaimed " In- dependence FOREVER." When the day was ushered in, by the ringing of bells and the firing of cannons, he was asked by one of his attendants if he knew what day it was? He replied, "O yes; it is the glor- ious fourth of J Lily — God bless it — God bless you all." In the course of the day he said, "It is a great and glorious day." The last words he uttered were, "Jefferson survives." But he had, at one o'clock, re- signed his spirit into the hands of his God. The personal appearance and manners of Mr. Adams werenot particularly prepossessing. His face, as his portrait manifests.was intellectual ard expres. sive, but his figure was low and ungraceful, and h>5. manners were frequently abrupt and uncourteous. He had neither the lofty dignity of Washington, nor the engaging elegance and gracefulness which marked the manners and address of Jefferson, >*. ^wz. THIRD PRESIDENT. ^^ HOMAS JEFFERSON was born April 2, 1743, at Shad- well, Albermarle county, Va. His parents were Peter and Jane ( Randolph) Jefferson, the former a native of Wales, and the latter born in Lon- don. To them were born six daughters and two sons, of whom Thomas was the elder. When 14 years of age his father died. He received a most liberal education, hav- ing been kept diligently at school from the time he was five years of age. In 1760 he entered William end Mary College. Williamsburg was then the seat of the Colonial Court, and it was the obode of fashion and splendor. Young Jefferson, who was then 17 years old, lived somewhat expensively, keeping fine horses, and much caressed by gay society, yet he was earnestly devoted to his studies, and irreproacha- able in his morals. It is strange, however, under such influences,that he was not ruined. In the sec- ond year of his college course, moved by some un- explained inward impulse, he discarded his horses, society, and even his favorite violin, to which he had previously given much time. He often devoted fifteen hours a day to hard study, allowing himself for ex- ercise only a run in the evening twilight of a mile out of the city and back again. He thus attained very high intellectual culture, alike excellence in philoso- phy and the languages. The most difficult Latin and Greek authors he read with facility. A more finished scholar has seldom gone forth from college halls ; and there was not to be found, perhaps, in all Virginia, a more pureminded, upright, gentlemanly young man. Immediately upon leaving college he began the study of law. For the short time he continued in the practice of his profession he rose rapidly and distin- guished himself by his energy and accuteness as a lawyer. But the times called for greater action. The policy of England had awakened the spirit of resistance of the American Colonies, and the enlarged views which Jefferson had ever entertained, soon led him into active political life. In 1769 he was chosen a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. In 1772 he married Mrs. Martha Skelton, a very beauti- ful, wealthy and highly accomplished young widow Upon Mr. Jefferson's large estate at Shadwell, there was a majestic swell of land, called Monticello, which commanded a prospect of wonderful extent and beauty. This spot Mr. Jefferson selected for his new home; and here he reared a mansion of modest yet elegant architecture, which, next to Mount Vernon became the most distinguished resort in our land. In 1775 he was sent to the Colonial Congress, where, though a silent member, his abilities as a writer and a reasoner soon become known, and he was placed upon a number of important committees, and was chairman of the one appointed for the draw- ing up of a declaration of independence. This com- mittee consisted of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston. Jefferson, as chairman, was appointed to draw up the paper. Franklin and Adams suggested a few verbal changes before it was submitted to Con- gress. On June 28, a few slight changes were made in it by Congress, and it was passed and signed July 4, 1776, What must have been the feelings of that 28 THOMAS JEFFERSON. man — what the emotions that swelled his breast— who was charged with the preparation of that Dec- laration, which, while it made known the wrongs of America, was also to publish her to the world, free, soverign and independent. It is one of the most re- markable papers ever written ; and did no other effort of the mind of its author exist, that alone would be sufficient to stamp his name with immortality. In 1779 Mr. Jefferson was elected successor to Patrick Henry, as Governor of Virginia. At one time the British officer, Tarleton, sent a secret expedition to Monticello, to capture the Governor. Scarcely five minutes elapsed after the hurried escape of Mr. Jef- ferson and his family, ere his mansion was in posses- sion of the British troops. His wife's health, never very good, was much injured by this excitement, and in the summer of 1782 she died. Mr. Jefferson was elected to Congress in 1783. Two years later he was appointed Minister Plenipo- tentiary to France. Returning to the United States in September, r789, he became Secretary of State in Washington's cabinet. This position he resigned Jan. I, 1794. In 1797, he was chosen Vice Presi- dent, and four years later was elected President over Mr. Adams, with Aaron Burr as Vice President. In 1804 he was re-elected with wonderful unanimity, and George Clinton, Vice President. The early part of Mr. Jefferson's second adminstra- tion was disturbed by an event which threatened the tranquility and peace of the Union ; this was the con- spiracy of Aaron Burr. Defeated in the late election to the Vice Presidency, and led on by an unprincipled ambition, this extraordinary man formed the plan of a military expedition into the Spanish territories on our Jiouthwestern frontier, for the purpose of forming there a new republic. This has been generally supposed was a mere pretext ; and although it has not been generally known what his real plans were, there is no doubt that they were of a far more dangerous character. In 1809, at the expiration of the second term for which Mr. Jefferson had been elected, he determined to retire from political life. For a period of nearly forty years, he had been continually before the pub- iic, and all that time had been employed in offices of the greatest trust and responsibility. Having thus de- voted the best part of his life to the service of his country, he now felt desirous of that rest which his declining years required, and upon the organization of the new administration, in March, 1809, he bid fare- well forever to public life, and retired to Monticello. Mr. Jefferson was profuse in his hospitality. Whole families came in their coaches with their horses, — fathers and mothers, boys and girls, babies and nurses, — and remained three and even six months. Life at Monticello, for years, resembled that at a fashionable watering-place. The fourth of July, 1826, being the fiftieth anniver- sary of the Declaration of American Independence, great preparations were made in every part of th« Union for its celebration, as the nation's jubilee, and the citizens of Washington, to add to the solemnity of the occasion, invited Mr. Jefferson, as the framer, and one of the few surviving signers of the Declara- tion, to participate in their festivities. But an ill- ness, which had been of several weeks duration, and had been continually increasing, compelled him to decline the invitation. On the second of July, the disease under which he was laboring left him, but in such a reduced state that his medical attendants, entertained nc hope of his recovery. From this time he was perfectly sensible that his last hour was at hand. On the next day, which was Monday, he asked of those around him, the day of the month, and on being told it was the third of July, he expressed the earnest wish that he might be permitted I0 breathe the air of the fiftieth anniversary. His prayer was heard — that day, whose dawn was hailed with such rapture through our land, burst upon his eyes, and then they were closed for- ever. And what a noble consummation of a noble life ! To die on that day,— the birthday of a nation,- - the day which his own name and his own act had rendered glorious; to die amidst the rejoicings and festivities of a whole nation, who looked up to him, as the author, under God, of their greatest blessings, was all that was wanting to fill up the record his life. Almost at the same hour of his death, the kin- dred spirit of the venerable Adams, as if to bear him company, left the scene of his earthly honors. Hand in hand they had stood forth, the champions of freedom ; hand in hand, during the dark and desper- ate struggle of the Revolution, they had cheered and animated their desponding countrymen; for half a century they had labored together for the good of the country; and now hand in hand they depart. In their lives they had been united in the same great cause of liberty, and in their deaths they were not divided. In person Mr. Jefferson was tall and thin, rather above six feet in height, but well formed; his eyes were light, his hair originally red, in after hfe became white and silvery; his complexion was fair, his fore- head broad, and his whole countenance intelligent and thoughtful. He possessed great fortitude of mind as well as personal courage; and f.is command of tem- per was such that his oldest and most intimate friends never recollected to have seen him in a passion. His manners, though dignified, were simple and un- affected, and his hospitality was so unbounded that all found at his house a ready welcome. In conver- sation he was fluent, eloquent and enthusiastic ; and his language was remarkably pure and correct. He was a finished classical scholar, and in his writings is discernable the care with which he formed his style upon the best models of antiquity. /■ (2yo<-^'^' .^yOC t».,.M-^H c:-""^ FOURTH FRESIDENT. 3^ AMES MADISON, "Father of the Constitution," and fourth 1^ President of the United States, was born March i6, 1757, and died at his home in Virginia, June 28, 1836. The name of James Madison is inseparably con- nected with most of the important events in that heroic period of our country during which the founda- tions of this great republic were laid. He was the last of the founders of the Constitution of the United States to be called to his eternal reward. The Madison family were among the early emigrants to the New World, landing upon the shores of the Chesa- peake but 15 years after the settle- ment of Jamestown. The father of James Madison was an opulent planter, residing upon a very fine es- tate called " Montpelier," Orange Co., Va. The mansion was situated in the midst of scenery highly pictur- esque and romantic, on the west side of South-west Mountain, at the foot of Blue Ridge. It was but 25 miles from the home of Jefferson at Monticello. The closest personal and political attachment existed between these illustrious men, from their early youth until death. The early education of Mr. Madison was conducted mostly at home under a private tutor. k\. the age of 18 he was sent to Princeton College, in New Jersey. Here he applied himself to study with the most im- prudent zeal; allowing himself, for months, but three hours' sleep out of the 24. His health thus became so seriously impaired that he never recovered any vigor of constitution. He graduated in 1771, with a feeble body, with a character of utmost purity, and with a mind highly disciplined and richly stored with learning which embellished and gave proficiency to his subsf " quent career. Returning to Virginia, he commenced the study of law and a course of extensive and systematic reading. This educational course, the spirit of the times in which he lived, and the society with which he asso- ciated, all combined to inspire him with a strong love of liberty, and to train him for his life-work oi a statesman. Being naturally of a religious turn of mind, and his frail health leading him to think that his life was not to be long, he directed especial atten- tion to theological studies. Endowed with a mind singularly free from passion and prejudice, and with almost unequalled powers of reasoning, he weighed all the arguments for and against revealed religion, until his faith became so established as never to be shaken. In the spring of 1776, when 26 years of age, he was elected a member of the Virginia Convention, to frame the constitution of the State. The next year (1777), he was a candidate for the General Assembly. He refused to treat the whisky-loving voters, and consequently lost his election ; but those who had witnessed the talent, energy and public spirit of the modest young man, enlisted themselves in his behalf, and he was appointed to the Executive Council. Both Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson were Governors of Virginia while Mr. Madison remained member of the Council ; and their appreciation of his 32 JAMES MADISON. intellectual, social and moral worth, contributed not a little to his subsequent eminence. In the year 1780, he was elected a member of the Continental Congress. Here he met the most illustrious men in our land, and he was immediately assigned to one of the most conspicuous positions among them. For three years Mr. Madison continued in Con- gress, one of its most active and influential members. In the year 1784, his term having expired, he was elected a member of the Virginia Legislature. No man felt more deeply than Mr. Madison the utter inefficiency of the old confederacy, with no na- tional government, with no power to form treaties which would be binding, or to enforce law. There' was not any State more prominent than Virginia in the declaration, that an efficient national government must be formed. In January, 1786, Mr. Madison carried a resolution through the General Assembly of Virginia, inviting the other States to appoint commis- sioners to meet in convention at Annapolis to discuss this subject. Five States only were represented. The convention, however, issued another call, drawn up by Mr. Madison, urging all the States to send their delegates to Philadelphia, in May, 1787, to draft a Constitution for the United States, to take the place of that Confederate League. The delegates met at the time appointed. Every State but- Rhode Island was represented. George Washington was chosen president of the convention ; and the present Consti- tution of the United States was then and there formed. There was, perhaps, no mind and no pen more ac- tive in framing this immortal document than the mind and the pen of James Madison. The Constitution, adopted by a vote 81 to 79, was to be presented to the several States for acceptance. But grave solicitude was felt. Should it be rejected we should be left but a conglomeration of independent States, with but little power at home and little respect abroad. Mr. Madison was selected by the conven- tion to draw up an address to the people of the United States, expounding the principles of the Constitution, and urging its adoption. There was great opposition to it at first, but it at length triumphed over all, and went into effect in r78g. Mr. Madison was elected to the House of Repre- sentatives in the first Congress, and soon became the avowed leader of the Republican party. While in New York attending Congress, he met Mrs. Todd, a young widow of remarkable power of fascination, whom he married. She was in person and character queenly, and probably no lady has thus far occupied so prominent a position in the very peculiar society which has constituted our repubHcan court as Mrs. Madison. Mr. Madison served as Secretary of State under Jefferson, and at the close of his administration was chosen President. At this time the encroach- ments of England had brought us to the verge of war. British orders in council destioyed our commerce, and our flag was exposed to constant insult. Mr. Madison was a man of peace. Scholarly in his taste, retiring in his disposition, war had no charms for him. But the meekest spirit can be roused. It makes one's blood boil, even now, to think of an American ship brought to, upon the ocean, by the guns of an English cruiser. A young lieutenant steps on board and orders the crew to be paraded before him. With great nonchal- ance he selects any number whom he may please to designate as British subjects ; orders them down the ship's side into his boat; and places them on the gun- deck of his man-of-war, to fight, by compulsion, the battles of England. This right of search and im- pressment, no efforts of our Government could induce the British cabinet to relinquish. On the i8th of June, i8r2. President Madison gave his approval to an act of Congress declaring war against Great Britain. Notwithstanding the bitter hostility of the Federal party to the war, the country in general approved; and Mr. Madison, on the 4th of March, r8i3, was re-elected by a large majority, and entered upon his second term of office. This is not the place to describe the various adventures of this war on the land and on the water. Our infan'. navy then laid the foundations of its renown in grap- pling with the most formidable power which ever swept the seas. The contest commenced in earnest by the appearance of a British fleet, early in February, 18 1 3, in Chesapeake Bay, declaring nearly the whole coast of the United States under blockade. The Emperor of Russia offered his services as me ditator. America accepted ; England refused. A Brit- ish force of five thousand men landed on the banks of the Patuxet River, near its entrance into Chesa- peake Bay, and marched rapidly, by way of Bladens- burg, upon Washington. The straggling little city of Washington was thrown into consternation. The cannon of the brief conflict at Bladensburg echoed through the streets of the metropolis. The whole population fled from the city. The President, leaving Mrs. Madison in the White House, with her carriage drawn up at the doer to await his speedy return, hurried to meet the officers in a council of war. He met our troops utterly routed, and he could not go back without danger of being captured. But few hours elapsed ere the Presidenrial Mansion, the Capitol, and all the pubHc buildings in Washington were in flames. The war closed after two years of fighting, and on Feb. r3, 18 15, the treaty of peace was signed at Ghent. On the 4th of March, 1817, his second term of office expired, and he resigned the Presidential chair to his friend, James Monroe. He rerired to his beau- tiful home at Montpelier, and there passed the re- mainder of his days. On June 28, r836, then at the age of 85 years, he fell asleep in death. Mrs. Madi son died July 12, 1849. 7 -?-cr^_ FIFTIt PRESID'&NT. 35 PEQEs wmm AMES MONROE, the fifth .Presidentof The United States, was born in Westmoreland Co., Va., April 28, 1758. His early life was passed at the place of nativity. His ancestors had for many years resided in the prov- ince in which he was born. When, at 17 years of age, in the process of completing his education at William and Mary College, the Co- lonial Congress assembled at Phila- delphia to deliberate upon the un- just and manifold oppressions of Great Britian, declared the separa- tion of the Colonies, and promul- gated the Declaration of Indepen- dence. Had he been born ten years before it is highly probable that he would have been one of the signers of that celebrated instrument. At this time he left school and enlisted among the patriots. He joined the army when everything looked hope- less and gloomy. The number of deserters increased from day to day. The invading armies came pouring in ; and the tories not only favored the cause of the mother country, but disheartened the new recruits, who were sufficiently terrified at the prospect of con- t2nding with an enemy whom they had been taught to deem invincible. To such brave spirits as James Monroe, who went right onward, undismayed through difficulty and danger, the United States owe their political emancipation. The young cadet joined the ranks, and espoused the cause of his injured country, with a firm determination to live or die with her strife for liberty. Firmly yet sadly he shared in the mel- ancholy retreat from Harleam Heights and White Plains, and accompanied the dispirited army as it fled before its foes through New Jersey. In four months after the Declaration of Independence, the patriots had been beaten in seven battles. At the battle of Trenton he led the vanguard, and, in the act of charg- ing upon the enemy he received a wound in the left shoulder. As a reward for his bravery, Mr. Monroe was pro- moted a captain of infantry ; and, having recovered from his wound, he rejoined the army. He, however, receded from the line of promotion, by becoming an officer in the staff of Lord Sterling. During the cam- paigns of 1777 and 1778, in the actions of Brandy wine, Germantown and Monmouth, he continued aid-de-camp; but becoming desirous to regain his position in the army, he exerted himself to collect a regiment for the Virginia line. This scheme failed owing to the exhausted condition of the State. Upon this failure he entered the office of Mr. Jefferson, at that period Governor, and pursued, with considerable ardor, the study of common law. He did not, however, entirely lay aside the knapsack for the green bag ; but on the invasions of the enemy, served as a volun teer, during the two years of his legal pursuits. In 1782, he was elected from King George county, a ineraber of the Leglislature of Virginia, and by that body he was elevated to a seat in the Executive Council. He was thus honored with the confidence of his fellow citizens at 23 years of age ; and having at this early period displayed some of that ability and aptitude for legislation, which were afterwards employed with unremitting energy for the public good, J6 JAMES MONROE. he was in the succeeding year chosen a member of the Congress of the United States. Deeply as Mr. Monroe felt the imperfections of the old Confederacy, he was opposed to the new Constitution, ihinking, with many others of the Republican parly, that it gave too much power to the Central Government, and not enough to the individual States. Still he re- tained the esteem of his friends who were its warm supporters, and who, notwithstanding his oppositioij secured its adoption. In 1789, he became a member of the United States Senate ; which office he held for four years. Every month the line of distinction be- tween the two great parties which divided the nation, the Federal and the Republican, was growing more distinct. The two prominent ideas which now sep- arated them were, that the Republican party was in sympathy with France, and also in favor of such a strict construction of tlie Constitution as to give the Central Government as little power, and the State Governments as much power, as the Constitution would warrant. The Federalists sympathized with England, and were in favor of a liberal construction of the Con- stitution, which would give as much power to the Central Government as that document could possibly authorize. The leading Federalists and Republicans were alike noble men, consecrating all their energies to the good of the nation. Two more honest men or more pure patriots than John Adams the Federalist, and James Monroe the Republican, never breathed. In tbuilding up this majestic nation, which is destined to eclipse all Grecian and Assyrian greatness, the com- 'bination of their antagonism was needed to create the light equilibrium. And yet each in his day was de- nounced as almost a demon. Washington was then President. England had es- poused the cause of the Bourbons against the princi- ples of the French Revolution. All Europe was drawn into the conflict. We were feeble and far away. Washington issued a proclamation of neutrality be- tween these contending powers. France had helped us in the struggle for our liberties. All the despotisms of Europe were now combined to prevent the French from escaping from a tyranny a thousand-fold worse than that which we had endured Col. Monroe, more magnanimous than prudent, was anxious that, at whatever hazard, we should help our old allies in their extremity. It was the impulse of a generous and noble nature. He violently opposed the Pres- ident's proclamation as ungrateful and wanting in magnanimity. Washington, who could appreciate such a character, developed his calm, serene, almost divine greatness, by appointing that very James Monroe, who was de- nouncing the policy of the Government, as the minister of that Government to the Republic of France. Mr. Monroe was welcomed by the National Convention in France with the most enthusiastic demonstrMions. Shortly after his return to this country, Mr. Mon- roe was elected Governor of Virginia, and held the office for three years. He was again sent to Prance tu co-operate with Chancellor Livingston in obtaining the vast territory then known as the Province of Louisiana, which France had but shortly before ob- tained from Spain. Ttieir united efforts were suc- cessful. For the comparatively small sum of fifteen millions of dollars, the entire territory of Orleans and district of Louisiana were added to the United States. This was probably the largest transfer of real estate which was ever made in all the history of the world. From France Mr. Monroe went to England to ob- tain from that country some recognition of our rights as neutrals, and to remonstrate against those odious impressments of our seamen. but Eng- land was unrelenting. He again returned to Eng- land on the same mission, but could receive no redress. He returned to his home and was again chosen Governor of Virginia. This he soon resigned to accept the position of Secretary of State under Madison. While in this office war with England was declared, the Secretary of War resigned, and during these trying times, the duties of the War Departmem were also put upon him. He was truly the armor- bearer of President Madison, and the most efficient business man in his cabinet. Upon the return of peace he resigned the Department of War, but con- tinued in the office of Secretary of State until the ex- piration of Mr. Madison's adminstration. At the elec- tion held the previous autumn Mr. Monroe himself had been chosen President with but little opposition, and upon March 4, 18 17, was inaugurated. Four years later he was elected for a second term. Among the important measures of his Presidency were the cession of Florida to the United States; the Missouri Compromise, and the " Monroe doctrine.' This famous doctrine, since known as the " Monroe doctrine," was enunciated by him in 1823. At that time the United States had recognized the independ- ence of the South American states, and did not wish to have European powers longer attempting to sub due portions of the American Continent. The doctrine is as follows: "That we should consider any attempt on the part of European powers to extend their sys- tem to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety," and "that we could ro' view any interposition for the purpose of oppressing or controlling Anrerican governments or provinces in any other light than as a manifestarion by European powers of an unfriendly disposition toward the United States." This doctrine immediately affected the course of foreign governments, and has become the approved sentiment of the United States. At the end of his second term Mr Monroe retired to his home in Virginia, where he lived until 1830, when he went to New York to live with his son-in- law. In that city he died.on the 4th of July. 1831, >.; j, 5, At «&#«ig-«$)i&#«S* OHN QUINCY ADAMS, the sixth President of the United 'States, was born in the rural home of his honored father, John Adams, in Quincy, Mass., on the nth cf July, 1767. His mother, a woman of exalted worth, watched over his childhood during the almost constant ab- sence of his father, ^yhen but eight years of age, he stood with his mother on an eminence, listen- ing to the booming of the great bat- tle on Bunkers Hill, and gazing on upon the smoke and flames billow- ing up from the conflagration of Charlestown. When but eleven years old he took a tearful adieu of his mother, to sail with his father for Europe, through a fleet ot hostile British cruisers. The bright, animated boy spent a year and a half in Paris, where his father was associated with Franklin and Lee as minister plenipotentiary. His intelligence attracted the notice of these distinguished men, and he received from them flattering marks of attention. Mr. John Adams had scarcely returned to this country, in 1779, ere he was again sent abroad. Again I'ohn Quincy accompanied his father. At Paris he applied himself with great diligence, for six months, to jtudy; then accompained his father to Holland, where he entered, first a school in Amsterdam, then the University at Leyden. About a year from this time, in 17 81, when the manly boy was but fourteen yea's of age, he was selected by Mr. Dana, our min- ister to the Russian court, as his private secretary. In this school of incessant labor and of enobling culture he spent fourteen months, and then returned to Holland through Sweden, Denmark, Hamburg and Bremen. This long journey he took alone, in the winter, when in his sixteenth year. Again he resumed va& studies, under a private tutor, at Hague. Thence, in the spring of 1782, he accompanied his father tr Paris, traveling leisurely, and forming acquaintance with the most distinguished men on the Continent examining architectural remains, galleries of paintings and all renowned works of art. At Paris he again became associated with the most illustrious men of all lands in the contemplations of the loftiest temporal themes which can engross the human mind. Afte- a short visit to England he returned to Paris, and consecrated all his energies to study until May, 1785, when he returned to America. To a brilliant young man of eighteen, who had seen much of the world, and who was familiar with the etiquette of courts, a residence with his father in London, under such cir- cumstances, must have been extremely attractive but with judgment very rare in one of his age, he pre- ferred to return to America to complete his education in an American college. He wished then to study law, that with an honorable profession, he might be able to obtain an independent support. Upon leaving Harvard College, at the age of twenty he studied law for three years. In June, 1794, be- ing then but twenty-seven years of age, he was ap- pointed by Washington, resident minister at the Netherlands. Sailing from Boston in July, he reached London in October, where he was immediately admit- ted to the deliberations of Messrs. Jay and Pinckney, assisting them in negotiating a commercial treaty with Great Britian. After thus spending a fortnight i: London', he proceeded to the Hague. In July, 1797, he left the Hague to go to Portugal as minister plenipotentiary. On his way to Portugal, upon arriving in London, he met with despatches directing him to the court of Berlin, but requesting him to remain in London until he should receive his instructions. While waiting he was married to ar. American lady to whom he had been previously en- gaged, — Miss Louisa Catherine Johnson, daughte of Mr. Joshua Johnson, American consul in London a lady endownd with that beauty and those accom- plishment which eminently fitted her to move in ti4 elevated sphere for which she w»s ^Jis'-ined ♦o JOHN QUINCY ADAMS. He reached Berlin with his wife in November, 1797 ; where he remained until July, 1799, when, having ful- filled all the purposes of his mission, he solicited his recall. Soon after his return, in 1802, he was chosen to Ihe Senate of Massachusetts, from Boston, and then was elected Senator of the United States for six years, from the 4th of March, 1804. His reputation, his ability and his experience, placed him immediately among the most prominent and influential members of that body. Especially did he sustain the Govern- ment in its measures of resistance to the encroach- ments of England, destroying our commerce and in- sulting our flag. There was no man in America more familiar with the arrogance of the British court upon these points, and no one more resolved to present a firm resistance. In i8og, Madison succeeded Jefferson in the Pres- idential chair, and he immediately nominated John Quincy Adams minister to St. Petersburg. Resign- ing his professorship in Harvard College, he embarked at Boston, in August, 1809. While in Russia, Mr. Adams was an intense stu- dent. He devoted his attention to the language and history of Russia; to the Chinese trade; to the European system of weights, measures, and coins ; to the climate and astronomical observations ; while he kept up a familiar acquaintance with the Greek and Latin classics. In all the universities of Europe, a more accomplished scholar could scarcely be found. All through life the Bible constituted an important ipart of his studies. It was his rule to read five ■chapters every day. On the 4th of March, 1817, Mr. Monroe took the Presidential chair, and immediately appointed Mr. Adams Secretary of State. Taking leave of his num- erous friends in public and private life in Europe, he sailed in Jane, 1819, for the United States. On the 1 8th of August, he again crossed the threshold of his home in Quincy. During the eight years of Mr. Mon- roe's administration, Mr. Adams continued Secretary of State. Some time before the close of Mr. Monroe's second term of office, new candidates began to be presented for the Presidency. The friends of Mr. Adams brought forward his name. It was an exciting campaign. Party spirit was never more bitter. Two hundred and sixty electoral votes were cast. Andrew Jackson re- ceived ninety-nine ; John Quincy Adams, eighty-four ; William H. Crawford, forty-one ; Henry Clay, thirty- seven. As there was no choice by the people, the question went to the House of Representatives. Mr. Clay gave the vote of Kentucky to Mr. Adams, and he was elected. The friends of all the disappointed candidates now ;ombined in a venomous and persistent assault upon Mr. Adams. There is nothing more disgraceful in Jfee past history of our country than the abuse which was poured in one uninterrupted stream, upon this high-minded, upright, patriotic man. There never was an administration more pure in principles, more con- scientiously devoted to the best interests of the coun- try, than that of John Quincy Adams ; and never, per. haps, was there an administration more unscrupu- lously and outrageously assailed. Mr. Adams was, to a very remarkable degree, ab- stemious and temperate in his habits; always rising early, and taking much exercise. When at his homein Quincy, he has been known to walk, before breakfast, seven miles to Boston. In Washington, it was said that he was the first man up in the city, lighting his own fire and applying himself to work in his library often long before dawn. On the 4th of March, r829, Mr. Adams retired from the Presidency, and was succeeded by Andrew- Jackson. John C. Calhoun was elected Vice Presi- dent. The slavery question now began to assume portentous magnitude. Mr. Adams returned to Quincy and to his studies, which he pursued with un- abated zeal. But he was not long permitted to re- main in retirement. In November, 1830, he was elected representative to Congress. For seventeen years, until his death, he occupied the post as repre- sentative, towering above all his peers, ever ready to do brave battle' for freedom, and winning the title of "the old man eloquent." Upon taking his seat in the House, he announced that he should hold him- self bound to no party. Probably there never was a member more devoted to his duties. He was usually the first in his place in the morning, and the last to leave his seat in the evening. Not a measure could be brought forward and escape his scrutiny. 'Ihe battle which Mr. Adams fought, almost singly, against the proslavery party in the Government, was sublime in Its moral daring and heroism. For persisting in presenting petitions for the abolition of slavery, he was threatened with indictment by the grand jury with expulsion from the House, with assassination but no threats could intimidate him, and his final triumph was complete. It has been said of President Adams, that when his body was bent and his hair silvered by the lapse of fourscore years, yielding to the simple faith of a little child, he was accustomed to repeat everv night, before he slept, the prajer which his mother taught him in his infant years. On the 2 1 St of February, 1848, he rose on the floor of Congress, with a paper in his hand, to address the speaker. Suddenly he fell, again stricken by pataly sis, and was caught in the arms of those around him. For a time he was senseless, as he was conveyed to the sofa in the rotunda. With reviving conscious- ness, he opened his eyes, looked calmly around and said " This is the end of earth /'ihsxx after a moment's pause he added, "/ am content." These were the last words of the grand " Old Man Eloquent." '■&?=- r7> /^^5^^.^ c^' SEVENTH PRESIDENT. *-l «»f^ksi/gznr»~ ? NDREW JACKSON, the seventh President of the 'United States, was born in Waxhaw settlement, N. C., March 15, 1767, a few days after his father's death. His parents were poor emigrants from Ireland, and took up their abode in Waxhaw set- tlement, where they lived in deepest poverty, Andrew, or Andy, as he was universally called, grew up a very rough, rude, turbulent boy. His features were coarse, his form un- gainly; and there was but very little in his character, made visible, which was at- tractive. When only thirteen years old he joined the volun- teers of Carolina against the British invasion. In 1781, he and his brother Robert were captured and imprisoned for a time at Camden. A British officer ordered him to brush his mud-spattered boots. " I am a prisoner of war, not your servant," was the reply of the dauntless boy. The brute drew his sword, and aimed a desperate Dlow at the head of the helpless young prisoner. Andrew raised his hand, and thus received two fear- ful gashes, — one on the hand and the other upon the head. The officer then turned to his brother Robert '^th the same demand. He also refused, and re- ceived a blow from the keen-edged sabre, which quite disabled him, and which probably soon after caused his death. They suffered muchother ill-treatment, and were finally stricken with the small-pox. Their mother was successful ^^ obtaining their exchange. and took her sick boys home. After a long illnoss. Andrew recovered, and the death of his mother soon left him entirely friendless. Andrew supported himself in various ways, s ich a3 working at the saddler's trade, teaching school and clerking in a general store, until 1784, when he entered a law office at Salisbury, N. C. He, however, gave more attention to the wild amusements of the times than to his studies. In 1788, he was appointed solicitor for the western district of North Carolina, of which Tennessee was then a part. This involved many long and tedious journeys amid dangers of every k-ind, but Andrew Jackson never knew fear, and the Indians had no desire to repeat a skirmisb) with the Sharp Knife. In r79i, Mr. Jackson was married to a woman wh<* supposed herself divorced from her former husband. Great was the surprise of both parties, two years later, to find that the conditions of the divorce had just been definitely settled by the first husband. The marriage ceremony was performed a second time, but the occur- rence was often used by his enemies to bring Mr. Jackson into disfavor. During these years he worked hard at his profes sion, and frequently had one or more duels on hand, one of which, when he killed Dickenson, was espec- ially disgraceful. In January, 1796, the Territory of Tennessee then containing nearly eighty thousand inhabitants, the people met in convention at Knoxville to frame a con- stitution. Five were sent from each of the eleven counties. Andrew Jackson was one of the delegates.' The new State was entitled to but one member i» the National House of Representatives. Andrew Jact- son was Chosen that member. Mounting his horse he rode to Philedelphia, where Congress then held its 44 ANDRE W JACKSON. sessions, — a distance of about eight hundred miles. Jackson was an earnest advocate of the Demo- cratic party. Jefferson was his idol. He admired Bonaparte, loved France and hated England. As Mr. Jackson took his seat, Gen. Washington, whose second term of office was then expiring, delivered his last speech to Congress. A committee drew up a complimentary address in reply. Andrew Jackson did not approve of the address, and was one of the twelve who voted against it. He was not willing to say that Gen. Washington's adminstration had been " wise, firm and patriotic." Mr. Jackson was elected to the United States Senate in 1797, but soon resigned and returned home. Soon after he was chosen Judge of the Supreme Court of his State, which position he held for six years. When the war of 181 2 with Great Britian com- menced, Madison occupied the Presidential chair. Aaron Burr sent word to the President that there was an unknown man in the West, Andrew Jackson, who would do credit to a commission if one were con- ferred upon him. Just at that time Gen. Jackson offered his services and those of twenty-five hundred volunteers. His offer was accepted, and the troops were assembled at Nashville. As the British were hourly expected to make an at- tack upon New Orleans, where Gen. Wilkinson was in command, he was ordered to descend the river with fifteen hundred troops to aid Wilkinson. The expedition reached Natchez ; and after a delay of sev- eral weeks there, without accomplishing anything, the men were ordered back to their homes. But the energy Gen. Jackson had displayed, and his entire devotion to the comrfort of his soldiers, won him golden opinions ; and he became the most popular man in the State. It was in this expedition that his toughness gave him the nickname of "Old Hickory." Soon after this, while attempting to horsewhip Col. Thomas H. Benton, for a remark that gentleman made about his taking a part as second in a duel, in which a younger brother of Benton's was engaged, he received two severe pistol wounds. While he was lingering upon a bed of suffering news came that the Indians, who had combined under Tecumseh from Florida to the Lakes, to exterminate the white set- tlers, were committing the most awful ravages. De- cisive action became necessary. Gen. Jackson, with his fractured bone just beginning to heal, his arm in a sling, and unable to mount his horse without assis- tance, gave his amazing energies to the raising of an army to rendezvous at Fayettesville, Alabama. The Creek Indians had established a strong fort on one of the bends of the Tallapoosa River, near the cen- ter of Alabama, about fifty miles below Fort Strother. With an army of two thousand men, Gen. Jackson traversed the pathless wilderness in a march of eleven days. He reached their fort, called Tohopeka or Horse-shoe, on the 27th of March. r8i4. The bend of the river enclosed nearly one hunared acres of tangled forest and wild ravine. Across the narrow neck the Indians had constructed a formidable breast- work of logs and brush. Here nine hundred warriors, with an ample suply of arms were assembled. The fort was stormed. The fight was utterly des- perate. Not an Indian would accept of quarter. When bleeding and dying, they would fight those who en- deavored to spare their lives. From ten in the morn- ing until dark, the battle raged. The carnage was awful and revolting. Some threw themselves into the river; but the unerring bullet struck their heads as they swam. Nearly everyone of the nine hundred war- rios were killed A few probably, in the night, swam the river and escaped. This ended the war. The power of the Creeks was broken forever. This bold plunge into the wilderness, with its terriffic slaughter, so appalled the savages, that the haggard remnants of the bands caine to the camp, begging for peace. This closing of the Creek war enabled us to con- centrate all our militia upon the British, who were the allies of the Indians No man of less resolute will than Gen. Jackson could have conducted this Indian campaign to so successful an issue Immediately he was appointed major-general. Late in August, with an army of two thousand men, on a rushing march, Gen. Jackson came to Mobile. A British fleet came from Pensacola, landed a force upon the beach, anchored near the little fort, and from both ship and shore commenced a furious assault The battle was long and doubtful. At length one of the ships was blown up and the rest retired. Garrisoning Mobile, where he had taken his little army, he moved his troops to New Orleans, And the battle of New Orleans which soon ensued, was in reality a very arduous campaign. This won for Gen. Jackson an imperishable name. Here his troops, which numbered about four thousand men, won a signal victory over the British array of about nine thousand. His loss was but thirteen, while the loss of the British was two thousand six hundred. The name of Gen. Jackson soon began to be men- tioned in connection with the Presidency, but, in 1824, he was defeated by Mr. Adams. He was, however, successful in the election of 1828, and was re-elected for a second term in 1832. In r829, just before he assumed the reins of the government, he met with the most terrible affliction of his life in the death of his wife, whom he had loved with a devotion which has perhaps never been surpassed. From the shock of her death he never recovered. His administration was one of the most mc-morabie in the annals of our country; applaude/J oy one party, condemned by the other. No man had more bitter enemies or warmer friends. At the expiration of his two terms of office he retired to the Hermitage, where he died Tune 8, 1845. The last years of Mr. Jack- son's life were that of a devoted Christian man. /' 7 ^/z^^^, ^c^/y u^^^^.^,^^^ EIGHTH PRESIDENT. WW^^ Y^Il MREI]. ARTIN VAN BUREN, the eighth President of the United States, was born at Kinderhook, N. Y., Dec. 5, 1782. He died at the same place, July 24, 1862. His body rests in the cemetery at Kinderhook. Above it is a plain granite shaft fifteen feet high, bearing a simple inscription about half way up on one face. The lot is unfenced, unbordered or unbounded by shrub or flower. There is but little in the life of Martin Van Buren of romantic interest. He fought no battles, engaged in no wild adventures. Though his life was stormy in political and intellectual conflicts, and he gained many signal victories, his days passed uneventful in those incidents which give zest to biography. His an- cestors, as his name indicates, were of Dutch origin, and were among the earliest emigrants from Holland to the banks of the Hudson. His father was a farmer, residing in the old town of Kinderhook. His mother, also of Dutch lineage, was a woman of superior intel- ligence and exemplary piety. Ae. was decidedly a precocious boy, developing un- usual activity, vigor and strength of mind. At the age of fourteen, he had finished his academic studies in his native village, and commenced the study of law. As he had not a collegiate education, seven years of study in a law-office were required of him before he could be admitted to the bar. Inspired with J. lofty ambition, and conscious of his powers, he pur- sued his studies with indefatigable industry. After spending six years in an office in his native village, he went to the city of New York, and prosecuted his studies for the seventh year. In 1803, Mr. Van Buren, then twenty-one years of age, commenced the practice of law in his native vil- lage. The great conflict between the Federal and Republican party was then at its height. Mr. Van Buren was from the beginning a politician. He had, perhaps, imbibed that spirit while listening to the many discussions which had been carried on in his father's hotel. He was in cordial sympathy with Jefferson, and earnestly and eloquently espoused the cause of State Rights ; though at that time the Fed- eral party held the supremacy both in his town and State. His success and increasing ruputation led him after six years of practice, to remove to Hudson, th<; county seat of his county. Here he spent seven years, constantly gaining strength by contending in th* courts with some of the ablest men who have adorned the bar of his State. Just before leaving Kinderhook for Hudson, Mr. Van Buren married a lady alike distinguished for beauty and accomplishments. After twelve short years she sank into the grave, the victim of consump. tion, leaving her husband and four sons to weep ovei her loss. For twenty-five years, Mr. Van Buren waa an earnest, successful, assiduous lawyer. The record of those years is barren in items of public interest. In t8i 2, when thirty years of age, he was chosen to the State Senate, and gave his strenuous support to Mr. Madison's adminstration. In 1815, he was ap- pointed Attorney-General, and the next year moved to Albany, the capital of the State. While he was ackno\i^ledged as one of the most p.ominent leaders of th« Democraric party, he had 48 MARTIN VAN BUREN. the moral courage to avow that true democracy did not require that " universal suffrage " which admits the vile, the degraded, the ignorant, to the right of governing the State. In true consistency with his democratic principles, he contended that, while the path leading to the privilege of voting should be open to every man without distinction, no one should be invested with that sacred prerogative, unless he were in some degree qualified for it by intelligence, virtue and some property interests in 'the welfare of the State. In 182 1 he was elected a member of the United States Senate; and in the same year, he took a seat in the convention to revise the constitution of his native State. His course in this convention secured the approval of men of all parties. No one could doubt the singleness of his endeavors to promote the interests of all classes in the community. In the Senate of the United States, he rose at once to a ■".onspicuous position as an active and useful legislator. In 1827, John Quincy Adams being then in the Presidential chair, Mr. Van Buren was re-elected to zhe Senate. He had been from the beginning a de- termined opposer of the Administration, adopting the ■'State Rights " view in opposition to what was deemed the Federal proclivities of Mr. Adams. Soon after this, in 1828, he was chosen Governorof the State of New York, and accordingly resigned his ^eat in the Senate. Probably no one in the United States contributed so much towards ejecting John Q., \dams from the Presidential chair, and placing in it Andrew Jackson, as did Martin Van Buren. Whether entitled to the reputation or not, he certainly was re- garded throughout the United States as one of the most skillful, sagacious and cunning of politicians. It was supposed that no one knew so well as he how to touch the secret springs of action; how to pull all the wires to put his machinery in motion ; and how to organize a political army which would, secretly and ste.^Uhily accomplish the most gigantic results. By these powers it is said that he outv/itted Mr. Adams, Mr. Clay, Mr. Webster, and secured results which few thought then could be accomplished. When Andrew Jackson was elected President he appointed Mr. Van Buren Secretary of State. This position he resigned in i83r, and was immediately appointed Minister to England, where he went the same autumn. The Senate, however, when it met, refused to ratify the nomination, and he returned home, apparently untroubled ; was nominated Vice President in the place of Calhoun, at the re-election of President Jackson ; and with smiles for all and frowns for none, he took his place at the head of that Senate which had refused to confirm his nomination as ambassador. His rejection by the Senate roused all the zeal of President Jackson in behalf of his repudiated favor- ite ; and this, probably more than any other cause, secured his elevation to the chair of the Chief Execu tive. On the 20th of May, 1836, Mr. Van Buren re- ceived the Democratic nomination to succeed Gen. Jackson as President of the United States. He was elected by a handsome majority, to the delight of the retiring President. "Leaving New York out of Jhe canvass," says Mr. Parton, "the election of Mr. Van Buren to the Presidency was as much the act of Gen. Jackson as though the Constitution had conferred upon him the power to appoint a successor." His administration was filled with exciting events- The insurrection in Canada, which threatened to in- volve this country in war with England, the agitation of the slavery question, and finally the great commer- cial panic which spread over the country, all were trials to his wisdom. The financial distress was at- tributed to the management of the Democratic party, and brought the President into such disfavor that he failed of re-election. With the exception of being nominated for the Presidency by the "Free Soil" Democrats, in 1848, Mr. Van Buren lived quietly upon his estate until his death. He had ever been a prudent man, of frugal habits, and living within his income, had now fortunately a competence for his declining years. His unblemished character, his commanding abilities, his unquestioned patriotism, and the distinguished positions which he had occupied in the government of our country, se- cured to him not only the homage of his party, but the respect ot the whole community. It was on the 4th of March, 1841, that Mr. Van Buren retired from the presidency. From his fine estate at Lindenwald he still exerted a powerful influence upon the politici of the country. From this time until his death, on the 24th of July, 1862, at the age of eighty years, he resided at Lindenwald, a gentleman of leisure, of culture and of wealth; enjoying in a healthy old age, probably far more happiness than he had before experienced amid the stormy scenes of his active life, ^ /f /fe^^ 'T-\^ NINTH PRESIDENT, Sf wmM4M mini m4iEiiiik ILLIAM HENRY HARRI- SON, the ninth President of the United States, was born at Berkeley, Va., Feb. 9, 1773. His father, Benjamin Harri- son, was in comparatively op- ulent circumstances, and was one of the most distinguished men of his day. He was an intimate friend of George Washington, w as early elected a member of the Continental Congress, and was conspicuous among the patriots of Virginia in resisting the encroachments of the British crown. In the celebrated Congress of 1775, Benjamin Har- rison and John Hancock were both candidates for the office of speaker. Mr Harrison was subsequently chosen Governor of Virginia, and was twice re-elected. His son, William Henry, of course enjoyed in childhood all the advantages which wealth and intellectual and cultivated society could give. Hav- ing received a thorough comn.on-school education, he entered Hampden Sidney College, where he graduated with honor soon after the death of his father. He then repaired to Philadelphia to study medicine under the instructions of Dr. Rush and the guardianship of Jobert Morris, both of whom were, with his father, signers of the Declaration of Independence. Jpon the outbreak of the Indian troubles, and not- withstanding the -emonstrances of his friends, he abandoned his medical studies and entered the army, ,iaving obtained a cpmrtiission of Ensign from Presi- dent Washington. He was then but 19 years old, From that time he passed gradually upward in rank until he became aid to General Wayne, after whose death he resigned his commission. He was then ap- pointed Secretary of the North-western Territory. This Territory was then entitled to but one member in Congress and Capt. Harrison was chosen to fill that position. In the spring of 1800 the North-western Territory was divided by Congress into two portions. The eastern portion, comprising the region now embraced in the State of Ohio, was called '' The Territory north-west of the Ohio." The western portion, which included what is now called Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin, was called the "Indiana Territory." Wil-. liam Henry Harrison, then 27 years of age, was ap- pointed by John Adams, Governor of the Indiana Territory, and immediately after, also Governor of Upper Louisiana. He was thus ruler over almost as extensive a realm as any sovereign upon the globe. He was Superintendent of Indian Affairs, and was in- vested with powers nearly dictatorial over the now rapidly increasing white population. The ability and fidelity with which he discharged these responsible duties may be inferred from the fact that he was four times appointed to this office — first by John Adams, twice by Thomas Jefferson and afterwards by Presi- dent Madison. When he began his adminstration there were but three white settlements in that almost boundless region, now crowded with cities and resounding with all the tumult of wealth and traffic. One of these settlements was on the Ohio, nearly opposite Louisville; one at Vincennes, on the Wabash, and the third a French settlement. The vast wilderness over which Gov. Harrisoii reigned was filled with many tribes of Indians. Ab';,i! 52 WILLIAM HENRY HARRISOlf. the year 1806, two extraordinary men, twin brothers, ot" the Shawnese tribe, rose among them. OiiC of these was called Tecumseh, or " The Crouching Panther;" the other, Olhwacheca, or " The Prophet." Tecumseh was not only an Indian warrior, but a man of great sagacity, far-reaching foresight and indomit- able perseverance in any enterprise in wliich he might engage. He was inspired with the highest enthusiasm, and had long regarded with dread and with hatred -the encroachment of the whites upon the hunting- grounds of his fathers. His brother, the Prophet, was anorator, who could sway the feelings of the untutored Indian as the gale tossed the tree tops beneath which they dwelt. But the Prophet was not merely an orator: he was, in the superstitious minds of the Indians, invested with the superhuman dignity of a medicine-man or a magician. With an enthusiasm unsurpassed by Peter the Hermit rousing Europe to the crusades, he went from tribe to tribe, assuming that he was specially sent by the Great Spirit. Gov. Harrison made many attempts to conciliate the Indians, but at last the war came, and at Tippe- canoe the Indians were routed with great slaughter. October 28, i8t2, his army began its march. When near the Prophet's town three Indians of rank made their appearance and inquired why Gov. Harri.on was approaching them in so hostile an attitude. After a short conference, arrangements were made for a meet- ing the next day, to agree upon terms of peace. But Gov. Harrison was too well acquainted with the Indian character to be deceived by such protes- tations Selecting a favorable spot for his night's en- campment, he took every precaution against surprise His troops were posted in a hollow square, and slept upon their arms. The troops threw themselves upon the ground for rest; but every man had his accourtrements on, his loaded musket by his side, and his bayonet fixed. The wakeful Governor, between three and four o'clock in the morning, had risen, and was sitting in conversa- tion with his aids by the embers of a waning fire. It was a chill, cloudy morning with a drizzling rain. In the darkness, the Indians had crept as near as possi- ble, and i':3t then, with a savage yell, rushed, with all the desperation which superstition and passion most highly inflamed could give, upon the left flank of the little army. The savages had been amply provided with guns and ammunition by the English. Their war-whoop was accompained by a shower of bullets. The camp-fires were instantly extinguished, as the light aided the Indians in their aim. With hide- jus yells, the Indian bands rushed on, not doubting a speedy and an entire victory. But Gen. Harrison's troops stood as immovable as the rocks around them until day dawned : they then made a simultaneous charge with the bayonet, and swept every thing be- fore them, and completely routing th** foe. Gov. Harrison now had all his energies tasked to the utmost. The British descending from the Can - adas, were of themselves a very formidable force ; but with their savage allies, rushing like wolves from the forest, searching out every remote farm-house, burn- ing, plu.idering, scalping, torturing, the wide frontier was plunged into a state of consternation which even the most vivid- imagination can but faintly conceive. The war-whoop was resounding everywhere in the forest. The horizon was illuminated with the conflagra- tion of the cabins of the settlers. Gen Hull had made the ignominious surrender of his forces at Detroit. Under these despairing circumstances. Gov. Harrison was appointed by President Madison commander-in- chief of the North-western army, with orders to retake D>;troit, and to protect the frontiers. It would be difficult to place a man in a situation demanding more energy, sagacity and courage; but General Harrison was found equal to the position, and nobly and triumphantly did he meet all the re sponsibilities. He won the love of his soldiers by always sharing with them their fatigue. His whole baggage,- while pursuing the foe up the Thames, was carried in a valise; and his bedding consisted of a single blanket lashed over his saddle Thirty-five British officers, his prisoners of war, supped with him after the battle.- The only fare he could give them was beef roasted before the fire, without bread or salt. In 1816, Gen. Harrison was chosen a member of the National House of Representatives, to represent the District of Ohio. In Congress he proved an active member; and whenever he spoke, it was with force of reason and power of eloquence, which arrested the attention of all the members. In 1819, Harrison was elected to the Senate of Ohio; and in 1824, as one of the presidential electors of that State, he gave his vote for Henry Clay. The same year he was chosen to the United States Senate. In 1836, the friends of Gen. Harrison brought hiin forward as a candidate for the Presidency againsi Van Buren, but he was defeated. At the close of Mr. Van Buren's term, he was re-nominated by his party, and Mr. Harrison was unanimously nominated by the Whigs, with John Tyler iorthe Vice Presidency. The contest was very animated. Gen Jackson gave all his influence to prevent Harrison's election ; but his triumph was signal. The cabinet which he formed, with Daniel Webster at its head as Secretary of State, was one of the most brilliant with which any President had ever been surrounded. Never were the prospects of an admin- istration more flattering, or the hopes of the country more sanguine. In the midst of these bright and joyous prospects. Gen. Harrison was seized by a pleurisv-fever and after a few days of violent sick- ness, died on the 4th of April ; just one month after hi§ inauguration as Pre§i4?nt of th? \Jnited States* # -^ TMNTH PRRSIDENT. 55 OHN TYLER, the tenth Presidentof the United States. He was born in Charles-city Co., Va., March 29, 1790. He was the favored child of af- fluence and high social po- sition. At the early age of twelve, John entered WiUiam and Mary College and grad- uated with much honor when but seventeen years old. After graduating, he devoted him- self with great assiduity to the study of law, partly with his father and partly with Edmund Randolph, one of the most distin- guished lawyers of Virginia. At nineteen years of age, ne commenced the practice of law. His success was rapid and aston- ishing. It is said that three months had not elapsed ere there was scarcely a case on the dock- et of the court in which he was lot retained. When but twenty-one years of age, he was almost unanimously elected to a seat in the State Legislature. He connected himself with the Demo- cratic party, and warmly advocated the measures of Jefferson and Madison. For five successive years he was elected to the Legislature, receiving nearly the unanimous vote or his county. When but twenty-six years of age, he was elected a member of Congress. Here he acted earnestly and ably with the Democratic party, opposing a national bank, internoi jmj^'ovements by the General <^vern- naent, a protective tariff, and advocatmg a strict con- struction of the Coilstitution, and the most careful vigilance over State rights. His labors in Congress were so arduous that before the close of his second term he found it necessary to resign and retire to his estate in Charles-city Co., to recruit his health. He, however, soon after consented to take his seat in the State Legislature, where his influence was powerful in promoting public works of great utility. With a reputation thus canatantly increasing, he was chosen by a very large majori,ty of votes. Governor of his native State. His administration was signally a suc- cessful one. His popularity secured his re-election. John Randolph, a brilliant, erratic, half-crazed man, then represented Virginia in the Senate of the United States. A portion o( the Democratic party was displeased with Mr. Randolph's wayward course, and brought forward John Tyler as his opponent, considering him the only man in Virginia of sufficient popularity to succeed against the renowned orator of Roanoke. Mr. Tyler was the victor. In accordance with his professions, upon taking his seat in the Senate, he joined the ranks of the opposi- tion. He opposed the tariff; he spoke against and voted against the bank as unconstitutional ; he stren- uously opposed all restrictions upon slavery, resist- ing all projects of internal improvements by the Gen- eral Government, and avowed his sympathy with Mr. Calhoun's view of nullification ; he declared that Gen, Jackson, by his opposition to the nuUifiers, had abandoned the piinciples of the Democratic party. Such was Mr. Tyler's record in Congress, — a record in perfect accordance with the principles which he had always avowed. Returning to Virginia, he resumed the practice of his profession. Ther^ was a cplit in the Democratii- JOHN TYLER. Jarty. His friends still regarded him as a true Jef- fersonian, gave hini a dinner, and showered compli- ments upon him. He had now attained the age of forty-six. His career had been very briliiant. In con- sequence of his devotion to public business, his pri- vate affairs had fallen into some disorder; and it was not without satisfaction that he resumed the practice of law, and devoted himself to the culture of his plan- tation. Soon after this he removed to Williamsburg, for the better education of his children ; and he again look his seat in the Legislature of Virginia. By the Southern Whigs, he was sent to the national convention at Harrisburg to nominate a President in 1839. The majority of votes were given to Gen. Har- rison, a genuine Whig, much to the disappointment of the South, who wished for Henry Clay. To concili- ate the Southern Whigs and to secure their vote, the convention then nominated John Tyler for Vice Pres- ident. It was well known that he was not in sympa- thy with the Whigiparty in the No:th: but the Vice President has but very little power in the Govern- ment, his main and almost only duty being to pre- side over the meetings of the Senate. Thus it hap- pened that a Whig President, and, in reahty, a Democratic Vice President were chosen. In 1841, Mr. Tyler was inaugurated Vice Presi- dent of the United States. In one short month from that time, President Harriion died, and Mr. Tyler thus -;und himself, to his own surprise and that of the whole Nation, an occupant of the Presidential chair. This was a new test of the stability of our institutions, as it was the first time in the history of our country that such an event had occured. Mr. Tyler was at home in Williamsburg when he received the unexpected tidings of the death of President Harri- son. He hastened to Washington, and on the 6th of Ajrril was inaugurated to the high and responsible office. He was placed in a position of exceeding delicacy and difficulty. All his longlife he had been opposed tc the main principles of the party which had brought him into power. He had ever been a con- sistent, hone:;t man, with an unblemished record. Gen. Harrison had selected a Whig cabinet. . Should he retain them, and thus surround himself with coun- sellors whose views were antagonistic to his own? or, on the other hand, should he turn against the party which had elected him and select a cabinet in har- mony with himself, and which would oppose all those views which the Whigs deemed essential to the pub- lic welfare? This was his fearful dilemma. He in- vited the cabinet which President Haurison had Felected to retain their seats. He reccomm:nded a day of faBting and prayer, that God would guide and bless us. The Whigs carried through Congress a bill for the incorporation of a fiscal bank of the United States. The P'-esident, after ten days' delay, returned it with nis v';to, He suggested, however, that he would approve of a bill drawn up upon such a plan as he proposed. Such a bill was accordingly prepared, and privately submitted to him. He gave it his approval. It was passed without alteration, and he sent it back with his veto. Here commenced the open rupture. It is said that Mr. Tyler was provoked to this meas- ure by a published letter from the Hon. John M. Botts, a distinguished Virginia Whig, who sevefely touched the pride of the President. The opposition now exultingly received the Presi- dent into their arms. The party which elected him denounced him bitterly. AH the members of his cabinet, excepting Mr. Webster, resigned. The Whigs of Congress, both the Senate and the House, held a meeting and issued an address to the people of the United States, proclaiming that all political alliance between the Whigs and President Tyler were at an end. Still the President attempted to conciliate. He appointed a new cabinet of distinguished -Whigs and Conservatives, carefully leaving out all strong party men. Mr. Webster soon found it necessary to resign, forced out by the pressure of his Whig friends. Thus the four years of Mr. Tyler's unfortunate administra- tion passed sadly away. No one was satisfied. The land was filled with murmurs and vituperation. Whigs and Democrats alike assailed him. More and more, however, he brought himself into sympathy with his old friends, the Democrats, until at the close of his term, he gave his whole influence to the support of Mr. Polk, the Democratic candidate for his successor. On the 4th of March, 1845, "^^ retired from the harassm.ents of office, to the regret of neither party, and probably to his own unspeakable lelief. His first wife. Miss Letitia Christian, died in Washington, in 1 842 ; and in June, 1844, President Tyler was again married, at New York, to Miss Julia Gardiner, a young lady of many personal and intellectual accomplishments. The remainder of his days Mr. Tyler passed mainly in retirement at his beautiful Jiome, — Sherwood For- est, Charles city Co., Va. A polished gentleman in his manners, richly furnished with information from books and experience in the world, and possessing brilliant powers of conversation, his family circle was the scene of unusual attractions. With sufficient means for the exercise of a generous hospitahty, he might have enjoyed a serene old age with the few friends who gathered around him, were it not for the storms of civil war which his own principles and policy had helped to introduce. When the great Rebellion rose, which the State, rights and nullifying doctrines of Mr. John C. Ca\- houn had inaugurated, President Tyler renounced his allegiance to the United States, and joined the Confed- erates. He was chosen a member of their Congress; and while engaged in active measures to desiroy, by force of arms, the Government over which he had once presided, he was taken sick and soon died, £lE VENTH-pREBll^E^Tr' 59 AMES K. POLK, the eleventh iPresident of the United States, was born in Mecklenburg Co., N. C.,Nov. 2, 1795. His par- ents were Samuel and Jane (Knox) Polk, the former a son of Col. Thomas Polk, who' located at the above place, as one of the first pioneers, in 1735. In the year i3o6, with his wife and children, and soon after fol- lowed by most of the members of the Polk farnly, Samuel Polk emi- grated some two or three hundred miles farther west, to the rich valley of the Duck River. Here in the midst of the wilderness, in a region which was subsequently called Mau- ry Co., they reared their log huls, and established their homes. In the ^ard toil of a new farm in the wil- derness, James K. Polk spent the early years of his childhood and youth. His father, adding the pur- suit of a surveyor to that of a farmer, gradually increased in wealth until he became one of the leading men of the region. His mother was a superior woman, of strong common sense and earnest piety. Very early in life, James developed a taste for reading and expressed the strongest desire to obtain a liberal education. His mother's training had made him methodical in his habits, had taught him punct- uality and industry, and had inspired him with lofty principles of morality. His health was frail ; and his father, fearing that he might not bs able to endure a sedentary life, got a situation for him behind the counter, hoping to fit hira for commercial pursuits. This was to James a bitter disappointment. He had no taste for these duties, and his daily tasks were irksome in the extreme. He remained in this uncongenial occupation but a few weeks, when at his earnest solicitation his father removed him, and made arrangements for him to prosecute his studies. Soon after he sent him to Murfreesboro Academy. With ardor which could scarcely be surpassed, he pressed forward in his studies, and in less than two and a half years, in the autumn of 1815, entered the sophomore class in the University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill. Here he was one of the most exemplary of scholars, punctual in every exercise, never allowing himself to be absent from a recitation or a religious service. He graduated in i8r8, with the highest honors, be« ing deemed the best scholar of his class, both in mathematics and the classics. He was then twenty- three years of age. Mr. Polk's health was at this time much impaired by the assiduity with which he had prosecuted his studies. After a short season of relaxation he went to Nashville, and entered the office of Felix Grundy, to study law. Here Mr. Polk renewed his acquaintance with Andrew Jackson, who resided on his plantation, the Hermitage, but a few miles from Nashville. They had probably been slightly acquainted before. Mr. Polk's father was a JefFersonian Republican; and James K. Polk ever adhered to the same politi- cal faith. He was a popular public speaker, and was constantly called upon to address the meetings of his party friends. His skill as a speaker was such that he was popularly called the Napoleon of the stump. He was a man of unblemished morals, genial and 6a /AMES k. POLk. courterus in his bearing, and with that sympathetic nature in the joy s and griefs of others which ever gave him troops of friends. In 1823, Mr. Polk was elected to the Legislature of Tennessee. Here he gave his strong influ3nce towards the election of his friend, Mr. Jacksorj, to the Presidency of the United States. In January, 1824, Mr. Polk married Miss Sarah Childress, of Rutherford Co., Tenn. His bride was altogether worthy of him, — a lady of beauty and cul- ture. In the fall of 1825, Mr. Polk was chosen a member of Congress. The satisfaction which he gave to his constituents may be inferred from the fact, that for fourteen successive years, until 1839, he was con- tinuec" in that oflfice. He then voluntarily withdrew, only I hat he might accept the Gubernatorial chair of Tennessee. In Congress he was a laborious member, a frequent and a popular speaker. He was always in his seat, always courteous ; and whenever jhe spoke it was always to the point, and without aryr ambitious rhetorical display. During five sessions of Congress, Mr. Polk was Speaker of the House Strong passions were roused, and stormy scenes were witnessed ; but Mr. Polk per- formed his arduous duties to a very general satisfac- tion, and a unanimous vote of thanks to him was passed by the House as he withdrew on the 4th of March, 1839. In accordance with Southern usage, Mr. Polk, as a candidate for Governor, canvassed the State. He was elected by a large majority, and on the 1 4th of Octo- ber, 1839, took the oath of office at Nashville. In i84r, his term of office expired, and he was again the can- didate of the Democratic party, but was defeated. On the 4th of March, 1845, Mr. Polk was inaugur- ated President of the United States. The verdict of the country in favor of the annexation of Texas, exerted its influence upon Congress ; ai)d the last act of the administration of President Tyler was to affix his sig- nature to a joint resolution of Congress, passed on the 3d of March, approving of the annexation of Texas to the American Union. As Mexico still claimed Texas as one of her provinces, the Mexican minister, Almonte, immediately demanded his passports and left the country, declaring the act of the annexation to be an act hostile to Mexico. In his first message. President Polk urged that Texas should immediately, by act of Congress, be re- ceived into the Union on the same footing with the Qthcr States. In the meantime, Gen. Taylor was sent with an army into Texas to hold the country. He was sent first to Nueces, which the Mexicans said was the western boundary of Texas. Then he was sent nearly two hundred miles further west, to the Rio Grande, where he erected batteries which commanded the Mexican city of Matamoras, which was situated on the western banks. The anticipated collision soon took place, and wai was declared against Mexico by President Polk. The war was pushed forward by Mr. Polk's administration with great vigor. Gen. Taylor, whose army was first called one of "observation," then of "occupation," then of " invasion, ''was sent forward to Monterey. The feeble Mexicans, in every encounter, were hopelessly and awfully slaughtered. The day of judgement alone can reveal the misery which this war caused. It v/as by the ingenuity of Mr. Polk's administration that the war was brought on. 'To the victors belong the spoils." Mexico was prostrate before us. Her capital was in our hands. We now consented to peace upon the condition that Mexico should surrender to us, in addition to Texas, all of New Mexico, and all of Upper and Lower Cal- ifornia. This new demand embraced, exclusive of Texas, eight hundred thousand square miles. This was an extent of territory equal to nine States of the size of New York. Thus slavery was securing eighteen majestic States to be added to the Union. There were some Americans who thought it all right : there were others who thought it all wrong. In the prosecution of this war, we expended twenty thousand lives and more than a hundred million of dollars. Of this money fifteen millions were paid to Mexico. On the 3d of March, 1849, Mr. Polk retired from office, having served one term. The next day was Sunday. On the 5th, Gen. Taylor was inaugurated as his successor. Mr Polk rode to the Capitol in the same carriage with Gen. Taylor; and the same even- ing, with Mrs. Polk, he commenced his return to Tennessee. He was then but fifty-four years of age. He had ever been strictly temperate in all his habits, and his health was good. With an ample fortune, a choice library, a cultivated mind, and domestic ties of the dearest nature, it seemed as though long years of tranquility and happiness were before him. But the cholera — that fearful scourge— was then sweeping up the Valley of the Mississippi. This he contracted, and died on the isth of June, 1849, in the fiftv-fourth year of his age, greatly mourned by his countrymen, ~^OL.-c>/i(:yL.^>^Y /y, 64 ZACHARY TAYLOR. tellectual stimulus. Thus with him the uneventful years rolled on Gradually he rose to the rank of colonel. In the Black-Hawk war, which resulted in the capture of that renowned chieftain, Col Taylor took a'subordinate but a brave and efficient part. For twenty-four years Col. Taylor was engaged in -the defence of the frontiers, in scenes so remote, and in jemp.loyments so obscure, that his name was unknown 'beyond the limits of his own immediate acquaintance. In the year 1836, he was sent to Florida to compel the Seminole Indians to vacate that region and re- tire beyond the Mississippi, as their chiefs by treaty, iiac" promised they should do. The services rendered fie:e secured for Col. Taylor the high appreciation of ihe Government ; and as a reward, he was elevated jc :he rank of brigadier-general by brevet ; and soon ifter, in May, 1838, was appointed to the chief com- nand of the United States troops in Florida. After two years of sucn wearisome employment amidst the everglades of the peninsula, Gen. Taylor obtained, at his own request, a change of command, jnd was stationed over the Department of the South- west. This field embraced Louisiana, Mississippi, lUabama and Georgia. Establishing his headquarters ■x\. Fort Jessup, in Louisiana, he removed his family fo a plantation which he purchased, near Baton Rogue. !Hi,re he remained for five years, buried, as it were, fu>m the world, but faithfully discharging every duty jii\posed upon him. In 1846, Gen. Taylor was sent to guard the land bolween the Nueces and Rio Grande, the latter river ^eing the boundary of Texas, which was then claimed by the United States. Soon the war with Mexico Wi:..3 brought on, and at Palo Alto and Resaca de la Pa Ima, Gen. Taylor won brilliant victories over the Ntijxicans. The rank of major-general by brevet was then conferred upon Gen. Taylor, and his name was received with enthusiasm almost everywhere in th'j Nation. Then came the battles of Monterey and Euena Vista in which he won signal victories over fc jfces much larger than he commanded. His careless habits of dress and his unaffected si/nplicity, secured for Gen. Taylor among his troops, yX It sobriquet of "Old Rough and Ready.' The tidings of the brilliant victory of Buena Vista rj'read the wildest enthusiasm over the country. The niime of Gen. Taylor was on every one's lips. The H hig party decided to take advantage of this wonder- fu/ popularity in bringing forward the unpolished, un- ■■ "'•ed, honest soldier as their candidate for the r\ esidency. Gen. Taylor was astonished at the an- ncuncement, and for a time would not listen to it; de- claring that he was not at all qualified for such an oftice. So little interest had he taken in politics that, for forty years, he had not cast a vote. It was not without chagrin that several distinguished statesmen v/(io had been long years in the public service found f.Liiir claims set aside in behalf of one whose name had never been heard of, save in connection with Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma, Monterey and Buena Vista. It is said that Daniel Webster, in his haste re- marked, " It is a nomination not fit to be made." Gen. Taylor was not an eloquent speaker nor a fine writer His friends took possession of him, and pre- pared such few communications as it was needful should be presented to the public. The popularity of the successful warrior swept the land. He was tri- umphantly elected over two opposing candidates, — Gen. Cass and Ex-President Martin Van Buren. Though he selected an excellent cabinet, the good old man found himself in a very uncongenial position, and was, at times, sorely perplexed and harassed. His mental sufferings were very severe, and probably tended to hasten his death. The pro-slavery party was pushing its claims with tireless energy , expedi- tions were fitting out to capture Cuba ; California was pleading for admission to the Union, while slavery stood at the door to bar her out. Gen. Taylor found the political conflicts in Washington to be far more trying to the nerves than battles with Mexicans or Indians. In the midst of all these troubles, Gen. Taylor, after he had occupied the Presidential chair but little over a year, took cold, and after a brief sickness of but little over five days, died on the glh of July, 1850. His last words were, " I am not afraid to die. I am ready. I have endeavored to do my duty." He died universally respected and beloved. An honest, un- pretending man, he had been steadily growing in the affections of the people ; and the Nation bitterly la- mented his death. Gen. Scottj who was thoroughly acquainted with Gen. Taylor, gave the following graphic and truthful description of his character: — " With a good store of common sense, Gen. Taylor's mind had not been en- larged and refreshed by reading, or much converse with the world. Rigidity of ideas was the conse- quence. The frontiers and small military posts had been his home. Hence he was quite ignorant for his rank, and quite bigoted in his ignorance. His sim- plicity was child-like, and with innumerable preju- dices, amusing and incorrigible, well suited to the tender age. Thus, if a man, however respectable, chanced to wear a coat of an unusual color, or His hat a little on one side of his head ; or an officer to leave a corner of his handkerchief dangling from an out- side pocket, — in any such case, this critic held the offi-nder to be a coxcomb (perhaps something worse), whom he would not, to use his oft repeated phrase, ' touch with a pair of tongs.' "Any allusion to literature beyond good old Dil- worth's spelling-book, on the part of one wearing a sword, was evidence, with the same judge, of uttei unfitness for heavy marchings and combats. In shori- few men have ever had a more comfortable. '""'->o». saving contempt for learning of every kind." <<(^^^ J ^-C^^^{^a^x-.o4 ^-¥ ILLARD FILLMORE, thir- teenth President of the United States, was born at Summer Hill, Cayuga Co., N. Y , on the 7th of January, 1800. His father was a farmer, and ow- ing to misfortune, in humble cir- cumstances. Of his mother, the daughter of Dr. Abiathar Millard, of Pittsfield, Mass., it has been said that she possessed an intellect of very high order, united with much personal loveliness, sweetness of dis- position, graceful manners and ex- quisite sensibilities. She died in 1831 ; having lived to see her son a young man of distinguished prom- ise, though she was not permitted to witness the high dignity which he finally attained. In consequence of the secluded home and limited means of his father, Millard enjoyed but slender ad- vantages for education in his early years. The com- mon schools, which he occasionally attended were very imperfect institutions; and books were scarce snd expensive. There 'was nothing then in his char- acter to indicate the brilliant career upon which he was about to enter. He was a plain farmer's boy ; intelligent, good-looking, kind-hearted. The sacred influences of home had taught him to revere the Bible, and had laid (he foundations of an upright character. When fourteen years of age, his father sent him some hundred miles from home, to the then wilds of Livingston County, to learn the trade of a clothier. Near the mill there was a small villiage, where some enterprising man had commenced the collection of a village library. This proved an inestimable blessing to young Fillmore. His evenings were spent in read- ing. Soon every leisure moment was occupied with books. His thirst for knowledg* became insatiate and the selections which he made were continually more elevating and instructive. He read history, biography, oratory , and thus gradually there was en- kindled in his heart a desire to be something more than a mere worker with his hands; and he was be- coming, almost unknown to himself, a well-informed, educated man. The young clothier had now attained the age of nineteen years, and was of fine personal appearance and of gentlemanly demeanor-. It so happened tha? there was a gentleman in the neighborhood of ample pecuniary means and of benevolence, — Judge Walter Wood,^ — who was struck with the prepossessing ap- pearance of young Fillmore. He made his acquaint- ance, and was so much impressed- with his ability and attainments that he advised him to abandon his trade and devote himself to the study of the law. The young man replied, that he had no means of his own, no friends to help him and that his previous educa- tion had been very imperfect. But Judge Wood had so much confidence in him that he kindly offered to take him into his own office, and to loan him such money as he needed. Most gratefully the generous offer was accepted. There is in many minds a strange delusion abouW a collegiate education. A young man is supposed to be liberally educated if he has graduated at some col- lege. , But many a boy loiters through university hall-. «ind then enters a law office, who is by no means as G6 UlttAkD PitLMOM. well prepared to prosecute his legal studies as was Millard Fillmore when he graduated at the clothiag- mill at the end of four years of manual labor, during which every leisure moment had been devoted to in- tense mental culture. In 1823, when twenty-three years of age, he v/as admitted to the Court of Common Pleas. He then went to the village of Aurora, and commenced the practice of law. In this secluded, peaceful region, his practice of course was limited, and there was no opportunity for a sudden rise in fortune or In fame. Here, in the year 1826, he married a lady of great moral worth, and one capable of adorning any station she might be called to fill, — Miss Abigail Powers. His elevation of character, his untiring industry, his legal acquirements, and his skill as an advocate, gradually attracted attention ; and he was invited to enter into partnership under highly advantageous circumstances, with an elder member of the bar in Buffalo. Just before removing to Buffalo, in 1829, he took his seat in the House of Assembly, of the State of New York, as a representative from Erie County. Though he had never taken a very active part in politics, his vote and his sympathies were with the Whig party. The State was then Dempcratic, and he found himself in a helpless minority in the Legislature , still the testimony comes from all parlies, that his courtesy, ability and integrity, won, to a very unusual degrc e the respect of his associates. In the autumn of 1832, he was elected to a seat in the United States Congress He entered that troubled arena in some of the most tumultuous hours of our national history. The great conflict respecting the national bank and the removal of the deposits, was then raging. His term of two years closed ; and he returned to his profession, which he pursued with increasing rep- utation and success. After a lap^e of two years he again became a candidate for Congress ; was re- elected, and took his seat in 1837. His past expe- rience as a representative gave him stiength and confidence. The first terra of service in Congress to any man can be but little more than an introduction. He was now prepared for active duty. All his ener- gies were brought to bear upon the public good. Every measure received his impress. Mr. Fillmore was now a man of wide repute, and his popularity filled the State, and in the year 1847, he was elected Comptroller of the State. Mr. Fillmore had attained the age of forty-seven years. His labors at the bar, in the Legislature, in Congress and as Comptroller, had given him very con- siderable, fame. The Whigs were casting about to find suitable candidates for President and Vice-Presi- dent at the approaching election. Far away, on the waters of the Rio Grande, there was a rough old soldier, who had fought one or two successful battles with the Mexicans, which had caused his name to be proclaimed in trumpet-tones all over the land. But it was necessary to associate with him on the same ticket some man of reputation as a statesman. Under the influence of these considerations, the namesofZachary Taylor and Millard Fillmore became the rallying-cry of the Whigs, as their candidates for President and Vice-Peesident. The Whig ticket was sigrially triumphant. On the 4th of March, 1849, Gen. Taylor was inaugurated President, and Millard Fillmore Vice-President, of the United States. On the 9th of July, 1850, President Taylor, but about one year and four months after his inaugura tion, was suddenly taken sick and died. By the Con- stitution, Vice-President Fillmore thus became Presi- dent. He appointed a very able cabinet, of which the illustrious Daniel Webster was Secretary of State. Mr. Fillniore had very serious difficulties to contend with, since the opposition had a majority in both Houses. He did everything in his power to conciliate the South ; but the pro-slavery party in the South felt the inadequacy of all measures of transient conciliation. The population of the free States was so rapidly in- creasing over that of the slave States that it was in- evitable that the power of the Government should soon pass into the hands of the 'free States. The famous compromise measures were adopted under Mr. Fillmore's adminstration, and the Japan Expedition was sent out. On the 4th of March, 1853, Mr. Fill- more, having served one term, retired. In 1856, Mr. Fillmore was nominated for the Pres- idency by the " Know Nothing " party, but was beaten by Mr. Buchanan. After that Mr. Fillmore lived in retirement. During the terrible conflict of civil war, he was mostly silent. It was generally supposed tha' his sympathies were rather with those who were en- deavoring to overthrow our institutions. President Fillmore kept aloof from the conflict, without any cordial words of cheer to the one party or the other. He was thus forgotten by both. He lived to a ripe old age, and died in Buffalo. N. Y., March 8, 1874. POVRTEi:]StTH PRkStDtJ^^t ii ferf£aa^>» .^ <^ i (2-t^^.-- e^ //^< %f ^ < LINC0LNT> j BRAHAM LINCOLN, the sixteenth President of the United States, was born in Hardin Co., Ky., Feb. 12, 1 809. About the year 1 7 80, a man by the name of Abraham Lincoln left Virginia with his family and moved into the then wilds of Kentucky. Only two years after this emigration, still a young man, while working one day in a field, was stealthily approached by an Indian and shot dead. His widow was left in extreme poverty with five little children, three boys and two girls. Thomas, the youngest of the boys, was four years of age at his father's death. This Thomas was the father of Abraham Lincoln, the President of the United States whose name must henceforth fo'-ever be enrolled with the most prominent in the annals of our world. Of course no record has been kept of the life of one so lowly as Thomas Lincoln. He was among the poorest of the poor. His home was a wretched log-cabin; his food the coarsest, and the meanest. Education he had none; he could never either read or write. As soon as he was able to do anything for himself, he was compelled to leave the cabin of his starving inother, and push out into the world, a friend- less, wandering boy, seeking work. He hired him- self out, and thus spent the whole of his youth as a ?.iborer in the fields of others. When twenty-eight years of age he buill a log- (abin of his own, and married Nancy Hanks, the daughter of another family of poor Kentucky emi- grants, who had also come from Virginia. Their second child was Abraham Lincoln, the subject of this sketch. The mother of 'Abraham was a noble woman, gentle, loving, pensive, created to adorn a palace, doomed to toil and pine, and die in a hovel. "All that I am, or hope to be," exclaims the grate- ful son "I owe to my angel-mother. " When he was eight years of age, his father sold his cabin and small farm, and moved to Indiana.. Whers two years later his mother died. Abraham soon became the scribe of the uneducated community around him. He could not have had a better school than this to teach him to put thouglits into words. He also became an eager reader. The books he could obtain were few ; but these he 'ead and re-read until they were almost cominittP"^ to memory. As the years rolled on, the lot of this lowly family was the usual lot of humanity. There were joys and griefs, weddings and funerals. Abraham's sistfi Sarah, to whom he was tenderly attached. Was mai ried when a child of but fourteen years of age, and soon died. The family was gradually scattered. Mr Thomas Lincoln sold out his squatter's claim in 1830 and emigrated to Macon Co., 111. Abraham Lincoln was then twenty-one years of age. With vigorous hands he aided his father in rearing another log-cabin. Abraham worked diligently at this until he saw the family comfortably settled, and theii small lot of enclosed prairie planted with corn, when he announced to his father his intention to leave home, and to go out into the world and seek his for- tune. Little did he or his friends imagine how bril- liant that fortune was to be. He saw the value ol education and was intensely earnest to improve his mind to the utmost of his power. He saw the ruin which ardent spirits were causing, and he^^^>u.^^:--(^ ■^K^-:i^-^::Zi^^i)^ SEVENTEENTH PRESIDENT. 83 NDREW JOHNSON, seven- teenth President of the United States. The early life of Andrew Johnson contains but the record of poverty, destitu- tion and friendlessness. He was born December 29, i8o8, in Raleigh, N. C. His parents, belonging to the class of the "poor whites " of the South, -R'ere in such circumstances, that they cou'd not cnnfzr z:f^ the slight- est advantages of education upon their child. When Andrew was five years of age, his father accidentally lost his life while herprically endeavoring to save a friend from drowning, '"^ni.il teii years of age, Andrew was a ragged boy abour the streets, supported by the labor of his mother, who obtained her living with her own hands. He then, having never attended a school one day, and being unable either to read or write, was ap- prenticed to a tailor in his native town. A gentleman was in the habit of going to the tailor's shop occasion- ally, and reading to the boys at work there. He often read from the speeches of distinguished British states- men. Andrew, who was endowed with a mind of more than ordinary native ability, became much interested in these speeches ; his ambition was roused, and he was inspired with a strong desire to learn to read. He accordingly applied himself to the alphabet, and with the assistance of some of his fellow-workmen, iearned his letters. He then called upon the gentle- man to borrow the book of speeches, The owner, pleased with his zeal, not only gave him the boos, but assisted him in learning to combine the letters into words. Under such difficulties he pressed oi. ward laboriously, spending usually ten or twelve hours at work in the shop, and then robbing himself of rest and recreatio."^ to devote such time as he could to reading. He went to Tennessee in 1826, and located at Greenville, where he married a young lady who pos sessed some education. Under her instructions he learned to write and cipher. He became prominent in the village debating society, and a favorite with the students of Greenville Gallege. In 1828, he or- ganized a working man's party, which elected him alderman, and in 1830 elected him mayor, which position he held three years. He now began to take a lively interest in political affairs ; identifying himself with the working-classes, to which he belonged. In 1835, he was elected a member of the House of Representatives of Tennes- see. He was then just twenty-seven years of age. He became a very active member of the legislature, gave his adhesion to the Democratic party, and in 1840 "stumped the State," advocating Martin Van Buren's claims to the Presidency, in opposition to thosv of Gen. Harrison. In this campaign he acquired much readiness as a speaker, and extended and increased his reputation. In 1841, he was elected State Senator; in 1843, he was elected a member of Gsngress, and by successive elections, held that important post for ten years. , In 1853, he was elected Governor of Tennessee, and was re-elected in 1855. In all these resjwnsible posi- tions, he discharged his duties with distinguished abi. ANDRE W JOHNSON. ity, and proved himself the warm friend of the work- ing classes. In 1857, Mr. Johnson was elected United States Senator. Years before, in 1845, ^^ had warmly advocated the annexation of Texas, stating however, as his reason, that he thought this annexation would prob- jibly prove " to be the gateway out of which the sable sons of Africa are to pass from bondage to freedom, und become merged in a population congenial to themselves." In 1850, he also supported the com- promise measures, the two essential features of which were, that the white people of the Territories should be permitted to decide for themselves whether they Would enslave the colored people or not, and that the free States of the North should return to the South persons who attempted to escape from slavery. Mr. Johnson was never ashamed of his lowly origin: on the contrary, he often took pride in avowing that he owed his distinction to his own exertions. " Sir,'' said he on the floor of the Senate, " I do not forget that I am a mechanic ; neither do I forget that Adam was a tailor and sewed fig-leaves, and that our Sav- ior was the son of a carpenter." In the Charleston-Baltimore convention of i8uj, "ne ^as the choice of the Tennessee Democrats for the it*residency. In 1861, when the purpose of the South- ZTci Democracy became apparent, he took a decided stand in favor of the Union, and held that " slavery must be held subordinate to the Union at whatever cost." He returned to Tennessee, and repeatedly imperiled his own life to protect the Unionists of Tennesee. Tennessee having seceded from the Union, President Lincoln, on March 4th, 1862, ap- pointed him Military Governor of the State, and he established the most stringent military rule. His numerous proclamations attracted wide attention. In 1864, he was elected Vice-President of the United States, and upon the death of Mr. Lincoln, April 15, 1865, became President. In a speech two days later he said, " The American people must be taught, if fhey do not already feel, that treason is a crime and must be punished; that the Government will not always bear with its enemies ; that it is strong not only to protect, but to punish. * * The people must understand that it (treason) is the blackest of crimes, and will surely be punished." Yet his whole administration, the history of which is so well known, was in utter iiwonsistency with, and the most violent opposition to, the principles laid down in that speech. In his loosie policy of reconstruction and general amnesty, he was opposed by Congress ; and he char- acterized Congress as a new rebellion, and lawlessly defied it, in everything possible, to the utmost. In the beginning of i868, on account of " high crimes and misdemeanors," the principal of which was the removal of Secretary Stanton, in violation of the Ten- ure of Office Act, articles of impeachment were pre- ferred against him, and the trial began March 23. It was very tedious, continuing for nearly three months. A test article of the impeachment was at length submitted to the court for its action. It was certain that as the court voted upon that article so would it vote upon all. Thirty -four voices pronounced the President guilty. As a two-thirds vote was neces- sary to his condemnation, he was pronounced ac- quitted, notwithstanding the great majority against him. The change of one vote from the not guilty side would have sustained the impeachment. The President, for the remainder of his term, was but little regarded. He continued, though impotent'^-, his conflict with Congress. His own party did not think it expedient to renominate him for the Presi- dency. The Nation rallied, with enthusiasm unpar- alleled since the days of Washington, around the name of Gen. Grant. Andrew Johnson was forgotten. The bullet of the assassin introduced him to the President's chair. Notwithstanding this, never was there presented to a man a better opportunity to im- mortalize his name, and to win the gratitude of a nation. He failed utterly. He retired to his home in Greenville, Tenn., taking no very active part in politics until 1875. On Jan. 26, after an exciting struggle, he was chosen by the Legislature of Ten- nessee, United States Senator in the forty-fourth Con- gress, and took his seat in that body, at the special session convened by President Grant, on the 5th of March. On the 27 th of July, 1875, the ex-President made a visit to his daughter's home, near Carter Station, Tenn. When he started on his journey, he was apparently in his usual vigorous health, but on reach- ing the residence of his child the following day, was stricken with paralysis, rendering him unconscious. He rallied occasionally, but finally passed away at 2 A.M., July 31, aged sixty-seven years. His" fun- eral was attended at Geenville, on the 3d of August, with every demonstration of respect '/-" L^ EIGHTEENTH PRESIDENT. — ^ LYSSES S. GRANT, the eighteenth President of the 'United States, was born on the 29th of April, 1822, of Christian parents, in a humble home, at Point Pleasant, on the banks of the Ohio. Shortly after his father moved to George- town, Brown Co., O. In this re- mote frontier hamlet, Ulysses received a common-school edu- cation. At the age of seven- teen, in the year 1839, he entered the Military Academy at West Point. Here he was regarded as a solid, sensible young man of fair abilities, and of sturdy, honest character. He took respectable rank as a scholar. In June, 1843, he graduated, about the middle in his class, and was sent as lieutenant of in- fantry to one of the distant military posts in the Mis- souri Territory. Two years he past in these dreary solitudes, watching the vagabond and exasperating Indians. The war with Mexico came. Lieut. Grant was sent with his regiment to Corpus Christi. His first battle was at Palo Alto. There was no chance here for the exhibition of either skill or heroism, nor at Resaca de la Pal ma, his second battle. At the battle of Monterey, his third engagement, it is said that ne performed a signal service of daring and skillful horsemanship. His brigade had exhausted its am- munition. A messenger must be sent for more, along a route exposed to the bullets of the foe. Lieut. Grant, adopting an expedient learned of the Indians, grasped the mane of his horse, and hanging upon one side of the anir=*il, ran the gauntlet in entire safety. From Monterey he was sent,with the fourth infantry, to aid Gen. Scott, at the siege of Vera Cruz. In preparation for the march to the city of Mexico, he was appointed quartermaster of his regiment. At the battle of Molino del Rey, he was promoted to a first lieutenancy, and was brevetted captain at Cha- pultepec. At the close of the Mexican War, Capt. Grant re- turned 'with his regiment to New York, and was again sent to one of the military posts on the frontier. The discovery of gold in California causing an immense tide of emigration to flow to the Pacific shores, Capt. Grant was sent with a battalion to Fort Dallas, in Oregon, for the protection of the interests of the im- migrants. Life was wearisome in those wilds. Capt. Grant resigned his commission and returned to the States ; and having married, entered upon the cultiva- tion of a small farm near St. Louis, Mo. He had but little skill as a farmer. Finding his toil not re- munerative, he turned to mercantile life, entering into the leather business, with a younger brother, at Ga- lena, 111. This was in the year i860. As the tidings of the rebels firing on Fort Sumpter reached the ears of Capt. Grant in his counting-room, he said, — "Uncle Sam has educated me for the army: though I have served him through one war, I do not feel that I have yet repaid the debt. I am still ready to discharge my obligations. I shall therefore buckle on my tword and see Uncle Sam through this war too." He went into the streets, raised a company of vol- unteers, and led them as their captain to Springfield, the capital of the State, where their services were offered to Gov. Yates. The Governor, impressed by the zeal and straightforward executive ability of Capt. Grant, gave him a desk in his office, to assist in the volunteer organization that was being formed in the State in behalf of the Government. On the is**' of 88 'ULYSSES S. GRANT. June, 1 86 1, Capt. Grant received a commission as Colonel of the Twenty-first Regiment of Illinois Vol- unteers. His merits as a West Point - graduate, who had served for 15 years in the regular army, were such that he was soon promoted to the rank of Brigadier- General and was placed in command at Cairo. The rebels raised their banner at Paducah, near the mouth of the Tennessee River. Scarcely had its folds ap- peared in the breeze ere Gen. Grant was there. The rebels fled. Their banner fell, and the star and stripes were unfurled in its stead. He entered the service with great determination and immediately began active duty. This was the be- ginning, and until the surrender of Lee at Richmond he was ever pushing the enemy with great vigor and effectiveness. At Belmont, a few days later, he sur- prised and routed the rebels, then .at Fort Henry won another victory. Then came the brilliant fight at Foirt Donelson. The nation was electrified by the victory, and the brave leader of the boys in blue was immediately made a Major-General, and the military listrict of Tennessee was assigned to him. Like all great captains. Gen. Grant knew well how to secure the results of victory. He immediately i?ushed on to the enemies' lines. Then came the terrible battles of Pittsburg Landing, Corinth, and the siege of Vicksburg, where Gen. Pemberton made an unconditional surrender of the city with over thirty thousand men and one-hundred and seventy-two can- non. The fall of Vicksburg was by far the most severe blow which the rebels had thus far encountered, and opened up the Mississippi from Cairo to the Gulf. Gen. Grant was next ordered to co-operate with Gen. Banks in a movement upon Texas, and pro- ceeded to New Orleans, where he was thrown from his horse, and received severe injuries, from which he was laid up for months. He then rushed to the aid- of Gens. Rosecrans and Thomas at Chattanooga, and by a wonderful series of strategic and technical meas- ures put the Union Army in fighting condition. Then followed the bloody battles at Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, in which the rebels were routed with great loss. This won for him un- bouilded praise in the North. On the 4th of Febru- ary, 1864, Congress revived the grade of lieutenant- general, and the rank was conferred on Gen. Grant. He repaired to Washington to receive his credentials ^nd enter upon \.\\f duties of his new office Gen. Grant decided as soon as he took charge of ihe army to concentrate the widely-dispersed National troops for an attack upon Richmond, the nominal capital of the Rebellion, and endeavor there to de- stroy the rebel armies which would be promptly as- sembled from all quarters for its defence. The whole continent seemed to tremblfr under the tramp of these majestic armies, rushing to the decisive battle field. Steamers were crowded with troops. Railway trains were burdened ^ith closely packed thousands. His plans were comprehensive and involved a series of campaigns, which were executed with remarkable en- ergy and ability, and were consummated at the sur- render of Lee, April 9, 1865. The war was ended. The Union was saved. The almost unanimous voice of the Nation declared Gen. Grant to be the most prominent instrument in its sal. vation. The eminent services he had thus rendered the country brought him conspicuously forward as the Republican candidate for the Presidential chair. At the Republican Convention held at Chicago. May 2r, r868, he was unanimously nominated for the Presidency, and at the autumn election received a majority of the popular vote, and 214 out of 294 electoral votes. The National Convention of the Republican party which met at Philadelphia on the 5th of June, 1872, placed Gen. Grant in nomination for a second term by a unanimous vote. The selection was emphati- cally indorsed by the people five months later, 292 electoral votes being cast for him. Soon after the close of his second term, Gen. Grant started upon his famous trip around the world. He visited almost every country of the civilized world, and was everywhere received with such ovations and demonstrations of respect and honor, private as well as public and official, as were never before bestowed upon any citizen of the United States. He was the most prominent candidate before the Republican National Convention in 1880 for a re- nominatiori for President. He went to New York and embarked in the brokerage business under the firm nameof Grant & Ward. The latter proved a villain, wrecked Grant's fortune, and for larceny was sent to the penitentiary. The General was attacked with cancer in the throat, but suffered in his stoic-like manner, never complaining. He was re-instated as General of the Army and retired by Congress. The cancer soon finished its deadly work, and July 23, 1885, the nation wenf in mourning over the death of the illustrious General. S^i ^- U^-rUl NINETEENTH TRESIDENT. 9* m MVTHUMFO'KD B» HATES UTHERFORD B. HAYES, the nineteenth President of the United States, was born in Delaware, O., Oct. 4, 1822, al- most three months after the death of his father, Rutherford Hayes. His ancestry on both the paternal and maternal sides, was of the most honorable char- acter. It can be traced, it is said, as farbackas 1280, when Hayes and Rutherford were two Scottish chief- tains, fighting side by side with Baliol, William Wallace and Robert Bruce. Both families belonged to the nobility, owned extensive estates, and had a large following. Misfor- lane cvtffaking the family, George Hayes left Scot- land in 1 680, and settled in Windsor, Conn. His son George way born in Windsor, and remained there during his life. Daniel Hayes, son of the latter, mar- ried Sarah Lee, and lived from the time of his mar- riage until his death in Simsbury, Conn. Ezekiel, son of Daniel, was born in 1724. and was a manufac- turer of scythesj at Bradford, Conn.) Rutherford Hayes, son of Ezekiel ai/d grandfather of President Hayes, was born in New Haven, in August, 1756. He was a farmer, blacksmith and tavern-keeper. He emigrated to Vermont at an unknown date, settling in Brattleboro, where he established a hotel. Here his son Ruth- erford Hayes the father of President Hayes, was born. He was married, in September, 1813, to Sophia Birchard, of Wilmington, Vt., whose ancestors emi- grated thither from Connecticut, they having been among the wealthiest and best famlies of Norwich. Her ancestry on the male side are traced back to 1635, to John Birphard, one of the principal founders of Norwich. Both of her grandfathers were soldiers ' in the Revolutionary War. The father of President Hayes was an industrious, frugal and opened-hearted man. He was of a me- chanical turn, and could mend a plow, knit a stock- ing, or do almost anything else that he choose to undertake. He was a member of the Church, active in all the benevolent enterprises of the town, and con- ducted his business on Christian principles. After the close of the war of 181 2, for reasons inexplicable to his neighbors, he resolved to emigrate to Ohio. The journey from Vermont to Ohio in that day. when there were no canals, steamers, not railways, was a very serious affair. A tour of inspection was first made, occupying four months. Mr. Hayes deter mined to move to Delaware, where the family arrived in 1817. He died July 22, 1822, a victim of malarial fever, less than three months before the birth of the son, of whom we now write. Mrs. Hayes, in her sore be- reavement, found the support she so much needed in her brother Sardis, who had been a member of the household from the day of its departure from Ver- mont, and in an orphan girl whom she had adopted some time before as an act of charity. Mrs. Hayes at this period was very weak, and the 94 tlVTHERFORD B. HAYES. subject of this sketch was so feeble at birth that he was not expected to live beyond a month or two at most. As the months went by he grew weaker and weaker, so that the neighbors were in the habit of in- quiring from time to time " if Mrs. Hayes' baby died last night." On one occasion a neighbor, who was on familiar terras with the family, after alluding to the Iboy's big head, and the mother's assiduous care of him, said in a bantering way, " That's right ! Stick to him. You have got him along so far, and I shouldn't wonder if he would really come to something yet." " You need not laugh," said Mrs. Hayes. " You wait and see. You can't tell but I shall make him President of the United States yet." The boy lived, in spite of the universal predictions of his speedy death; and when, in 1825, his older brother was drowned, he became, if possible, still dearer to his mother. The boy was seven years old before he w,int to school. His education, however, was not neglected. He probably learned as much from his mother and sister as he would have done at school. His sports were almost wholly within doors, his playmates being his sister and her associates. These circumstances tended, no doubt, to foster that gentleness of dispo- sition, and that delicate consideration for the feelings of others, which are marked traits of his character. His uncle Sardis Birchard took the deepest interest in his education ; and as the boy's health had im- jproved, and he was making good progress in his 'studies, he proposed to send him to college. His pre- paration commenced with a tutor at home; bat he was afterwards' sent for one year to a professor in the Wesleyan University, in Middletown, Conn. He en- tered Kenyon College in 1838, at the age of sixteen, and was graduated at the head of his class in 1842. Immediately after his graduation he began the study of law in the office of Thomas Sparrow, Esq., in Columbus. Finding his opportunities for study in Columbus somewhat limited, he determined to enter the Law School at Cambridge, Mass., where he re- mained two years. In 1845, after graduatmg at the Law School, he was admitted to the bar at Marietta, Ohio, and shortly afterward went into practice as an attorney-at-law with Ralph P. Buckland, of Fremont. Here he re- mained three years, acquiring but a limited practice, and apparently unambitious of distinction in his pro- fession. \n 1849 he nioved to Cincinnati, where his ambi- tion found a new stimulus. For several years, how- ever, his progress was slow. Two events, occurring at this period, had a powerful influence upon his subse- quent life. One of these was his marrage with Miss Lucy Ware Webb, daughter of Dr. James Webb, of Chilicothe; the other was his introduction to the Cin- cinnati Literary Club, a body embracing among its members such men as'^hief Justice Salmon P^ChasCj Gen. John Pope, Gov. Edward F. Noyes, and many others hardly less distinguished in after life. The marriage was a fortunate one in every respect, as everybody knows. Not one of all the wives of our Presidents was more universally admired, reverenced and beloved than was Mrs. Hayes, and no one did more than she to reflect honor upon American woman hood. The Literary Club brought Mr. Hayes into constant association with young men of high char- acter and noble aims, and lured him to display the qualities so long hidden by his bashfulness and modesty. In 1856 he was nominated to the office of Judge of the Court of Common Pleas ; but he declined to ac, cept the nomination. Two years later, the office o( city solicitor becoming vacant, the City Council elected him for the unexpired term. In 1861, when the Rebellion broke out, he was at the zenith of his professional lii.. His rank at the bar was among the the first. But the news of the attack on Fort Sumpter found him eager to take uo arms for the defense of his country. His military record was bright and illustrious. In October, 1861, he was made Lieutenant-Colonel, and in August, 1862, promoted Colonel of the 79th Ohio regiment, but he refused to leave his old comrades and go among strangers. Subsequently, however, he was made Colonel of his old regiment. At the battle of South Mountain he received a wound, and while faint and bleeding displayed courage and fortitude that won admiration from all. Col. Hayes was detached from his regiment, after his recovery, to act as Brigadier-General, and placed in command of the celebrated Kanawha division, and for gallant and meritorious services in the battles of Winchester, Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek, he was promoted Brigadier-General. He was also brevetted Major-General, "forgallant and distinguished services during the campaigns of 1864, in West Virginia." In the course of his arduous services, four horses were shot from under him, and he was wounded four times. In 1864, Gen. Hayes was elected to Congress, from the S«^cond Ohio District, which had Jong been Dem- ocratic. He was not present during the campaign, and after his election was importuned to resign his commission in the army ; but he finally declared, " I shall never come to Washington unril I can come by the way of Richmond." He was re-elected in 1866, In 1867, Gen Hayes was elected Governor of Ohio, over Hon. Allen G. Thurman, a popular Democrat. In 1869 was re-elected over George H. Pendleton. He was elected Governor for the third term in 1875. In 1876 he was the standard bearer of the Repub- lican Party in the Presidential contest, and after a hard long contest was chosen President, and was in augurated Monday, March 5, 1875. He served his full term, not, however, with satisfaction to his party, but his administration was an average 0!\e TWENTIETH PTtESIDENT. ^% fg#sig«sse*^e««$«Sie*sfg«sig*^g*sfe4 \ AMES A. GARFIELD, twen- tieth President of the United States, was born Nov. 19, 1831, in the Woods of Orange, Cuyahoga Co., O His par- ents were Abram and Eliza (Ballou) Garfield, both of New England ancestry and from fami- ^ lies well known in the early his- p\ tory of that section of our coun- try, but had moved to the Western Reserve, in Ohio, early in its settle- ment. The house in which James A. was born was not unlike the houses of poor Ohio farmers of that day. It ,di: about 20 x 30 feet, built of logs, with the spaces be- tween the logs filled with clay. His father was a nard working farmer, and he soon had his fields jleared, an orchard planted, and a log barn built. The household comprised the father and mother and :heir four children — Mehetabel, Thomas, Mary and 'ames. In May, 18234 the father, from a cold con- .racted in helping to pirt out a forest fire, died. At this time James was about eighteen months old, and Thomas about ten years old. No one, perhaps, can fell how much James was indebted to his brother's tcil and self-sacrifice during the twenty years suc- ceeding his father's death, but undoubtedly very much. He now lives in Michigan, and the two sis- ters live in Solon„0., near their birthplace. The early educational advantages young Garfield enjoyed were very limited, yet he made the inost of ihem. He labored at farm work for others, did car- penter work, chopped wood, or did anything that would bring in a few dollars to aid his widowed mother in he' struggles to keep the little family to- gether. Nor was Gen. Garfield ever ashamed of his origin, and he never forgot the friends of his strug- gling childhood, youth and manhood, neither did they ever forget him. When in the highest seats of honor, the humblest friend of his boyhood was as kindly greeted as ever. The poorest laborer was sure of the sympathy of one .who had known all the bitterness of want and the sweetness of bread earned by the sweat of the brow; He was ever the simple, plain, modest gentleman. The highest ambition of young Garfield until h2 was about sixteen years old was to be a captain of a vessel on LakeErie. He was anxious to go aboard a vessel, which his mother strongly opposed. She finally consented to his going to Cleveland, with the understanding, however, that he should try to obtair some other kind of employment. He walked all the way to Cleveland. This was his first visit to the city. After making many applications for work, and trying to get aboard a lake vessel, and not meeting with success, he engaged as a driver for his cousin, Amos Letcher, on the Ohio & Pennsylvania Canal. He re- mained at this work but a short time when he went home, and attended the seminary at Chester for about three years, when he entered Hiram and the Eclectic Institute, teaching a few terms of school in the meantime, and doing other work. This school was started by the Disciples of Christ in 1850, of which church he was then a member. He became janitor and bell-ringer in order to help pay his way He then became both teacher and pupil. He soon " exhausted Hiram " and needed more ; hence, in the fall of 1854, he entered Williams College, from which he graduated in 1856, taking one of the highest hcfc- ors of his class. He afterwards returned to Hiram College as its President. As above stated, he early united with the Christian or Diciples Church at Hiram, and was ever after a devoted, zealous mem- ber, often preaching in its pulpit and places where he happened to be. Dr. Noah Porter, President of Yale College, says of him in reference to his religion : 90 JAMES A. GARFIELD. "President Garfield was more than a man of strong moral and religious convictions. His whole history, from boyhood to the last, shows that duty to man and to God, and devotion to Christ and life and faith and spiritual commission were controlling springs of his beuig, and to a more than usual degree. In my judgmeni there is no morq interesting feature of his character than his loyal allegiance to the body of Christians in which he was trained, and the fervent sympathy which he ever showed in their Christian communion. Not many of the few 'wise and mighty and noble who are called ' show a similar loyalty to the less stately and cultured Christian comnmnions in which they have been reared. Too often it is true that as they step upward in social and political sig- nificance they step upward from one degree to another in some of the many types of fashionable Christianity. President Garfield adhered to the church of his mother, the Church in which he was trained, and in which he served as a pillar and an evangelist, and yet with the largest and most unsec- Varian charity for all 'who loveour Lord in sincerity.'" Mr. Garfield was united in marriage with Miss Lucretia Rudolph, Nov. 1 1, 1858, who proved herself worthy as the wife of one whom all the world loved and mourned. To them were born seven children, five of whom are still living, four boys and one girl. Mr. Garfield made his first political speeches in 1856, in Hiram and the neighboring villages, and three years later he began to speak at county mass-meet- ings, and became the favorite speaker wherever he was. During this year he was elected to the Ohio Senate. He also began to study law at Cleveland, and in 1861 was admitted to the bar. The great Rebellion broke out in the early part of this year, and Mr. Garfield at once resolved to fight as he had talked, and enlisted to defend the old flag. He re- ceived his commission as Lieut.-Colonel of the Forty- second Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Aug. 14, 1861. He was immediately put into active ser- vice, and before he had ever seen a gun fired in action, was placed in command of four regiments of infantry and eight companies of cavalry, charged with the work of driving out of his native State the officer [Humphrey Marshall) reputed to be the ablest of those, not educated to war whom Kentucky had given to the Rebellion. This work was bravely and speed- ily accomplished, although against great odds. Pres- ident Lincoln, on his success commissioned him Brigadier-General, Jan. 10, 1862; and as "he had been the youngest man in the Ohio Senate two years before, so now he was the youngest General in the army." He was with Gen. Buell's army at Shiloh, in its operations around Corinth and its march through Alabama. He was then detailed as a member of the General Court-Martial for the trial of Gen. Fitz-John Porter. He was then ordered to report to Gen. Rose- crans, and was assigned to the "Chief of Staff." The military fcJstory of Gen. Garfield closed with his brilliant services at Chickamauga, where he won the stars of the Major-General. Without an effort on his part Gev Garfield was elected to Congress in the fall of 1862 from the Nineteenth District of Ohio. This section of Ohio had been represented in Congress for sixty year» mainly by two men — EUsha Whittlesey and Joshui, R. Giddings. It was not without a struggle that he resigned his place in the army. At the time he en- tered Congress he was the youngest member in that body. Ther« he remained by successive re- elections ' until he was elected President in 1886. Of his labors in Congress Senator Hoar says : " Sinct the year 1864 you cannot think of a question which has been debated in Congress, or discussed before t tribunel of the American people, in regard to whicl you will not find, if you wish instruction, the argu- raent on one side stated, in almost every instance better than by anybody else, in some speech made in the House of Representatives or on the hustings by Mr. Garfield." Upon Jan. 14, 1880, Gen. Garfield was elected to the U. S. Senate, and on the eighth of June, of the same year, was nominated as the candidate of his party for President at the great Chicago Convention. He was elected in the following November, and on March 4, 1881, was inaugurated. Probably 'no ad- ministration ever opened its existence under brighter auspices than that of President Garfield, and every day it grew in favor with the people, and by the first of July he had completed all the initiatory and pre- liminary work of his administration and was prepar- ing to leave the city to meet his friends at WiUiams College. While on his way and at the depot, in com- pany with Secretary Blaine, a man stepped behind him, drew a revolver, and fired directly at his back. The President tottered and fell, and as he did so the assassin fired a second shot, the bullet cutting the left coat sleeve of his victim, but inflicting nofurthei injury. It has been very truthfully said that this was " the shot that was heard round the world " Never before in the history of the Nation had anything oc- curred which so nearly froze the blood of the peop^t for the moment, as this awful deed. He was smit- ten on the brightest, gladdest day of all his life, and was at the summit of his power and hope. For eighty days, all during the hot months of July and August, ' he lingered and suffered. He, however, remained master of himself till the last, and by his magnificent bearing was teaching the country and the world the noblest of human lessons — how to live grandly in the very clutch of death. Great in life, he was surpass- ingly great in death. He passed serenely away Sept. 19, 1883, at Elberon, N. J., on the very bank of the ocean, where he had been taken shortly previous. The worid wept at his death, as it never had done on the death of any other man who had ever lived upon it. The murderer was duly tried, found guilty and exe- cuted, in one year after he committed the foul deed / ^ TWENTY-FIRST PRESIDENT. 99 HESTER A. ARTHUR, twenty-first Presi''— m of the United States, was born in Franklin Cour.tjf, Vermont, on thefifthof Odober, 1830, and is the oldest of a family of two sons and five daughters. His father was the Rev. Dr. William Arthur, a Baptist dorgyman, who emigrated to tb'.s countr)- from the county Antrim, Ireland, in his 1 8th year, and died in 1875, in Newtonville, neai Albany, after a long and successful ministry. ' Young Arthur was educated at Union College, S( henectady, where he excelled in all his Studies. Af- ter his graduation he taught school in Vermont for two years, and at the expiration of that time came to New York, with $500 in his jjocket, and entered the ofifice of ex- Judge E. D. Culver as student. After being admitted to the bar he formed a partuership with his intimate friend and room-mate, Henry D. Gardiner, with the intention of practicing in the West, and for three months they roamed about in the Western States in search of an eligible site, but in the end. returted to New York, where they hung out their shingle,., and entered upon a success- ful career almost from the start. General Arthur soon afterward marr.pd the daughter of Lieutenant Hemdon, of the United States Navy, who was lost at sea. Congress voted a gold medal to his widow in recognition of the bravery he displayed on that occa- sion. Mrs. Arthur died shortly before Mr. Arthur's nomination to the Vice Presidency, leaving two children. Gen. Arthur obtained considerable legal celebrity in his first great case, the famous Lemmon suit, brought to recover possession of eight slaves who had been declared free by Judge Paine, of the Superior Court of New York City. It was in 1852 that Jon.i athan Lemmon, of Virginia, went to New York with his slaves, intending to ship them to Texas, when they were discovered and freed. The Judge decided that they could not be held by the owner under the Fugitive Slave Law. A howl of rage went up from the South, and the Virginia Legislature authorized the Attorney General of that State to assist in an appeal. Wm. M. Evarts and Chester A. Arthur were employed to represent the People, and they ' won their case, which then went to the Supreme Court of the United States. Charles O'Conor here espoused the cause of the slave-holders, but he too was beaten by Messrs Evarts and Arthur, and a long step was taken toward the emancipation of the black race. Another great service was rendered by General Arthur in the same cause in t8s 6. Lizzie Jennings, a respectable colored woman, was put off a Fourth Avenue car with violence after she had paid her fare, General Arthur sued on her behalf, and secured a verdict of $500 damages. The next day the compa- ny issued an order to admit colored persons to ride on their cars, and the other car companies quickly J 00 CHESTER A. ARXHUR. followed their example. Before that the Sixth Ave- nue Company ran a few special cars for colored per- sons and the other lines refused to let them ride at-all. General Arthur was a delegate to the Convention at Saratoga that founded the Republican party. Previous to the war he was Judge-Advocate of the Second Brigade of the State of New York, and Gov- ernor Morgan, of that State, appointed him Engineer- in-Chief of his staff. In p86i, he was made Inspec- tor General, and soon afterward became Quartermas- ter-General. In each of these offices he rendered great service to the Government during the war. At the end of Governor Morgan's term he resumed the practice of the law, forming a partnership with Mr. Ransom, and then Mr. Phelps, the District Attorney of New York, was added to the firm. The legal prac- tice of this well-known firm was very large and lucra- tive, each of the gentlemen composing it were able lawyers, and possessed a splendid local reputation, if not indeed one of national extent. He always took a leading part in State and city politics. He was appointed Collector of the Port of New York by President Grant, Nov. 21 1872, to suc- ceed Thomas Murphy, and held the office until July, 20, 1878, when he was succeeded by Collector Merritt. Mr. Arthur was nominated on the Presidential ticket, with Gen. James A. Garfield, at the famous National Republican Convention held at Chicago in June, 1880. This was perhaps the greatest political convention that ever assembled on the continent. It was composed of the fading politicians of the Re- publican party, all able men, and each stood firm and fought vigorously and with signal tenacity for their respective candidates that were before the conven- tion for the nomination. Finally Gen. Garfield re- ceived the nomination for President and Gen. Arthur for Vice-President. The campaign which followed was one of the most animated known in the history of our country. Gen. Hancock, the standard-bearer of the Democratic party, was a popular man, and his party made a valiant fight for his election. Finally the election came and the country's choice ,vas Garfield and Arthur. They were inaugurated iVlarch 4, 1881, as President and Vice-President. A. few months only had passed ere the newly chosen President was the victim of the assassin's bullet. Then came terrible weeks of suffering, — thos? moment? of anxious suspense, when the hearts of all civilized na- tions were throbbing in unison, longing for the re covery of the noble, the good President. The remark- able patience that he manifested during those hours and weeks, and even months, of the most terrible suf- fering man has often been called upon to endure, was seemingly more than human. It was certainly God- like. During all this period of deepest anxiety Mr, Arthur's every move was watched, and be it said to his credit that his every action displayed only an earnest desire that the suffering Garfield might recover, to serve the remainder of the term he had so auspi' ciously begun. Not a selfish feeling was manifested in deed or look of this man, even though the mosi honored position in the world was at any moment likely to fall to him. At last God in his mercy relieved President Gar- field from further sufifering, and the world, as nevei before in its history over the death pf any othei man, wept at his bier. Then it became the duty o( the Vice President to Lssume the responsibilities of the high office, and he took the oath in New York. Sept. 20, r88i. The position was an embarrassing one to him, made doubly so from the facts that all eyes were on him, anxious to know what he would do, what policy he would pursue, and who he would se- lect as advisers. The duties of the office had been greatly neglected during the President's long illness, and many important measures were to be immediately decided by him ; and still farther to embarrass him he did not fail to realize under what circumstances he became President, and knew the feelings of many on this point. Under these trying circumstances President Arthur took the reins of the Government in his owr. hands ; and, as embarrassing as were the condition of affair? he happily surprised the nation, acting so wisely hat but few criticisea \»is administration. He served the nation well and faithfully, until the close of his administration, March 4, 1885, and was a popular candidate before his party for a second term. His name was ably presented before the con vention at Chicago, and was received with great favor, and doubtless but for the personal popularity of one-of the opposing candidates, he would have been selected as the standard-bearer of his party for another campaign. He retired to private life car- rying with him the best wishes of the American peo- ple, whom he had served in a manner satisfactory to them and with credit to himself. XH^rC£y:K Oyv^^^^ TWBNTY-SECOND PRESIDENT. i«>3 owo "oSo" TEPHEN GROVER CLEVE- LAN D,the twenty- second Pres- ident of the United States, was born in 1837, in the obscure town of Caldwell, Essex Co., N. J., and in a little two-and-a- half-story white house which is still standing, characteristically to mark the humble birth-place of one of America's great men in striking con- trast with the Old World, where all men high in office must be high in origin and born in the cradle of wealth. When the subject of this sketch was three years of age, his father, who was a Presbyterian min- ister, with a large family and a small salary, moved, by way of the Hudson River and Erie Canal, to Fayetteville, in search of an increased income and a larger field of work. Fayetteville was then the most straggling of country villages, about five miles from Pompey Hill, where Governor Seymour was born. At the last mentioned place young Grover com- menced going to school in the " good, old-fashioned way," and presumably distinguished himself after the manner of all village boys, in doing the things he ought not to do. Such is the distinguishing trait of all geniuses and independent thinkers. When he arrived at the age of 14 years, he had outgrown the capacity of the village school and expressed a most emphatic desire to be sent to an academy. To this his father decidedly objected. Academies in those days cost money; besides, his father wanted him to become self-supporting by the quickest possible means, and this at that time in Fayetteville seemed to be a position in a country store, where his father and the large family on his hands had considerable influence, Grover was to be paid $50 for his services the first year, and if he proved trustworthy he was to receive $100 the second year. Here the lad com- menced his career as salesman, and in two years he had earned so good a reputation for trustworthiness that his employers desired to retain him for an in- definite length of time. Otherwise he did not ex- hibit as yet any particular " flashes of genius " or eccentricities of talent. He was simply a good boy. But instead of remaining with this firm in Fayette- ville, he went with the family in their removal to Clinton, where he had an opportunity of attending a high school. Here he industriously pursued his studies until the family removed with him to a point on Black River known as the " Holland Patent," a village of 500 or 600 people, 15 miles north of Utica, N. Y. At this place his father died, after preaching but three Sundays. This event broke up the family, and Grover set out for New York City to accept, at a small salary, the position of " under-teacher " in an asylum for the blind. He taught faithfully for two years, and although he obtained a good reputation in" this capacity, he concluded that teaching was not his loa S. GROVE R CLEVhLANn. calling for life, and, reversing the traditional order, he left the d'ty to seek his fortunf. in?t='^f' o' cr'-'r . 'jy? EWIS H. THOMAS. As an example of the I (?§) usefulness and prominence to which men j^^^ , of character and determination may attain, it is but necessary to chronicle the life of Lewis H. Thomas, one of tlie representative agriculturists and stock-raisers of Bois D'Arc Township, Mont- gomery County. He belongs to a highly cultured and intellectual family, wliose members all possessed superior intelligence and became distinguished in the different callings in which they engaged. Born in Greene County, III., May 24, 1827, he is the son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Islej^) Thomas, natives respectively of South Carolina and Tenn- essee. "When a boy, the father went with his parents to Kentuck)', and later went to Mad- ison County, 111., where he married Miss Eliza- beth Isley. In 1818, he removed from there to Greene County, 111., and bought G.overnment land, paying therefor $1.25 per acre. He was one of the first settlers of that vicinity and built the first log cabin north of Macoupin Creek. The original of this notice was reared to man's estate in his native county, amid scenes of pioneer life, and he was early inured to hard labor. His primary education was received in the subscription schools of Greene County, and this was afterward supplemented by a course in Carrollton Academy. Since then he has been a great reader and observer and is well posted on all the current topics of the day. In the spring of 1851 he came to Montgom- ery County, having previously entered from the Government a large tract of land in what is now Bois D'Arc Township, and he first resided in a little board shanty. He began at once improving and developing the farm and later erected a sub- stantial frame house. The soil was rich and pro- ductive, and he being energetic and enterprising, everything prospered under his hands. The frame building was replaced by a handsome brick struc- ture, but this was destroyed by fire, and in 1888 his present handsome brick residence was erected. Reading in the Prairie Farmer of the celebrated hedge fence then raised by Prof. Turner and otliers, he conceived the idea of fencing his farm with the same. The hedge was then known as "Osage hedge," but it subsequently received the name of "Bois D'Arc," through our subject, and the town- ship afterward acquired the name through the hedge fence and was named Bois D'Arc Township by our subject. He has his entire farm fenced with this hedge. Mr. Thomas owns one of the finest farms in the State, consisting of nine hundred and seventy- four acres, and he also owns seven hundred and twenty acres elsewhere in tiie township; besides forty-two town lots in Emporia, Kan., ahd one- fifth interest in thirty-four hundred acres near Warren, Minn. He is a self-made man and all his accumulations are the result of energy and industry intelligently applied. In carry- ing on his very extensive farming enterprises he has not lost sight of the stock-raising in- dustry and raises a high grade of Hereford cattle, and a superior grade of Norman horses, Shropshire and Oxford Down sheep, and Poland-China, Berk- shire, Chester White and Victory hogs. He has a 120 PORTEAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORO. good grade of roadster horses. All his farming operations are conducted in a progressive and supe- rior way, as is Very quickly seen when one glances over his possessions. In his political affilia- tions he is a Democrat and was elected Supervisor of Bois D'Arc Township by that party. He has served as Township Treasurer of schools for twenty-six j'ears. He is an active worlvcr in the Bois D'Arc Baptist Sunday-school and for four- teen years in succession the annual Sunday-school picnic has been held in his beautiful grove. He was one of the founders of the church and has al- ways been liberal in his contributions to its sup- port. During the long years he has spent in this county, Mr. Thomas has seen the country bloom and blossom like the rose, and has taken a deep interest in its progress and development. In 1856 he received the gold medal from the Illinois Agri- cultural Society for having the largest amount of well-set and cultivated hedge on one farm, this being the ftrst and onl}' gold medal oflfered that year by that society. In the same year he received the silver medal given for one thousand rods of the best hedge fence in the State, this being given by tlie Illinois State Agricultural Society. In 1858, he received the gold medal for the best and greatest variety of cultivated timber in a grove in the State, given by the same society. Mr. Thomas and his fine farm have acquired a State reputation and well they merit it. He is known far and wide for his hospitalitj^ genial good-nature, and his great generosity, and his in- telligence, enterprise and many estimable qualities have gained for him a popularity not derived from any factitious cii'cumstance, but a spontan- eous and permanent tribute to his merit. For a number of years he was engaged in surveying and continued this for many years in the northern portion of Montgomery County, locating and sur- veying all the roads in Bois D'Arc Township as well as surveying many school sites, a work for which he was well qualified. The marriage of Mr. Thomas united him with Miss Sarah Ann, daughter of Isham and Sarah (Vaughn) Linder. She was a lady of noble char- acter, and her death, which occurred February 27, 1887, was a heavy bereavement to her husband and children. Of the latter there are six, as follows: Etta L., now tlie wife of Edward Kend- rick, of Buffalo, N. Y.; John I., William H., Mary L., Samuel and Minerva C. On October ;3. 1889, Mr. Thomas was married to Agnes E. Ball, daughter of Richard M. and Maria (Evans) Ball, who were natives of Wales. Mrs. Thomas was born in Brecknockshire, Wales, Feb- ruary 21, 1851. She came to America with her par- ents when she was four years of age. They located in Virden, 111., at which place she received her public- school training. Slie was for three years a student at Normal University, Normal, 111., and was grad- uated from that institution at the head of her class in 1877. She taught in the public schools for sixteen- years, the last seven of her work in that line being done in the Washington School, Chi- cago. She saw that Cliicago was a growing city and in 1888 purchased a lot in Lakeside, a suburb of Chicago. It is a section of an ellipse three hun- dred and fortj'-flve feet frontand is but two blocks from the famous Sheridan Road, which is the boul- evard from Chicago to Ft. Sheridan. Its market value is now three hundred per cent, of its cost. Religiously, she is connected with the Methodist Church and is liberal in its support. Mrs. Thomas is the youngest oC a family of fourteen children, ten of whom are still living. Thej' are as follows: Frederick, a machinist of Springfield, Mo., who has served a number of terms as President of the School Board and is identified with all the public interests of Springfield; Mrs. Arabella Lloyd, of Thomasville, 111.; William E., who died in London, England, in 1891; Thomas, a retired farmer of Girard, 111., who served thrie years in the army; Richard, a blacksmith of Virden, III., and an active worker in the cause of temperance, who has served a number of terms as a member of the Town Board and one term as Supervisor of his township, Maria, who died in Wales in 1852; Mary, wife of Robert Brooks, of Kane, 111.; Francis, wife of A. J. Witt, of Virden, III.; Ann, wife of Calvin W. Tunnell, who died near Virden in 1872; John, a banker of Farmers- ville, who in a public capacity has been Director of Schools, Supervisor of his township and has PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 12] settled more dead men's affairs than any citizen of Macoupin County; James, a twin brother of Henry, who died in A'irden in 1856; Henry, a prominent farmer and stock-raiser near Girard; and George, a retired farmer near Girard, wlio has been Treasurer of the State Grange for ncarlj' twenty years. The members of the Ball family are ardent Re- publicans. The family is noted for its clearness of perception, its keenness of insight, itslargness of heart and its soundness of judgment. The father of this family died eight months after the fam- ily came to America. The mother is still living, at the advanced age of eighty-eight years. Her mind is still active and she retains her interest in current events. <$[ felLLIAM H. TERRY, who controls and op- \^f/ ^i'^*®* ^ fl"® farm on sections 8 and 9, V^^ Raymond Township, Montgomery County, was born near Jersey ville, Jersey County, 111., on the 18th of November, 1838. The Terry family is of Welsh origin, some of the ancestors having come to America in the latter part of the seven- teenth century and located in Connecticut. It was in honor of this family that the old town of Terry ville, Conn., was named. Many of its members have been prominent in the history of this country. The great-grandfather of our subject was with Washington at Valley Forge and did good service in the War for Independence. Gen. Terry, the noted Indian fighter, was also a member of the same family. After the Revolution, the Terry family went to Virginia, where Jasper M. Terry, the father of our subject, was born. When he was a small child his parents removed to Kentuck^"^, and in 1832, when eighteen years of age, he came to Illinois and lo- cated in what is now Jersey County, but was then Greene County. He accumulated quite a large fortune prior to his death, which occurred in 1876. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Mary A. Wagner, was a native of Allen County, Ky., and was of German extraction. The Terr^' family numbered nine children, all of whom are yet living: John W. is a man of much learning and is a Baptist preacher by pro- fession. He was a missionary to Spain for many years and was there located in 1868, when the Spanish Government banished all Protestant mis- sionaries from the country. He then returned to the United Slates and went to New Mexico, where he established the First National Bunk at Socorro. He is now a wealthy banker and real-estate dealer. Anslam K., A. O., T. J., and T. F. constitute the firm of attorneys and real-estate men who do business under the name of Terry Bros., in East St. Louis. They are wealthy citizens and very prom- inent. A. 0. is a graduate of Ann Arbor Univer- sitj'. T. J. and T. F. are graduates of Shurtleff College. Henry C. resides on the old homestead in Jersey County. Mary Emma is the wife of William Hatcher, a hotel keeper of Springfield, 111. Frances A. is the wife of Dr. E. Weir, of Edwardsville. Our subject did not have the advantage of a college education as his younger brothers did, as when he was a youth, his father had not yet ac- quired his fortune, but he managed to obtain a fair English education in the schools, of Jersey- ville, and is now a well-informed man. He assisted his father on the home farm untilMarch, 1861, when he came to Montgomery County and located on a farm in what is now Pitman Township. In De- cember of the same year, he married Miss Milberry Sharp, a native of Macoupin County, 111., whose parents came to this State in an early day from Tennessee. After the breaking out of the late war, Mr. Terry abandoned farming to enter the service of his country. He enlisted on the 12th of August, 1862, in Company F, One Hundred and Twenty- second Illinois Infantry, of which he was commis- sioned Sergeant, and for three years he valiantly served his country, participating in many battles and engagements. When the war was over, he was honorably discharged, on the 8th of August, 1865. He then returned to his home, where he 122 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. continued to reside until the spring of 1877, when, after his father's death, he removed to his present home. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Terry have been born five children, namely: William J., who is engaged in farming near Pana, 111.; Rena who is engaged in teaching music; George L., an electrician; John Charles, a musician of much talent and the leader of the Raymond Band; and Fannie Agnes, a teacher of recognized ability in the public schools. Mr. Terry is a man of more than ordinary ability, and his success in life has come to him as the reward of his own efforts. Socially, he is a prominent member of the Grand Army, being Commander of Raymond Post No. 504. GEORGE FOSTER is a well-known and suc- cessful farmer of Audubon Township, Montgomery County, and is a veteran of the Civil War. He was born in County Tyrone in the North of Ireland in 1838, being the youngest of four sons and next to the youngest in a family of seven children born to James and Margaret Foster. His parents brought him to America when he was a child, consequently he knows no other land and is as loyal to the Stars and Stripes as if he had been born in Uncle Sara's Dominion. After emigrating to this country, his parents at once located in Scioto County, Ohio, where his father secured employment in an iron foundry and at the same time cultivated a small farm, on which the family was reared. George and his brothers and sisters obtained such education as the common schools afforded. After the death of the husband and father in 1857, the widow with her children moved to Adams County, Ohio, where our subject tilled the soil on a rented farm until the opening of the Civil War. On the 29th of July, 1862, his name might be found on the muster rolls of Company E, Ninety-first Ohio Infantry as a private. He was at once sent to Virginia and from there to Fayetteville, W. Va., where for nearly a year and a half the^- were holding the forts, doing garrison and scouting duty. They then started on a raid on the line of the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad, their object- ive point being Dublin Depot, which they reached after a forced march of forty miles in one day. They burned the depot and railroad bridge and returned by way of White Sulphur Springs, intend- ing to connect with Hunter at Staunton, but their supplies being cut off they had to again i-eturn to West Virginia to meet the supply train. They then proceeded on their way and joined Hunter at the above-named place. During the journey a small battle was fought at Lexington, and the enemy was driven in front of them to Lynch- burg. In the battle of Staunton Mr. Foster's regiment was in the advance and many of its members were slain. They were then compelled to retreat, dur- ing which time they suffered many hardships, be- ing greatly in need of food. After reaching Parkersburg they took the train to Harper's Ferry, at which time they were under command of Gen. Slieridan, and with him took part in the bat- tle of Stephen's Station, not far from Winchester. The battle of Winchester next occupied their at- tenti(m, after which they crossed into Maryland and for some time thereafter were in camp at Harper's Ferry. After participating in a number of fierce engagements, the second battle of Win- chester was fought, and here our subject received an injury from the concussion of a shell and was sent to the hospital at Philadelphia. Later he re- joined his regiment, and during the following win- ter was on duty along the line of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, in the vicinity of Cumberland, Md. In the spring of 1865 he was sent to Winchester, at which place the news of Lee's surrender reached him. He was soon mustered out at Columbia and or- dered to Camp Denison, where he was discharged in 1865. With the consciousness of having served his country faithfully for three years, Mr. Foster re- turned to his home and there remained about one j'ear, at the end of which time he located in Mont- gomery County, 111., where he worked as a farm hand until 1867. During that year he was united PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 123 in marriage with ISIiss Lucitta Pettingale, the daughter of a prominent and well-to-do farmer, who was also a native of Ohio. At the death of her father she inligrited the fine farm on which they are now residing, in Audubon Township. They are the parents of five children: Maggie E., a prominent school teacher of the county; Joseph O., who assists his father on the farm; Hattie J., Daisy and James Ross. Politically Mr. Foster has ever been a Republican, his first vote having been cast for the martyred President, Abraham Lincoln. lie is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, belonging to No- komis Post, in which he has held the offices of Senior Vice, Junior Vice and minor positions. As a soldier he was brave, true and faithful; as a cit- izen he is public-spirited, industrious and honor- able; as a tiller of the soil he is progressive, thrifty and energetic; and as a husband and father he is kind, considerate and generous. His friends are many, his enemies few, and he is generous in aid- ing those who are not so fortunate as himself. ^^ b ORON CASE. The name that heads this J sketch is that of one of the early settlers of ii:^ this vicinity, whose entire life in this county, has been such as to win him the respect and esteem of all who are favored with his acquaint- ance. Coming here when the country was wild and unsettled, he has borne his part in the devel- opment of the land and assisted in bringing it to its present high rank among the counties of this choice section. Our subject was born in Washington County, N. Y., April 6, 1833, and his parents, Naoman and Mary (Foster) Case, were natives of the Empire State also. The paternal grandfather is said to have been a soldier in the Revolutionary War and fought for independence. When about five years of age, our subject came with his parents to th-e Buckeye State. They settled in Northwestern Ohio and there Loron Case remained until about fifteen years of age, when he started out to fight life's battles for himself. He first went to Wiscon- sin, where ho found^ employment on a farm and received as compensation $9 per month. He was thus engaged for about two years, when the rich soil of the Prairie State caused him to settle within its borders. He first located in Greene County, but remained there a short time only, when he came to Montgomery County, and almost his first employ- ment was assisting in setting out the first hedge fence, Bois D 'Arc hedge, for L. H. Thomas and also for S. R. Thomas. On the 22d of Februarj', 1863, our subject was united in marriage with Miss Mary J. Sterling, a native of Ohio, who came with her parents to Illi- nois when she was a small girl, and has since been a resident of this State. To Mr. and Mrs. Case have been born nine children, seven of whom are living and are as follows: Maria, wife of Joseph Deatherage; Ella, wife of John Clouse; Anna, Clara, Elbert, Otis and Cora. About 1865, Mr. Case and family settled in Bois D'Arc Township, and they have made their home here ever since. He owns a fine piece of land, and all his farming operations are conducted in a manner reflecting much credit upon his manage- ment. Thorough-going and progressive, he has accumulated all his property by his own exertions and can now enjoy the fruits of his labor. He has held a number of township offices and at the present time is Highway Commissioner, and for many years has served as School Director. He has always been a public-spirited citizen and is a pa- tron of education and all worthy enterprises. He is alive to the interests of the county, is willing to do his part in forwarding all enterprises for the public good, and is an important factor of Mont- gomery County. Mr. Case is now verj- comfortably off and his honesty and liberality in all things have won him a host of friends. In the public offices he has held, he has discharged the duties of the same in a man- ner above criticism, and with a thoroughness highly creditable to all concerned. In politics, he adheres to the principles of the Democratic party and has advocated the principles of the same up to date. During his residence in this county, Mr. 124 i-ORTRAlT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Case has seen almost incredible changes for im- provement, and where was once a vast wilderness of woods now can bo seen finely cultivated farms and comfortable homes. z -x> - "o2- ERMAN POGGENPOHL. Our subject is one of the leading German-American citi- zens in Ilarvel Township, Montgomery (^) County. He has a fine farm located on section 30, of this township, which bears evidence of the industrjr and unswerving attention that lie bestows upon it. Mr. Poggenpohl is a native of Prussia, having been born there April 7, 1833. He is a son of Francis and Margaret Poggenpohl, both of whom were also natives of Prussia. Our subject passed the first eighteen years of his life in his native land, and received the usual training of German boys, who looked forward to the militarj'- conscription. Possibly it was liecause he had different ambitions that he, like so many other German youths, found that a change would be advisable at that age. He emigrated to Amer- ica in 1852, taking passage on a sailing-vessel, .and after a voyage that lasted fifty-seven days, landed in New Orleans. He proceeded at once to Greene County, 111., and was in the employ of Mr. John Thomas for nineteen months, receiving in return for his labor |9 per month with his board. In 1853, our subject lost his parents. They had come to America at the same time as did he, and after a residence of a few months in Greene County, the entire family had come to Montgom- ery County and settled on the farm where our subject now lives. His father secured a quarter- section of land from the Government, paying for it $1.25 per acre. When they went to live upon it they found it raw prairie land and young Her- man turned the first furrow on the farm. Of the family born to his parents, Mr. Poggen- pohl is the eldest; Mary is the wife of J. H. Todt; Anthony, Joseph and Margaret were next in order of birth. The last-named is now a widow. Our subject was reared to man's estate and made familiar with all the duties of farm life. He is a thoroughly practical man in his knowledge and ideas appertaining to agriculture. Pioneer days and pioneer style of living are perfectly familiar topics to Mr. Poggenpohl. He received a fair ed- ucation before leaving his native land, and since coming to America has acquired a great deal. He is loyal as an American citizen, and, retaining a deep love for the Fatherland, his allegiance is en- tirely given to the land of his adoption. Our subject has been twice married and is the father of a large family of children, whose names are as follows: John, Antony, Frank, Charles, William, Mary, Margaret, Christina, Lena, Annie, Katie, Emma and Bertha. Mr. Poggenpohl is the owner of seven hundred .and seventy-two acres of well- cultivated land. The home farm comprises four hundred and four acres. His successes in life are entirely due to his own efforts. He is well es- teemed in the township and county, has been Director of Schools for years, and is a strong ad- vocate of any improvement in educational meth- ods. For a number of ^ears he was Township School Trustee and has been Highway Commis- sioner a number of times. PoUticall}-, our subject is a Democrat. In his religious preference, he is a Roman Catholic. He is a kind-hearted and public- spirited citizen. ♦^♦; ~N I^ICHARD S. D. ROBERTS was born in lUf^ Henry County, K3^, September 15, 1822, ^\ and died September 17, 1892, when two days past three-score and ten. He was a prominent farmer of Bond Countj', and resided on section 3, Mulben-y Grove Township. His father was an early settler of this county, having come hither in 1822 and settled on Government land, but did not make this place his permanent home. After residing here for about two years, he re- moved to Vanburensberg, Montgomery Countj-, where he remained for many years. PORTRAIT AND BIoaRAPHICAL RECORD. 125 The father of our subject was born in Bards- town, Ky., in 1780, and was there reared to man- hood. In his native State be married Sarah Sim- mons, who was born in Henry County, Ky., and died after her removal to Montgomery County', 111. All of her thirteen children grew to maturity and all married with one exception. Grandfatlier Simmons was one of the soldiers in the war for independence and when the last rec- ord of him was received he was still living, at the unusual age of one hundred and fifteen years. Whether the climate of their home tends to lon- gevity, or whether that fabled spring whose waters give everlasting youth was shown this remarkable man and his wife, can not be discovered, but true it is that the grandmother of our subject, the wife of the patriarch, lived seven years over a century. This certainljr is a most interesting fact, and one of which the family of Mr. Roberts is justly proud. The grandfather of our subject, Benjamin Roberts, was a native of Virginia and came to Kentucky at an early day, even before the great Daniel Boone performed such valorous deeds in that State. The ancestry of the family was Eng- lish-Welsli, and that combination has always made a race which has borne well its part in the battle of life. The surviving members of the family to which our subject belonged are a sister who bears gracefully her eighty years, and a brother who lives in Colorado and admits his seventj'-six years as another might acknowledge his fiftieth. Our subject was the eleventh child in a family of thirteen children, and was two years old when he came to Illinois. His first school experience was not very pleasant, as tiie two-mile walk through the woods was a long one for a child, and the place not very inviting when he reached it. The house was made of logs, the puncheon seats were hard, and the master made up in authority what he lacked in knowledge, and altogether the road to learning in those days was a hard one to travel. What education the children received was really earned. In the days of which this is written, when large families were the rule, as soon as boys grew to be of use their school days were over. This was the case with our subject, and his help was required on the farm because the whole work had to be done by manual labor, as this was before the days of machinery. July 27, 1842, Mr. Roberts was joined in matrimony with Miss Mary R. White, who was born and reared in Loudoun County, Va. This worthy lady bravely bore her part in the pioneer life of the day, and won the regard of all with whom she came in contact. After his marriage, our subject located where tlie family now resides. He built a log house and there lived until the breaking out of the Mexican War. Then with patriotic fervor he enlisted in Company E, Third Illinois Infantry, and served for twelve months. Entering as Corporal he was promoted to be Fourth Sergeant, and received his discharge at New Orleans in 1846. After the close of the war, he returned home, and by in- dustry became the owner of a farm of two hun- dred and fifty-two acres of land, all of which he cultivated. It was wood and prairie, but he made a beautiful liome out of what was once a wilder- ness. The beginning of Mr. Roberts' life was as that of many others of the self-made men of the county. His means were small, but he possessed energjf, sagacity, and an abundance of industry, and has made himself the owner of one of tlie finest farms in the county. Mr. and Mrs. Roberts became the parents of the following children: Mary E. is the wife of Hardin Elmore, whose sketch apiiears else- where in this work; James H. is a merchant at New- port, 111.; Julia Stark is the wife of Frederick Durr, of Bond County; Elizabeth, formerly the wife of Frederick Kimball, is now deceased, and of the three children that she left, one is married; George W. died at the age of eighteen years; Eichard S. and Stephen Douglas live in Bond Countj'. Our subject was a general farmer and stock- raiser. He was a Democrat in his political faith, and was always ready to give his opinions upon the general topics of the day. The branch of the church known as the United Baptist was the re- ligious denomination with which our subject af- filiated and in which he held the office of Deacon. He was prominent in his cliurch for many years and contributed to its support liberally, while he also aided in the Sunday-school work. 126 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. One of the important families in Bond County bore the name of Gilham, and were the first settlers here. At this time there are none of the old name to give a sketch, and as this family is connected by marriage with the family of the sub- ject, it does not seem out of place to insert it here.' Charles Gilliam built the first mill in the county, where is now Mulberry Grove, about five hundred yards northwest of Mr. Roberts' house. He was a prominent man, well regarded and re- spected by all, and was a member of the Presby- terian Church. A sister of our subject married Newton Gilham, and one of his brothers married Sarah Gilham. All of these are now deceased. The full name of our subject is Richard Steph- ens Dorsey, and he was the namesake of a good old man, the family physician in the old home in Henry County, Ky. Our subject ever honored his name by his life. Throughout this beautiful and prosperous county, none were more highly re- garded in the neighborhood than he. i>^^£„:.i. ^w..sr- LAKE,,. Thomas, SEC. 10, Bois d'arc tr, Montgomery co.jll. PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 135 4 ^5^^ parents settled in that wild portion of what OHN P. DAVIS. Our subject is a native of Crawford County, Pa., where he was born March 10, 1825. Without doubt, his wiis then considered the West after having fol- lowed in the wake of Washington's expedition thither, when he went to inspect the French force preparatory to centralizing the power of the Eng- lish forces. The writer well appreciates the con- ditions of life at that time and place. Crawford County is among the foothills of the Alleghany Ridge; the winters are long and severe and the summers too short for such crops as the farmers raise here in Southern Illinois. The houses were built very differently then from what they now are, and it was not unusual for the lads snatching the last forty winks of their morning nap to find themselves in the winter time covered with a downy blanket of snow, which had drifted through the cracks and openings of the attic roof. But these hardships proved to have developed a sturdy race of men, to whom ordinary difficulties are but small obstacles. Our subject's father was by name David G. Davis, and his mother's maiden name was Rhoda Craven. -The former died in Crawford County, Pa. The widow removed to Montgomery County, this State, where she passed away. Of a family of ten children, Joiin P. was the eldest. He was reared upon the home farm in his native county and State, remaining there until twenty-one years of age. Thence he went to Wilmington, Del., and during his residence fn that State made good his time in learning the plasterer's trade, to which he served a faithful apprenticesiiip. For several years he engaged in his trade in Wilmington and New Jersey, and then returned to his native place and was engaged in his trade for tliree years. The West was beginning to offer most alluring inducements to the young men who had ambitions above the e very-day routine, and of these our sub- ject was one. He came to Litchfield, this State, where he followed his trade for three years and then purchased one hundred and twenty acres on section 10, of JJovth Litchfield Township, He has endeavored to make this his paradise on earth and it has been bis lioijie eyey sipce, Ills attent-iop has been given chiefl}- to general farming. The buildings upon his place are very good, his house cozy and pleasant, and his barns and outhouses in good repair. He has added to his original pur- chase until' his acres now number two hundred and sixty. Mr. Davis' life has been enriched by the com- panionship of a good wife. Her maiden name was Ann Dolbow, and she is a native of Salem County, N. J., where she was born June 23, 1820, the daughter of Gabriel and Mary Dolbow. Our subject and his wife have reared six children to lives of usefulness and honor. The eldest child died in infancy. The remaining ones are: George D., Gideon S., Wesley C, Orlenna, Charles 0. and William J. Orlenna is the wife of S. R. Blackwelder. Two sons and a daughter reside in Pratt County, Kan. The original of this sketch has been a faithful custodian of several of the minor offices in the gift of the township. In politics, he is a Democrat, and likes to think of the principles of his party in the beauty and simplicity of its originator. Both our subject and his wife are members of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church, and have found great comfort in the social as well as religious associa- tions there encountered. bHOMAS G. LAWS. Among the shrewd, successful and far-seeing young business >5^^ men of this section is Mr. Thomas G. Laws, whose life of industry and usefulness and whose record for lionesty and uprightness have given him a hold upon the community which all might well desire to share. He is a native-born resident of Montgomery' County, 111., his birth occurring in East Fork Township December 5, 1851, and the reputation he has enjoyed has been not only that of a wide-awake, thorough-going business man, but of an intelligent and thoroughly-posted man in all public affairs. He is engaged in merchandising in Coffeen, and is also a live-stock fffifi grfl'lTl ^ef^le^■ of coflsid^j-^ble prowinepce, 136 POETRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Mr. Laws is the eldest son and second child born to William and Mary (McCaslin) Laws, both na- tives of Kentuck}', the father born in Todd and the mother in Caldwell County. After their mar- riage, the parents settled in a little round-log house on sixty acres of raw laud, and immediately began making improvements. They experienced all the hardships of pioneer life, and lived to see the wilderness blossom like the rose. They now have a very comfortable home, and are enjojdng the accumulations of previous years. Nine chil- dren were born to their union: Sarah E.,our sub- ject, Lucinda M., Alfred W., Fielding F., Mary E., Charles L., William 11., and Albert P. (deceased). All these children were reared on the old home place. The father is a Republican in his political views, takes an active part in all the laudable en- terprises, and is a public-spirited citizen. The 3'outhf ul days of our subject were spent on the home place, and in addition to a common-school education he entered the Hillsboro Academy, where his education was completed. He remained under the parental roof until his marriage in April, 1873, to Miss Sarah McCurry, a native of Mont- gomery County, 111. She died in 1878, leaving two sons, Clement and William, both at home at the present time. The second marriage of our sub- ject was to Miss Nellie Wesner, a native of Fayette County, 111. This union has been blessed by the birth of four children, two sons and two daugh- ters: Mary, Ralph, Gladys and Vivian. Our subject followed farming in East Fork Township for many years, and as he had been reared and trained to the duties of farm life from an early age, and understood every detail of the same, it was not to be wondered at that lie was suc- cessful in that pursuit. However, he moved to Donnellson in 1880, embarked in the grain busi- ness, and remained there until 1889, when he moved to Coffeen, where ho engaged in the live- stock and grain business. Later, he started a gen- eral store in connection with his other business, and is doing a very successful and prosperous busi- ness. He ships to Toledo, Baltimore and many other points, and is one of the leading men of the county. He owns five buildings in Coffeen and the best business block in th<; village, He is widely and favorably known in the county, and fully merits the success which has attended all his enterprises. Like his father, he is a stanch sup- porter of the principles of the Republican party and a useful and prominent citizen. Socially, he is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and the Knights of Pythias. e^+^p=— ^ OHN C. McLEAN, Esq., is one of the most prominent and progressive farmers of the section in which he lives, as well as an hon- _ ored veteran of the late war. He resides in Lagrange Township, Bond Count3', and was born in Montgomery County, HI., June 13, 1843. His father, William R. McLean, was born in North Car- olina in 1823, and his grandfather was William McLean, a native of Scotland, who came to this country and settled in Guilford County, N. C, about 1800. He carried on farming there and died at an advanced age. The father of our subject was reared on a farm and came to Montgomery County in 1841, mak- ing the trip of course by wagon. Here he entered eighty acres of Government land and built a small frame house. This was one of the very first erected on the prairie in Hillsboro Township, and here he resided until his death in 1876. His gun was his trusty friend, and many were the deer he shot and the wolves he drove awa}'. At his death Mr. McLean owned two hundred and forty acres of land which he had worked hard to secure and cultivate. His nearest market was St. Louis and to that city all grain and pork had to be hauled, and this necessitated a trip of five days with a night camp by the way. In 1876, he died, at the age of fifty-three years, after a useful and honest life. His religious convictions made him a Calvinist, and very strict was he in his ideas of right and wrong. In politics, he was a Whig, and later became a Republican, and at- tended to his duties as a citizen as faithfully as be perfoj-med every act of hjs Ufp, POETRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 137 The mother of our subject, Emily J. Ban-y, was born in Kentucky, the State that is noted for its beautiful women, and she was brought to Montgomery County when only a little girl. Her family consisted of ten children, and seven of these grew up. They are: John C, Samuel H., Nancy J., Mary J., Joseph R., Melissa J. and Ida E. This worthy lady is still living honored among her children, a devoted member of the Presbyter- ian Church. Her father was Richard Barry, a na- tive of Kentucky of German extraction. His set- tlement in Montgomery County was among the first, made there, and he became the possessor of two hundred acres of land before his death. Our subject was reared on a farm and attended the old log sehoolhouse with its primitive appli- ances for educating the young of that day, and he was among the most studious of the pupils. When the Civil War broke out he was among the first to spring to the defeuse of his land, and Oatober 1, 1861, he enlisted in Company E, Forty-ninth Illinois Infantry, and was mustered in at St. Louis and served in the Western divi- sion of the army. He was one of the valiant men who fought at Ft. Donelson, and Pittsburg Land- ing, and siege of Corinth, and then was put on patrol duty along the railroads for a long time; later he was in the battle at Little Rock and in the Meridian campaign with Stierman, and then was with the Red River campaign and took pait in all the battles. His regiment was in the struggles at Coldwater, Miss., later was sent on tbe Missouri campaign after Price, and then to Nashville after Hood, and from Columbia, Tenn., to Paducab, Ky., where they were permitted to re- main at garrison duty until the close of the war, when he was mustered out in September, 1865. Our subject is now in receipt of a 16 pension a month- After the war the farm seemed most attractive to Mr. McLean, and south of Hillsboro he carries on his agricultural pursuits. September 27, 1867, he married Miss Sarah E. Laws, who was a native of Montgomery County, and eight children have been added to the family, although Emma and Jes- sie are numbered with the dead. Those living are Freddie, Bertie, Clarence, P^stie, Samuel and Char- lej. Our subject settled upon sixty acres of the old homestead and bought sixty acres more where he lived until 1881, when he sold there and bought his present place in the spring of that year. Here he has one hundred and sixty acres, and about all of it is improved and our subject has done the most of the clearing of it. He raises grain and fine stock and not only farms his own one hundred and sixty but about as much more which he rents. Mr. and Mrs. McLean are members of the Cum- berland Presbyterian Church and in that connec- tion are highly regarded. In his political belief he is a Republican and he has been in his present office of Justice of the Peace for the past four years. Also he is one of the three Road Commis- sioners, having miles of road to oversee and is now serving his third term in that office. He is connected with the Grand Army of the Republic Post in Greenville, and is one of the most highly regarded men of his section, his friends being legion. QUIRE J. W. WHITLOCK. Prominently engaged in the real-estate, loan and in- surance business in this city is Squire J. W. Whitlock, who is well established, and who has earned a well-merited reputation for the conscientious and efficient manner with which he conducts all affairs entrusted to his care. Al- though our subject has only been established here since 1890, his business has already taken a very important hold upon the community, for in the very nature of things it was impossible that a man of such calibre as Mr. Whitlock could en- gage in any business without making an indel- ible impression upon the favorable opinion of the residents and business men of the locality. His business is far-reaching in its nature, and he has always on his list a number of very choice lots for investraout. In insurance matters he is well to the front, is agent for sope of tJie lead- 138 PORTEAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ing companies, and can always quote premiums at lowest rates. Our subject was born in Montgomery County, Ohio, near Brookville, January 4, 1839, and was fifth in order of birth of seven children born to Elias and Mary (Johnson) Whitlock, the father a native of New Jersey, born in the year 1797, and the mother a native of Delaware, born in 1805. Our subject's grandfather, "William Whitlock, came to Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1810, when there was but one hotel in the city, and later located on a farm about twelve miles from the city, where he remained during the remainder of his life. Luke Johnston, the maternal grandfather of Squire Whitlock, was an early settler of Hamilton County, Ohio, locating there about 1810. Elias Whitlock was reared in his native State, but came to Ohio with his father, and was mar- ried in that State, in 1827, to Miss Johnston, who was reared in Hamilton County, Ohio. Later, this ambitious young couple settled in Montgomery County, Ohio, on entered land, and there con- tinued to make their home until 1870, when they moved to Piqua, Miami County, Ohio, and there passed the remainder of their days, the father dj-- ing in 1880, and the mother in 1886. Of the seven children born to them, six sons and one daughter, all reached mature years, married and became the heads of families. All are now living but one daughter, Sarah, who died in 1888. The other children are: Isaac J., at Piqua, Ohio; Will- iam, Professor of the Ohio University, of Dela- ware; Stephen H., pastor of the First Methodist Episcopal Church at Clinton, 111.; John W., our subject; Arthur O., who resides four miles east of Coffeen and is a farmer; and Rev. Elias D., of Del- aware, pastor of WiUiam Street Methodist Epis- copal Church. The youthful daj's of our subject were spent on the home place in his native county, and his first educational advantages were received in the dis- trict schools. Later, he attended the Normal School at Piqua, Ohio, and when eighteen years of age began learning the carpenter's trade. This he followed until the breaking out of the late war, when he enlisted in Company C, Fifteenth United (States Juf^utr^, qs a priysjte, He tv,£).8 woijpd§d in the battle of Shiloh, in 1862, by a canister-shot and was disabled from further duty. He was dis- charged in 1863, and returned to his home in the Buckeye State. In the year 1865, he was mar- ried to Miss Emma Fiet, a native of Montgomery County, Ohio, and remained in that State until 1872, when he decided to move to Montgomery County, 111. After reaching the Prairie State, he located in Millsboro, and there engaged in the car- penter's trade, which he followed for four years. In 1876, Mr. Whitlock moved his family to Cof- feen, where he now resides, and was engaged in his trade until 1890, when he embarked in the real-estate business. He is also connected with the Safety Loan Association, of St. Louis, and is carrying on a successful business. In politics, he is a Republican and an active worker for his party. He was elected Justice of the Peace in 1890, and is also Notary Public. Mr. and Mrs. Whitlock are consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Their union has been blessed by the birth of six children, three sons and three daugh- ters, as follows: Lizzie H., wife of W. H. Snider, of Coffeen; Mary, deceased; Wesley W., of Cof- feen; Maggie, deceased; Orvis B., of Coffeen; and Charle3' J., at home. —J mi^'^^ jo o o > z 4(l§^^.. f i p X o :o o > z PORTRAIT AKD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 145 controlling interest in the Cofifeen Coal Company. Mr. McDavid has three fine farms all under culti- vation and owns one hundred and sixty acres of timber. He presented his son with a one hundred and sixty acre tract some time ago. James B. McIJavid is a Democrat and held the official position of County Treasurer ten years. He was County Assessor the same length of time and was the Township Assessor for two seasons. In the discharge of his public duties he was ever prompt and faithful. Our subject is a Mason, member of Mt. Moriah Lodge No. 51, Hills- boro. He and his wife are Presbyterians and in both social and church relations occupy a high position. eYRUS H. JORDAN. Elsewhere in this vol- ume is given a biographical sketch of two of the brothers of our subject with an out- line of the family history, therefore we will -con- fine ourselves in this account to the personal his- tory of our subject. He is a resident in Pitman Township, Montgomery County, having a fine farm on section 24. Although a native of Mary- land, the major portion of his life has been spent in the locsality where he now resides. During the years that have elapsed since he reached a think- ing age, he has seen man}' changes, not only in the country but in the state of society and in political reform. Our subject spent most of his early manhood days in Greene County, this State, and while still a lad became familiar with everything pertaining to agricultural work, that having been his calling all his life thus far. It was he who broke the first sod on his father's farm in Harvel Township, and for six seasons he ran a breaking plow, mak- ing ready for cultivation about three hundred and sixtj'-five acres of raw land each season. He is notaman who would hesitate to undertake a hard or disagreeable task, knowing it to be to the ad- vantage of the country or himself. Many are the pioneer scenes which he recalls, some tinged with humor and others pathetic in their hardship. The original of this sketch received his knowl- edge of book lore and the principles that have aided him in his mental development in a log schoolhouse' in Greene County. The conditions under which he studied Lindley Murray, the speller and the old arithmetic, were such as to show that he appreciated the expected result, for certainly there was no comfort in the process of acquiring it. The benches were merely slabs held up b}' wooden pegs. There were no desks and no win- dows, the light coming from an opening made by the cutting out of a log. However, Mr. Jordan eagerly seized upon every literary production that came within his reach, and many were the nights that he read by the light of the blazing logs in the fireplace. It is not always the man who has at- tended college who has the best education, but rather he whose mind seizes upon truth and turns it to his own advantage. Our subject has served in several official capaci- ties. He has been Road Commissioner of Pitman Township, and was one of the first School Trustees. He is independent in his political ideas, voting for principle rather than party. His fine farm com- prises Ave hundred and eighty-five acres of land, where he raises most of the cereals that form the staples of life. He also has some good stock, for which he finds a ready market, and his operations in dealing in stock are quite extensive, as he buys and ships to Eastern markets. Mr. Jordan was married December 4, 1857, to Miss Jane B. Hankinson, a native of Ohio. Of eight children born of this union only one son survives, Fremont. March 29, 1882, our subject married Miss Clara Hawley, who died June 15, 1890. )BERT M. ANDERSON. Two years ago v^ Pitman Township, Montgomery County, tii % was robbed by death of one of her most ^^eminent citizens, a man whose interest was so wide extending in the affairs not only of his 146 yORTRAlT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. liome, but of the- county, State .and country at large, that his loss was greatly felt in his locality. It cannot but be of interest to the present genera- tion, as well as being a valuable lesson presented by the life of a good man, to here give an outline of his history, touching upon the salient features as connected with his public life. Mr. Anderson was a native of Alton, 111., and was born October 11, 1851. He was a son of Peter and Elizabeth Anderson, who came to Pitman Township as early pioneers. The father has been deceased for a number of years; the mother still survives, and is numbered among the oldest pio- neers of the county. She is a woman of strong and noble character, whose example and teaching were well repeated in the life of her son. Our subject came to Montgomery County with his parents when but a small boy. The early home was upon a farm, where the trials and self-denials incident to early pioneer life were thoroughly ex- perienced. He attended the district schools in the county, and grew up an intelligent and lo3'al citi- zen, ready to take his part in the active duties of life. Mr. Anderson was married, November 28, 1880, to Miss Fr.ances H. Stevens. The lady was a native of New York State, having been born February 23, 1854. Her parents were William H. and Elizabeth Stevens, both natives of New York State. They emigrated in 1857 to Minnesota, set- tling in Benton County, and engaging in farming as pioneers. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Ander- son, four of whom are living at the present time. They aie Richard P., Harry, Grace and Robert. James is the deceased son. These children with the widow felt most keenly the loss of that beloved father and companion, to whom they owed all that was best and dearest in life. When the black- winged angel hovered over the homestead Octo- ber 24, 1890, and took therefrom the husband and father, the family was indeed bereft. The mourn- ing, however, was not confined to these loving hearts, for so highly was he esteemed in his neigh- borhood and locality that the grief of his passing awaj^ was universal. Of his worldly possessions Mr. Anderson left his family one hundred and twenty-five acres of land, bearing a comfortable home. He took a great deal of interest in the local politics of his section, being an ardent Republican, who left no stone unturned in working for his party. Mi'S. Anderson is a member of the Episcopal Church, and a most useful worker therein. Our subject's char- acter was noted for its integrity. He was a mem- ber of the Modern Workmen. In business as in so- cial life, he enjoyed the greatest confidence and re- spect of his fellow-men. Fraternally, he was a prominent member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and his interment was conducted in accordance with the rites and ceremonies of that order. He had been a number of times delegated by his fellow-citizens to represent them in county and State conventions. b.»t^>.^b. ' I ' ylLLIAM A. NORTHCOTT, of Greenville, 111., is the States Attorney of Bond County, and the senior member of the law firm of Northcott & Fritz. He was born January 28, 1854, in Murfreesboro, Tenn., and is the son of Gen. Robert S. and Mary C. (Cunningham) Northcott. The father and mother were both natives of Ruth- erford County, Tenn. The former received such limited education as could, at that early day, be obtained in the county schools. He was a man of great intellectual activity, well versed in all scien- tific and literary questions, and for many years prior to the outbreak of the Rebellion he was the editor of the Rutherford Telegraph, a newspaper of which he was the founder. He was a candidate on the Union ticket as a delegate to the State Convention which was to decide the question whether or not Tennessee should remain loyal to the Government. Before the assembling of this convention their work was anticipated by the Legislature of Tennessee, which was very strongly in favor of secession. This Legislature accordingly passed an ordinance by which Tennessee was placed on the Confederate side. Gen. Northcott's Union sentiments made it seem best that he should leave PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 147 his native State, which he tlierefore did, going North to Vevay, Ind., at which point he had rela- tives. Soon after tlie train which was bearing him northward had left Nashville, the authorities of that city received a telegram from Jefferson Davis to arrest him, but, luckily for Gen. Northcott and his friends, the telegram came too late. After a few months' residence in Indiana, at the request of Senator Carlisle, of West Virginia, Gen. Northcott removed to Clarksburg, in that State, and there established a newspaper which he named the Clarksburg Telegraph, and which is still in existence. Gov. Pierpont, of "West Virginia, gave Gen. North- cott a commission as Lieutenant-Colonel of the Twelfth West Virginia Regiment. He was taken a prisoner of war in the battle of Winchester, and was confined for nine months in Libby Prison. Since his release, he has written many articles de- scribing his captivity. While he was there con- fined, Gen. Straight, of Indianapolis, and many others made their memorable escape from the prison by means of a tunnel. Gen. Northcott had assisted in planning and digging the tunnel, but at the time of the escape was unable to reap the fruit of his labor on account of being very ill and confined to his bed. He was afterward exchanged with other prisoners and was breveted Brigadier- General by the President, and at one time com- manded a brigade in the same division with Pres- ident Haj'es. After the close of the war, Gen. Northcott took a prominent part in the politics of West Virginia and was elected a delegate to the National Republican Conventions of 1868 and 1872. For a period of ten years, extending from 1868 to 1878, he was Regis- trar in Bankruptcy for the District of West Virginia. He was an Aid-de-Camp on the staff of Gen. Fair- childs, Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, and is at present a member of the National Executive Council of that organization. He still resides at Clarksburg, W. Va., at the ad- vanced age of seventy-three years, and has retired from active business. The paternal grandfather of our subject was Ho- sea Northcott, who was born in Wilmington, N. C, and was a brother of Benjamin Northcott, a Meth- odist minister of note who lived in Kentucky. Ro- sea Northcott settled in Tennessee in an early day, and was present at the famous duel between Pres- ident Jackson and Richardson, in which affair he always blamed the former very much for his action. He never voted for the Democratic party during his lifetime and his illustrious example has been followed by his son and grandson. Hosea North- cott was a nephew of James Northcott, of England, a somewhat celebrated writer of fables. His father, William Northcott-, emigrated from England to North Carolina, and from him are descended the numerous families of that name now living in the United States. The mother of William A. Northcott, who bore the name of Mary Cunningham before her mar- riage, was of Scotch ancestry. Her father. Dr., Cunningham, died when she was quite young. She was neit to the youngest in a large family. One of her older brothers was a soldier in the War of 1812 and fought with Jackson at New Orleans. Septimus, her youngest brother, was a soldier in the Mexican War and has never been heard from since that time. It has never been known whether he was killed in battle or taken prisoner. Her eldest brother, James, like her father, belonged to the medical profession, and died at Mount Vernon, III., at the age of seventy-six years, leaving several children who now reside in that State. Mrs. Northcott's mother was a cousin of Mrs. Gen. Logan, who also bore the name of Mary Cunning- ham before her marriage with the General. Mrs. Northcott was a woman of great energy and cour- age. While her husband was in the a.Ymj and a prisoner, she took care of her little family and so carefully managed her finances as to accumulate enough money to purchase a home out of the sal- ary which her husband sent to her. That home- stead is still owned by the family. Her death oc- curred on the 5th of August, 1881, after an illness of several months. The subject of this sketch, William A. Northcott, is said to resemble his mother very much in phy- sical appearance and is fortunate enough to pos- sess in a great degree her energy and concentration of purpose. From his father he inherited a taste for literature, public speaking and writing. He attended school at the Northwestern Academy, in 148 POETEAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Clarksburg, W. Xs.., until thirteen years of age. He was then a page in the State Senate at Wheel- ing, W. Va., for two years, and there cultivated his taste for public speaking and his love of parlia- mentary debate. In September, 1869, he entered the United States Is^aval Academy, at Annapolis, Md., where he remained until June, 1873. During this time, he made several voyages on the Atlantic, visiting parts of Europe, the Madeira Islands, and also going to portions of British America. From 1873 to 1877, he taught school and studied law at Clarksburg, W. Va. In July, 1877, he was admitted to the Bar and after practicing law with consider- able success in that State, lie removed in June, 1879, to Greenville, 111., where he has engaged in the practice of law up to the present time. In 1888, the President appointed him as Supervisor of the Census for the Seventh District of Illinois, which position he filled to the great satisfaction of the department, and for his services received a very complimentary letter from Supt. Walker. In April, 1882, our subject was elected States Attorney of Bond County, which position he still holds. In June, 1890, the President selected him to serve as a member of the Board of A'isitors of the United States Naval Academy. On this com- mission were such distinguished men as Admiral Kimberly, Senators Hale and Blackburn, Congress- men Boutelle, Wallace, Rush and others. At the same time the newly-elected Senator of New Hampshire, Mr. Galliuger, also served on this board. Mr. Northcott was selected as the orator to deliver the address to the graduating class by the vote of this board. This was a high honor to be thus selected from such distinguished men. So well did Mr. Northcott fulfill the task assigned him that his address was generally considered to be one of the finest ever delivered on such an oc- casion. It was published and favorablj^ com- mented upon in most of the leading papers of the country. He is an orator of considerable note and is always active on the stump in everj' campaign in behalf of the Republican party. In 1884, he spoke at Centralia and Belleville with Gen. Logan and was continuously in the campaign of that year and also in that of 1888. He be- lieves strongly in the protective tariff and in the principle that the right of the Federation is superior to the right of the State. While he is earnestly devoted to the Republican party, he is not a rad- ical partisan and is so fair in his relations to his Democratic acquaintances that he has always polled a large Democratic vote in his political contests. As a lawyer, Mr. Northcott is very successful, being earnest and indefatigable in his labors for his clients, and by this means he is enabled to win in a large majority of cases, and is engaged on one side or the other of nearly every case on the docket of courts in this countj'. He also takes an active part in the real-estate business and is one of the hardest workers in Greenville, but he has his various business interests so systematized that they are all conducted in a proper manner. In March, 1880, Mr. Northcott married Julia A. Dressor, the daughter of Nathaniel Dressor, the largest land-owner of Bond County and President of the First National Bank of Greenville. Mrs. Northcott departed this life on the 15th of March, 1881, leaving an infant son who is still living. In September, 1882, our subject married his present wife, whose maiden name was Ada Stoutzenburg, of Marine, 111., and b}' this union has been born one child, Amy Allen, now five j-ears old. The child of the former marriage is Nathaniel Dressor Northcott. Our subject and his worthy lady have a very pleasant home and they delight to enter- tain their many friends and visitors. Mrs. North- cott is a musician of considerable reputation and comes from a family noted for their musical abili- ties. The families of both our subject and his wife are members of the Episcopal Church. Mr. Northcott had three brothers and two sisters, of whom all survive with the exception of one sister. Mrs. Naomi Everett is the Principal of the High School at Huntington, W. Va. In the sum- mer of 1890, the readers of the Cincinnati Post voted for the most popular lady teacher in the States of Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia and Ken- tucky. The Post promised to give a free trip to Europe to the one receiving the highest number of votes. Mrs. Everett was the proud recipient of one hundred and seventy-five thousand votes and was therefore awarded the prize. G. A. Northcott, although only a young man, is at the head of a PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 149 large clothing establishment in Huntington, W. Va. Another brother, Robert H., is Cashier of a bank at Altron, Colo. The .youngest brother, Elliott, is studying law in the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor. On the 13th of November, 1890, Mr. Northcott was elected Head Consul of the Modern Woodmen of America. Tliis places him at the head of the largest fraternal insurance society in tlie North- west, comprising in its membership fifty thousand of the best citizens of the States of Illinois, Mich- igan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North and South Da- kota, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas. Until the sum- mer of 1888, Mr. Northcott had never been a mem- ber of secret societies, but since that time has united with the Modern Woodmen of America; the Odd Fellows; the Masons; Knights of Pythias and Sons of Veterans. 3<'¥'>i B. MUNDAY, Jr. The gentleman of whom I we Twite is tjie pleasant and obliging Manager of the Western Union Telegraph OflSce at Litchfield, 111., and he has held this position for nine years. Our subject was born in Milledgeville, Ga., June 17, 1863, and is the son of C. B. and Victoria (Bivins) Munday. His father was engaged in gen- eral merchandising in his native place. Our sub- ject went to South Carolina when he was twelve years old, and then by himself he made his way to Tipton, Ind., where his education was finished. He went into the drug business while at Tipton, and remained there for two years, but in 1883 he caiue to this place and engaged in telegraphing. He had learned this craft in South Carolina, and from the time of his arrival he took charge of the office here. He employed then three men, but now the business has so increased that it is necessary to keep a force of five men. He has charge of the dis- triet betweeji Alhambra and Spripgfleld, on the St, Louis & Chicago Railroad, and tha St. Louis and J'gonS' lipeS; TJjero is so inuclj activity in tljis 4iS' trict that the Manager finds little time for play, but he has so arranged his affairs that he can real- ize profits from other lines of business in which he has a silent interest. Among these we may men- tion the Munday Bros, and the Threshing Ma- chine Companies, in each of which he was one of the original stockholders. The former was incorpor- ated early in 1892 with a capital stock of 116,- 000, and is doing a general grain and brokerage business. He is also interested in the two city Building and Loan Associations, and in the North and South Chicago Association, in which he is the Vice-president of the local board. Mr. Munday has taken a great interest in the educational affairs of the city, and at present is Secretary of the Board of Education. Our subject was married January 31, 1883, to Miss Bride Buscher, of Atlanta, Ind., and three bright little ones are now members of the family: Guy, Joseph and Mary. The Roman Catholic Church of St. Mary's claims the family of our subject as members. In his dealings with his fellow-citizens, Mr. Munday has shown a public spirit that has made him to be regarded with respect, and in his social relations he is one of the principal factors of Litchfield society. His relations with his employers have been of the pleasantest nature, and their reliance upon his fidelity and ability is shown in the many years of service which they have required of him. ^^EORGE B. TRAVERS, a representative ll ,=. farmer and stock-raiser of Pitman Town- ^^1 ship, living on section 7, is a native of Dorsetshire, England, who was born December 22, 1828, and was the son of Joseph andpjliza Travers, both of whom were natives of England. Our subject was reared to years of maturity in his native coiinty and was taught the pripeiples of good farnjirig. He went to school in England, but yytis jnterruptec} jn his education, so that U}^ 150 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. knowledge, is almost all self gained. The father thought that America would give the family bettor opportunities than did Britain, so they took pas- sage at Liverpool, England, in 1850 for the United States and arrived in New York City after a trip of twenty-four days. The "grej'hounds" of the ocean were not yet built, and scarcely conceived of in the brains of the daring navigator. The destination of the Travers family was Macoupin County, and thither they came as soon as they landed in Illinois. They were among the early settlers, but the father and mother did not live long enough in the new land to enjoy the re- sults of their venture, the mother dying in 1851, and the father, missing her encouragement, died in 1855. The children who survive are George B., Joseph, Mathew, James; Eliza, the wife of Henry Weiss; and Elizabeth, the widow of John Morris. After arriving in Illinois, our subject began work on a farm, and engaged with Henry Law, of Macoupin County, to work for $11 per month. After the death of his father, our subject as- sumed the management of the family, and be- came their mainstay. To him they all looked for assistance, and nobly did he perform the offices of both parents. His marriage took place June 9, 1858, to Miss Frances J. Swafford, born in Kentucky, the daughter of Hirarri and- Mary (Hudspeth) Swafford, her parents being early settlers of Macoupin County, 111. To Mr. and Mrs. Travers five children were born: Albert E., Edwin C, George E., Frederick J., and Jennie M. For several years after marriage our subject farmed as a renter in Macoupin County, but in 1869 he moved to Montgomery County and set- tled on a farm, and there he now resides. He owns one hundred and sixty acres of land, and this is a reward of honest labor. He commands tlie re- spect of all who know him and his example shows to others what may be accomplished in overcoming adverse circumstances. In his political opinions Mr. Travers is a Republican and always votes with the party which he thinks protects the inter- ests of the poor man in his efforts to better his condition. The Patrons of Husbandry, an agri- cultural association, claims Mr. Travers as a valued Kiembev, and for twenty years he has served his township as School Director. For nearly two years he has been the efficient Highway Commis- sioner of Pitman Township and for one year he acted as Township Collector. The success of Mr. Travers' life has been obtained through honest in- tegrity and persevering labor, and his whole career has marked him as a man in whom his fellow- citizens can take pride. i>->)^ Uym pear the town of Jei'se^yjUe, a son of James G. and Jennie (AVhite) Randle, the former being of Scotch descent. Just when his ancestors settled in this country is a matter of con- jecture, but there is little doubt that his grand- father, Peter Randle, was born in North Carolina about the close of the Revolutionary War. Jn that State, James G. Randle was also born, in 1811, and in 1820 he and his parents are found on the blealc prairies of Illinois, near what is now Edwards- ville, Madison County. About tlie year 1832, they took up their abode in Jei-sey County, and here James G. was married to Miss White, who was born in this State, to which her parents emigrated from Georgia at an early day. Both James Randle and his wife lived to a ripe old age, the former passing to his reward in Nokomis in 1879, and the latter in Jersey County about 1875. H. N. Randle was brought up to a knowledge of the calling of agriculture and received a fair com- mon-school education. At the age of eighteen years, he commenced to learn the mason's trade in Jerseyville, wliich occupation he successfully fol- lowed in that place and in Nokomis until about ten years ago, when he entered the extensive establishment of G. S. Upstom, of Nokomis, as manager of his grocery department, where he con- tinued for eight jears. liis services being very sat- isfactory and highly appreciated by his employer. At the end of this time, he established himself in the grocery and queensware business on his own account and brouglit, besides energy' and intelli- gence, long experience to bear, evidence of which is amply attested by the liberal patronage he already controls. To show in what high esteem he is held by his townsmen and fellow-citizens, it is but necessary to state that for four years, ending in the spring of 1892, he was Mayor of the town, and has held the office of Town Clerk, Tax Collector, and is at present filling the office of Assessor. He has always been a Republican of pronounced type, as was his father before him. His grandfather abhorred the institution of slavery so much that it was his chief reason for leaving his native State. H. N. Randle has been married twice, his first union being celebrated in 1864 in Jersey County, 111., Miss C^athorine Irwin, a daughtev pf Samuel C, Irwin, becoming his wife- She was Ijpfn in Jersej? (M^-ty^ PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 155 County and died in 1874, leaving two children, one boy and one girl, tlie former of whom, Charlea, is a young man of about twenty-four years of age, and is a jeweler of Lexington, 111. The daughter, Nellie, is a j'oung lady aged twenty-one years, and, having completed her education, is now at home. Miss Delia Coon became Mr. Raudle's sec- ond wife in 1879. She was born in Jersey County, and is an intelligent and agreeable lady. Mr. Randle is active in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows' lodge, and he is also a worthy member of the honorable order of the Knights of Pythias. He is a whole-souled, generous and public-spirited gentleman, and as a business man spares no effort to please and satisfy each and every one of his numerous patrons. The premises occupied by him are of ample dimensions and contain a fine stock of staple and fancy groceries, which will bear favor- able comparison with that displayed by any similar establishment in his section. Popular prices pre- vail and business is always done on the square. ^ ^^^#^#^"i^S^ y> - ylLLIAM H. BREWER, Vice-president of the Hillsboro National Bank, has been closely identified with all the active inter- ests of this city for more than lialf a century. He was born in Trigg County, Ky., January 4, 1826. His paternal grandfather, William Brewer, and his father, the Hon. William Brewer, were natives of North Carolina. Grandfather Brewer was reared in the old Tar State, where after his marriage he settled with his wife on a farm, and in that home a son was born in 1803, and named William. About 1807 the family removed to Kentucky. Father, mother and children, together with a few household effects, were slowly but safely trans- ported by wagon to their destination. William Brewer, the son, was an adept in the daily lessons of pioneer life and grew up a fearless, self-made man, well deserving the positions of trust ac- corded to him in later years. In those early days every ambitious boy desired a trade; William 7 Brewer learned that of a saddle and harness- maker, and it is safe to say that he did his work faithfully and well. In Cadiz, Trigg County, he married Delia, daughter of Samuel Hough, a na- tive N'^irginian, but an early settler of Ohio. The mother of our subject was born in Virginia in 1807. William Brewer and his young wife lived for a time in Elkton, Todd County, Ky., but in 1834 removed to Crawford County, 111., whence they later came to Hillsboro and settled permanently in Montgomery County in 1839. Mr. Brewer bought a general store, in which he conducted business for nine years, selling out at that time to his son, William H., who had shortly before at- tained his majority. Although retired from mercantile pursuits, Mr. Brewer, Sr., led a busy life. He was an ardent Republican and took an active interest in politics. He served as Justice of the Peace, was a County Representative, and also flUed the responsible posi- tion of Probate Judge with honor and integrity. He and his wife were both members of the Meth- odist Church, and active in its good work. Mrs. BreWer died in 1859. Judge Brewer survived her manj' years, entering into rest in 1883. Three of his children lived to adult age, viz.: Sarah E., wife of A. A. K. Sawyer, of Hillsboro; Mary, who married S. M. Grubbs, of Litchfield; and William H., the subject of our sketch. The last-named finished his studies in Hillsboro Academy, and soon after attaining his majority became pro- prietor of the general store in which he transacted business twelve years. At the expiration of that time, he disposed of his store and gave his atten- tion to farming and stock-raising, making the han- dling of Short-horn cattle a specialty for a time. The first wife of our subject was a sister of Judge Phillips. She was united in marriage with Mr. Brewer November 17, 1857, and died in 1867. She was the mother of four children, all of whom are deceased. Mr. Brewer's second marriage took place July 14, 1875. His bride was the daughter of G. V. Brookman and the widow of W. W. Brown. This estimable lady is a native of Hills- boro and ha5 two children by her first marriage: Ellen, wife of Otto Walter, of Omaha; and J. T. 156 PORTEAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Brown, a resident of Ilillsboro. Mr. and Mrs. Brewer have one daughter, Mary. Our subject owns five valuable farms, much of the land being under a high state of cultivation. Three hundred and sixt3'-four acres are located on section 14, Hillsboro Township; three hundred and twenty in East Fork Township; eighty on section 26, Irving Township; about one hundred and twenty on section 5, Hillsboro Township; and eighty on section 34, Hillsboro Township. Besides these extensive farming properties, Mr. Brewer owns a valuable business block and other city real estate. Following in the footsteps of his hon- ored father, he is a Republican in politics. He is a worthy member and Trustee of the Methodist Church, one of the oldest religious organizations in the city. Mr. and Mrs. Brewer are foremost in social and church enterprises, and active in all good works. 4^ ^^ ^M NDREW B. COPELAND, who is engaged (( ^u| | in general merchandizing in Walsh viile, has spent his entire life in this county, Iiav- ing the honor of being one of its native citizens. He was born in Grisham Township, June 30, 1835, and is a son of Samuel H. and Nancy H, (Gray) Copeland, the former a native of Ken- tucky, and the latter of Tennessee. Both father and mother came to Illinois in 1828. They were married in the year 1834, locating upon the farm where our subject was born. Their family numbered three daughters, but only one is now living: Elizabeth M., wife of A. T. Strange, who resides near Walsh- ville. The father of this family died in 1847, and the mother afterward became the wife of George Forehand. By their union were born four children, three of whom are .yet living: Emma O., wife of G. H. Webster, of Nokomis; Unity J., wife of Franklin Morrison, of Sorento, Bond County; and George H., of Denver, Colo. The subject of this sketch was quite delicate in his youth, and as he hfvd to ('[c]e on l^orspback five miles to school his educationalprivileges were nec- essarily limited, but by reading, observation and experience in later years he has made himself a well-informed man and keeps himself well posted on all Lhe current events of the da}^ His first business training was received as clerk in a drug store in Hillsboro, where he was employed for four years. In 1861, he engaged in clerking in the store of C. T. Hodges, of Walshville, where he was empioj'ed for one year, when, in 1892, he became proprietor of this store and is now carrying on general merchandising. Previously' he also engaged in agricultural pursuits thirty years, from 1862 to 1892. On the 1st of January, 1884, Mr. Copeland was married to Mrs. Sophronia Butler, wee Canon. Thev have but one child, Edgar Boone. In Grisham Township they have a very pleasant home and the parents are highly respected citizens. Mr. Copeland has faithfully served his fellow-citi- zens as Justice of the Peace for twelve years, was Treasurer of the school for a period of six years, and has also filled the office of Constable. In pol- itics he is a stalwart Republican, and in his social relations is a Mason, belonging to the lodge of Walshville, of which he is Treasurer. In the line of general merchandising, Mr. Copeland has had much experience. Since he started in business for himself, his trade has constantly increased, and by his fair dealing and courteous treatment he lias secured a liberal patronage, which he certainly well deserves. VILLIAM H. GUTHRIE. "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women in it players." It matters not whether the fig- ure that one presents on the stage is in central position, or whether it is but a tiny part that goes 10 make the whole perfect, if it is filled to the best of the player's ability he deserves as much credit fts though he were tl^e hej-o au4 pentral persop of POETRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 157 the play. Our subject disturbs himself but little over the game of chance called politics, and leaves to others whose researches in scientific fields have been more extended than his own to settle ques- tions that belong to that line. He is content in doing the best he can in his own sphere; in being a good man, loyal to his country, a peace-loving and peace-making citizen. Mr. Gutlirie is a representative farmer and stock- raiser of Harvel Township, Montgomery County, owning a fine farm on section 29. He is a native of Greene County, and was born October 3, 1840, being a son of Milton and Catherine (Fisher) Guthrie, both of whom were natives of Kentucky. Milton Guthrie came to Illinois and located in Madison County with his father in boyhood, and there spent the major portion of liis life. Our subject is the third son in his father's family, and of a large family the following five children sur- vive: Jolin, William H., Joshua, Mary and Demp- sey. Mary is now the wife of .John K. Moore. Mrs. Milton Guthrie still survives. She is now past eighty years of age, but retains lier faculties to a remarkable degree. The State was young when our subject came hither, and its main development has taken place under his close observation. From a wild and un- cultivated prairie it has changed to a fruitful gar- den spot, worthy of the best cultivated places in Old England, and is possessed of a metropolis that rivals in many respects the great cities of the East and Europe. Our subject himself has been peace- fully engaged all his life in the avocation of a farmer, his attention being directed chiefly to gen- eral farming, while he bestows much attention on his fine and well-selected stock. Like most of the youth of Illinois who grew up under pioneer auspices, his educational advantages were limited. Our subject was married November 9, 1865, his bride being Miss Elizabeth Martin, a native of Greene County and a daughter of Josiah and Eliza Martin. Six children have filled to over- flowing the couple's domestic happiness. They are, .John O., Joseph M. (deceased), Luella, Laura B., Dennis E. and Lizzie M, In the fall of 1861, our subject came to Mont- gomery Coiint^ fl,n(? settlet^ jn Ra^vmppc} Town- ship. He remained there for a number of years and then removed to Harvel Township, locating on his present farm. By his constant efforts he has metamorphosed the virgin prairie into its present highly productive state. He is the owner of three hundred and twenty acres of land which bear good improvements. He has a pleasant home that is comfortably furnished with all the necessities as well as some of the luxuries of modern life. Politically, our subject is a stanch adherent of the Republican doctrines. He has served his township as School Director and in other ways has proved himself a loyal citizen. ^^i@^@mi^ AVID R. WILKINS, M. D., is one of the ) most successful and prosperous physicians (j»J^ of this section. His training has been med- ical, as his father has long been known as one of the most skillful practitioners of the county, and it is not too much to say, remembering his popularity', that he has probably inherited some of the qualities wliich have gone far to make his success assured. The steady nerve, the quick eye and the tender, sympathizing touch which make a physician so affectionately regarded, are qual- ities whicli no school of medicine can give, if they are not a part of the man himself. With this introduction, we pass on to the brief sketch of the life of one whose past augurs well for the future. David R. Wilkins was born in Medaryville, Ind., March 28, 1855, and was the son of Dr. Da- vid Wilkins, of Greenville, 111. At the age of two months he was brought by his parents into Mul- berry Grove, this county, and later accompanied them in their removal into Greenville. At that place he attended school, and received every ad- vantage until he was eighteen years of age, when he went into a drugstore to learn the uses of med- icine, and here he remained for four years. Dur- ing this time he was reading medical books in the regular course, and by the time two years of his drugr stove experjepcp weve passed )ie w^sreadj^ t9 158 POKTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. attend a course of medical lectures in the Missouri Medical College, and two years later, in 1878, he graduated from there. Looking about for a pleasant and profitable sit- uation, our young M. D. selected Old Ripley, in thiscounty, and remained there until 1881, at which time he joined his aged father in Greenville, and practiced there for three years. However, his pa- tients at Ripley demanded his return, and he came back for one year, but in 1885 he came to Poca- hontas. September 15, 1881, he was married to Miss .Jennie Harned, who was born in Old Ripley Town- ship April 22, 1861, and three children are now happy little members of the Doctor's household, and their names are Lillian, John and Paul. The Doctor's practice extends over a wide extent of country, and is constantly increasing. He is a valued member of the Methodist Church, and at- tends upon its services and contributes to its sup- port. The home of Dr. Wilkins is very attractive, and has lately been so re-modeled that it is most convenient, with office, drug room and consulting room in communication. He takes great interest in the Masonic order, in which he has long been prominent, being now Secretary of the lodge at this place, and belongs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and is one of the social factors of his community. ■ i » i i >• I 1 11 I - I ^ ^., NTHONY ALMOND. This part of the !Ol Prairie State has proved a mine of wealth to thousands of industrious farmers who ^ have come hither from the East and from foreign countries, and by dint of hard work and enterprise have developed the resources which na- ture so liberally provided. One of the salient features of the agriculturists of Montgomery County IS their energy and push, or, as the Amer- ican puts it, "go-aheadativeness." This county forms a striking example of the truth of the as- sertion, and Mr. Almond furnishes us with a striking case in point. Like many of the promi- nent citizens of the county, he is of foreign birth, Sussex County, England, being his native place, and was born on the 11th of February, 1830. His parents, Anthony and Winnifred (Paine) Almond, were also natives of England, where they spent their entire lives, the father engaged as a team- ster. The youthful days of our subject were passed in his native country, and not liaving very good educational advantages, he is mainly self-edu- cated. He early learned the teaming business, at which he was engaged for some time, but seeing a better opening for a struggling young man in America, he went to Liverpool in 1851 and took passage in a vessel bound for this countrj'. After an ocean voyage of a little over seven week%, he landed in New Orleans, went from there to Mis- souri, and thence shortly after to Jersey County, 111., where he worked as a farm hand for about two 3'ears, receiving $12 per month as pay, that being about the average wages. While in that county, he subsequently farmed on rented land for some time, and in 1856 came to Montgomery County. He settled on his present farm in Bois D' Arc Township, and there he has made his home ever since. On the 17th of January, 1856, Mr. Almond was united in marriage with Miss Alice Stanley, a na- tive of New Jersey, born December 8, 1836, and the daughter of Thomas and Alice (Cook) Stanley, natives of England. Several years previous to her birth, her parents took passage for America, located in New Jersey, where they resided until 1845, and then removed to Jersey County, 111., where they passed the remainder of their days. Of their children four survive: Matthew C; Jane, wife of Oliver Randolph; Alexia, wife of Mark Risley; and Mrs. Almond. One of her brothers, Robert Stanley, entered three hundred and twenty acres of land from the Government, and our sub- ject now has one hundred and sixty acres of this. Mr. Almond's marriage resulted in the birth of eight children, who are named in the order of their biiths as follows: James, Mary, George, Car- oline, Etta, Ella, Robert and Hattie. When our subject first settled in Montgomery County, he began developing raw prairie land, and by indus- PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 161 try and good management soon had his place in a good state of cultivation. The soil was rich and productive, the climate all tliat could be desired, and fortune favored liim. Although one of the early settlers, he has kept thoroughly apace with the times, and all his farming operations are con- ducted in a thorough and progressive manner. His worthy wife has been a true helpmate to him, and as thej- now have sufficient of this world's goods, they are comfortable and happy. They are members of the Patrons of Husbandry at Diver- non. 111., and are prominent in all good work. In politics, Mr. Almond is a Democrat. Since coming here, he has witnessed many changes in the country, and has been a potent factor in its growth and development. Our subject has two brothers and two sisters living, all residiag in England, viz.: Harriet; Jemima, wife of George Eldridge; John and Thomas, all worthy and excel- lent citizens. -1^+^i FRANCIS DRESSOR. The well-watered val- ley of Shoal Creek Township is an admir- /li able locality in which to raise stock. The tender juicy grasses make the finest tissue, if they do not give that strength and endurance obtained from the blue limestone deposits found in the Blue Grass region. So profitable is the business in Bond County, that our subject, Mr. Dressor, gives to it almost his exclusive attention and he is one of the most prominent farmers and stock men of the locality. He was born in the State of Maine, May 30, 1827, and is one of the family of eight children born to Rufus and Tamar (Cothren) Dressor. Of this family there are now two brothers and two sisters living, namely: Joshua P., who is a farmer living near Reno, and Nathaniel, a wealthy stock- man near Wisetown, of this same county. Polly is the widow of the late James Cruthis, and Olive is the wife of J. B. Denny, of Sorento. i When the subject of this sketch was a lad of ten years of age his parents started Westward from Maine, coming hither with team, and living, during the overland journey, in their wagon, as do the gypsies of to-day. After two months spent on the way they settled on a tract of land that is only a mile or so distant from Mr. Dressor's present home. The Dressor family is of P^nglish extraction, the great-grandfather Dressor having been born in England in 1740. He later came and settled in Massachusetts, and there the grandfather was born in 1768, and our subject's father July 29, 1795. The latter died in Bond County, October 13, 1858. His wife, who was born in Farmington, Me., February 12, 1797, also died in Bond County, July 17, 1880. She was of Scotch and Irish ancestry; thus it is readily seen that from both sides of the family Mr. Dressor has the goodl}' inheritance of nationalities noted for their superior traits and natures. The original of this sketch was brought up on the home farm. He received but a limited educa- tion, the advantages offered in this way in the pioneer settlements being of the scantiest and most ordinary character. August 23, 1853, Mr. Dressor took upon himself the bonds of matrimony and was united in marriage to Miss Martha A. Rose- brough, who was horn in Perry County, Mo., Jan- uary 7, 1830. She died August 14, 1864. The one child that she left her husband was named Almira C. She died September 18, 1855. Mr. Dressor again married, January 10, 1856, the lady of his choice being Miss Mary PI Rankin, a native of this county and State, having been here born March 31, 1832. By this union six children were added to the family: Emma Alice, who died when an interesting baby of a year old. Hattie also died when young. John C, who was born November 6, 1856 is a graduate of the State University of Champaign, 111., and is now Assistant Cashier of the Western Bank and Trust Com- pany, at Piedmont, S. D. James Rufus, who was born April 22, 1868, was educated at the Green- ville High School, finishing at the State University at Champaign. He married Leona Conkling, and they have two children. He is now engaged in the carriage manufacturing business in Pueblo, Colo. William F., who was born July 16, 1864, and who also received the advantages of a good education, graduating at the Business College at Greenville, 162 PORTRAIT AKD BIOGRArHlCAL RECORD. now looks after his father's farm. He was married October 25, 1892, to Miss Callie Gary. Lucy J., who was born March 9, 1866, is a graduate of the High School at Greenville, 111. and received vale- dictorian honors at that place. She for five years has been engaged in teaching. Mr. Dressor is a prominent figure in the Prohi- bition party. He was formerly a Republican, but although a lifelong temperance man, he felt that a greater stress should be laid upon the purity of personal life as regarding National politics. For one term he was the incumbent of the oiflce of Associate County Judge. His father had held the office of Township Treasurer from the time the township was organized until his death, when Francis Dressor was elected. Our subject and his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church, he having been an Elder in the same for twenty years. He has also been a great Sunday-school worker and for the past six years has been County Superinten- dent of Sunday-school Conventions. He is the present President of the District Sunday-school Association and devotes much of his time to this work. His fine farm, which comprises three hun- dred acres, is the site of a beautiful home, in which comfort reigns supreme. 'OHN PRICE, a venerable pioneer of III Grisham Township, Montgomery County, 111., now residing upon section 11, is supposed to be the oldest settler in that por- tion of the country. He was born in "Wayne Coun- ty, Ky., August 22, 1816. For three-score years his life has been full of activity and incident. Thrown upon his own resources at fifteen jears of age, he bravely faced the world, his sole capital a stout heart and willing hands. The father of our subject was drowned when John was but eight years old. His mother was a native of the South, and a woman of courage and resolution. She had borne Ave children and bravely shared the liardships of her husband's life. He died a poor man and left his family unpro- vided for. Overcoming all obstacles with patient endurance, the widow journeyed with her children to Illinois, locating in what is now Hillsboro Town- ship. Toiling and saving to keep the wolf from the door, the mother yet spared a little money to send John to the subscription school in the neigh- borhood. Judge Rountree gave our subject his first em- ployment. The lad was handy and soon learned to make rails and handle the carpenter's tools. He made the sixteen thousand shingles that covered the second court house in the county. As time passed on he prospered and made a home of his own. Ellen N. Loving was the name of the lady he chose for a wife. She was born in Simpson County, Ky., March 2, 1824, and was there- fore but seventeen years of age when she was mar- ried to John Price, April 22, 1841, but she had grown up amid the scenes of pioneer life and un- derstood well the ways of the household. Mr. Price took his young wife to a fortj^-acre farm in Grisham Township, section 9. There was a little log house, 12x14 feet, and a little log stable in the rear. Only twelve acres of the farm were under cultivation, the rest being un- broken prairie. In about a year Mr. Price traded this property for another farm of sixty acres on section 22, of the same township. Upon this farm our subject and his wife remained for years con- tented and happy. Finally they removed to their present location, on which there is some fine tim- ber. There was the usual primitive cabin on the land, and in this humble home the family dwelt until in 1855 Mr. Price built his present residence, hauling all the timber from Alton, a distance of forty miles. Mr. and Mrs. Price have had fourteen children, nine sons and five daughters. Of this large family eight survive: George W., of Montgomery County; Mary C, wife of D. S. Clotfelter, of p:ilis, Kan.; John E., who is a widower and lives with his pa- rents; Thomas S., of Bond County 111.; Isaac K., of Mead Centre, Kan.; James E., of Donnellson, 111.; Joseph A., of Montgomery County, and Martin C, supposed to be in Arizona. PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 163 The homestead has now two hundred aud twenty- five acres, two hundred of which are under fence and much of it is highly-cultivated. Mr. Price origi- nally owned six hundred acres, but has given each of his children farms, thus materially reducing his own holdings. Our subject begun life without the aid of friends or money, but he has always been well able to care for the little ones who came tQ him, and the great pleasure of his latter days has been to start them on their upward way. No man in the Western country has a greater store of valuable reminiscences than the subject of this sketch. Past events of public and private in- terest are as familiar to him as household words. He shot doer where the town now stands, and was known as a skillful hunter of the early daj'S. Mr. Price cast his first vote for Buchanan. For several years he supported the Republican ticket, then fa- vored the Greenback, party, and now votes for the best man, regardless of politics. Mr. Price has been a Class-leader of the Methodist church for many years; his wife is also a valued member of the same persuasion, and both are interested in all religious enterprises. ^>^^ank, Eliza- beth and Margaret. The eldest daughter is now the wife of William Langenn, and Margaret is the wife of John Langenn. Since his original purchase in this county, our subject has added as he has been prospered, so that he now owns five hundred and sixty acres of land. All this with the improvements his farm bears have been made by industry and economy op the part of Mr. Todt and family, for there was neither golden nor silver spoons at hand at the birth of our subject. He has, however, made the most of every opportunity to acquire knowledge that has come within his reach. His excellent judg- ment and good common -sense have done much for him, and he is greatly honored and respected by his town 's-f oik. He has served as School Trustee for eighteen years, and also as School Director. He has also been Supervisor of Harvel Township, and during his incumbency of that position was greatly interested in developing the natural re- sources of the locality. Politically, Mr. Todt casts the weight of his vote and influence with the Democratic party. In his church relations he is a Catliolic. Mr. Todt was Postmaster under Johnson and Grant at Herndon, in this township. I" I ILLIAM PEACH, one of the most success- ful and prominent farmers of this localit3-, was born in Randolph County, 111., Octo- ber 25, 1826. He has worked hard, and has ac- cumulated much of this world's store, and now owns over four hundred acres of the rich land of the Prairie State, from which his yields of wheat are so large that a stranger might ask in wonder, "How can beings starve, when for adequate labor the soil of this beautiful land yields like this.?" The father of our subject was William Peach, who was a native of Newbury, Vt., and was born October 20, 1800; his grandfather's birth took place in Marblehead, Mass., May 31, 1777. The great-grandfather of our subject, named William, was one of two brothers who came from England in Colonial times and settled in Massachusetts. The grandfather was a sailor by profession, and when he tired of the sea, he made himself a home and adopted farming for the rest of his life. His first settlement was in 1817, at Marietta, Ohio, to which place he removed his family by wagon, and there ho lived until 1820, at which time he joined other neighbors and moved to Illinois. The trip was made down the Ohio on a flat-boat, and then on the Mississippi until the party reached Horse Prairie, in Randolph County', and at this place Mr. Peach took up Government land and resided until his death, December 11, 1822. The father of our subject was appointed Admin- istrator of his father's estate, and Anally settled it to the satisfaction of all, and he there lived until about 1829, when he removed into St. Clair County, and went to farming. At one time he owned five hundred acres of land, and conducted a saw- mill. His beginning was poor, but industry gave him returns, and as he was a hard-working man, he became very successful in age. His political convictions made of him an old-line Whig, and he took deep interest in all that went on around him in public life. For many years he was Justice of the Peace, and was considered a man of probity and honor. His death occurred in March, 1874, and he was mourned by his relatives and the mem- bers of the Baptist Church, of which for many years he had been a valued member. The mother of our subject wasPriscilla Simmons, who was a native of Maine, and was born March 29, 1801. Her death occurred August 20, 1835, she having been the mother of four children: Lois, Rebecca, Sarah and William. The second marriao-e of Mr. Peach, Sr., which united him with Eliza- beth Grotts, resulted in the following children: Samuel, John, Charles, Elizabeth and Eliza A. The second wife died and a third time Mr. Peach mar- 172 POKTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ried. This wife was Almira Simmons, who was the sister of his first wife, but no children were born of this union. Our subject was only three or four years old when the family removed to St. Clair County, and at that time the droves of deer were familiar sights and the wolves were numerous enough to require the careful shutting of the sheep pen to keep the animals from the stock. An occasional Indian wandering over the old liuiiting-grounds would appear and beg for food, but our subject never saw any savage ones. Their race had been about ex- terminated in this section, or driven toward the Western mountains, where they now occasionally make a feeble attempt at rebellion. The old log schoolhouse, which in some remote places has been left standing as a memento of the past, was the university which our subject was permitted to at- tend, and well does he remember the slab benches and the ingenious contrivance of a plank resting against the wall, supported by j^ins of wood, upon which the luckless little ones placed their writing, books. Here, with their quill pens they learned to form the pot-hooks, and then the letters of the alphabet, and for three months in the year these privileges were extended. At the age of twenty-one, our subject was a man capable of managing for himself, and he took charge of the sawmill, and conducted it for a few years. He cleared up a farm and worked it for some time, and then his health failed, probably from too hard labor at too early an age. 'Fallon needed a general store, and this seemed a fine opening, and he purchased a stock and opened up there. P'or five years he conducted a successful business, but when the war broke out all business stagnated, and he sold out and returned to farm- ing, buying one hundred and sixty acres near Lebanon. This he improved and worked until November, 1880, when he sold and bought his present farm. The first marriage of Mr. Peach took place July 12, 1849, to Miss Malinda Leach, who was a native of St. (;iair County, 111., and six children were born to them, who were William (deceased), Alice, Theodore, Mary, Asa and Horace. His wife was taken away August 16, 1864, His secop(? mw' riage was with Miss Elizabeth Peach, March 15, 1866. Her birth occurred in New Hampshire, June 3, 1828, and she came to Indiana when twenty- eight years old, and in 1866 came to St. Clair County, 111. One child, Carrie, has resulted from this marriage. Mr. Peach is a large landowner, having two hundred and thirty acres here, and one hun- dred and seventy' in Sniithboro, which latter he rents. He has carried on mixed farming, but this year he rents the most of the land, upon which he has made grain his principal product. Al- though Mr. Peach is a Baptist, and his wife a Con- gregation alist, perfect harmony reigns, both being good Christian people according to their own ideas of right. In politics, Mr. Peach is a Republican, and has been very prominent in public affairs, and was nominated for Representative in 1890, but in the general defeat of the party through the State he did not get elected. For twenty years he has held some school office, and now holds a member- ship with the Masonic order, in which he is highly regarded. ^+^[ "^ \f AMES MARSHALL. In every condition of life and in every locality where the struggle for a livelihood is going on, where can in- dependence be found more faithfully por- trayed, or more clearly demonstrated, than in the life of the honest, industrious farmer? To omit the name of Mr. Marshall from this volume would be to leave out one of the most prominent and successful agriculturists of the couuty, who has not only thoroughly identified himself with the farming interests of this section, but by his pleas- ant, genial manner lias won many friends. In former years, the life of the farmer was considered a laborious one, but in this progressive age, with such improvements in machinery, he Can do his work with half the dispatch or labor as in the time of his father, and, in fact, work but little, if any, havdey than the average man wUc strives to make PORTEAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 173 a living. Besides all this he is independent, which is one of the much sought for conditions of life. Mr. Marshall is one of the successful farmers who have kept thoroughlj' apace with the times, and have reached the condition of life mentioned above. Our subject was born in Ohio, June 18, 1837, and is a son of Michael and Sarah Marshall. He grew to mature years in his native State and re- ceived his educational advantages in the common schools. In 1861, at the breaking out of the Civil War, he enlisted in Company G, Fourteenth Mis- souri Infantry, and operated in Missouri, Tennes- see and Kentucky. He participated in the battles of P^t. Henry, Donelson, Shiloh, siege of Corinth and other engagements of minor importance. Dur- ing service, he became physically incapacitated and was honorabl}- discharged after having served nearly two years. He receives a pension of 18 per month. On the first of February, 1876, Mr. Marshall married Miss Eliza Tapscott, who was born Octo- ber 22, 1847, and by her he has one son, Joseph E., whose birth occurred May 17, 1882. In 1859, Mr. Marshall came to Illinois and located in Jersey County, where he remained for some time. Later, he came to Montgomery County and settled on his present farm, where he has since resided. He is the owner of one hundred and sixty acres, has it in a fine state of cultivation, and is one of the leading tillers of the soil in his locality. His home is all that a cultivated mind or a cultui-ed taste could wish, and on every hand are evidences of thrift and industry intelligently applied. He and Mrs. Marshall are highly-respected members of society and are well known as public-spirited and enterprising citizens. Mrs. Marshall was born in Indiana and is the daughter of .John and Phoebe A. (Woodward) Tap- scott, both natives of the Buckeye State. About 1848, her parents came to Illinois, purchased a farm in Jersey County, and there resided for a number of years. Later, they moved to Warren County, Ohio, and there they reside at the present time, both over seventy years of age. Although well along in years, they enjoy comparatively good health, m^ are ^ ijjupb este?mec| a»t? bonofe4 oW couple. Charles Tapscott, Mrs. Marshall's brother, lost his life in the Civil War. Her mother was matron during the war at Camp Dennison, near Cincinnati, and draws a pension of $12 per month. Mr. Tapscott was also nurse in a hospital during that trying war. IRAM SHEPHERD. The name of this much-respected citizen and old pioneer is well known in the county, for he has been \jj successfully engaged in the arduous duties of the farm in this locality for many j^ears, and now owns one of the most productive, Jbest culti- vated tracts of land in the locality. He was born in Fillmore Township, Montgomery County, 111., August 18, 1830, and there his youthful days were passed. His father, Pleasant Shepherd, was a native of the old North State and grew to manhood in that State. When a young man, he went to Kentucky and there married Miss Anna Brown, a native of the Old Dominion, but reared in Kentucky. After this union Mr. Shepherd eauie direct to Montgomery County, III., in about the year 1827, and located in Fillmore Township, where he en- tered land from the Government. About 1832, he sold out and moved back to Kentucky, but after remaining there one winter be made his way back to Montgomery County, 111., and settled in what is now North Litchfield Township. There he improved a good farm and resided the re- mainder of his days. His death occurred in 1834, while his wife followed him to the grave in 1848. Her father, Richard Brown, was a native of Virginia and came to Illinois about 1827. Hiram Shepherd was one of five children, three sons and two daughters, two of whom died in in- fancy. He was reared in his native county and was but four years of age when his father died. When he was eighteen years of age, his mother died, a»(J then be stfl-vtec[ piit t-o flgbt Ufe's battles 174 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD, for himself. At first he worked by the month on a farm, receiving $9 per month for his services, and continued at this occupation for two years. He then began farming on sliares for himself. In 1852 a great desire came over him to cross the plains to the land of gold. He started out with ox-teams, and went by way of Salt Lake City, first stopping at what was then called old Hay Town. After reaching the Pacific coast, he en- gaged in mining for about two years and in 1854 returned via Panama and New York City on tiie "John L. Stephens" and the "Pacific." After reaching the Sucker State he farmed the first season, then went to North Missouri, where he remained but a short time. In the fall he went to the Lone Star State, but in 1855 returned to Illi- nois, where he again resumed agricultural pursuits, following this for about two years. After this he engaged in the sawmill business two and a-half miles northeast of Litchfield and followed this for about two years, when he traded the mill for a farm m North Litchfield Township. On this he located and remained another two years, when he traded it for another farm in the same township In 1864 he sold this and bought the place where he now resides, on section 26, and has since tilled the soil here with substantial results. He is wide-awake and prosperous and has displayed excellent judg- ment in tlie management of his affairs. All his property has been accumulated by honest toil and good management, and as a citizen and neigh- bor he has no superior. On the 21st of October, 1857, Miss Nancy A. Williams, a native of Washington County, 111., became his wife, and- their union has been blessed by the birth of nine children, four sons and five daughters: Anna E., wife of George H. Barringer, of Fillmore, 111.; Sarah E.,in the millinery business at Hillsboro, 111.; Mattie J., wife of John Moore, of Fillmore Township; John P., of Raymond Township; Rosa A., at home; Lillie L., wife of J. L. Williamson, of Fillmore Township; Charlie H., Frank and Edward E. Mr. Sheplierd settled on the farm where he now resides in 1864, and on the farm was a little frame house, 16x24 feet, and a small log stable, which have since given place to a large two-story frame residence and substantial outbuildings. Since then Mr. Shepherd has added to his land until he now owns two hundred and forty acres and is en- gaged in general farming and stock-raising. The political views of our subject have brought him in affliiation with the Democratic party and he is an earnest upholder of its principles and policy. He was Sciiool Director for twenty years or more and has also served as Highway Commissioner. He is a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and one of the Trustees of the same. He is a man whose career has been above reproach and one whose honesty and- uprightness have never been questioned. i>-*<-^ E. TUOHY. To those who would have their cupboards filled with those luxuries 11- which make a table a pleasure to sit down to, the name of Mr. Tuohy is very sug- gestive, for he is an extensive dealer in poultry and eggs, being the efficient manager of the house which was established by A. Jordan. He was born in Nokomis, 111., April 2, 1863, a son of Thomas and Sarah (Balton) Tuohy, both of whom were born on the green isle of Erin, but early in life came to America, and first located in Worcester, Mass. Early in the '50s, they turned their faces toward the setting sun and eventually located on the broad and fertile prairies of Illinois, and in 1859 took up their abode in Nokomis. Here for twenty-five years the father was in the employ of the Big Four Railroad Company. He was of a very energetic temperament, was industrious, per- severing and honorable in all his trausactions, and was respected by a large circle of friends. M. E. Tuohj' grew to mature years in the town of Nokomis, and fortunately for him received a liberal education in the public schools, for he in- herited the active brain and quick wit of the Irish race, together with the sound judgment that made him grasp at each and every opportunity for bet- §.^^ PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 177 teriiig his financial condition, and the years tliat he spent in the acquirement of an education were not thrown away, as has since been proved. When he had attained to about the age of eighteen j'ears, he followed in his father's footsteps and entered the employ of the Big Four Railroad Company, taking a position in the office at Nokomis, where he remained until May, 1885, making a trusted and efficient official. At the above-named date, he received a Government appointment to the United States Mail Service on the Vandalia Line, and the following year was appointed by President Cleveland to the position of I'ostmaster at No- komis, a position for which he was well qualified and which he filled to the universal satisfaction of both political friends and opponents until the month of February, 1890. To show that his services were satisfactory, it is but necessary to state that while lie was a Democrat, appointed to his posi- tion by a Democratic President, he continued to hold the office for a year after the Republican party came into power again. Our subject resigned the position of Postmaster and took upon his shoulders other duties, once more becoming an employe in the office of the above-named railroad company at Nokomis, but soon afterward he was elected to the position of Town Clerk of Nokomis, and filled this position in a very efficient manner for two years. In the spring of 1892, he resigned this position to become the manager for the extensive poultry and egg shipping establishment mentioned above, and of which he has exclusive control. Under his able management, the company has met with un- bounded success, and the business is rapidly grow- ing in popularity. Mi'. Tuohy is polite and atten- tive to his patrons, and tlieir orders are filled with a promptness and accuracy that are very satisfac- tory. System and order prevail throughout, and everything about the place indicates that Mr. Tuohy is the right man in the right place. In 1884, he was married to Miss Minnie Hovey, daughter of D. Hovey, who was for many years Agent of the Big Four Railroad, and to their union a bright little daughter has been given, who is now about five years of age and wliom they have named Margery. Mr. Tuohy is a thorough busi- 8 ness man, is a very agreeable and satisfactory gentleman with whom to have business dealings, and in the social circles of Nokomis is highly re- garded. rDWIN W. DRESSOR, a prominent 3-oung farmer of Bond County, and the present IJLs^ Supervisor of Central Township, is located on a fine farm near Greenville, and is a man of means, intelligence and education. The parents of the .subject of this notice were Nathaniel and Elizabeth Dressor, who were pio- neers of Bond Count}'. The father was a native of the Pine Tree State, where he was born in 1825. The grandfather, Rufus Dressor, was a farmer by occupation. Our subject was born near Reno, 111., December 12, 1854. His education was begun in the best schools of the county, and at the age of thirteen be became a pupil of McKendree College at Lebanon, 111., from which, after completing the scientific course, he was graduated June 12,1876. His studies finished, he returned to the farm, and on March 7, 1877, he was married to Miss Mary Ann Kirkland, who was born in Montgomery County, 111. Three children were born to this household, the eldest of whom, Orla E., is de- ceased. The surviving children are Edith Mabel and Blanche. Mrs. Mary Ann Dressor died October 21, 1887, and November 14, 1889, Mr. Dressor married Miss Lizzie Thraner, who was born in Bond County, 111., October 10, 1859, and one child has been born of this marriage, Nathaniel Edwin. After his first marriage, our subject located at this place, where he has twelve hundred acres of fine land, all in one body, with the latest improvements and in the highest state of cultivation. He has carried on mixed farming, and has raised a great number of all kinds of the best stock, having an enviable reputation throughout this locality for his fine cat- tle, horses and hogs. He has spared no exertion in order to obtain the be&t grades of cattle and 178 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. secure the best of improvements on his farm. Not only has he embellished his own property, but he has also advocated improvements throughout the entire township. Our subject is very public-spirited, and is always the first to favor any advanced step in the county, either in an agricultural or educational way. In his political opinions, he favors the Republican party, because he believes in that party can be found the principles best suited to the government of a great country like the United States. He is very popular in the ranks of his party, and has been honored by them in his election as Supervisor for the third term. During the first year of his service, he was elected Chairman of the Board, and so well did he perform the duties of his office that this year he was honored witli the same office. The Masonic order claims our subject as one of its most honored members, and he has been most active in its meetings. He also affiliates with tlie Modern Workmen at Greenville. He is a man of independent means, and probably has made the major portion of his property in shipping stock and graiuj both of which he buys extensively and ships to the different cities, principally Chicago and Indianapolis. He is well known througliout the community, where he is highly esteemed. ♦sa*E n T. TOWELL was born in White County, 111., March 26, 1836, being the eldest in a family of ten children born to William M. andjMartha (Stark) Towell, of which family but five members are now living: William M., who served for three years in the civil war as a member of Company L, Third Illinois Cavalry, did valiant work for his country, and is now a resident of Litchfield, III, where he is following the calling of a wheelwright; Samuel L., who is now a resident of Kansas, also served his country in the Third Illinois Cavalry during the war; Charles L. resides in Waggoner, Montgomery County, Ill.;jDora J. is the wife of James De Grate, of Walshville, 111.; James H., who served with conspicuous bravery in the Civil War for three years, is in the Third Cav- alry, and in 1867, while a member of the Kansas State Militia, and fighting the Indians near Ft. Hayes, was massacred, being literally shot to pieces, and was buried near that fort. Isaac Towell, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born in Pennsylvania before the War of the Revolution, but in early life removed to Tennessee, where William M. Towell, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in 1817. He was brought to Illinois in 1835 and afterwards became a wagon-maker and farmer of White County. It was on his farm that the man of whom we write was born and reared, his early scliolastic training being received in the common schools near his home. In addition to the three brothers above mentioned and the father who went fortli to battle for their country during the perilous times of the Civil War, none donned his suit of blue with greater eagerness than did the subject of this sketch, who did good and faithful service during that great struggle. They were all members of the Tliird Illinois Cavalry, and during the last year of the war the father served as Regi- mental Commissary. He lived until September 1890, and died at Walshville, Montgomery County. I. T. Towell answered to his country's first call for troops, and in April, 1861, we find his name on the roll of Company D, of the Seventh Illinois In- fantry. During this enlistment he did not leave the State but part of his time was spent at Cairo. On the 7th of August, 1862, he became a member of Company L, of the Third Illinois Cavalry, as a private and for two years thereafter his company was body-guard to different commanders of the Thirteenth Army Corps. He was in many of the bloodiest combats of the war, including Jackson, Champion Hills, Black River Bridge, siege of Vicks- burg, Franklin and Nashville, and followed Hood into Alabama. He was promoted in regular line, and for more than a year was Orderly-Sergeant of his company, with which rank he was mustered out of the service, May 22, 1865, and returned home without a scratch from any implement of war in the hands of a rebel. fOETEAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 179 Since the war lie has devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits in the vicinity of Litchfield, 111., and is now the owner of a magnificent farm in Witt Township, the result of his own good management. He is a Republican politically, has served a term as Collector, and for five years was a member of the County' Board of Supervisors. He is a member of the Grand Army, and is a Master Mason. In 1860, he was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Chapman, a Keutuckian by birth, who became a resident of Montgomery County early in life. To them a familj' of nine children has been given, who are as follows: John W. Is married, and is a wheelwright at Litchfield; Laura is the wife of Henry Lee, an Englishman by birth, and a farmer of Witt Township; Mattie is the wife of Jacob Bauerla, a farmer of Audubon Township, of Montgomery County; and the follow- ing are at home: Nora, Ida, Eva, R. T., James E. and Maude. All these children were educated in the public schools, but Ida completed her education in Hillsboro Academy. Mr. Towell is one of nature's noblemen, and is an acquisition to the locality in which he resides, for he is public- spirited, energetic, and liberal in the use of his means. "02: EO ESSENPREIS is one of the oldest set- tlers of Bond County, and one of those who have made much of its unwritten history. He came here poor, and b}' the energy of his char- acter and the perseverance of an honest man, he has won his way to the front rank in the wealth and influence of his section. The subject of this sketch was born in the cit^' of Baden, in Germany, February 2, 1827. His father, John Essenpreis, was also a native of the same place, and there grew up, lived his quiet, unostentatious life as a farmer, and died, after settling his family in America, at the ago of sev- enty-three years. The mother of our subject was named Elizabeth Greilick, and was born in Baden, where she lived with her husband, the careful mother of nine children, and the frugal "hausfrau" of her home. When she had passed her seventy- third year her life ended, and both she and her husband passed awa}' under the comforting min- istrations of the Roman Catholic Church. The ■family came to America, and the names of the children were: Mary A., Elizabeth, Anton, Sophro- nia, Leo, Helen, John B. and Louisa. They are now scattered, and their descendants are in many places. Our subject was reared on the farm in Germany and came to America in 1841, being then four- teen years old. His schooling was obtained in his native country, where, if the methods were old- fashioned thej" were thorough. The ocean trip of the Essenpreis family covered forty-seven days in an old sailing-vessel, and after landing they made their way to Madison County, III., and there the fathei' purchased a farm in the wilderness. At that time there were plenty of deer yet in the belts of timber, where they remained on account of the water, but our subject was no hunter, and did not molest them. He had a short season at school after coming to America, but there was too much work to be done, and at the age of twenty-one he took the responsibility of his own life upon his shoul- ders. There was no difficulty then in securing work, and as Mr. Essenpreis was most modest in his de- mands, he soon found eraplo3'ment, and for six years worked by the month. For the first four years he was the possessor of $2 at the end of every thirty days, but when he began on his fifth year his wages were raised to the munificent sum of $8 per month. The ceremony which joined Miss Elizabeth Knebel to him, for better or for worse, took place March 31, 1850. The young lady was a native of Baden, Germany, and came to this country in 1848. She was a true and faith- ful wife, and the mother of seven children. Her death occurred in 1879, and her family were Henry, John, David Baptist, Anna Clara and Charles Leo, all of whom are deceased, while the living are Philip and Fritz. Our subject married a second time, February 2, 1880, and his wife was Miss Emma Wise, a native 180 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. of Bond County, 111. One child, William, has been added to the family by this union. After his first marriage, our subject located in Madison County, where he rented land for two years and then came to this county, where he bought ninety acres, and this was the beginning of his landed posses- sions. There were no improvements upon it, and he went to work to build a house, and to make the place into something like a home. As his means increased, he bought more land, and at the present time he has six hundred and forty acres, and has given his two eldest sons four hundred and fifty acres for a home of their own. Our subject has probably done more hard work than any man in Bond County. He raises stock and grain, and has found that the wisest plan is to raise feed and put it into stock and hogs, and to sell them. Mr. Essenpreis moved here in 1880, and since that time he has lived retired and rents out his land. He feels that he has done enough hard work in his life. Both he and his estimable wife are members of the Roman Catholic Church, and he has contributed liberally of his means to the sup- port of the church as he has prospered. Our sub- ject is a Democrat now, although ho voted both times for Lincoln, because he was opposed to hu- man slavery. He is now pleasantly located at Pier- ron. Bond County, and is a man who commands and deserves the respect of the whole neighbor- hood. 4^^ <*=••• r^pi= =^ ^1^ UGENE L. GREENLEAF. The gentleman llUj whose name wb place at the commencement /I' — ^ of this sketch is the eldest of seven children born to Edward .S. and Catherine P. Greenleaf. His mother bears the distinction of never having changed her name, she being a member of a family bearing the same name as her husband, although in no way connected. Edward S. Greenleaf was a native of the State of Maine, his birth occurring in October, 1837. When eight years old, his jjjotlier died, and his father sought to forget this bereavement in the Western country, which at that time was so fraught with adventures and achieve- ments. The grandparents of Pjdward S. Green- leaf represented old Southern families, both on the father's and mother's side, and the lineage of the family can be traced back nearly a century, at which time the ancestors were prominent people in St. Louis, Mo., and New Orleans, La. Edward S. Greenleaf became interested in the railroad business very early in life, and worked his way from the bottom round of the ladder until he became Superintendent of the Jacksonville & Southeastern Railroad, making his headquarters at Jacksonville. He filled this position with more than ordinary abilitj' for a term of fifteen years, and enjoyed the reputation of being one of the best-posted men the company had at their com- mand. In 1889, Mr. Greenleaf resigned his posi- tion with the railroad company, and started in the grain business at Jacksonville. It is given to but few men to serve a master for a short lifetime, and then embark on an entirely new enterprise, feeling responsible to no one but themselves, and make a success in the new field. He of whom we are writing was blessed with more than ordinary ability for railroad work, and carried the same amount of ability into the field of merchandise, thus making a success of his undertaking. In a very short time after commencing as a merchant, Mr. Greenleaf, Sr., was recognized as one of the most prosperous business men in the place where he had been so popular and had become so well known as Superintendent of a railroad. So much of the character of an individual is foreshadowed in his ancestors, that the old trite saying, "Like father like son," is often very applicable. Eugene Greenleaf, with whose name we commenced this biography, inherited from his father many of the traits that made his life a success. He received his education at Jacksonville, this State, and after concluding that he had all the knowledge necessary to help him toward success in the business world, he turned his attention to railroading. When only nineteen years old our subject received the appointment of Station Agent at Reno. The labors incumbent upon this position were not sufHcient to keep him PORTEAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 183 occupied, anrl he soon became interested in the grain business, which he managed in connection with his raih'oad duties, and succeeded in estab- lishing himself as a business man. Industry and energy ever seek larger fields of employment, and our subject soon learned that one possessed of his executive ability could add other enterprises to those already undertal^en. With this end in view, he^tarted as a dealer in railroad ties, and became known throughout this portion of the State as an extensive dealer. He is considered one of the best business men in this community. His knowledge of affairs is extensive, and his opinions would do credit to one who had multiplied his years. Mr. Greenleaf is a stanch supporter of the Re- publican party, but has always been too busy with his business matters to give much attention to politics. Too much praise cannot be accorded him for the way in which he has built up his own busi- ness, and he has the good wishes of all who know him that he may reach the goal of his desires and enjoy the position which his talents and endow- ments have so eminently fitted him to fill. The surviving members of the family of our subject's father are his sisters, Mrs. Alexander, wife of William Alexander, a grain merchant of Jacksonville; and Martha E., Grace, Catherine, Edward M. and Moses, who are all receiving their education at Jacksonville. _:0 eW. JOHNSON, M. D., a very prominent and successful follower of the science of medicine, is one of Litchfield's most enter- prising physicians. He is also the proprietor of the Central Illinois Infirmary, which institution is well and favorably known throughout the State. Mr. Johnson hails from the flowery shores of the celestial land of China, having been born in Hong Kong, May 17, 1848. However, he does not be- long to the Mongolian race. His father, John W. Johnson, was a missionary of the American Baptist Board of Foreign Missions, and it was during his stay in the city of Hong Kong that his son C. W. was born. John Johnson was born in New Hampshire in January, 1821, but left that State when a child and removed to Maine. He was a graduate of Amherst College, and soon after leaving that insti- tution he studied theology, first as a Congrega- tionalist, but during his course he was led to change his views on immersion and united with the Baptist Church before his studies were com- pleted. In the year 1847, he chose a helpmate in the person of Miss Anna Stevens, who was born at Eastport, Me., and who was slightly his junior. After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson set sail for China, which was to be the scene of their labors. Mr. Johnson remained in the missionary service until his death in 1872, and devoted his entire life to the conversion of the heathen. In 1860, he left Hong Kong and made Swatow his head- quarters, where he remained until his death. Dur- ing the entire time of his residence in China, he made only two trips to the United States. His was a grand, noble life, self-sacriflcing and Christ- like. Any missionary deserves the respect and esteem of all people, but when a mission ar3' is as good and devout a man as Mr. Johnson, no praise is too great. His wife, to whom he was devotedly attached, died when her only child, our subject, was born, and Mr. Johnson was left alone in a strange land. His body rests in the land he la- bored to redeem and gave his life for. Peace be to the ashes of such a hero. Our subject was sent to his mother's sister, when only two and one-half years old, via Liverpool to Amesbury, Mass., and while on the way over, the ship was attacked by pirates and one-half the crew lost. In 1859, the father made a trip to America and took his son back with him to China, but young Johnson only remained there three years. November 11, 1862, he set sail for the land of his adoption from Fon Chow, on the "Jacob Bell," an East Indian tea ship. When the ship had been out ninety-six days, they were captured by thn rebel privateer, "Florida," and their vessel was burned. They were kept on the "Florida" for IM PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. five days and then transferred to a Danish barque bound for the West Indies. After reaching the last-mentioned place, Johnson proceeded to the Bermuda Islands, thence to Halifax, Nova Scotia, by steamer, and from there managed to reach Boston, March 8, 1863, after a voyage of nearly four months. After our subject's second arrival in America, he entered school at Phcenix, R. I., where he re- mained for one year, and then completed his prep- aration for college at Philip's Academy, Exeter, and the University Grammar School in Providence, R. I. He then entered a business college at the same place, from which he was graduated in 1867. Afterward, he followed steamboating for one year and book-keeping for one half-year, at the end of which time he decided to devote liis life to the physical needs of humanity, as his father had given his life to their spiritual needs. In accord- ance with this resolve, he began the study of med- icine in 1868, under the instruction of Dr. L. P. Babb, at Eastport, Me. His lectures were received at Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, from which institution he was graduated March 9, 1872. Upon graduation, our subject settled in East Machias, Me., and practiced his profession until the 4th of September, 1884, having built up a fine practice during that period. It was a country practice, however, and was so large that he was completely broken down attending to the demands made upon his time and skill. He therefore sold the good-will and devoted himself to special studies in his profession, serving as Chief Assist- ant to 0. H. AUis, who had charge of the Ortho- pedic Department of Jefferson College. In addi- tion to his studies and the duties of his office, he carried on a practice in a large section of the city. There he remained until 1886, when he removed to Litchfield, 111., where he has built up a fine prac- tice, having had the confidence of the people from the first. In 1890, Dr. Johnson purchased the Infirmary to accommodate the large number of patients he had under his care. On first going to Litchfield, he had purchased a residence and in that endeav- ored to treat such patients as required his con- stant care, but the' house soon became too small for his needs, and in September, 1890, he opened this institution. It is always crowded, and has never been without occupants, with the exception of ten days. The knowledge that Dr. Johnson has full control of the establishment is advertisement enough for it, as everyone has the fullest confi- dence in his skill and ability. On the 9th of January', 1873, our subject mar- ried Miss Allie Ryerson, of Lubec, Me., and succeed- ing years have proven his choice to be a happy one. One child, a son, has been born of their union, namely: Simeon Ryerson. Dr. Johnson is very prominent in his section of country, holding many of the important positions of different or- ganizations, and is identified with the American Medical Association, Knights of Pythias, Knights Templar and Eastern Star. In addition to this he is a member of the Board of Education, and for three years was a Trustee of the Maine State In- sane Asylum, his term of office extending from 1883 to 1886. He is a devout member of the Methodist Church, to which he contributes liber- ally, and his name is a sj'nonym for genialitj', intelligence and skill. All unite in praise of so learned and successful a man. l^OULTON & CORNELIUS. The enterpris- ILs^ ing firm composed of the two gentlemen as given above conducts with marked abil- ity the crisp and newsy sheet known as the daily HeraM. This is also supplemented by an issue called the weekly' Herald. Under various managements the paper is one of the oldest es- tablished in the county, but under its new pro- prietorship it was re-christened with its present name. In March, 1888, Mr. Boulton purchased the plant and good-will of the sheet before issued. He edited it alone until 1890, when he associated with himself Mr. W. S. Parrott, of the Raymond Leader, and the two papers were consolidated. The first issue of the daily dates from April 28, 1890. PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 185 It is a seven-column quarto page and so ably is it edited that it meets with a flattering degree of suc- cess in circulation, botli locally and throughout the county. Mr. Parrott was succeeded in the associ- ate editorship by Mr. Cornelius, who began work upon the paper January 1, 1891. Under the com- bined efforts of the present firm, the local and ag- ricultural interests have little more to desire in the way of news. Its editorials are timely and well considered,while all the local items are reproduced with care and exactitude. Tlie weekly paper is an eight-column quarto, also having a good circu- lation both in Montgomery and Macoupin Coun- ties. Mr. Boulton, the senior editor of the IIerald,isa. native of Boone County, Mo., where he was born June 29, 1854. He is a son of Jesse A. and Clara D. (Perrine) Boulton, both of Mason County, Ky. The former was born in 1817 and was, during the greater part of his life, engaged as a farmer. Their marriage took place in Kentucky, whence they re- moved to Missouri. They continued their agri- cultural interests there until removing to Virden, IH., where Mr. Boulton still lives. He is a man who has always commanded the respect of his asso- ciates and fellow-citizens. While in Missouri, he held the office of County Judge, and that State continued to be his home until 1891. He and his wife, wlio still survives, have reared four sons and one daughter, also another child by a former marriage. The children are as follows: Mrs. J. H. Darneille, the eldest, of Chatham, 111.; Wal- ter E., Payne A. and John W. The half-sister mentioned is now Mrs. Monroe Bateman, of Col- umbia, Mo. Our subject received liis education in his native State and finished at the State University of Mis- souri, where he earned the degree of L. B. in the Class of '77. Three years later, he added to his diploma the degree of M. L. Thereafter for some time he was engaged in teaching in the public schools in Boone County, Mo., and was also in the Christian University at Canton, Mo. He finally located at Hannibal, Mo., and remained there until June 1, 1887, when he became editor and proprie- tor of the Hannibal daily and weekly Journal. At the date above mentioned, he disposed of his inter- ests in the Journal And purchased a one-lialf inter- est in the Troy (Mo.) iVe?<)s, which was consolidated with the Free Press in January of 1888. He sold out his interest the following August, and two months later came to Litchfield and associated himself as above narrated. Besides his journalistic interests, he is also a stockholder in the Litchfield Tiiresher Company. While in Missouri, he was several times a delegate to the State Democratic conventions and took an active part in politics. Socially, Mr. Boulton belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In his church relations he is a member of the Christian organization. '« — >'n»>^ ii ' I ' OBERT E. CORNELIUS. If so young a f(^ man could with propriety be called a vet- Lm\\ eran, surely Mr. Cornelius deserves that ^ title as applied to his career in newspaper work. From the tender age of eleven years, he has passed through all the forms and phases of getting out a sheet, and has worked his way up from "devil" to his present position as associate editor and proprietor of the Litchfield daily and weekly Herald. Our subject was born May 6, 1865, in Benton, 111., and is a son of Robert E. and Lou (Adams) Cor- nelius. The father was a harness-maker by trade, to which the son, however, had no inclination. After he had received the rudiments of his educa- tion at Benton, he began to learn the mechanical part of printing in the Benton Standard office at the age of eleven years. He continued in that office for four years and then went into the office of the Baptist Banner at Cairo. Mr. Cornelius first came to Litchfield in October of 1889. He worked away until January 1, 1891, when he was offered an interest in the paper of which he is now half-owner. The department over which he has exclusive control is the mechanical business of the journalistic work. Our subject has a pleasant home, wliich is pre- sided over by a pleasant, courteous lady, who was 186 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. known before her marriage as Miss Cora Bnrress, of Benton. Their nuptials were solemnized March 13, 1885. Two children bring gladness into their household and bear the suggestive names of Dot and Bee. Mrs. Cornelius is a daughter of Dr.W. D. Burress, a well-known physician of Benton. e-^H^^^ ^^^ TEPHEN R. RICE, one of the most pros- ^^5 perous and happy farmers in Pitman Town- ((\£_lj) ship, resides on his fine farm on section 19, and there enjoys the comforts and pleas- ures of middle age, which have been gained by his energy and persevering labor. The birth of our subject took place in Macoupin County, 111., March 14, 1833. He was the son of a man whose memory is still green in this section, and he has grown up and done that father honor. William B. and Elizabeth (Cave) Rice were the parents of our subject, and both ancestral families came from below Mason and Dixon's Line. Will- iam B. Rice was a native of Kentucky and came into Illinois in the '30s witii his family, and spent the first year in Sangamon County. He then de- cided that this was a good Stale to live in and moved to Macoupin County, and there entered land on the edge of a belt of timber, knowing that where there were trees there would be water. One of the most distressing wants of the pioneers was the lack of water, and as Mr. Rice had thought of that possibility, he selected his land where there was no fear of such a calamity. His location was near the site of the present village of Palmyra, and here he yoked up his ox-team and went to work breaking the laud. Mr. Rice became a prominent man in his lo- cality and served as Justice of the Peace, a very important position in those days, and as one of the pioneer school teachers of Macoupin County. The family that he left at the time of his death, in 1864, consisted of six children, four of whom are now living, viz: Stephen R.; Lucretia V., who married Daniel Chapman; John F. and Charles W. In his death Macoupin County lost one of her first settlers, and one of her strongest men. In early life he had been a Whig, but later be- came a Republican. Stephen Rice was reared among the scenes of pioneer life and early learned the use of six yoke of oxen and a wooden moldboard plow in break- ing land, and can give much information about the early methods of farming, because he made practical tests. His education was obtained in the subscription schools of his time, and he well remem- bers the log hut with its puncheon floors and slab seats. Human nature, especially boy nature, was probably tlie same tlien as now, and there was plenty of playing and little learning. The edu- cation which finally became his he gained in con- tact with tlie world, as he has always kept well posted on topics of general interest. When the time came for our subject to think of forming his own home, he prevailed upon Miss Polly A. Dalton to become his wife, and they were married September 21, 1854, after which she took up the reins of his domestic affairs, and has made his home in all of these years a place of peace and pleasantness. She still continues by his side, and none realizes more than he what a blessing a good wife can be. The birth of Mrs. Rice oc- curred in Morgan County, 111., February 19, 1837, and she is the daughter of Isham and Rebecca (Ray) Dalton. Her father was a native of Vir- ginia and her mother was born in North Carolina. In 1817, her yjarents started for Illinois when it was yet a Territory, and settled in Madison County. They resided there for a number of years, and then moved to Macoupin County, and subsequently went into Morgan County, where her father mainly reared his family. He finally returned to Macoupin County, and resided there until his death, in 1876, his wife living until 1884. Three children survive: Lewis, Mrs. Jack- son Seymour, and Mrs. Rice. The occupation of Mr. Dalton was that of a brickmason and manu- facturer and farmer, and he was an early settler of the township. To Mr. and Mrs. Rice two children have been born, William H. and John B. The acres of which our subject is the owner amount to PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 189 ninety-one, and tliis fine land has been accumu- lated by the efforts of one man, assisted by a ca- pable and industrious wife. They are both val- ued and beloved members of the Methodist Epis- copal Church, in which body ]Mr. Rice has long been a Class-leader, and is now a Trustee and Steward. For twenty-one years he has served as School Director, and for four years as Road Com- missioner of Pitman. Township. Mr. Rice always is in the front rank when im- provements in the county are suggested, and the society of both church and neighborhood would seem wrong and wanting if the genial presence of Mr. anil Mrs. Rice was withdrawn. In 1869, Mr. Rice located on this place and has improved it in every way. He is a Republican in politics and a good all-round man, who would be sadly missed by his neighbors and friends should he remove from this locality. fi^ EORGE A. WEAVER is a member of the Jlj (— -, extensive mercantile house of Weaver '^^ & Edwards, of Sorento. He was born in Cumberland County, this State, on the 22d of October, 1862, and is a son of A. D. and Eliza- beth A. (Armstrong) Weaver. But little is known of the ancestry of either of these families. They were both born in Ohio and came to Illinois about 1840, and when our subject was but a few months old they located in Coles County, not,far from Mattoon. There the father had a small farm, and, being a man of some learning, taught school in that locality for some years. He served during the late war in Company K, of the Fifty-fourth Illinois Infantry, and three of his brothers also served in the army. About 1870, the family moved to Greenville, Bond County, vs^here the mother expired in 1873. After this young Weaver had to make his own way in life, his father being a man of very limited means. He early applied himself to securing an education, at the same time contributing to the support of his two young sisters. After he was twenty-one years of age, he entered the Gem City Business College, of Quincy, from which he grad- uated in 1884. Pie was then tendered the posi- tion of book-keeper for the Colchester Coal Com- pany. This he accepted, remaining with them for a year, and then resigned the position in order to accept that of confidential clerk to W. S. Dann, the merchant prince of Southei'n Illinois, and located at Greenville. This position he held more than four years, but our subject was not made of the kind of stuff that would long be content to work on a salary. He wanted to forge to the front and be a merchant prince himself. With this end in view, Mr. Weaver came to Sor- ento in 1889, and with his meagre savings, in com- pany with a Mr. Maxey, opened a small store. He was possessed of business ability and push, and the capital that he lacked to transact an extensive business was readily furnished by parties having not only the money but unbounded confidence in the integrity and ability of this rising young busi- ness man. The partnership with Mr. Maxey lasted only a few months, when O.M.Edwards, a wealthy farmer living near Sorento, became the junior and silent partner in the firm, leaving the active trans- action of the business entirely to Mr. Weaver. The financial interests of the firm have reached goodly proportions and the business is steadily increasing. They now carry an immense stock of general merchandise, and one that would be a credit to a much larger town than is Sorento, yet the trade demands it, and this is largely due to the management of our subject in his popularity as a tradesman. He has ever been active in what- ever is for the benefit of a thriving little town, and many of the enterprises of the place have found a helpful hand in this wide-awake business man. Mr. Weaver is the eldest of a family of five children. His father died February ,24, 1880. Of his brothers and sisters, Thomas lives in Oklahoma; John is in the employ of his brother G. A.; Laura lives at Pocahontas, and Ruth in St. Louis. Mr. Weaver was married December 15, 1886, to Miss Alice M. Presgrove, who was bom in Clinton 190 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRArHlCAL RECORD. County, 111., October 18, 1863. She is a daughter of B. F. Presgrove. Of the two children that have blessed this union, the eldest, Vallee W., died wlien but nine months of age, August 3, 1888. Tiie surviving child, Vernon A., was born August 10, 1889. Politically, our subject comes from a strong Republican familj^, but is himself an equally ardent Prohibitionist and has always been a strict temper- ance man. m>^^<^^=--^- llj=^ REDERICK J. PANNWITT is a fair illus- rr^m tration of the advanced position which the /I*) young men are now occupying in every phase of life in the United States; in fact, this might be called the young man 's era, for never be- fore has youth taken so prominent a position in affairs, commercial, political and governmental, as at the present time. Mr. Pannwitt was born in Mecklenburg, Germany, August 31, 1860. He is the son of Frederick and Mary (Haeppner) Pann- witt. The elder Mr. Pannwitt engaged as a farmer in his native land, but, seeing larger opportunities for his children as well as himself in the States, he emigrated to America in 1865. The Pannwitt famil3'made their home in Chicago for one year. That was before the fire which came to the city, a blessing in disguise, and laid low the city by the lake so that it then bore little resem- blance to the great metropolis of the present time. From Chicago the family removed to Effingham County, and located on a farm, doubtless the best place for bringing up a young man, and there our subject giew to manhood. He attended the district school until eighteen years of age, and then, considering himself equipped for the strug- gle of life, he determined to set out for himself, and accordingly went to Missouri and located at Bland, a country crossroads in Gasconade County. While here he entered a blacksmith shop in order to learn the trade, and gave three years of his time to making himself master of the business. In the spring of 1882, the subject of this sketch came to Nokomis and entered the employ of J. L. Freasier, with whom he continued until January 1, 1885. He then purchased his employer's inter- est and continued the business in his own name. He has brought to it all the energy and ability of his nature and mind, and has been very successful in every effort he has thus far made. Immediately after establishing himself in business on his own account, Mr. Pannwitt was married to Miss Margaret C. Essmann, their marriage being celebrated February 24, 1885. Their home is one of the finest residences in Nokomis, and was built in 1891. Mrs. Pannwitt has brought all her tact and taste to bear in making this an ideal home for her husband and child. She presides over the place with much grace, which shows to admirable advan- tage her natural alility. Mrs. Pannwitt is a native of Missouri. One child, Edwin F., a bright little boy of Ave years of age, gladdens the house with his winsome presence. Truly the family life as en- joyed by our subject is a very gracious one, well- ordered and prosperous, and bears the benedicti'on of a truly religious uplifting. Mr. Pannwitt is a man of more than ordinary ability, deeply respec- ted by all who know him, and is a true type of the German gentleman. He is an exemplary mem- ber of the Methodist Church, and is a strict tem- perance man. Politically, he pins his faith to the garment of no party, but votes as he believes to be for the best interests of his countrj-, independent of platform or local interest. ENRY GRUBE, a retired farmer residing in Greenville, claims Pennsylvania as the State of his nativity. Lancaster County ^ is the place of his birth, and the date Sep- tember 1, 1823. He is a son of John and Anna (Summy) Grube, natives of Lancaster County. The father was a farmer by occupation, and fol- lowed that business throughout his entire life. In 1836, he removed to Clarke County, Ohio, where he purchased five hundred acres of land, PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 191 making a home thereon until his death, which oc- curred on the 2d of November, 1880. Ilis wife survived him for about five years, and died March 10, 1885. The paternal grandparents of our sub- ject, Jacob and Susan (Wayland) Grnbe, were also born in Lancaster County. The former, who was of Swiss descent, was a boot and shoe maker by trade, but also engaged in farming. The maternal grandfather of our subject was Christian Summy, who was engaged in keeping a hotel, and also fol- lowed farming. He was born in Lancaster County, where the birth of his wife, whose maiden name was Catherine Musselman, also occurred. •The subject of this sketch had no sisters and but one brother, Aaron, who was killed when twenty years of age in a railroad disaster in Montgomery County, Ohio. Henr}' spent his boyhood days upon his father's farm, and acquired his education in Pennsylvania. He remained at home until twenty-four years of age, when was celebrated his marriage with Miss Margaret J. Humphreys, of Clarke County, Ohio, daughter of James and Catherine Humphreys. They began their domes- tic life upon a farm in Clarke County, and Mr. Grube there continued agricultural pursuits from 1848 until 1868, when he removed to Springfield, Ohio, and there lived a retired life for two 3'ears. He then went to Jasper County, 111., where he en- gaged in farming upon three hundred and forty- five acres of land for six months. Upon the expi- ration of that period, he removed to Clinton County and purchased a tract of land of one hun- dred and thirty-seven acres, of which fifty are situ- ated in this county, although it is all in one body. He made his home thereon from 1870 until 1878, when he returned to Ohio to take care of liis parents, and remained in the Buckeye State until the 20th of June, 1880. He then again came to his farm in Illinois, and since 1887 he has been a resident of Greenville. He also owns one hun- dred and sixty-four acres in LaGrange Town- ship. In 1887, Mr. Grube was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who had borne him seven chil- dren, four of whom are yet living: Charles H. married Kate Whitaker, of Crawford County, 111., and is engaged in the drug business; Dr. Robert II., a practicing physician, married Miss Margaret Ernshaw, of Dayton, 0., and is now living in Pittsburgh, Pa.; Aaron C, a merchant of Fair Haven on Puget Sound, and George, a book agent for the Riverside Publishing House of St. Louis. Mr. Grube's second marriage was celebrated in 1870, when Mrs. Emma L. Noe, of Grant County, Wis., l)ecame his wife. She is a daughter of Jo- seph and Mar}- A. Hall. Both Mr. and Mrs. Grube are leading members of the Presbyterian Church, and she is one of the earnest Christian workers of Illinois. In the church she serves as a Deaconess, is a member of the Missionary Society, and until last year was President of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of the county. Mr. Grube is also a warm advocate of temperance principles, and votes with the Prohibition party. He is now living a retired life, enjoying a well- earned rest and a handsome competence, which has been acquired through his industrious and well-directed efforts. On coming to Greenville he purchased an acre of land, and owns one of the finest homes in the city. ^^E*^-!- .y ^"^^EV. HENRY BECKER, D. D., a widely ^ known and highly esteemed priest of South- ern Illinois, and for many years an arduous laborer in various parishes of the State, is now the spiritual adviser of the Roman Catholic Church in Hillsboro, Montgomery County, 111. His presence, is a familiar one in scenes of sor- row and distress, especially among the members of his own congregation, but he is a public-spirited man, liberal in sentiment, and, desiring the mutual welfare of the entire community which surrounds him, has won the confidence and respect of all good citizens, irrespective of church or party affil- iations. Father Becker was born in Westphalia, Ger- many, July 1, 1856. His father, Henry Becker, and his mother, Elizabeth (Behrens) Becker, were 192 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. both natives of the jji-ovince which gave our subject birtli. In the home of their infancy they passed their quiet, uneventful life, nor wished for change. They were the parents of five sons and five daughters. The little ones were early trained to habits of industry and thrift. When old enough the children went to school, and regularly attended tho parish church, and soon the daugh- ters shared the mother's duties and the sons assisted the father in his daily work. Four children of this German home have passed away. The living sons and daughters are Sophia, who early consecrated her life to religious duties, and is now a Sister of Charity in Belgium; Anna, who devotes her life to the education of the young, and is now a teaclier in the public schools in Germany; Elizabeth is in Minneapolis, and like her eldest sister has entered upon a religious life as a Sister of Ch.irity; Maria is also a member of a religious order and a Sister of Charity in Namur, Belgium; Herman, a man of business in Chicago; and Henry, the parish priest of Hills- boro. From early youth Henry Becker was a studious boy, of strong religious inclinations, and at the proper age began a course of preparation for the priesthood. He readily acquired the Latin tongue and afterward studied mental philosophy in Bel- gium. He then resolved to complete the higher course in America, which he had long before de- cided to make his future field of labor. Journey- ing safely across the Atlantic, he landed in New York, September 25, 1876. He tarried not long in the United States, but soon proceeded to his destination, Montreal, Canada, where he entered the Grand Seminary, and took the four-j'ear theological course. F'ather Becker graduated with honor as Doctor of Theology in 1879. He was ordained priest December 20 of the same year, and was then as- signed to Illinois, Diocese of Alton. His first parish was in Mound City, and he also ministered to the needs of Metropolis, Stone Fort and Har- risbui-g. He remained with this charge one year and was then sent to Mt. Vernon, his religious duties also including the pastoral work in Okaw- ville and McLeansborough. His next parish was in K.iskaskia, Randolph County, the oldest settle- ment in the Mississippi Valley'. He remained one year, and then on account of sickness was sent to Grantfort, Madison County, where he was sta- tioned a year. Our subject had now for five years faithfully gone his wearying round, answering with his cheerful presence the constant demands of acci- dent, sickness and death. He was over-worked and, finally obliged on account of his health to take a rest, visited the Fatherland. Old friends and neighbors greeted him; his father was yel alive, but his mother was gone from the old home to "a house not made with hands." At three-score years and ten she had entered into rest. In 1885, Father Becker, with health restored, was assigned the pastoral charge of the church at Vandalia, with charge also of Greenville and Ram- sey. In 1888 he assumed charge of the church at Hillsboro, and also officiated as priest at Gil- lespie, performing his varied duties with unabated energy and conscientious diligence. In 1890 he went again to Europe, this time journeying to Rome, whose grandeur and magnificence never cease to employ the pen and pencil of author and artist. Fifty families attend the Catholic Church of Hillsboro and since, our subject took charge he has aided in clearing off a debt of $700 and is now erecting a building (a residence for the parish priest) to cost $2000. Father Becker's undoubted business ability is of great value to the parish, whose religious interests are his first thougfht. yESLEY SNELL. It will be unanimously conceded that the well-appointed restau- rant fills an important niche in the sum total of any town's acquisitions, and' it is in such connection that due mention is made of the estab- lishment of which Mr. Snell is tlie proprietor. This popular liouse was established about four years ago, and is conducted in an admirable man- PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 193 ner, while the cooking is beyond reproach. Prices are moderate, and a first-class meal can be ob- tained for a sum within the reach of all. Mr. Snell was born at Stanton, HI., April 11, 1843, to Jolm and Elizabeth (Best) Snell, the for- mer of whom was born in North Carolina, and came to Illinois in 1823, with his father, Roger Snell, and settled on a farm not far from Stanton. On this same farm the subject of this sketch was born. The grandfather died at the very advanced age of ninety-two years, while John Snell's de- mise occurred on the 7th of March, 1892, at the age of eighty-six years. Young Snell grew up on the farm on which he was born, and, being next to the youngest in a family of nine children, re- ceived but a common-school education. When the war cloud, which had hovered over the country for so long a time, burst in all its fury, he, with two of his brothers, William and James, joined the Third Illinois Cavalry, and served three years. William was slightly wounded at the battle of Pea Ridge, but was otherwise un- injured in the service. He died in 1881, and James in February, 1892. Wesley Snell entered the service on tlie 7th of March, 1865, and became a member of Company H, Twenty-eightli Illinois Infantry as a recruit, and was sent to the front at Mobile, Ala., and at once took part in the siege of that place. He was with his company at the fall of Spanish Fort, Ft. Blakely and the fall of Mobile. They were in camp near the latter city when the news of President Lincoln's assassina- tion reached them. They were then sent to the Rio Grande in Texas, and continued to do guard duty in the vicinity of Brownsville, where Mr. Snell remained until his term of enlistment had expired, in March, 1866. He was discharged on the 7th of that month, after whicli he spent one year on a farm in Macoupin County, 111., then came to Montgomery County, and engaged in farming seven miles south of Nokomis, where he remained until 1880, when he established himself in business in the town, and has since successfully conducted his restaurant and bakery. The establishment of which Mr. Snell is the proprietor is excellent of its kind, the bread especi- ally being of a very superior quality, while cakes of all description, both ornamental and plain, are seen in the show-cases. In politics, Mr. Snell has always been a strong Republican, hut has never aspired to public position. He married in 1868 Miss Mary E. Bond, a native of Madison County, III., by whom he has a family of six children, five of whom are living: Lulla I.; Elizabeth E., wife of John E. Todd, of Mattoon, III.; Eva E., who died at the age of thirteen years; Minnie, John 13., and Essie. Mr. Snell's brother, the Rev. Asa Snell, has been a Methodist minister for the past thirty- six years, and is now located at Spring Garden. Mr. Snell is a well-known man of business, who has gained an influential and wide-spread patron- age through his honorable methods in dealing witli the public, and by his energy and prompt- ness in filling the contracts that are given him. 4^ ■#!» SA J. SHERBURNE is a prominent and enterprising farmer of Bond County and owns one of the best-improved and most ^y fertile farms in this part of the State. Perhaps it would be difH'cult to find among the farming community a man who enjoys wider pop- ularity than he, and his biogiaphical sketch will therefore be of interest to our readers. Asa J. Sherburne was born near Rochester, N. Y., July 11, 1827, and is the son of Henry Sherburne, also a native of New York, whose birth took place in 1799. The family is of English descent and was represented in this country before the Revolution- ary War. In his younger days, Henry Sherburne followed the trade of a blacksmith and engaged in making edged tools and in mill work. Later he became a merchant and dealt in notions and dry- goods. About 1856, he removed to Indiana and settled in Terre Haute, where he engaged in busi- ness for some years. His active labors ceased at the age of seventy-four years, and he passed away mourned not only by his family but throughout the entire community. He had been a valued member of the Methodist Church. In politics, he 194 PORTRAIT AND BTOGRAPfflCAL RECORD. was first a Whig and a strong Abolitionist, and in later years became a Republican. The mother of our subject, Mary (Bronson) Sherburne, was born in New Yoi'k and died at the age of seventy-four years. The church of her choice was the Methodist, in which she was long an active member. Mrs. Sherburne became the mother of nine children, eight of whom grew to maturity, namely: James, Jethro, Charles, Asa, Squire, William, Melvina and Lucy. Jane died at the age of eleven years. Our subject was reared in New York and was educated in the common schools of his place. At the age of sixteen, be left home and began the struggle of life for him- self. At Waterloo, N. Y., he learned the trade of blacksmith and worked at it until 1851, when lie made his way to Indianapolis, Ind., and engaged in work on the Vandalia Railroad, which was being built from there to Tcrre Haute. When the road was finished, he was engaged as engineer and ran on that line between Indianapolis to Terre Haute for nineteen years, and later fron Indianap- olis to St. Louis for five j'ears as passenger con- ductor. Tiring of this life, in 1873 Mr. Sherburne left railroad work and bought his present farm. His marriage, April 30, 1854, united him to Mary Burton, who was born in Terre Haute, Ind., and four children have been born unto them, namely: Harry V., who married Rebecca Plumb; Cora, Mrs. Curtis C. Paddock; Lua E., Mrs. William II. Ebert; and Ned C. Our subject has two hundred and eighty acres of fine land, all in one body. The en- tire tract is in tlie highest state of improvement, ex- cept twenty acres, which he prefers to keep in tim- ber. Hiscommodious residence was erected in 1881 and is beautifully located on a high ridge, near the railroad on which he spent so many years. In 1886, he built the large frame barn, which is one of the most substantial improvements in that neigliborhood. Mr. Sherburne has i-aised a great deal of wheat and also much fine stock. In polit- ical matters, he is a Republican and his popularity with the party of his choice is testified by his elec- tion to the position of School Director, which office he lias lield for many years. For thirty years, he has been a prominent member of the Ma- sonic fraternity and is at present identified with the Blue Lodge, and lias reached the thirty-second degree. The family is highly respected and its members have made hosts of friends among the residents of that portion of Illinois embraced in the confines of Bond County. \]L=^ ON. WILLIAM YOUNG, who for twelve years administered law as Justice of the Peace, and who in the early '50s, before the organization of the township, represented three counties in the Legislature, now resides upon his farm, on section 13, Hillsboro Township, Mont- gomery County. Our subject well illustrates the homely old proverb, "Where there is a will there is a way." He began life with but two valuable possessions — a horse and a saddle. The broad well- tilled and well-stocked farm which he now owns was gained by unremitting toil, patient saving and wise investment. Mr. Young was born in Maury County, Tenn., October 5, 1810. His father, Henry Young, was of Scotch descent, but a native of Pennsylvania, in which State he received his early training. The mother of our subject, Sallie Fifer, was born in Germany, from which country her parents emi- grated to America and located in South Carolina when she was about two years old. Henry Young and Sallie Fifer were married in North Carolina, and first settled in Roanoke County?. From that State they removed to Kentucky, thence to Tennes- see, where, upon a farm about fifteen miles south of Columbus, their son William was born. The father died upon that farm at the age of sixty -four. His widow removed with her family to Montgomery County, 111., in 1830, and lived there until her death in her seventy-eighth year. John and Sallie Young were the parents of twelve children, all of whom reached adult age. Of this large family (eight daughters and four sons) but three survive: Loviua, the widow of Rev. C. C. PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 195 Aydelott, resides in Donnellson, Montgomery County; Harriet, the widow of J. Harder, lives in Perry Township; our subject is the eleventh child and the youngest son. His boyhood was passed in his native place, and he was twenty years of age when he came to Illinois. For a time Mr. Young worked by the day and month, but immediately following his marriage to Miss .Jane Paisley, which event occurred March 1, 1832, he took up land west of Donnellson and lo- cated upon section 21, township 7, range 4. The four-hundred acre tract was a Government claim, and upon its broad surface not even a sod had been broken. A small log-house, 16x16 feet in dimen- sions, entirely destitute of windows, and with a puncheon floor, was tlie home of the newly- wedded pair. For furniture they had two split-bottom chairs, a table made of split walnut logs, and a bed- stead of the same. These articles were not hand- some, but they served their purpose and were highly valued by the good lady of the house. Mr. Young cleared the place, and made miles of rail fence to enclose it. He hauled his grain to St. Louis, the nearest market, and there exchanged it for groceries and other necessities of life, receiving according to market fluctuations from twelve and a-half to eighteen cents per bushel. For fifty years our subject remained upon that farm, but in 1880 he bought two hundred and fifty-two acres, upon which he now resides, and which is under high cultivation. Mr. Young also owns ninety acres on section 24, three hundred acres in town- ship 7, range 3, sections 16 and 17; six hundred acres in township 8, range 3, sections 29, 30 and 32. This large body of valuable land (twelve hundred and forty-four acres^ is all situated in Montgomery County. A tract of two hundred and forty acres in Butler County, which our subject foi'merly owned, has recently been disposed of. Our subject was twice married. His first wife, who died in 1851, was the mother of nine chil- dren, three surviving her: John, William A. and Harriet M., widow of William McCulloch. All re- side in Montgomery County. Three of the fam- ily died in infancy; James J. died in 1889; Sarah Jane and Samuel died wlien they had reached mature years, Mr. Young's present wife was a native of North Carolina, and came to Mont- gomery County when she was sixteen years of age. She is the mother of three children: Francis H.; Anna, the wife of Charles Linx- willer; and Jacob, who resides with his parents. Mr. Young cast his first vote for Jackson and abides by his early convictions. As an oflScial, he made an excellent Justice of the Peace, and ably represented the counties of Montgomery, Bond and Clinton in the Legislature of 1851. ^^I@^@l^.^ ^jOHN P. YOUNG, the present Assessor of Harvel Township, is widely known and highly respected for his excellent business ability and integrity of character. His par- ents wire natives of Germany and in early life made themselves a home in Baden. In this beau- tiful city of the Fatherland, John P. was born May 19, 1839, and, being a dutiful son, he re- mained with his parents until nearly nineteen years of age. The lessons of frugality and patient training in habits of industry acquired in his childhood home gave him confidence in himself, and as he neared manhood, liis ambition was aroused by the reported success of others who had gone to the New World. He now determined to emigrate to America, the Eldorado of countless millions. Mr. Young's journey to the New World was not made in a fast-sailing steamship. He em- barked on a sailing-vessel which left Havre No- vember 24, 1858, and arrived at her destination. New Orleans, February 20, 1859. The three- month voyage gave the young German many hours for leisure thought and planning for the unknown future, and it is probable that much of his later success was due to this fact. The Sunny South did not keep the young emigrant long in its territory, as he soon turned his face northward, and in Jersey County, III., received his first em- ■ ployment in this countr3^ Beginning as a farm hand, John, as he was familiarly called, worked 196 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. steadily two years, receiving, even in the busy season, only the modest sum of $15 per month. But the sturdy young man's wants were few, and having now become a true American, he was con- tent to wait his time. His next step upward was achieved in Montgomery County, where he farmed on shares tliree years in Pitman Township. At the end of this time, he accepted employment which promised better returns at Decatur. Mr. Young, however, preferred his late place of residence, and being convinced that Montgomery County was his best field for work, returned there after a brief time, and again became a tiller of tiie soil in Pitman Township, and subsequently pro- prietor of eighty acres of well-improved land. In the meantime, about eight years after his arrival in America, the young farmer selected a life part- ner, and upon August 9, 1867, married Miss Fan- nie Fehr. Already a land-owner, blessed with health, prosperity, home and wife, the future out- look was even at that earlj- day very bright. Seven children have blessed Mr. Young's union with Miss Fehr, and six of these children — Frank, Mary, Katie, Minnie, Sophie and John — are now living, the death of a son George being the only affliction Ihis happ)' household has known. Po- liticall}', the subject of this sketch is a Democrat, defending his views with intelligent ability, and his heart is with the masses, one of his chief aims in life being to educate and elevate the multi- tude. Mr. Young is an ardent advocate of the public- school system of his adopted country, and for several years has untiringly and conscientiously performed the duties of School Director. Many readily accept such office, neglecting the work which attaches to it, but the fidelity of John P. Young has accomplished much for the youth of his immediate neighborhood, and the good he has done will be shown in the lives of many coming men and women. Besides the position of School Director, which brought him into frequent contact with the chil- dren both great and small, Mr. Young's appoint- ment as Collector of Pitman Township gave him a wide-spread acquaintance. For nine consecutive years he acceptably discharged his duties as Town- ship Collector, and for the past two years has been Assessor. Mr. Young is a consistent attendant and mem- ber of the Roman Catholic Church. As a citizen, he enjoys the full confidence of his associates and neighbors, and pleasant indeed must be the retro- spect of the past. Alone in a new country, rely- ing solely on his own energy, he has made for himself a record to be envied, and has won a happy home and wide-spread influence, whose value cannot be over estimated. E^ yj. OWENS. Litchfield is a pretty city of homes, where the matrons do their own marketing and are wise in all the culinary arts and sciences, from selecting their roasts, vege- tables and cereals to concocting mysterious dishes that their unsuspecting husbands, fathers and brothers are expected to digest. In the face of such knowledge of these matters, the purveyor to these wants must be a shrewd and honest man with keen judgment of the needs of his customers. Such a one is Mr. Owens, who is proprietor of the grocery, meat-market, flour and feed store at the corner of Taylor and Chestnut Streets. He here has a fine place, having many modern appoint- ments, as the building was erected about January 1, 1891, and he enjoys an excellent share of the trade. Our subject was born in Collinsville, Madison Count}', 111., December 28, 1854. He is the son of J. W. and Mary A. (Jones) Owens, the former of whom was an early settler here, having come originally from Kentucky. Here he married his wife, who came hither from Liverpool, England, but who had received her education in London. Mr. Owens, Sr., has from boyhood been engaged in the mercantile business, and is still one of the most energetic business men of Collinsville. He adheres to the principles of the Democratic party and has been Justice of the Pe.ace for twenty-four years, not having been out of office during that time. ,0vlWiM^'^ M,__ oO . POKTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 199 W. J. Owens received his education in St. Clair County, at Caseyville, and later attended commer- cial college at St. Louis. After that he was en- gaged as a locomotive engineer for five years on the Iron Mountain and Jacksonville & South East- ern Railroad. On severing his connection with the railroad company, Mr. Owens came to Litch- field, in March, 1889, and was placed in charge of the City Water Works. He held this position for two years, at the same time having control of the Electric Light Plant. His own position was that of Chief Engineer, and, although he had assistance at each place, the responsibility for the safe opera- tion of both plants rested upon him. He remained in charge until the separation of the two plants, when he established himself in the business in which he is now interested, and in which his trade is ever increasing. He devotes his whole time and attention to his business, and the sales amount to about $900 per month. Our subject has a pleasant home in Litchfield, which is presided over by bis amiable and charm- ing wife, to whom he was married at Carlyle, this State, October 19, 1882. She was Miss Ada F., daughter of Mrs. Jacob Young. Her educatioii was acquired in the Fligh School of Carlyle. Mr. and Mrs. Owens are members of the Presb^'terian ' Church, and our subject is identified with the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows and the Brother- hood of Locomotive Engineers. "S^ OBERT WILLEFORD, a pioneer settler and \l^ honored residentof Ripley Township, Bond ifc 'V County, is also a veteran of the Mexican ^^ War, and a (iitizen of undoubted courage and integrity. Born in Rutherford County, Tenn., June 6, 1818, he was but nine years of age when he came to Illinois with his family and found a permanent home within its boundaries. Locating upon tiie broad prairie, about seven miles west of Greenville, be has for almost sixty-five continuous years been closely identified with evei'y markecj improvement and growing enterprise of the imme- diate neighborhood. As a County Commissioner he served with faithful ability three terms, his en- ergetic efforts in behalf of public interests win- ning him the confidence and esteem of his official associates and the community at large. The immediate ancestors of our subject were Virginians by birth, both his father and paternal grandfather having been born in the Old Domin- ion. Jordan Willeford, the grandfather, at the early age of sixteen enlisted as a soldier in the Rev- olutionary War, and fought nobly for God and liberty. Afterward I'eturning to his birthplace, Hampton County, he married, settled upon a Vir- ginia plantation and became a slave-holder. His son James, born in Hampton County in 1791, was the father of our subject. Grandfather Willeford early removed to Tennessee, and there died at the advanced age of ninety-six years. He was a man of fine presence, energetic and fearless, and lived to witness almost a century's progress of our na- tion. Robert Willeford was the eldest child born to James and Sally (Price) Willeford. The mother was a native of Virginia, and died in Tennessee in 1826, leaving to her husband's care four little children, the youngest scarcely more than a babe. Some time after bis first wife's death, James Wille- ford married Nancy Price, the sister of his former wife. The children of the first marriage were: our subject, Jiobert; Elizabeth, who married Aquilla Sugg, and died in October, 1883; Nancy Ellen, the widow of William Turner, who resides five miles east of Old Ripley; and James, who was born in 1825 and died April 12, 1880. By his second mar- riage, James Willeford became the father of four children, three of whom died young, the onlv sur- vivor being Willis Willeford, a wealthy citizen and retired farmer of Ripley Township. The death of James Willeford occurred in 1862, upon the Illinois farm, where he had located thirty-five years before. He had never acquired wealth, and could give! his children but the limited advantages of the early subscription and little district schools, but he trained them in the habits of industry and self, reliance, which fitted them for the battle of life. In coiDTOon ^yitb the sons of other piooeers, out 200 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. subject began hard work in early life, and while engaged in regular farming duties, the years went swiftly by, until in 1846 he enlisted in the service of the United States, and for one year, with gal- lant bravery, fought upon the fields of Vera Cruz and Cerro Gordo. Having returned to his home, he married, Julj' 2, 1848, Miss Malinda, a daughter of Daniel File, who came to Bond County from North Carolina in 1818. Mrs. Willeford died in 1852, on the farm where herlmsband had located immediately following their marriage, and where he has lived ever since. Robert Willeford has been a life-longDemocrat, and still takes an active inter- est in the conduct of public affairs. He is a promi- nent member of the Baptist Church, and has mate- rially aided in extending its religious work. Hon. Edward L. Willeford, one of the prominent agriculturists and stock- raisers of the State, and the onl}' child of our subject, was born October 7, 1850, on the homestead where he now resides. He received a primary education in the public schools and completed his course of study in a private academy at Greenville. At eighteen years he taught schoolj continuing in that occupation for a time, but soon permanently engaged in the business of his life — general agriculture and stock-rais- ing. Mr. Willeford and his father own about six hundred acres of valuable land, and have the finest herd of thoroughbred short-hoYn cattle in the county. At the early age of nineteen years Ed- ward L. Willeford and Miss Lucy S. Davenport were united in marriage. Mrs. Willeford is a native of Montgomery County, and a daughter of very early settlers in the State. Mr. and Mrs. Willeford are the parents of six children. Francis M. is the wife of .James A. Tabor, a farmer of Ray County, near Richmond, Mo.; Ella Gordon is a teacher in the public school; Maud married Frank Barker, and resides in old Ripley. Robert L., EfHe and Blanche are at home. Ella and Robert completed their ed- ucation in Greenville, and the other children have profited by the now excellent public schools. In 1888, Mr. Willeford was elected by the Dem- ocrats to the State Legislature, and evinced so much ability in the discharge of his ollicial duties that he was placed on several important committees. ■ Mr, Willeford is a prominent member of the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows, and is a genial gentleman, possessing hosts of friends. He is an important factor in the progressive interests of the county, and was one of the leaders in the estab- lishment of the Farmers' Central Township Mu- tual Insurance Company of Bond County, of which he is the efiicient Secretary. bEOPOLD KNEBEL, one of the largest land- owners in the State of Illinois, and a well- known grain buyer at Pierron, is the sub- ject of this present writing. He began the battle of life a fatherless boy at sixteen, and by the ster- ling traits in his character, has conquered all diflS- culties, and now is wealthy and respected. The gentleman of whom we write was born in Baden, Germany, November 27, 1839, a son of Sebastian Knebel, who was also a native of Baden. Before coming to America, our subject had the ad- vantage of six months of schooling in Germany, but in 1847, he, with his parents and four other children, started for the New World. The ocean trip was long and tiresome, taking flftj--six days to accomplish, and when the passengers were landed in New Orleans, they still had an eight- day voyage between them and St. Louis, on the way to their destination in Madison County, 111. Upon reaching Southern Illinois, Mr. Knebel bought land in township 5, range 8, Madison County, selecting one hundred and forty acres on the edge of some timber. Of course the educational advantages to be se- cured in such a place were not veiy extensive, but our subject attended the subscription schools, then held in the log schoolhouses, which were only sup- plied with slab benches and earthen floors, and ab- sorbed as much learning as did his fellow-students, whose oppoitunities were the same, and many of whom had come from the same land across the sea. The father of our subject was removed by death when Leopold was only twelve years old, an.d the PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 201 latter was obliged to think of some way in which he could obtain a livelihood. Labor he must, and so he hired out by the year, after iiaving it put into the bond that he could have three months of school- ing. For two years he worked for board and clothes, and at the expiration of that time he received from $5 to 17 per month for two years longer. By the time he was sixteen, he desired to become master of his own wages, so hired out and worked from that time until he was twenty years old for from $8 to $10 a month. When twenty j-ears of age he had saved enough from his rather slender salary to purchase eighty acres of wild prairie land, and felt enough faith in the future to ask Miss Caroline Walter to become his wife. The wedding took place March 3, 1862. She had had a trying experience on her way to America from her native place, Baden. The year of her departure was 1854, and at that time the same dread disease which of late has hung along our shores, the cholera, was raging along the Mis- sissippi. After a long trip of forty-eight days on tLe ocean, the passengers took the boat to ascend tlie Mississippi from New Orleans to St. Louis, and forty-eight of the passengers died on that boat. Water was low, and four weeks were consumed . upon that passage up the river. She was accom- panied by her parents and her seven brothers and sisters. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Knebel are Julia, Carolina, Ida, Edward L., William and Henrj'. Our subject settled on his farm in Madison County, and now has twenty-one liundred and fifty acres, all of which he has improved, with the ex- ception of thirty acres of timber. He has owned more land tban this, but has sold part of it off in lots. His income from his land now is from $5,000 to $7,000 a year. One branch of his business is the buying and shipping of cattle and hogs to all points. He buys all of liis grain at this point, and has an interest in the elevator with Charles Speck- art, who is his son-in-law. His farming docs not trouble him much, as he rents out about all of his land, but the time has been when he was a hard- working man, and it has been on account of his good management and Industry that he now occu- pies the posjtjoa that he does. Mr. and Mrs. Knebel are members of the Roman Catholic Church, and to it he gives liberally of his means. In his political opinions our subject is a Democrat, although he voted for Lincoln because he was opposed to slavery, as at that time that was the principal question of dispute. He also voted for Grant when he ran for President the first time. Since then other questions have come up upon which Mr. Knebel thinks the Democratic party takes the proper stand. He has been a delegate to both county and Congressional conventions. Mr. Knebel has seen about all of the advance- ment of this section. He hauled the first load of lumber for the beginning of the present town of Pierron, and built the first building on this site. His acquaintance is large, and he is regarded with respect as a man of sterling worth. •"5=19 cr.1 — ■^flOHN SCHWARTZLY. Some of the best citizens of Nokomis Township are natives of Germany. Their thrift and industry have made this southern portion of Illinois, bordering as it does on both North and South, to blossom like the rose. The German mind is natur- allj' of a scientific bent, and when applied to agri- culture it is found to be exceedingly advantage- ous. Mr. Schwartzly was born in Baden, German}', September 22, 1829. His father was a farmer, but while yet a lad our subject learned the baker's trade and followed that until 1857, at which time he came to America. Locating at Louisville, Kj'., for two years, he was engaged in working at his trade and then determined to turn his attention to farming. He located on a good tract of land in Madison County, 111., not far from Alton. Life was not complete to the young German, away from the Fatherland and among strangers, without a home and domestic ties, and in April, 1861, he remedied this want by his marriage to Miss Birdie Shoos, a native of Madison County and of Ger- man parentage. In 1870, the young couple came 202 POETEAIT AND BIOGRAPinCAL EECORD. to Montgomevy County and located on the farm ■where they now live in Nokomis Township. Providence and nature have smiled upon the agri- cultural efforts of our subject. His farm, which comprises two hundred acres of land, is one of the best in the German settlement, and bears the finest of improvements, ail of which he himself has made. Owner of a comfortable home, our subject is able to raise much of the necessities of life upon his own place, and makes it yield to him a gener- ous supply of what other things are necessary. Mr. and Mrs. Schwartzly are the parents of nine living children. The eldest daughter, whose given name is Ellen, is the wife of Enoch Kooek. The remaining children are all under the home roof as yet. They are named as follows: Frank, Louisa, Charles, Lewis, Eosa, Etta, Julia and Minnie. They are a bright and happy family of active, energetic young people, who are bound to make their way in the world. 'Mr ^^ APT. JOHN D. DONNELL. The gentle- (l( _ man whose sketch now claims our atten- ^^/ tion has passed from the stage of life, but his memory is dear to his surviving friends, and a Record of the prominent people who have made Bond County what it now is would not be com- plete without a notice of his life. John D. Donnell was born in Guilford County, N. C, September 8, 1817, and was brought to this county by his parents (see sketch of family history' in life of William Donnell, of Greenville) when he was only three years old. The trip was made by wagon in the usual emigrant fashion. He was sent to the country log schoolhouse, with its primi- tive arrangements for accommodation of the pupils, and within its walls were to be found many chil- dren who have since made their names known in the public affairs of the State. By them this modest temple of learning is remembered with affection and the instruction) received there has aided them in their advancement. After his early life there, our subject attended a good school in Hillsboro, 111., for one year. At that time the land in Bond County was unimproved and the deer and wolves were still numerous. Occasionally, our subject went upon hunting expeditions, but life was busy then and he had to work hard without many play days. When he had reached man's estate, he decided to found a home of his own and chose Miss Ann E. Eobinson to become his wife. She was born in this county, December 18, 1822, and her marriage took place June 15, 1843, when she was twenty- one years old. Four children blessed this union: Edwin is now married and resides in Salida, Colo.; William J. is at home unmarried; Ann Elizabeth married Daniel Hair and is deceased, and Charles D. died in infancy. The father of Mrs. Donnell was Gideon Eobin- son, a native of North Carolina, who came to this State in 1819, in an emigrant wagon — a prairie schooner as it was later called. Mr. Robinson entered land in Central Township and built a log cabin in the woods, where he developed a large farm. He died at the age of sixty years. In his political belief, he was a firm Whig. The mother of Mrs. Donnell was Eachel Craig, a native of Tennessee, and four children were reared by her, AVilliam T., James P., Mary B. and Ann. Her death occurred when she was about sixty years old. She was a member of the Methodist Church, and a good, kind. Christian woman. After mar- riage, our subject and his wife settled upon this farm in a snug three-roomed house and immedi- ately began making improvements upon the place. Into this happy household, the rude clarion of war sounded, and the husband and father shouldered his musket to do battle for his country. Tiie enlistment of Capt. Donnell as a private in the One Hundred and Thirtieth Illinois Eegiment took place in August, 1862. He was promoted until he reached the rank of Captain, and served until December, 1864, when, on account of rheu- matism, he was forced to resign. Capt. Donnell was with Gen. Sherman in his campaigns and fought in the battle of Vicksburg. After his return from the arro^, he remained ^t boj»e until the follow- PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 205 ing summer, when he and his brother crossed the plains with an ox-team to Denver. At the time of his decease, Capt. Donnell owned about five hundred acres of land. His death oc- curred December 18, 1872. Since that sad event, Mrs. Donnell and her sons have managed the farm and have been very successful in the work. Capt. Donnell was a member, with his wife, of the Pres- byterian Church and gave of his means to its sup- port. In politics, he was a Republican and upheld all things which seemed right in his sight. His good business qualities resulted in his acquiring wealth and particularly was he fortunate in the buying and shipping of cattle. He did a large business in that line in 18C6, when he bought in Kansas and sold at other points. -^.* -1^ JAMES F. BLACKWELDER, M. D., is num- bered among the leading physicians of this city, Litchfield, where he has resided since 1871. It seems almost wonderful that so manj' physicians of repute should be residents of this one city, yet it is a fact that the medical pro- fession is better represented in this place than many others, and among them, all stands pre-emi- nent the subject of this brief sketch. Dr. Black welder is a native son of this same county that he now honors with his residence, liis birth occurring near this city, August 2, 1841. His father, Peter Blackwelder, was one of the pioneer settlers of this county, the date of his advent in this region being 1832. He was born at Concord, N. C, September 7, 1810, but when a young man, came with a cousin, Alfred Blackwelder, to Illinois, and located near Hillsboro, but afterward removed to this locality, settling near the city of Litchfleld. The journey from North Carolina was made on horseback, and as the young men were young and active, they enj03'ed the trip with all the ardor of young venturesome men, to whom hardships were nothing. When the father of our subject came here, there were but few improvements, and he was able to put up a new claim for a very small sura. On this claim he put up a log cabin and made a home for the bride he brought to brighten his fireside for him in 1837. This lady was Mrs. Wagoner, nee Scherer, who was born in Greensboro, N. C, and came to this county at about the same time as hei' husband. This couple reared a family of the follow- ing children: Mary E., wife of S. LewdwickjI. S., of Chicago; our subject; Mrs. S. J. Witherspoon; M. L, of Washington, Kan.; and G. IL, of Wichita, Kan. Peter, the father, died about 1857, and the mother died in 1853, of cholera. The parents were both members of the Lutheran Church. Our subject received a good education in the public schools of his native county, and in the Hillsboro Academy, where he took an academic course. He began the study of medicine in 1861, under Dr. I. W. Fink, of Hillsboro, and took a course of lectures at the St. Louis Medical College, but was graduated from the Cincinnati Medical College in the Class of '69. During the war he offered his services to the United States army, and was appointed Assistant Surgeon on field duty and field hospital, and was sent with Sherman in his march to the sea. His next assignment was with the Thirty-second Illinois Regiment at Marietta, Ga., then in preparation to march to the sea, and he was with it through almost all its whole term of service, John Logan, of Carlinville, being his Colonel. The Doctor saw a good deal of active service, participated in the Grand Review at Wash- ington, and then returned to Hillsboro, alter serv- ing his country faithfully. After a shoit residence in the last-named place. Dr. ■ Blackwelder located at Moro, Madison County, III., but to better his condition, he removed to Litch- field in June, 1871. He did not come alone, as he had taken unto himself a wife in the person of Miss Grace Friek, of Alton, III. They were mar- ried October 10, 1867, and both regard that day as one of the happiest in their lives. Mrs. Black- welder was born in 1842, at Muncy, Pa., and when but a girl removed to Alton, in about 1860. She is a daughter of C. H. Frick, who became a well- known citizen of that place, where he was the orig- inator of the glass works, which he first started 206 K)RTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. with his own money, butfinall3r induced capitalists to invest in and enlarge, until it is now the largest industry of Alton. Ever since Dr. Black welder came to Litchfield, he has continued in practice here, and now enjoys a large and lucrative income from the same. Our subject has other interests in addition to his practice, among which are the Building and Sav- ing Associations and the Threshing Machine Com- pany, of Litchfield, for the manufacture of thresh- ing machines, in both of which corporations he is largely interested. The Doctor served as Alder- man of the city for three years, but has never ac- cepted any other nomination, and is a member of the Litchfield Chapter, A. F. & A. M., in which or- der he is a prominent person. Tlie Doctor and his estimable wife are worthy members of the Evan- gelical Lutheran Church of this city. To the union of Dr. and Mrs. Blackwelder have been born two children, the elder of whom, Charles H., died when fourteen years old. The other is named Fred C, and still is at home attending the High School. -^E H. HAYES. Our subject is engaged as general agent for the State of Illinois for the Anthony & Kuhn Brewery of St. Louis, which company has its distributing depot situated on the "Wabash Railroad at Litch- field. Mr. Hayes was born in Delaware, Ohio, No- vember 4, 1845. He is a son of D. S. and Ann (Wells) Hayes, the former being engaged in bus- iness at Springfield, Ohio, in early years. After the war, he moved to Tolono, 111., and was for some time engaged in the hotel business, remaining there until his death, which occurred in March, 1883. His wife still survives and resides in Cham- paign. Our subject is one of a family which contains six sons, the other five being railroad men. Four of them are passenger conductors and are famil- iarly known on the road as John C, Theo W., George N. and Judson D., respectively. The fifth brother is a locomotive engineer, and bears the name of William N. Mr. Hayes has one sister, whose name is Sabina, now the wife of Henry "Weigle, of Danville. The original of this sketch received his early school training in the city of Springfield, Ohio. On the breaking out of tiie war, he enlisted in Company C, of the One Hundred and Twenty- ninth Ohio Infantr}', and later in Company K, of the One Hundred and Fifty-second Infantry, and Company E, One Hundred and Eighty-fourth Ohio Infantry. He joined the army Jul}'^ 11, 1862, and with his regiment was sent to the Army of the Cumberland. With them he experienced all the horrors of war in the memorable campaign of the Shenandoah Valley. He was also at the battle of Lookout Mountain, that of Mission Ridge, Resaca, Atlanta, and, in fact, served gallantly until the close of the war. When peace had been declared, our subject, as did thousands of others of the Union soldiers, marched eastward to the National Capital, and the first reunion was lield under the name of the Grand Review in the city of Washington. Mr. Hayes saw a service of tliree years in the Civil War, and when he came out of the fight was still in his minority. He came with his father to Tolono and engaged in business for himself until 1870, when he moved to Irving, and in 1875 came to Litchfield. On first locating in this city, our subject en- gaged in the butchering business, and in 1883 he took the agency he now holds. His thorough knowledge of the country and his energy have en- abled him to build up an extensive trade in this portion of the State. The company have every convenience for storing their product. They have a very large cold storage place, which contains tlie most improved style of ice boxes and other things necessary to the perfect care of the brewing. Mr. Hayes has charge of the railroad business and handles about ten thousand kegs per annum. Our subject was united in marriage in 1868 to Miss Alma E. Kelley, of Delaware, Ohio. They have one son whose name is Arthur Howard, and who is at the present time taking a course of civil. PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPinCAL RECORD. 207 mechanical and electrical engineering in the Uni- versity of Michigan, at Ann Arbor. Mr. Hayes is a member of the Fire Department of the city and also belongs to the S. B. Phillips Post, G. A. R. He is also a Knight of Pythias, and is numbered among tiie Knights and Ladies of Honor, also the order of Tonti No. 343, of Litchfield. "Sj^ICHARD W. RIPLEY, a prominent and re- lU^ presentative farmer and stock-raiser of sec- <4i flji tion 21, Pitman Township, is a native son of the Prairie State. He was born in St. Clair County, 111., November 4, 1839. On the maternal side of the family, our subject can trace his family back to a grandfather who came into Illinois in 1811, and was one of the first set- tlers in the State. He became a prominent man there and bad charge of the first land office at Ed- wardsville. The mother of our subject, Martha P. Randel, was at that time two years of age, and she grew up in a pioneer family and was prepared for the life of her future, for the most of it was spent as the wife of a pioneer still farther West. The ancestors of the Ripley family were probably of Irish descent, and the father of our subject came to this region and entered Government land in what is now Madison County and resided there from 1847 until 1855, when his busj' life was closed. The members of the family of our subject who lived and bore their part in the upbuilding of the history of the State are Josiah R., now a resident of Staunton, 111.; Richard W.; and Mary L.,who is now a resident of Macoupin County. The mother and one of her brothers are yet living. Our subject when about eight years old, with his parents, moved to Macoupin County, 111., and resided there a short time and then, with them, removed into Madison County and was there reared to maturity. His home was on wild prairie land and his life that of the pioneer boy of the section and time. He at- tended the subscription schools of the district when it was possible, but there were so many duties that a lad of about his size could perform, that often his education was sadly neglected. He was deter- mined to gain knowledge, and embraced every op- portunity and finally entered college at Marshall, 111., in the winter of 1860. Just at this time, the great Civil War broke out, and our subject, with the enthusiasm of youth, en- listed in Company F, Seventh Illinois Infantry, and served three months. He was employed on guard duty at Alton and Cairo and was also sent to Mound City. He re-enlisted when his time had expired, in Company L, Third Illinois Infantry, and was then sent to Southwest Missouri. He was one of the boys in blue who bore the brunt of the battle at Pea Ridge and was on all of the long and tiresome marches, and in all of the fighting in that campaign whose history is known to every Ameri- can school boy. He went through the siege of Vicksburg and was under Gen. Grant; he was subsequently in the army commanded by " Old Pap Thomas " at Nashville and there was mustered out of the army, December 16, 1864, when his term of service had expired. Tired of military life, our subject returned to his native Slate and engaged as a clerk at Staun- ton, 111., and remained in this employment for several months. He then felt like trying an agri- cultural life and made the venture in Madison County where he continued until 1871, when his health began to show him that a different climate or a change of life in some way was necessary'. His trip to California, which occupied several months, was the result of this conviction, and he came back from the Pacific Coast much improved. At Staunton, 111., he opened a hardware and im- plement business and continued there for several years and subsequently became Cashier of the pri- vate bank of Wall, Taylor & Co., at Staunton, 111., and held that position for several years. Mr. Ripley subsequently came to Litchfield, 111., and engaged in the hardware and implement busi- ness for a time, after which he came to Bois D'A.rc Township and engaged in farming there for five years. In the year 1886, he came to Pitman Township and has since remained here. He was married, in 1872, to Sarah E. Kirkland, a native of Jersey County, 111., who was a daughter of 208 fORTEAIT AND BIOGRAIHICAL EECORD. Thomas C. Kirkland, now a resident of Litchfield. Her mother was Edith Irwin. By this union there were born five children, Hilary T., William H., Nora A., Benjamin J. and Edward W. While living in Macoupin County, our subject served as Collector for several years and for two years was Highway Commissioner of Pitman Township. In politics, Mr. Ripley is a Republican and is in favor of all improvements in the county. Mrs. Ripley is a member of tlie Methodist Episco- pal Church at Waggoner and both Mr. and Mrs. Ripley are prominent members of society. He is a member of the Order of Modern Woodmen at Waggoner and is now serving as Venerable Con- sul in Grand Prairie Camp No. 677, at Wag- goner, 111., and is also identified with the S. B. Phillips Post No. 379, G. A. R., at Litchfield, 111. FRANK JP:STES, one of the prominent farmers of Shoal Creek Township, Bond County, and a veteran of the late war, is the gentleman of whom we shall attempt a history in outline. Mr. .Testes was born October 14, 1841, in Indiana, and was one of a family of five children born to Garrison and Mary (Noe) Jestes. The other children all died when young, and when our subject was but a few weeks old his parents re- moved to the Prairie State and located in Clinton County, where his father died before tlie son was a year old. A year later he suffered the double loss of his mother. One's tenderest sympathies are called forth at the idea of a helpless child being at the mercy of a thoughtless, unappreciative world and without friends, yet such was the state of our subject in his earliest youth. For several years he was without a home, living with different people, but finally entered the family of William File. During this time he had received little or no learning, being denied even that birthright of an American citizen, a good practical business education. He continued to live in the File family until the break- ing out of the war, and on July 2, 1861, entered the service, joining Company D, of the Third Illi- nois Cavalry. It would be tedious to enter into a detailed ac- count given in chronological order of our subject's army experience, suffice it to say that he rendered loyal service to the Union, and hazarded his life in man}' of the engagements that now take their place among the most noted of the world's battles. He was slightl}' wounded in the engagement at Pea Ridge, and on August 21, 1864, was taken prisoner by Forrest's army at Memphis, Tenn. He was in- carcerated in the rebel prison in Cahaba, Ala., and there spent eight months and twelve days. Only one who has endured a similar experience can ap- preciate the torture, privations and tediousness of rebel prison life. From Januar}' 1 to the 16th, the prison was flooded, and at no time was the water less than knee deep. His sufferings were added to in no little degree by seeing many of his comrades drowned. Upon entering prison Mr. Jestes weighed one hundred and seventj'-four pounds, but when finally released the strong man was reduced to a shadow of his former self, and weighed but ninety-four pounds. After the war, for a period of two years, our subject was unable to do any active work, but in February, 1867, he purchased a part of his present place and has made it his homo ever since. He now owns two hundred and eighty acres of fertile and well-cultivated land whicli bears valuable im- provements. The thoroughness with which all branches of his farm work are finished is a distinct characteristic of the owner. In June of 186.5, our subject persuaded Martha R. Rankins to take up with him the journey of life. She was a daughter of James E. Rankin, one of the pioneers of Bond County, who had been a school teacher for many years and who, as far back as 1829, had held the office of County Clerk. He died December 2, 1878, at the home of oursubject. Mr. and Mrs. Jestes are the parents of eight chil- dren. The eldest, W. J., is the popular Postmaster of Sorento and is besides engaged in the furniture trade. He was born March 3, 1866, and in 1887 married Miss Sallie Gill, a daughter of James Gill, crAi^ i?),'^ PORTRAIT ANT) BIOGRAPIRCAL RECORD. 211 of Mulberry Grove, this State. James E. is a clerk in Sorento. The other children are named as fol- lows: Joseph Calvin, Lemuel Franklin, Winnie J., Hattie L., Sinah M., and Lula R., all of whom arc living at home. Mr. Jestes is a Republican, who never lets an opportunity slip to impress upon his hearers the beauty of his party platform. He is an enthusiastic Grand Army of the Republic man, whole-souled and warm-hearted, and numbers his friends by the host. "^ OHN B. DENNY. After meeting the genial and open-hearted gentleman whose name adorns this page, a stranger would soon discern that he is a descendant of that race to whom wit and humor are as natural as the breath they draw. Mr. Denny is a farmer liv- ing near Sorento, but to him the calling which is to so many a weariness and drudgery is enliv- ened by versatile humor and a sanguine disposi- tion. Beside his farming operations, he holds the position of Treasurer of the Sorento Coal Com- pany. It is a notable fact that the majority of the prominent citizens in and about Sorento are natives of this localitj-, and our subject is no ex- ception to what is the general rule. Mr. Denny was born witliin half a mile of his present place of residence, his natal day being May 3, 1839. He is a son of Robert W. and Eleanor (Fmley) Denny. Elsewhere in this vol- ume, in the sketch of I. H. Denny, mention has been made of the ancestry and various move- ments of our subject's parents, hence we will con- fine ourselves to his individual history, merely stating that Robert W. Denny died about 1845, and that his wife survived until 1889, finally passing away in Kansas, at the ripe old age of eighty years. J. B. Denny grew to manhood's estate, receiv- ing mainly the training of a farmer's boy. He had acquired a very good education for his day, and at the age of nineteen years began to teach school, devoting himself to his teaching in the winter and to farming in the summer. July 7, 1861, he went into the army, joining Company E, of the First Illinois Cavalry. As a private he was in the siege of Lexington, and was slightly wounded in the right hand. He was also taken prisoner, but was paroled, and while enjoying this hampered freedom was discharged from the service. January 6, 1862, our subject was united in marriage with Miss Olive Dressor, who was born in Bond County. She was a daughter of Rufus and Tamar (Cothren) Dressor, a family of Eng- lish extraction. Mrs. Dennj^'s great-grandfather came from the Old Country at an early date and settled in Massachusetts, where her grandfather was born. The old Bay State was also the birth- place of her father, Rufus Dressor. wliosc natal day was July 29, 1795. He went to Maine when a young man and there married Tamar Cothren, a lady of Scotch-English extraction, though a native of the Pine Tree State, her birth having occurred February 12, 1797. Her parents made the trip from Maine to Illinois, taking the overland route, in 1837, and her father died in this county Octo- ber 13, 1858. The mother survived until July 17, 1880, when she passed away at the advanced age of eighty-three years. In 1864, Mr. Denny brought his family to the place where he now lives, and which immediately adjoins the farm where his father settled on first coming to the State. Here he has been exten- sively engaged in farming and stock-raising. He was one of the parties most instrumental in devel- oping the Sorento coal mines, and is now and has for many years been the Treasurer of that com- pany. In early life he served for four years as Justice of the Peace, and has been many times identified witli the school interests. In his party preference he is a Republican. He is devoted to the interests of the Grand Army of the Republic, and for three years was Commander of the post at Sorento. There have been three children born to Mr. and Mrs. Denny. Of these Elizabeth is the wife of Charles Gordinier, a native of Indiana, and one of the stockholders in the Sorento coal mine. 212 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Mary Ellen is the wife of J. F. Harris, a young- attorney at Sorento. John Oren is a student at the Southern Illinois College, of Enfleld, this State. Mr. Denny does not actively operate his farm to any great extent, leaving it to the charge, for the most part, of responsible parties who carry out his instructions. His time is mostly given to the development of the coal interests and other financial enterprises on foot in Sorento and local- ity. Mr. Denny was one of the three who acted as Commissioner in assessing tlie value of tiie con- demned right of way at the time the first rail- road, the Vandalia Line, was run through the county. He was also Census Enumerator for Short Creek Township in 1880 and 1890. _^3 ^+^1 WJOSEPH O. TANNEHILL is the popular I proprietor of the Clover Leaf Hotel, of Cof- feen. 111., which is one of the best-kept and most popular hostelries in the county of Montgomery. Mr. Tannehill was born in St. Clair County, near Belleville, 111., February 2, 1841, a son of A. J. and Mary J. (Whitside) Tannehill, the former of whom was born in the Blue Grass regions of Kentucky, and the latter in St. Clair County, 111. A. J. Tannehill was taken by his parents to St. Clair County, 111., when he was about two years of age, and liis father, James B. Tannehill, became the owner of the first gristmill of Belleville, as well as of the first hotel and the first whiskey distillery. He was born, reared and married in Kentucky, but was of Scotch descent. The maternal grandfather, William T. Whitside, was a Virginian, of Irish descent, and one of the first settleis of St. Clair Count}', 111. He was a brother of Gen. Samuel A. Whitside, a noted pio- neer of the Sucker State. The parents of Joseph O. Tannehill were mar- ried within three miles of Belleville, 111., soon after which they located in the town, where the father followed the occupation of carpentering and building, these occupations receiving his at- tention for many years. His last days were spent in St. Louis, where he died at the age of seventy- six years, his wife dying at seventy-two years of age, and they are now sleeping side by side in the Bellefontaine Cemetery at St. Louis. They were the parents of ten children, seven sons and three daughters, all of whom grew to mature years with the exception of one daughter. Those now living are: Joseph O.; Andrew J., of St. Louis; G. William, of Kansas City; Samuel A., of St. Louis; and George W., also of St. Louis. Those deceased are: James W., Mary, John, Lutica and Anna. Joseph 0. Tanoehill is the second of this family and was reared in St. Clair County, where .he ob- tained a practical education in the common schools, and remained with and faithfully assisted his father until he had attained twenty-one years of age. He then determined to seek his fortune in California, and crossed the plains with a horse- team, via Salt Lake City, to Sacramento City, where he worked in a lumber yard and at mining and also followed the latter occupation in various localities for nearly two years. At the end of this time he returned home via Graytown to New York City, where he remained three days, thence going to St. Louis and finally to Belleville. He and his brother, James W., then engaged in coal-mining four miles east of the town, an occupation that received their attention for about one year. May 12, 1864, Mr. Tannehill married Miss Sarah E. Blackburn, who was born in Montgomery County, 111., a daughter of G. W. Blackburn. Soon after his marriage, Mr. Tannehill located on a farm in East Fork Township, where he tilled the soil for about twenty-seven years, but sold out in 1891, and took up his residence in Coffeen, where he began keeping hotel, for which business he has shown a remarkable aptitude. The estab- lishment is well patronized, as it deserves to be, for it is conducted in a very praiseworth}' manner and the table is well supplied with wholesome and well-prepared food, and the rooms are kept very clean and in good order. Mr. Tannehill is part owner of one of the best threshing machines in the county, which is very completely fitted up. He and his wife are the parents of five daughters and three sons: Naomi, wife of W. O. May; Mary POUTHAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 213 A., wife of Jefferson Hill; Gustavus A., Bessie; Laura E., wife of William Miller, of Hillsboro,Ill.; George W., Susan C. and Joseph W. Mr. Tanne- hill has always supported Democratic principles, but has never been very actively interested in polities. ^l H' m\ i^ W OIIN J. CASS, one of the honored pioneers of Montgomery County, and a prominent retired farmer, now residing in the thriving ^^/J town of Raymond, is a native of the Buck- eye State. He was born in Warren County, Sep- tember 15, 1825, and is a son of John and Martha (Swallow) Cass, the former a native of Kentucky, and the latter of Pennsylvania. They were of English and Irish extraction respectively, and were pioneer settlers of Ohio, having located in Warren County at an early date. In 1832 the family emigrated by team to Illinois and located upon the prairies of Montgomery County. They located in Raymond Township, south of the site of the village of that name, al- though there was no settlement at the place at that time, and the inhabitants of the county were very few. There were no lailroads; the land was still in its primitive condition and the work of progress and civilization seemed scarcely begun. Mr. Cass began the development of the farm on section 31, which our subject now owns, but was not long permitted to enjoy his new home, being called to his final rest in 1834. The mother was thus left with a family of seven children and with but limited means. She displayed great energy and heroism in the care of the children, whom she kept together, making for them a home. She was a lady of good education, and to help support her family opened a school in her own home, and thus had the honor of teacliing the first school in the township. Her death occurred in 1852. Our subject was the only son in the family of seven children, the youngest of whom was born after the father's death. Only three are now liv- ing. His sisters are: Augusta, wife of Harrison Mits, a farmer of Raymond Township, and Louisa, widow of Frank Hitchings, of the same township. Mr. Cass, whose name heads this record, was reared to manhood amid the wild scenes of front- ier life, and in his boyhood was early inured to the hard labors of the farm. He worked in the fields and aided his mother until her death. As a com- panion and helpmate on life's journey he chose Miss Helen Lawler, a native of White County, 111., and a representative of one of the early families of that locality. Their union was celebrated on the 17th of June, 1856, and unto them were born five children, of whom one died in infancy. The other four are now living: William S. is a veterin- ary surgeon and liveryman of Raymond; Nora A. is the wife of Joseph Williams, of Butler Grove Township; Mary was joined in wedlock with Frank Welshand and they reside in Litchfield; Lula B., who completes the family, is living with her pa- rents in Raymond. Mr. Cass followed farming throughout his busi- ness career, and although he started out in life empt}--handed, has worked his way steadily up- ward to a position of wealth and affluence. In 1880 he left the farm, which, however, lie still owns, and removed to Raymond, where he is liv- ing retired, enjoying the rest which he has so truly earned and richly deserves. He is a pleasant, go- nial gentleman, who has many friends and is held in the highest regard throughout the community. ^=v3> /,J USTIN MILLER, a prominent resident and LJI leading agriculturist of Pitman Town- A ship, Montgomery County, successfully manages one of the finest farms in the State of Illinois. The broad acres (two hundred and forty in extent) are mostly under a high state of cultivation and evidence the judgment and knowledge of their owner. The desirable location of the land upon section 15 makes this a valuable 214 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. holding and inheritance for our subject's de- scendants. Mr Miller is a native of Madison Countj^, 111., and was born January 26, 1848. His father was a native Tennesseean, while his mother's birth took place in Illinois. His paternal grandfather emigrated from his native State to Illinois at a very early day and was a noted pioneer of Madi- son County, where Madison Miller, the father of our subject, spent many years and where he was married. The father and mother of Austin Miller settled in Montgomery County in 18,58, locating on a farm near the present site of Raymond vil- lage, but in a short time they removed to Pitman Township and there remaiiied permanently. The father died many years ago; the mother still sur- vives and continues her residence upon the old homestead. Our subject was one of a family of seven chil- dren, five of whom are now living. The brothers and sisters are Lucinda, wife of Alexander Woods; Austin, Loftin R., Buford and Charles F. The pi- oneer father was a sturdy Democrat of the good old-fashioned kind. He and his wife were mem- bers of the Christian Church and zealous workers in the cause of morality and religion. The ven- erable widow, now nearly eighty years of age, is one of the oldest pioneers in her section of tiie country, and has a store of valuable and most in- teresting reminiscences of early days in the new and then rugged West. Her maiden name was Sarah Finley, and she came of good descent. Austin Miller has been a life-long farmer, and has three times made unbroken prairie land into improved and valuable farms, in each instance finding large returns for his skillful cultivation. Our subject was married March 24, 1885, to Miss Celia A. Haynes. This attractive lady is a native of Macoupin County, 111., and was born April 4, 1860, a daughter of Martin and Phcebe (Loper) Haynes. Her father came to Macoupin County in early times, and when Mrs. Miller was but six years old her mother died; three daughters now survive her: Celia, Emma T. and .Tennie L. Our subject and his wife have four children: John M., Charles A., Mattie E. and Daniel. Though yet in their early childhood they give promise of noble manhood and womanhood. Mr. Miller has had a prosperous career as a tiller of the soil, and aside from his valuable homestead owns a valuable farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Adams County, Neb. He is just in the prime of life, and, with his energy and wide knowl- edge of agricultural work, is sure to achieve greater success in the future than he has in the past. Mr. Miller was a participant in the late Civil War, as, tliough but eighteen years old at the time, he gallantly answered to his country's call, and enlisted in Company A, One Hundred and Forty-ninth Illinois Infantry, January 26, 1865, and was honorably mustered out in 1866, at the close of the war. During his service he was under Gen. Thomas and did garrison duty at Block-houses Nos. 7 and 8, and was at Chickamauga River, Dalton, Marietta and Atlanta. As he was then ready to serve his country with all the ardor of a patriotic boy, Austin Miller is to-e pftme t-o i^itclifield, 10 where he has since remained, giving his attention to his extensive practice. His professional labors and good judgment have been rewarded by the acqui- sition of a large property, and in his lovely home he has all the comforts which enhance the happiness of life. Dr. Linck is a member of the Whitegross Lodge, Knights of Pythias, uniformed rank, and is also identified with the Masonic order, both in Chapter and Commandery. He holds membership in the Homeopathic Western Academy. In his political preference, he is a Democrat, ever loyal to party principles. The home of our subject is presided over by the lady who was once Miss Sophia Laub, and one child, Elizabeth, has been born into the household. The Doctor is an owner of considerable valuable real estate in this place and has done his share toward advancing the interests of the com- munity. His life has been a busy one, for he has always been quick to respond to the call of distress, and all organizations for the public weal have found in him a hearty supporter. He affiliates with the Lutheran Church, which is that of his fore- fathers. 'jf|OSEPII M. DONNELL, a retired farmer I and prominent citizen of Greenville, was -^ I born in Guilford County, N. C, June 16, ^^}) 1816, and is of Irish descent. The great- grandfather of our subject, Thomas Donnell, was a native of the Emerald Isle, but was forced to leave the country on account of religious persecu- tion, and in 1731, braving the dangers of an ocean voyage in tiiat early day, came to America with seven brothers and three sisters. They set- tled near Philadelphia, Pa., where Thomas Don- nell spent the remainder of his life, dying at a ripe old age. He came of Scotch ancestry, who were forced to leave their native country on ac- count of religious trouble, and went to the North of Ireland. The grandparents, John and Eliza, betli ^Deunj') Donnell, were patjves of tUe Kej^* 222 PORTKAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. stone State. The former became a Major during the Revolutionary War and valiantly aided the Colonies in their struggle for independence. George Donnell, father of our subject, was born in Guilford County, N. C, July 1, 1793, and died April 16, 1877, at the age of eighty-three years, nine months and fifteen days. He established the first Sunday-school in Southern Illinois. This school was commenced on Saturdaj', when S))ell- ing, reading and writing were taught, and on Sunday the children were trained in Bible lessons. When a young man, Mr. Donnell joined the Pres- byterian Church under the preaching of the Rev. Dr. Caldwell, who for sixty years was pastor of the Buffalo Chnreh of Guilford County, N. C, and was ever a great church worker and a faithful Christian gentleman. He came to this county in 1819, and located on Big Shoal Creek, seven miles west of Greenville. His wife was also prom- inent in church work, and the children all be- came Presbyterians. The family numbered ten children, six of whom are now living: Joseph M., William N., James M., George W., Henry C. and Mrs. Emily McCoy. Our subject was the eldest of the family and was three years old when his parents came to this county. He was educated in the subscription schools, where the children all studied aloud, each one seemingly trying to outdrown the others. He remained under the parental roof until twenty- four years of age, when his father gave him one hundred and fifteen acres of land, the same amount that he gave to all of his sons except one, who re- ceived his portion in money. The farm thus given to Joseph is located partlj^ in La Grange and partly in Central Township, but he first made his home in La Grange. He afterward purchased other land in Central Township, erected a fine house, bains and other outbuildings, and there made his home until 1877, when he came to Greenville, where he built a beautiful and commodious resi- dence, on the corner of Sixth and Summer Streets, wliere he has since resided. Mr. Donnell was first married in 1840 to Miss Mary J. Morrison, of Hillsboro, Montgomery County, 111., and unto them were born five chil- dren, all of \Ykoni g,re jet liyjng; Ql^rjssq,, the wjfe of A. C. Phelps, has the following children: Horace, Idell, Harlow and Enid, twins; Ada A. is the wife of Jacob Brown ; Lenora is the wife of George N. Wheeler, and lias a daughter, Edna; Chalmers mar- ried Juliet Hardin, and has two sons, Joseph and Chalmers; and Arthur M. The mother of this family died February 14, 1862, and Mr. Don- nell was again married, August 26, 1869, his sec- ond union being with Mrs. Anna F. Catlin, of Hay worth, McLean County, 111., a daughter of Amos A. and Minerva (Cary) Franklin, who were natives of Connecticut and came to Illinois in 1847. The father engaged in farming until his death, in 1858, at the age of seventy-three years. His wife died in 1859, at the age of seventy-two years. Mrs. Donnell was the sixth in their fam- ily of nine children, five of whom are yet living: Amos A., Hannah C, Sarah F., Anna F. and Mary B. By her first husband, Mrs. Donnell had one son, Franklin I. Catlin, now a resident of Ken- tucky. While residing in La Grange Township, Mr. Don- nell served as School Director for some seventeen years, and was also Town Supervisor. He is a Republican in politics, and both he and his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church, in which he serves as Elder. His life has been one of up- rightness, well worthy of emulation, and by fair dealing, perseverance and enterprise he has ac- quired a handsome property. ^l OHN WEITEKAMP, a prominent citizen of Pitman Township, is now serving his fellow- citizens as Highway Commissioner. He is a native son of the Prairie State, and one who has done as much as any one in his section for her advancement and material prosperity. Our subject was the eldest son of Frank and Theresa (Langen) Weitekamp, who were natives of Germany, and who came to America at an early daj^and became pioneer settlers of Greene County, HI Tl>e vevered father dM Pppgrober 28, 18g9, PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 223 but his" mother is living in peace and comfort in Christian Countj', in possession of her faculties and able to look back upon a useful life and for- ward to her reward in another world. The birth of Mr. Weitekamp took place June 13, 1858, in Greene County, 111., and there he was reared until, during the Civil War, his family re- moved to Christian County, and there he grew to manhood in Ricks Township. His training was for an agriculturist's life, and so well did lie learn the mysteries of soils and grains, of rainy seasons and drouths, with the proper means of taking ad- vantage of one and protective measures against the other, that he has made success of his farming life. The wife selected b}' Mr. Weitekamp combined in her mind and person those qualities which make a good woman attractive to a quiet, sen- sible young man. Her name was Christena A. Strasser; she was the daughter of Jacob and Eliza- beth Strasser, and her birth took place in New Or- leans, La. The wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Weide- kamp occurred April 18, 1882, and now four chil- dren have been added to the family: Henry W., Frederick J., Edward J. and Lena C. In 1886, our subject was attracted to the rich land that was for sale in Montgomery County, and he realized that here was an opportunity of a life- time. He came and settled in Pitman Township on eighty acres of land, and here he has remained perfectly contented to pass the remainder of his days in the pleasant spot where good fortune has placed him. When only nineteen years old, he was obliged to start out for himself, and went to work as so many other self-made men have done before and since, and made himself a desirable hand on the farm on account of his practical knowledge. He had no trouble in getting em- ployment, and his progress has been upward ever since. The politics of Mr. Weitekamp are of Demo- cratic tendencies, and he permits nothing to in- terfere with his casting his ballot for his favorite candidates. He has been honored by his fellow- citizens with the position of Highway Commis- sioner, a very Important one in a county, and so well has be 8Jle4 tUe situation tlwt be is novy secy- ing his second term. Our subject is one of the most prominent and influential members of the Ro- man Catholic Church, and is a man who commands the respect of all of his neighbors. His life has been one of uprightness in their midst, and he de- serves the esteem in which he is held. ^^ HARLES ^VESLEY GARRISON is a promi- (l( p nent stockman and at present the Super- ^^^ visor of. Shoal Creek Township, Bond County, and resides one and a-half miles east of Sorento. Mr. Garrison was born in Walshville Township, Montgomery County, this State, Sep- tember 14, 1853. He was next to the youngest of a family of ten children born to Ta3'lor and Susan (Clark) Garrison. But little can be learned of the antecedents of either of these families more than the fact that both of the parents of our subject were natives of the State of Tennessee and pio- neers in the settlement of Montgomery County, locating on the farm where C. W. was born and where his father died in 1873. Our subject's mother lived until August, 1891, when she died in Sorento at an advanced age. Of the eleven children there are but four living: Charles Wesley, who is the subject of this sketch; James A., who lives in Montgomery County on a farm not far from the old homestead, and is a prominent stock-raiser; Nancy M., the wife of W. J. Kirkland, residing on a large farm not far from Sorento; and Mary J., the wife of Samuel McRc'iken, of Sorento. Our subject was reared on his father's farm and received a fair education. His occupatiou has always been that of a farmer and stock-dealer. In 1881, he removed to his present place of residence, which is a little east of Sorento, and where he is quite extensively engaged in raising and buying and shipping stock. Mr. Garrison has been a prominent factor in bringing about township organization in Bond County, and a-t the first ejection wfis honored witi) 224 PORTEAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. the office of County Supervisor of his township, and re-elected by an increased majority on the Democratic ticket. As the township is strongly Republican, the fact of his re-election speaks vol- umes for liis popularity with both parties. He comes from an old Democratic family, and has faithfully adhered to the political creed of his forefathers. While living in Montgomery County, our subject served on the School Board from the time he was twenty-one years of age until he left there. He was a member of the Board of Supervisors and was for several years Constable. Fraternally, he is a prominent and active Mason, also a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. Mr. Garrison was married, August 14, 1873, to Melissa F. Brite, a daughter of R. E. Brite, a prominent farmer of Missouri. Mis. Garrison was born in the State of Missouri. Their four children are Susan Lucinda, a young lady who has had every advantage given her in an educational way; Louana Alice, Nancy Melissa and Charles Wesley. ||W7 AFAYETTE M. GERHARD. Prominent I (^ among the representative and prosperous jl)^-^ farmers and stock-raisers of Bois D'Arc Township, Montgomery County, whose biography it is a pleasure to give among those of honored citizens of this locality, is the worthy gentleman whose name heads this sketch. His life of useful- ness and industry, and his record for integrity and true-hearted faithfulness in all the relations of life, have given him a hold upon the community which all might well desire to share. In every- thing connected with the growth and prosperity of the county, he has taken an active interest, and as a tiller of the soil he stands in the foremost ranks. All his property has been accumulated by honest toil and good management, and he has now one of the best farms In this section. Xlte State of fmasylymm \m fuwisjjed Mont- gomery County many excellent citizens, promi- nent among them being Mr. Gerhard, who was born in Bedford County, March 31, 1844, to the union of Samuel and Ann Gerhard, natives of Maryland. In 1844, when our subject was an in- fant, the parents came to the fertile prairies of Illinois, settling in Pike County, and there made their home for several years. Thence they removed to Cass County, and in 1862 they came to Montgomery County and settled in Pit- man Township. Later, they removed to Bois D'Arc Township, purchased a good tract of land, improved it and there passed the closing scenes of their lives, the motlier dyingFebruar3' 9, 1876, and the father May 23, 1888. They were highly es- teemed by all, and their lives were replete with acts of kindness. Of their children the following are now living: Mrs. Eye, Mrs. Canby, Mrs. Witt, William K. and Lafayette M., all prosperous and highly-esteemed citizens. Like the average country bo^', our subject di- vided his time in youth between assisting his father in clearing and developing the farm and in attending the schools of Montgomery County, where he secured a fair education. He was a farmer's boy, purely and simply, doing his part of the necessary work about his rural home. He re- mained under the parental roof until grown, as- sisting to bring his father's farm under cultiva- tion, and spending his winter in school during that time. April 27, 1876, he was married to Miss Mary J. Newport, the daughter of John Newport, of Farmersville, one of the prominent men of the county. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Gerhard was blessed with nine children, who are in the order of their births as follows: Otis, deceased; Nel- lie M., John, Henry, Chalmers, Emma, Samuel, Frank, and an infant daughter yet unnamed. Mr. Gerhard's land comprises four hundred acres, and is carefully tilled and cultivated. All his farming operations are conducted in a progressive and superior manner, and it needs but a glance over his broad acres to understand that an ex- perienced hand is at the helm. His records as a private citizen and neighbor are alike untarnished and in »U tJje affairs of life he Um borne biwgelf RESIDENCE or PETER STUTLE , SEC.11.,5, LITCHFIELD TP.MONTGOMERY CO.JLL. RESIDENCE OF L. M. GERHARD ^ 5EC:22.,B01S D' ARC TR, MONTGOMERY CO. J LL, PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 227 in an upright manner, and is recognized as a man of true worth. He had verj^ little of this world's goods to start with in life, and what he has accum- ulated is the result of hard work and good man- agement on his part. His political views have brought him into affiliation with the Democratic party, and he is an earnest upholder of its princi- ples and policy. €^ 'iTh ■ I « I ^^ '^ JETER STUTLE, who owns and operates a ) fine farm of three hundred acres on sec- ^ tion 11, South Litchfield Township, Mont- I \ g.omery County, is a Bohemian by birth. He was born on the 29th of June, 1825, in Bohe- mia, and was reared in a little mining town of that land. As soon as old enough, he began work In the silver mines and was thus employed until 1850. His parents had previously died, and with two brothers and three sisters he crossed the Atlantic to America. They landed in St. Louis, where Peter learned the cooper's trade, which he followed in that city for two years. He then removed to Col- linsville, Madison County,where, in company with his brother-in-law, he opened a cooper's stop, en- gaging in business in that line for some time. It was in 1869 that Mr. Stutle came to Mont- gomery County. Having acquired some capital through his industry and perseverance, he here purchased forty acres of land, constituting a part of his present farm, and also established a small cooper shop. After working all day in the fields, he would follow his trade at nights, many times until twelve or one o'clock. In this way he got a start, and from a small beginning he has steadily worked his way upward. As his financial resources increased, he extended the boundaries of his farm, until he now owns three hundred acres of rich land and is one of the most extensive grain and stock- raisers in this locality. If Peter Stutle does not have good grain and good stock, none can be found in the county. "While a resident of Collinsyille, Mr. Stutle was united in marriage with Annie Turney, and unto them have been born eight children: Joseph, the eldest, is a resident farmer of North Litchfield Township; Frank, a young man of twenty-nine years, is at home; Tony, aged twenty-four, is com- pleting his education in the Hillsboro High School; Albert is engaged in teaching; Eddie is at home; Mary is the wife of George Hancock, of California; Emma lives with her sister in California, and Annie makes her home with her aunt in St. Louis. In politics, Mr. Stutle is a supporter of the Democracy and warmly advocates its principles. The cause of education finds in him a valued friend, and he has held the office of School Direc- tor for many years. He and his wife are members of the Christian Church and are people of many excellencies of character. We see in Mr. Stutle a self-made man, who by enterprise, energy and well- directed efforts has steadily worked his way up- ward and gained a comfortable competence, which numbers him among the substantial citizens of the county. i^j^ y> - •'^'"^CJ»«^Ic» ^ *■ *^!e* B^^13'»^^. "o2- eATHERINE M. FITZJARRELL. The ven- erable lady whose honored name opens this sketch is affectionately known in the county of Montgomery as "Grandma." Siie "has so en- deared herself to the people among whom she has passed her long life, that none are more respected or more dearly loved than this pioneer woman. Catherine Fitzjarrell was born in Jefferson County, Tenn., November 13, 1820, and was the daughter of Joseph and Julia (Brown) Skeen, na- tives of Tennessee. Some time in the '30s, the family emigrated to Greene County, 111., whence, after residing there a short time, they removed to Macoupin County, and were among the very first settlers of that county. Her father entered Gov- ernment land there and the family settled down upon the raw prairie. The face of Nature was very beautiful, with flowering prairies and belts of forest trees by flowing streams, but there were 228 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAHnCAL RECORD. other things to think of beside the pleasures of the eye. From those unpromising fields must come the sustenance of the little family, and perhaps it was parti J' discouragement that caused the death of the father in one year from the time of the re- moval. The poor mother could also endure hardship no longer, and in three weeks more the children were orphans. The biographer would love to give to interested readers the details of the life of the subject of our sketch, but within the present limits he must be brief. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Skeen who still survive are as follow.s: John, Catherine, Henry, Marion, and Ellen, who is the wife of John Chisin. None of these children had any educational ad- vantages, as thej' grew to maturity in the pioneer times of the count}', but they all have become peo- ple of prominence and have conducted their lives and affairs with fully as much success as has at- tended many of a younger generation who have had more advantages. Catherine was married March 11, 1841, to Dan- iel K. Fitzjarrell, who was born in Ohio in April, 1818, and was the son of Eli and Tabitha Fitzjar- rell. When a boy he came to Illinois with his parents, and the first location of the family was in Greene County, but Later Macoupin County became their home. To Mr. and Mrs. Fitzjarrell ten children were born, and five were reared: Pol- len, the wife of Columbus Reno; Celia, Mrs. Wiley Hines; Joseph; Sarah. Mrs. Roach, whose husband is deceased; and Emma, the wife of A. Miller. For many years after marriage our subject resided in Macoupin County, but just before the Civil War the family moved into Montgomery County, and for several years lived on the farm now owned by C.H. Barton, in Pitman Township. Thence they moved to the farm where Mrs. Fitzjarrell now lives, and where, in the spring of 1863, occurred the death of Mr. Fitzjarrell, who was one of the men of a community who can be ill spared. He was respeclred by all, and the sterling traits in his character made him a man to whom all looked for guidance. He was active in the forwarding of all county interests, and was lamented as a kind father and husband and an obliging neighbor. Mrs. Fitzjarrell is well known among her pioneer neighbors and is beloved wherever known. Her ready sympathy is always extended to those in trouble, and she understands how to lighten heavj- burdens. Her tales of pioneer life are most enter- taining, and all wish that she may long live to re- late them. She owns one hundred and fifty-eight and one-fourth acres of land, this being a part of what she and her husband worked for and earned. Her home is now with her daughter, Mrs. Miller, and four dear grandchildren here claim her care and affection: Francis Z., Catherine E., Ellen and Eli L. Another daughter, Mrs. Roach, lives on the farm, and in her family are two grandchildren, Laura PI and Arthur A., in whom "Grandma" Fitzjarrell renews her youth. E. APPLETON. The name with which we . commence tliis biography is that of one of the oldest residents of the town of Litch- ^ field. He came here in 1854, at which time the place had just been platted, and can therefore give a great man}' points with regard to the early history of the section of the country in which he has so long made his home. Mr. Appleton is a native of Hampshire, En- gland, his birth having occurred February 13, 1828. lie received his education in England, and after completing the same took up the trade of wagon-maker as the vocation he chose to pursue through life. In the year 1851, the tide of emi- gration from the Mother Country swept near the home of our subject, and he became inspired with the spirit of enterprise, which soon compelled his departure for the United States, where the pos- sibilities of a prosperous future seemed to be more easily realized than in his native land. Mr. Appleton first settled at Alton, Madison County, 111., where he worked at his trade. Afterward he moved to Ridgley, where, with James W. Jeffries, R. W. O'Bannon and W. T. Elliott, he inaugurated a town, and there our subject con- PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 229 tinned as a wagon and carriage maker, and was very successful in his line. In the year 1866, he took a position as superintendent in a coal com- pany, and increased the business to such an extent that in 1875 he assisted in incorporating a com- pany with $10,000 capital stock, and assumed the direction of same as Vice-president. For some time after the incorporation of this company, the enterprise did not prove as successful as was anti- cipated, but owing to the keen business manage- ment and excellent ability of Mr. Appicton, it was recognized in a few years as one of the best- paying concerns of its kind in that part of the country. Mr. Appleton is the possessor of a farm, and is also one of the stockholders of the Electric Light and Water Supply Company. The residence of our subject is one of the beau- tiful spots in tlie city with which he has been so closely allied as founder, citizen and promoter of its enterprises. One of the first pieces of real estate he owned in this locality is what is now known as Market House Square, which was a gift from Mr. Appleton to the town. He is a man of generous and kindly impulses, and fortune has crowned his efforts with success, placing him in a position of independence with regard to his fel- low-men. He is a firm belie\'er in the doctrine of giving to the poor and lending to the Lord, but his charities are of the kind that seek no publica- tion, and none but the donor and recipient have knowledge of the many deeds of kindness that are somewhere recorded against his name. The immediate family of our subject consists of a Wife and two children. Mrs. Appleton was Miss Alva E. Butt, a lady of English birth and parent- age, and one whose life and labors have won for her the hearty respect of those who know her, and the more loving regard of all with whom she is more intimately associated. Our subject's chil- dren are E. B. and Miss Jessie Appleton. When the story of the organization and early de- velopment of Litchfield is fitly told, the name of H. E. Appleton will be found among those who have always had the welfare of the place at heart, and generously aided the settlement, improvement and growth of Litchfield by their own exertions and means. It is to such men that our country owes her success, and the characteristics of him whose biography we have here sketched are the same personal attributes possessed by the founders of our Republic. i>^r~)} Zepp, who possesses solid, substantial tal- ent and is an example of what may be accom- plished by push and energy. He is one of those men, too few in number, who fully recognize the truth so often urged by the sages of the law, that, of all men, the reading and thought of the lawyer should be the most extended. Systematic reading gives a more comprehensive grasp to the mind, va- riety and richness to thought, and a clearer percep- tion of the motives of men and the principles of things. This he has found most essential in the prosecution of his professional practice. He is one of the prominent attorneys and capitalists of Nokomis, and is a true type of the self-made man. Born in Carroll County, Md., August 6, 1845, Mr. Zepp is a son of Samuel and Caroline (Zim- merman) Zepp. Our subject's great-grandfather, Leonard Zepp, was a native of Switzerland and came to America just at the close of the Rev- olutionary War. Settling in Frederick County, Md., he reared his family, and in that State the grandfather of our subject, Leonard Zepp, Jr., was born. The father of our subject, Samuel Zepp, was born in Frederick Count}-, Md., in 1822. 'I'he Zimmermans were of German extraction, and the first one of the family to settle in America was our subject's great-grandfather, who located in Adams County, Pa., about the year 1750. In this county, Mrs. Zepp's father. Christian Zimmer- man, was born about 1780, and in 1800 he moved to Maryland. He settled in that part of Frederick County now included in Carroll County, and there Mrs. Zepp was born in 1824. Samuel Zepp and Miss Caroline Zimmerman were married in 1843, and on their plantation the original of this notice grew to manhood. He gen- erally attended school three or four months during the year, and the balance of the time was devoted to the arduous duties of the farm. This continued until he had reached his eighteenth year, when he started out as a school teacher in his native county. After teaching one term he was engaged as Prin- cipal of the public schools at Taneytown, Carroll County, Md., and the following year was made Superintendent of the public schools at West- minster, on a salary of 150 per month, that being the. highest salary paid in" the county up to that time. He continued in that position for two years, and during this time he commenced to read law in the office of Judge John E. Smith, with whom he remained two years, and in Novem- ber, 1868, upon motion of Judge Smith, he was admitted to the Bar. In the winter of 1868 and 1869 he was Superintendent of the schools at Union Bridge, Md., but in May, 1869, he deter- mined to seek fame and fortune in the great West. Accordingly, he left his native heath and journeyed toward the Prairie State, first stopping at Mattoon, Coles County. When starting out for himself, Mr. Zepp's cash capital was by no means large, and when he arrived at Mattoon he was al- PORTKAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 237 mos-t penniless, in fact, in balancing up his cash account he found he had just thirteen cents. He was in a strange land, among strangers, and some- thing had to be done. After remaining at Mattoon for one month, he went to Bunker Hill, where the harvest was just commencing, and he being a strong and able- bodied man, hired out at $3 per day, and in this manner accumulated considerable means. He began teaching school in Palmyra, Macoupin County, and the following harvest found him again in the field, for in his ambition to get a start in the world he was determined, for the time, to do any work that would bring him money, pro- viding it was honorable employment. While work- ing in the field he learned that the Board of Educa- tion at Hills boro wanted to secure a new Superin- tendent, and he at once went to that place to make application. A week later he received word by mail that he had been appointed to the position at a salary of 180 per month for ten months. At the expiration of this time, or in June, 1871, he formed a partnership in the law business with T. A. Walls, a prominent attorney of Kokomis, but the following October his partner died and he succeeded to the thriving business of the office. His reputation as an educator caused the Board of Education at Nokomis to secure him as Superin- tendent of the public schools at this place, which position he occupied for one year. He was then out of school for two years, when they again made a proposition that if he would accept $125 per month, they would allow him to have time to at- tend to his law practice and be present during the sessions of court. This he saw fit to accept, and the arrangement lasted one year. Then on ac- count of his constantly increasing business, he was obliged to give up the place. Soon after this, or on the 8th of September, 1874, he was married to Miss Ella Beaver, of Westmin- ster, Md., who was reared, like her husband, in a slave State. Early in life our subject learned to detest the institution of human slavery, and as he grew older he became a pronounced Abolition- ist, It would be only natural therefore to expect to find him after the abolition of slavery a pro- fjOWttpecJ m^ ardent Republican, as b^ is, Jn i876, his party, recognizing his true worth and great ability, elected him to the State Legislature, a po- sition he filled in a most satisfactory and capable manner. He was a member of the house when the great fight was made against Logan for the United States Senate, and, being a great admirer of the soldier and statesman, he supported him from first to last. Even when defeat stared him in the face he never wavered. While a member of the Legislature his ability was recognized by his being placed on many of the important committees, and he was Chairman of the Committee on Executive Departments which brought him in contact with Gov. Cullom. Our subject was also a member of the Committee on Judicial Departments, as well as on the Committee on Corporations. He has been in all the Republican county conventions since he came to Montgomery County, as well as many of the State conventions, and has also been a member of the Republican Central Committee. In 1892, Mr. Zepp was elected a delegate to the National Convention at Minneapolis, and was an ardent supporter of Gen. Harrison for- re-nomina- tion. As a financier he has few equals and no su- periors in his locality. Quick to see an opportu- nity, he instantly grasps it, and one incident is given to show this: Just prior to the resumption of specie payment, and when great depression in value spread over the land, Mr. Zepp could see that the depression was at its lowest point, and that improvement was sure to come in the near fu- ture. The vacant lots in Nokomis, and about two hundred acres of land adjoining, were for sale at panic prices. He saw his opportunity, and, inter- esting some capitalists in the scheme, they made the purchase, as well as a tract of four hundred acres of vahiable land in Shelby County. The change came as he had predicted, and this master stroke brought him his fortune. In 1884 he stocked the large farm in Shelby County with blooded stock and spent two years on the farm looking after this interest. This was his only absence from his office since locating in Nokomis. About 1880, he or- ganized the Nokomis Building and Loan Associa- tion with a capital of $100,000, and has been its Pi'esident from the start. He is a prominent and entlmsiastic Mason, joining tbe ovde^' in Mftvylftnd, 238 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. having sent in his petition to the first meet- ing held after he was twenty-one years of age. He is a member of the Blue Lodge of Nokomis, of which he has been Master, Hillsboro Chapter and Council, and also of St. OmerCoromandery at Litchfield. Mr. Zepp is a true type of the South- ern-bred gentleman, and it is a great pleasure to make his acquaintance. NTHONY CALIHAN, a well-known and honored resident of Montgomery County, was born in the city of New York in 1841, of Irish parents, both of whom died wlien he was small. They came to this country from the land of their birth, the Isle of Erin, but were not here long enough to gain a foothold on the ladder of success, and when death called them hence they left their son without means and at the mercy of a cold world. He was separated from a brother at this time and has never seen or heard of him since. Anthony was very young at that time, and hardly knows what became of himself for some time thereafter, but supposes that he vvas con- signed to the care of a poor-house or some charitable institution in that great city. He soon found him- self bound out to one Thomas Wolston, a New Jersey farmer, and there he grew to mature years without the thoughtful and loving care of .1 mother or the wise counsels of a father. He re- ceived little or no education, and while his foster- parents were kind to him, it was not the kindness born of love. They well knew the warm blood in the veins of the Irish lad, and policy had much to do with the kindness that was accorded him. When the great Civil War came, the blood in the Irish boy began to tell and he asked the consent of Mr Wolston to enlist in the Union service, but permission was refused, as the time for which he had been bound out had not yet expired. This only added fuel to the flames of his determination to enlist, and wbeo President Lincoln niade his second call for troops young Anthony took French leave of his foster-parents and on the 12th of August, 1861, his name could bo found on the rolls of Company B. Thirty-fifth Illinois Infantry. He enlisted from Montgomery County, to which place they had moved in 1858 or 1859. His com- mand followed Price through Missouri, and he was a participant in the battle of Pea Ridge, which was his first general engagement. For some time afterward he was in Missouri and Arkansas, and made a forced march from Batesville to Cape Girardeau, a distance of two hundred and forty miles, in nine daj^s en route to Pittsburgh Land- ing. He was in the siege of Corinth, Miss., and during his life as a soldier performed many acts of bravery, and was in all the hard marches and battles, including the bloody battles of Stone River and Tullahoma, in which his regiment par- ticipated. We next find him on the bloody battle- field of Chickamauga, where in the first day's fight, September 19, 1862, he was felled by a rebel bullet and as he lay bleeding and stunned he was taken prisoner. Behind the walls of Libby Prison, Mr Caliban was confined for seventeen months, during which time he suffered the tortures, privations and slow starvation for which Southern prisoners were noted. He was at Danville and also in that foul pen, Andersonville, but the greater period of his incar- ceration was spent in Libby. A volume could be filled with his reminiscences of prison life, and the sufferings that were crowded into those months of captivity were more than sufficient for a lifetime. When he was finally released in the spring of 1865, he was little more than a living skeleton, covered with a few rags that took the place of clothing, and with all his teeth gone from the effects of scurv}^ Upon receiving his discharge on the 22nd of April, 1865, he returned to Mont- gomery County, and as soon as he was able he en- gaged in farming, to which occupation his atten- tion has since been devoted. In 1868, he was united in marriage with Miss Lucy Kellogg, a native of this country, and a daughter of Alfred Kellogg, a prominent old settler. Soon after his marriage he located on the farm on which lie is now residing in Audubon 'fownsjiip, PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 289 Mr Caliban has been the soul of honor in his business transactions, has carried himself in an upright manner throughout life, and as a result he has numerous friends and very few, if any, enemies. To himself and wife five children have been born, two of whom died when small. The others are Laura, wife of Charles Nevlin, a busi- ness man of Alton, 111.; Mary, who resides in No- komis; and Roy, a bright boy of seven years. In politics Mr Caliban is a hearty and most earnest supporter of Republican principles. He is a mem- ber of the Grand Army of the Republic, belonging to the Post at Nokorais, in which he has served as S. v., J. v., and in other minor offices. 4^ -^ ENRY SAATHOFB\ The public is always curious concerning men who have made a success in life, no matter whether that suc- 5^ cess may be one of rank, wealth or state, or a result of noble endeavor. Oftentimes this is an idle and impertinent curiosity, but on the other hand the history of one who fills his niche accept- ably, doing to the best of his ability that which fate has set before him, cannot but be a helpful lesson to the reader. Of such is our subject, who, though living the quiet life of a farmer, brings such thoroughness and persistent effort to bear in his daily vocation, tliat a dignity is lent to it of which it is sometimes unhappilj' bereft. Henry Saathoff is one of the German- American citizens of this locality, who was born in the king- dom of Hanover, December 31, 1846. He is a son of Heiel and Annie (Mueller) Saathoff, and is the fourth in order of birth of the.ir family of eight children. Of these, himself and brother Hciel are all that are spared. When our subject was only eleven years of age, or in 1857, the Saathoff family came to America, and at once proceeding Westward, settled in Mad- ison County, this State. After a residence of two years there, they removed to Montgomery County, As tUe family- njea»s were very limited, and each child had to contribute as much as possible to the common support, young Henry found but little time to prosecute his studies. That which he has was mostly acquired before his eleventh year, in his native country. In 1876, he lost his mother, and eleven years later death came and laid its rest- ful hand upon the heart that had beaten for him in paternal solicitude. In 1867, Mr. Saathoff was united in marriage with Miss Frances Keiser. She died March 10, 1890. Of the nine children that came to gladden their home, five are now living. Of these, Annie is the wife of J. F. Whitworth, a merchant of prominence in Sorento. Mary died at the age of fifteen years; Heiel, John, Ira and Lena are all prosecuting their studies here, and preparing to take their places as loyal American citizens. April 19, 1891, our subject married his present wife, who was a Miss Sophia Haafker, a native of Hanover, Germany, and a daughter of Heine and Mate Haafker, now of Mt. Olive, this State. Their one child, Lizzie, is a lovable girl baby. In 1886, Mr. Saathoff purchased the Central Hotel of Sor- ento, and for a year was its active proprietor. He again purchased the line farm where he now lives, still, however, retaining his ownership of the hotel, besides having other valuable property in the town. Althougli he has for many years been a Democrat, he leaves to others the red tape of po- litical work, merely assisting his party by casting his straight Democratic vote at each election. WF. WEBER. It is with pleasure that any true-hearted patriot recounts the life history of one who saved our nation with devotion, and it is with reverence that we look upon the infirmities that have come .upon these crippled veterans in our country's service. The old soldier of whom we write, and who is now one of the most substantial and prosperous farm- ers of Audubon Township, is a native of Chau. tauqua County, N, Y,, born March 20, 1837, he 240 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. being the eighth in order of birth of nine chil- dren born to Joseph and Eunice (Johnson) Weber, both natives of the Empire State. The grand- father, Nicholas AVeber, was also a native of that State, and was born about thirteen years prior to the Revolutionary War. The family is of Ger- man extraction, and the great-grandfather of our subject, no doubt, came from the Fatherland many years before the signing of the Declaration of In- dependence. The mother of our subject was of English extraction, but no date is before us of the early history of this family, or the exact time her forefathers came to this country. In 1840, when the subject of this sketch was but a child of three years, the parents left the Empire State for the great West, and traveled by team to the Ohio River. From there they went by flat-boats to Pittsburg, and by steamer to St. Louis, Mo., where they again took to team and made their way to the then wild prairies of Mont- gomery County, III. They settled on a piece of unbroken land not far from the now thriving count}' seat of Montgomery County, or Hillsboro, and here it may be said of Mr. Weber: " He chopped, he logged, he cleared his lot. And into many a dismal spot He let the light of day." The mother died a few years later, or when our subject was about seven years old, and on this farm, which he had labored hard to clear and develop,' the father passed away in 1853. Of this pio- neer family there are now but five living — the original of this notice, two brothers and two sis- ters. Jacob, the eldest, resides not far from the place where the family first settled, north of Hills- boro. He served his country faithfully in the Civil War, and was in the One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Illinois Infantry, and was discharged after the fall of Vicksburg on a surgeon's certifi- cate of disability. William W. is a farmer living in this county; Harriet is the wife of Philip Hacker, of St. Louis, Mo.; and Julia married James P. Hancock, who was a member of the One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Illinois Infantry, and died at JacTtsop, Tenn,, of t^phoj^ feyer, while m service, Like the children of other pioneer families, our subject was early inured to the arduous duties of the farm, and was fairly educated for those days. For a number of years prior to the Civil War, he was engaged in the sawmill business, and thus we find him actively employed when President Lin- coln made his first call for troops, in April, 1861. He promptly tendered his services and was en- rolled in Company H, Ninth Illinois Infantry, and spent the greater part of his enlistment at Cairo. At the expiration of his term of enlistment, three months, he was discharged, and returned home, but early in the summer of 1862, he re-en- listed in Company F, One Hundred and Twenty- sixth Illinois Infantry, as a private. His command was at once sent to the front at Bolivar, Tenn., and this regiment, while one of the best in the ser- vice, had many duties to perform, holding the rebels in check, guarding forts and railroads, and transportations for Grant's army. It was in the great siege and fall of Vicksburg, and many small engagements and skirmishes. The greater part of the time was spent in Ten- nessee and Arkansas, and while near Duval's Bluff, in the latter State, on White River, our sub- ject was personally in charge of a sawmill for the Government for about a j'ear. The last year of the war his regiment was engaged in skirmishing, scouting, and in long marches in the State of Ar- kansas, and was mustered out in Pine Bluff, that State, July 12, 1865, and discharged at Springfield, 111., on the 2d of the following August. He served his country with bravery and valor for more than three years, endured many hardships and suffered much. During his service he was ruptured, contracted rheumatism, and nearly lost his eye-sight, one eye becoming entirely blind. After returning from the army he again en- gaged in the sawmill business, which continued until the fall of 1866, when he purchased the farm in Audubon Township, on which he has since resided. For six years he was a member of the Board of Supervisors of Montgomer}' County, for two years was Justice of the Peace, Clerk two terms, for three years was Commissioner, and for twenty-five years was Treasurer of his school dis- trict. He is a Gj-and Arm^ piap, a»4 Jife-long (2^^ ■,.,^^, j&eXcuJ PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 245 Democrat. Mr. and Mrs. Weber liad born to them nine children, seven of whom are living. One died when a child, and Ida died when twenty 3-ears of .ige. Laura E. is tiie wife of II. Teter, of Fairmont, Neb.; Charles and Perry, at home; An- nie is a teacher in the public schools; Lulu, Hattie and Maud are at home. Mr. Weber has a fine farm of two hundred and forty acres, has good, substantial buildings, and is one of the representa- tive men of this section. v '^ j^ILLIAM SCHARF. Our subject has reached that age when the dignity of years well spent in active and productive labor ex- empts him from the weariness of toil at the pres- ent time. He is now recognized as one of the prominent and wealth^^ retired farmers, living at a pleasant distance from the busy t wn of Sorento, in Shoal Creek Township, Bond County. The town of Sorento when laid out included a part of what was then his farm. Mr. Scharf was born in the province of Sehlesien, in the kingdom of Prussia, August 11, 1826. Early in life he learned the blacksmith's trade, which he followed in his native land until he went to America in 1852. After that time, he was em- ployed at his trade in St. Louis for four years, and in 1856 he purchased one hundred acres of land in Pleasant Prairie, Bond County, where be has ever since lived. While residing in Missouri, February 18, 1854, our subject was married to Augusta Lohmann, who is a native of Hanover, Germany. She had one child, who, on her mother's marriage to Mr. Scharf, took that name. He grew to manhood, the pride of his foster father. It was this child, August Scharf, who laid out the thriving town of Sorento. It was also he who organized the Sorento Coal Com- pany, and to his push and energy the people of the town are grewtly indebted for the many enter- prises that make of it a noted com ijiema J center, 11 He had the advantages of an excellent education, and was a naturally brilliant and capable busi- ness man. His community received his constant attention, and everything that was possible for him to do that was for the interest of the town, he willingly sacrificed himself for, if necessary, and when he was cut down in the prime of life, and in the days of his greatest prosperity, by the fell de- stroyer. Death, the mourning was universal. So- rento felt that not only a good and noble man was taken from her midst, but that one of the mainstajts of the place was removed when he was most needed. He died November 12, 1891, at the age of forty-two years. The large fortune which he left goes for the most part to the two other chil- dren that his parents reared: Thomas Scharf and Augusta Lohmann, the latter the wife of Charles Reum. A small portion of it goes to Rhoda M. (Cole) Scharf, to whom he was married on his deathbed. The wife of William Scharf and the mother of August died January 9, 1890. They had no other children, but those already above mentioned re- ceived the tender parental care that comes only from great and generous hearts. Mr. Scharf is possessed of an ample fortune, and takes all the comfort he can get from these latter years of life. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Reum and his adopted son Thomas reside with him in his home adjoining Sorento. There is a satisfaction to the observer of many of the freaks of fate, in the fact that oc- casionally merit reaps its own reward, and pa- tience, perseverance and industry do not become so warped that the broader interests of life cannot be thoroughly enjoyed. '•*- ::^-^=®^: m>--^^'m «£*_ 35--- ^OHN SCHLUP, one of the leading business men of Greenville, is there engaged in the manufacture of wagons, and as this is one of the most important industries of the city, the proprietor well deserves representation in this yolnme, His birth occurred nwr Berne, Swit- 246 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. zerland, in 1833. His father, John Schlup, Sr., was also a native of that country, was a wagon- maker by trade, and in connection therewith car- ried on agricultural pursuits. The family num- bered four children. Our subject attended the public schools, and at the age of seventeen bade good-bye to friends and native land, and s,ailed for America, landing in New York on the 2d of November, 1851. A stranger in a strange land, he was thenceforth dependent upon his own resources. Going to Ohio, he secured work in a coal mine daring the winter, and in the following .spring began work as a farm hand at 88 per month. After that summer he drove horses on the Ohio Canal until the autumn of 1854, when he came to Madison County, 111., and located in Highland, where was living his maternal uncle, Michael Mollet, who was engaged in the manufacture of wagons. His uncle wished him to learn the trade, and he did so, serv- ing an apprenticeship of two years. He then worked as a journe3'man for a month, after which he bought out his uncle and carried on business for himself for two years. On the expiration of that period, Mr. Schlup sold and came to Bond County. He helped to lay out the town of Dudleyville, bought lots in the place, built a house and shop, and there carried on wagon-making until 1861, when, at the call of his adopted country for troops, he enlisted in Com- pany D, Third Illinois Cavalry. He went in as a private, but was discharged as a Sergeant. For three years, he faithfully defended the old flag and the cause it represented, and, witli the army of Gen. Curtis, participated in many battles west of the Mississippi. After his discharge, in 1864, he returned to his home, and in September of the same year came to Greenville. For three years he worked at wagon-making in the employ of others, and then commenced business for himself on Sec- ond Street, where he remained four years, when he traded for the brick wagon shop on Third Street, his present location. The wagon shop is 24x50 feet, the smithy and paint shops are both build- ings of the same dimensions, and the storage room is 30x36 feet. Employment is furnished some seven men, and he is doing an excellent business. In 1857, Mr. Schlup was united in marriage with Miss Catherine, daughter of Michael Buchter, a na- tive of Germany. They have two children, Mary and John. The former is now the wife of William Gerkin, of Greenville, and their union has been blessed with two children. Mr. Schlup is independent in politics. He faith- fully served for two years as City Alderman, but has never been a politician in the sense of office- seeking. Socially, he is a member of the Odd Fel- lows society and the Grand Army of the Republic. Besides his business, he owns two lots and a resi- dence on Fifth Street. He has worked up an excel- lent trade, and well deserves the liberal patronage which he receives, for his work is done in a first- class manner, and he is upright and honorable in all his dealings. As a citizen, he is public-spirited and progressive, and has done much for the up- building and development of the best interests of the communit3^ -I I I I I ? I ' . ' I ' I ■ W ILLIAM N. DONNELL, who for many Ijj years was connected with the agricultural V^/ interests of this community, but is now living retired in Greenville, has the honor of be- ing a native of Bond Countj', and is a worthy re- presentative of one of the prominent pioneer families. He was born November 1, 1821. Two years previously his parents, George and Anna (McLean) Donnell, had come to this county from North Carolina. They were natives of Guilford County, that State, and mention is made of them in the sketch of Joseph Donnell, which ap- pears on another page of this work. On reaching this county they located on a farm five miles southwest of Greenville. At one time the father was acquainted with every man in the county, for the settlers were few at that early day. Subsequently -he removed to La Grange Township, where he purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres of timber land and sixty acres of prairie. Later he removed to POETEAIT AND BTOGEAPHICAL EECORD. 247 Greenville, and spent the remainder of his days retired from labor, and died in 1877, when about eighty-four years of age. His wife was called to her final rest in 1888, at the very advanced age of ninety-five years. Tlie familj^ numbered ten chil- dren, six of whom are now living, as follows: Jo- seph M., William N., James M., George W., Henry C. and Mrs. Emily McCord. William Donnell spent the days of his boyhood and youth in the usual manner of farmer lads. He was educated in Hillsboro Academy, and after- ward engaged in teaching school for two terms. He took a trip to North Carolina on horseback, some eight hundred miles, and while on his return visited Gen. Jackson in Tennessee. He also heard Henry Clay speak for two hours in Raleigh, N. C. In 1847, Mr. Donnell was united in marriage with Miss Luticia J. White, of Greenville, daughter of Samuel and Cynthia White, who were pioneer settlers of this village. By their union have been born seven children: Delia, now the wife of W. C. Ingram, of Kansas, by whom she has three chil- dren, Nellie, Lotta and William; Mary E., Samuel H. and Calvin M., at home; Albert 0., who married Ella Wallace; William D. and Ellen W. Throughout the greater part of his business career, Mr. Donnell engaged in agricultural pur- suits. Entering one hundred and twenty acres of land from the Government, upon which not a fur- row had been turned or an improvement made, he Ijegan farming in La Grange Township, and to the development and cultivation of his land devoted his energies until he transformed it into an excel- lent farm. He also extended its boundaries until it now comprises four hundred acres. The im- provements upon it aie in keeping with a model farm, and in all its appointments the place seems complete. He continued to engage in the opera- tion of his land until 1875, when he removed to Greenville, in order to better educate his children, and has since made his home here. The cause of temperance has ever found in Mr. Donnell a warm friend, and he votes with the Prohibition party. He has never been an office- seeker, but served as Treasurer of his township for twenty years, a fact which indicates his personal popularity and the high regard in which he is held. He has long been a faithful member of the Presbyterian Church, and for thirty years has been one of its Elders, serving as an Elder of tlie church at Greenville for twelve years. Tiie his- tory of Bond County is well known to him, and he is numbered among its honored early settlers. ♦^♦= _y / *^*^s^ "A \i7 B. HUBBARD, one of ^the old settlers and I (@ prominent farmers of Bond County, resides J 13^ on section 6, Pleasant Mound Township. He is descended from patriotic ancestors, and his father, Peter Hubbard, Sr., fought bravely on the side of the Colonists during the entire period of the Revolutionary War. He was a native of South Carolina and was there reared to manhood. After leaving home, he first settled in Tennessee and then came to Madison Countj^ 111., in the year 1809. Here he married Martha Gilham, who was also a native of South Carolina. In 1817 Mr. and Mrs. Hubbard moved into Bond County, wliere he took up sixteen hundred acres of Government land. He was obliged to go over into Madison County to get men to assist in raising his house, as he'was one of the first settlers in the new count}-, and the largest land-holder. Here he remained until within one year of his death, which event occurred when he was eighty-seven. The death of his wife took place when she was sixt}' years of age, and the parents lie buried on the old home place. Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Hubbard, eight of whom grew to maturity. All of these but one were born in Bond County, 111., and four of the family are still living, three of them in Bond County. Our subject is the fourth child and third son, and his birth occurred in Bond County, 111., Decem- ber 24, 1819. He was reared in his native place and his education was obtained in the pioneer log schoolhouse, where rough slabs served for seats, one small window admitted light, a stick chimney held the logs of firewood, and the door had wooden 248 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. hinges, from which hung the proverbial latch string. Our subject remained with his parents assisting on the farm until his marriage, October 6, 1840, when he was united with Miss Sarah Grigg. This lady was born in North Carolina, April 14,1821, and came to Bond County, 111., with her father and mother when she was nine years old. The young married couple began their wedded life on a farm in Mulberry Grove Township, where the husband had entered two hundred acres of land. They remained there for about six years, and then moved to Fond du Lac County, Wis., where he en- gaged for about eight yeais in farming and lum- bering. In 1856, he again changed his location and moved to Marion, Linn Count}', Iowa, where he remained for four years, but in 1860 he moved his family back to Bond Countj' and located where he now resides. Mr. and Mrs. Hubbard were tlie par- ents of the following children: Francis M. died at the age of about twenty-two years; John H. resides in St. Louis; Elizabeth E. died at the age of thirteen years; George N., lives in Greenville; and Charles B. and William B. reside in Smithborougli. Our subject has a farm of one hundred and twen- ty-six acres and is now carrying on general farm- ing. For many years he worked at his trade of a carpenter, and has done considerable building in Bond County, many houses and barns in that lo- cality testifying to his skill in that line. Mr. Hub- bard has been a stanch Republican eince the forma- tion of the party. He now lives one mile from the place where he was born, and he and his wife are one of four couples living in the same township who have been married over fifty years. j^piRANK YACKLE. One of the most note- [— (^ worthy establishments in Nokomis, 111., is [l, the footwear manufactory' of which Frank Yackle is the proprietor. He can guarantee his goods to his customers for superiority of material, workmanship, style and durability. He is well knowB for his enterprise, eaergy and push, and richly deserves the large measure of popularity and prosperity that he now enjoys. He was bom in Baden, Germany, August 12, 1863, and is a son of Anslen and Catherine Yackle, the former of whom was a weaver in the Old Country, but after coming to America, in 1866, located at Hillsboro, 111., where -he was for some 3'ears employed in the woolen mills. He was a typical German in every respect, being industrious and honorable, and those who knew him had naught to say of him but kind words. Frank Yackle grew to mature years in Hillsboro, and until fifteen years of age had' the good for- tune to attend the public schools of tliat place, where he proved himself a good average student, and made reasonable progress in his studies. Af- ter he attained his fifteenth year, he went to Louis- ville, Ky., to join an uncle, who was a boot and shoe manufacturer of that city, and enteied his shop for the purpose of learning the trade. Dur- ing the four years that he remained thus employed, he learned the minutest detail of the business, and upon leaving the establishment he could make as good a boot or shoe as his uncle, who had devoted many years to the business, and thus was a credit to his teacher. He at once returned to Hillsboro, 111., where he established himself in the same busi- ness on his own account, but later turned his at- tention to the clothing business, and opened an establishment of some pretensions in Hillsboro, which he conducted with reasonable . success for tliree years, at the end of which time lie disposed of his stock of goods and began turning his atten- tion to other pursuits. On the 1st of Januarj', 1891, he took up his resi- dence in Nokomis, and once more turned his at- tention to his former occupation of manufacturing boots and shoes, and founded his present reliable establishment. He at once secured a foremost place in the confidence and patronage of a dis- criminating public, and his unremitting energy and industry, as well as his upright dealing, have made his house a thoroughly reliable one. He manufactures a full and complete line of footwear for all ages and both sexes, from the daintiest French kid ball slipper to stout shoes for men and boy§' wear, and what he does not know about the PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 249 manufacture of boots and shoes maj' safely be said to be not worth knowing. His prices are very reasonable, and, as he is prompt in meeting his orders, his house lias deservedly become a popular one. He is a public-spirited citizen, wide-awake to the interests of his section, and, being a gentleman of pleasing address, is much esteemed. He is a mem- ber of tiie Modern Woodmen of America, and, having been reared in the Roman Catholic Church, has always clung to that faith. On the 4th of May, 1886, he was united in marriage with Miss Catherine Huber, of Perry County, Mo., by whom he lias two bright little children, a son and daugh- ter: Carl Huber and Florence Adeline. i^+^i [s" 'ir A. LYNCH. In no line so much as in the liquor business has a buyer to rely so much on the knowledge and representations of the seller, therefore it is pleasant to note the name of a house having a special name for reliability'. The firm of Lynch Bros, is one of the most prominent and reliable in the city of No- komis, and its members are men of enterprise and excellent business acumen. J. A. Lynch, the sen- ior member of the firm, is a native of the "Sucker State," born in Litchfield, Montgomery County, January 18, 1867, and is one of seven children born to Martin and Nora Lynch, now residents of Litchfield. Martin Lynch was born in the North of Ireland, and came to America about the year 1845, locat- ing at Crawfordsville, Ind., where he was engaged by what is now known as the Big Four Railroad and was for years section boss at different points on the line of the road. For twenty years he has been thus engaged at Litchfield. He is a gentle- man of much enterprise and ambition and from him our subject has no doubt inherited his good judgment and business ability. The seven chil- dren born to the marriage of this worthy man were in the order of their births as follows: Ella, wife of Adam Linck, of Litchfield; M. J., re- tired from business and residing at Mattoon, 111.; Kate is the wife of P. J. Kenary, a popular con- ductor on the Wabash Railroad, who resides at Decatur; T. M., in the liquor business at Sullivan, 111.; J. A. (our subject); D. P., of the grain firm of F. A. Masher & Co., of Terre Haute, Ind., and Mary A., who has just graduated at the Ursuline Acad- emy at Litchfield, and is now residing with her parents at that place. The original of this notice was reared in Litch- field, and was a student in Ursuline Academy un- til his thirteenth year, at which age he had mas- tered telegraphy, picking it up at odd times. When fourteen years of age, he was placed in charge of the oflBce at Litchfield, and, as far as we have been able to learn, was the youngest boy who had filled a like position up to that time. He was thoroughly familiar with the art, and continued in the office at Litchfield for several years. From there he went to Mattoon, where his brother was train dispatcher, entered the office, and there continued for some time. Subsequently he went to St. Louis, became assistant train dispatcher, holding this responsible position when but a boy, and remaining for some time. Returning to his native place he continued as telegraph operator until 1888, when he resigned his position to engage in the liquor business with his brother at Litchfield. In this business he re- mained until July, 1891, when he was again seized with a desire to return to his former occu- pation. He went to Denison, Tex., and worked in an office at that place for a few months but it soon lost its charm and lie returned to Illinois. He resumed business with his brother in the sa- loon at Mattoon, where he conducted that busi- ness until he came to Nokomis to take charge of the business at that place. These brothers, active, enterprising and pro- gressive as they are, have a saloon at Sullivan, one at Mattoon and another at Nokomis. They handle the products of the best distilleries, and all their goods are noted for their purity and age, and their stock in all lines is full and complete. Although the history of this house in Nokomis is comparatively short, it has already reached a po- 250 tORTEAlT AND BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. sition among the leading houses in its line in that city, and its trade is constantly increasing in vol- ume. Our subject is a great favorite with the railroad boys and a very agreeable and genial young man. mm 11^^ ^ILLIAM W. WHITLOW. Our subject is a prominent citizen of the locality in which he lives, and Supervisor of Harvel Town- ship, Montgomery County. He has a fine residence on section 21, of this township, where he carries on extensive fai-ming operations. He is a native of Greene County, this State, and was born April 1, 1834. His parents were Daniel and Fannie (Ray) Whitlow; the former was a native of Kentucky and the latter of North Carolina. They came to Greene County, 111., during the '30s. Our subject was the eldest son of his father's family. He was reared to man's estate in his native county and although he had not the advant- ages of a higher education, whatever knowledge he gained was due to his own efforts. He keenly appreciates the fact that a man with a practical as well as theoretical knowledge of the sciences and arts has greatly the advantage over one who is deficient in this respect. Feeling that life was incomplete without a part- ner to share his joys and sorrows, our subject took unto himself a wife. He was married May 11, 1858, his bride being Miss Fannie E.Thomasson, a native of Greene County and a daughter of William Thomasson. This union has been blessed hy the advent of six children, whose names areas follows: George E., William A., John W., Agnes, Flora and Eva. Agnes is the wife of John F. Aull; Flora married B. Hendricks, and Eva is the wife of John Fehr. The advent of our subject into Montgomery County was in 1866, and at that time he settled in Harvel Township and that has been his home ever since. He owns seven hundred and twenty acres of land, of which he has made an ideal farm. Every part is cultivated as thoroughly as possible, and drainage, water facilities and labor-saving devices are found here to perfection. All that he possesses he has made by his personal exertion and as can be seen the years that have passed have been in nowise wasted. For fifteen years our subject served as Highway Commissioner and has been re-elected year after year to the office of Supervisor of the township. In addition to these duties, he is School Treas- urer and his public offices occupy much of his time and attention. Democracy is the prin- ciple of politics that appeals to him most strongly. He seeks to enthuse his neighbors with an idea that improvement in any direction is for the pub- lic good. Fraternallj' he is a member of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows and serves at the present time as Treasurer of the lodge. ifkM, D. H0LMP:S. Agriculture and stock- raising have formed the principal occupa- tion of this gentleman, and the wide-awake manner in which he has taken advantage of all methods and ideas tending to enhance the value of his property has had a great deal to do with obtaining the competence which he now en_ joys. Personal popularity, it cannot be denied, results largely from the industry, perseveran ce and close attention to business which a person displays in the management of any particular branch of trade, and in the case of Mr. Holmes this is cer- tainly true, for he has adhered so closely to the above-mentioned pursuits that high esteem has been placed upon him. He is a native-born resi- dent of this county, his birth having occurred in Fiast Fork Township, September 5, 1847. His father, Joel Holmes, was a native of the Pine Tree State, born in the year 1813, and when about three years of age his father and mother died. ' He was put out and reared in New York State until twenty-one years of age. PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 251 when he came direct to Montgomery County, 111., and entered the land where his son, our subject, now resides. He was married in this county to Miss Marandis D. Bennett, a native of the Old Bay State, who was thirteen years of age when she came with her parents to the Prairie State. After mar- riage Mr. and Mrs. Holmes located where our sub- ject now resides, made many improvements on the place and tiiere received their final summons, the father dying in 1870 and the mother in 1883. They were honest, upright citizens, frugal and in- dustrious, and were higlily esteemed in the com- munity in which they lived. Their family con- sisted of six children, three sons and three daugh- ters, two sons and one daughter now living. The original of this notice was reared and edu- cated in his native place, and received his scholastic training in the log schoolhouse with no windows, and in Hillsboro Academy. He assisted his father in developing and improving the home place, and continued to reside under the parental roof until his marriage, which occurred on the 30th of Oc- tober, 1870, with Miss Amanda Barnett, a native of Franklin County, 111., born May 7, 1849, and the daughter of Jesse and Mary A. (Abbott) Bar- nett. Directly after his marriage, our subject lo- cated on section 28, East P^ork Township, and there continued to make his home for about five years, after which he moved to the farm that he now owns. This is the old homestead, where his boy- hood days were spent, and here he expects to pass the remainder of his life. Mr. Holmes has made many improvements in his farm and now has one of the most productive tracts of land in the township. Beginning life with little capital, he has been Very successful, and is now accounted one of the substantial men of his locality. His business abilities are flrst-elass, and few men in this section have taken better advan- tage of such opportunities as have been afforded him. While his own interests have engrossed his attention to a great extent, he has never lost sight of the public welfare, and there are few of his fel- low-citizens who have been more helpful to the general good of the community than has Mr. M. D. Holmes. His marriage resulted in the birth of eight chil- dren three daughters and five sons, as follows: Hattie D. died at the age of eighteen years; Fred D.; Ollie S. died when two years of age; Chester D.; Hiram M.; Clara D. died at the age of fourteen months; Bertie died at the age of nineteen months, and Harold, died when quite small. Mr. Holmes owns two hundred and forty acres of land, nearly all under cultivation, and is a first-class farmer and stock-raiser. In politics, he is a Republican. For twenty years he has been School Director, and both he and his wife are worthy members of the Presby- terian Church, in which he is a Trustee. 4^ 'ilfc'-» ~^ >#> "S^DWARD N. WILCOX. It takes a strong IW| arm and steady nerve to be the undoing of [L^ the gift of life to even the humblest of God's creatures, and although the purveyors of the more substantial part of our daily food are necessarily engaged in a sanguinary business, it is one not enough appreciated. Mr. Wilcox, of whom we write, is the most prominent butcher in No- komis. He is a native of this State, having been born in Christian County, October 30, 1851. Edward N. is a son of George and Elizabeth (Hulett) Wilcox, both of whom, however, died when he was but a small child. The little orphan was made one of the family of Mr. Jolin Busby, a farmer residing in Montgomery County, 111. His educational advantages were but limited, but he had the making of a good man in him, and what is born in a man is sure to come out in his later life, irrespective of conditions or position. Mr. Wilcox had inherited a sturdy fiber and persistency that insured him success in whatever he attempted. His ambitions were modest, and set within what he was sure that he could attain. Our subject was engaged in farming until 1880, when, in company with a brother-in-law, he came to Nokomis, and soon became engaged in the butcher business. He was thus occupied for four years, and then, feeling the necessity of a change, he returned to his agricultural occupation, and was 252 PORTEAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD, thus engaged until the winter of 1892. Seeing a lucrative opening- in the business in which he had formerly been engaged, he re-established himself in Nokomis in partnership with Lewis J. Rupert, and they have the leading market in the town, and cater to the best trade. Their patrons are always sure of finding delicious, juicy steaks, ami roasts such as would gladden the heart of an English- man. Our subject's famil}' life began in 1882, when lie was married to Miss Lilly D. Sleeth. Their pleasant home has been brightened by the advent of three attractive children: Verlie, Grace and May. Their fond parents look eagerly into the future, anticipating bright destinies for their dear ones. JOHN HERWIG. The reputation that Mr. Herwig enjoys is not only that of a substantial and progressive farmer, but of an intelligent man who is thoroughly posted on all public affairs. Although just in the prime of life, he has made his way to the front ranks among the ener- getic farmers of Montgomery County, and owing to the attention always paid to every minor detail, he has accumulated a fair share of this world's goods. He is now the owner of one of the finest farms adjoining the thriving town of Nokomis, and everything about his place indicates to the beholder that an experienced and competent hand is at the helm. Our subject was born in Cassel, Prussia, on the 9th of January, 1848, and was the youngest of three children born to the marriage of William and Sophia (Fulkmar) Herwig, both natives of the Fatherland. Our subject's brother, George, never came to the United States, but the sister, Dena, emigrated to America and married Fredrick Rohl- ander. She died in Christian County, 111., in 1871, leaving two children. William Herwig, father of our subject, followed the pursuit of farming in his native country, and in addition was also en- gaged in wool-spinning. About 1868, he came to America, and located on a farm in Christian County, where the mother died December 31, 1872, and the father in the latter part of December, 1889. They were highly esteemed wherever they made their home, and were most exemplary and honored citizens. The original of this notice was trained to the arduous duties of the farm in his native country and received a good, practical education there. In connection with farming he also worked apart of the time in the woolen mills with his father, and with him came to America in 1868. He culti- vated the fertile soil of the Sucker State in con- nection with the brick-mason 's trade. For some time he resided in Christian Couutj', and later purchased a good farm there, about five miles north of Nokomis. On that place he resided until 1889, when he sold out and purchased his present farm of two hundred and forty acres adjoining the town of Nokomis, and now has one of the most productive, best-cultivated and best-improved farms in this section. His farming operations are conducted in a scientific manner and with a thor- ough knowledge of every detail of this industry. The buildings are substantial and commodious, and everything about the place siiows him to be a man of more than ordinary thrift and energy. While he is an agriculturist of advanced ideas and tendencies, he does not lose sight of the stock, in- terests, and has gained quite a local reputation as an extensive breeder of high-grade cattle. In politics, Mr. Herwig affiliates with the Re- publican party, and takes a deep interest in all political questions. He has held a number of local positions and discharged the duties of the same in a creditable and very satisfactory manner. For three years he was one of the Commissioners of Christian County, this State. In 1872, he married Miss Mary Teik, a native of this countrj', but of German descent. Ten children resulted from this union, nine of whom are living and named as fol- lows: Annie, William, Bertha, Johnnie, Emma, Dena, Henry, Mary and Lydia. Mr. Herwig and family are worthy members of the German Meth- odist Episcopal Church, and are liberal contribu- tors to the same. They are active in all good o o >- a: o o o q: H tn i o :^ o z o to q: I Z o -D Q to rORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 255 work, and are classed among the public-spirited and esteemed citizens of the county. Mr. Herwig is a member of the Mutual Benefit Association connected with his church in Chicago, and is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. *? UDGE A. G. HENRY. Our subject is one of the venerable men of Bond County, for nearly seventy years have left their record _ upon his head in -whitened hair. However, he retains his honorable position by virtue of his keen ability and well-preserved physical attributes. He is a large land-owner in the county, possessing at the present time something more or less than a thousand acres. Our subject was born in Bourbon County, Ky., February 28, 1824. He is a son of John and Bet- sey (Mills) Henry, natives of South Carolina and Kentucky, respectively. John Henry was a car- penter by trade, and followed his calling for a number of years, but finally gave it up in favor of farming. When a young man he was engaged at his trade in Kentucky. He came to Bond County, 111., in November, 1827, and taking up Govern- ment land settled on Beaver Creek, where he re- mained until 1852, and then removed to Texas. Ten children made the house and home of John Henry and his wife a scene of busy activity. These were all born in Illinois except the two eldest. Six of them are now living, our subject being the eldest of the family. John Henry, while in Texas, was very extensively engaged in farming. He re- turned, however, to this county in 1859 and here died. His wife still survives and resides here at the age of ninety years, having celebrated her last birthday in May, 1892. Our subject was reared on the home farm and received the advantages of a fair education. After remaining at home until twenty-six years of age, he spent one year in the North. Prior to leaving home, he studied law and was admitted to the Bar in 1853. He commenced his practice in Bond County and has followed it ever since. In con- nection with his profession he has had large real- estate interests. As before stated, he owns one thousand acres of land in this count}', all of which is under cultivation, and he also owns large tracts in other counties. He is one of the Directors of the Vandalia Railroad. The first ofHce to which he was elected in this county was Justice of the Peace. In 1872 and 1874, he represented Bond, Clinton and Washington Counties in the State Legislature. In 1848, our subject married Miss Mary Hull, of Bond County. She is a daughter of Benjamin and Lucinda (Allen) Hull, natives of Tennessee and Indiana, respectively. Of the two children born of this marriage that are still living, Eliza, who is now Mrs. Berry, of Pratt, Kan., is the mother of four children, whose names are Nellie, Nonie, Caroline and Henry. Lucy is Mrs. T. P. Morey, of Greenville. Her two children are Henry and Louise. Judge Henry lives in his own residence, which is a fine brick house, imposing in style and struc- ture. It has handsome grounds and its furnish- ing is characterised by the idea of comfort rather than of useless elegance. Judge Henry has always been a worker in the cause of the Republican party, although he can never have been said to be a politician, leaving that to men whose individual interests demanded less time than his own. =^>^^<-! 'feD^^~ SLEE ELLIOTT. Sorento is truly of mushroom growth, scarce numbering in its history a decade, and yet so well organ- ized is the town as to compete successfully in commercial interests with many of its older sisters. It commands a splendid agricultural dis- trict and the trade enjoyed therefrom is very large. Our subject, Mr. Elliott, is one of the pioneer mer- chants of the place and is numbered among the most substantial men here in business. He was 256 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. boin in Grayson County, Ky., May 20, 1856, and is the only child of George and Lucina (Kessinger) Elliott. Our subject's father, George Elliott, was a lineal descendant of Commodore J. D. Elliott, who was second in command under Perry in his memorable fight on Lake Erie in 1812, and who succeeded to the office in 1813, and was in command of the Phil- adelphia Navy Yard at the time of his death in 1845. The Elliott family was no doubt of Scotch ancestry, but the date and the name of the orig- inal emigrant is a matter of conjecture, but his arrival occurred, as uearl3' as we can learn, early in the eighteenth centurj'^. The mother of our subject, Lucina Kessinger, was, like her husband, born in Grayson County, Ky. She was the third child of William L. Kes- singer, who was born in Hart Countj', Ky., and was the son of Joseph Kessinger. The latter in turn was the eldest son of one Solomon Kessin- ger, he being the son of Mathias Kessinger, a German nobleman of great prominence and wealth. Solomon Kessinger was born in what is now the province of Bavaria, near the River Rhine, in the united kingdom of Germany. He was educated bj' his father for a Catholic priest, but before taking the vows he became enamored with one Betsey Greenwalt, and, as the laws of the Roman Catholic Church forbade the marriage of the clergy, love, as is usual, won the day, and he forever renounced Catholicism, left his native land, fame and fortune behind, and came to America, where he met his betrothed at Baltimore. There they were married and at once went to what is now Hart County, Ky., whence the Kessinger family in America springs. We have given sufficient outline of the ances- try of the Elliott and Kessinger families to show the patrician blood that flows in the veins of the man of whom we write. He was less than a year old when brought to Illinois by his relatives. They located at Litchfield, where he was reared. He early applied himself to obtaining a liberal education, which by hard work and perseverance he completed at the Litchfield Seminary before he had reached his nineteenth year. After the close of his studies he was employed as a successful teacher in the public schools, spending three years of the time in Kansas. February 27, 1878, our subject was n)arried to Miss Maggie, daughter of Isaac Bishop, a pioneer of Montgomery County and a veteran of the Mex- ican War, who died in 1863, leaving a snug fortune, a portion of which was inherited by the daughter. After marriage, Mr. Elliott continued to teach, judiciously investing his earnings in land which brought him in quite a comfortable income. With the proceeds of his investment, in June, 1882, he established himself in business at Ray- mond, in the northern part of Montgomery County; but before he had been there long he saw a better field for his young and energetic mind, for on what was known as Pleasant Prairie, in Bond County, the Jacksonville & Southeastern and Charleston, Neoga & St. Louis Railwa}^ Companies had formed a crossing. The town of Sorento was laid out and we find that Mr. Elliott was among the first to establish himself in business in the new place. Moving his stock of goods from Raymond, our subject came here with the determination to de- velop his interests in proportion with the devel- opment of the place. In 1884, he erected a two- story brick building, and therein he is now estab- lished in the general mercantile business. He was one of the original stockholders of the Sorento Coal Company, and for four j'ears was a member of the Village Board of Trustees. His business interests are by no means confined to the mercan- tile line. He is engaged in the land, loan and insurance business and formerlj'- carried on a heavy business in buying and selling grain, and also handled large quantities of railroad ties. As he is a Notary Public he is frequently called upon to look up and settle estates. Besides giving an able attention to these various interests, he is devoting much time to improving his beautiful suburban farm, where he is extensively engaged in fruit culture. He raises a good class of stock, having upon his farm some animals that are well pedigreed. Politically, our subject springs from a long line of Whig ancestors, who all became Republicans on the organization of the party, and with this party PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 257 he was identifled until 1884, when he joined hands with the Prohibitionists. Since that time he has thrown all the energy and enthusiasm of his na- ture into the balance with his party. He is at present a County Central Committeenian, and also a local manager. He has been a life-long temperance advocate. In his church associations, he is a Methodist and no man in his locality is more devoted to the cause of Christianity than he. Greatly interested in Sunday-school work, at the present writing he is Township Chairman of the State Sunday-school Association. Modest and unassuming, Mr. Elliott is a man who makes friends with all with whom he comes in contact. ••■^^>i^>»"^*>*^«'T-^ f \ I I I «)HOMAS P. MOREY, who is now living re- tired in Greenville, was born September 27, 1847, in Mulbefry Grove, Mulberry Grove Township, Bond County. The Morey family is of English descent. The grandparents of our subject, David and Harriet (Campbell) Morey, were na- tives of Vermont and New Hampshire, respec- tively, and became pioneers of Knox County, Ohio, where the grandfather engaged in farming and also followed his trade of a stone mason. He was a member and liberal supporter of the Methodist Episcopal Church and a highly respected citizen. His son, Hiram Morey, father of our subject, was a native of the Buckeye State. He married Eliza J. Brown, a native of Tennessee and a daughter of James and Dorcas Brown, who were also natives of that State, but who emigrated to Fayette County, 111., in an early day. The father was a farmer by oc- cupation and reared a large family. Hiram Morey, having emigrated from Ohio to Illinois, settled in Bond County, but was married in Fayette County. He located in Mulberry Grove Township, Bond County, purchased land and engaged in the manu- facture of carriages, wagons, etc., until 187,5, since which time he has lived retired from active busi- ness. The Morey family numbered ten children, seven of whom are yet living, namely: Sarah, wife of T. M. Sawrey, of Bond County; Thomas P., of this sketch; Dorcas, who became the wife of W. W. Willett, and died in Fayette County in 1889, at the age of forty years, leaving five children; Harriet, wife of H. Lilligh, of Bond County; Henrietta, wife of John W. Jones, of Bond County; Belle, wife of F. Snodgrass, of this county; Dora, wife of W. A. Davis, and Orriu M. Our subject spent the days of liis boyhood and youth quietly upon his father's farm and was edu- cated in the district schools. Then between the ages of nineteen and twenty-three years, he en- gaged in teaching, after which he was a student in McKendree College, of Lebanon, 111., for two years. He then became Principal of a High School in Sandoval, 111., and afterward was Principal of the schools in Mulberry Grove for a year. Thomas P. Morey has been prominently identi- fled with the public interests of the countj^ for some time and is widely' and favorably known throughout its borders. In 1876, he was elected Circuit Clerk of Bond County for a term of four years, and on the expiration of his term of service was re-elected, in 1880, and served in all for eight years. In 1885, he opposed Prof. Slade, President of Almira College, as candidate for an unexpired term as County Superintendent and won the elec- tion. In 1886, he was elected and served for a full term of four years as County Superintendent of Public Schools, since which time he has lived a retired life. September 27, 1873, Mr. Morey was united in marriage with Miss OllieBorror, who died in 1878. In 1883, he was married to Miss Lucy A., daugh- ter of Judge A. G. Henry, of Greenville. Two children grace their union, Henry H. and Louise. They have a beautiful home just south of Almira College and are numbered among the prominent and highly-respected people of the community, the Professor and his wife having many friends. Mr. Morey is one of the most extensive land- owiiers of the county. As his financial resources increased, he made judicious investments and at one time owned some fifteen hundred acres. He now has one thousand acres under good improve- ments. In politics, he is a stalwart Republican and 258 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. is now serving as a member of the Board of Edu- cation. Mr. Mercy is a fine scliolarly gentleman, a leading and influential citizen of the county, and with pleasure we present this record of his life to our readers. *^i*=*_ .y *^35^s* i OSEPH McCULLEY, one of the prominent and wealthy old settlers of this county, is ^^^ a well-known resident of LaGrange Town- (^^ ship, and has seen almost all of the wonder- ful growth of the county. His part in the same has not been small, as he came here in the early days when the deer still roamed over the broad prairie at will, and the cultivated fields were only brush and over-grown wilderness. The subject of this sketch was born in Rock- bridge County, Va., November 11, 1821. He was the son of Frederick McCuUey, who was a native of County Derry, Ireland, in which country he was also married and came to America in June, 1819. His first settlement was in the State of Virginia and there he found a home until the year 1838, when the desire came upon him to see more of this great country, and accordingly he moved his family to Alabama in 1838, but not finding everything congenial there he came to Mont- gomery County, 111., in 1841. Going into the wilderness at that day was a very serious undertaking, as Indians were still very numerous in the new State, and the wild an- imals still found a home there. But the hearts of those early pioneers were brave and they had courageous wives and daring children, and the long wagon journey did not appall them. Many long days were consumed and many were the eamps made at night by the roadside log fire, but at last the new home was reached; a farm at first was rented, and Mr. McCullej^ and family settled down to become residents of the great Prairie State. This farm which he leased and worked, is the Poor Farm of Montgomery Count}'. Father McCuiley died in Bond County when he had reached the age of seventy-two years. He had be- come a Whig in his political belief, for lie was a man who took a deep interest in his new home as soon as he reached these hospitable shores. The mother of our subject had also beeii born among the green hills of Ireland, in County Derry, and atter a life of much activity she died at the age of sixty-four years. Both she and her husband had been firm adherents of the Scotch-Presbyter- ian faith, and lived as they finally died, good, worthy people. Six children were left of the fam- ily to mourn the parents' death: Elizabeth, Joseph, Margaret, James, Martha and Jane. Our subject was reared on the farm and had only the educational advantages which were offered at the subscription schools. The old log house is still remembered with its slab benches and great wide mud and stick chimney, its door with wooden hinges, and the old-fashioned birch rod was not absent. Game was abundant for those who cared to hunt, and wolves were so trouble- some that sometimes the settlers would have to combine to drive them away. Farming was a pleasure to our subject, as the rich, black loam so readily returned profits, but the many inconveniences of pioneer life made the business of tilling the soil much less profitable for time and labor expended than at the present day. One great lack was the distance of the markets, and Mr. McCuiley very often made the long trip to St. Louis with grain and stock and camped out by the way, as at least five days were required to make the journey. Our subject came here in 1846, and bought eighty acres of land and rented more for some j'ears. He began the struggle of life with very little, but industry and thrift have given great re- turns, and now he is one of the financial pillars of the county. It was not until in April, 1876, that our subject felt himself ready to become a bene- dict, and at that time Miss Martha L. Mitchell became his wife. She was born in Missouri, November 15, 1840, and one child, Margaret L., has been born to them. The farm of our sub- ject consists of three hundred and twenty acres of land and all of it is improved, and he has become PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. S59 a dealer in stock, horses, mules, cattle, sheep and hogs, but considers that he has made the most of his money out of mules. He has raised some grain, but deals mostly in stock. Our subject and wife are Presbyterians and are very highly regarded in the neighborhood. Mr. McCuUey is familiarly called " Uncle Joe " by all, and enjoys the esteem in which he is held. In politics, he is a Republican, but bis pleasant man- ner, even when disagreeing with his political op- ponents, never gives offense. He is a typical pio- neer, and as such is well known and beloved. Probably no man in the county has more friends than "Uncle Joe" MeCulley. He has gained much more than a competency in these long years of labor, but better still is the regard in which he is held by those who know him best. i****,ii -'♦•{•♦•J''* JC^^^-S-F 1^ ARTIN V. HINKLE. The pursuits of life I i\\ are as varied as are the tastes and capaci- I IK ties of men; and it is an interesting and * useful study to observe the degrees of their assimilation. Reverses in the early business efforts of life are often ripening in their results, though the experience is dear. When these occur, pride should be invited to the rear, and, if needs be, the victim should step down into the breach and resolutely commence again from the bottom of the ladder and profit by the miscarriage. Labor is honorable — idleness is corrupting. A narrative of success in life may be found in the career of Martin V. Hinkle, who is one of tlie prominent, influential and representative farmers and stock- raisers of Bois D'Arc Township, Montgomery County. A successful man of affairs, a worthy citizen, and one of the most respected men in the county is Mr. Hinkle. He was born in Sangamon County, 111., August 12, 1843, and inherits the sturdy traits of character of his German ancestors on the paternal side. His father, Jacob Hinkle, was born in Pennsylvania, and the mother, whose maiden name was i^ancy Hatchet, was a native of the Old Dominion. About 1818, the parents emigrated Westward and made a settlement in Sangamon County, 111., where they were among tlie very first settlers. In tills new country and among utter strangers, Jacob Hinkle began improving his farm and culti- vating the rich soil which soon brougiit him in large returns. He passed his entire life in this county and died on the 12th of November, 1889. In his death the community lost one of its pioneer and most highly-esteemed citizens. He lived to be seventy-seven years of age. Of the children born to his marriage the following are now living: pjlizabeth, Mrs. Galloway, a widow; John; Diana, wife of Michael Baker; Martin; Sarah J., wife of Charles Willison; Elvira; Harrison H.; Mary, wife of Augustus Smith; Amanda, and Laura A. The father was a soldier in tlie Black Hawk War, and was a worthy and exemplary member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His widow survives him and is now past- seventy years of age. She still makes her home in Sangamon County, of which she is one of the pioneers. Martin V. Hinkle was reared to man's estate in his native county, and inherited the best qualities of industry and energy from both sides of the house. Pearly in life he showed a determination to make his way in the world, and although his education was limited, he was a keen observer of men and things, and is mainly self-educated. He has been a thorough student of books during his entire life, and in that wa3' has acquired a knowl- edge of all important subjects. The marriage of Mr. Hinkle to Miss Sarah E. Hoover, a native of Christian County, 111., oc- curred on the 13th of March, 1867, and three children were born of this union, viz.: Charles M., born June 15, 1868; Lula E., March 29, 1870, and Alpheus, July 16, 1873. Mrs. Hinkle 's father, George Hoover, is a resident of Marion County, 111. She was born August 22, 1849. After his marriage Mr. Hinkle resided in Sangamon County until the spring of 1875, since which time he has been a resident of Montgomery County, He is the owner of nearly two hundred and twenty-five acres of land in Bois D' Arc Township, and is one of the 260 PORTRAIT AND BIOGEArHICAL RECORD. ■wide-awake, thorough-going farmers and stock- raisers of this section. He raises a high grade of trotting horses, and is engaged in general mixed farming. He is public-spirited and is in favor of all movements that have for their object the ad- vancement of the county. His well-improved farm and fine residence attract the attention of all, and in the management of his large estate he has shown excellent judgment and sound sense. In politics, he advocates the platform of the Demo- cratic party. "SI l^+^[ [^_ [=" u> ■jf H. SPRADLING, a retired farmer of Mul- berry Grove, was born in Maury County, Tenn., August 1, 1828. He is the son of James Spradling, whose birthplace was in the State of Tennessee, and who was reared in that State and came to Bond County, 111., in 1832. He located in Mulberry Grove Township, where he took up Government land and lived in a log house until the time of his death, at the age of seventy-two years. The mother of our subject, Frances T. Oliver, was a member of the old Vir- ginian family of that name and was reared in that State. She attained to the age of eighty-three years. Mr. and Mrs. Spradling lived peaceful, happy lives, and died mourned by friends and relatives. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Spradling consisted of two daughters and one son, the latter being our subject. Euierantha is the widow of' James Riley and resides in Mulberry Grove Township; and Frances J. is the widow of John Segrest, of Mulberry Township. Our subject was the second child, and was four years old when he came to Bond County with his parents. His school ex- perience did not begin until he was several years older, when he attended the log schoolhouse of pioneer days, and the puncheon floor and slab seats of the barren little building will never be forgotten. Air and sunlight were unobstructed, because there was no glass in the window, and the birch trees grew near, so there never was any difBculty concerning a proper amount of dis- cipline. Mr. Spradling was reared to farm work and became thoroughly acquainted with the re- quirements of the soil and the proper cultivation of the cereals. His mind was not much disturbed by the outside world, for, except at the market towns, there was not much communication in those daj-s, with the great unknown lauds east of the State of Illinois, where civilization reigned, and west of it, where there was still a wilderness. The neighbors in those pioneer times were friendly and sociable, and when our subject reached the age of twenty-one years there was no difficulty in selecting a congenial partner for his life journey. The. lady of his choice was Miss Cynthia Ann Jackson, a native of Indiana, and the daughter of William Jackson. After his marriage, which took place December 30, 1849, our subject removed to section 25, Mulberry Grove Township, and there built a log house, 16x18 feet, for which he cut the logs himself. That humble abode was for a time the family home. Mr. Spradling was engaged for seven years in the lumber and hardware business at Mulberry Grove. He has a fine farm of two hundred and forty-three acres in Mulberry Grove Township, which he now rents. He also owns a farm of ninety acres in Fayette County, which is well improved with a brick house and good barns. His property in the village is quite valuable. Mr. and Mrs. Spradling became the parents of seven children, two daughters and five sons. John F. died November 25, 1881; Eliza P. is the wife of Joseph Call, a farmer of Fayette County; Will- iam H. is an agent and telegraph operator at Poca- hontas, 111.; Albert M. lives in Mulberry Grove; George L. is located on his father's farm in Fay- ette County; Laura is the wife of Frank Brown, who is in the lumber business in Mulberry Grove; Harry W. is at home. The mother of this family died March 31, 1883. Our subject started with but little means, and now has the satisfaction of knowing himself to be one of the wealthiest men in the township, and his money was not made in speculating, by which one POETEAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 261 man gets rich at the expense perhaps of a hundred others. He is a Republican now, although before the war he was a Democrat. He was deeply in- terested in the Underground Railroad and assisted many negroes to reach the land of freedom, Can- ada. His fellow-citizens regard him with respect and esteem, and have called upon him to act as School Director. His position in the community is one of prominence and importance, and he has done his part toward the upbuilding of Bond County. 4^ <^1 IfelLLIAM L. WOOSTER. The biography of \/iJI/ *'^® successful gentleman whose name in- V^^ troduces this sketch furnishes another instance of a poor boy who by industry and thrift has gained wealth and social position througli his own unaided efforts. A prominent business man of Litchfield, he is also popular and well known throughout the surrounding coun'ry. Our sub- ject is a son of William C. and Mary (Gilbert) Wooster, honorable residents of Connecticut, where the father conducted a general store until his death, which occurred in 1863. His faithful wife still survives him and makes her home in Connecticut, where she has lived for so many years. The son of these parents, the subject of this sketch, was born in New Preston, March 23, 1861, the year memorable in history as that in which the great Civil War burst upon the country with such fury. When only two and one-half years of age, death deprived our subject of a paternal guide, but a devoted mother supplied the place of the departed parent, and young William grew to manhood under her gentle supervision. He re- ceived his education in New Preston and Wash- ington City, but always made his home in the former place while pursuing his studies. In 1880, Mr. Wooster came to Litchfield, where he first en- gaged as clerk in a clothing store; but ability such as he possessed could not be confined to work like this and he soon entered the employ of the Big Four Railroad. As he was unfamiliar with the work, he was obliged to begin with an inferior position, but during the last four years of the nine he was in their employ he was their agent. About that time, Mr. Wooster found a favorable opportunity to engage in the tile business and ac- cordingly entered it, but as he did not realize his anticipations he withdrew after six months. Next he formed a partnership with Capt. Kirby, which continued until 1889, when he withdrew and en- tered the employ of the Wabash Railroad, where he continued for six or eight months. His next enterprise was the conducting of a furniture busi- ness with Jesse McHenry as partner for one year, when Mr. Wooster bought Mr. McHenry 's interest and continued the business alone for one year. In 1892, the Litchfield Furniture, Hardware & Imple- ment Company was incorporated with Mr. Woos- ter as President and Manager, and he withdrew from the furniture business to accept the respon- sibilities of his new position. This corporation has a capital stock of 112,000, and in addition to hard- ware and farm implements the firm deals in furni- ture and queensware and carries on an undertaking establishment. They occupy a substantial building two stories high, and have the largest retail store, not only in the city, but in this part of the county. The stock is new and complete and the firm gives employment to twelve men. June l2, 1883, Mr. Wooster married Miss Mary, daughter of William Fisher, a prominent citizen of Litchfield. Three children have been added to their family, namely: Lawrence Fisher, Grace Kirby and Russell Hill. Mr. Wooster is an earnest member of the Presbyterian Church, while his wife is equally devoted to the Baptist denomina- tion. Our subject is very prominent in Litchfield Lodge No. 517, F. & A. M., and has the honor of being its Past Master. No one in Litchfield has been more successful in so short a period of time, with no assistance from any one, than has Mr. Wooster. He never allowed anything to dis- courage him, but persevered until he has attained the proud position of President and Manager of the leading retail house in this section of the country. His is certainly an example to emulate. 262 POETEAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ^^, ARRELT BRUNKEN. Many of the fertile III ,— , spots in our great Republic have been col- ^^B onized by worthy representatives of the German nation, and these places invariably show that the Teutonic element is an excellent one to be infused in a locality. Thrift, order, commend- able economy and intelligence are seen in all their worli. Nokomis Township, Montgomery County, is an admirably farmed district, as a result of its German residents,andoursubject is oneof them. He was born in Ostfriesland, Hanover, Germany, Julj' 14, 1839, and is a son of Frederick and Gebke (Landmann) Brunken, who were also natives of that part of Germany. The former devoted him- self to the cultivation of the soil and was pro- ficient in all the methods of the German farmer. On his well-cultivated tract our subject grew to manliood, alternating farm duties and sctiool work, his development being well balanced between the theoretical and practical. After attaining to man's estate, Mr. Brunken followed tlie calling of a farmer in his native land until 1868, when he and his parents came to Amer- ica, drawn hither perhaps by the glowing accounts sent them of tiie conditions of the country by two brothers who had preceded them liither, Eillert in 1855 and Brunlty in 1859. The former died many years ago, and the latter, after an honorable service in the Union army, lasting for tlirce years, is now in the Soldiers' Home at Quincy, this State. Another brother, Frederick Brunken, isa'prosper- ous farmer in Christian County. For two months after the advent of the Brunken family in America, they stayed in Madison County, this State, and then came to Montgomery County, locating upon the farm where our subject has ever since lived. Here his mother departed this life in 1870 and the father in 1883. Oursubject has been very prosperous since coming to the States and has one of the finest and best cultivated farms in Nokomis Township. It comprises one hundred and sixty acres and bears good improvements. May 10, 1873, our subject married Miss Annie Wattyes, also a native of Germany, and they have since traveled together over life's pathway most harmoniously, although their experience has not been without its pain, as in every human lot, Of six bright children born to them they have lost two. Those surviving are: Henry, a lad of thir- teen years; Lena, a girl of eleven; Annie, a child of eight years; and Freddie, the youngest of the family. Mr. and Mrs. Brunken are members of the Lutheran Church, iu which the former is a Deacon. In his farming operations, our subject has directed his attention to that very profitable line, stock-raising, and has done much in encourag- ing the raising of finer breeds. The county in wliich he lives counts him as one of her progres- sive citizens, of whom she may well be proud. In his political preference, he is a decided Republican. ^^ EORGE LYMAN, a Union soldier in the [l| ,_— , Civil War, and a prominent citizen now *^^ij( residing in Bois D'Arc Township, Mont- gomery Count}', was born in Orange County, Vt., February 18, 1832. For many years he has been identified with the interests of Montgomery County, and ranks as a noticeable illustration of that in- domitable pusli and energy which characterize men of will and determination. Ever since his loca- tion witliin the borders of the county, he has been engaged in tilling the soil, and has enjoyed the reputation of being an intelligent and thor- oughly-posted man on all the current topics of the day. His scholastic training was received in the common schools of his native county, and, as is the case witli so many of our American young men, his advantages in that direction were pieced out by observation and assimilation. He is a well- posted man who has read extensively. Mr. Lyman's parents, Abel and Esther (Bigelow) Lyman, were natives of New England, of English descent, and both were born in the Green Moun- tain State. Our subject comes of Revolutionary stock, some of his forefathers having participated in that struggle. The original of this notice at- tained his growth in Vermont, and at an early age became familiar with the duties necesgary to carry on a farm, Led by the promises of the pi'aii'ies of PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 265 Illinois, he turned his face towards the setting sun, and in the year 1856 reached Jllinois. For some time he resided in Sangamon County, biit finally decided to move to Montgomery County, where he has made his home ever since. He located on his present farm in Bois D' Are Township, then all new prairie land, and finding the soil rich and pro- ductive, he soon realized large returns for his in- dustry. To improve and cultivate his land re- quired years of hard labor, but his toil has been rewarded, and he now has one of the best-im- proved places of his locality. He owns one hundred and sixty acres of land, and during the years that have passed, he has added greatly to its value in the improvements that he has placed upon it. He is an intelligent gentleman, of superior mental attainments, who seeks to develop himself as well as his agricultural interests in the best and broadest direction. On the 5th of February, 1868, he married Miss Min- erva J. Collins, a native of Franklin County, Ohio, born August 11, 1839, the daughter of Isaac and Emma (Whitehurst) Collins, both natives of Penn- sylvania. She came with her parents to Sangamon County, 111., when seventeen years of age, and there both her father and mother received their final summons. Mr. and Mrs. L3-raan's union re- sulted in the birth of four children: Eva, John A., Esther B. and Lewis T. Mrs. Lyman has three brothers: Jehu, John and Isaac. Mr. Lyman served two years as Highway Com- missioner of Bois D' Arc Township, and has held other local positions, filling all in an able and satis- factory manner. He takes an interest in all laud- able enterprises, and is public-spirited and pro- gressive. During the late unpleasantness between the North and South, he fought bravel}' for the Union, and was ever at the post of duty. He en- listed August 11, 1861, in Company D, Thirty- third Illinois Infantry, and participated in the bat- tles of Vicksburg, Jackson and Champion Hill. He also operated in the Lone Star State, and was hon- orably discharged in October, 1864, an'tl now le- ceives a pension of $6 per month. Returning to Illinois, he has resided in this county since. In politics, he is il Republican, voting as he fought, and takes a depideci ipterest ip the success of his party. His wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and both are esteemed members of society. _Og3,I/g.i "OZ- "if OHN P. FULLER. Among the well-known and influential citizens of Fillmore Town- ship, Montgomery County, is the gentleman whose name introduces these paragraphs, and who is a successful farmer, using the best methods of fertilizing the soil and improving the land. He came from the Buckeye State, which has contributed so much of population and intel- ligence to Illinois, and from a parentage marked by strength of character and largeness of nature. Born in Clarke County, Ohio, March 23, 1823, he belongs to one of the prominent families of Vir- ginia, his parents, Moses and Elizabeth (Pritemau) Fuller, being natives of that grand old State. They were married in Virginia, and afterward moved directly to Clarke County, Ohio, where they were among the earliest settlers. The father improved three good farms in the county and there remained until 1840, when he thought to better his condition by settling in Montgomery County, 111. Moses Fuller located in East Fork Township and there passed a long and useful life, living to be ninety-four years of age. The mother was about eighty years of age when she died. They were the parents of eight children, seven daugh- ters and a son, three of the daughters now living. Our subject was in his eighteenth year when he came to Montgomery County, and nearly all his schooling was received in his native State. He as- sisted his father in cultivating the farm and re- mained under the parental roof until twenty-five years of age. Then, on the 13th of July, 1848, lie married Miss Mary J. Greer, a native of the Blue Grass State, but who was quite small when she came with her parents to Illinois. The same year of his marriage our subject set- tled in q. lo^ house, 18x24 feet, on the place where 266 PORTEAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. he now resides. Many years has he passed in im- proving and cultivating this farm, and success has attended his efforts, for he now owns one of the most productive farms in the townsliip. He is thoroughly familiar with all the details of farm life, is progressive and enterprising, and all his operations are conducted in a manner showing him to be a man of good judgment and sound sense. As the years passed by there clustered around his heartlistone eleven children, three of whom died in infancy. The others are in the order of their births as follows: Sarah E., wife of Dr. Mabry, of Iowa; Rilda C, the widow of William A. Snyder, of Fayette County, 111.; Clara, Mis. William Looney, of East Fork Town- ship; Mary S., wife of Price Davis, of East St. Louis; Laura E., at homo; William M., Shelby G. and John E., all of whom were born in Mont- gomery County. Our subject has one hundred and sixty acres of good land, and in connection with agricultural pursuits he managed a sawmill in East Fork Town- ship for ten years. He has ever been industrious and enterprising and attributes his success to his industry and perseverance. In his political views, he is attached to the Republican partj' and is an earnest advocate of its distinctive principles. He has held membership in the Methodist ChurcU for thirty-five years and has filled all the offices in the church, having served as Class-leader and Super- intendent of the Sunday-school during almost the entire length of period of his membership. He tarkes much interest in all worthy enterprises and they are never allowed to drag for want of sup- port on his part. ■iip^ VAN OGAN. Among the many prominent 1^ merchants of the busy town of SoVento, the I I — ^ gentleman whose name appears above is n umbered among the most energetic and ambitious. He is a hardware merchant and carries a large and complete stock of goods. Mr. Ogan was born near Cumberland, in Guernsey County, Ohio, Au- gust 1, 1849, and was the eldest of the family of ten children born to Lee and Tameron (Bay) Ogan. Lee Ogan was born near Cumberland and was the eldest in a family of seven children. His father, Lee Ogan, Sr., together with two brothers, came from Scotland. The brothers settled in Tennessee and Lee in Ohio, where he died in 1872, at an ad- vanced age. The father of our subject was a farmer by occu- pation, while one of his brothers, Peter, is a prom- inent Baptist preacher. Of the ten children of whom our subject was the eldest, there are now living seven, as follows: Margaret, Angeline, Will- iam .Jasper, Nancy J., Mclinda and Lucinda, be- side our subject. The eldest sister is now the wife of John West and resides on a farm near the old homestead in Ohio. Angeline is the wife of Henry Walker, of St. Louis, while William is a farmer in Missouri, near Springfield. Nancy is now Mrs. Jolin Wise, and her husband is a farmer near Springfield, Mo. Melinda is the wife of a Mr. Spratt, and Lucinda is living in single blessed- ness in Kansas. Evan Ogan grew up as most farmer boys do, his duties at home interspersed with school and merry-making. He received a fair education and, equipped for the serious business of life, when twenty years of age, or in 1869, he started out to make fame and fortune in the West. He spent about a year in Louisiana, Mo., and finally settled in St. Louis, where he was engaged in the pump and machinery business. He remained there until 1875 and then located at Greenville, Bond County, where he was engaged in selling farm im- plements. He was thus occupied until 1883, when he came to Sorento and entered the employ of Cress Bros., for whom he worked one year and then launched into the general hardware busi- ness on his own account, and since that time has built up a large and constantly increasing busi- ness. In 1891, Mr. Ogan built the large two-story block where he is now located. It is quite impos- ing in size and style of architecture and is alto- gether a handsome piece of property. Our subject POETRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 267 has been a Republican during ail liis voting years. He was a member of tiie Town Board of Sorento wlien the town was incorporated and is at present serving as Tax Collector. In his social connections, the original of this sketch is a Knight of Pythias and is, moreover, a member of the United Wood- men and also of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, holding membership with Madison Lodge No. 560, New Douglas. In 1871, our subject's parents removed to South- western Missouri and there the mother died about 1884. The father is still living at the old home in Ohio and has reached a patriarchal age. In 1875, Mr. Ogan was united in marriage with Miss Sophia C, a daughter of Col. Benjamin Johnson, a prom- inent citizen of Missouri, who was one of the parties that opened up the iron mines at Pilot Knob, that State. Mrs. Ogan is a lady of marked culture and intelligence. She is a graduate of a St. Louis school and was for some years a teacher. Their two children are named Albert Lee and William Evan. ^^EORGE BRAKENHOFF, a prominent and (|| _ — wealthy German-American farmer of No- ^^^^1 komis Township, Montgomery County, 111., was born in Ostfriesland, Hanover, Germany, Janu- ary 3, 1834, one of a family of nine children, eight of whom are living at the present time. Two sis- ters still reside in the Fatherland, and another sis- ter is the wife of Henry Carsten, a leading citizen of Nokomis Township. Of the five brothers, four are living in Nokomis Township: George, Henry, Eillert and Harmon. The otlier brother lives in Terre Haute, Ind. The father of these children, Eillert Brakenhoflf, was an agriculturist of con- siderable note in his native land, and died there many years ago. He was a man of worth, and as such was regarded by those who had the honor of his acquaintance, andwlio knew him intimately. George Brakenhoff received a fair education in his youth, and was reared to the healthful, though somewhat monotonous, pursuit of farming, his in- struction in tliis branch of business being received at the hands of his father, who thoroughly under- stood every detail of the calling. This life became somewhat distasteful to him after a time, and he loft the plow to become a sailor, running princi pally on inland boats, but in 1857 he gave up this occupation also to come to America to seek his for- tune, his brother Henry having come to this country some years before. He located at Mt. Olive, 111., where the calling of an agriculturist received his attention until 1868, when Montgomery County became his home, and on a farm in Nokomis Township he has resided ever since. In addition to his first purchase of land, which was rather modest in extent, he has made other purchases from time to time, until at the present time he is the owner of as fine a tract of land as one need wish to see, comprising two liundred acres well tilled and neatly kept. In all of his investments, he has shown the test of judgment, and has so conducted his affairs that naught has ever been said derogatory to his honor as a business man. Since opening up his farm, he has accumulated a goodly fortune, which he manages with great judgment and keen foresight. Like all men of his nativity, he is progressive in his views and of an energetic temperament, and all of his opera- tions liave been carried on according to the most advanced ideas, and have consequently resulted to his own good and the benefit of those with whom he has come in contact. He has long since gained the reputation of being one of the foremost tillers of the soil, and he has been a leader in the use of new and improved machinery for the saving of labor. In 1858, he married Miss Trinta Akebauer, who was born on German soil, and their union has re- sulted in the birth of a family of ton children: Eillert, who is now managing his father's f.arm; Annie, who is the wife of Altman Brakenhoff, a cousin; Gerhart married Nevada Travis, and is a merchant in Nokomis; Foska, who became the wife of Andrew Peribone, and resides atIowaton,Iowa; Maggie, the wife of John Thcen,a farmer of Mont- gomery County; Theressaand Henry, who are liv- 268 POSTRAIT AND BIOGRA.PHICAL EECORD. ing at home; John M.; Katie and Robert. All these children have had liberal educational ad- vantages given them, improved them, and are now substantial citizens of the country, an honor to themselves and to the parents who reared them. Mr. Brakenhoff is a strong Republican in his politi- cal views, but has never held any office except some small township office, such as being a mem- ber of the Board of Education of his district. In 1880, he made a trip to his native land to see his mother, who was then living, but who has since died. m>-^^ay his friend for expenses incurred in the trip. He continued in the mine for five or six years, after which he engaged in farming near Mt. Olive. Two 3^ears later he again returned to the mines and continued there until 1867, when he came to Montgomery County, purchased the farm where he has ever since lived, in Nokomis Township, and h.as met with unusual success in tilling the soil. For a number of years he has lived a retii'ed life, and his sons are working and looking after the farm. In 1872, Mr. Brakenhoff made a trip to the Fatherland to see his mother and many friends, and enjoyed his trip immensely. However, he was glad to return to the land of his adoption, and here he has remained ever since, realizing that America is the best country after all. The original of this notice was married in Alton in 1854 to Miss Henrietta Carsten, a high- minded German lady and a sister of John Carsten, the wealthy grain mercliaut and politician of Nokomis. This union has resulted in the birth of seven children, two of whom died in infancj', and one, Lena, died after reaching womanhood. Those now living are as follows: Eilbert and Harmon, both bright and promising young men, living at home and carrying on the large farm; while Garrett, a member of the large mercantile firm of J. Waltman & Co., of Nokomis, is a thor- ough business man. The last-named married Miss Lucy Essman, of Missouri, and their daughter, Foska, is the wife of C. Croon, who owns a farm near by. The children are all industrious and in- telligent, and have made excellent citizens. Mr. Brakenhoff and wife are exemplary members of the German Lutheran Church, in which he is a Deacon, and in" which he has ever been a leading figure. In politics, he is a strong advocate of the principles of the Republican party. He is one of the public-spirited citizens of the county, is inter- ested in all enterprises of a worthy nature, and no laudable movement is allowed to fail for want of support on his part. He is one of the most pop- ular men of the county, and a true German- American citizen. Such men are a credit to any community. AC OB MeCONATHY, a representative farmer of Montgomery Countj"^, residing in Raymond Township, section 5, has the honor of being a native of this State. He was born in Greene County, near Carrolton, Febru- ary 24, 1844, and is a son of Perry and Matilda Jane (Olverson) McConathy. The McConathy family is of Scotch-Irish extraction and was founded in America bj' the great-grandfather of our subject, who crossed the Atlantic when a young man and located in Kentucky in the seven- teenth century. Jacob now has in his possession a razor which was brought bj^ his ancestor from the Emerald Isle. Jacob McConathy, the grand- father of our subject, was born in Kentucky be- fore the Revolutionary War and for many years was a leading miller of that State. Perry McConathy was born near Lexington, PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 277 Ky., August 17, 1813. By trade he was a saddler. In 1837, he made his way in a two-wheel cart from Kentucky to the wild prairies of Greene County, 111. For a time he worked at his trade, but soon located on a farm near what is now Rood- house, where he continued to reside until his death, which occurred in 1881. He was quite successful and accumulated considerable property. He was a man of sterling worth and was held in the highest esteem by his fellow-townsmen. For twenty- four years he was honored with the offices of Justice of the Peace and Notary Public, and for seven years was Assessor of his township, his long-continued service indicating his great popu- larity and the ability with which he discharged his public duties. Little is known concerning the maternal ancestry of our subject. His mother was born in Grayson County, Ky., January 7, 1819, and in an early day came to Illinois. She is still living in Greene Countj'. Jacob McConathy, whose name heads this re- cord, was the fifth in a family of fourteen chil- dren, numbering seven sons and seven daughters, of whom all of the former and two of the latter are yet living. He was reared on his father's farm and received but a limited education, his privileges being such as the common schools in the early days of Illinois afforded. He carried on farming in Greene County until 1872, when he came to Montgomery County and purchased the farm in Raymond Township on which he now resides. It was in 1865 that Mr. McConathy wedded Miss Mary J. McCracken, a native of Greene County and a daughter of Samuel and Mary (Branyan) McCracken, natives of Perry ' County, Pa., who were of Scotch descent. They located in Greene County, 111., in 1835. Her grandfather, William Branyan, served in the War of 1812. Her father died when she was seven years of age, but her mother is still living in Greene County at the age of seventy-three years. Unto Mr. and Mrs. McConathy were born nine children, of whom two died in childhood, but seven are yet living: Charles H., Perry Milton, William Leslie, Cora Lula, J. Tilden, Mamie and Pearl Elizabeth. In politics, Mr. McConathy has always been a Democrat, but has never been an office-seeker. Socially, he is a member of the Modern Wood- men Society. He is a man of good business ability, enterpinsing and sagacious, and by his well- directed efforts has won prosperity. He is recog- nized as one of the successful farmers and stock- raisers of the community. f LEXANDER C. DURDY, Chairman of the County Board of Supervisors of Mont- gomery County and a prominent grain and elevator man of Ohlman, is a true type of the American self-made man. He is of Scotch-Irish descent and inherits the thrift and enterprise of the former and the wit and true heartedness of the latter. He was born in Wash- ington County, Md.,on the 6th of July, 1838, and was the youngest of the family of seven children born to James and Mary (Lindsey) Durdy. The first representative of both the Durdy and Lindsey families in America were early settlers of Mary- land, where they located prior to the Revolution, and the grandfather of Mrs. Durdy fought in the war for independence. The father of our subject was one of those hon- est, hardworking men upon whom the sun of finan- cial prosperity never shone with any degree of brilliancy. In fact, he was a very poor man. In 1850, thinking to better his condition, he removed with his family to St. Louis, Mo., where he soon afterward died, leaving a widow and a large family of children in very poor circumstances. Then it was, at the tender age of twelve years, that our subject was obliged to begin the battle of life for himself. He became an office boy for a large foundry in St. Louis, and about all the edu- cation he received he obtained while attending night school. However, he made good use of his time and acquired a good business education. Gradually, he advanced until he had obtained the position of head book-keeper, which place he re- tained until 1868, when he resigned to accept a 278 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. position in the office of the Northern Missouri Raih'oad Company. However, lie remained in tliis position but a short time when he liad offered to him at a big salary the position of salesman on the road for a large wholesale liquor house in St. Louis. This position he held continuously up to the year 1881, and in the meantime acquired quite a fortune. In the last-named year, he began look- ing around for a suitable location, where he could rear and educate his children, and finally estab- lished himself in the elevator business at Ohlman, where he has met with much success in his business venture. Mr. Durdy was married in 1862 to Miss Jose- phine Burback, a native of St. Louis, of German descent, and to them have been born ten children, all of whom but one are living, namely: Mary E., wife of William Schaper, of Indianapolis, Ind.; Alexander C, Jr., married Miss Annie M. Best, daughter of Henry A. Best, one of Montgomery County's most prominent citizens, and a wealthy farmer of Nokomis, who is connected with our subject in the grain business; Stella, wife of E. A. Rice, a prominent lumber merchant of Litchfield; Cora T. is the wife of E. S. Umpleby, agent of the Big Four at Ohlman; Anna C, Florence, Eliza- beth, Louis Leon and Leon Cleveland. The last five named are still in the school room. The mother of our subject died in St. Louis in 1872, and of his brothers and sisters there are but two of tlie former and one of the latter living. Two of his brothers, Robert L. and James, fought bravely in defense of the flag during the Civil War, and the former received injuries in the service for which he received a pension of 130 per month. He is now a resident of Havana, Mason County, 111. The other brother answered to the final muster a number of years ago. William J., another brother, is a sergeant on the St. Louis police force, having served in that capacity for the last twenty-six years. Our subject's sister. Mis. James Hanson, is a widow and resides in St. Louis. In politics, Mr. Durdy has been a life-long Dem- ocrat, as was his father before him, and has held a number of local offices. For six years he has been a member of the Board of County Supervisors and is the present Chairman of the Board, a position he has held for four consecutive years with great satisfaction to his constituents and with equally as great credit to himself. He began at the bottom round of the ladder a poor orphan boy, and his career through life is worthy of emulation. He is spending the evening of his well-spent life in his beautiful home, where he enjoys all the comforts of domestic bliss and where, surrounded by a happy family, he can enjoy rest and quiet. •^^ 5! LIZABETH ANDERSON, widow of the late ^ P. M. F. Anderson, an early pioneer, a rep- jv—J i resentative farmer, and highly respected citizen of Pitman Township, Montgomery County, 111., still continues to reside upon section 23, where in their happy home she and her husband spent so man 3' useful j'ears. Our subject is the daughter of John and Jean Montgomery, and was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, the home of her ancestors, June 28, 1822. Her parents were honest, God-fear- ing people, humble, industrious and upright in character, and under their careful training their daughter Elizabeth grew up to womanhood. Our subject's parents could give her only the advantage of a modest education, obtainable in the neighborhood of their home. But Elizabeth grew up a bright, intelligent, blooming lass, full of life, energy and ambition. Her mother had care- fully instructed her daughter in the ways of the frugal household, and when in 1841, at nineteen years of age, our subject gave her heart and hand to her chosen husband, Peter M. F. Anderson, she was a self-reliant, capable woman, well fitted to become a faithful and loving wife and mother. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson began their housekeep- ing in " bonnie Scotland," and prospered there as people must who possess hope, health, energy and will. The years passed on and little ones came into the home, bringing joy and sunshine, but they brought added cares as well. Anxious considera- tion for tlie future of their children determined our subject and her husband to emigrate to Amer- PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 279 ica, which offered to all worthy new-comers a hearty welcome and an independent home. It was thought best that Mr. Anderson should go first and select the location of their future res- idence; he therefore bade a brief farewell to wife and babes and departed for the New World in 1849. The letters he wrote home were full of^cheer and bright anticipation, and the preseuce of his family was only needed to make his life in Amer- ica a prosperous and happy one. Mrs. Anderson was impatient to rejoin her husband and share with him the new exeriences of pioneer life upon the broad prairies of the Western Hemisphere, and in 1850, with her children and the few household treasures which could be easily and safely trans- ported, she embarked for America. The journey was both long and tedious; the sailing-vessel made slow progress, and for seven weeks and four days the impatient passengers tossed about upon the rolling waves of the broad Atlantic. Safely landed in New York, our subject was not long in reaching her destination, Alton, 111. The reunited family made their residence in this city for about eight years and then removed to the homestead in Pitman Township. Mr. Anderson was a stonemason, and had also followed the trade of carpenter, but his farming venture was a suc- cessful one, and he continued an agriculturist the remainder of his life. When Mrs. Anderson with her husband and family settled upon section 23, the land could scarcely be called a farm. It was in fact unbroken prairie, upon which Mr. Ander- son turned the first sod. Years went on and the fertile soil annually yielded an abundant harvest, amply repaying him for all the toil and culture. In all the labors of the home and farm the parents had the willing assistance of their children, of whom four of the large family of twelve still survive; the living children are: James, .John; Mary, wife of James Oiler, is the mother of -five chil- dren ; and Margaret, wife of Leroy C. Franks. Chris- tina, wife of J. Holmes, died recently. Our subject and her husband gave their children all possible educational advantages, and had the satisfaction of seeing them become useful and honored citizens in the land of their adoption. >Jr, and Mi'S, Anderson were progressive peo- ple, and both took- deep interest in public advance- ment. Mr. Anderson served efficiently as School Director, and his wise advice and sagacious coun- sel were highly appreciated by his co-laborers in the educational field. He was a stanch Republi- can, but impartial in his judgment of official worth. Our subject and her husband were botli members of the Presbyterian Church. Peter Anderson was born March 10, 1816, in Perthshire, Scotland; he died in Harvel Township, August 17, 1866, universally regretted by the entire community, among whom he had spent an honored life. Mrs. Anderson is the grandmother of thirteen living children; her son Robert, who died October 24, 1890. left Richard, Harry, James, Grace and Robert M. Mrs. Christina Holmes was the mother of Elizabeth, Margaret, Murray and an infant son. Happy, useful and beloved, our subject waits her appointed time. Her days have been long and varied, her interesting experience in pioneer life a story of the past which never fails to find ready listeners. That her presence may long bless her friends and relatives is the earnest wish of all. „.. UGUST BROKMIER, a prosperous German- WILm American, citizen who has done his part A toward the improvement of this portion of the county, resides in Pitman Town- ship. His farm consists of one hundred and sixty- one acres of fine land and it shows careful, intelli- gent farming. Our subject was born in Prussia, on the 26th of September, 1850, and is a son of Henry and Frances Brokmier, natives of the same country, who remained there all their lives, quiet, un- pretentious people, who did not possess the ven- turesome spirit of their son. Until the age of eighteen, August remained at home, or, to be pre- cise, he passed his eighteenth birthday while on the ship that was bearing him to the new land, where he had determine^ to ipftke a home in spit? of a}l obstiacles, 280 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. In the older countries of Europe, where popula- tion is dense, land is so valuable that nearly ever}' foot is considered capable of cultivation, and that teaches the young men the thrifty habits which cling to them and become characteristics of their farming when they come upon the broad acres of Western America. The subject of this notice reached the United States after a nine weeks' trip from Bremen, and upon landing at New Orleans, set out for St. Louis, and soon found work in a chair factory. His labor proved satisfactory, and he continued there for a year and a-half, but his hope and ambition was to become a farmer, so that he could put into practice the methods which he had learned in his native countr}'. When opportunity offered, he came to Mont- gomery County, 111., and engaged to work on a farm by the month, and gladly accepted 118 a month as good pay during the busy season. In this, as in his other work, he satisfied his employers, and kept right along until he was able to rent a place for himself. So well did he prosper in this that by tlie time the year 1880 came around he was in a position to purchase an excellent place of his own. He had had plenty of time to look about and choose a pleasant location, and wlien he came to his present place he settled here with his eyes open. He knew that hard work awaited him to make the farm what he wished it to be, but he did not grudge any of that. The one hundred and sixty-one acres he has toiled over until now they are a pleasure and pride to him. Mr. Brokmier has been thrice married, and seven children survive at this time. They are: Henry A., Minnie, Tena, William, Anne, Herman and Charles, while John and August are dead. Our subject is a respected member of the Lutheran Church of Farmersville, and has favored all of the improvements which have taken place in the county since his residence in it. He is a self-made man, and one whom all must regard with the greatest respect, as he has asked help of no man, but " paddled his own canoe " in the face of many difficulties, not the least being his imperfect knowledge of the language. In his own country he was well educated for his age, and since coming here he has acquired an understanding of the English tongue, but having to learn it was some drawback to him. He compares his condition now with that of the poor lad who landed in St. Louis with only seventy-five cents in his pocket, and feels that his work has not been in vain, but that his possessions pay him for time and labor ex- pended to obtain them. W? AMES W. ROBINSON. A privilege that but few are spared to enjoy is tliat of having witnessed the birth of the nineteenth cen- tuiy and to still live to join in the cele- bration of the fourth century of the discovery of this land, which is the home of freedom and equal- ity. Mr. Robinson is one of the rare individuals whose experience extends over this long space of years, he now being in his ninety-third year. He is one of the pioneers of Bond County and is as conversant with the history and development of Illinois as any man now living. He was born in Lin- coln County, N. C, March 14, 1800, and is a son of Alexander and Martha Elizabeth (White) Rob- inson. His father was also born in North Carolina and was the son of Alexander Robinson, a native of Ireland, who came to America in tiie early part of 1700. In 1812, the Robinson family went to Tennessee, and in 1816 our subject came to Illinois. After harvesting a trial crop in Madison County, he brought on his family and stayed one year in that locality. He then came to Bond County and set- tled on land not far from where Reno is now lo- cated, the laud still being in the possession of our subject. There his parents died. Of the three brothers and three sisters that he had, none are living. .James W. Robinson was married December 31, 1831, to Catherine Hess, a native of the State of Ohio. Their companionship was of only two years' duration, her decease occurring July 11, 1833. She left to her husband one son, Alexander PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 281 S., who on reaching manhood gave his life for his country, dying in Libby Prison, January 20, 1864. Our subject again married, February 12, 1835, his bride being Miss Polly Ann Armstrong. She survived until December 27, 1889, and on her death left two children, Mary E., the widow of Milton Roscbrough, who lives near Valley Falls, Kan., and Elvira, the wife of H. M. Ferguson, at whose home our subject is pleasantly passing the latter years of his life. Mr. Robinson inherits his principles in polities from a long line of Whig, an- cestors, and has voted the Republican ticket ever since the organization of that party. He has been a life-long member of the Presbyterian Church, and for many years has served as Elder. Mr. Robinson is a vigorous and hale old gentleman who retains his faculties remarkably and bids fair to welcome in the twentieth century. €^ «^ '^ ENRY M. FERGUSON, the son-in-l.-iw of Mr. Robinson, was born in Madison County. 111., April 30, 1848. He is a son of Alex- ander and Ann Eliza (Gould) Ferguson, both natives of New Hampshire, who came to Mad- ison County, this State, in 1831. There both par- ents died. Mr. Ferguson was next to the young- est of a family of eight children, of whom four are now living: George, who was a Lieutenant in Company A, One Hundred and Twenty-second Illinois Infantry, is now an attache of the Agri- cultural Department at Washington, D. C; Solon is a lumberman, located at Liberty, Ind.; Helen is the wife of LSamuel R. Waggoner, a farmer of Mad- ison County. Mr. Ferguson was brought up on the home farm, receiving a good rudimentary education in the public schools of the vicinity. He completed his studies at the McKendree College, of LebaixOn, this State, and was thereafter engaged in teacliing for some years in Madison and Jersey Counties. He came to his present farm in tlie fall of 1875. Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson were married October 10, 1872, Mrs. Ferguson being, as stated in her father's sketch, Miss Elvira Robinson. They have had six children, but of these three died when quite young. The surviving children are: Ger- trude, Nellie and Eugene. Originally a Republi- can, Mr. Ferguson has espoused the Prohibition cause, believing that upon the purity of this party does the future strength and power of opr nation depend. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and for seven years served as Elder. He is Vice-president of the Sunday-school Association. \Tp^ANEY DAVIS, so long identified with V^/ the best interests of Pitman Township, yet lives, and will long live, in the hearts and ^^imemories of the friends, neighbors and general business community, by whom he was much beloved and highly respected. His biography is well known, but a brief recital here may still more firmly establish the record of his honorable, up- right and useful life. The parents of our subject, Alfred and Ann M. Davis, were both Southerners. Alfred Davis was a Tennesseean, but the promise of prosperity in the North caused his immigration to Illinois, where he and his wife settled in Macoupin Count3r at a very early day. In the new home Raney Davis was born, October 12, 1838. Years passed by, and in the quiet uneventful life of the farm, the child grew to man's estate. Mr. Davis had no extended opportunities for an education, but he punctually attended the district schools when he could be spared, and lost no chance to gain the knowledge he coveted. Farming duties early and late en- grossed much of his time; hours of work were long and the labor often tiresome, but books or newspapers that came in his way were eagerly de- voured for the varied information and news thus obtained from the outside world: Keeping pace with his work conscientiously as a faithful son and bread winner, he also found time to learn a trade. Alfred Davis, the father, was a •282 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. blacksmith and naturally taught his son a trade, so necessary in a new country. Thus, arrived at the age of twenty-one in his native county, our sub- ject found himself doubly armed for the battle of life. To do his best work for man and beast seemed to have been his earnest effort, and in the double avocations of farmer and blacksmith he found no idle time. Self-educated, mainly, he gained beside the anvil and in the field an insight into many problems of life, and it was a common saying that no man was better posted on the topics of the day than Raney Davis. Within the walls of his blacksmith shop, eager and convincing arguments for the right were lis- tened to with respect by friend and neighbor. The district school had planted the seeds of Integrity and honor which Mr. Davis' life developed to full maturity. But farming and work at the anvil did not occupy the whole of our subject's early years. He found plenty of leisure to woo and win, and on November 21, 1861, married Miss Emelinc Mc- Cluer, also of Macoupin County. This lady, a daughter of John and Hannah McCluer, was born in Indiana, August 15, 1840. The McCluers soon after removed with their infant daughter to this State, and thus together boy and girl they grew up side by side, each a favorite in the county and neighborhood. Into the new home just founded six children brought sunshine and joy, tliough two of them have passed beyond. Charles R., Bertie L., Annie M. and Albert L. still survive. Joseph II. and Frank died in early childhood. In the spring of 1861, Mr. Davis and his family re- moved to Montgomery County and settled on the farm which is still the family homestead, and began in the new neighborhood the life which brought to them both much happiness and honor. The land upon which Mr. Davis located was unbroken prairie, but his energetic management soon yielded him goodly crops, and the improvements of to-day are a monumenlr to his skillful toil. As before mentioned, he continued his trade of a blacksmith, in which he found ready custom from the surrounding country. Although always a busy man, he yet found time to serve the public as Highway Commissioner of his township. He was also a valiie^ member of the School Boarcl, acting at times in the capacity of Clerk of the Board and School Director. Mr. Davis was a Kfe- long Democrat, and together with his wife be- longed to the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which they were valued members. As a kind friend, ad- viser and public-spirited citizen, Mr. Davis was widely known. The entire township became mourners when death called him from its midst. May 7, 1891. V_ ^^•}•; '^ OSEPH P. THOMPSON is a retired farmer living in Greenville, Bond County. A self-made man, by his own efforts he has worked his way upward and achieved the success which brought him a comfortable compe- tence and enables him now to lay aside all busi- ness caies. He was born in Davidson County, Tenn., October 31, 1822. His grandfather, Joshua Thompson, was a native of Ireland, who emigrated to America and settled in Virginia, where William Thompson, the father of our subject, was born. The latter went to Tennessee in 1816, and mar- ried Sarah, daughter of William Scallej'^, a native of Tennessee, born of German parentage. William Thompson was engaged in farming in Tennessee until 1837, when he removed to Law- rence County, Ind., where he continued his agri- cultural pursuits until 1853. In that year lie went to Missouri, where he spent the remainder of his life. In politics he was a Democrat, and knew Gen. Jackson and Zachary Taylor, becoming acquainted with the latter while serving as Cor- poral in the Black Hawk War. With some. others he got a quantity of honey from a bee tree, and they presented the best of it to Gen. Taylor, who did not even thank them for the gift. From that time Mr. Thompson had not a very high regard for Mr. Taylor. We now take up the personal history of our subject, whose boyhood da^'S yfeye sp^nt upon bi§ ^ Wiley Lire PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 285 father's farm. His education was acquired in the common schools, and he afterward engaged in teaching in Virginia. Later, lie engaged in mer- chandising in Indiana for four years, and in 1846 embarked in farming in Lawrence County, Ind., whore he spent ten years. The year 1856 wit- nessed bis arrival in Bond County, where he lo- cated near Elm Point, LaGrange Township, and purchased, on July 4, one hundred and ten acres of land, which he developed and improved. He extended the boundaries of his farm until it com- prised over four hundred acres, and made his home there until 1875, when he sold out and purchased three hundred and forty acres elsewhere, devot- ing his energies to the cultivation of the latter tract until 1881, in which year he came to Green- ville. He here purchased four lots and three acres of land adjoining, and now has a flue home with beautiful surroundings. In 1846, Mr. Thompson wedded Miss Elvira Hoopingarner, of Lawrence County, Ind., and unto them were born six children: Thomas B., the eldest, married Jennie Sharp, and has three children, William, George and Cecil; Mary J. is the wife of Thomas P'oster, by whom she has eleven children: Thomas, Joseph E., Annie, Will- iam, Estella, Ellen, Renna, Bevey, Blaine, Frank and Pearl; John M. married Miss Nancy Walker, and they have four children: Arthur, Pearl, Grace and John; Joseph P. is the next 3-oungest; George F. married Rosa Williams, and has one son, Harold B.; and Moses E. married Isephine Watts, and they have two sons, Joseph T. and Dwight M. The children all reside in this county. The death of the mother occurred in 1865. She was a member of the Methodist Epis- copal Church. Mr. Thompson was again married, in .1866, his second union being with Mrs. Per- melia Henderson, of Orange County, Ind. Four cliildren grace this marriage: Maggie, wife of Shelton Jett, of Kansas; Ida, wife of Henry M. Blizzard; Harry M. and Elva M. at home. Mr. Thompson exercises his right of franchise in support of the Republican party. He served as Justice of the Peace for eight years, as City Ald- erman of Greenville, and has been honored with other offices. Industry and enterprise are num- 13 bered among his chief characteristics, and by his upright dealing and good business ability he has won the prosperity which has justly crowned his efforts. _^] "^ ^+^ t^- ILEY LIFE. The subject of the following fl sketch can certainly look back upon a 'fAfi busy life and feel that his labors have not been in vain. When success crowns any victor in a struggle, reward is his due, and Mr. Lipe re- ceives his reward in the peace and plenty which surround his declining years, and the rest he can now take after the hard fight against disadvanta- geous circumstances and poverty. The grandparents of our subject were of Ger- man extraction on both sides. The father bore the name of John Lipe, and the mother was Rachel Blackwelder. They were married in North Caro- lina, and when Wiley was ten years of age, came to Illinois and settled near Hillsboro, where they rented land and remained two years. They then entered Government land three-fourths of a mile south in Irving Township, and there they resided until tlie time of their death. Mr. Lipe was an old-line Whig until the formation of the Republi- can partj', with which he was afterward identified. He held no offices, as in those days men had opinions without being paid for them. His religion was that of the Lutheran church. Some thirty years have passed since his death, which occurred when he was about sixty-six. The mother of our sub- ject lived to be about eighty years old, her death having occurred about seven years since. The family consisted of sixteen children, but seven died before thej' attained maturity. Those who lived were given the following names: Bar- bara, Nelson, Allen, Noah, Delilah, Wiley, Eliza- beth John and Martin. Barbara married Michael Hefly, of Irving Township, who died about forty years ago and left a large family ; afterward she mar- ried Michael Walcherand became the mother of two children who still live on the same place. Nelson, 286 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. formerly a resident of Irving Townsliip, married Nancy Iloftner, and died leaving a large family. Allen married LeahNensman and both are now de- teased. Noali married Elizabeth Weller, and both he and liis wife have passed away. Delilah first married Tillman Hefly, and after his death she be- came the wife of Michael Walcher. Elizabeth, now residing in Irving Township, is the widow of Mil- ton Nusler, who died about fifteen years ago. John first married Louisa Lingle, four children now sur- viving of that union, and after her death he mar- ried Catherine Rein hart. His death occurred in 1888. Martin married Sophia Bone, and both have passed away, but their children still live. Wiley Lipe was born in Cabarrus County, N. C, and was reared there until his tenth year. He was then brought to Illinois, but he found no opportu- nities for gaining an education in the locality where his parents settled. The school of stern, hard necessity was the only one in which he was educated. All of the knowledge he possesses he picked up as best he could, and if his intelligence has made him more learned than many who have had better advantages, he deserves that much more credit. He remained at home until he was of age and then started out for himself. He took up forty acres of Government land, which lie cleared and fenced, and added more land as his means per- mitted. As the result of his arduous work, he now owns one thousand acres of fertile prairie, meadow and timber land, which are his by the divine right of labor. He is an example to others, showing where there is the will there will be the wa}'. In the fall of 184 5, Mr. Lipe married Harriet Newell Granthain, a daughter of Thomas and Eliz- abeth (Christie) Granthain, but she died nine months after marriage. His second wife was Ma- ria Lingle, a native of North Carolina, and the daughter of .lohn J. and Sarah (Blackwclder) Lingle. Her life ended May 18,1889. The rec- ord of her children is as follows: John, a carpen- ter residing at Pana, married Alice Bulkam, and they have two children. Joseph married Sarah Dra- per and they arc the parents of two children. Harriet Newell married John Weller and lias six children. S.irah Clarinda married Alark Miller of Auburn, 111, and they have two children. Wil- liam Marshall lives in this township. His mar- riage to Belle Page has brought him eight children. Clark is unmarried and makes his home in Irving Township. Dorcas married Hade Wyman, and they, with their two children, reside near Auburn. Minerva became the wife of Thomas Miller and lives in Missouri, her marriage being blessed by the birth of three children. Frank never married, but died at home when twenty-three years of age. Al- vin married Ora Draper and they reside on an ad- joining farm. Wiley Adelbert died at home at the age of sixteen. Five children died in infancy and youth. Mr. Lipe married for his third wife Mrs. Louisa (Hilt) Farniss, the widow of Robert Faruiss. Four children of her first marriage survive: Charles, Katie, Philip and Robert, all at home. Like his father, Mr. Lipe has been a Republican and he has never desired office. He is well known through- out the neighborhood and indeed enjoj's an ex- tensive acquaintance in this part of the State. He is a consistent member of the Methodist Church, and is much respected in the community where his life has been passed. AXTER HAYNES, M. D. This gentleman is a pioneer physician of Montgomery County, and resides on section 20, town- ship 7, range 2, Fillmore Township. He located here in 1874, when few indications of the present prosperity were apparent, and has since been closely identified with the growth and devel- opment of the county. Bj' his skill and success in his chosen work, he has won an excellent reputa- tion as a physician, and the good-will of the citi- zens. He was originally from Barren County, Ky., born December 20, 1827, the eleventh child and seventh son of twelve children born to Rev. Will- iam and Anna (Henley) Haynes, natives, respec- tivel3^, of North and South Carolina. The pater- nal grandfather, John Haynes, was a native of England, but his wife, Mary Stice, was born in PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 287 Germany. The maternal grandfather, Timothy Henley, was a native of the green isle of Erin. The parents of our subject were married in Bar- ren Count}-, Ky., and there remained until the fall of 1829, when they came to Illinois, settling in Morgan County. There tlie father followed the occupation of a farmer, and was also a minister in the Baptist Church. He died in May, 1830, when forty-six years of ago. The mother passed away in Morgan County when seventy-eight years of age. Their family consisted of seven sons and five daughters, all of whom lived to be fifty years old, except one, who died when fourteen years of age. Our subject was but two years of age when he was brought to Illinois by his parents, and his first educational advantages were received in the dis- trict schools of Morgan County. He remained un- der the parental roof until seventeen years of age, and then, in 1844, went to the Lone Star State, where he spent the winter. Returning to his home, our subject remained there until June, 1846, when he enlisted in Com- pany G, First Illinois Infantry, for service in the Mexican War, under Capt. W. J. Wyatt. He served one year, being discharged in 1847, and again returned to Morgan County, 111. In 1848, he crossed the plains with an ox-team, but later re- turned to Morgan Count}', where he was married on the 4th of January, 1849, to Miss Susan Bull, who died March 3, 1863. Five children were born to this union, as follows: Dr. Moses, of Fayette, 111.; Jane, wife of Clark Nichols, of East Fork Town- ship; Anna, wife of William J. Lynn, of Fill- more; Elizabeth, wife of P. H. Smith, of East Fork Township; and William, of Fillmore Township. Our subject's second marriage occurred on the 20th of January, 1864, his bride being Miss Margaret J. Brown. Four daughters and a son have blessed this union: Farie B. (deceased) was the wife of William Overeem; Hii-am S. died in 1866, in in- fancy; Caroline S. is the wife of John L. Smith- deed, of Fillmore Township; Piffle May married Stephen J. Jett, of Bond County; and Delia A. completes the family circle. In 1849, the original of this notice located on a farm in Macoupin County, III., remaining there for two ^ears, and then located in Sugar Creek Grove of the same county, where he was engaged in farm- ing. In 1852, he removed to Morgan County, lo- cated on a farm, and after residing on the same until 1856 removed to Dallas County. Tex. There he commenced practicing medicine, remaining there until the following spring, when he located in Bates County, Mo. In connection with his practice, he was engaged in farming, and followed both until August of the same year. From there he removed to Kansas and settled in Bourbon County, where he practiced for two months. Thence he returned to Macoupin County, 111., where he practiced medicine until 1862. Being filled with a patriotic desire to serve his country's cause. Dr. Haynes enlisted under the Stars and Stripes, January 15, 1862, and raised a company of one hundred and three men, which be- came Company E, One Hundred aud Twenty-second Illinois Infantry. He served as Captain for one j'ear and eight months, and was injured at Park- er's Cross Roads in December, 1862. His wife died about this time, and on account of that bereavement, and his injuries, he resigned in April, 1863. Later, he located in ZanesviUe, Montgomery County, 111., and was actively engaged in his practice for a time. Next, he located at Donnellson, in the same county. After remaining there two years, he lo- cated on a farm four miles east of that place, and continued his practice for eight years. He then disposed of that property, and removed nine miles east of Donnellson. Ten years later he returned to Donnellson, where he remained three years, and then settled on his present property in 1887. Since 1864, Dr. Haynes has been engaged in the active practice of his profession, and is one of the most popular physicians of the count}^ His prac- tice extended twenty-five miles in every direction and he was well known over a wide scope of terri- tory. He began the study of medicine when twenty- eight years of age in Rush Medical College, Chi- cago, and remained there during 1864-65. In 1879 and 1880 he attended the College of Physi- cians and Surgeons in St. Louis, graduating in the latter year. He is a member of the Montgomery County Medical Society, and the District Medical Society of Central Illinois, also the State Medical Society. Socially, he is a member of Fillmore 288 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Lodge No. 270, F. & A. M., and is one of the most respected and esteemed residents of the county. Although he is a self-made, self-educated man, he has met with success in all his occupations, and is the owner of three hundred and sixty-four and one-half acres of land in Fillmore Township. When starting out for himself, he worked by the month or day, and with the money thus earned he bought two calves. Later, he traded these for a horse, and in that manner he made his start in life. eAREY W. JENNINGS is quite a prominent farmer in Shoal Creek Township, Bond County. He was born in Johnson County, Ind., January 24, 1835, a son of Benoni and Rachael L. (McKinney) Jennings. The elder Mr. Jennings was of English and Welsh ancestry, but was born in Brown County, Ohio, in the year 1800. His wife was a native of the same locality, and of Irish ancestry. Soon after marriage they moved to Indiana, and in 1841 came to Coles County, 111., and in 1844 to Bond County, locating near Greenville, which place continued to be their home for five jrears. The Jennings family, at the expiration of the time above named, moved to a place three miles north of Old Ripley. There both parents died in 1854, having fallen victims to the cholera. Aug- ust 12, 1861, our subject entered the army, joining Company D, of the Third Illinois Cavalry, and was made a Corporal. He served throughout a three months' campaign in Missouri, and was in the light at Sugar Creek and at Pea Ridge. Later, his com- pany was appointed as escort to Gen. Steele. Much of the time during Mr. Jenning's war experience he was sick, and was finally discharged at Spring- field, 111., September 5, 1864, after a service of three years and twenty-three days. He now draws ft pension of -'4*16 per month. The business to which the original of this sketch has given his undivided attention, with the exception of the time spent in the army, is that of a farmer. From 1871 to 1874 he was in Morgan County, Mo., but came to Sorcnto in 1883, and here he has lived ever since. August 9, 1856, a momentous event was celebrated in our subject's career, that of his marriage, at which time he took upon himself the vow to protect and cherish as his wedded wife Mary E. Willey. Her fatlier, Wilson W. Willey, was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Mexican War. The years that have passed since their union have been blessed by the advent of seven children, five of whom are now living. They are William G., who resides in Sorento; Amanda F., the wife of Thomas P. Moss, also of Sorento; E. W., who is at present in Texas; George E., also in Sorento; and Nettie Belle, who is still in school. The Republican party receives the fa- vors which Mr. Jennings has to bestow in a polit- ical way, while in a social way he is a strong Grand Army man. --^mi =^>^■ y !■ if ^ tt yf OHN T. MADDUX is among the most enter- prising and deservedly successful of the many eminent gentlemen who devote their time and energies toward the material ad- vancement of the best interests of Hillsboro and Montgomery County. Few maintain a higher reputation for integrity and reliability, and as he has been a resident of Montgomery County since the age of three years, he is well and favorably known throughout its length and breadth. His methods are straightforward and honorable, and as a consequence the volume and value of his real- estate and insurance business are steadily enlarg- ing from day to day. A large part of his success is due to his knowledge of real-estate law, thereby protecting investors from imperfect titles, and giv- ing them confidence that money invested through his office is not only profitable, but safe. Our subject was born in Greenville, Bond County, 111., April 5, 1833. His father, John Mad- dux, was a native of Kentucky, as was also the grandfather, John Maddux, Sr. The father of our subject was born in the year 1798, grew to man- hood in his native State, and was there married to Miss Rebecca White, who was born and reared in the Blue Grass State. After marriage, the parents remained in Kentucky until about 1830, when they removed to the Sucker Stale, locating in Green- ville, Bond County. They removed from there to Hillsboro, 111., in 1836, and in that place passed the closing scenes of their lives, the father dying 292 POETEAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. at the age of fifty-six, and the mother at the age of eighty-two. He was a private in the Black Hawk War. Six children were the fruits of the above-men- tioned union, two sons and four daughters, five of whom grew to mature years, and three are still living, our subject and two sisters, viz: A- Jane, wife of Thomas Standing, of Hillsboro; and Eve- line P., the widow of M. .J. Blockburger. Our sub- ject was the youngest member of the family, and, as before stated, was but three years of age when his parents brought him to Montgomery County. As a consequence, all his recollections are of this county. He received the rudiments of his educa- tion in the public schools of Hillsboro, and finished his studies in the Hillsboro Academy. In 1853, he commenced clerking in a general store for James Glenn, and continued as clerk for three years. In 1857, he was appointed by the Governor as Mail Agent on the now Big Four Railroad, running from Terie Haute, Ind., to St. Louis, and held that position for one year, when he resigned, being elected County Clerk of Montgomery County. He filled that position with much efficiency for four years. In 1862, our subject enlisted in Company C, Seventieth Illinois Infantry, and was made Captain of his company, which numbered one hundred and one men. He was at Camp Butler for one hun- dred days, and was out six months, guarding prisoners most of the time. At the end of that time he returned home, and was Deputy Circuit Clerk for one year. In 1865, lie engaged in the general merchandising business in Hillsboro, and carried this on verj' successfully for two and one- half years, when he sold out and embarked in the real-estate, brokerage and insurance business, which he has since continued. He was elected the first Mayor of the city of Hillsboro, and held that position one year, his administration being marked by the decided improvements made in the city dur- ing his incumbency. He has been a member of the Council many terms. He is a Knight Templar in the Masonic fraternity, and is a member of Hills- boro Lodge No. 51, Chapter of the same in Hills- boro and of Litchfield, K. T., No. 30. Mr. Maddux was married on the 26th of. Jan- uary, 1860, to Miss Mary F. Sammons, a native of Lewis County, N. Y., and they have had but one child, Elsie E., who died at the age of twelve years. Mr. and Mrs. Maddux have a very pleasant home in Hillsboro, are deeply interested in the de- velopment and progress of the city, and are uni- versally respected. \f OSEPH M. BAKER. The learned professions I have many disciples who aspire to hohor ^^ i ^^^ (dignity in their chosen fields, and all, ^^fJ with greater or less reason, expect their efforts to be crowned with success. He of whom we have the pleasure of attempting a short bio- graphical sketch, is one of the many to woo the fickle goddess of fortune before the Bench and Bar. Nor does he aspire without cause, for nature has gifted him generously with those qualities that make themselves felt in the legal profession. He has much of the mesmeric power that, in plead- ing a case, can make Judge and jury see the case from his own standpoint. Mr. Baker is a product of the Prairie State, born in Grisham Township, Montgomery County, Oc- tober 5, 1866, and is the son of Rev. William P. .and Margaret J. (McLean) Baker, both natives of the Sucker State, tlie father born in Macon, and the mother in Montgomery County. The grand- father of our subject, William D. Baker, was born in the old North State and was a farmer by occu- pation. He inherited much of the thrift, enter- prise and courage of his Scotch ancestors. His wife, who is the daughter of a Revolutionary sol- dier, is still living and is ninety-two years of age. Our subject's maternal grandfather, Joseph Mc Lean, was born in North Carolina and was a prom- inent man for his time and day. Rev. William P. Baker, father of our subject, became a prominent minister in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. He and his wife are now residing at Hillsboro, and are prominently iden- tified with all worthy enterprises. They are much- ^(r/'yi A ^^eJcMr^ PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 295 esteemed citizens and Mi-. Baker takes a deep in- terest in liis noble calling. jMr. Baker is now liv- ing witli bis second wife. To his first union were born two children, a son and daughter: William C, deceased; and Ora D., the wife of G. 11. Donnell, of the State of Washington. Tlie second union also resulted in the birth of a son and daughter : our subject and Mary J., the latter at home. The original of this notice, the eldest child by the second marriage, improved his chances in the district schools until fifteen years of age, when he entered Hillsboro Academy, and graduated from that institution in 1885. After this he commenced the study of law, but at the same time began teaching school and followed this profession for three years. He studied law in the office of Hon. J. M. Truitt, and remained with him for two years. In 1889, he was admitted to the Bar before the Supreme Court of the State and has practiced his profession in Hillsboro since. Although among the younger members of the Bar, he is not only a lawyer of ability, but is also painstaking and in- dustrious in preparing his cases and guarding the interests of his clients with great care. As a lawyer, he combines ability and a thorough training in legal principles with industry and close application, and enjoys general esteem as a scholarly young man, a valuable counsellor and a useful and influential citizen. He is public-spirited and enterprising, giving his hearty support to all worthy movements, and is a worthy member of the Presbyterian Church. In his political affiliations he is a stanch Republican. (OHN N. PRICKETT. Our subject is a farmer living near Sorento and a veteran of the late war. He was born in Bond County, near Greenville, December 24, 1826, and was the second oldest of a family of four children born to John and Anna (Holbrook) Prickett. The latter was born in Georgia April 8, 1801, and died December 30, 1885. Mr. Prickett, Sr., was also a native of Georgia and came to Illinois in an early day, but died when our sub- ject was a lad of seven years of age. Mrs. Prickett again married, her second husband being John E. Evans. Of the four children born to our subject's par- ents, James R. is in Washington, and Jacob T. in Litchfield, this State; Thomas W. Evans, a half- brother of our subject, lives near by. He is also a veteran of the late war, having served in the One Hundred and Eiftieth Illinois Infantry. John N. was reared on the home farm, and there learned man}' things besides the rudiments of the educa- tion which he received in the district school. He was engaged for a number of years as a teacher in the schools of the locality. September 5, 186.1, he entered the army, joining Compan}' A (an in- dependent company of sharpshooters), which was attached to the Twenty-sixth Missouri Infantry. This company was for a time body-guard to Gen. Fremont. They took part in the battles of luka and Corinth. After the latter engagement our subject was taken sick with a complication of dis- eases and was for a long time in a hospital at St. Louis, from which he was finally discharged January 6, 1863. February 3, 1865, Mr. Prickett had so far re- covered that he again enlisted in Company G, One Hundred and Fiftieth Illinois Infantry, hav- ing a commission as Orderly-Sergeant. He was afterward promoted to the post of First Lieuten- ant of his company, and served until January 30, 1866, when he received his honorable discharge at Camp Butler, at Springfield, 111. After our subject returned from the army, he took unto himself the duties and obligations of married life, his bride being Miss Julia A. Denny, a sister of O. C. and E. W. Denny, whose family came to Illinois in pioneer days. Mrs. Julia Prickett died January 18, 1878, leaving three children, one of whom died in infancy. Willie S. married Miss Nellie M. Linxwiler; Addie lives with her father. Our subject again married, June 9, 1881, his present wife having been Miss Nancy S. Wiley, who was born in Montgomery Countj', where her parents were early settlers, coming hither from Kentucky. Her father, James Wiley, 296 PORTEAIT AKD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD, was born in Lincoln County, Ky., and her mother in Buncombe County, N. C. The decease of both took place in Montgomery County. Mr. Prickett is a strong Republican and is a practical exponent in his agricultural interests of the benefit reaped from the policy of that party. His associations and- reunions at various times with the Grand Army of the Republic have given him great pleas- ure. For many years he was engaged in teach- ing. He now lives on his farm, still retaining enough of its active management to be a pleasant occupation for him. ♦^^g _J / ♦^•5^* ' AMES H. COX. It is the fad of the day to assume that a newspaper, and especially a political organ, must be the popular edu- cator. This is doubtless true, and as with educators of other sorts, the editor and maker of a live, newsy sheet must be up and doing. It is an easy matter in these days of ''patent insides" and "scissoring" of the bright things from the metropol- itan sheets, to make up an ordinary paper, but to know how to add its proper spice of local fact and fancy so that it will appeal to its own public and be indeed a cyclopedia of grateful knowledge, is another thing. Our subject, however, who is the editor and proprietor of the Daily News, a bright, original little sheet published in Litchfield, has shown that he has all the necessary attributes to edit a well-printed local sheet. Mr. Cox was born at Denison, Tex., September 26, 1867, a son of A. M. and Virinda (Hobbs) Cox. He was brought up, as one might say, in a print- ing ofHce, his father before him having been en- gaged in the printing business. Mr. Cox, Sr., was originally from New Jersey, and his wife from Vir- ginia. They were both persons well adapted to the training of a precocious young mind having aspirations for something really effective in the line of work to which it was directed. Young Cox received the early part of his ed- ucation in his native place, but when he was ten years of age his parents moved to Bunker Hill, 111., and a year later came to Litchfield, where the lad finished his educational course. In 1880, he turned his attention wholly to newspaper work, including the mechanical part as well as the com- piling of the literary portion and news items. He was first engaged in the Monitor ofHee, where he remained for two years. Following his connec- tion with this paper was an engagement of two and a-half years with the Mt. Olive Herald. Newspaper men are proverbially restless crea- tures, always longing to see and know more of the great world, and this spirit for traveling is ren- dered easy by the fact that a compositor can make a living in any portion of the country. Mr. Cox determined to see something of the South, and worked his way through many of the large cities, gaining, beside the pleasure incident to travel, a knowledge of the methods used in different pub- lishing houses. He spent some time in Louisiana and Texas, and thence went East. In all his travel, however, he kept a tender remembrance and a loyal feeling for the place of his rearing and adop- tion, and finally came back to Litchfield. For a short time after his return to this town, our sub- ject was engaged in the restaurant business. Ap- ril 12, 1890, however, he purchased the Daily News, which had been established by Mr. F. M. Roberts in 1885. It is a seven-column folio, with a pop- ular circulation in the city and county, and is the oldest daily paper in the county. Mr. Cox spares no means or pains to make it acceptable to the public. ATHANIEL H. MARTIN LINGLE was born in Rowan County, N. C, May 3, /ii^ 1831. He is the son of John J. and Sarah (Blackwelder) Lingle, who were natives of North Carolina, of English and German extraction. John J. was a farmer and his ancestors in North Caro- lina carried on agricultural pursuits there and PORTRAIT AKT) BIOGRAPmCAL RECORD. 297 took part in the Revolutionary War. He died in the old North State when our subject was three and one-half years of age, but his wife survived bim until 1860 and died in this county. She mar- ried George Carriker in North Carolina and they moved into this township in 1842, where her second husband died about 1850. The brothers and sisters of our subject were as follows: Monroe married Lucinda Blackwelder and lives in Cabarrus County, N. C, but his wife died in 1888 and left one child; Alfred Wiley married Elizabeth Carriker and moved into South- ern Illinois, but he ivas killed in the war while performing his duty in Sturgis' Raid at Pittsburg Landing, and left four children; Reuben married Katie Wilhelm and is a farmer in Pulaski County, 111., and has a family of seven children; Matthew, a minister in the Lutheran Church now living at Olney, 111., married Sophia Scherer, who at her death left two children; Selina married Henry Spangle, lives at Mattoon and has four children; Maria, who was the wife of Wiley Lipe and died in May, 1889, at the age of sixty-two; Louisa mar- ried John G. Lipe and died July 16, 1889, leaving five children: Joseph died April 16, 1862; and Jacob, who married Mary Lipe, lives in Irving Township and has three children. Our subject was reared in North Carolina until he had reached eleven and a-half years of age, when he was sent to the subscription school and gained a good foundation there. He was brought to this State in 1842, by his mother and step- father, and the family settled in Roundtree Town- ship and there our subject remained until he had attained his majority. He was not satisfied with his surroundings, and in March, 1852, went to California to try his fortune and remained away for two years, when he returned to Roundtree Township. In 1855 he went to North Carolina, his native State, but came back to Illinois in 1856, and worked for eight or nine years at the carpen- ter's trade. When the war broke out he enlisted for three months in Company H, Ninth Illinois Infantry, and remained until his time expired, but he found a soldier's life did not agree with him, so he returned to his work as a carpenter. In 1862, he purchased fifty acres of land, which he added to until he finally had four hundred and seveut}'. His choice for a wife was Miss Catherine Lipe and the marriage was performed March 20, 1862. She was the daughter of Allen and Leah (Nussmann) Lipe and was born in IrvingTownship. Her parents both died in Roundtree Township. Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Lingle, as follows: Albert died when only a year old; Forrest married Ada Chamber and lives in this town; May married Jacob Snyder, a farmer; Belle remains single; Orville, Grace, Alma and Hubert are at home. Mr. Lingle is a Republican in his political belief, and has been true to party and has desired no of- fices. He is a valued member of the Lutheran Church, which he supports and attends. He has carried on a system of mixed farming and has been very successful and is a man much respected in his neighborhood. m^ ■m 1,^^ '^OHN F. FILE. The pleasant little town of Sorento, which is notable for its phenomenal growth, is the place of residence of a num- ber of retired farmers, who have accumu- lated a handsome competency in their calling, and have settled here to spend the halcyon days of the late summer of life. Our subject is a notable member of this class and has a very attractive home. John F. File was born in Ripley Precinct, Bond County, Julj' 13, 1832. He is a son of George and Mary (Lyttaker) File, and was the third boy and fifth child in order of birth of a family num- bering fourteen children, namely: Henry, Peter, Elizabeth, Margaret, Moses E., Catherine, George, Sarah Melinda, Nancy E., Amanda, Hester, James N. and Susan, beside our subject. Some of these children are now deceased. The survivors are honored and respected citizens of the locality in which they live. As to the ancestry of the File and Lyttaker families, but little is known beyond the fact that 298 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. they were both of old Pennsylvania Dutcii stock, who in an early day emigrated to North Carolina. There the father of our subject was born in Oc- tober, 1798. His mother was born in Tennessee in 1808. In 1822, Mr. File came to Illinois, settling in Bond County, where he took up land, but for many years he was engaged in the distilling busi- ness. He died in Ripley Township in 1857. After his first prospecting tour in Illinois, in 1822, he returned to Tennessee and married our subject's mother. After a life spent in good works, this noble woman died in March, 1878, at the age of seventy years. John File grew up on his father's farm, receiv- ing such education as was furnished in the com- mon schools of the day. March 17, 1853, he was married to Miss Barsheba Willey, who was the eld- est of six children born to Willis and Frances (Mills) Willey, both natives of Nashville, Tenn., where the former was for many years a large slave- holder. The family early came to Illinois and located in Bond County, whore his business as a farmer was only interrupted by his experience in the Mexican War. He went out with a Captain's commission and came back as a Colonel. He died in 1858, and his wife followed him in 1866. Mrs. File was born in Pocahontas Township, in 1836. Our subject and his wife have been the parents of nine children, as follows: Columbus was killed when but fifteen years of age, by being kicked by a horse; Mary F. is the wife of Hiram Chestnut, a farmer who served four years in the late war in the Third Illinois Cavalry; George W. lives in Greenville; Carey F. lives in Sorento; Emma J. is the wife of John Stafford, and resides in Sorento; Lemuel is a clerk in the hardware store of >S. C. Cress, of Sorento; John F., Jr., Henry A. and Lula live at home. February 25, 1864, Mr. File entered the army, joining Company E, of the Third Illinois Cavalry. He entered the ranks at St. Louis and thence went to Memphis, afterward to Helena, Ark., then to Little Rock; in fact, was with the regiment in all their expeditions, fights and campaigns, including the expedition from Ft. Snelling, Mo., to Devil's Lake, Dak., and was mustered out of service at Ft. Snelling, October 10, 1865. On returning from the war, our subject rejoined his family in Ripley Townsliip, and resumed farming operations. In 1867, he was appointed Deputy Sheriff of the county, and filled the office for seven years. He also served as Supervisor of his township, mean- time continuing his farming until 1890, when he moved to Sorento, where he has since resided. He has a small suburban farm which claims some of his time and attention. He is a strong Republican in politics, and is an equally ardent member of the Grand Army. He receives a pension of $10 per month. eOL. PAUL WALTER. Prominent among the active enterprises of a city like Hills- boro the livery business occupies neces- sarily an important place, contributing as it does to the pleasure, convenience and necessi- ties of the community. Among the most noted establishments of this class is that conducted by Col. Paul Walter, it being one of the most popular ones in the city. The Colonel is a native of North Carolina, born in Cabarrus County, October 3, 1821. His grandfather, Paul Walter, was born in Ger- many and came to America when a young man. He served in the Revolutionary War and was wounded four times. His son, Nicholas Walter, the father of our subject, was born in the Old North State, grew to manhood there, and learned the millwright's trade. He was married in his na- tive State, to Miss Catherine Goodman, a native of France, who came to America with her parents when a child. They located in North Carolina and there Mrs. Walter grew to womanhood. After marriage, this worthy couple located in Cabarrus County, N. C, and there the father passed awaj^ in the year 1825. After his death, or in 1838, his widow came to Montgomery County, 111., and lo- cated on a farm north of Hillsboro, where she passed the remainder of her days. They were the parents of eight children, four sons and four PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 299 daughters, all of whom grew up, married, and be- came the heads of families. Only one beside our subject is now living, Henry J., of Hillsboro. Our subject is the youngest of this family and was seventeen years of age when he came to Mont- gomery County, 111. His first schooling was in North Carolina and after coming to Montgomery County, he attended the schools of the same. He remained with his mother and assisted on the farm until February 1, 1844, when he was married to Miss Emaline Scott, a native of North Carolina and the daughter of Alexander Scott, also of the Old North State. The fruits of this union were eight children, four sons and four daughters, as follows: George A., W. Scott, Marcilla, Illinois, Susan, Miller, Estella and James. Following his marriage, Mr. Walter located on a farm eight miles north of Hillsboro and was engaged in general farming un- til 1850, when he was seized with the gold fever. He crossed the plains to California, via Salt Lake Citj', with teams, and was a resident of that State for four years. He returned by way of the Isth- mus to New Orleans and thence to his home. Two months later, Mr. Walter returned to Cali- fornia and two years later returned to the East via, the Isthmus and New York City. During his two trips to the Gold State, he made $48,000. In the year 1861, he enlisted in Company E, First Illinois Cavalry, as a private and was made Captain of his company-. He was in service two years and took a prominent part in many of the leading engage- ments. He was taken prisoner by Gen. Price and afterward paroled. He then re-enlisted and was discharged on special order. Returning to the farm, he continued to till the soil until 1867, when lie located in Hillsboro, where in connection with the livery business he embarked in the elevator and grain business. He is not in the grain busi- ness at the present time, but devotes his whole time and attention to the livery business, of which he has made a complete success. In politics, our subject is a strong adherent of the principles of the Republican party and was Mayor of Hillsboro in 1873 and 1874. He was also Alderman for many years and lias been promi- nently identified with all movements of note. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, Mt. Moriah Lodge No. 51, Hillsboro, and is a member of the Frank D. Hubbell Post No. 304, G. A. R., being the first commander of the same. ■^=^>-^5tantial and progressive men of the county. In politics, he is an ardent Republican and is now serving as Central Committeeman of the county. Socially, he is a member of the Ma- sonic fraternity at Virden, 111. JOHN NEWPORT. Montgomery County has won an enviable reputation as a prosper- ous farming community, and this reputa- tion has been acquired through the enter- I>rise and energy of such agriculturists as Mr. Newport. He has been prominently identified with the development of the county and with its advancement in every worthy particular, and has discharged the duties of a number of township of- fices in a very satisfactory and creditable manner. He was Supervisor of Bois D' Arc Township for a number of 3'ears, and is one of the most useful men of the community. A prominent and useful citi- zen, the county owes its prosperity to just such men as he. Mr. Newport claims Ohio as his native State, and was born in Preble County, September 30,1824. He is the son of Thomas and Sarah (Biggs) New- port, natives of Pennsylvania. One of his uncles, JaniesT. Newport,was a Captain in the War of 1812. Our subject was reared to mature years in his na- H tive State, and from an earlj' age has been engaged in tilling the soil, an occupation which has brought him substantial returns. He secured a good prac- tical education in the public schools of Preble County, and later he attended private schools there, thus securing a good education for his time and day. P'or fifteen 3'ears afterward he engaged in teaching school, principally in Preble County, but he also taught in Morgan, Sangamon and Pike Counties, 111. About 1854, Mr. Newport located in the Prairie State, and in the spring of 1868 he came to Mont- gomery County, settling on a farm in Bois D' Arc Township, where he improved one hundred and sixty acres of laud. At that time his farm was all prairie land, but he went to work with much energy and soon had it under cultivation. As the years passed away many improvements were made, until now this farm is one of the model estates of the county. On this, Mr. Newport resided until De- cembei-, 1891, when he removed to Farmersville, and there he has resided since. For several years he served as Justice of the Peace and School Trustee and discharged the duties incumbent upon these positions in a very satisfactory and capable manner. He also served as Supervisor of Bois D' Arc Township for three years, and during the last year he was in that position he served as Chairman of the Board. On the 29th of March, 1855, Miss Elizabeth M. McCormick, a native of Nicholas County, Ky., born September 9, 1831, and the daughter of John and Jane W. (Lockridge) McCormick, became the wife of our subject. Her parents were born in the Blue Grass State, and her grandfather McCormick, who was a gunsmith by trade, it is said, made guns for the Revolutionary soldiers. Her uncle. Waller McCormick, was a soldier in the War of 1812. When three years of age, Mrs. Newport came with her parents to Morgan County, 111., and there grew to womanhood. She received her education in this county and subsequently taught school for a time. For two terms she attended the Presbyter- ian College at Jacksonville, and is a lady of much more than average intelligence. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Newi)ort,as fol- lows: Mary J,, wife of Lafayette Gerhard; Clial- 306 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. mers L., and Emma V., wife of James McCormick. These children have been well educated and are prominent and useful citizens. In his political views our subject is a stanch Republican, and takes much interest in political matters. He and his wife are classed among the intelligent members of society, are well known throughout the count}', and are higlily esteemed by every one. Mrs. Newport is identified with the Presbyterian Church, and devotes much of her time to charitable and worthy enterprises. EWIS W. JORDAN. The gentleman whose * name is at the head of this sketch is one of the old settlers of Harvel Township, and his fine farm located on section 8 shows that he has given to it the constant care of years. Mr. Jordan is a native of Maryland and was there born April 28, 1833. He is a son of William and Catherine (Rummel) Jordan, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Maryland. At a very early age he, in company witli his parents, migrated to Trumbull County, Ohio; that con- tinued to be the family home for several years and then tliej' came to Greene County, this State, making the exodus in 1843. After a resi- dence theie of one year, the family moved to Montgomery County and settled on the farm on which our subject now lives, in Harvel Township. Our subject's father, William Jordan, entered one hundred and twenty acres of land from the Government at the time of coming here, paying for it $1.25 per acre. He also had a soldier's grant of forty acres, having served in the War Qf 1812. At that time the country was one vast rolling prairie, unbroken for miles by the plow and having but few landmai-ks beside those placed by nature. The nearest dwelling was a distance of four miles. Much of the family history has already been given in the sketch of Alpheus C. Jordan, a younger brother of our subject, and for a more minute and detailed ucfount of the same we refer the reader to it, After completing a course at the district school, our subject was sent to the High School of Greene County. Although he received what was at that time a fair education, it would at the present time be liglitly considered. However, natural ability has greatly aided" our subject in covering the defects that are to be found in the old system of education. Mr. Jordan was married on the 28th of May, 18G3, Miss Mary F. Russell becoming his wife. She was a native of the Hoosier State and a daughter of Thomas and Sarah Russell, now resi- dents of Montgomery Count}'. By this marriage he has become the father of nine children. Of these Albert W. is deceased. Following him are Thomas W., Lewis R., David D.; Florence, wife of David Bonnett; Edna, Ethel, Rebecca and Alma. Although the size of his family has required the most constant efforts in order to provide for all tlieir dail}' wants, it certainly has had its charms, and home would not be home without the merry banter in which the children indulge. Our sub- ject is the owner of one hundred "and three acres of land, all of which is under a high degree of cultivation. With few advantages other than what he has himself made, Mr. Jordan is a highly respected and honorable man. Politically the tenets of the Republican party appeal to his sense of justice and equity. He has been a close observer of the growth of this portion of the State for many years and can recall man}' typical scenes and business transactions. M. HARTSOCK. Up to a comparatively recent date no important change had been made in milling machinery invented and brought into use about the time of the adoption of the F"ederal constitution by Oliver Evans, of Pennsylvania. But in this as in other de- partments of industry American inyeutive gen- PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORI) 307 ius saw opportunity for improvement, and as a result the gradual reduction process, or, !is it is known, the roller system, was introduced. This has produced so great a change that at the present day this system is adopted by all leading and prosperous mills in the countr3'. Among those nulling enterprises which have se- cured conspicuousness on account of the uniform excellence of their products, we notice especially the Nokomis Roller Mills, whose proprietor, L. M. Hartsock, is one of the representative business men of the place. Mr. Hartsock was born near Johnsville, Fred- erick County, Md., November 9, 1841, and is a son of Nicholas Hartsock, who was a native of the Keystone State, but an early settler of Fred- erick County, Md. The latter was a farmer but also followed the trade of a mason. When but four years of age our subject was left an or- phan, and as a consequence he knows very little of his ancestors on either side. When his mother died he was sent among strangers and grew to rugged manhood on a farm, receiving very little schooling, perhaps one or two months in a year, and that by going a distance of two and a-half miles each day to school. Under these circumstances his early life was not a pleasant or happy one. When eighteen years of age, young Hartsock entered a flouring mill near Middleburg, Md., to learn the trade of a miller, and there he remained for about two years and a-half. After this he en- tered a mill at New Windsor, where he was fore- man for about a year. After this he came to Illi- nois, was employed in a mill at Staunton for a year, then in 1867 he rented a mill at Bunker Hill, III., and operated it for one year. From there he went to Waterloo and was one of a company that oper- ated a mill, and it was a "Waterloo" indeed, for the great decline in wheat, from $2.50 to 90 cents per bushel, caused a suspension and the loss of all he had. Not daunted in the least he went to work again, and from that time until the spring of 1872 he worked in different mills. At that date lie came to Nokomis to work in the mill of E. A. Cooley & Co., but in 1873 this firm failed and the mill was shut down. Soon after, however, Mr, Hartsock and a Mr, Hobson made arrangements to rent and oper- ate the mill, and later on they purchased the plant. The}' prospered from the start and the partnership continued until the death of Mr. Hobson in 1883, at which time our subject became the sole proprietor. In 1888 the old mill burned down and in 1889 Mr. Hartsock in com- pany with B. F. McGrew completed the fine, new one hundred and fiftj' barrel roller mill, of which he is sole proprietor, having purchased his partner s interest in January, 1892. He has quite a large trade from New England and New York as well as a large direct export business. After the many misfor- tunes of early youth, Mr. Hartsock is well deserv- ing the large degree of prosperity he is now en- jojang. All he has accumulated is the result of his own good, energetic qualities, and he is now very comfortably off in life. In politics, he has ever been a Republican, and socially he is a Mas- ter and Chapter Mason. He married in 1868 Miss Frances A. Cooley, a native of Indiana, and this union has been blessed by the birth of four children: Margaret at home; Arthur L., in his father's mills; Robert L. and Ethel, both now at- tending the public schools. =^^+^1- Rascal C. ABELL. a plain statement of J|| the facts embraced in the life of Mr. Abell, a man well and favorably known to the \ people of Montgomery County, is all that we profess to be able to give in this volume. Yet, upon examination of these facts, there will be found the career of one whose entire course through the world has been marked by great hon- esty and fidelity of purpose. He has followed the active and industrious life of a farmer all his life, and has met with substantial results in this occu- pation, owning now a fine farm in WittTownship. Our subject was the eldest of a family of seven children, his birth occurring not far from Spring- field, Sangamon County,Ill.,May 15, 1834. His par- ents, J. H, and Adeline (Derly) Abel], were natives 308 PORTEAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. of Kentucky and Tennessee, respectively. The great-grandfather of our subject was a native of Wales, and came to America at a period antedat- ing the Revolutionary War. He settled in Vir- ginia, and there "the grandfather of our subject, Joshua Abell, was born. J. H. Abell was born in 1801, and came to Illinois in 1827, locating on the then wild prairies of Sangamon County. He was one of the pioneers of. the county, and was very active in its improvement. In 1840, he came to Montgomery County, and for some time was en- gaged in mercantile pursuits. His death occurred on a farm in Bond County in 1863. Pie was a man whose uprightness and honesty of purpose were well known, and who was universally re- spected. His wife was the daughter of Jehu Derlj^, who came to Sangamon County, 111., before the Black Hawk War, and who had a brother killed in that war. Pascal C. Abell grew to manhood, as did the sons of other pioneer settlers, with but limited educational advantages, but being naturally an apt scholar, he obtained a fair knowledge of the different branches, and even now, when nearly sixty years of age, he can in a very short space of time memorize a chapter in the Bible. During the fore part of the late war he was farming in Bond County, and on the 26th of November, 1864, he enlisted in Company D, Forty-seventh Illinois In- fantry, as a private, and was at once sent to the front. He was on many hard marclies, and was on garrison dutj' most of the time. He was on de- tached duty at the fall of Ft. Blakely, on the march from Mobile to Montgomery, and suffered greatly during this trying period, being obliged to march and sleep in the rain. He contracted a chronic disease, from whicli he still suffers. Our subject was discharged at Montgomery, Ala., November 27, 1865, and returned to his farm in Bond County, where he made his home until 1867. In that year he came to the place where he now lives, in Witt Township, and here he has a productive and well-cultivated farm. He has ac- cumulated a snug fortune by his industry and strict adherence to his chosen calling, has a comfortable and attractive home, and is surrounded by all the comforts and conveniences of life. In hjs politi- cal views, he supports the Democratic party, and has held a number of local positions. He was a member of tlie County Board of Supervisors for eight _years, Justice of the Peace for two terms. Assessor of his township, and for thirteen years was a School Trustee. He is a member of Nokomis Post, G. A. R. On the 14th of January, 1855, our subject mar- ried Miss P. M. Lynn, who was born in Fayette County, 111., and they have had three children, one of whom died when a child; Albert Jefferson mar- ried Miss Sarah F. Harris, and is in business at Fill- more, this State; and Mary Ronla Belle became the wife of R. J. Fish, a farmer of Fayette County. ^^l@^:i^^,^ ''^ ESSE Mc ADAMS. This name is one of the oldest and most honored in Bond Countyi 111. It was borne by the grandfather of our subject, who was one of the very first settlers and did much for the early development of this part of the State. Our subject is the owner of over one hundred acres of fine land, and is a worthy representative of his ancestor. The name of Jesse was bestowed upon our sub- ject at the time of his birth, April 28, 1847, on this farm, that being the family name, his father and grandfather having borne it. Both the father and grandfather were natives of Kentucky, although the latter's immediate ancestors had come to this country from iscotland and Ireland. In the new territory opened for settlement, where the Indian, wolf and deer still found a home, came the family of Grandfather McAdams in a great wagon, with their household effects, to settle on the tract of Government land which he had taken up. A log cabin was erected on the edge of the timber on what now is section 34, in this township, and in this lonely spot the pioneer life went on. Here was developed a fine farm, but under many diffi- culties. There were no roads at that time, and often the Indian trails were dangerous and almost impassable, but the produce had to be marketed POETRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 309 at St. Louis, a distance of four days* travel, and from this place had to come the luxuries which the pioneers seldom allowed themselves. The precious "store tea," which in sickness took the place of sassafras or sage, was one of the coveted articles which it was difficult to procure. The rugged old man who braved so many dan- gers and paved the way for the footsteps of his de- scendants, was supported by a faith that taught him to labor and live righteously, and his reward would come in another world. A firm Presbyterian, his house was given to the members of that belief who had settled near enough to attend services when some missionary came into the neighborhood. In his political faith he was a Democrat, and the principles of that party were ever dear to him. The father of our subject had his experience of pioneer life, as he was only a boy when he was brought into the new country to find a home. He learned the carpenter's trade, and some of the large buildings now standing in Greenville testify to his workmanship. His amusement in youth was to shoot deer as they fled by his home, and never was there any scarcity of game in the house, as his musket was often used for the pleasure of hunting. Like his father, he grew into a man of great firm- ness of character, and although he was a peaceable citizen he insisted always on his rights. At his death, at the age of forty-five years, he was the owner of four hundred acres of land. The mother of our subject, was Elizabeth Williamson, who was a native of Bowling Green, Ky., and came here with her Grandfather McAdams. She became the mother of nine children, of whom four are yet living, namely: Nancy, Catherine, Hiram and Jesse. She died when over seventy years of age, in the faith of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, of which she had been a consistent member for many years. Our subject was reared on the farm and at- tended the log schoolhouse which was nearest his home, and there he learned all that the teacher could impart. There were not many luxuries in the school buildings of thnt day, but upon the slab benches sat many of the lads who became in after years the most prominent and powerful men in the State. The loss of his father our subject did not realize, as he was only a baby of five months. At the age of fifteen years he had to go out to bat- tle with the world by himself, and his first attempt at work was by the day, and then he began farm- ing upon the home place. On June 21, 1868, he was united in marriage with Miss Louisa Long, whose death occurred one year later. His second marriage took place October 7, 1872, when Miss Leonora Durant became his wife. She was born in Ohio, near the city of Columbus. Our subject is a man of means, owning a farm of one hundred and twenty-five acres of land, all of which is improved except six acres, which he has in timber. He has been a grain farmer and has handled stock also. The present neat frame residence was built in 1879 and here he has made a great many improvements. Both Mr. McAdams and his wife are members of the Methodist Episco- pal Church of Greenville. In politics, he is a Pro- hibitionist, and believes that in that reformatory party lies the redemption of the country. The Modern Woodmen is the order with which he has connected himself, and in this body at Greenville he is regarded with much esteem. IjOBERT BLACKBURN. A history of any i^ community, large or small, is made up to a ifc\V greater or less extent of the lives of its citizens, and it is apparent to any intelli- gent observer that the history of Montgomery County is only such as has been made by those who have been identified with its development from an early period. Among that class of pio- neers we cannot fail to make mention of Robert Blackburn, for his residence within the borders of the county has extended over a period of fifty- four years, and he has been so prominently asso- ciated with its material progress and development, that it is but just to number him among the hon- ored few now living who were brave enough to open the way for civilization. The occupation of 310 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. a farmer has been his calling, and his career from an humble beginning in life to the present posi- tion which he occupies is one of honorable ascent, and reflects great credit upon him. He was born in Loudoun County, Ya., March 29, 1818, a son of Thomas and Sarah (Ball) Blackburn, who were born, reared and married in the Old Dominion, the mother's death occurring when the subject of this sketch was eighteen months old. The father was called from life at Dayton, Ohio, when about seventy-three years old. The parents of our subject had ten children — five sons and five daughters — all of whom grew to maturity', married and reared families. Of this family only three sons are now living, and Robert is the youngest. He came with a brother to Mont- gomery County, 111., in 1838, and after remaining with him for about three years began to do for himself. On the 1st of March, 1846, he was mar- ried to Miss Sarah Ann, daughter of William and Margaret (Bodkin) Fuller. She was born in Clarke County, Ohio, January 2,1826, and was there reared and educated. Mr. Blackburn located on the farm where he now resides immediately after his marriage, at which time there were no improvements whatever on the place. He at once built a frame house containing three rooms, and made other substan- tial and valuable improvements, and at the pres- ent time it would be ditflcult to find a neater or better tilled farm of one hundred and sixty acres than that of which he is the owner. Besides this land, he owns forty acres of land in East Fork Township, making in all two hundred acres, and some valuable houses and lots in Hillsboro. He was in debt when he started out in life for him- self, but by continued application, push and econ- omy he soon discharged his obligations. He and his worthy wife are the parents of one child, a son, William L., who is residing at Grant's Pass, Ore. Mr. Blackburn has found a profitable source of revenue in the cultivation of the rich soil of Illi- nois, but could hardly fail to succeed as an agri- culturist, for from the very first he was carefully taught every detail connected with farming. In the conduct of his estate he has given each por- tion of the work his personal attention, and the care and method ever exercised have contributed to place him among the foremost farmers of the vicinity, as he is one of its most intelligent citi- zens. Politically, he has always supported Repub- lican principles, and for many 3-ears has been a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, of which he was at one time Deacon. -».l— -: =^>^^ 1863, he was put on duty as Assistant Surgeon, which position he held until September, 1866. He was through the battles of Ft. Donelson, Shiloh, siege of Corinth, Little Rock, Pleasant Hill, and many other of the minor battles and long marches which were harder to endure than the real danger of the pitched battle. The last engagement in which Dr. Black took part was the battle of Nash- ville. During the Red River campaign, there were forty days when the regiment was under fire without ceasing. After the war, our subject returned to Salem, and remained until October, 1865, and then located at Fillmore, in Montgomery County. He remained there for two years, but he came to Mul- berry Grove in 1867, where he remained until 1871, when he saw a better opening in Fairview and located here. His marriage to Miss M. J. Moodjr took place March 15, 1865. She is a PORTRAIT AND BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 317 native of Indiana, and is the daughter of John D. Moody. Dr. and Mrs. Black are the parents of seven living children: Ellen H., the wife of John B. Defrees, of Logan County, III.; Jennie A., Mary L., John 11., Julia G., Frank B. and Emilia M. Dr. Black is a Republican in his political opin- ions, and believes in expressing them whenever he thinks he can accomplish good bj' so doing. He has been Assessor of Pleasant Mound Township and is School Treasurer of the same, and also a valued member of Colby Post No. 301, G. A. R., at Greenville, 111. LPHEUS C. JORDAN. Harvel Township, Montgomery County, is favorably located in the midst of a wonderfully fertile tract, that yields a rich return for the attention given it by industrious farmers. A drive through this township will show that all of its inhabitants are well-to-do, if not wealthy. Our subject is one of the fortunate possessors of a fine farm located in this section, his farm being on section 6, and it is conspicuous for the improvements that are found upon it. Mr. Jordan is a native of Trumbull County, Ohio, and was born January 10, 1841, a son of "William and Catherine (Rummel) Jordan. The former was a native of the Quaker State and the latter came from Maryland. In the fall of 1844, our subject's parents emigrated to Greene County, 111., from Ohio. The country was comparatively wild at that time and the advantages were very few. There was a large family of children to be reared and educated, who, at the same time, had to contribute their quota to the common family- support. Of these but five are living at the pres- ent time. The children were: William F., de- ceased; Mrs. Angelica Robley, a widow; Cyrus, a resident of Montgomery County; Lewis W., also of Montgomery; Catherine E., who is the widow of H. A. Collier, a resident of Parsons, Kan.; and our subject. In 1853, Alpheus Jordan moved to Macoupin County in company with his parents, and in 1864 they removed to Montgomery County and settled in Harvel Township, on section 8, and were the first settlers there. The nearest dwelling to them was four miles distant. Their home was made on the unbroken prairie, and one of the brothers of our subject turned the first furrow on the farm. Alpheus was then but fourteen j'ears old, though his training before that time had been amid pio- neer scenes, and as the years were passed he was made to feel the responsibility of a pioneer's life, and to know that upon him as well as others rested the making of the country. His school days were passed in the district schools of the vi- cinity and his advantages were limited. Perhaps his war experience gave him as much of a stimulus as anything else for a more extended knowledge. Mr. Jordan enlisted in Company D, of the Thir- ty-third Illinois Infantry, in August of 1861, and with his regiment was detailed to duty in the armj- of the Southwest. He was a participant in the bat- tles of Fredericktown, Mo., and Champion Hills and was at the siege of Vicksburg. In the last-named fight he was twice slightly wounded. He also fought in minor engagements, and after this hon- orable service was discharged, August 26, 1864. After leaving the army our subject returned to Montgomery County. He felt that the making of his domestic life was before him, and with this end in view besought Miss Marcia C. Creswell to be- come his wife, and they were married August 6, 1874. The lady is a native of the Prairie State. Mr. and Mrs. Jordan are the parents of eight chil- dren, whose names are, Alpheus C, Jr., Robert P., Ethel D., Alice C, Frederick, Blanche F., Grace and Lula Irtne. They are a small community in themselves and their difference in disposition and temperament makes a pleasing social life. Our subject owns one hundred and sixty acres of land, which is all under a high state of cultiva- tion. Political!}', he pins his faith to the garment of no party, being thoroughly independent in his ideas both of government and governors. Educa- tional matters that tend toward advancement in methods have always received his hearty endorse- ment when the adoption of the new offered any ad- 318 PORTEAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. vantage over the old metliods. Mr. Jordan was honored during the year 1879 b}' being elected as Supervisor of Harvel Township. During the time that he held this office, ho discharged his duties to the entire satisfaction of his constituents. He is identified with the Farmers' Mutual Benefit Asso- ciation. V_ ♦^♦^» / A=♦^•^ \T/ OHN WOLTMANN. There is in the devel- opment of a successful life a principle which is a lesson to every man, a lesson leading to higher and more honorable positions than the ordinary. Let a man be industriously ambi- tious, and honorable in his ambitions, and he will rise, whether having the prestige of family or the ob- scurity of poverty. These reflections are called forth by the study of the life of John Woltraann, ■who is one of the most enterprising and prosperous merchants of Nokomis. Mr. Woltmann is a Germ.an by birth and educa- tion, and was born at Norden, on the North Sea, August 27, 1858. Although young in years, he has accumulated considerable property, and not only is he a very successful business man, but one whose career has ever been upright and honorable. His father, Arnedt Woltmann, for nearly thirty years a miller in the Fatherland, was a man of ex- cellent judgment and great honesty. Our subject inherited much of his enterprise and industry from his father, and early in life became desirous of get- ting a liberal education. When ten years old he was possessed of more zeal than the majority of boys at that age, and was inclined to spend too much time with his books. In 1868, he came with his parents to the New World and settled with them at Nokomis, 111., where he pursued his studies closely and with much earnestness, his aim being to become a preacher in the Lutheran Church, of which he and his parents were adherents. At the age of nineteen years, young Woltmann was delving in the classics in Concordia University, Springfield. He continued there for two years, when his health failed, and he was compelled to give up his studies and the cherished plan of be- coming a minister. He tried teaching the German language in the public schools for a time, as well as instructing a private class, but this proved too trying upon his weak constitution and was aban- doned. Afterward he began clerking in the store of Charles Auwater, of Nokomis, but he was not long contented with a clerkship, and early in 1882 he established himself in the grocery business on a small scale. From the start his business prospered, until now he is the head of one of the leading general stores in the thriving town of Nokomis. For three successive years Mr. Woltmann was a member of the Town Board and has held other local positions. In all these he has discharged the duties in a very satisfactory manner and is compe- tent to fill almost any position. In politics, he is a strong supporter of Democratic principles, and his vote has ever been east with that party. He is an exemplary member of the Lutheran Church, a liberal contributor to its interests, and an earnest advocate of all good work. In him the community has a faithful and unswerving friend, ever alert to serve its best interests, and one who can be relied upon at all times. He is a man of more than the ordinary intelligence, and is a representative citi- zen of the county. He was married in the fall of 1884 to Miss Minnie Nantkes, the daughter of a prominent and wealthy farmer, and they have two children, Arnold and Jesse. 1^ ~si ^+^ G W A. SIHLER, M. D. Probably no physician in the vicinity of Litchfield is more thor- ^^^Jj oughly equipped for his profession than is the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. His studies have been widely extended, and prosecuted under exceptional advantages. He asks no odds of ancestors, rank or position to lend color to his ability in his chosen profession. The writer, aside from the knowledge of his professional skill, knows but the barest facts concerning his career. PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 319 Dr. Sihler was boin at Simcoe, Ontario, May 28, 1862. He was educated at Colegate Institute at Simcoe, and distinguished himself in such a man- ner as to encourage him to enter the professional life that he lias chosen. He prosecuted his med- ical studies at Magill Medical University, receiving his sheepskin with the Class of '83. After com- pleting his studies, he spent one year in Germany, and there had access to the laboratories of the special scientists. Thus equipped, and with an ex- tended knowledge of pathological and biological subjects, he has settled in the midst of the Litch- field community, ready to alleviate such human suffering as should present itself to his attention. ^^i(S)®g1^^ eAPT. MICHAEL OHLMAN. This in brief is the sketch of a man whose present sub- stantial position in life has been reached entirely through his own perseverance, and the facts connected with his operations and their re- sults only show what a person with courage and enlightened views can accomplish. His reputation for honesty and integrity has been tried and not found wanting; his financial ability has been more than once put to the test, but never without credit to himself; his social qualities are well known and appreciated, and he has hosts of friends, whose confidence and esteem are his highest eulogium. He is a wealthy farmer of Audubon Township, Montgomery County, and is an important factor in Third Party politics. Born in Strausberg (then in the domain of France but now in the German empire) in September, 1822, our subject is a son of Michael and Gertrude Ohl- man, witli whom he emigrated to America in 1832. They landed at Baltimore, Md., and as the little means the father had accumulated had been used in the journey to this country, he was at once compelled to look about him for employment. Soon afterward, he and his son, the subject of this sketch, who was then a lad of ten years, obtained work at breaking stone for the paving of the streets in Washington, D. C. In this way, they saved a small amount of money, and, being anxious to reach the West, purchased a poor old broken-down stage horse and a rickety old wagon, into which all their earthly possessions were loaded^ and started out on their Westward journey. At Wheeling, W. Va., their horse died and other means of travel had to be found. They built a flatboat, in which they loaded their goods, and after many hardships and trials reached Cairo, where they stayed for a short time, but eventually they removed to St. Louis, where the father and young Michael labored until 1838. By this time, they had accumulated consider- able means, and with it Mr. Ohlman purchased a large tract of land in Missouri, on which Michael labored cheerfully and faithfully until he was seventeen years of age, when he began working on flatboats on the Mississippi River. At the end of two years, he commenced to work on steamboats, and was promoted until he became pilot of one of the boats. He was economical in his expendi- tures, and although he had little or no education he had an object in life, and he invested his money judiciously in river-boat stock and in time be- came the owner and commander of the "Star of the West." With this boat, a small fortune was made, but it was finally sunk in the river. Later, after spending a large amount of money, it was raised and refitted, only to be burned a short time after. Subsequently, Mr. Ohlman became commander of the "D. A. January," in which he owned a five- eighths interest, and for five years commanded it and did a most successful business. With this boat alone, it is said, he made a fortune. He sailed it on the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, and dur- ing the first part of the Civil War his profits were enormous. In 1862, he secured a contract from the Government, but the operation of a private boat at this time, on account of its doubtful nature, was a risky calling and a proposition was made to sell it to the Government, which was accepted. Capt. Ohlman then came to Montgomery County and made large investments of his fortune in land, and here he has quietly lived ever since. He has one of the finest farms in this section of the coun- 320 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. try. His estate comprises about eiglit hundred acres, and upon it he has a beautiful mansion, from which a fine view of the country can be had for many miles around. Mr. Ohlman has not been ac- tively engaged in .farming for man}' years, but has placed the management of his magnificent estate in the hands of his sons, while he looks after the finances. He was reared a Democrat, but some three j'ears ago cast his lot with the Third or People's Party, and has devoted much of his time and money in furthering the interests of what lie believes to be the coming great party. He attends all of the conventions of his party, and his voice is often heard in its councils. Starting in life with little or no education, he has been a close student and but few men in his locality are more thought- ful readers or better posted on the general topics of the day than is he. Capt. Ohlman was married in 1859 to Miss Theresa Buebach, who was born in Cincinnati, Oliio, of German parents. Their union resulted in the birtli of nine children, six of wliom are liv- ing: Cecil, who is the wife of Alfred Wyand, of Pana, 111.; William, who is a graduate of the St. Louis University', also of Notre Dame of South Bend, Ind.; Ida, who is the wife of Joseph W. Wild, the talented newspa^jer editor of Nokomis; Alexander and James, who are in charge of the farming and stock-raising interests of their fa- ther's large estate; Lizzie, an intelligent j'oung lady, is now receiving her education. S)HEODORE ROGERS, Jr., is a native of the county and State in which he has found a permanent home. In Pitman Township, Montgomery Count}', he owns one hundred and twenty acres of fine farming land on section 15. Upon this place he resides, devoting his attention to the cultivation of the soil and tlie proper im- provement of the farm. Mr, Rogers was born in Montgomery County, 111., December 13, 1848. He is a son of Hardin and Martha (Hamilton) Rogers, both of whom were natives of the State of Kentucky. Hardin Rogers came to Montgomery County, and at an early day settled in what is now known as Pitman Township. His judgment told him that the best place on which to locate would be upon the edge of some timber land, for in such a location there would always be water, and the scarcity of that article was one of the most distressing features in pioneer life in the Prairie State. The family home was in the wilderness in a cabin made of logs, and there the children were reared, meanwhile endur- ing all the privations incident to life in a newly- settled coun try. The surviving children of this family are as fol- lows: Anthony; LaFayette; Lucinda, the widow of Millard Wood; and Theodore. In spite of the difficulties of their early lives, these children be- came honored members of society and performed the duties required of them in as efBcient a man- ner as do many of those who have had more ad- vantages and fewer obstacles to struggle against. The beloved father of this family, Hardin Rogers, was removed b}' death when our subject was only five j'ears old. He was one of the most respected of the early settlers of the township and his death was deeplj' lamented by his family and neighbors. The mother of our subject is now in her seventy- eighth j'ear and is living on the same farm to which she came with her husband in those early days. Although deprived of his assistance and companionship, she has managed the estate with good judgment and has reared her family in com- fort. She is one of the venerable pioneer women of the State and her reminiscences of those early days are both interesting and instructive. She is a faithful member of the Christian Church. Theodore Rogers, our subject, is a young and enterprising man, one of the foremost in his sec- tion of country. He keeps himself well posted on all public affairs and votes with the great Republi- can party, which he regards as the friend of the manufacturer, the consumer and the laborer alike. His earl J' educational advantages were very lim- ited, although he embraced every opportunity that came in bis way to acquire knowledge. Mont- PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 321 gomeiy County has become noted throughout the State for its fine farms and solid, successful busi- ness men, and among the latter the majority have made themselves what they are, and Mr. Rogers is no exception to the rule, as lie can regard with pardonable pride the success which has attended his efforts. Ilis one hundred and twenty acres show the result of intelligent cultivation, and his large barnyard, filled with sleek, well-fed cattle, testifies to his prosperity, while fences and neat outbuildings, which are kept in good repair, indi- cate that he is a man who believes that nothing adds to the prospeious look of a farm like a proper regard for appearance. =^>^^ ■ I \J! AMES F. WHITWORTH. The head of the I very extensive .mercantile house of J. F. ] Whitworth & Compan3r at Sorento, and one / of the prominent merchants in that place, was born at Mulberry Grove, Bond County, this State, December 18, 1856. He was the sixth in order of birth of a family of nine children that were at the same time the comfort and care of their fond parents, Marcus L. and Jane (White) AVhitworth. Marcus L. Whitworth was born near Nashville, Tenn., December 12, 1822, and was the second of a family of ten children, four boys and six girls. The ancestry of the Whitworth family can easily be traced back in the history of the country for more than two centuries. Great-grandfather Whit- worth emigrated with a brother from Lancaster, England, the placeof their nativity, and first settled in Maryland, but soon moved to Tennessee and located land not far from Nashville. There John Whitworth, the father of Marcus L., was born, grew to manhood, and was an extensive land and slave owner. The old homestead where John Whitworth 326 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. first settled, and where John, Jr., was born and died, is still in the Whitworth family. Our subject belongs to a family the members of which form a brilliant galaxy of social and financial lights. The surviving members who still reside in the South are men of large wealth and prominence. The father of our subject was reared on the home plantation, and there received a liberal education. For many years he was a slave- holder, but whether from dislike of the institution of slavery or not, we cannot tell, he left his native State and came to Illinois in 1846. Marcus L. spent some time in White Countj'', where he became acquainted with Jane White, the sixteen-year-old daughter of William and Nancy White, prominent and wealthy farmers of that countj'. The following j^ear they were married, the groom taking his young bride to Nashville, where they resided until 1864, when they returned to White County. The following year they located near Mulberry Grove, where they purchased and improved a farm, and where the father died in February of 1880. Briefly we have given an outline of the ante- cedents of the man whose history is the basis of this sketch. That of his brothers and sisters is very briefly as follows; Sarah is the widow of Henry Parrott, who died in 1889; Martha is the wife of Edward Moss, a farmer in Arkansas; Marcus L., Jr., is a farmer in Bond County; Mary is the wife of William N. Anthony, also a farmer in Bond County; Florence is the wife of Walter W. Mitchell, the junior member of the firm of which our subject is the head. The original of our sketch grew to maturity on the home farm and received a fair education. He must have made rapid strides in liis boyhood days, for at the age of fifteen years we find him teaching school, and at the age of eighteen a student at the Shurtleff College of Upper Alton. After completing his education he went to Kansas and was success- fully engaged in stock business for two years. He then returned to Illinois and was for two years-en- gaged in farming, and afterward he established him- self in the mercantile business in Sorcnto, where he has built up one of the largest mercantile houses in Bond County. Success has seemed to force itself upon our subject, for while he is a business man of more than ordinary ability, his advancement has been most marked among other positions of trust that he has held. He is now the Mayor of the town, and is ever active in the upbuilding of the place. Mr Whitworth was mari'ied in August of 1887 to Miss Annie (Saathoff), daughter of Henry Saathofl, a wealthy German-American who now lives near Sorento. They have two children: Delia, a bright girl of four summers, and George J., who is two years of age. W?OSEPH M< KINNEY. We take pleasure in presenting to the readers of this volume a history in outline of the gentleman whose name appears above, and who was for years a prominent and mucli-esteemed resident of Harvel Township, Montgomery County. Mr. McKinney was a native of that good old South- ern State which has produced so many noted men among statesmen and orators. He was born in Virginia, October 10, 1815. Mr. McKinney came to Illinois among the ear- liest settlers that were here. It is doubtful, how- ever, whether he did, at that early day, much pio- neer work, for he was but a little chap of four years of age when he came here with his parents, they having made the journey hither with horses and wagon. He was soon, however, inducted into the mysteries and methods of pioneer agricultural life. They settled first in Jersey County, and there our subject grew to manhood. He was true to his calling, and devoted himself to that through- out a long and useful life. While still a resident of Jersey County, the origi- nal of this sketch married Nancy Thornton. This union was productive of four children, three of whom still survive. They are: James, John and Charlotte. In the fall of 1871, the family moved to Montgomery County, and settled upon the farm that they still occupy. Bereft of his first wife, he PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 327 contracted a second marriage, which was solem- nized in March, 1861. His bride was Miss Eliza- beth A. Pettit, a native of Burlington County, N. J., where she was born January 2, 1835. She was a daughter of Joseph and Sarah Pettit, also natives of New Jersey. From this marriage seven children were born. Their names are: Joseph F., George D., Rosetta, Lizzie S., Mary M., William H. and Zoddie R. Mr. McKinney departed this life February 5, 1881, having almost completed the three-score years and ten generally allotted to man. He was greatly respected by all who knew him, having led an upright, honorable and useful life. His estate comprised eighty acres of land, upon which the family now resides. He was a kind husband and loving, indulgent father, and enjoj^ed the confi- dence of his neighbors and townsmen. For years the principles of the Democratic party had been held dear by him. Mrs. McKinney, when twenty- five years of age, came to Sangamon County, mak- ing that her residence for a short time, then came to Montgomerj' County with her husband, and has since lived a contented and useful life. She is a devoted member of the Christian Church, and one of the women whom the community delights to honor. =^#^»"i^S^^ io ' \|r^ANGRATZ BOLL, ex-Postmaster of Green- JJ) ville, who is now living retired, is one of ■^ the worthy citizens that Germany has fur- / \ nished Bond County. He was born in Ba- den, May 10, 1826, and is a son of John and Lib- erala (Weigerly) Boll, also natives of Germany, where the father was an extensive farmer. Our subject was one of Ave children, and the only one who grew to maturity. He was high ly educated in his native land, both in literarj' studies and in music. He followed farming until 1854, when he bade good-bye to the scenes of his child- hood and crossed the Atlantic. He had been pre- viously married on the 24th of August, 1849, to Miss Veronica Jehle, and unto them were born three children, Emma, William and August, with whom they started to America, but the last-named, a babe of eighteen months, died while en route, and was buried in the sea. They reached New York October 29, 1854, and at once started tor St. Louis. While on the way the trunks, valued at $300, were lost, and no settlement was ever made for them. After two weeks spent in St. Louis, Mr. Boll lo- cated in Highland, 111., where he engaged in the manufacture of boots and shoes for three months. He then removed to Pocahontas, where he re- mained for three years. While there he worked at his trade for a year, after which he taught music and German, and was also engaged in farm- ing. The year 1857 witnessed his arrival in Greenville, where he accepted a position with Col. Reed, a manufacturer of boots and shoes, with whom he remained a trusted employe for eight years, and, during the Colonel's absence in the army, was foreman in the business. In 1866, he purchased a stock of boots and shoes, and also car- ried on boot and shoe making until the 4 7th of September, 1870, when he was appointed Post- master of Greenville by President Grant. He filled the office acceptably for almost twelve years, and resigned on the 14tli of February, 1882. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Boll have been born five children, of whom Emma is the eldest; Julia is wife of Frank Heger. formerly Cashier in Hoile's Bank, but now head book-keeper in a bank in Denver, Colo.; Fannie married Theodore Roth, a merchant of Smithborough, and died May 9, 1892; August, connected with the St. Louis Republic; and William, one of the proprietors of the Sun, published in Red Oak, Montgomery County, Iowa. In connection with Charles Clark, the latter also founded the Sun, of Greenville. On retiring f)'om office, Mr. Boll, with his wife, made a trip to Europe. They spent six months in travel, visiting the principal cities and points in the Old World, and during their absence Mr. Boll was a correspondent of the Greenville Sun. He has also been a correspondent of a St. Louis paper. In politics, he is a Democrat, while in religious faith both he and his wife are members of the Ro- 328 PORTEAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. man Catholic Church, in which he serves as organ- ist. They have a beautiful home on Harris Ave- nue. Mr. Boll also owns several residences and a business house in this city. He is a man of ster- ling worth and strict integrity, alike true to every public and private trust. He has been the arclii- tect of his own fortune, and has built wisely and well, gaining for himself a handsome competence, which places him among the substantial citizens of the community. •^^♦^■y ♦='^=^ "^l OHN J. SUTTON, Justice of the Peace and one of the representative and highly re- spected citizens of Greenville, was born in the city of Brotherlj' Love, on the 16th of April, 1832. The family is of English origin. The grandparents, Edmund and Jane (Richardson) Sutton, came to America in 1820, and located in Pennsylv;inia. The grandfather was a farmer, but in later 3'ears lived a retired life, making his home in the city of Philadelphia. Himself and wife were members of the Society of Friends. They had a family of eleven children, nine of whom grew to manhood and womanhood, Robert Sutton, father of our subject, was born in England, and came with his parents to this country. He resided first in Philadelphia, and married Hannah Stockdale, daughter of John Stock- dale, a farmer and stock dealer, who spent his en- tire life in his native land. His family numbered twelve children. Mrs. Sutton crossed the briny deep in 1818. After their marriage they located on a farm in Philadelphia County, where the father of our subject carried on agricultural pursuits for a period of five years. He then removed to Bucks County, where he followed farming until 1840, which year witnessed his arrival in St. Louis County, Mo. He there followed his chosen occu- pation until 1845, when he became a resident of Clinton County-, 111., and there he remained until his death, which occurred in 1873, His wife sur- vived him several years and was called to the home beyond in 1882. He was a Republican in politics, and with the Presbyterian Church both held mem- bership. Their family numbered four children, but our subject has only one brother now living, Edmund, a resident of St. Louis. John J. Sutton, whose name heads this record, quietly spent the days of his boyhood upon his father's farm, and his education was acquired in Bucks County, Pa., supplemented by about six months' attendance at the common scliools in Clin- ton County, 111. He remained at home aiding in the labors of the farm until after his parents' death, and then assumed its management, carrying on operations along that line until 1884, when he removed to Greenville and was elected to his pres- ent office, the duties of which he has discharged with a promptness and fidelity tliat have won him the commendation of all concerned. Mr. Sutton has purchased city property in the east part of the town, and, besides this, owns a one hundred and sixty acre farm in Clinton County, and other land in Madison County. In politics, he is a stalwart Republican, and has My filled the offices of Supervisor, Town Collector, School Trustee and School Director. He was also Justice of the Peace for three and a-half years in Clinton County. He is a faithful member and Trustee of the Presbyterian Church, is a stalwart advocate of temperance principles and is an honorable, upright man, who takes an active interest in all that per- tains to the welfare of the community and its up- building. He is a valued citizen, and one well deserving representation in this volume. -=1^+^P= S. D. ROBERTS, who died September 17, 1892, was one of the old settlers of Bond l±^ \\\ County, and resided on section 3, Mulberry V^Grove Township. He was one of the most prominent farmers of the county, and has had a life full of interest. Our subject was born in Henry County, Ky., Sep- PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 331 tembei- 15, 1822, the same year liis father, who was one of the early settlers of the county, made hip advent into it. The latter was born in Bardstown, Ky., in the year 1780, and he was reared in this place. After he came to Illinois, he settled on land which he obtained from the Government, but did not make that place a permanent home. He only remained there for about two years, and then went into Montgomery County and located at Vanbur- ensberg, where he remained for many years. The first marriage of Mr. Roberts took place in Ken- tucky, and his wife bore the maiden name of Sarah Simmons. She was a native of Henry County, Ky., where she was reared, and died after her removal into Montgomery County. She was the noble mother of thirteen children, and all of these grew to maturity. All of them married with one ex- ception, and reared families, and these have spread over the country and everywhere have borne the name without reproach. D^®!^^^- u^& J' MONTI CELLO SPRINKLE, D. D. S., of Nokomis, has a patronage that is large and constantly on the increase, which desirable state of affairs has been brought about by a thorough knowledge of his profession, prompt- ness in filling his engagements, and the painstaking and careful manner in which he performs all his work. He keeps a full line of dental supplies, fully equal to the requirements of that progressive pro- fession, including all the most improved apparatus and materials, and all his dealings are character- ized by fair and honorable methods. Our subject was born in Knox County, Ind., March 2, 1864, the son of Col. John H. E. and Bar- bara (Brouillette) Sprinkle, whose ancestors became residents of this country during the early Colonial times, but history is a little vague as to the exact time that they came, or where they came from. It is, however, known that Henry Sprinkle, the grandfather, was born near Hagerstown, Washing- ton County, Md., in 1757, and in 1807 was mar- ried to Elizabeth Ernst. He was the owner of a large plantation and became an extensive slave- holder. He lived to the ripe old age of ninety years, dying in 1851. Col. Sprinkle, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Wythe County, Va., in 1822, and in 1846 went to Knox County, Ind., to take up his residence on land purchased by his father from the Shakers in 1836. He became a very prominent and wealthy farmer in that section of country. He was a life-long Democrat, and under the administration of President Buchanan held an appointment in the United States Land OfHce, and later was Disbursing Agent under the same President, as well as a United States Marshal. He is now living retired in Vincennes, Ind. He was married to Miss Barbara, a daughter of Capt. Pierre Brouillette, a prominent and early French settler and a great admirer of Gen. Harrison. The mother was born in Vincennes, Ind., in 1821, and died in 1890, at the old home. A brother of our subject. Welcome B., is a prominent physician of Oaktown, Ind. It was on his father's farm that Dr. Sprinkle first saw the light of day, and there his early life was spent in attending the public schools. At the age of seventeen he entered the High School of Dayton, Ohio, from which he was graduated three 3'ears later with honors. Our subject then began the study of dentistry under Dr. T. B. Jirard, of Vincennes, Ind., and in 1882 became principal demonstrator at the New York College of Dental Surgery, from which he was graduated in 1884. In 1886, he was graduated from the Indiana Dental College, and soon after- ward began practicing his chosen profession at Carlisle, Ind., but at the expiration of one year came to Nokomis, reaching this city in the month of Marcii, 1886. He is a post-graduate of the Dental Association of the United States, is a mem- ber in good standing of the Illinois State Dental Association, as well as of the Dental Protective Asso- ciation of the United States. He has been success- ful in his practice, and has a fine suite of rooms, which are fitted up in a tasteful and elegant man- ner. An educated and polished gentleman, he is a general favorite in social and professional circles and is an enterprising citizen, of whom the people 332 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRARHICAL RECORD. of Nokomis may well feel proud. His local prac- tice is very large, as is also his practice from ad- joining counties, and he is considered to be one of the most popular of dental practitioners. ^p^ S. UPSTONE. For a number of years past ill ,— J the city of Nokomis has been noted farand ^^Jl wide for its excellent mercantile establish- ments, and particularly that conducted by Mr. Up- stone, who is one of the first-class business men of the place. In his active career through life he has gained to an unlimited extent the confidence and esteem always awarded integrity, honor and in- dustry, and is now one of the foremost men of the county. He is progressive in his ideas, pleasing and courteous in his manner, and well understands how to suit the desires and wishes of his patrons. He is now President of tlie Town Board, and is active in his support of all laudable enterprises. Mr. Upstone is a Canadian by birth, having been born in Sutton Township, Brome County, Province of Quebec, Canada, near the Vermont line, in 1835, and is of English-Scotch ancestry. His father, John Upstone, was born in London, England, and his mother, Jane (Sinclair) Upstone, was a native of Edinburgh, Scotland. The parents emigrated to Canada in 1832, and in tliat country the father followed the occupation of a farmer. Young Upstone was reai-ed to the arduous duties of the farm, and as he had to labor most assidu- ously during his youth, his education received very little attention. When eight years of age his mother died, and he grew up deprived of the loving care and helpful words of that parent. His early life was one of hardship and privation, but he was possessed of much determination, great energy, and an unusual amount of enterprise. Upon the breaking out of the Civil War, our subject was in Ripley County, Ind., and when the tocsin of war sounded, he was filled with patriotism for his adopted land, so on the 3d of June, 1861, he donned his suit of blue, shouldered his musket, and enlisted in Company G, Thirteenth Indiana Infantry, as a private. He was mustered in at Indianapolis and was at once sent to Virginia. Soon afterward he participated ip the battle of Rich Mountain, in that State, and here had his first taste of fire from the enemy. After this he was on guard duty and engaged in skirmish- ing in Maryland until his command was plunged into the battle of Winchester. Following this the command marched up the Shenandoah Valley, and crossed the mountainsinto the Luray Valley, where he and a number of his companions were detached from the regiment and sent back to the Shenan- doah Valley, the objective point being Winchester. They were surprised at Kerntown, May^ 23, 1862, by a detachment of cavalry from Gen. Bank's army, and taken prisoner, being convej-ed to that death trap, Belle Island. Here our subject suffered the horrors of starvation to such an extent, that when released in September he was a physical wreck and weighed but one bundled pounds, when he had entered a strong man, weighing one hun- dred and ninety pounds. After his return, he was sent to Parole Camp, at Annapolis, and there remained until exchanged. When able to join his regiment, which at that time was at Suffolk, Va., his healtli was so shattered by his life in the Rebel prison, that he was not able to stand tlie hardships of war further, and upon a surgeon's certificate of disability (the physician saying he could not live tliirty days), he returned to his home in Indiana. He soon regained health and strength, however, aud determined to again enter the service. On the 15th of July, 1864, our subject enlisted in the Mississippi Squadron of the United States navy, and was assigned to duty on the "Fair Play No. 17," of the Mississippi Squadron. He held the commission of Master Mate, which is equal to the rank of Second Lieutenant in the army, and was in service on the lower Missis- sippi, Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. After the surrender of Gen. Lee, our subject went up the Red River to Shreveport, with his command, and there Gen. Dick Taylor surrendered to them. In all the expeditions Mr. Upstone was ever active in the performance of his duty, and displayed much PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 333 bravery and faithfulness. After the surrender of Dick Taylor, tbe squadron was ordered to Cairo, July 23, 1865, and there our subject was dis- charged on tlie 27th of August of that year. Soon afterward Mr. Upstone came to Nokomis, 111., worked on a farm for a short time, and then spent two years in the South. In the years 1869- 70, he served as Superintendent of the farm at the Illinois Industrial University, and while there he met with an accident that nearly cost him his life, and from which he was laid up for more than a year. After recovering, he engaged in the drug business in Nokomis, and since then he has been a prominent factor in business circles, owning at present a large general store. He is a prominent member of Cottingham Post No. 236, G. A. R., having been one of the charter members, one of its first ofBoers, and in 1889, its Commander. A stalwart Republican in his political views, he is no small factor in local politics, in which he has always been a leader. He has filled many of the local offices, among them being Assessor and Col- lector, while at the present time he is President of the Town Board. A good business man, a shrewd politician and a very pleasant gentleman, it is a pleasure to meet or have any dealings with him. Mr. Upstone was married on the 1st of Jan- ary, 1870, to Miss Catherine Day, a native of the Buckeye State, and they have one child, a daugh- ter named Martha, a charming young lady in her teens. m>^^-^^ ,t , i> >i > ,h . f ^ ' ■ ■ * ■ I * .. ■it' OSEPH BIGHAM. The oldest members of a community are doubly entitled to the re- spect and esteem of their neighbors when their long lives have been replete with acts of kindness, and their whole career marked by integrity and uprightness. The time-honored and respected gentleman whose name appears at the head of this sketch makes his home on section 20, East Fork Township, Montgomery County. His native home was in Hagerstown, Washington County, Md., where he was born January 27, 1804. His father, Joseph Bigham, was a native of Pennsylvania, and his father, Hugh Bigham, was also born in the Keystone State, of Irish parentage. Our subject's great-grandfatiier, Bryan Bigham, was born on the Green Isle of Erin, and came to America at a period antedating the Revolutionary War. Joseph Bigham, father of our subject, selected his wife in the person of Miss Elizabeth Eenbich,a native of Pennsylvania and the daughter of Chris- topher Eenbich, who was of German descent. Our subject was one of a family of children born to this union, and was reared in his native county, receiving a fair education in the common schools. When fourteen years of age, he began learning the shoemaker's trade and followed this for many years. Industrious, enterprising and progressive he prospered in his chosen calling and became one of the substantial men of bis locality. Our subject was married the first time in Wash- ington County, Md., in 1830, to Miss Mary A. Kcrshner, who was born in that county and State, and to them were born seven children, named in the order of their births as follows: Samuel K. and Mary A., deceased; Emanuel K., born in Maryland in January, 1835, and married Miss Laura M. McGahey, who with his wife now resides on the farm with our subject; Catherine J. E., the wife of Louis Tice, of Greenville, 111; ; James H., of Kansas; Charles H., of Bond County, 111.; and John W., of Arkansas. Mr. Bigham's second marriage was with Adelia Paisley, who bore him one daughter, S. M., who is now the wife of Harri- son Hanner. The children now living have pros- pered in their various occupations and are highly esteemed in whatever community they make their home. Mr. Bigham came to Montgomery County, 111., in 1845, and tool? up land from the Government. Although the land was wild upon which he settled, and the implements he used to cultivate his land rude and unhandy, the soil was rich, and as the work of clearing progressed and the crops were put in, it yielded a rich return. Now, when well along in years, this worthy gentleman has a good farm of two hundred acres all under cultivation, and PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 353 eighty acres of timber, and can now sit down and enjoy the fruit of his labor. For many years he has been identified with the interests of Mont- gomery County and in him the community has a faithful and unswerving friend, ever alert to serve its best interest and generous in his contributions toward every movement tending to the general advancement. Mr. Bigham's pleasant residence is a home in- deed, and is at once a monument and a reward of patient continuance in well-doing, hard toil and sober living. He ranks as a noticeable illustration of that indomitable push and energy which char- acterize men of will and determination. His first Presidential vote was cast for Jackson, but he is now a stanch Republican. ^OHN W. ROSE, the efficient and capable Clerk of the city of Litchfield, has occupied his present office for the past ten years, and during the entire time has given entire satis- faction. Mr. Rose was born in Grisham Township, near the present site of Donnellson, October 16, 1847, and has the honor of being the son of two worthy people, Henry and Leah (Meisenheimer) Rose, the former of whom was one of the early settlers of the county, having come from his native State, Ken- tucky. His good wife was a native of North Carolina and both were of German descent. These two parents died when their son, our subject, was still quite young, the father passing away when John was only three j'ears old, and the mother leaving the little helpless fellow a year later. This child, who was destined to be our subject, grew to manhood in his native county and received a good common-school education. During this time he had no permanent home, but he was a plucky fellow and never allowed anything to dis- courage him. Desiring more of an education than was afforded by the public schools, he earned suf- ficient money to carry him through a course at Lincoln University, Lincoln, 111. After finishing his course he returned to his native place and en- gaged in school teaching, following this avocation for twelve years, from 1868 to 1881, although not all the time in Illinois, as he was at Independence, Kan., from 1872 to 1874, teaching in the city schools. During all of his experience as a teacher he gave entire satisfaction, and the educational in- terests lost a valuable advocate and promoter when Mr. Rose abandoned that pursuit to respond to the call of his city. In 1883 the City Council appointrd Mr. Rose, without regard to politics, to fill a vacancy in the position of Clerk. So creditably did he serve, that he was elected the following year for a full term and has been re-elected ever since. It would be impossible to find any one who could fill the posi- tion in any more creditable manner than this in- telligent gentleman does. Upon his appointment to office Mr. Rose concluded to represent several insurance firms, and now is the agent of twelve of the best corporations of that nature. In addition to the very fine business he is attending to in that line, he deals in real estate, and is a Notary Public, although he only aims to carry on the in- surance business in addition to the duties of his office. B}' virtue of his office of Notary Public he is able to do conve3'ancing. Mr. Rose is a member of Charter Oak Lodge, A. F. and A. M.; Elliott Chapter and St. Omer Com- mandery, an(J has been the Master of the lodge for five years. He was honored in 1883 by be- ing appointed Deputy Grand Lecturer for the State of Illinois. In 1890 Mr. Rose was appointed Grand Examiner by Grand Master John M. Pierson, of Godfrey, which honorable and important position ho still retains. In politics he upholds the principles of Democracy, but his wife just as ar- dently sustains the principles of the Republican party. Mr. Rose married Miss Mary J. Green, -the daugh- ter of Thomas and Amanda Green, of Raymond Township. This lady first saw the light of day in Fairfield County, Ohio. The day that saw these two people made one was October 20, 1870, and since that time four children have come to brighten 354 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. their home, but two died in infancy; those sur- viving are: Pearl J. and Mabel. Mr. and Mrs. Rose are prominent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which Mr. Rose is Secretary and Treasurer of the Board of Stewards. Mrs. Rose is a Director in the Litchfield Library Association and also is one of the Grand Officers of the Order of the Eastern Star, a connection of the Masonic order. Such people as these make a city important in a county, and if all the citizens of Litchfield had its interests as much at heart as Mr. Rose and his estimable and capable wife, the city would soon be one of the first in this portion of the State. I^H-^I JOHN BURKHARDT. We who have been born under the most advantageous circum- stances of American life, enjoying the prin- ciples and freedom secured to us under our republican form of Government, feel a pecu- liar fraternity for representatives of the Swiss nation, that republic which is now the oldest in existence, and we feel a pride in the stories of Tell and the loyal mountaineers who would yield no obeisance to the Austrians. The farmer of whom we write, and who now resides in the town of So- rento, was born in Switzerland, Canton of Berne, November 17, 1841. John Burkhardt is a son of Peter and Kate (Martin) Burkhardt. His father, who was an hotel- keeper in the Old Country, died when he was but a child of three years, after which he became an inmate of an uncle's home. Up to his sixteenth year he attended school, and there gained a good practical education. "When but a bo}^ he entered a clothing house in order to learn the business, and with the restlessness of youth he determined to seek new fields in which to make his fortune. In 1857 he came to America, borrowing the money to pay his expenses. He at once proceeded to Bond County, and here remained for two years; then, in 1859, he crossed the plains to Pike's Peak, thence going to California. There he engaged in the min- ing business for five 3-ears, and made a small for- tune, but, as was often the case, he was finally left with but a mere pittance, having been beaten out of his earnings by his partners. Sickening of camp life, he returned to Bond County .via the Isthmus and New York, and was for a time emploj'ed on a farm, and then became jnoprietor of a cider fac- tory, in which he made some money. Our subject finally purchased forty acres of land adjoining the town of Greenville. This he sold, with a handsome profit, at $100 per acre. In 1876, he married Miss Augusta Siemens, daughter of the late Christian Siemens, of Sorento, and im- mediately after the marriage the couple settled on a large farm near Greenville. Mr. Burkhardt was engaged in agricultural work until 1883, when he came to Sorento and built the large hotel known as The Southern, and which he still owns. This he ran until a year ago, when he went to live on a fine farm inherited by his wife at her father's death. Since coming here he has rented his hotel prop- erty, which brings him a comfortable income. Of the seven children born to Mr. and Mrs. Burk- hardt, only five are living: Johnnie, Ida, Arthur, Albert and Winnie. All are being educated in the schools at Sorento. Robert E. and Estella W. are deceased. Mr. Burkhardt is a Republican of the most pronounced kind. Socially, he is identified with the Modern Woodmen. In church matters, he and his family attend the German-Lutheran Church. 3^' ***,ii 44.^..|.4.L i****>^^**«*F ylLLIAM SIECK. This prominent and wealthy German-American farmer of Bond County is located in La Grange Township on a fine farm, which his own untiring industry has gained for him. He was born in the prov- ince of Hanover, Germany, March 4, 1830. After attending the common schools of his native place, at the age of fourteen he commenced to learn the tailor's trade, to which he served an ap- prenticeship of four years. PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 357 According to the custom of liis countiy, Mi-. Sleek worked for three years as a jonnieyman, and then resolved to come to America. The city of Baltimore was reached Jul}' 3, 1853, after which he proceeded to Washington, D. C, and there worked at his trade as a journeyman for about six years. Meanwhile he saved enough money to purchase a tailor shop in that city, a fact which spoke well for his thrift and economy. His money, amounting to some $30, which he had saved for a beginning in the New World, was stolen from him on the way over, and he was in a penniless condition when he reached these shores. The tailoring business which our subject con- ducted in Washington was very successful, and he had a large and lucrative trade, numbering among his patrons some of the best-dressed public men of the day — Jefferson Davis, Stephen A. Douglas, and manv senators, congressmen and members of the marine corps. Our subject was married in the city of Washing- ton to Miss Catherine Kaiser, who was born in the province of Hesse, Germany, and came to Amer- ica in 1851. Thej' became the parents of six chil- dren, as follows: Louise, August, William J., Sabrina (Mrs. White), Henry _and Charley. In 1880, our subject sold out his business in Wash- ington and, coming West to Illinois, bought his present farm of three hundred and fifty-five acres, which he made his home. He has spent several thousand dollars in improvements here and has one of the finest farms in the count3^ His stock and horses bring him profitable returns, and he sells many hogs. His land, in the perfect state of cultivation to which he has brought it, yields large crops of grain. Our subject was reared a Lutheran and still belongs to that church, and has always liberally contributed to its support. In his political opin- ions, he is a Republican, having early decided that the principles enunciated by that party were most in accordance with his views. Although still cherishing a warm feeling for his native land, he has become thoroughly Americanized. His fellow-citizens have several times elected him Road Commissioner, and so popular is he with his neigiibors that in 1888 he was offered the nomi- nation of Representative, but he would not accept. Among the residents of the township none are more highly regarded fOr the sterling traits of character which make up a good citizen, kind neighbor and Christian man, than the original of this sketch. He has shown what one man can accomplish by hard work and close attention to whatever he may have in hand, and what man has done there is always a chance for man to do again. F. WEAVER, a prominent citizen of No- ll komis. 111., was born in Madison County, (i this State, near Edwardsville, September 8, 1838, a son of John and Anna Mariah (Haudshy) Weaver, and a grandson of John Weaver, who came to America from Switzerland in 1804, settling in Fairfield County, Ohio, near Lan- caster. Here John Weaver, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in 1816, his father having died just prior to his birth. Henry Handshy, the grandfather on the mother's side, also came from Switzerland, in 1808, and located at Harper's Ferry, Md., where his daughter, Anna Mariah, was born in 1811. In 1833, she became a resident of Madi- son County, 111., and the following year Mr. Weaver located there, their marriage taking place in 1836. The mother died on the 4th of July, 1891, at the advanced age of eighty years, but the father is still a resident of Madison Count}', near where he settled more than half a century ago. He has now attained the age of seventy-six years. A. F. Weaver was born and reared on a farm, and grew up as did other farmers' boys, attending school and tilling the soil until his seventeenth year, at which time he entered the Ohio Wesleyan University, at Delaware, Ohio, from which he was graduated in 1861. On the 9th of August, 1862, his name could be found on the rolls of Company D, One Hundred and Seventeenth Illinois Infan- try, as a Sergeant, and he at once went to Memphis, 358 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRATHICAL RECORD. Tenn., where liis regiiiient did guard and picket duty for nearly a year and one-half, but during this time several trips were made to the interior and valuable service was rendered to the Union army. They went to Helena, Ark., also to Holly Springs, and during the siege of Vioksburg were on the ground, but were held in reserve, and were not actively engaged in the campaign. The army was re-organized at Vioksburg in January, 1864, and Mr. Weaver's regiment was attached to the Third Brigade, Third Division of the Sixteenth Array Corps, commanded by Gen. A. J. Smith. He was in the expedition led by Gen. Sherman in Feb- ruary, 1864, against Meridian, Miss., and was a participant in several severe skirmishes, quite a severe battle being fought near Jackson, Miss. The enemy were driven out of Meridian, and the place was captured, and after destroying the railroads and other property, they returned to Vioksburg early in March, and then the command to which he belonged was sent down to the river to join Gen. Banks in an expedition up the Red River. They were to meet him at Alexandria, but Knding the river blockaded they disembarked at Simsport, and marched across the country to the rear of Ft. De Rusy, where they engaged the enemy and cap- tured the fort and some twelve or fourteen pieces of artillery, together with a number of prisoners and a large amount of commissary stores. They then proceeded to Alexandria, where they were soon joined by Banks and his army, after which they proceeded up the river and marched in the direction of Shreveport, La. Mr. Weaver's brigade guarded the rear of Banks' army, and on the 8th of April engaged the enemy at Mansfield, after which it covered Banks' retreat down the river, beating back the enemy at Yellow Bayou and other points. This expedition lasted for seventy-six days, and during sixty-six days of this time his command was under the ene- 'my's fire. They next started on an expedition under Gen. Smith to Tupelo, Miss., where they met and defeated Forrest's army, after which tticy went to Memphis, and a short time later started for Holly Springs, thence went South to Ox- ford. They were soon ordered back to Memphis, and up the river to Cairo, thence to St. Louis, af- ter which they were in different parts of Missouri looking after the rebels under Gen. Price. They met him at Franklin, drove him out of the place, and followed him across the State, then gave up the chase and returned to St. Louis. They then took passage on board boats for Nashville, to join Gen. Thomas, where they arrived December 1, 1864, and on the 15th they attacked Gen. Hood, the command to which Mr. Weaver belonged mak- ing the advance; the first shot from the rebels' guns passed directly under Mr. Weaver's foot as he was in the act of taking a step. The second day's fight resulted in the routing of Hood, after which they camped at Eastport, Miss., for a month, and about the 1st of February, 1865, they em- barked on transports for Cairo, from which they went to New Orleans. In that city they camped on the old battleground of New Orleans of the War of 1812, and in the latter pai-t of March they joined Gen. Can by at Mobile Bay, and assisted him in destroying Spanish Fort and Ft. Blakely. They next went to Montgomery, Ala., but after two days' marching received the joyful news that Lee had surrendered. They then went to Montgomery, where they remained until July 16, 1865, when they were ordered to Springfield to be mustered out, and on August 10 were discharged. Our subject at once returned to Madison County, 111., and the following January, 1866, he was mar- ried to Miss Martha A. Dunn, of Zanesville, Ohio, after which he farmed in that county for two years. Since then he has been a resident of Mont- gomery County, and is the owner of a good farm near Nokomis, which he tilled for about fifteen years, then removed to town and opened a mer- cantile establishment, but retired from tliis busi- ness, and for the past two years has been engaged in the insurance business in addition to looking after his farm, which consists of two hundred and forty acres. He owns sixty acres near No- komis, where his fine residence is located. He has been a life-long Democrat, and has filled a number of local offices. He is a Mason, and for many years has been Secretary of his lodge. He and his wife became the parents of the following children: Lorena, wife of G. W. Churchill, Jr., of Godfrey, IlL; Winnie, Dunn, Hattie, Earl and Harry. Two PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 359 children died iji infancy. INIr. Weaver is a well- kuown and highly honored man of business, and his upright walk through life has won him numer- ous friends. His war record was a very honorable and clean one, and naught has ever been said de- rogatory to his honor. Dunn, a boy of fifteen years, has been attending school since the age of six years, and during that time has been absent six days, and never tardy. Hattie has a record equally good — during her seven years of school-life she has been absent five days, and tardy once. > R. GUM, a retired farmer of Bond County, 111., and now a valued resident of Old Rip- ley, has devoted almost his entire life to the successful cultivation of the Western prairies, and has watched with eager and intelli- gent interest the growth and upward progress of the neighborhood and countj' which have been his home for over fifty years. Born Jul}' 10, 1822, our subject was but two years old when his parents emigrated from his birthplace, Colum- bus, Ohio, and settled in Madison County, Ind., in 1824. Mrs. Isaac Gum, the mother of our subject, was of Scotch descent, but as she died when the son, J. R., of whom we write was very young, he never learned much of her early history or antecedents. His father, Isaac Gum, was a native of Virginia, and a pioneer settler in Ohio. His wife had shared his home and with him experienced many cares and the privations of frontier life, and when, after years of faithful devotion, she died in 1825, her death was indeed an irreparable loss. The father remained with his children in Indiana for a num- ber of years, but in 1839 he located with his fam- ily in Illinois, settling in Bond County, where he died in 1848. Our subject was one of a family of nineteen children, of whom but five are now surviving. Sarah, the widow of Charles Wall, resides in Rip- ley Township. Catherine, who married a man of the same name, but no relation of the family, is the wife of Lemuel Gum, and lives near St. Joseph, Mo. Elizabeth is the wife of James Jones, a suc- cessful farmer of Madison County, 111. Perry is now a citizen of Alton. Our subject, J. R., was among the youngest of the large family of brothers and sisters. He had but ver^- limited advantages for an education, and is mainly a self-made man. The occupation of his life has confined him to a daily round of general agricultural duties, and through unflagging industry and patient toil he has won an independence, and now makes his home in Old Ripley with his sons. In 1845, J. R. Gum and Alvina File were united in marriage. The wife of our subject was a daugh- ter of Daniel File, an early settler of the county. Mrs. Gum, who was a highly esteemed lady, died in 1878, after becoming the mother of five chil- dren, three of whom are yet living and reside within easy distance of the old homestead. Sarah Jane is the wife of Elisha Ray, a well-known and prosperous farmer in Ripley. Isaac, the present Tax Collector of the Township, a prominent factor in local politics and a successful business man, was born June 14, 1858. He received a good educa- tion in the public schools of the county, and about five years ago he bought an interest in the mer- cantile business with his brother E. R. at Old Rip- ley. After a time, other affairs requiring his at- tention, he disposed of his share of the business to E. R., who became sole proprietor of the store. Isaac is politically a strong Democrat, and has held his present official position of Tax Collector for three terms, discharging the duties of his office with prompt fldelitj- and energetic service. In 1879, he was married to Miss Elizabeth A. Ray, a native of the town of Ripley. Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Gum are the parents of a bright young girl, Alice Ethel. E. R. Gum, a leading merchant and progressive citizen of Old Ripley, is the youngest son of our subject, and was born Februaty 24, 1863, the last child to come into the family group. He re- mained on the farm with his father long after his mother's death, and was twenty-five years old when, in 1888, he entered into the mercantile business at Old Ripley with his brother. He had 360 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ■vvell improved the advantages of study in the pub- lic schools and engaged with efficient ability in the duties of mercantile life. Continuing his in- terests in the store in Old Ripley, he also managed a store at Alton Junction for a time, but when he became the sole owner of his present prosperous establishment, he disposed of his interest at Alton Junction. Now, giving his undivided time to his large and rapidly increasing business, he finds but little leisure, yet, taking a deep interest in local and National affairs, is widely known as a pro- gressive citizen. July 3, 1887, E. R. Gum and Miss Rosella Peter- son were united in marriage, and are now the happy parents of two promising children, Mabel and Clarence E. A lovely little infant, Florence, died at the as:e of five months in the spring of 1892. Mrs. Gum is the daughter of Daniel Peterson, an old settler of the county, and was herself born within its boundaries. This attractive lady has a wide ac- quaintance and many friends. The Gum family represents a long line of sturdy Whigs and Democrats, but E. R. Gum has departed from the paths of his ancestors and affiliates with the Republicans. 4^ =^> APT. EDWIN T. SAMMONS, the genial , and popular Postmaster of Hillsboro, 111., K^' and for many years a prominent builder and contractor of the township, was born in Montgomery County, N. Y., March 12, 1835. He was the youngest of a large family who were in moderate circumstances, and he was early taught the value of time and money. His fa- ther was bj' trade both tanner and miller. He was a resolute, capable man, anxious to provide for his children and gave them the benefit of the public schools. John Sammons was, like his son, a native of New York State, but the blood of Old England coursed through his veins, as his forefathers were born and bred m the Queen's dominions. The mother of our subject was also of English descent, as her father, Benjamin Standring, was an English- man by birth. He was a thorough machinist, and es- pecially understood the manufacture of various machines for factory use, and built the first card- ing machine ever made in America. His home was in Bridgeport, Mass., in which place his daughter Emma was born. Miss Emma was married to John Sammons in New York State. The young couple settled in Montgomery County, and were blessed with a large family of bright, healthy children. Six sons and five daughters came into the home and all grew up to adult age. Four brothers and three sisters are now left of the family group that once clustered around the fireside. The names of these children are: Benjamin, John C, Leonard, Edwin; Eliza, the widow of William Bedell; Mary F., the wife of .John T. Maddux; and Catherine, widow of B. F. Hallock. Edwin T. was only a little fellow when his par- ents removed to Lewis County, N. Y. Here Ed- win attended school regularlj' through his boyhood. When about seventeen years of age he learned the trade of a carpenter, and having served a three years' apprenticeship determined to seek a more lucrative field of labor. June 14, 1854, was the date of his arrival in Hillsboro, 111., where he soon found ready employment as a contractor and builder. Our subject steadily prospered in his new home, and on August 6, 1855, wedded Miss Elizabeth F. Boone, a native of the town and a general favorite with a large circle of friends. Mr. and Mrs. Sammons have two living children, Mar^J^ and Ida, while their only son, Frank, is de- ceased. From the early part of 1854, our subject devoted himself untiringly to business, which he was rapidly extending, when, in 1862, the Govern- ment made its most earnest appeals for more vol- unteers. National existence was doubly imper- illed, and our subject's patriotic heart echoed the nation's cry. He responded to his country's call without further delay, and enlisted in Company I), One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Illinois In- fantry as a private. There were sad hearts in Hillsboro when this regiment marched away and was shortly after ordered to the front. Fa- POETRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL EECOED. 361 thers, brothers, sons and neighbors from Mont- gomery and adjacent counties had enlisted under its banner and many never returned. Mr. Sam- mons participated in many a gallant engagement and in common with all the brave boys suffered privations, but he escaped the flying bullets of the enem3', the capture and the prison-pen. Fearless by nature and prompt in action, he re- ceived well-deserved promotion, advancing stead- ily from the ranks, and served as Orderly Sergeant, Second Lieutenant, afterward First Lieutenant, and finally, in 1864, was promoted to the Cap- taincy of Company D, and was mustered out in 1865 at the head of the company. The war ended, Capt. Sammons returned to his home and resumed business. Our subject wears the insignia of the Grand Army — the bronze button — many of which are seen all over the land, and his heart is as loyal and true as it was tliirty years ago. Mr. Sammons is a Republi- can and was appointed Postmaster two years ago. The duties of his office have been discharged in a most acceptable manner, and he numbers his friends by the score. IMEON W. HUBBARD, a prominent farmer and a man well known all over the county, is the subject of the present sketch. He was born on his present farm August 7, 1842, and his father was Philip Hubbard, who was a native of North Carolina, and his grandfather also, as far as known, was a native of the old North State. The family were originally from England, and the grandfather died here. The father of our subject came here when tiie country was unsettled, in 1827, having made the journey by wagon. He entered land just west of this farm, and here built a log cabin, and lived in it with only a ground floor. Later, he sold this place, and entered his present farm from the Gov- ernment, and upon this he built a log house. This was a rude dwelling, but it was comfortable with the hewed puncheon floor, and open fireplace with its mud and stick chimney. The Indians were nu- merous and were often seen, and deer and wolves were abundant, and the latter could be heard at night, and very often killed the sheep of the settlers. Almost all of the trading was done in St. Louis, and very small was the sum received for the pro- duce. Mr. Hubbard owned and mostly developed two hundred and ninety acres of land, was a hard worker, and one who was always busy. Later, he hauled the most of the goods to the Greenville stores, and he was the one who hauled the stone for the old Methodist Church from St. Louis. He died at the age of sixty-flve years, his death occurring Januarj' 14, 1862. He was a Democrat in his politics, and voted with that party. The mother of our subject was Emily Smith- wick, who was a native of North Carolina. She reared eight out of her eleven children: Eliza, now Mrs. Smith; John M.; Elizabeth, now Mrs. Gerry; John R.; Melvina, now Mrs. Etzler; Albert; Sim- eon; and Emily. The mother is still living in her eighty-ninth year. She endured all of the hard- ships of pioneer life, and when younger spun all of the clothes worn by her family. Our subject was reared here on the farm, and at- tended the pioneer log schoolhouse, with its slab benches with the pin legs, and obtained what edu- cation he could in this primitive dwelling, as the terms were very short in those days. He remem- bers seeing deer and wolves in his bojhood, and has made the trip to St. Louis with grain many times. His father died when he was nineteen years of age, and the whole management of the farm fell upon his young shoulders. Finally, he bought the rights of the other heirs, and became sole owner. The marriage of Mr. Hubbard took place March 30, 1864, to Margaret E. Floyd, who was born in Mills Township, in this county, and one child was born to them, 011ie,who is the wife of George Grube. Mr. Hubbard has two hundred and eleven acres of improved land, and has carried on mixed farming and stock-raising. He has bought and shipped stock for the past twenty-five years. His places of shipment are Ciiicago and Indianapolis. He is well known all over the county, and has been a 362 POETRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. witness of the most of the development that has taken place. Mrs. Hubbard is a member of the Methodist Church and an excellent lady. In politics, Mr. Hubbard is a Democrat, and was a candidate for Sheriff of Bond Countj' in 1886, and, although the county was four hundred votes Republican, our subject was defeated by only one hundred and seven votes. He has served as School Trustee for three terms, and is a man well thought of in his neighborhood. His farm and house are in fine condition and show prosperity upon the face of them. /" E.|.S=4> UILLIAM C. GRACEY, an influential and prosperous agriculturist of Shoal Creek ^^^ Township, Bond County, 111., resides upon a highl^'-cultivated farm, so located that it com- mands a fine view of the surrounding country and the adjoining town of Soreuto. The handsome residence, pleasantly located upon an eminence, is 'most attractive, and with its well-kept grounds and acres rich in harvest, suggests the wise and thrifty management of its energetic owner. On a farm in Bond County, a few miles west of Green- ville, our subject was born, February 19, 1835, the seventh of a family of ten children. The father and mother were William and Isa- bella (Harris) Gracey, the former born in 1788 in North Carolina, but whose father was a native of Ireland,who had immigrated to America long before the Revolutionary War, in which he took a prom- inent part, serving with distinction in the struggle for independence and National liberty. The ma- ternal grandfather of our subject was a Scotch- man, and he too arrived in the New World before the troublous days of '76, and early became a law-abiding citizen of the United States. William Gracey, the father of our subject, was the young- est of three brothers, John and Joseph being his elders. In 1823, John, who was an ambitious man. journeyed to Illinois, to see if the reports of the advantages which this State was said to offer settlers were true. He was pleased with the soil and climate, and the next year, 1823, the remain- der of the family followed him here, the venera- ble grandfather accompanying them to their new home. John settled in Madison County, where he resided until the day of his death. The other members of the family located in Bond County, near Greenville, upon the homestead afterward the birthplace of William C. Grandfather Gracey passed peacefull3- away in 1825, and in 1839 his son, the father of our subject, also died. His wife survived him until March, 1839, and Uncle Joseph, who was a vigorous man, lived to remove to Macoupin County in 1862, and died there four years later. The brothers and sisters who gathered together in the old homestead were Harvey Rush, the eld- est, who died when he was twenty-one years of age; Rachael D., now residing near Dallas, Tex., married William McGahey, who died during the Civil War while at the front caring for his soldier son, who was sick in the hospital in which the father himself, struck down by sudden illness, breathed his last; Margaret, who married William Robinson, and died two years later, leaving one child; Mary, who married Jefferson McCormack, died after four years of wedded life, and left no issue; Marcus D. Lafayette, a ranchman, wealthy and energetic, who lives near Dallas, Tex.; Casper Grundy, also a resident of Dallas, Tex.; Emory, also an influential ranchman, located in the same vicinity; Isabella, the wife of William Senter.' who died in Texas, leaving three children. The youngest sister was scalded to death, when only two years of age, by pulling down a pot of boiling coffee from the stove. The youngest brother was a Captain in the Confederate army during the late war. After the death of his father, Mr. Gracey went to Macoupin County to live, and in 1854 married Miss Sarah J., daughter of James and Margaret (McLean) McGahey, who settled in Illinois in 1826, having removed hither from their native State, North Carolina. Mr. Gracey finally returned to Bond County, with his wife, and is located POETRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 363 on the valuable homestead where he and his fam- ily now reside. Mr. and Mrs. Gracey have had five children: Edward P., a prominent lumber merchant of Sorento; James R., a prosperous stock-raiser, residing in Hall County, Tex.; Ada A., the wife of Dr. N. H. Jackson, a well-known physician of Greenville; Dora, the widow of Her- man Siemens; and Delia Mary, a teacher in the public schools of Sorento, and a graduate of Almira College, in Greenville, 111. These sons and daughters of our subject all occupj' honorable and influential positions, and have the respect and confidence of the conmunity in which they were raised and carefully trained to become useful and upright citizens. William Gracey, his ancestors and descendants, were and are stanch Democrats, and although not politicians, in the ordinary acceptation of the term, are all interested in the conduct of public office, both National and local. Mr. Gracey is a valued member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and together with his family has mate- rially aided in extending the good work and influ- ence of the organization. — t M>^r^^ /^,^ ' PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 367 City and proceeded at once to Macoupin CouDt3^, 111. He was engaged as a farm hand for several years and was fortunate in that he received, on the average, about 120 per month in the busy season. Out of this small sum he managed to save enough to rent a farm for himself in Montgomery County. Later he went to Christian County, III., where he conducted a farm as a renter for several years. In 1881 he came to Montgomery County and settled on the farm where he now lives. He is the owner of three hundred and twenty acres of excellently cultivated land. Our subject was married June 23, 1874, his bride being Miss Paulina Baker, who was born in Chris- tian County. She is a daughter of Richard and Ann Baker, of the same county. From this union four children were born; they are: Joseph R., John C, Elizabeth A. and Frank. Mr. Krager has served one term as a School Director, having been elected to the position as one of the strong mem- bers of the Democratic constituency in this locality. While devoting himself first of all to the improve- ment and cultivation of his farm and the proper rearing of his family, our subject is a public-spirited and progressive citizen. In church relations he and his family are Roman Catholics and are as devoted as the people of this church usually are. =-^-^+^P JOHN H. GORDON, M. D. In the town of Pocaliontas resides one of the best-known physicians in the county of Bond. He has _ reached the age of fifty years and now occu- pies a position in the medical world which is most desirable and gratifying, as his opinion is consid- ered convincing by his medical brethren, and his skill is recognized by patients throughout the State. This position has not been gained without effort, for Dr. Gordon has been a close student for many years, in order to qualify himself for any case that may come to him. The subject of this notice was born at Hunts- ville, Ala,, Qptobef 29, 1842, Hisfatliet-j Pr, James 11 Gordon, now of Greenville, this State, was born in North Carolina, in 1818. Hugh Gordon, the grandfather, was also a native of North Carolina, and descended from a Scotch father who was one .of the first settlers in the old North State. Grandfather Gordon carried on the trade of ma- chinist, was a man of much natural ability, and the constructor of the first cotton gins in the State of North Carolina. He employed several men and carried on an extensive business for that time. In 1848 he removed to Elizabethtown, Ark., where he conducted a sijnilar business, and died at the age of sixty-four j-ears. A strong Whig, he was well known in the various localities in which he lived, and his influence was exerted in behalf of measures for the public good. His religious connection was with the Methodist Church. The father of our subject was reared in North Carolina and early began the study of medicine, graduating from the medical college at Memphis. His practice extended throughout North Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi. He is now one of the oldest practitioners at Greenville, this State. An honorary degree from the Missouri Medical College, at St. Louis, was conferred upon him, on ac- count of his having so many sons in the profession, there being seven at that time. At the age of six months, our subject was taken from Alabama to Mississippi, where he resided with his parents until he was six years old, and then he removed with them to Russellville, Ark., where he grew to matur- ity. He attended school there until the age of fourteen years, when he entered his father's office for tlie purpose of studying medicine, and read with his father until he was nineteen years old. After marriage, our subject practiced three years with Dr. Brigham, a leading physician of Ar- kansas. In August, 1864, he moved here, and in October of that year he entered the St. Louis Med- ical College, and in connection with his regular course took a special course on female diseases. One year was spent there and then he returned here and practiced for a period covering ten years. Then, taking his brother. Dr. W. P. Gordon, into partnership with him, he returned to St. Louis and completed liis course in the Missouri Medical Col- lege, ffoii] Tfhjpl] lie was graduatec) m 1876. Sipq^ 368 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. that time the practice of the Doctor has been a great success, both in medicine and surgery. He has a fine assortment of the latest instruments for surgical work, to which he has given much atten- tion, and he is called in every important case of this kind in the county. The marriage of Dr. Gordon took place Decem- ber 15, 1861, to Emily Elva Torrence, who was born in North Carolina, December 11, 1844. The Doctor and his accomplished wife were school- mates in Arkansas City, having met in a private academy which is now Icnown as the Russellville College. Fourteen children have been born to this couple, only five of whom are now living. Dr. William E. is a practicing physician in Old Ripley, this county; Charles C. is also a phy- sician, and assists his father in his practice; James L., Kate E. and George D. complete the circle of surviving children. Nancy J. died at the age of ten years. All the others died in infancy. Our subject has a fully-equipped and well-ar- ranged office of three rooms — general office, drug room and private consulting room. Every Wed- nesdaj' is devoted to the treatment of female troub- les, in which he is assisted by his wife, who isa well- read medical woman, and certainly is a true helpmate for her husband. Great success has at- tended the Doctor's practice, and he lias been par- ticularly happy in the treatment of female diseases. He has erected the most elegant frame residence in Pocahontas, which is also one of the finest in Bond County. It is two and one-half stories in height, with attic, and is 39x42 feet in dimensions. The architectural designs were prepared by Dr. Gordon himself, and the work was left in the hands of a su- perior man, who has finished each suite of rooms in differently carved wood. The furnishings arc also of modern stj'le, and the home is a model of ele- gance and good taste. Since he was fourteen years of age our subject has been a member of the Methodist Church; his wife is also a member of this church, and their con- nection has always been an active one. In his politics, the Doctor is a Republican, and has had experiences different from many wlio belong to the ranks. While living in Russellville, Ark., during the late war, he was conscripted into the Confeder- ate army, although he was not in sympathy with the cause. On account of sickness he was dis- charged, but shortly after he was again forced into the service. He and another man of like sentiments were left to guard fifteen Northern prisoners who were sentenced to be shot. The guards turned the prisoners loose and all came North together, and it was in this way that our subject located here. Dr. Gordon is a member of Gordon Masonic Lodge, which was so named in honor of his father. He is also a member of the Gordon Camp of the Modern Woodmen and the Ancient Order of Uni- ted Workmen. The State, County and District Medical Associations claim him as a member, and he has been a delegate to the State society and has been Vice-president and Director of the county association. i\»l**f •5'«5*b: ^^USTAV A. REESE, who is the able pro- (/[ ,_- prietor and manager of the G. A. Reese ^^(Jj Bottling Works, is a native of the city of Litchfield, where he established himself in business in September, 1891, for the purpose of manufac- turing soda water, ginger ale, seltzer and mineral waters. His factory is located near the Wabash Railroad depot, and he keeps constantly employed at least three men, while so greatly has his work increased of late that henceforth it will be neces- sary to have the assistance of not less than five men. He supplies all the trade in his own line that can be reached by the roads to which he is convenient. Mr. Reese was born in this city July 4, 1868. He IS a son of Frederick and Christina (Guyer) Reese, the former being one of the oldest settlers here, and both of whom came from Germany. Freder- ick Reese was for mtxny years engaged in the fur- niture business, and is well known throughout the city and county. Our subject received his educa- tion in his native place, and after completing his course at school was engaged as clerk in a grocery store. PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 369 Four years and a-half subsequent to the connec- tion just named, our subject was proprietor of a cigar store, after which lie built the factory men- tioned above. He has in his establishment all the latest improvements that enter into his business, and is constantly adding to it as his trade de- mands. Although his work in this direction is of recent date, he has already built up a fine trade. In addition to his business interests, our subject is the owner of considerable real estate in Litch- field. As a young man, his advancement in life has been very rapid, and promises well for the future. He is a member of the Dreibund. Mr. Reese is one of a family of six children born to his parents: Anna; Minnie, who is the wife of George Schutt; August, William and Herman, besides the original of this sketch. fr^OBERT B. HAGOOD, a retired farmer of \>^/ Hillsboro, has long been amoiig the lead- ing agriculturists of Montgomery County. He is a Kentuckian by birth, a native of Todd County, and was born February 15, 1825. His father, Buckner Hagood, Jr., wasborn in South Carolina, and his grandfather, Buckner Hagood, Sr., was supposed to be a native of the Pine Tree State. Rosanna Hagood, our subject's grand- mother, was of Irish birth and came to America when thirteen years of age. The mother of our sub- ject bore the maiden name of Ellen Paden, and was born in South Carolina in 1788. Her father, John Paden, was also a native of South Carolina, and sojourned during almost his entire life in his early home. The parents of our subject were united in mar- riage in Todd County, Ky., and there settled on a farm. Buckner Hagood died in 1837 or 1838, and was buried from the old homestead to which he had brought his bride so many years before. He and his wife became the parents bf four children, but two died in infancy. John was a babe of eigh- teen months when he died; Thomas passed away when about one year old. James S. died in 1876, leaving our subject the sole representative of an honest family and honored name. When, in 1838, the widowed mother removed with her two sons to Montgomerj'- County, 111., Robert was thirteen years old and a manlj', earnest boy. He received instruction in the schools of his new home, and did such work as he found to do. He remained with his mother until her death, and then he and his brother stayed for some time in the lonely house. This proved a very unsatisfactory method of housekeep- ing, and in December, 1872, Robert B. and Miss Esther Hughes were united in marriage. Mrs. Hagood is a pleasing lady of lovely character and was born in Ross County, Ohio, March 23, 1839. Her parents gave her the advantages obtainable in their neighborhood and she was well fitted to make the home of her husband a happy one. Mr. and Mrs. Hagood became the parents of one son, James B. A brave manly boy, full of life and strength, the idol of the home, he gave his life for another and perished while trying to save a drowning companion. The shadow of this bereavement rested heavily upon the home, which had been gladdened by his merry presence. The management of the farm, its general agri- culture and stock-raising, kept our subject busily employed for many years. Financially prosperous, he had well earned a rest, and in 1890 he retired from active work and removed to Hillsboro. The farming properties which Mr. Hagood has accumu- lated are located in various townships of Mont- gomery County. He has two finely-improved farms in East Fork Township, eighty and seven t}- eight acres, respectively; two in Witt Township, of forty and eighty acres, and ninety acres of very choice land in Irving Township. These farms are all situated in an unusually excellent agricul- tural district and form a valuable possession. Mr. and Mrs. Hagood enjoy most pleasant church and social relations. They are members of the Presbyterian Church, in which our subject has long been one of the Deacons. Mr. Hagood is in- dependent in politics, the man and not the party determining his vote. He is, however, an unre- 370 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. lenting Prohibitionist. Deacon Hagood, as he is familiarly known among his friends and neigh- bors, is singularly free from the debasing habits which enslave so many of his fellow-men. He has never used liquor nor smoked nor chewed to- bacco, the use of which weed he considers morally and physically injurious. ^AMES Y.DAVIS. The following bio- graphical sketch is a memorial offered as a ^^ ; loving tribute by the widow who was for ^^f^ many years the loving companion and help- mate of James Y. Davis, and is intended to pre- serve a few facts for his children and friends that may be of interest in years to come. Mr. Davis died April 5, 1884. That he was a good and use- ful citizen whose life had not been spent in vain was attested by the fact that he was generally mourned by those who were comparative stran- gers to his personal life, as well as by the members of his family. Mr. Davis was born at Bethel, or on the site of what is now Reno, Bond County, this State, No- vember 14, 1842. He was a son of Ira B. and Eda (Harned) Davis, both natives of Tennessee, who settled in Bond County in early years. After some severe trials in pioneer work, the father died in July, 1877. The widow married A. Dixon, her decease occurring in September, 1891. Our subject enlisted in the service of his country June 11, 1861, joining Company D,of the Twenty- second Illinois Infantrj'. He served for more than three years and was Anally mustered out July 7, 1864. He participated in many of tlie desperate struggles that made our Civil War a notable epocli in the world's history, being a participant in the battles of Belmont, Island No. 10, Pittsburg Landing, Farmington, Corinth, Nashville, Stone River, Chickamauga and Mission Ridge. Although he was wounded three times, he was never off duty, parrying his bit of yebej Jp^d \i\ his body to the grave, it being a badge of honor of which he was justly proud. May 29, 1865, Mr. Davis married Helen M. Harned. Shg was a native of Hancock County, 111., and a daughter of "William S. and Sarah H. (McKalg) Harned, her mother being a native of Dayton, Ohio, and her father of Texas. Mr. and Mrs. Davis were the parents of live children, whose names are Eda, Ida, James Benson, Sadie H. and Clyde. The eldest daughter is the wife of John McClenny, of Reno; Ida married Charles Lohman and lives in Jefferson County, Kan.; James is sin- gle and makes his home with his mother on the farm. The two youngest children are still pursu- ing their studies. Mrs. Davis has a delightful home on the farm improved and cultivated by her husband, with the able assistance of her sons, and she has continued the management in such a way tiiat it shows not the slightest deterioration. ^¥ BRAM BOURQUIN, though still compar- atively a young man, has become well- known in agricultural circles, and is rec- ognized as a careful, energetic farmer, who, by his advanced ideas and progressive hab- its, has done much to improve the farming inter- ests of this section. He is not only prominent as a tiller of the soil, but as a citizen and neighbor is held in the highest esteem. He has one of the finest and best improved farms of Montgomery Countj- and is one of its wealthiest and most in- fluential men. He is a native of the Buckeye State, and was born in Tuscarawas County, Octo- ber 15, 1854, being the youngest of three children born to A. L. and Mary A. (Beichenot) Bour- quin. The father was born in Switzerland, near the French frontier, August 20, 1809, and continued to reside there until 1837, when the advantages to be derived from a residence in America induced him to emigrate to tiie United States. He crossed the ocean and locatec| \\} Oljio, where he soor HK^Hltttes JS^t, RES. OF MRS. HELEN M . DAVIS , SEC. 10., SHOAL CREEK TP BOND CO.J LL. ^- \ I I I ^ILLIAM KORTKAMP, the efficient man- '/ ager of theHillsboro Coal Company, spent almost his entire life among the coal fields of Illinois. Born in Madison County, Julj' 25, 1847, he was but eleven years old when he began work in the coal mines near Alton. Natural abil- ity and experience united have admirably fitted him for his present responsible position in one of the leading industries of Montgomery County. Although he became a bread-winner when a mere child, he lost no opportunity to gain the educa- tion he coveted, and regularly attended the night school. Working in the mines by day, studying and reciting in the evening, he passed ten j'ears of his life, receiving upon the twenty-first an- niversary of his birth his well-merited promotion to mine " boss," a position he continued to hold for years. In 1870, our subject, together with his brothers, Carl and Louis, opened a coal mine near Alton. They labored diligently in this enterprise about three years, when they sold out to their grand- father, upon whose land the mine was located. D. Noonan, of North Alton, desiring the sei vices of an expert miner, engaged Mr. Kortkamp, who sank four shafts and ably managed the new mines for about five years. At the expiration of this time he went to Nilwood and there became the partner of Mr. Noonan in a general store, which they ran profitably for four years. An excellent opportunity^ then offering itself for our subject to return to his favorite business, mining, he sold out to Mr. Noonan, although he afterward, for a lime, carried on the business for his late part- ner. In February, 1888, he accepted the charge of the Hillsboro Coal Company. Two years later he leased the productive mines, but in a few months disposed of his lease to the present pro- prietors. These gentlemen, recognizing Mr. Kort- kamp's excellent business qualifications, tendered him the position of manager of tlie mines, which have an output of two hundred and fifty tons per day, and furnish steady employment to ninety men. In 1870, our subject married a St. Louis lady. Miss Henrietta Ritter, and five children have brought sunshine into their home. Death has claimed one, the survivors being Hattie, Lulu, William and Lorena. They are bright young people, and favorites with all who know them. William Kortkamp came of good sturdy stock. His ancestors had won their way by patient indus- try. His father, Frederick Kortkamp, a native of Prussia, emigrated to this country when a young man. Drifting to Baltimore, he was given work by James Buchanan, who employed him as " boss" of teams on the turnpike road and canal. A longing to build up his fortunes more rapidly in- duced the ambitious emigrant to move farther West. His next residence and first real home in this country was in Southern Illinois, about two miles from Alton, in which city he married and settled on a farm he had purchased of Senator De Wolfe, a celebrated lawyer in that section of the country. Frederick Kortkamp evidently preferred other work to agricultural pursuits, as he left the farm and removed to St. Louis, where he engaged in the wood and coal business. While yet in the prime of manhood, and but fifty years of age, he died. The mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Mary Galues. She was born in Baden, Prussia, and being left an orphan at an earh' age, had no ties to bind her to the Fatherland, so crossed the ocean to try her fortunes in the New World. She was living at Senator DeWolfe's when she made the acquaintance of Mr. Kortkamp. She became the mother of six children, two of whom died in early childhood, and four are now living, all residents of Hillsboro. Our subject is the eldest of the brothers, 380 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. William, Carl, Louis and Frederick Korlkamp, who are widely known and highly respected throughout the county. Adolph Kortkamp, the paternal grandfather, was a hardy, vigorous man, and could, at ninet}' years of age, saddle a horse as quickly as a young man. He was a Prussian and served as bugler in the army of that coun- try. A.J. ROBERT McWILLIAMS. There is an inspiration in the history of a success- ful man, whose aims and ambitions have been high, both to the youth who is strug- gling with adversity, and to serene maturity, who looks back with complacency over the experience of years fought perhaps with parallel difficulties and parallel successes. These histories have a tonic effect, that is wholesome to all classes and condi- tions. Our subject, Maj. Robert McWilliams, is one who, gifted only- with a sturdy constitution and an indomitable and persistent will, has made malleable the adverse circumstances of life and molded therefrom gracious success. Maj. McWilliams is a native of Dalton, Ohio, where he was born on the 12th of March, 1830. When a mere lad he was thrown upon his own re- sources and became an^ apprentice, when in his sixteenth year, to a tailor in his native town. A year, however, sufficed his ambition in this direc- tion and he ran away and started into business in the tailoring line for himself in Bloomfleld, Ohio. His restive nature, however, could not long en- dure such confinement, and he was beginning to keenly feel his lack of education. To feel his need of an education was with our subject to begin to rectify that wrong. By close personal application he prepared himself for col- lege at Hayesville, Ohio, and by constant study he soon attained a high place in the school. He then embarked as a teacher, and with his earnings from this source was enabled to prosecute his studies in the law, to which he had given his allegiance. He entered the office of Messrs. James Mathews and William Stone, at Coshocton, Ohio. Here he studied summers and taught during the winters in order to defray his expenses. After being admitted to the Bar at Akron, Ohio, our subject cast about for a place where his knowl- edge of Blackstone and legal acumen would be appreciated. He settled upon Sullivan, 111., and there remained for eighteen months, probably de- veloping more patience than practice during the time. Thence he removed to Shelbyville. Our subject's first partnership was formed with Mr. Anthony Thornton, of Shelbyville, during which time they enjoyed the most practice in the county. The future looked very promising to the young man. At this period in our subject's history, the coun- try was in the throes of internecine conflict, and the young man, with all the ardor of his nature, threw personal prospects to the wind, assumed the paraphernalia of a soldier and advanced to the . front. On first closing his law office at Hillsboro, in the spring of 1862, Robert McWilliams set to work to influence enlistments, and in a short time was the happy instrument of organizing three com- panies of infantry, who I'endezvoused at a place named in honor of our subject Camp McWilliams. On the organization of Company B, which after- ward formed part of the One Hundred and Seventeenth Illinois Infantry, commanded by Col. Risdon Moore, Mr. McWilliams was elected Cap- tain of this company and proceeded with his regi- ment shortly after to Memphis, Tenn. There the regiment remained until January, 1864. It was subsequently sent to Meridian, Miss., and from that point was placed on transports for the pur- pose of accompanying Gen. Banks on his famous expedition up Red River. The object of this ex- pedition having been accomplished, the One Hun- dred and Seven tee.nth was ordered to return to Memphis, and at this place our subject was com- missioned as Major of his regiment. During ttie service following the advancement of Capt. McWilliams to the position of Major, he was ordered to Tupelo and Oxford, Miss., thence to St. Louis, Mo., and from that place to Tennes- see, where his regiment took part in the battle of PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 381 Nashville. From the lalter point the regiment was ordered to Eastport, Miss. At the last-named place Maj. MeWilliams tendered his resignation, which was accepted, and he returned to Montgom- ery County, this State, where he resumed his prac- tice. Elsewhere a more detailed account of the Major's military experience has been given, and we will consequently confine ourselves more to his civil service. At the present time, Maj. MeWilliams is ably as- sisted in his legal work by his son, who is an effi- cient partner, inheriting much of his father's bril- liancy and legal acumen. The Major has en- joyed association with many distinguished legal contemporaries. At different times he has been a co-partner with the following gentlemen, whose records are well known throughout the State: James Sturgess, George A. Talley and Judge Lewis Allen. For a number of terms Maj. MeWilliams has been City Attorney, and from 1878 until 1880 served as Master in Chancery, and was elected on the Republican ticket to the Legislature of the State of Illinois. The gentleman of whom we write has been in- terested in all the progressive movements that have effected the town of his residence. He was one of the original stockholders of the Litchfield Car Companj'', and also in the Litchfield Gas and Coal- oil Company. Later, he became identified with the Goal and Electric Light and Power Company, and also in the Water Supply Company. He is con- sidered one of the financial mainstays of the city, and for a long time has been a Director of the Beach, Davis & Co.'s Bank. Many of the more conspicuous improvements in the city in the build- ing line are directly traceable to him. He has dealt largely in real estate, and while so interested was for several years a partner of D. O. Settlemire. Maj. MeWilliams' name appears in connection with all prominent affairs of his county. He has been a very energetic member of the Litchfield Agricultural Society for some time. Socially, he is a Royal Arch member of the Masonic order. In his religious views he has identified himself with the Presbyterian Church. Our subject has been ably seconded in all his private and public enterprises by the encour- agement of his wife, to whom he was united in matrimony on the 18th of October,. 1865. She was a Miss Mary Allen, daughter of Benjamin Allen, Esq., of Litchfield. The three children that have graced their home are named as follows: Ben, Grace and Paul. The first-named is, as above staled, a partner in his father's law office, while the younger son is a clerk in Litchfield. Ben Me- Williams is at the present time serving as City Attorney, to which oflice he was appointed for the third term in April of 1892. Grace is an accom- plished musician and a talented young lady and resides with her parents. The young lawyer whose prospects are so bright is a native of Montgomery Countj', where he was born December 27, 1866. He finished his education at the State University at Champaign, whither he went from the college at Jacksonville. After his university career he read law with his father, and was then in the office of Leonard Swett, of Chicago, for a little over two years. While there he attended the Union Col- lege Law School, and in 1888 captured the degree of LL. B., when he located in this city and has since been connected with his father. He is now a member of the Litchfield- Library Board, having been appointed to this position by the City Coun- cil. The Major is a stalwart Republican, always found at his post in support of the principles pro- mulgated by the party, which are always embodied in their platform. m^^^m^ ^ ROF. LOTT PENNINGTON. Among the newspaper men of Montgomery County, 111., who are planning so wisely to help forward the interests of their section in the future, we are pleased to mention Prof. Lott Pennington. This gentleman is the proprietor and editor of the Mercury, of Coffeen, which paper was established on the 30th of June, 1892, and he now has it in first-class condition and good work- ing order. Integrity, intelligence and system are characteristics which will advance the interests of 382 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRArHICAL RECORD. any man and will tend to the prosperity to which all aspire. Such are some of the traits of the gen- tleman mentioned above, who is now a resident of the thriving village of Coffeen. Prof. Pennington was originally from New Jersey, born in Somer- set County, July 22, 1842, and his father, James Pennington, was born in the same county and State. The father followed the occupation of a farmer and met with substantial results in this pursuit. He married Miss Elizabeth Richards, a native of Wales, who came when a small child to America and nettled in New Jersey. Eleven children were born to this union, four sons and seven daughters, all of whom grew to mature years. Mr. Pennington was a descendant of Scotch ancestors, and inherited much of their thrift and enterprise, the same char- acteristics having descended to his son, the subject of this sketch, who was tenth in order of birth of the above-mentioned children, and the fourth son_ When but fifteen years of age, or in 1857, young Pennington came to Jersey County, 111., but pi'e- vious to that he had received a good practical education in the schools of his native countj'. After reaching the Prairie State, he attended school at Bunker Hill and Rock River Seminarj'. After this, he started out as a school teacher and followed this occupation very successfully for twenty years, becoming quite noted as an educator. He held the position of Superintendent of Schools of Jersey County for nine years, and during that time did much to advance the educational inter- ests of the community. As a man of sterling integrity and an earnest, conscientious, progressive educator, he ranked high, and for many years was connected with the schools of Illinois. In 1888, he came to Montgomery Countj', 111,, and located at Raymond, where he remained until 1891, when he came to Coffeen. On the 30th of June, 1892, he started his paper, which already has a good circulation. After locating here, Mr. Pennington was Principal of the schools of Coffeen for some time, and, as usual, met with the best of success. In December, 1863, he was married to Miss Rebecca A. Rue, a native of Jersey County, 111., and six children have been born to this union, four sons and two daughters, as follows: George R., Herbert, Kate E., Jesse J.. Frank and Edith Ray. Prof. Pennington is a Democrat in his po- litical views, and while a resident of Jersey County was one of the leaders of his party. He has shown his appreciation of secret organizations by becoming a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias. Prof. Pennington has a plain-but forcible manner in appealing to public sentiment, which makes him one of the people as an integer, and which would elevate him politically if he possessed the cheek of the average office-seeker, but being built on a more modest plane, it works to his disadvan- tage in holding office, though probablj' leaving him free to follow the pursuits which are more to his taste. L. VEST, a prominent farmer of Mulberry Grove Township, resides on section 35, Bond County, 111. He was born in Alabama, September 9, 1826, and was the son of Rev. James Vest, a native of Tennessee, born in 1801, who was reared in that State but went to Ohio when a young man. He there married Phcsbe Corwin, born in the year 1796, a native of that State, and a second cousin to Torn Corwin. Her father was a soldier of tlie Revolutionary War. The Rev. Mr. Vest and wife removed to Dayton, Ohio, and then to the State of Alabama, and from there to Indiana, where they remained thirteen years. In 1839 they came to Bond County, 111. The father was a minis- ter of the Southern Illinois Conference of the Me- thodist Episcopal Church, and died in Mascoutah, St. Clair County, in 1856, and was buried at Leb- anon, 111., in the Ministers' Cemetery. The mother of our subject, after her husband's death, lived quietly at Mulberry Grove, and died at the age of seventy-two years. Five sons and as many daughters had been born to them, and four sons and one daughter grew to maturity, but three of this family are all that now remain. Mr. Vest is the third child and son of the fam- PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 383 ily, and his first school experience was at Fair- view, where his father had been induced to take charge of the school in a log house. Our subject's education was finished at McKendree College, at Lebanon, 111., and so thorough had been his train- ing that at the age of twenty-two years he was considered an excellent teacher. The career of an instructor he continued for thirty years, although part of the time he carried on farming during the summer and teaching during the wintei*. Septem- ber 13, 1849, was the date of his marriage to Miss Nancy, the daughter of Rev. James B. Woolard, who was born in Maury County, Tenn., February 22, 1828. The last-named person was born December 17, 1804, in North Carolina, and was reared in Ten- nessee, where he became a Methodist minister and joined the Southern Illinois Conference. He be- came one of the most prominent ministers in the country, was a good singer, and this aided him greatly in carrying on his revivals. Mr. Woolard came to Greenville in 1829, and located on the same place where our subject now lives, and in 1834 joined the Conference. In 1862, Mr. Woolard was made Chaplain of the One Hundred and Eleventh Illinois In- fantry. He was well known in the church, a hard worker, and a man that did a great deal of good. His life ended May 6, 1887, and he was buried at Mulberry Grove. Through his in- fluence the first schoolhouse was erected in the eastern part of the county, and his grave is now located in the schoolhouse yard. During the Black Hawk War he was a soldier, and at one time was a member of the Legislature. In politics, be- fore the war he was a Democrat, but after the war just as strong a Republican and a strong temper- ance man. The father of Mr. Woolard was Wil- loughby Woolard, a native of North Carolina, who went into the Revolutionary army at the age of sixteen; and his father was John Woolard, also a native of North Carolina, of Welsh descent. Mrs. Vest's mother was Mary McCurley, a native of Kentucky, born March 24, 1805, and reared on a farm. She lived until 1883. Her father, the grandfather of Mrs. Vest, was Abraham McCurley, and her Grandfather Brown was a soldier in the Reyojut^ionary Waf, IVIrs, Vest's father and mother were the parents of six children, all of whom lived and grew to maturity. They all had families, and all of the grandchildren were born before there was a death in the family. Mrs. Vest was the eldest child of her family, and the only one who was not born in Bond County, and on the farm here she now lives. She was two years old when she came to Bond County, and her first attendance at school was when she was five years old, at a litlle log schoolhouse. She finished her education at Hillsboro Academy and then at Blackburn Seminary, at Carlinville, III., in 1840. Mrs. Vest taught two terms of school, and then married Jesse P. Henninger, and had one son, Jesse P., who took part in the late war. Mr. and Mrs. Vest are the parents of five cliildren, viz.: Eu- gene W. was born December 17, 1850. He at- tended McKendree College at Lebanon, 111., and also went to school in Greenville, and after that taught school for several years, but now he is in the employ of the Steel Range and Furnace Company of St. Louis, and is in the State of Washington. Americus D. C. is the next child, and was born July 24, 1852. He completed his education at Greenville, and is now engaged as engraver at Springfield, 111. Thomas A. was born December 8, 1854, graduated at the High School of Greenville, and at the Law School in the Washington Univer- sity at St. Louis, and taught scliool here and in California. He is now in San Francisco, Cal., practicing law. Alice V. was born April 24, 1856, finished her education at Greenville, 111., and taught four years in the public schools of that place. Slie married E. V. Buchanan, and re- sides at Waverly, 111. Mary E. was born Feb- ruary 7, 1863, graduated at Greenville, and taught school until she married J. W. Brown, a prominent lawyer of Evansville, and they reside in Green- ville. Mr. Brown was formerly Special Pension Examiner at Washington. After marriage, in 1849, our subject located in Vandalia, and engaged there as a clerk for one year. He then bought a farm in Mulberry Grove and located on it for two years, but in 1854 opened a store in the village. Mr. Vest has owned seven different farms in Bond and Fayette- Coqutjes, He liyecl eighteen ^-eai'S iij Gj'eepyjjle, 384 POETRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. previous to coming wheve he now resides. In 1889 he bought the old liomestead of Rev. James B. Woolard, and now has one of the prettiest places in Bond County. August 13, 1861, Mr. Vest enlisted in Company C, Twenty-sixth In- fantry, under Col. Loomis, of Chicago. He was made Lieutenant of Company C, but on account of disability he resigned in 1862. For years Mr. Vest has been a Republican, but at present he votes with the Prohibitionists. While living in Greenville, he was an Alderman, and he served very creditably in that capacity. He has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church since he was sixteen years old, is a prominent worker in the Sunday-school, of which he has been Superintendent, and has been Class-leader and Steward of the church. Mrs. Vest also is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, to which she has belonged since her eighth year. Both Mr. and Mrs. Vest are excellent people, and enjoy the respect and esteem of all who know them. ANIEL P. MURPHY, a prominent and prosperous agriculturist and the owner of a fine farm just out of the thriving town of Nokomis, 111., was born in the Emerald Isle in 1837, and is characterized by the geniality and large-heartedness for which his countrymen are known. His native county is Kerry, and there his home continued to be until he was thir- teen J ears of age, during which time his educa- tional advantages were somewhat limited. In 1850, he immigrated to the United States with his parents, Daniel and Johannah (Morarity) Murphy, and for a time thereafter they resided in New York State, then in Indiana, and finally settled in Shelb^^ County, Ohio, near Sidney, where the father purchased a small farm. As the family was far from rich, the early advantages of Daniel P. Murphy were far from being what was to be desired, but he realized the advantages to be de- rived from a good education and managed to ac- quire a fair knowledge of the rudimentary branches. At the age of twenty years, he entered the em- ploy of the Big Four Railroad, and for many years was section foreman at Bunker Hill and Litchfield, and later was stationed for ten 3'ears at Nokomis, where he was also foreman. He was very industrious and saving, and in 1877 he was enabled to purchase his first piece of land, which consisted of eighty acres and is now a part of his fine homestead. This land was purchased for $15 per acre, and in 1884 he purchased the balance of his land, onto which he moved, and has since been tilling it in a manner tliat has won the attention and admiration of all. He has the satisfaction of knowing tliat his farm is a valuable one, beauti- fully and desirably located, and his residence a handsome and well-appointed one, which desirable state of things has been brought about by his own persistence and industry. In May. 1872, he was married to Miss Ellen Scholard, by whom he had a family of ten chil- dren, whose names are as follows: John Francis, Daniel Joseph, Thomas William, Charles Leo, Albert Matthew, James Stanislas, Mary Julietta, Rose Helena, Katie Alvina and Maggie Agnes, all of whom have received good educational advan- tages which they did not fail to improve. The parents of Mr. Murphy became welt and favorably known in the vicinity in which they located in Shelby County, Ohio, and there their last days were spent, the mother dying in 1887, and the father in 1890, at the extremely advanced age of ninety-eight years. Of four children that came to this country, all are still living. John being a ma- chinist at Parsons, Kan. Patrick and his sister Bridget reside on the old homestead in Shelby County, Ohio. Mr. Murphy cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln, later became connected with the Demo- cratic party, and is now a member of the Farmers' Mutual Benefit Association, or Third party, al- though lie is by no means a partisan. He has never sought public preferment, for he has found that his farm completely occupies his time and attention, and that to give his attention to any other pursuit would be at its expense. He has POETRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 385 evwy reason to be proud of the way he has worked himself up from the foot of the ladder, but is not in the least boastful of the way he has conquered Dame Fortune; on the other hand, is rather modest and unobtrusive. Such a career is well worthy of emulation. ^^ HARLES R. TRUITT, editor and proprie- (l( _ tor of the Hillsboro Journal, is a resident of ^^7 the thriving and enterprising town of Hills- boro, Montgomery County, 111., and is one of tlie representative men of that city. His paper, which is a neat, news}' journal, is admirably supported by the people, and under his able management it has come to be regarded as one of the leading journals in this section of the country. He has been an earnest advocate of all public enterprises calculated to benefit the county, and through the columns of his journal has wielded no slight influ- ence in directing the steps to be taken for any worthy movement. Our subject was born in Hillsboro Township, Montgomery County, 111., July 22, 1858, and is the youngest child born to Samuel and Cynthia (Carr) Truitt, both born in the year 1818, the father in Henry County, Ky., December 28, and the mother in Indiana, although reared in the Blue Grass State. (For further particulars of par- ents see sketch of Hon. J. M. Truitt). Our sub- ject's educational training was first received in the district schools of his native place, and later he supplemented this by a course in Hillsboro Acad- emy. From there he went to East Hampton, Mass., and entered Williston Seminary, from which he was graduated in 1878. While a student in this institution he took the second prize in oratory. He then took a special course in Lafayette College, at Easton, Pa., in 1879 and 1880, and subsequently started out as an educator. He was assistant principal of Hillsboro Public School for two years, and then, having acquainted himself with the printing business, he started out in the news- paper business, in July, 1881. Mr. Truitt is a thorough master of his calling, and his paper is published in the interests of the Republican party and is regarded as one of the representative journals. Mr. Truitt has done so much in the past and is now planning so wisely to help forward the interests of the county in the future, that it is with great pleasure that we men- tion his name. He is at present the most elHcient and capable Treasurer of Hillsboro Township, and has held that position for six years. In 1889, he was appointed United States Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue for the Eighth District of Illi- nois, embracing the counties of Montgomery, Bond, Shelby, Macoupin, Jersey, Greene and Cal- houn, and served for two years. The original of this notice has shown his appre- ciation of secret organizations by becoming a member of Montgomery Lodge No. 40, I. O. O. F., of Hillsboro; also Lodge No. 283, M. W. A. In October, 1882, he was wedded to Miss Libbie Weber, a native of the Emj)ire State, and the daughter of Nicholas and Ora A. (Dryer) Weber. Three children have been born to this union, two daughters and a son, who are as follows: Ora, Charles A. and Beulah. Mr. Truitt is a hale-fellow- well-met with the choice spirits of the time, and is a loyal citizen and a true and trusted friend. ■€^ fl-^ON. CHARLES A. RAMSEY, President of ^^/ the Hillsboro National Bank and Ma^'or of the city, is one of the representative men of Montgomery County, 111. He came originally from Pennsylvania, that State which has contributed so much of population and intel- ligence to his adopted State. He was born in Mifflin County January 8, 1845, and his father, William H. Ramsey, was a native of the same county. The elder Mr. Ramsey was reared in his native county, and secured a fair education there. He was a contractor and builder in Milroy, where he resides at the present time. He married Miss 386 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD, Mary Rarer, a native of Hamilton County, Pa., and to them were born eight children, five sons and three daughters. Mrs. Ramsey is now de- ceased. Our subject, who is the eldest child born to the estimable couple mentioned above, after re- ceiving such an education as the district schools afforded, entered the Pine Grove Academy, of Pennsylvania, where he laid the foundation for his subsequent career. On the 8th of August, 1862, when the war cloud hung darkly over the nation, young Ramsey enlisted in Company D, One Hundred and Forty-eighth Pennsylvania In- fantry, as a private under Col. James A. Beaver, now ex-Governor of Pennsylvania. He was promoted to be Sergeant-Major in 1864,duringthe Wilderness Campaign, and later to Adjutant. At the close of the war, or in 1865, he was mustered out at Har- risburg, after serving his country faithfully, and participating in many of the most prominent en- gagements. Retiring to his home in the Keystone State, he remained there for a short time only, as in 1865 he came to Shelby County, 111. To a youtli of his energy and ambition, the better chances of the opening West became a temptation that could not be resisted, and he determined to seek his fortune in the Sucker State, toward which the tide of immi- gration was rapidly settling. During the winter of 1865 and 1866 he taught school, and in 1867 came to Irving, Montgomery County, 111., where he en- gaged in the drug and hardware business. This he continued successfully until 1877, when he came to Hillsboro and embarked in the hardware business with John R. Challacomber. In all his business enterprises Mr. Ramsey has met with fair success, and is a man of good business fore- sight and talent. He has been the efficient Presi- dent of the Hillsboro National Bank since its organization in 1882, and holds the responsible position of Mayor of the city at the present time. In his political affiliations he is strongly Repub- lican, and in the fall of 1892 was a candidate for Representative on that ticket. He is now serving his second year as Mayor of Hillsboro. Twice he has served as Supervisor of Irving Township, and once of Hillsboro Township, nnd has been Chair- jiiq.li of tl>e Bo^rc|, ]^e is prominent in all ysoytlny enterprises, and has done much to develop and improve the citJ^ He is a member of F. D. Hubble Post No. 403, G. A. R., and is an officer in the same. A prominent Mason, he is a member of Mt. Moriah Lodge No. 51, of Hillsboro, and Hillsboro Chapter No. 197, R. A. M. October 27, 1870, our subject married Miss Elizabeth Corley, who was born in Shelby County', a daughter of B. W. F. and Lois Corley, natives of the same county, but both now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey have one bright daughter, Mary. zso' ^" %d' due C. WELCH is a promijient resident of Keyesport, Bond County, 111., where he con- cts a general store, and wliere he now holds the otfice of Justice of the Peace. The father of our subject was named Christopher Welch, and he died when our subject was only four years old. The name of the mother of our subject was Mary (McLaren) Welch, and her demise occurred one 3'ear after the death of her husband. Our subject was born in Crawford County, 111., September 1, 1851, and after the death of his par- ents was kindly taken charge of by an uncle. At the age of thirteen years he left his uncle's care and started out for himself. His first arrange- ment was with a farmer, for whom he engaged to work on the farm for sixty dollars a year, with an opportunity to attend school four months of that time. He remained at this place for two years, and during his school days walked three and one- half miles to reach the school house. After this he hired out to work by the month, and made a hundred rails per week for his board, and worked his own way from the age of eighteen until twen- ty-one years of age. When our subject reached years of maturity, he and his brother Thomas engaged to work a farm on shares. December 17, 1872, Mr. Welch married Marinda Kiger, a native of Bone! County. She was the capable daughter of {fenry }?iger, who S-Jti > ■•l 'Chj/vO )f(X PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 389 was one of the early settlers of this county. After marriage, our subject located inOkaw Township, one mile north of where ho now resides, and here engaged in farming and general stock-raising. In 1884, he located in Tamalco, Bond County, 111., and engaged in the grain business, buying and shipping all kinds of grain, and also conducted a saloon for seven mouths. In November, 1853, he started a general store in the village and remained there until December 10, 1891, when he located where he now resides and here carries on a profit- able business. Ml-, and Mrs. Welch became the parents of eight children, of whom three are daughters and five .ire sons. Their names are as follows: MoUie B., Gifford N., Virgil W., Arthur W., William E., Lulu E., Galerd G., and Jennie May, who died at the age of two years. While living in Tamalco, Mr. Welch held the position of Postmaster for two years and nine months. In politics, he is a Demo- crat and has held a number of the county offices. For eight years he has been County Treasurer and Justice of the Peace, and has also held the position of Constable. In 1892, lie was elected Township Supervisor, which ofHce he is still hold- ing. Mr. Welch is a man well known in the county, and one who has been very active in local political affairs. He has been very successful, entirely through his own efforts, and deserves the com- mendation of the community for his industry. ;^-^» _y / ♦^♦^•S- VILLIAM D. MATNEY, M. D. The town of Sorento has upon the list of its citi- zens able representatives of all the profes- sions. Our subject is the leading physician of the place. He was born on a farm near what is now the town of Hei'rick, in Shelby County, his natal day having been January 26, 1840, and he was the second child in the family. Four other children were afterward born to Leonard and Mary (Bur- 18 rus) Matney. Only two of the family survive, AVilliam D. and a sister, Ruth C, now the wife of H. H. Meyerholz, of Ramsey, this State. Our subject 's father was a native of Tennessee, where he was born in 1811. He was by occupation a farmer and was a veteran of the Mexican War. He settled in Shelby County, 111., about 1835-36, und died there September 30, 1847. Our subject's mother was born in Kentucky in March, 1819, and was descended from an old Virginian family. However, but little information is at hand relative to the earl}' history of the antecedents of either of these families. We have been able to glean the simple fact that the Boswell family, which was the name of the great-grandmother of Leonard Mat- ney, was from the old Bny State, whence its mem- bers early emigrated to Virginia. Jacob Burrus, the maternal grandfather of our subject, was born in Virginia and in early life went to Simpson County, K}-., where he became a prominent citizen. Our subject's mother was born in Kentucky and is still living, at the age of seventy -three years, and makes her home with her daughter, Mrs. Meyer- holz, of Ramsey. It is of the man himself, however, that we wish to write and we will give a full account of his rise in the world from the son of a poor farmer in the early settlement of Illinois until the present time. The boyhood days of young Matney were spent on a farm much as other farmer boys spend their time, tilling the ground in the summer and never having received over six months' schooling. We find him prosecuting his studies at the breaking out of the Civil War, when he promptly tendered his services to his country, and December 10, 1861, we find him in the ranks of Company K, of the Fifty-fourth Illinois Infantry, under Capt. T. C. Rodrig and Col. Harris. December 26, 1863, he re-enlisted as a veteran and served until October 15, 1865, when he was discharged at Little Rock, Ark., with the title of Sergeant. We will not attempt a historj' of his war career, suffice it to say that he was with his regiment from first to last, never being off duty, and he never received a scratch, although in many of the hard-fought battles, among them the siege of Vicksburg and the Steele campaign at Lit- tle Rock, 390 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. After his retui-n from the army, our subject took vip the life of a farmer and was thus employed for two years. In the meantime, however, he was busy prosecuting his medical studies, and in 1869 he became interested in the drug business in Oco- nee. For the five years that he remained there he faithfully continued his medical studies, for that was his chosen profession. In August of 1875, he located at H.arvel, Montgomery Count3^, and after a successful examination passed before the State Board of Health he received a license and hung out his shingle. His experience as a prescription- ist and his protracted studies gave him more than an ordinary store of practical knowledge, and he met with marked success from the start. There he continued his practice until September, 1882, when he removed to Caldwell, Kan. But not prepos- sessed in favor of the West, he returned to his na- tive State and in October, 1883, located in the new town of Sorento and has since been an important factor in the building up of the place. Aside from our subject's professional interests, he has many other interests and is the patentee of a burglar alarm which he has, liowevor, n ever pushed upon the market. The Doctor was first married in Shelbj' County, in 1867, to Sarah E. Lowe, who was a native of Johnson County, Ind., born January 28, 1840. She was the daughter of John and Rachel Lowe. Her decease occurred October 18, 1876. From this union six children were born, all of whom died when young with one exception — Mary Ellen, who is now the wife of Samuel E. Cress, a prominent hardware merchant of Sorento. The Doctor again married, September 30, 1878, the lady of his choice being Miss Drucilla C. Scott, born in Portsmouth, Ohio, April 23, 1854, a daughter of Jeremiah and Sarah (Davis) Scott. Mrs. Drucilla Matney died in Sorento February 25, 1888. Dr. Matney was married to his present wife in St. Louis April 17, 1889. She was Miss Melvina Allen, a daughter of Abram Allen, now of New Douglas, Madison County, 111. Two children have been born to Dr. and Mrs. Matney, Mabel Louise and William D., .Jr. Dr. Matney came from an old Democratic familj-, but at the breaking out of the war he joined hands with the party that was des- tined to do so much for the salvation of his coun- try and has ever since been an ardent Republican. He has since been favored with many local offices by his party. While residing at Oconee, he served as Postmaster for five years and was a member of the Shelby County Board of Supervi.=ors. At Harvel, he held the otiiee of Town Clerk for five years and was besides a Village Trustee. For the" past seven years, he has been Police Magistrate of Sorento. He is a prominent and enthusiastic member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and for two years has been Commander of the Samuel McAdams Post No. 497, of Sorento. He is a member of Sorento Lodge No. 318, K. of P., holding the Chair of Past Chancellor Commander. He is also prominent in the Masonic fraternity, being Master of Lodge No. 392, of Oconee, and now a member and Past Master, of Madison Lodge No. 660, of New Douglas. ^>-^^<^ W. BRAY. In few branches of art or J science have there been such developments or perfected improvements as in photog- •j)) raphy, and no establishment in Mont- gomery County shows more conclusive proof of this assertion than that of H. W. Bray, of Noko- mis. He is an artist of wide reputation, his works have a wide circulation, and wherever exhibited form the chief attraction for the professional as well as the amateur. Mr. Bray was born in the Nutmeg State, at Glastonbury, February 24, 1823, and is a son of Alfred and Sarah (Talcott) Bray. Oui- subject's great-grandfather, John Bray, came from England to America many years prior to the Revolutionary War, and after residing for a short time in Maine, removed to Connecticut, and later held a Captain's commission in the War of the Revolution. His son, the grandfather of our subject, John Bray, Jr., was born in Connecticut, as was also Alfred Bray, father of our subject. Oli- ver Talcott, the grandfather on the mother's side, was a native of England, but served in the Revo- PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 391 luUonary "War under General Gates. He married Miss Jane Balch, a noted singer of iier day, wtio had the honor of singing at a reception given to Gen. Washington at Hartford, Conn. Alfred Bray, father of our subject, was tlie owner of a -woolen mill at Woodstock, Conn., -where he had moved when the original of this notice was about two years of age. In 1830, he came to the then far West, locating in Portage County, Ohio, about fifty miles southeast of Cleveland. Soon afterward he moved to Atwater, Ohio, where he died in 1835, the mother following him to the grave a' number of years later. Our subject was early initiated in the duties of the farm and re- ceived but limited educational advantages, being obliged to travel three or four miles to the log schoolhQuse. When eighteen years of age he com- menced to learn the shoemaker's trade, but after following it for three years abandoned it perma- nently. For three years he was engaged in paint- ing, and in 1847 he went to Syracuse, N. Y., to learn the art of photography. Subsequently he followed the occupation of a traveling artist in Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania until 1863, when he located at Pana, 111., and there resided for three years. Later, his health failed and he sold out, and for the next fourteen years was a painter in the employ of the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad Company, being foreman of the shops for 'twelve 3'ears of that time. Since then Mr. Bray has been engaged as a pho- tographer, and in the spring of 1892 located at Nokomis, where he and his son George have since carried on the business. His work is of the highest artistic merit, and at such reasonable prices as cannot fail to satisfy the inclination and taste of all customers. He has become well known for se- curing- to sitters before the camera a graceful, natural pose and a pleasing expression, and in all his work is to be seen the master hand of the thorough expert artist. His work compares favor- ably with that of the leading artists of the land. In early life Mr. Bray espoused the principles of the Whig party, but he has been identified with the Republican party since its origin. In the year 1847, at DeWitt, N. Y., he was married to Miss Amy Wood, of Cleveland, Ohio, and they have four children, two sons and two daughters, as follows: Emma, wife of Dr. .T. H. Kitz, a miller of Taylorsville, 111.; Francis, a locomotive engi- neer on the Missouri Pacific Railroad; Hattie, the wife of J. M. Klor, a merchant of Hillsboro; and George, who is in business with his father. Mr. and Mrs. Bray are exemplary members of the Baptist Church. I.»i I W > > ki ' I ' I ' ^TiATHER P. F. CARROLL, the popular Priest . ^ of St. Mary's Cathedral of Litchfield, was li born in Janesville, Wis., on the 10th of September, 18.57, and is the son of William and Alice (Farrington) Carroll. He received his pri- mary education in the schools of his native place, in Rock Township, where his father was a farmer. After completing the course of study in the home schools, he entered St. Francis' Seminary, near Mil- waukee,where he pursued both his classical and theo- logical studies, and completed the prescribed course. June 29, 1881, he was ordained to the priesthood at Alton, 111., and for a short time he was stationed at the cathedral in that city. He was sent to this charge in August, 1882. The young priest possessed energy and enthusi- asm, and immediately after coming to Litchfield began to look about for some way in which he could best assist his parish. He found the small brick edifice entirely inadequate for his congrega- tion, which consisted of two hundred and ten fami- lies, including the German communicants. Soon after taking charge, in May, 1883, he called a meet- ing of his parisli, and an assessment was decided upon, and immediately the work of collecting money for a new building was commenced. He was so successful that in 1884 the foundation was laid for a beautiful new church, which was dedi- cated in July, 1888. This structure combines some of the most elaborate architectural designs in its construction, and is an ornament to the city. It is 136x58 feet in dimensions, and the nave is 392 POETRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. flfty feet from the floor to the ceiling. Tiie vestry is appropriately furnished and the chapel is also in fine order. Altliough the church was not dedicated until 1888, it has been used since 1886. After the Ger- mans withdrew from the congregation it left only one hundred and sixty families, but the number now is about two hundred again. Bishop Ryan, of Alton, conducted the dedication services, which were very interesting, and Bishop Spaulding, of Peoria, preached the dedicatory sermon, and a large number of clergymen were present. The parson- age was built in 1890 and is one of the finest in the country, being of a pleasing style of architec- ture, two stories in height with a garret. It is lo- cated on the same plat of ground with the church. In connection with the church is a Sisters' school, which Father Carroll has had repaired and remod- eled. The cost of the church has been $30,000 and the cost of the house $7,000. The church property covers the entire front of one block. Father Carroll has not spared himself since begin- ning his work here. His duties in the hospital are many, but there is nothing too hard or too dis- agreeable for him to undertake when others may be helped thereby. He has the confidence and re- gard of his parishioners, and has accomplished a wonderful amount of work since he has been among them. 'LBERT J. UTIGER was the efficient County Treasurer of Bond County, and is 141 a prosperous merchant of Pierron, Bond County, 111. The gentleman of whom this sketch speaks was born at St. Jacob, Madison County, 111., March 18, 1853. He was the son of Sil- van Utiger, who was a native of the canton of Zug, Switzerland, who came to this country in 1837, and located at Louisville, Ky., where he remained for one year. He then came North into Madison County, where he engaged at farming and worked at the trade of a machinist until his death in 1862. Mr. Utiger married Nanette Zumbach, who was born in the same place in Switzerland, and she died at the age of seventy-six j-ears, having been the mother of nine children. Our subject was a twin and the eighth child of the family, and was reared in Madison County and attended the common schools in Highland. At the age of twenty years he was, in the parlance of the villages of Illinois, "given his time," and began life for himself dependent upon his own re- sources. His first business venture was made in teaching school, and he remained three terms in Madison County, and then secured a clerkship in his brother's store in Alhambra, 111. Later, he opened a general store at Pierron, with a paitner named A. A. Suppiger, and the firm name was Suppiger & Utiger. This partnership in business continued for three years, and at the end of that time our subject was elected to the important office of County Treasurer, and in the fall of 1882 he sold out here and moved to Greenville. Mr. Utiger served in his responsi- ble office until the fall of 1886, when he moved into Alhambra and opened a store there, which he con- tinued for two years; but in February, 1889, he returned here and now has a very large general store at this place. The marriage of Mr. Utiger took place Decem- ber 17, 1885, to Miss Margaret R. Plant, who was a native of this county. Two children have been added to the household, whose names are Bertha and Laura. The store of our subject is a very comprehensive one and he carries a com- plete stock of all that the village shoppers could require, and also meets the wants of the farming community throughout the neighborhood for miles. He has dry goods, groceries, boots and shoes, hats, caps, notions and drugs, and in this he follows the example of some of the largest mer- cantile houses in both New York and Chicago. The political faith of our subject constrains him to belong to the Democratic party, and he feels that in that body can be found the best principles for the government of a republic. When he was elected to the office of Treasurer, he was runnine upon the Independent ticket. He is a member PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 395 and supporter of the Lutlieran Church, and is a man whose friends are many, not only in the po- litical circles in which he is active, but among his patrons and neighbors, who have testified to their regard by giving him a liberal patronage. I^+^P= 1? AMES McCRACKEN, Sr. Although South- ern Illinois is being developed within recent years in a remarkable way, it would seem that its natives have appreciated in a dormant manner the resources and advantages of the coun- try, for instead of restlessly roaming in other places, as do the youth of so many other countries, they have, as a rule, remained at iionie, finding here all that they desire. Our subject, who resides in Shoal Creek Township, Bond County, is one of those who have appreciated the beauty and advan- tages to be derived from his native locality. He was born in the Prairie State, in Clinton County, November 28, 1814. He is a son of .James and Nancy (Hauchen) McCracken. His lather was a native of North Carolina, having been born there in 1776. His grandfather, whose name was also James, served in the Revolutionary War. About 1800, James McCracken, the father of our subject, removed to Kentuckj- and settled in a county which was later named in honor of himself. The family came to Illinois, however, some years before the birth of our subject, and located in Clinton County, where the elder Mr. McCracken died. The original of this sketch was the fourth child of a family of ten, and he and two sisters are the only surviving members, they having reached ad- vanced years. His oldest sister, Nancy, is the wife of Barney Wright, and has been a resident of the State of Iowa for more than fifty years. Elizabeth is the wife of Henry File, who served in the Mex- ican War, and now lives in Barton County, Mo. Those that have passed away were: Jane; Nathan, a soldier in the Mexican War, who died in January, 1892; Ruth; Polly and Sallie, twins, between whose decease there was a lapse of many years, the latter having passed away only three years ago; John P., who died three years ago, also did his country good service in the Mexican War. Mr. McCracken was reared on a farm and the agricultural calling has been his life business. He came to Bond County in 1830, and settled in Shoal Creek Township, locating permanently in 1840 on the farm where he now lives. It is a beautiful rural home, whose eighty acres of fertile soil have yielded a rich return for the labor expended upon them. Jul}' 23, 1834, our subject married Mary M. Jones, a native of Maur}' County, Tenn., who came to Illi- nois with her parents in 1829. There is something impressive in the history of a union that extends ovei' many years, where the interests of two people have become one, as is impossible to any relation except the marital. Especially is this true when God has given into the care and keeping of the parents little souls that arc to be trained, not only to the highest type of manhood for this life, but with a view to fitting themselves for their sov- ereignty in the life to come. Sixteen children were born to the union of Mr. and Mrs. McCracken. The children who reached the age of manhood and womanhood are as follows: James, Jr., born July 4, 1835, in Bond County, married, November 27, 1866, Martha Armstrong, who was of Scotch and Irish ancestry. James, .Jr., and his wife are the parents of four children, three of whom are living: James Edgar, Albert N. and Mabel J., the latter a teacher in the public schools. The second son was Elias, who died in the service of his country, in August, 1861. John T. is a farmer living in Shoal Creek Township. Elizabeth is the wife of S. H. Libby, of Reno. William P. is a farmer in this township. Hugh Douglass is a resident of Shoal Creek Township. Rebecca lives with her aged parents. Lucy is the wife of Charles Hennesey and lives in Ripley Township. Sarah J., George, MaryE., Albert H., Hiram N., Hattie L., Annie R. and Nathan L. are deceased. Long years ago the Democratic principles were instilled into the mind of our subject, and the constancy of his nature is exemplified in this as in 396 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPmCAL RECORD. other things, that he has always been true to his party. His sons have been brought up as loyal ad- herents of the Jacksonian faith. Mr. McCracken is an Odd Fellow and a member of the Farmers' Mutual Benefit Association. In his church affilia- tions, he is a Methodist. Of all the older pioneer settlers in this locality, none receive greater defer- ence than does the venerable gentleman of whom we write. He is loved and honored by all who know him. d****^^^****!- "♦•{•♦•{•^^^•{••{•♦•J-F ^-ILLIAM A. YOUNG. This gentleman is one of the representative agriculturists of Butler Grove Township, Montgomery County, where he was born August 20, 1886. His father, William Young, is a native of Tennessee, and his mother, Jane C. (Paisley) Young, a native of North Carolina. William Young, Sr., emi- grated to Montgomerj' County in the year 1830, and in 1832 was married to Jane C.Paisley, of the same countj^ This union resulted in the birth of nine children, six of whom grew to mature years: James J., John W., William A., Harriet E., Sarah J. and Samuel. The motlier of this family died in 1854. Mr. Young was again mar- ried, choosing as his second wife Miss Eva Brown, of Bond County, this State. This marriage has resulted in the birtli of three children. For a number of years the father of our subject served as Justice of the Peace and was a member of the State Legislature of 1854. He served as a soldier in the Black Hawk War in 1832. He and his present wife are residing on his fine farm near Hillsboro, 111. Henry Young, the grandfather of our subject, was of Scotch descent, but a native of Pennsylva- nia. He was married in North Carolina to Miss Sally Fifer, a native of Germany. Nine children, four sons and five daughters, were born to this couple, three only of whom now survive. The maternal grandparents were of Scotch descent. Our subject was reared upon a farm near the town of Donnellson, Montgomery County, 111., and attended such subscription schools as were taught in that day, previous to the adoption of the present free-school system. In 1855, at the age of nineteen years, he entered the Hillsboro Academy and remained until April of the follow- ing year. He then taught school for one year, and in April of 1858 entered McKen dree College, from which he graduated two years later. In June, 1 860, he returned to Hillsboro and read law one j'ear in the office of James M. Davis. July 7, 1861, he en- listed as Quartermaster-Sergeant in Company E, First Regiment of the Illinois Cavalry, and served in Fremont's campaign in Missouri until the sur- render of Gen. Mulligan to Gen. Price at Lexing- ton, Mo., September 20, 1861. Our subject was then paroled and sent home, and in December of the following year was appointed by the late Sheriff Harrison Brown Deputy Collector of Montgomery County. In 1864 he was elected Sheriff of the county, which office he filled to the entire satisfac- tion of all his constituents, until the expiration of his term in 1866. William A. Young, of whom we write this brief history, was united in marriage November 28, 1866, to Miss Maiy E. Ware, daughter of Obadiah Ware. The following summer the young couple moved to the farm where he at present resides. January 1, 1870, the wife and mother was called from this life, leaving two sons, viz: Anthony O., who was born December 25, 1868, and is now a stu- dent at Beaumont Medical College at St. Louis; and William A., Jr., born November 9, 1869, who has had the degree of Doctor of Medicine conferred upon him by the medical department of Wash- ington University at St. Louis and is now prac- ticing his profession at Springfield, 111. In Sep- tember, 1871, our subject took as his second wife Miss Sarah Muenscher, of Mt. Vernon, Ohio, to whom four children have been born, who are named as follows: Frederica, Charles S., Cornelia and Eunice, all of whom are at home. The large farm which Mr. Young operates con- sists of five hundred and forty acres and is well stocked and nicelj' embellished with first-class im- provements. At a meeting of the State Board of Agriculture held in Peoria in 1892, he was elected POETRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 397 Vice-president of that society for the Seventeenth Congressional District. He is a thorough farmer, a scientific horticulturist, and is also well versed in fine stock, especially hogs, sheep and cattle. He has devoted his entire life to practical and scien- tific agriculture and is one of the best-informed farmers in Montgomery County. Socially our subject is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and Royal Arch Chap- ter of Hillsboro, and in politics is a strong adher- ent of the Democratic doctrines. In religious mat- ters he is a member of the Lutheran denomina- tion. <^ *>ILLIAM H. McNICHOLS. For many \/\il/ y^^i'* ''^is representative citizen has been W^ ^ resident of Montgomery County, 111., and during that time has been prominently iden- tified with the farming interests of the same. Al- though just in the prime of life, he has made his way to the front ranks among the energetic, thor- ough-going farmers of the county, and owing to the attention he has always paid to eacli minor de- tail, he has accumulated a fair share of this world's goods. Upright and honorable in every walk of life, he is well respected by all, and has a host of warm friends. He served his country faithfully during the Civil War, was ever to be found at the front, and was a loyal, true-hearted soldier. Mr. McNichols was born in Hamilton County, Ohio, January 14, 1842, and is the eldest of a fam- ily of eight children born to Joseph and Jane McNichols. But little is known of the McNich- ols family, except the mere fact that his father was a native of New Jersey, and was of Scotch- Irish descent. In 1855 the family came to Mont- gomery County, 111., and located on the farm where our subject now resides, and there the father passed away in 1874. The mother is still living on the old homestead. Our subject grew to sturdy manhood on this pioneer farm, and secured but a common-school education. When the Civil War broke out he flung aside the implements of peace to take up the weapons of warfare, and, although a boy of only twenty summers, he enlisted early in 1862 to fight for the Old Flag. On the 11th of August his name was on the rolls of Company B, Seventy-third Illinois Infantry (called the Preach- ers' Regiment), as a private, and he was mustered in at Camp Butler. He was immediately sent to the front at Louisville, Ky., and there joined the Army of the Cumberland, Sheridan's division. Our subject's command was sent to Covington at the time Kirby Smith made his daring raid, but soon returned to Louisville. He was in the heat of battle at Perryville, this being his first general engagement, and next he was in front at the bloody battle at Stone River. After this he was in the vicinity of Murfreesboro, engaged in scout- ing and skirmishing, until his command was or- dered to the eiege of that great and bloody battle of Chickamauga. On the second day, while his regiment was making a desperate charge on the 'works of the enemy and the bullets were falling like hail, and the field covered with his dead and wounded comrades, our subject fell too, pierced by the Confederate bullets. He was carried from the field, and by an ambulance to a hospital fifteen miles away. There it was found that one ball had lodged in his right hip, another in his left thigh, and a third had plowed its way through his left thigh. The one in his right hip was removed, but the one in his left thigh could not be found, and to this day he carries it as a memento of that bloody day. Mr. McNichols remained in the hospital for some time, and suffered great pain. When able to travel he procured a furlough and returned to his home in Illinois. In the spring following he returned to the front, but was not able for duty, being in the different hospitals, including Quincy and Chicago, until the close of the war, or July 2, 1865. He was discharged at the last-named city. In his regiment were two uncles, C. W. and W. B. McNichols. The latter was taken prisoner at the same battle in which our subject was so severely wounded, and after fighting starvation in Libby prison for thirteen months, died a terrible death. He now lies in an unknown and unmarked grave. 398 POETRAIT AND BIOGRArHICAL RECORD. The former, C. W. McNichols, served through the war, and is now living in Shelby County, 111. After his discharge our subject returned to his home and engaged in farming, which has been his business ever since. He has continued to live on the old homestead, but in 1872 he bought another farm for himself, about two miles south of the place where he now lives. With the exception of one sister, who lives in the Sunflower State, the children are all living in the vicinity of the old home. Mr. McNichols has ever been a stanch Re- publican in politics, and is an enthusiastic Grand Army man, being a member of tlie post at Noko- mis. He has never held anj^ political offices, but has been School Trustee, and has held other such posi- tions. He has never married, and is a man highly spoken of, and one of true worth. ^ OHN D. WALLIS. Although our subject is the son of parents born under the sunny ^,^ heavens of the South, imbibing the glad- l^g^ ness of the semi-tropical nature, he himself was born in the Prairie State, -his natal day hav- ing been December 6, 1830, and Greene County the place of his birth. He is the son of William P. Wallis, a native of Tennessee, and of Nancy (Stone) Wallis, also of Tennessee, where the couple were married, coming to Greene County, 111., in their early wedded days. Our subject was deprived of a mother's love and care in his infancy, her death having occurred in 1832. The father survived until 1873 and Anally expired in Madison County, this State. John Wal- lis was the younger of two children born of the un- ion of his parents. When he was but four years old his father removed to Madison County, where he continued to live for the most part until 1867. At that time, he came to Montgomery County and settled on section 2, North Litchfield Township, where he has ever since been a resident. Brought up as a farmer, our subject has been devoted to that calling all his life and has brought to it all the resources of his fertile mind and pru- dent industry. His farm comprises one hundred and fifty fertile acres. Nature has done much for his tract and has been ably seconded by the efforts of the owner. The best of improvements are here found; he has an excellently built residence, which was constructed with an especial view to comfort. The outbuildings are in good repair and the barns are capacious and well filled. August 10, 1854, in Madison County, Mr. Wal- lis married Miss Mary E. Shaffer, the third daugh- ter of Joseph and Lucy (Randall) Shaffer, who were natives of North Carolina. Mr. Shaffer was a farmer and among the early settlers in Madison County, where both he and his wife died. Mrs. Wallis, the third in order of birtli of nine chil- dren, was bqrn September 6, 1836, in Madison County, where she lived until her marriage. She has never shrunk from any responsibility in her domestic life, but has ably seconded her husband both in establishing a pleasant and comfortable home and in rearing their large family of children, which has numbered thirteen, but only eight are living at the present lime. The surviving children are as follows: William H., who married Miss Nancy B. Crawford, is en- gaged as a farmer in Zanesville Township. Their five children are James A., Charles H., Grace L., Minnie A. and Rosa B. John A. married Miss Emma Burriss and they had two children: Walter A. and Franklin D. On the decease of his first wife John married Maggie Brice. The third child is a daughter. Flora J., now the wife of Edward L. Denton and the mother of a bright boy named Charles N. Lucy A. is the wife of John Saxby and the mother of two children: Mary E. and Elmer F. George W. married Miss Alice Gordon and they are the parents of two children: Albert E. and Jesse. Lilly M. is the wife of Josiah Armour and is the mother of one child, Stella M. Mary I. is the wife of Franklin McWilliams. The youngest surviving child is IdaL. Mr. Wallis is a man of sterling principles and stands high in the estimation of his fellow-towns- men. Since coming to Montgomery County he has been School Director for twenty years. For RESIDENCLOr W« G. M&.CASLIN, SEC. 11. MILLS TR BOND CO. ILL. RESIDENCE OF J. D- WaLlIS , SEG-.S . bl.. LITCH Fl ELD TP. MONTGOMERY CO.JLL. PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 401 six 3'ears he served as Highway Commissioner and for seven j'ears he acted as Notary Public. He takes an active interest in both local and political affairs. He atflliates with tlie People's party and is a strong advocate of the principles of that party. Since about 1872 our subject has cast the weight of his influence with the independents. He is lib- eral in his church views but Mrs. Wallis is a de- voted worker in the Methodist Episcopal Cliurch. The original of this sketch is an integer of the great army who, beginning life with no ulterior advantages, have worked their way unaided to a success that includes the respect and honor of their fellow-men. He had a memorable experience dur- ing the winter of 184(i, when he served as mail carrier from Carlyle, in Clinton County, to Hills- boro, and his endurance of the hardships during tliat winter, when the country was undeveloped, would have tried many a stronger man. -^-^^I<^-^ ^ I^ILLIAM G. McCASLIN, a successful far- \rj// mer of Mills Township, resides near Dud- ^^1 leyville. He belongs to one of the old families of the State, and has witnessed almost all of the improvements of his section. No residents of this county receive more respect than he and his excellent wife. He was born at this place July 13, 1829, and has therefore been identified with the progress of Bond County for many years. The grandfather of our subject, James McCaslin, was born ten miles south of Dublin, Ireland, and came to America with his parents when he was six years old. The family settled in ISorth Carolina, where the father of James died two years later. The latter became a farmer and moved into South Carolina, and from there to Kentucky, where he reared his family in Caldwell County. In 1828 he removed by wagon to this county and bought the farm now owned by our subject. He lived to be eighty years old, and before his death witnessed many improvements in the surroundings of the home he had selected for his family. At that time the wolves and deer still roamed over the prairie and through the timber at will, and were often troublesome visitors near the log cabins of the early settlers. The father of our subject was twenty years of age when he came North, and in the same year in which that removal occurred his marriage took place. To him is due the most of the clearing and developing of the farm. At the time of his arrival here there were only a few log cabins where the flourishing town of Greenville now stands, and close was the friendship of these isolated neigh- bors. The grain which Mr. McCaslin raised, he was obliged to haul to St. Louis, and this trip re- quired four or five da3's to accomplish. Camping out by the way was a necessity, but altogether the young farmers did not object to the little outing. It gave them a peep at the outside world, and after one of those journeys the man of the house felt very cosmopolitan. On these rich lands Mr. McCaslin, Sr., harvested large crops of grain, and became one of the largest stockmen in the county. About the last of the Black Hawk War, he was drafted into service, but was not called out. After fifty-one years of Iion- orable, industrious living, he died at his home. In politics he was a Whig and a firm believer in his opinions, when he was sure he was right. The mother of our subject was before marriage Mary M. Mills, and was born in Tennessee, coming liere with her parents at the same time as did the Mc Caslin family, the two fathers having fallen in with each other on the way to the State. Her father, Will- iam Mills, was a native of Tennessee, and combined farming with that of Methodist minister. He did much toward establishing that denomina- tion in this section, and gave his house as a meet- ing-place where he taught the people. In his old age he went to Texas, and died there at the age of eightjr years. Tlie niotlier of our subject reared nine children: William, Elizabeth A., David M., Nancy I., Corde- lia, Rebecca, John W.,George W. and Martha E. The mother died at the age of sixty-six years, lamented by family and friends. She had been a valued mem- ber of the Methodist Church. Our subject was born and reared in the same house in which he 402 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. now lives. lie was educated in the log school, house, which now only serves to adorn the land- scape of some rural artist. It was not beautiful, but served its purpose at the time. There were only three months of school in the year, and very many of the self-made men of to-day had only one term at the best. Deer were plentiful in those early times and venison did not have to come on ice from the far West. The wolves made it a ne- cessity to pen up the sheep securely. Our subject began life for himself at the age of twenty-one, and in March, 1861, he married Miss Mary J. Steel, who was born in Morgan County, 111. Mr. and Mrs. McCaslin have reared eleven children, namely; John W., Catherine I., Clara A., Harriet M. (deceased), James, Uretta B., Warren E., Henry W., Mary F., Alonzo A. and Cary H. Mr. McCaslin first rented a part of the home place for one year, and then bought a small tract of land in Okaw Township, where he lived for two years, but at the end of that time he returned here, and now owns two hundred and eighty acres of the home place. Upon this he has made the most of the improvements and has cleared eighty acres, rebuilt the house, and added two barns and a granary. He carries on mixed farming and raises cattle and horses. Originally our subject was a Republican, but now he is a member of the People's party, and is identified with the Farmers' Mutual Benefit Association. He has served as Road Commissioner for a j'ear, and was School Director for a long time. He and his wife com- mand the respect of the neighborhood as honor- able, progressive people. ^= E^ MITH DENMAN. The mercantile trade has long been one of the leading features of our country and in this line is to be found in Nokomis a thoroughly represen- tative house controlled by Mr. Smith Denman, who is regarded as an upright and energetic man of business, respected alike in business and social cir- cles. He is a native of the Sucker State, born near Bloomington, in McLean County, March 27, 1841, and is a son of Smith and Elizabeth (Dixon) Denman, the fatlier of English ancestry but of New Jersey nativity, and the mother of English- Scotch ancestry but a native of Virginia. Both families figured in the history of the country far back in old Colonial daj's, and an uncle of our subject (his mother's brother) fought with valor in the Black Hawk War. Smith Denman, Sr., was a pioneer of Illinois, having settled on the farm near Bloomington, in McLean Countj^, in 1829, and died there in 1875, having spent nearly half a centurj^ in the same place. On this farm our subject was born. He passed his boyhood days in assisting his father on the farm during the summer months and during the winter seasons in the school room. When the black cloud of war began to hover darkly over the nation, our subject was filled with a patriotic desire to fight for the Old Flag, and although but a boy in years, he possessed the courage and deter- mination of a man. On the 3d of September, 1861, he enlisted in Company B, Fifty-second Illi- nois Infantry, as a private, and after spending a short time in Chicago, where his regiment :ji'as organized, his command was ordered to St. Louis. From there he went to St. Joseph, Mo., where his regiment was divided up to do guard dutj^, his company being sent to Stewartsville, in De Kalb County, where he was on guard duty during the winter of 1861-62. In the latter part of February the regiment was called together and ordered to proceed to Cairo. When within about five miles of Quincy, it was found that the railroads and bridges had been destroyed, and all communication had been cut off. As a consequence, they were obliged to make their way on foot, Mr. Denman and a comrade walking the entire distance in their stocking feet, with snow and slush up to their knees. Finally, crossing the river on the ice, they entered the city of Quincy with their shoes swung across their shoulders. Strange as it may seem, their feet were not frozen. In fact, Mr. Denman said in re- lating this little incident: "They were not even cold." After all the regiment had reached the PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD, 403 latter city they received orders to remove at once to Cairo, where they arrived about the 1st of March, 1862. From there they went to Ft. Molt, Ky., and were tn camp there for about a month, when orders came to proceed to Ft. Donelson. They arrived there, however, after the surrender of the fort. Our subject then assisted in removing the prison- ers to Springfield, 111., and was retained there for some time to guard them. After this, he and his regiment were ordered to join the forces being centered at Shiloh, and participated in that most bloody battle. That was a terrible baptism of fire to the young soldier, as he saw his comrades fall- ing upon every side, but he never wavered. "On, on, to do or die!" was his watchword. His regi- ment lost one-half of its men in killed, wounded and missing. After this came the memorable siege of Corinth, where we again find our heroic soldier in the heat of battle. But he, too, was doomed to soon fall pierced by a Confederate bullet, and on the afternoon of the first day's fighting he was lying helpless and bleeding on the battlefield, having been struck in the left leg just above the ankle, the bone being shattered. He was taken to the field hospital, where his wound was dressed, and then, with others, he was taken to a hotel that had been turned into a hospital. It was not long be- fore the shells of the enemy were flying m and around the house and it became necessary for the wounded soldiers to be again removed to a place of safety. They were soon transported to Columbus, Ky., thence to Mound City, 111., where our subject was placed in a hospital and suffered untold agony for a long time. He was compelled to remain there until January 23, 1863, on which date he was discharged for disability. He felt that he had done his duty to his country, carrying a scar that would ever remind him of his war rec- ord, and returned to his home near Bloomington. Our subject was engaged in farming up to 1872, when he removed to Nokomis and embarked in general merchandising, which he has conducted with marked success since. He has built up one of the finest business houses in this town and carries a choice stock of goods. Mr. Denman is a prominent Grand Army man, having been one of the charter members and one of the first olBcers of Cottingham Post No. 236, of Nokomis, and at three different times he has been its Commander, the last time in 1891. In polities, he is a stanch Republican and true to its every principle. In other words, he says he votes as he fought. As yet, he has never allowed his name to be connected witii any political office. He was married in Sep- tember, 1865, to Miss Nettie A. Lawrence, a native of the State of Ohio; they have no children. -^^ \Tr^OBP:RT C. PAISLEY, a prominent and [k*^ wealthy farmer of Bond County, 111., and a (4v \V veteran of the late war, resides on his fine farm of six hundred and seventy acres, near the village of Donnellson. He is a member of one of the earliest families of this part of the State. The subject of this sketch was born in La Grange Township, June 21, 1830. He was the son of William Paisley, who was a native of North Caro- lina. In Colonial times the Paisley family came from Scotland to America, and the great-grand- father took part in tiie Revolutionary War. John Paisley, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Virginia, but was reared in North Carolina, where he became a farmer and distiller. He came to Montgomery County, 111., about 1823, where he died at the age of seventy years. The father of our subject was one of the early settlers in Logan County, Ky., where he carried on the business of distilling. Hearing of the fer- tile lands toward the North, Mr. Paisley came on a prospecting tour on horseback, and being pleased with what he saw returned home, resolved to re- move his familj' to this State. Accordingly, in 1818, the family belongings were packed in a great wagon, the farewells were given in the old North State, and they set out to find a new home. After various adventures they reached Il- linois, where Mr. Paisley had entered Government land. Here he built a log cabin, and everything 404 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. looked favorable for a residence, but soon after- ward the cabin burned down with ever3'thing in it, and the family found themselves in a strange land with nothing but a team. Indians were .plentiful in the country at that time, and often called at his cabin in their hunt- ing expeditions, as he was always friendl.y with them. There was never any danger of a famine, as deer and wild turlseys abounded. Wolves were so troublesoijie that it was with difficulty that he raised any chickens or sheep, and the wildcats killed his pigs; even bears were here at that time, several of which he killed with an old flintlock rifle. It must be remembered that there was no mill where his corn could be ground whenever the supply of meal ran low, and he was obliged to beat it in a mortar to get it fine enough for bread. The nearest' market was St. Louis, and, as tliere were no railroads, all the produce had to be hauled by the farmers, which always meant a trip from six to eight days, with camping out at night. Mr. Paisley owned nearly five hundred acres of land at the time of his death, which occurred in 1880, and upon this he had raised great quanti- ties of grain, and a large number of horses and cattle, as he was a hard worker and never spared himself. In religious matters, for many years he was a consistent member of the Cumberland Pres- byterian Church. In his early days he was an old-line Whig, a great Henry Clay man, and at the time of his death a stnnch Republican. The mother of our subject, Nancy Nelson, a native of North Carolina, bore her husband ten children, all of whom grew to maturity. They are: James, Malinda, Minerva, Harry ¥., Nancy, Elizabeth, John N., Robert C, Jewell and William. She had held a membership in the Cumberland Church for many years, was the best of women, and died at the age of flfty-eight years, lamented by family and friends. Our subject was reared here and educated in the early schools of this vicinity. He was obliged to walk two miles, but the advantages were only offered for three months in the year. Mr. Paisley became something of a hunter, and has slain deer where his home now is. At the age of twenty- one years he began taking care of himself, and in 1852, with thirty companions, he made a trip across the plains to California, and remained there three years. His raining in El Dorado County, Cal., was fairly successful, and he returned home by water. After this trip into the outside world, he located on this farm, in 1857, and in April of that year married Margaret Libbie, a native of Vermont, who was engaged in teaching school. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Paisley, viz.: Frank, Annie and Horace. Mr. Paisley is a man of large means, and one of the wealthiest land-holders in the county. He has six hundred and seventy acres, of which seventy- are in timber, and he has lately sold two hundred and forty acres which were in his possession. His stock-raising and farming have been on an exten- sive scale. During the Civil War he enlisted in Company D, Fifty-ninth Illinois Infantry, in Oc- tober, 1863, and served under Gen. Thomas. He took part in the battles of Franklin and Nash- ville, and was in the Texas campaign until the close of the war, being mustered out in the spring of 1865. Mr. Paisley and his wife are, highly valued mem- bers of the Cumberland Presbyterian Cliurch. In political opinions he favors the Republican party, and has held the office of Township Trustee ever since the close of the war. He has been a very successful man, and has always worked hard to obtain and keep what property he has. ■^ AMES W. WHITE. In writing the biogra- phies of the citizens of the Prairie State, it is remarkable how many of its men have been loyal to the State in which they have been born and reared. Under the genial skies of Illinois, the restless, dissatisfied longing for new fields, which is characteristic of the citizens of so many other States, is found wanting, nor can the reader wonder when the advantages and resources of this favored locality are taken into considera- tion. Our subject is a prominent pioneer of POETRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 405 Montgomery County, and is a resident of Pitman Townsliij), having a fine farm on section 9. He was born in Pilte County, tliis State, August 14, 1835. His parents were James and Elizabetti (Browning) White, both natives of Kentucliy. Our subject's ancestry is not without its stories of heroism and loyalty. An uncle on the mater- nal side, a Mr. Browning, is said to have been a soldier in the War of 1812, and he distinguished himself in the Quebec Campaign. James and Eliz- abeth White came tu Pike County in 1833. There they secured a tract of Government land, whicli was improved and cultivated, and made a valuable farm, which was later traded for other property. In 1864, our subject, with his parents, removed to Macoupin County. While there, both father and mother died, the former in 1879, and the latter in 1881. They reared five children, and of these three survive: James W.; Elizabeth, wife of George Merryweather; and Charles E. Mr. White practically received his rearing and education in Pike County, and there were in- culcated in his youthful mind the lessons usually learned by a farmer lad. He attended the early subscription schools of the district and fitted him- self for the later duties of life. The original of this sketch was married January 14, 1858, his bride being Miss Susan Cromwell, a native of Greene County, Ohio. To them have been born eight children, three of whom are living: Lydia, wife of Richard Carroll; Albert, and John C. Mrs. White was born on the 11th of May, 1838, a daugh- ter of Richard and Caroline (Eichalbergar) Crom- well. Hei' parents were natives of Maryland, and on the paternal side she is of English ancestry, being a lineal descendant of Oliver Cromwell, the Lord Protector of England. Her maternal ances- tors were German. When she was but six years of age, the family came to Macoupin County, this State, and were there numbered among the early settlers. Her father died at Bunker Hill, July 1, 1889, and her mother passed away October 17, 1892. Our subject came to Montgomery County in the year 1858, and located in what is now known as Harvel Township. He there remained until the year 1865, when he came to Pitman Town- ship, of which he has been a resident ever since. H^is farm comprises four hundred and seventy- flve acres of verj' fertile and well-cultivated land. He lias introduced into the work of farm- ing all the latest improvements in machinery and has made a thorough trial of the labor-saving implements of to-day. He has been ably assisted in all his work by his wife, who is his prudent counselor and loving helpmate. Mr. White is a thoroughly wide-awake and pro- gressive citizen. He has introduced among his fine stock the celebrated grade of Cotswold sheep, and also has five Belgium horses. In his political sentiments, Mr. White is independent, voting for whatever he believes to be for the best interests of his locality and the country at large. W OHN T. ROSS. The subject of this sketch is a gentleman of acute business ability and at present is the successful representative of the Safety Homestead Association of St. Louis. This association has a capital stock of $50,000,000 and is well known and very popular throughout this State, Mr. Ross was born in Hamilton, Ohio, August 4, 1830. His parents were Amos and Lydia (Will- iams) Ross, who in the early part of this century emigrated from New Jersey to Hamilton. Mr: Ross, Sr., felled the lumber that he used in the construction of his home, which was built on the clearing made by himself. He was a contractor in brick and also owned and operated a sawmill. In the year 1860, he moved with his sons, H. S. and J. T. Ross, from Hamilton, Ohio, to Illinois, and there remained until the time of his death, which occurred some ten years later, when at the age of seventy-nine years. He left a wife and five chil- dren, the former dying two years after the decease of her husband. Of the children: Henry S. died in 1877; Ann became the wife of David E. Beatty, and is now deceased; Charlotte, wife of Joseph Conkling, resides in Jerseyville; Louis W, is the 406 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. well-known Chancellor of the Law Department at Iowa City, Iowa, and one of the most prominent attorneys in that State. The gentleman with whose name we introduce this sketch received his education in Ohio. After completing his school course he engaged in the in- dustry of farming and stock-raising, first in Ohio, but in 1860 removed to Illinois, and followed that vocation until the year 1877. His next change in business was after moving to Litchfield, where he acted as agent for several manufacturers of agri- cultural implements, and after four years in this line he took a position with John P. Manny, man- ufacturer of reapers and mowers at Rockford, 111., of whose interests he had sole charge in the State of Illinois for seven years, and until his ap- pointment as Postmaster under President Harri- son. He filled that position acceptably and hon- orably for three jears, resigning on account of ill health, since which time he has been compelled to engage in active out-door pursuits. The wife of our subject was Rebecca Alex- ander in her maiden days, and a native of Middle- town, Ohio. The result of their union is a famih' of whom the parents maj- feel justly proud, each of their children showing more than ordinary capabilities, and as the sons approach manhood they till positions demanding both brains and ex- ecutive ability: Henry T., the eldest son, acted as Assistant-Postmaster during his father's term of oflice, and fills the same capacitj' with his suc- cessor, E. C. Thorpe; Frank T. is occupied as a druggist and is a well-known member of the Knights of Pythias. The Ross family can trace its direct ancestry to the year 1756. The grandfather of the present family was born in Westfield, N. J., in 1787, and tliere received his education and married Miss Lydia Williams, whose father was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. Ezekiel Ross, the great- grandfather, was born in the same place as his son in 1756. He served seven years as a Revolution- ary soldier, and in his old age moved to the home of his son Amos, in Ohio, where he died in the year 1845. The Ross family have been strict Presbyterians for five generations, and those of the family who settled in Illinois can boast of be- ing Americans in tlie eighth degree. Stanch, true, sterling characteristics must ever be the result of so many generations of brave men and eminent citizens, and the members of this last generation have reason to be proud of the stock from which tiiey sprang. The subject of this sketch is a man of keen in- telligence, good business qualifications and is capa- ble of conducting successfully any enterprise with which he chooses to connect liimself. A respected citizen, a true and loyal Republican, a man of pro- gressive ideas and fine principles, he surelj"^ en- bodies the highest type of American citizenship. <| I^ILLIAM WIEGREFFE. Among the early \/sJr settlers in Litchfield, 111., who came here W^ in 1855 and have witnessed the growth and development of the place with pride, may be mentioned tlie gentleman whose name opens this article. He is one of the natives of another land, who came here to enjoy free speech, free religion and free exercise of his inclinations, and has made his adopted country better than he found it. He was born February 13, 1828, m Hanover, German j', and reached the United States in 1851, when he at once came to the Prairie State. He located at first in Alton, and lived for a time in Jersey County, but in 1855 he made his way here, and secured a farm of one hundred and sixt^- acres. In the fall of 1868 he moved to this town to engage in theplan- ing-mill and lumber-yard business. Here he built a mill and started a lumber yard, but in 1877 he left the mill. Since that time he has given his undivided attention to the lumber business. This has been a very good one, because the building in this place and vicinity has been uninterrupted. Until 1891, Mr. Wiegreffe had a partner, but at that time he took his son in with him and made the business more comprehensive. He now deals in sash, doors, blinds and building material, and is the oldest dealer in these things in this locality. PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 407 Twenty-flve years is a long period to be in one line of business, but that is the time that Mr. Wiegreffe can look back over and note tlie won- derful changes which have taken place in his vi- cinity, and throughout the county and State. Our subject has been considered a man of good business qualifications and of good judgment, to which his fellow-citizens testified by making him Alderman of the Second Ward of the town for six years. He is a man of property, and owns stock in the Litchfield Hotel Company. He is a promi- nent member of the Masonic fraternity and is de- voted to the interests of that order. The marriage of Mr. Wiegreffe took place Jan- uary 17, 1861, to Miss Eva Sinn, and six children have been added to the household bince that happy occasion. These are, Charlotte, who is the wife of Mr. George P. Hood; Emma, who is the wife of Mr. William Cotter; Frederick; Augusta, who is the wife of Mr. August Aldos; Wilhelm and Matie. The great prosperity of our country interests all good citizens and none more than the industrious, frugal ones who have watched the growth of their surroundings from a wilderness to a peaceful and prosperous city, where education is encouraged and religion holds sway. Such ma3f be the feelings of our subject, as he now enjoys the plenty and content of a comfortable home and family and realizes that he has done his share in bringing about the present state of affairs. ^ felLLIAM H. ROSEBROUGH was born in \pj// Perry County, Mo., January 3, 1839, ason ^^^ of James and Julia (Pitman) Rosebrough, both natives of North Carolina. The family came to Bond County, 111., und located on the farm where our subject now lives. His mother died soon after her removal to this State, and while he was too young to realize the extent of the be- reavement caused by her death. A most singular incident was the death of his father, which oc- curred the day this old gentleman completed his seventy-second year. The ancestors of the present branch of the Rosebrough family were noted Aboli- tionists, and the father of our subject took an ac- tive interest in the abolition of slavery. William H. Rosebrough was next to the young- est in the family of children, who were as follows: Almira, wife of Francis Dressor, a prominent farmer of Shoal Creek Township, Bond County; Isaac Milton, who died at Valley Falls, Kan., in 1888; John D., who died at Reno, 111.; Sarah D., the widow of S. Denny, who occupied the position of County Clerk of Bond County for twelve years; and Margaret E., who resides in Greenville. Our subject was brought up on a farm, and can truthfully recount the experiences of youths in the early days, when the subject of chores was a matter of discussion between the small boy of the house and his elders. After receiving a good common-school education, he decided to follow in the footsteps of his father and became a tiller of the soil. In the fall of 1862, our subject discovered in Miss Louisa Hunt the womanly qualities besought in her who should be his companion through life, and, obtaining the consent of this lady to a life partnership, their wedding took place in the year 1862, and during the time when the vital question decided by the Civil War was at issue. The wife of our subject was a native of London, England, and is a fine specimen of the broad- minded, intelligent Englishwoman, whose inter- ests are centered in her home and family. Mrs. Rosebrough has borne her husband four children. Nellie H., the eldest, is the wife of H. B. Harrison, a Congregational minister of Baruesville, Minn. Mrs. Harrison was educated at the college of North- field, Minn., at which institution she finished her education. Miss Sadie Rosebrough is now being educated at Greenville College; while Mabel, the youngest member of the family, is attending the public schools of her township. Mr. Rosebrough was an active Republican ele- ment in this community until the cause of tem- perance illustrated to him the fact that a Prohibi- tion party had much to accomplish for the good of the county, and seX^eral years ago he became a Pro- hibitionist. "Look not on the wine" has been 408 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. one of the mottoes of his life, and he has not only lived the life of a temperate man by eschewing liquors, but has carried out the precept and teach- ing of St. Paul, and been temperate in all things. Our subject is a hearty and liberal supporter of the Presbyterian Church, in which body he holds the position of Deacon, and has been an industri- ous and efHcient worker. It cannot be doubted that he has a conscientious regard for the religious office he assumes, and the responsibilities devolv- ing upon him are executed in an earnest and faithful spirit. ■^^^ICHOLAS SIKGER. Among the promi- I jj nent business men of Montgomery Countj', lk\,-^ 111., who have attained to the highest round in the ladder of success, and are counted among its most worthy and honored citizens, may be mentioned Mr. Nicholas Singer. No name stands more properly placed in the history of the county than his, for he is not only one of the most successful and popular business men, but is of such a social, genial nature, that he has made many friends. While a German and born of Oer- man parents, he hardly knows wliether he was born in Germany of in France. The facts are as follows: He was born in Lorraine, Germany, March 9, 1840, but just at the time the line had been drawn, so that his birthplace was on the French side of tlie line. Therefore, while a German in every sense of the word, he was born on French soil, and under the laws that then governed France. His father, Nicholas Singer, Sr., was the owner of a small vineyard near his native town, and for forty years was a policeman for field and village, and was the first man to enter the army from his native village in the conflict against France. The father is still living in his native land, and in the village where lie has spent his long life, being now ninety-three years of age. For many years he has been on the retired list of ex-policemen. The subject of this notice attended school until thirteen years of age in his native village, but being of a progressive, enterprising temperament was not satisfied to settle down at home. He wanted to see more of the world. At that ten- der age he took passage for America, and after touching United States soil began searching for employment. Later he found his way to Dubois County, lad., and commenced learning the cooper's trade. Afterward he went to Cincinnati, Ohio, and there finished learning his trade, but the restive spirit again taking possession of him he went down to New Orleans, wliere he remained for some time. From thei-e he went to Alexander, Tex., thence to Hamilton, Ohio, from there to many different places, and when twenty j^ears of age this wandering but unusually precocious young man settled in Peoria, 111., where he worked at his trade. He was a member of the Peoria Fire Company, as well as of the Peoria Rifle Company. In 1862 he enlisted to go to the war, but on account of a lame arm was rejected. After this he went to St. Joseph, Mo., became foreman in a pork-packing establishment, and made a trip for this firm to Pike's Peak and another to Den- ver. He remained in St. Joseph until July 13, 1864, when he volunteered to go into the country to assist in routing the guerrillas. Later he went to Jersey City, lost what money he had in wild speculations, and then took to the Mississippi River, following rafting for a time. In August, 1866, af:er having been in nearly all the States east of the Rockies, he settled down to business in Nokomis, where he started a cooper shop. He prospered in this, accumulated consid- erable money, and two years later engaged in the stock business in connection with his other business enterprises. In 1870 this wide-awake, thorough-going business man started a pork-pack- iug establishment, and in 1871 he was one of the organizers of the Nokomis National Bank, in which he is now a large stockholder and one of the Directors. Since he came to this city nearly everything he has touched has turned to money, and he is one of the substantial men of the county. cum^ c/^ PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 411 In 1874 he made an extended trip to Europe, vis- iting Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, England. Ireland, Scotland, and other countries on the con- tinent. The original of this notice was married in Nokomis, August 19,1871, to Miss Mary A. Tuoliy, a native of this country, but of Irish ancestry, and nine children have been born to this union, eight of whom are now living: John A., Alice M., Berta R., Charles N., Mary (deceased), Catherine, Andrew J., William W. and Arthur F. ^+^1 Wl AMES N. CAULK. This Biograpical Record of Bond County would be incomplete if witliin its pages a sketch of the above-named gentleman should fail to appear. His stand- ing is high among the citizens of Reno and the surroundingcountry, and he is deservedly respect- ed by those who are favored with liis friendship. It is believed by all students of human nature that the ancestry and early training and surroundings of men exert such an influence over their lives, that a knowledge of the former gives one a very good idea of what may be expected in the latter; therefore a few lines regarding the progenitors of our subject will not be amiss. His parents were James P. and Sarah (Powers) Caulk, natives res- pectively of Kentucky and North Carolina. The grandfather of our subject, Jacob Caulk, served in the Revolutionary War. In 1833 the father of our subject brought his family to Illinois, and settled in Macoupin Count}'. Upon his arrival in this State, he turned his atten- tion to agriculture, and soon became the possessor of a well-improved farm on the site of his first settlement. His family consisted of eleven chil- dren, six of whom are now living: William H. is now a resident of Litchfield, this State. Nersisus married James Coekendall, who served in the Mexican War, and departed this life several years ago. Mrs. Coekendall now makes her home with her son, who resides in Sorento. Sarah J. is the 19 wife of D. W. Henderson, a soldier in the late war who now resides in Missouri. Allen M., now a res- ident of Nebraska, also served in the late war. Ilardina, the widow of George Morris, makes her home at Mattoon, 111. Our subject completes the family circle. James N. Caulk was born October 25, 1825, near Nashville, Tenn. He was the third child in a family of eleven, and received but a limited education. Long before he passed the boundary line of childhood, and while the family were still residents of Macoupin County, death bereaved him of his father. On the 12th of August, 1862, Mr. Caulk joined Company I, One Hundred and Twenty-second Illinois Infantry, as a private, and participated in many of the battles of the war, among them being Tupelo, Nashville, and the siege and capture of Ft. Blakeley. He was attached to the Sixteenth Army Corps, under Gen. A. J. Smith, at La Grange, Tenn., and while serving at the last- mentioned place he became unfitted for active ser- vice by a sunstroke which almost proved fatal. On the 15th of July, 1866, Mr. Caulk received his discharge, and in the fall of that year he lo- cated in Montgomery County, where he occupied himself as a farmer for six years. At the close of the year 1871, our subject became imbued with a desii'e to form a personal opinion of the possi- bilities afforded in the then comparatively new State of Kansas, and with this in view he lived there for one year. Not caring to continue his residence in the State, he returned to Illinois, and located in Bond County, where ho remained until 1879. At that time he advanced his prospects by moving to Reno, where he bought a farm, and has since added to his worldly possessions in the building of several houses, which he rents. Our subject has been married twice. His present wife bore the maiden name of Mary Ann Ross, and is a lady of fine womanly traits of character, who enjoys the loyal devotion of her friends and the respect of her acquaintances. Mr. Caulk has six sons: Alexander, who was a soldier in the One Hundred and Twenty-second Illinois Infantry, now resides in Montgomery County, 111.; Abraham is a farmer in Bond County; James F. lives in Sor- ento; William H., a physician, lives in Nebraska; 412 PORTEAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Madison M. and Jacob II. reside in Dickinson County, Kan. The Caulk family can certainly lay claim to re- cognition from their country as a family which has furnished soldiers to fight for the country's cause in three generations. No better proof of true Americanism can be furnished than that illus- trated by this family. The subject of our sketch is a Republican and a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. He is a prominent and active mem- ber of the Baptist Church, and contributed liberally to its support. II^ANIEL GRAFF. The subject of this I jjj sketch, a fine old German-American far- 1^}^ mer located in Central Township, came to Bond County, 111., in 1841 witli no means, but now possesses one hundred .-md eight acres of fine land and is the only one of the orig- inal settlers left in Central Township. A sketch of his life will prove interesting. Daniel Graff was born in a province of Rhen- isli Bavaria July 22, 1821, and is the son of Peter Graff, a native of the same place. Grand- father Caspar Gi'aff was also a Bavarian, where he followed an agricultural life and served under Napoleon in the Russian campaign. His death occurred in Germany when he was about eighty- eight years of age. The father of our subject also became a farmer, but with only moderate success. He came to America in 18.53, after which he made his home with our subject and died at the age of eighty-two years, a member of the Reformed Protestant Church. The mother of our subject was Mary Shire, a native of the same province as her hus- band, and she became the mother of five children, namely: Michael, Daniel, Henry, Barbara and Peter. Her life ended when she was only thirtj^- seven years old. She liad been a member of the Reformed Protestant C!hurch and her remains now lie buried in Germany. The father of our subject contracted a second [marriage, when Catherine Colter became his wife, and two children were born of this marriage, Frederica and Fred. Our subject was reared on the fai'm in Germany and attended excellent schools there until he was eighteen years of age. He then started for Amer- ica and after a tiresome voyage of sixty-one days on the Atlantic Ocean, and ten days more before he landed at New Orleans, he was ready for his last stage of the journey and came up the Mis sissippi River to St. Louis. Leaving the city he went into St. Clair County, but returned to St Louis, remaining until the spring of 1841, when he entered forty acres of his present farm from the Government, and very soon bought more land, it being all wild at that time. The few log houses of the settlers were far apart, deer ran in droves across his farm, and wolves and turkeys were dail}' seen. The first act of our sub- ject was to erect a log cabin in the woods, and here he lived until 1849, when, having cleared up the most of his farm, he felt it to be a fit place to which to bring his bride. However, June 3, 1846, he had enlisted in Company C, Third Illinois Regiment, and went to the Mexican Wai-, where he served twelve months under Gen. Scott. He took part in the bombardment of Vera Cruz and the battle of Cerro Gordo, and was in many- skirmishes. After lie came home he was married, September 25, 1849, to Miss Nancy McAdams, who was born December 5, 1831, in this township. Twelve chil- dren have been born to our subject and his wife, seven of whom are now living, namely: Sylvanus C, Lois C, Clara, Mary, Henry, Don and Vausie. Sylvanus C. married Lucy Durant and they live in this township; Lois C. married Clara Hockctt and they live in Mills Township; Clara married A. T. Porter and they live in Vandalia, 111.; Mary mar- ried Edward Briggs and they live in Montgomery County; Henry married Leulla Bird and they live in Mills Township, this county. Mr. Graff now owns one hundred and eighty acres of improved land, and he has cleared almost all of it himself and has carried on both grain and stock-raising on it. His present comfortable resi- dence was erected in 1869 where he and his family reside. Our subject is a stanch supporter of the POETRAIT AND BIOGKAPHICAL EECORD. 413 principles of Democracy. His wife is a devout member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Mr. Graff has served his district as School Director acceptably for nine years and has taken great in- terest in educational matters. He has not only seen the growth of his own fortunes, but has viewed with satisfaction the march of improve- ment in the district and county. Always ready for any move which seemed to promise well for his neighborhood, Mr. Graff has made a favorable impression on all with whom he comes in contact. ♦^»^ *=♦=♦ M. STEWART. Among the representa- tive and esteemed citizens of Montgom- ery County, 111., there is probably no one more deserving of mention than Mr.. Stew- art, whose residence within its borders has extended over a period of more than twenty-eight years. Mr. Stewart was born in Jefferson County, Ohio, July 1, 1834, being the sixth of ten children born to James S. and Olive (Martin) Stewart. Neoma, their eldest child, died after reaching womanhood; David died in 1852, on his way to Oregon; George W. was for some thirty years a pi-osperous mer- chant, and was following that calling at New Cum- berland, W. Va., when he died in 1885, leaving his family in comfortable circumstances; James E. died when a child; Catherine also died in cliildhood; J. W. is residing on the old homestead in Jefferson County, Ohio, where his father first settled, and where he died in 1870, the mother's death also oc- curring there about 1884; Nancy A. is the wife of John McTntosh, a prominent farmer of Jefferson County, Ohio; Elizabeth E. is the wife of David S. Day, who is a Bank President in the State of Mis- souri; Rebecca N. is the widow of Benjamin Pritch- ard, of Cleveland, Ohio, who died some years ago, leaving an ample fortune. James S. Stewart, the father of these children, was born in County Derry, Ireland, about the year 1785, the eldest of a family of four children. and as early as 1800 he emigrated to the United States with his father, James, and settled in Penn- sylvania, not far from the City of Brotherly Love. The elder Mr. Stewart was a man of some means and gave his son, James S., the advantages of a good education. The latter was married in Pennsyl- vania to Miss Olive, the eldest daughter of George Martin, who was a native of that State, and a prominent citizen of English extraction. With her, James removed to Jefferson County, Ohio, some time before the birth of A. M. Stewart, prob- ably about 1830. In the county' of his birth, the boyhood days of our subject were spent, and as his father was in moderate circumstances, he gave his son the ad- vantages of a very liberal education, completing a common-school education in the academy of Wells- ville, Ohio, after which, for many years, he was en- gaged in teaching in the public schools of his native county. This occupation continued to receive his attention until his health broke down, and in March, 1864, we find him in Montgomery County, 111., at which time he purchased the farm on which he is now residing, and where his home has since been. In the month of April, 1871, he was united in marriage with Miss Eliza Jane Lease, a daughter of the late lamented and wealthy citizen of Nokomis, Leonard Lease, who was also a native of Jefferson County, Ohio, and upon whose death Mrs. Stewart inherited a small fortune. She is a \a,dy of great nobility of character, intelligent and refined, and is an earnest Christian. She has borne her hus- band six children, as follows: Mary Olive, who was educated at Almira College, at Greenville, 111.; Amy Belle, who attended the Methodist Female College, of Jacksonville, 111., for some time, but, on account of ill-health, was compelled to leave that institution ; George L., James Samuel, Charles Wes- ley and Grover Cleveland, the two last named still attending the public schools. Mr. Stewart, like his father before him, is a strong Democrat, and was at one time a member of the County Board of Su- pervisors, and at the present time is a member of the County Democratic Central Committee. He is an exemplary member of the Christian Church, and is recognized as a citizen of worth and stand- 414 PORTEAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ing. By hard work and good management, together with upright and honest dealing, he has amassed a goodly fortune, and in his pleasant home, sur- rounded by his family, he is enjoying the fruits of a well spent life. <^ RAN CIS TULLY, one of Montgomery County's most prominent citizens and wealtliiest farmers and stocl^-raisers, was born in County Cavan, Province of Ulster, Ireland, May 3, 1840. He is a son of Owen Tully and grand- son of Francis Tully, the latter at one time a wealthy farmer and land-holder of the beautiful Isle of Erin, but who lost all his, property during the famine in that land. Young Francis liad the advantages of a fair education up to the age of fifteen years, at which time the reverses with which his family met made it necessary for him to seek some employment. America seemed to offer a promising field to a young man of push and energy, and in order to better his financial condi- tion, he crossed the Atlantic to America in 1864, and almost immediately made his way to Illinois. He was fortunate enough to secure employment with Mr. Penington, the great grain dealer and land-owner of Bunker Hill, but two years later he left that place and came to Nokomis, where he worked on one of Mr. Penington's farms. In 1869, Mr. Tully rented this farm and began to depend on his own judgment for the means of livelihood. So ably did he manage and so ear- nestly did he labor, that in 1872 he purchased the two hundred acres where he now lives, for which he was compelled to go in debt about $600. He then bent all his energies to paying off this obliga- tion and it was not many years before it was en- tirely liquidated and he was free to improve his tine property. He had the good judgment to real- ize that stock-raising was a profitable employment and has devoted many years to this branch of agri- culture, with the result that much of his fortune has been made in tbis way. tie made it a point to raise a good grade of animals, and as a consequence always found a ready sale for them at high prices. His farm is well adapted for the purposes to which it is devoted, havingall modern conveniences, and his example in this respect has served as an im- pulse to others to follow him. It is perhaps un- necessary to add that he is recognized as a man of energy, progressive spirit, and clear perception, and he stands high in the estimation of those who know him. In addition to his two farms in this county, Mr. Tully has landed interests in Kansas, which are now being managed by his brother John, he giving but little attention to them. Notwithstanding the fact that he came to this county a few years ago a poor man, he has met with wonderful success in all that he has undertaken, as he fully deserved to do, for he has given strict attention to his business and has never infringed or encroached upon the rights of others. His parents came to this country in 1872, but the fatiier died the year of their arrival, and his mother then kept house for him (as he has never married) until her death, which occurred on the 3d of January, 1892, at the age of seventy-six years. Mr. Tully was devoted to his mother and her loss was a great blow to him. She was a woman who possessed many noble attributes of heart and head, was kind, sympathetic and sincere, was a devoted member of the Catholic Church and for many years " kept the faith." Our subject has two brothers: Philip, who is a farmer in Nokomis Township, and John, who mar- ried Sarah Dougherty and follows agricultural pursuits in Witt Township. The sisters are: Mary, wife of P. S. O'Donnell, of Audubon Township; Rosa, Mrs. Gust Dois, who lives in Nokomis; Mag- gie (deceased), formerly the wife of Martin Mc- Lain, of Nokomis Township; Bridget, Mrs. George Bingham, who resides in Ottawa County, Kan.; Bessie, wife of Patrick Costelloe, of Edina, Mo.; and Ann, who married George Wentz, now de- ceased. Mr. Tully has ever been a warm Democrat, has held many local offices and for twelve successive years was a member of the County Board of High- way Commissioners, acting as its Treasurer for a number of years. In 1890, bis party brought him PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 417 to the front for Sheriff of the county, but owing to a combination in the western part of the county- he was defeated. In 1892, he was again tendered the nomination but refused to accept it, although heartil}- appreciating the kindly motives that prompted his friends to thus honor him. He is a whole-souled, warm-hearted and impulsive Irish- American, and has a host of warm friends. S. HUBBARD, a prominent and successful settler of section 6, ranks among the old inhabitants of this part of Bond County and resides in the township of Pleasant Mound. He is a native of this State, having been born March 9, 1815, in Madison County, III. The father of our subject bore the name of Peter Hubbard and was born February 23, 1782, in South Carolina. He was reared at his home until he reached the age of nineteen, when he became ambitious to see something of the world, and started out on a prospecting tour. When he reached Tennessee he was pleased with the coun- try and remained there four years, but about that time the people became impressed with the value of the rich lands to the northwest and he was among those who came to Illinois in 1809. Mr. Hubbard remained a short time in Monroe County, but the next year removed to Madison County, and in 1817 he came into Bond County and took up about fifteen hundred acres of land. On this place the father of our subject remained until the close of his life, his death occurring at the age of eighty-seven years. He was one of the earliest settlers of the county, and held some of the most important offices, having been made County Commissioner and County Treasurer. In politics, he was a prominent Whig and was one of the largest land-holders in that part of the State. Mr. Hubbard was descended from Welsh ancestors, although Peter Hubbard, his father, was born in South Carolina, in 1756, and was a Revolutionary soldier. The mother of our subject was also a native of the Palmetto State, and her name was Martha Gilham. She was born in 1792, reared in her native place until eight years of age, and in 1800 came to Madison County, 1 11., living to be sixty-two years old. She was married to Mr. Hubbard Feb- ruary 11, 1812, in St. Clair County, 111. Her father was Thomas Gilham, a native of South Car- olina, who with his four brothers was among the early settlers of Madison County. Mr. and Mrs. Hubbard wore the parents of eight children, three daughters and five sons, and four of them are still living. Our subject is the eldest son and second child of the family. He was two years old when he came to Bond Countj', and his first recollection of school is of a log house in Greenville, with slab seats and djrt floor and greased-paper windows. Some of the more aris- tocratic edifices had puncheon floors and stick chimneys, and some had teachers whose knowledge did not much exceed that of the pupils. If his- toi-y tells the truth, some of those same school- houses were stages whereon were enacted scenes which, if accurately described, would often seem incredible. The many drolleries in the midst of unlicensed despotism are remembered with min- gled feelings of amusement, disgust and resent- ment. At the age of twenty-one, he took a course at the Jacksonville College, after which he re- turned home and remained until his marriage. The lady who became Mrs. Hubbard was a native of Virginia, born May 19, 1821. Her name was Ann Ji. Saunders, and she became united to Mr. Hubbard February 2, 1843. When about seven years of age she was taken to Pennsylvania by her parents, and came to Illinois in 1839. Im- mediately after their marriage, our subject located where he now resides. He had his house partly finished on the Government land which he took up in 1830. There were no improvements what- ever on the place when he took charge of it, but he was very energetic and got out the timbers of the house and built it almost alone; and so thor- oughly was the work done that it has sheltered him and his growing family all these years. Mr. and Mrs. Hubbard are the parents of eight chil- dren, of whom three are daughters and five sons. They all grew to maturity with one exception. 418 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Emma, who died at the age of twenty-one months. Those living are Lewis, who resides in Smithboro; Julian, who resides in Northeast Kansas; Lavinia became the wife of James E. McDowell and resides in Chicago; Henry A., who resides in Greenville; George C, who resides in Ida County, Iowa; Alfred C, who resides at home; and Mary J., who became the wife of L. Armstrong, of Greenville. Our subject had at one time a farm of six hun- dred and fifty acres, but he has divided it with his children and has only retained one hundred and seventy for himself. He has always been a strong Republican and voted in 1836 for William H. Har- rison, and again for him in 1840. Mr. Hubbard has done surveying in the county, as Deputy un- der the County Surveyor, and has been Township Trustee and School Director. For many years he has been an important member of tlie Congrega- tional Church of Greenville, of which he is now Deacon and of wliich he has been Trustee. eHARLES W. SEYMOUR was born upon section 14, Hillsboro Township, Mont- gomery County, 111., July 28, 1829. He now resides one mile west of the town of Hills- boro on section 11, where he owns seven hun- dred and forty acres of land and employs about eighteen men malting brick. The father of our subject, Wesley Seymour, may be truthfully numbered among the very early pioneers of Illinois. He was born in South Caro- lina, in 1799. His father, William Se3'mour, pa- ternal grandfather of Charles W., was a native of the Emerald Isle, and was born about forty miles from the sea. He was married to Miss Dixon, also of Ireland. The twain, leaving home and friends behind them, crossed the ocean and settled in South Carolina. Their first home in this coun- try was in Laurens C. H., S. C, but talcing counsel together they set out for the Northwest. Journeying slowly with teams, they crossed a long | stretcli of country, coming at last to the broad and almost unbrolicn prairie of Illinois. No canals or easy mode of travel greeted their eyes. Here and there they met crealiing wagons toiling painfully on their lonely way. Miles apart they saw the cabins of the energetic hardy pioneers, who gave them cordial greeting. At last the weary emi- grants reached Montgomery County, 111., but they onl3' remained there a short time, and then turned their faces toward Mississippi, in which State they passed the rest of their days. Charles Seymour's mother, Frances A'"aughn, it is supposed, was born in South Carolina in 1799. In that State she met and was married to Wesley Sey- mour. In 1825, the young couple, full of life and strength and energ}', started on a long pilgrimage to Illinois, following almost the identical route William Seymour and his wife had traveled so long before. There were some clianges, but as yet no railroads, and the unbroken prairie stretched itself before them for miles and miles. It is nearly sixty-five years since the father of our subject took up a Government claim and built a little log cabin on section 14, in which humble home his children were born and reared. The sons of this household were nine in number. There were no daughters. One child died in infancy, the others grew to man's estate, and live of the nine still sur- vive. 'J'he mother of this family died in 1854, but her husband long outlived her. He remained in Montgomery County until 1877, and then, hav- ing long since passed three-score years and ten, went to Columbus, Kan., where he died at the ad- vanced age of ninety-one years. Charles Seymour received his entire schooling in his native place. His first employment was at wagon-making and manufacturing brick. In 1854, our subject, in common with thousands of other seekers after gold, took the overland journey to California, the golden Eldorado of the West. He took the trail by the North Platte, and though his team of oxen weie strong and hardy cattle, their progress across the desert was so slow, that he was from March 27 to August 10 getting to the American Valley Mine of California. Mr. Sey- mour remained in the Golden State, mining and carpentering alternately, until November 21, 1859, PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 419 when he embarked for liome, returning by water via Panama to New York and tlience to Hillsboro. In 1861, he bought ten acres of land where he now resides, and opened the brick-yard which he has run so profitably ever since. The ten acres have been increased to seven hundred and forty acres, all in Hillsboro Township. About two years after his return, Mr. Seymour married Miss Sarah J. Killpatrick, daughter of James and Helen Killpatrick. Mrs. Seymour, like her husband, is a native of the town and was born February 16, 1840. Mr. and Mrs. Seymour have had six children: Mary E., wife of J. W. Hook; Charles F. and Frederick H., deceased; George S., of Hillsboro Township; Camilla J. and Ethel are yet with their parents. Aside from his brick business, Mr. Seymour is a most successful farmer and stock-raiser. Occupied as he has been for so many years with his own private business, our subject has yet found time to devote to public affairs local and national. He served faithfully six years as School Trustee, and it is to the conscientious efforts of such men as Mr. Seymour the steady improvement in our public school system is due. Our subject affiliates with the Republican party, but in local elections he votes for the best man. He is well known as a public-spirited citizen and is a Mason, a member of Mt. Moriah Lodge No. 51, Hillsboro Town- ship. l>-^^■ .'^^ffl*^*^ * "^S^^. »^^ a/*^^^ eW. BP:ARDSLEY. Those old residents of the to*n of Litchfield, 111., who came here to find a home in 1855; discovered that be- . fore them had arrived some one anxious to cater to their needs and their fancies. A merchant was displaying his wares in a pioneer store, and one of his windows was filled with an attractive collection of watches, clocks and the various articles con- nected with the jeweler's trade, which might be needed by the residents of a growing community. This window comprised the stock of Mr. Benjamin C. Beardsley, who afterward became one of the best- known and most prominent among the old settlers of Litclifleld. Benjamin C. Beardsley was born in 1820 at Venice, Cayuga County, N. Y., and his father died when he was a small bo}'. He and H. T. Beardsley were both taken by Nathan Tuttle, his uncle, a wealthy man, who offered to care for the boys and rear them. Benjamin was apprenticed to a watchmaker and learned the trade. He was in business in several places, at Cazeuovia, N. Y., at Detroit and Adrian, Mich., and. at the latter place he was married. He then took a trip through Kansas and finally decided to locate in this place, which his far-seeing judg- ment perceived would one day be a flourishing town. His means were small and at that time he was only able to fill one window of the only store, but in two years, in 1857, he built the house where his business is still continued. The location is No. 36 State Street, and at that time his two-story house of brick was considered quite fine. He filled the store with a proper stock and continued in business, enlarging and changing as time went on, until the time of his death, in January, 1888. He was a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity, and was Treasurer of St. Omer Commandery. He had been bereaved of his wife some time before. His possessions in real estate were considerable, and he was a man respected by all at the time of his death. C. W. Beardsley, the immediate subject of this sketch, was born February 15, 1855, in Bradford County, Pa., and was the son of H. T. and Mira (Fuller) Beardsley. His father carried on a general merchandise trade but did not live to old age. His death occurred in Pennsylvania. Our subject was educated in Bradford County, and finished in this place, where he had come at the age of thirteen years. He was apprenticed to his uncle Benjamin and continued with him for nine years. He then accepted a position on Cortland Street, New York City, and after a service there of three years he went back to his native town of Canton, Pa. Here he opened up a business and remained at it for four years, but sold it at the ex- piration of tliat time and went into Tioga County and established the first jewelry house in Hoyts- ville. He there met the lady whom he later mar- ried. She was Miss Emma Dodd, the daughter of George L. Dodd, a prominent hardware merchant of that town, and her marriage occurred Sep- tember 4, 1884. Our subject became a prom- inent man in this place, was made Justice of the Peace and bought a large amount of land and platted it and disposed of it in the new town. Here he remained five years, but then changed his residence to Elmira, N. Y., and went into the same business that engaged hira previously. He was doing well in that citj', when he received a mes- sage from his uncle who had been almost a father to him. The old gentleman was ill and desired our subject to come to him and take charge of the busi- ness which he had built up. He desired the old name to be perpetuated. This was a summons that one of the disposition of our subject could not with- stand, so he sold out his new block of buildings in PORTKAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 427 the beautiful old city of Elmira, disposed of his business and removed to this place with his family a few weeks before the death of his uncle. He took charge and settled up the estate of his uncle, and the old gentleman's last days were full of peace as he realized that the honorable old name would not be forgotten in commerce in his chosen home. Mr. Beardsley has built a brick block which now is occupied by the Daily News, and has built five dwelling-houses here and has purchased a fine resi- dence. He was a member of tiie Board of Education for two terms and is the President of the Litchfield Paint and Color Company, which was incorporated in Novernber, 1891. Mr. and Mrs. Beardsley have one cliild, who has been named for the kind uncle, and thus will not only the business, but also the name, of Benjamin Beardsley go down to another generation. _y / ♦^♦^•J- ^!^.,ARRETT CARSTENS is one of the wide- Ill (^— . awake, energetic and successful young busi- ''5^:Ji|; ness men of Nokomis. He lias made his own way in life, and is in the enjoyment of a com- petency that is the result of his unaided efforts. He is a member of the large grain and elevator house of John Carstens & Son, an establishment well known throughout the county, the members of which are conceded to be honorable business men in every respect. Garrett Carstens was born at Alton, 111., July 8, 1863, and is the eldest of five children born to Hon. John and Jeanette (Hughs) Carstens. The father, who is the head of the firm, is a German by birth, and was born at Haltland, March 22, 1837. He came to the United States in 1852, and for many years thereafter was engaged in coal-mining at Alton, 111. At the first call made by President Lincoln for troops in 1861, John Carstens tendered his ser- vices, and was enrolled in Company K, of the Ninth Illinois Infantry. During his term of service, he was taken sick, and upon its expiration he returned to his business at Alton. In 1864, he organized what was known as the "Preachers' Company," it being largely made up of young ministers from Shurt- leff College, of Alton, and was known as Company D, of the One Hundred and Twenty-second Illi- nois Infantry. Of this company Mr. Carstens was made Captain and served as such until the war closed. In 1868, John Carstens came to Nokomis and en- gaged in the hardware and grain business, and has continuously followed that occupation up to the present. Meanwliile he has become well known over a large territory, and as a business man he has ever occupied a high position in the estima- tion of his fellow-citizens. In 1888, he was elected to the State Legislature on the Republican ticket and served until 1890, making an able, active and intelligent legislator. He is one of the wealthiest business men and one of the foremost citizens of the town, is a prominent member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and the Independent Order Odd Fellows, and in all enterprises of a worthy nature his name is foremost on the list. His wife was of Scotch descent, her parents having been born in the "land of thistles and oatmeal." They became early settlers of Alton, TIL, and in that city their daughter Jeanette was born. In the public schools of Nokomis, Garrett Car- stens was educated, and after graduating from the High School he entered the Jones Commercial Col- lege, of St. Louis, in 1882, and soon after com- pleting his education he took an extended trip . through Europe with his father, visiting England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Switzerland, France and Italy. After his return from this trip, he ac- cepted a position in a wholesale establishment in St. Louis as book-keeper, and there remained until 1884, when he became the junior member of the grain house of John Carstens & Son. For five 3'ears Mr. Carstens was the City Treas- urer of Nokomis. In 1890, he was elected a mem- ber of the Countjr Board of Supervisors, and so satisfactory were his services in this capacity that he was re-elected in 1892 for another term of two years. Like his honored father, he is a useful, progressive and public-spirited citizen, alive to the 428 POETEAIT AND BIOGEAPHICAL RECOED. interests of this section and ever ready to aid any worthy cause. Miss Annie L. Halcomb, who was born at Waterloo, 111., became his wife in 1885. She is the youngest of seven daughters ))orn to A. J. Halcomb, now a resident of Nokomis. Mr. Carstens is a member of the Sons of Veterans and belongs to the Knights of Pythias and the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, and is a member of the Grand Lodge of these two societies. He is a strong Eepublican and is a general favorite in so- cial as well as business and political circles. r^EV. W. H. GRONER. In the study of the V^/ careers of those who have been the archi- tects of their fortunes in the various depart- ments of business or professional life, there may often be encountered suggestions of inesti- mable value to those who are just starting out in life for themselves. The men whom we are ac- customed to call self-made are well represented in Litchfield, where many of their number are carving for themselves monuments that will out- last gilded shafts or marble statues. Among this class prominent mention belongs to the gentleman with whose name we introduce this sketch, and who is widely known and highl}' esteemed as a minister in the Christian Church. For a period covering twenty -one years he has held the pastor- ates at Ridgely, Round Prairie, Boston Chapel and Atwater, whore his labors have been rewarded with abundant success. In addition to his min- isterial work, he has for five years served effici- ently as Assessor for North Litchfield Township. Born in North Litchfield Township October 17, 1842, our subject is the son of T. C. G. and Mary (Wood) Grone'r. His fatiier settled in this part of Illinois as early as 1838, and, entering land soon after his arrival, entered upon the career of a farmer. His home is located in North Litch- field Township, where he still resides at the ad- vanced age of seventy-seven years. He can re- count some thrilling experiences of California life in the early '50s, for about that time he became imbued with the desire to go West, and spent five years in the gold diggings of California. He is a pioneer in the Christian Church, and is an earnest follower of its doctrines. His three sons and five daughters have all reached years of ma- turity, and he is now enjoying his declining years, surrounded by long-time friends and his children. Our subject enlisted in Company A, Ninety- first Illinois Infantry, August 11, 1862. After being stationed at a number of Southern points, he reached Elizabeth town, Ky., on the 27th of December, of the same year, where he was taken prisoner, placed on parole and soon after exchanged. He served three full years and re- ceived his discharge at the close of the war. After returning home, he spent some time in a select scihool and one year in Blackburn Theological Seminary. Soon after leaving school, he com- menced teaching (which profession he still follows) and fitting himself for the ministry. He was or- dained in February, 1868. Mr. Groner is eminently fitted for his chosen vocation in life, for he is a man of versatile tal- ents and energetic temperament. During the twenty-four years in which he has been identified with the Christian Church as a minister, his career has been markedly successful, and this success has been brought about by his close study and ex- traordinary capacity for work. Few men could have proved equal to the strain brought to bear upon him from the multiplicity of labors he undertook and accomplished so thoroughly. He has for many years had four charges, and some- times preached three sermons in one day. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias and S. B. Phillips Post, G. A. R., occupying the position of Chaplain of the post. He was first elected As- sessor of North Litchfield Township in' 1885. In 1881, he was elected Assessor of Raymond Town- ship, where he was at that time living. When prepared to establish home ties of his own, our subject was united in marriage with Miss Amanda C.,a daughter John S.and Elizabeth Roberts, and a friend of his boyhood, they hav- ing beep reared on adjoining farms. Their mar- PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD, 429 riage occurred November 24, 1868, and they are now the parents of two children, Minnie L. and Bertie. During all the labors of Mr. Groner for the past twentj'-four j^ears he has been nobly as- sisted by his wife, who has proved herself a tire- less and efficient worker in the vineyard of the Master. Her kind words and gracious manner have endeared her to hosts of friends, and her name is known for many a mile on account of the sweetness of her disposition and the nobility of her character. Our subject has always identi- fied himself with the cause of education and has served on the School Board, beside occupying the position of Commissioner of Public Works for four or five terms. bitt-pW^ t- ■^llACOB D. ROYER, a member of an old- settled family of the county, and a promi- nent and extensive farmer and also a veteran of the late war, resides near Dud- leyville. Bond County, 111. He has here a farm of two hundred and thirty-two acres and is a suc- cessful grain farmer and stock-raiser. Our subject was born in Greenville, this county, November 18, 1888, and is the son of Daniel Royer, who came from a German family of that name which had settled over a large section in Pennsylvania. By occupation, Daniel Royer was a farmer and shoemaker, who came at an earl}^ day in the history of the county and settled near Greenville; later to the southeast of it he en- tered Government land. The journey to this lo- cation was a long and toilsome one over the mountains in wagons, and "when he came and set- tled on his place the log cabin had yet to be built. Willing hands make light work, and with a will he cleared his land and worked at odd times at his trade, and when the Black Hawk War came on and men were required, he was one of those who went to fight the savages. His services were also given in the Mexican War. Mr, Royer had several farms and had some land warrants which he placed near Greenville. At that time deer and wolves were numerous, prairie chickens flew in clouds, wild turkeys ran through the brush, and the timber land was full of the nests of the wild honey bees. The death of Mr. Royer took place when he was about fifty-two years old, and he died in the faith of Calvin. His po- litical adherence had been with the Democratic party. The mother of our subject was Mary Cockburn, who was born in South Carolina, al- though the marriage of the parents of our sub- ject took place in Tennessee. She was the be- loved mother of ten children, although only six of these grew to manhood and womanhood. These were: WiUiam, John, Jacob, Edward, Pleasant and Sarah. This worthy mother died when about seventy years old. Our subject was reared here and attended the log schoolhouse nearest his home, which in those days was called a subscription school. When twenty years of age, Mr. Royer began for him- self, going out to the neighbors to work by the daJ^ When the call came for troops, in the year 1861, he was one of those who came forward without dela}', and joined Company F, Seventh Missouri Infantry, and was mustered into the service at the Arsenal at St. Louis. He saw ser- vice through Missouri, Kansas, Tennessee, Missis- sippi and Louisiana, and was in the battle of Vicksburg, and towards the close of the war he was appointed on detached duty, and was mus- tered out at St. Louis in June, 1864. He now re- ceives a pension of $6 a month. The marriage of Mr. Royer took place in 1865, to Miss Elizabeth McCullag, who was born in Bond County, 111., and they have now a family of one girl and seven boys, as follows: Alden, Sarah Ollie, Louis, George, Leslie, Emery, Arthur and Harry. Clowren is deceased. Our subject settled where he now lives in 1867, and at that time the place was entirely unimproved. He bought eighty acres and built a log house, but now he has two hundred and thirty-two acres, and all of this is improved with the exception of twenty acres. He raises great crops of grain and numbers of cattle, horses and sheep. Both he and his wife are highly respected members of the Free 430 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Methodist denomination. In his political belief, Mr. Royer is a Republican, and upholds the opin- ions of his party with vigor. His family is one of the best in the agricultural section of the State. ^ AMES R. SEYMOUR, a popular young phy- sician of Raymond, was born in Montgom- ery County, on the 22nd of September, 1859. We do not know much concerning the early history of the Seymour family, but the grand- father, Wesley Seymour, was a native of South Carolina and was of Irish extraction. His son, William Dixon Seymour, the father of our subject, was born in South Carolina, in 1823, and with his parents emigrated to Montgomery County, 111., in 1827, the family locating on Government land near Hillsboro, where William spent the remainder of his life. He married Elizabeth A. Christian, a na- tive of Kentucky. She also went to Montgomery County with her parents, locating there in the pio- neer days. The Doctor's father was a man of fine education and at one time was Superintendent of the schools of his county. His wife died in Hills- boro in March, 1892. Both were prominent and highly respected citizens. Their family numbered eight children. The Doctor was the fifth in order of birth. He was born and reared on his father's farm and was educated in the Hillsboro Academy. At the age of nineteen we find him a teacher in the pub- lic schools, and he followed that profession for two years, during which time lie began the study of medicine in the office of Dr. McLean, of Hillsboro. He determined to make tlie practice of medicine his life work, and to fit himself to that end, in the fall of 1881 he entered the Eclectic Medical In- stitute of Cincinnati, Ohio, from which he was graduated in 1883. Immediately afterward he formed a partnership and embarked in the practice of his chosen profession in Murphysliorougli, this State. He afterward practiced in Reno, Bond County, and in March, 1888, in company with his brother, William L. Seymour, he purchased the drug store in Raymond, which they still own and carry on under the firm name of Seymour Brothers. The Doctor has also continued the practice of med- icine with marked success. Dr. Seymour has been twice married. On the 17th of February, 1892, was celebrated his last union, Mrs. Ida Tilden, a widow, becoming his wife. She is the daughter of William Bolles, a prominent citizen of this county. In social cir- cles this worthy couple rank higli, and their circle of friends throughout the community is indeed laige. The Doctor is a leading member of the Modern Woodmen and is examiner for his camp. In pol- itics, he is a strong Republican, and takes quite an active part in political affairs. In 1890, he was elected Maj'or of Raymond, re-elected in 1891, and the position was again offered to him in 1892, but be declined the honor of serving for a third term. His skill and ability as a medical practitioner are well recognized, and a liberal patronage which he well deserves has crowned his efforts. -^-^=m>^^-^^— •117 UCY K. (WAIT) KING. The lady whose I (^ name gives title to the following sketch is jl* — ^V, well known in the section in which she re- sides. She is a person of prominence, not only on account of the honored name she bears, but also from her personal excellence of mind and heart. Her father, Thomas B. Wait, Jr., was a na- 444 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD, tive of Maine, as was also his father, Thomas B. Wait, Sr. Like most of the prominent and lead- ing families of New England, the Wait family of whom our subject is a descendant trace their ancestral line back to Old England, the birthplace of so many of the wisest and best men of the age. Thomas B. Wait, Sr., was a printer and book pub- lisher in Portland, Me., and edited and pub- lished the first paper printed in that city. He re- moved to Boston, Mass., where he conducted the largest publishing house in that city at that time. Here he continued in business until his death, ■which occurred at an advanced age. The father of our subject was educated for the profession of a lawyer, and received a fine educa- tion, graduating from one of the finest law schools in the East. He opened a law office in Brooklyn, N. Y., and practiced there with considerable suc- cess for some years, but not liking the profession he gave it up. In 1818 he came West in com- pany with his brother, William S. Wait, and both men entered large tracts of land in Bond and Madison Counties, 111. The journey was made overland by wagon, and by flat-boat down the Ohio River. Mr. Wait located in what now is known as Old Ripley Township. At that place he built a log cabin and the first gristmill in Bond Count}-. Here he remained for several years en- joying the wild life, so fascinating to many sons of civilization, and making lasting friendship with the Indians, who wandered by and often stopped to beg. Deer were frequent visitors, and it would not have been very difficult to find a" dear gazelle " among the wild creatures who fled at the sight of tiie hunter. Venison was the main sustenance of the family during their travels through the Western country. Tiring of the life of privation which a home in the wilderness made necessary, Mr. Wait took his family to Indiana, and here he remained for a short time but a restlessness seemed to again take possession of him, and again he started Westward, and spent some months in Kentucky. Finally, he decided that more desirable homes could be pro- cured farther West, and he bought land in Iowa, and then decided to conduct a general store. With his family he was on his way to his new home with a stock of goods, when he was sud- denly stricken with cholera, and in that awful ep- idemic died on the boat at Grafton, a small sta- tion not far from Alton, 111. At that time there had been no brave Stanford to test the etflcacy of inoculation, and cholera swept through the land with Irresistible fury. So ended the life of a man who was possessed of great gifts of mind, and who was ambitious to advance himself and family in the world. The mother of our subject was Lucy Kelly, a noble woman, born in Norwich, Conn., where her father was a ship-owner. She became the honored mother of nine children, as follows: Elizabeth L., Charles A., Rebecca, Mary E., Ann C, William, Thomas, Lucy K., and George T. After the sad death of her husband Mrs. Wait settled in Alton, and opened a school, for there was necessity fac- ing this bereaved mother with her helpless brood about her. Finally siie took charge of the Piasa Hotel, when it was here first opened up to the public. Among her patrons came Daniel Webster, on one of his Western trips. The great statesman com- plimented her highly upon her ability to please her guests and make a hotel seem like a home. Her life had some thrilling experiences, as the fol- lowing will testify: Elijah Lovejoy, the famous editor and Abolitionist, who was killed and dragged through the streets of Alton, for his terar erity in publishing an Abolition paper, was a boarder at her house at the time, and she was the first one to ring the church bell and give the alarm that called general attention to the terrible crime. Eventually, Mrs. Wait came back to Bond County, and bought three hundred and forty acres of land four miles north of Greenville and died there at the age of fifty-eight years. She was a woman of superior mind, well educated, and had energy and a faculty for management which would have made her prominent in any position. Her daughter, the subject of the present writing, grew up here and attended school in the log schoolhouse with her brothers, and remembers well the slab benches with pin legs and the rough puncheon floors. This was a subscription school. After this she was given the advantages of a good PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 445 private school in Greenville. On September 12, 1855, she was married to Elisha H. Blanchard, who was born on her present farm. His father, Seth Blanchard, came to Bond County about 1820, and was a large land-owner and prominent farmer. After marriage our subject and her husband set- tled on this place. He was a prosperous farmer and owned eight hundred acres of valuable land. He was a l.Trge stock-raiser, and a very energetic and enterprising man. By this marriage five chil- dren were born: Lucy L., Ralph W. (deceased); Grace, George H. (deceased), and William H. (deceased). The death of Mr. Blanchard took place in June, 1866. The second marriage of our subject took place in 1869, to Edward T. King. His death occurred some years ago. Mrs. King is one of the largest land-owners in this section, having four hundred and sixty-four acres of fine land, all under a high state of cultivation, which she rents. The loca- tion of her large residence is upon an elevation back from the highway, and is surrounded by a beautiful grove, which commands a fine view over the country to the South and West. She and her accomplished daughter enjoy life, and spend much time at the fashionable summer resorts. They have spent one spring and summer upon the Pa- cific Coast. Tliey travel a great deal, and are highly cultured ladies. 1* A**!^^^ * ***e: 1****'^^*'5"5-*F ^p^EORGE M. TATHAM. During the last ill !_-, eighteen years, Mr. Tatham has been editor '^^1 and proprietor of the Greenville Advocate, a paper which is so well known throughout this portion of the State that it needs no special men- tion or eulogy in this biographical sketch. Mr. Tatham was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, October 27, 1836. His father was a native of the eastern shore of old Virginia, and his mother came from the "tight little island," being a native of London, England, but of Welsh parents, who came to the United States early in their married life. The father of Mr. Tatham was a merchant for the greater part of his life, and his son followed in his footsteps until he settled in Greenville, 111., in 1870, since which time he has been employed in editorial work. Our subject feels that editorial work is a thoroughly missionary one, for without the paper progress would be hindered in every di- rection. Our world has been made smaller by the newspaper and the telegraph, and its people and nations realize more than ever that they are but one family in the broadest sense. fALLEE HAROLD. The principal news- paper, containing, first, that which everj-- body wants to know of — news concerning tlieir neighbors and locality; second, a review of the happenings of the world in general; and third, formative opinions by a keen, shrewd, editorial mind, is the paper pre-eminently belonging to Greenville and called the Sun. It is so well edited as to merit and receive the liberal patronage of citizens throughout the town and county. The editor of the Sun, whose name adorns the head of this sketch, was born atFredericktown,Mo., June 4, 1857. He is a son of Dr. John and Emma (Vallee) Harold, natives of Ireland and Missouri, respectively. The former emigrated to America after completing his medical course in his native land. He first settled at St. Louis and later went to Fredericktown, Mo., where he was engaged in the practice of his profession until his decease in 1860. His wife followed him five years later, leav- ing four children. The maternal grandfather of our subject, John B. Vallee, was the first native in Ste. Genevieve, Mo., of any prominence who could speak the En- glish language and was called by the natives "Vallee L'Engletere" — English Vallee. He was a brother of Jean Baptiste Vallee, commander of the Upper Louisiana district, while it was still in pos- session of the Spanish Governor. As his name indicates, he was a native of France, 446 i'ORTEAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Our subject was a lad of but eiglit years when deprived of his mother's care. His father had passed away five years previously. He was reared by his uncle,, Joseph Bogy, of St. Mary's, Mo., who was an officer in the Federal State Militia. The young man diligently prosecuted his studies, and in the spring of 1874 he was graduated at the head of his class from the college of the Christian Brothers, at St. Louis. In 1877, he was admitted to the Bar to practice law, and three years later he was elected Prosecuting Attorney for Ste. Genevieve County, Mo., and was re-elected to this position in 1882. He resigned the holding in 1884 and came to Greenville. While a resident of Ste. Genevieve, our subject was engaged in publishing The Fair Play for four years, and on coming to this place he purchased the Sun. Four men are constantly employed in the office and extra help is often utilized. In 1888, Mr. Harold was appointed Master in Chancery of Bond County, which position he still holds He is a Democrat in his political belief, and being gifted as a speaker he is frequently pressed into service by his party as a campaign speaker. He holds a high place among the editors of the State. FREDERICK LAW. There is a pithy West- ipJS-' ^'''^ saying: li " It is not rank, or wealth or State, But 'git-up-and-git' that makes man great." The rapid and precocious growth of the Central and Western States, and the building up of commercial and social relations have necessitated an energ}' bare of other elements that would be considered impos- sible in the Old World. Our subject is one of the men who has made himself a name and position in consonance with this Western s[)irit, and that with- out many other advantages. Mr. Law is the leading harness and saddle man- ufacturer of Nokomis. He is of German birth and parentage, having been born in the city of Baden, Germany, June 17, 1843. His father was Henry Law, a weaver by trade. His mother was Maria Law. When tiie subject of this sketch was but eight years of age his parents made the change from Germany to the New World, settling at Ham- ilton, Ontario, Canada. Here the youth grew up, having but small opportunity to develop in an intellectual direction, but intuitively grasping those better principles of life which help one to a natural growth and mental development. At the age of eighteen, the gentleman whose name is at the head of this sketch began to learn the harness-maker's trade at Mount Pleasant, Can- ada, and just as Peace was spreading her white wings over the disturbed States, he determined to cross the line and make a home for himself as a citizen of the Union. He first engaged in his trade in New York State, working also in Penn- sylvania for a year, and in 1866 he came to Illi- nois and was at once prepossessed in favor of Mont- gomery County. Two years later he established himself in business at Nokomis, and since that time has been actively engaged in the same line. He is a pioneer in his trade, and during the years that have passed his business principles, as well as in- dustry, have made him the best kind of returns — a large and prosperous business. Mr. Law is a Democrat in his political faith, and has the strength of his convictions in regard to the principles of his party — Free Trade and alL He has played a prominent part in local politics, having generously given of his time and ability to the municipal government, and has acceptably filled a number of the local offices. The confi- dence of his fellow-citizens in his integrity and ability is shown by his recent election to the Presi- dency of the Board of Education, he having re- ceived this honor by a large and flattering major- ity. Socially, our subject is a prominent member of the Odd Fellows' lodge, and is a strong advo- cate of fraternal support. Mr. Law became a benedict in 1868, soon after becoming a citizen of the States. His nuptials were solemnized at Nokomis, his bride being Miss Susannah Jane Barringer, a native of this county. Death, however, robbed him of his companion three years later, leaving him as the pledge of their PORTKAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 447 love two cbildren, Rosina and Nellie. The former is now the wife of Charles Hill, of Pana, this State. Without the presence of a deft-handed, tactful and tasteful woman, home lacks its chief element. This Mr. Law felt, and on March 5, 1873, he pre- vailed upon Miss Amanda Mallina Cole, a native of this State, to take his name and become the head of his house. This union has been blessed by the ■advent of three children; death claimed one of the little ones, however, when at the most fascinating baby age, when the problems of life are just opening out before lihe childish mind. The two surviving children are, Dora Belle and Charles Jesse. ^+^ cs_ "S] yB. VOLENTINE. The gentleman whose life we here briefly sketch Is one of the most prominent farmers in Shoal Creek Township, Bond County, 111. He was born on a farm adjoining the place where he now lives, P'eb- ruar3' 23, 1849, and was the youngest of three sons born to W.'P. and M. E. (Jones) Volentine. His father was a native of North Carolina, and his mother was born in Tennessee. But little can be learned of the early history of the Volentine family, but tiiere are many charac- teristics apparent in both the older and younger members to qualify the surmise that their ances- tors were Scotch. The grandfather of our subject settled in Bond County in the year 1817, and was known as a man of fine principles and admirable traits of heart and mind. The father of our sub- ject was a man of limited means, but allowed his family all the advantages he could possibly afford. He departed this life on the old Volentine home- stead December 1, 1867, having just completed his fifty-first year. The mother of our subject was quite prominentl3' connected in the South, and was a most excellent example of the pioneer wife and mother; she departed this life in the year 1888, at the age of seventy-three years. The brothers of our subject were Ewing M., who only lived until five years old; and Eschew A., born January 20, 1847, who departed this life after living one year and eight days. Their sister, Louisa A., is now the wife of Mr. Edwards, a prominent farmer and most excellent business man, who re- sides on the old Volentine homestead. After completing the common-school coui-se, our subject found that from the experience obtained on his father's farm, he was eminently fitted to commence the serious pursuits of a livelihood as a farmer. His first purchase was a farm containing two hundred and eighty acres, and by strict atten- tion to business and energy, thrift and enterprise, he has to-day added three other farms to his first possession, and now has five hundreil and thirty- five acres. The year 1877 is the one marked for our subject by the event of his life to which the most senti- ment is attached. On the 31st of May of that year, Miss Sarah E. Stopp became his wife. This lady was the daughter of B. W. and K. G. (Tid- well) Stepp. Her father and mother were both na- tives of the South, and she was born in Tennessee. The Stepp familj^ consists of the following chil- dren: Elizabeth, who is the wife' of Elias Jones, of Joplin,Mo.; Margaret, the wife of W. T. Foster, of Alton, IIL; Eva, the wife of Edward Beckley, of Chicago; the brother John is m business in Cali- fornia; and William R. is a well-known business man of Fillmore, HI. Mr. and Mrs. Volentine have been the parents of five children, one of whom died before reach- ing the boundary line of childhood; the oth- ers are Omer, who is now thirteen years old; Oliver, one year younger; Effie, who was born January 22, 1881; and Ethel, who was born April 16, 1883. Mr. Volentine is a man of progressive ideas and broad thought. It is the ambition ef him and his wife that their children shall each possess the best possible educational advantages, and to this end they do all in their power to encourage the pursuit after knowledge in their progeny. Mr. Volentine has always identified himself po- litically with the Republican party and is an earnest exponent of the principles of his na- tive land. He is satisfied to pursue the even tenor 448 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. of his way, without seeliing recognition from the party he stanchly supports, and seeks only the honor of being known as a loyal American citizen. Mr. Volentine is a man of bright, frank, genial na- ture, broad outlook in his views and acts, and he has used his influence by example and otherwise to advance the welfare of the community in which he resides. \fj0SEPH C. WRIGHT, Sheriff of Bond I County, 111., who resides in La Grange ,f^ i Township, has the honor of being a native %^f/ of this State. He was born in Madison County, on the 10th of May, 1841, and is a son of Colwell and Agnes P. (Daniel) Wright, the former a native of Virginia, and the latter of North Carolina. The father of our subject was a farmer by occu- pation and came to Illinois in 1834, locating in Madison County, where he carried on agricultural pursuits for some time. The year 1848 witnessed his arrival in Bond County, and he again turned his attention to farming, which he carried on in Mulberry Grove Township, there making his home until his death on the 19th of January, 1852. The mother survived him about eight years, dying in December, 1860. Their family numbered eleven childrfin, eight of whom are yet living: George W.,Mrs. Elizabeth Reynolds, William, Mrs. Martha Jett, Mrs. Virginia Rodgers, Joseph C, Joshua and Mrs. Sarah Hubbard. The subject of this sketch spent the days of his boyhood and j-outh upon his father's farm and acquired his education in the public schools. He then engaged in teaching for one term, and re- mained upon the home farm until after the death of his mother in 1860. After the breaking out of the late war, he responded to the country's call for troops, enlisting as a member of Company E, Twenty-second Illinois Infantry, in which he served for three years, two months and two days. He was slightly wounded at the battle of Resaca, and a wound received while building a breastwork confined him in a hospital at Cain Creek, Ala., from August 25, 1862, until the 25th of January. 1863. After the expiration of his tei'm of service, he was honorably discharged. He had partici- pated in the battles of Charleston (Mo.), Belmont, F'armington, Chattanooga, Chickamauga, New Hope Church, and a number of skirmishes. He proved himself a valiant and faithful soldier, was ever found at his post of duty and was a faithful defender of the Old Flag, which now floats so proudly over the united nation. After his discharge, Mr. "Wright came to this county and engaged in farming in La Grange Township until 1886, when he came to Greenville, and for four years served as Deputy Sheriff. He was then elected, in 1890, to the office of County Sheriff, which position he still fills. He also served for eight years as Constable of La Grange Township. In politics, he is a stalwart Republican, warmly advocating the principles of that partj-, and in his social relations is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. In the year 1879, Mr. Wright was united in marriage with Miss EflSe A. Watson, daugh- ter of Andrew W. Watson, of this county, and their union has been blessed with three children, who are yet living: Charles 0., Irena M. and George C. Mr. Wright is widely and favorablj- known throughout Bond County. His worth and ability led to his election to the office of County Sheriff, and his faithful discharge of duty has shown that the confidence reposed in him is not misplaced. He is a brave, fearless man, straight- forward in all his dealings, and his friends throughout the community are many. V. / A=*E i^VilRBANE B. HARRIS. For a number of flf I years prior to his decease, this gentleman ^^^ was a member of the firm of Northcott & Harris, dealers in real estate, at Greenville, He PORTEAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 449 was a native of Beaver Creek Township, Bond County, born P'ebruary 10, 1833. His parents, John and Nancy (Goodson) Harris, were n:itives of Kentucky, and his father located in this county in 1826. His grandparents were Rev. William and Nancy (Hismith) Harris, natives of Virginia. The grandfather was a minister in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and to that work devoted his energies throughout life. He was a large man, weigliing two hundred and fifty pounds, and his wife weighed nearly four hundred pounds. They reared seventeen children, all of whom grew to mature years, and seven of the twelve sons were preachers in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Only three sons and one daughter are now living: Rev. W., of Tazewell County, 111.; Rev. Josiah, of Clarksburg, Tex.; Rev. Chaltam, of Kentucky; and Mrs. George Blewit, of Texas, whose husband is a minister. The mother of our subject was a daughter of William and Sarah (Maxey) Goodson, natives of Virginia, who were married in Kentucky. The father was an extensive farmer and came to Bond County in 1826 with the father of our subject. Here he continued farming until his death. The Harris family also engaged in agricultural pur- suits, its members comprising seven children, who were all connected with the old Cumberland Pres- byterian Church. Our subject, who was the youngest member of the family, spent his boyhood days upon the home farm, acquiring his education in the common schools. In 1855, he cornmenced to teach, whicJi profession he followed for ten years during the winter season, working on a farm during the summer. In 1862, Mr. Harris enlisted in Company E, One Hundred and Thirtieth Illinois Infantry, of which he was made Captain on the 12th of August. The troops went into camp at Belleville, and after two weeks were sent to Camp Butler, Springfield 111., where they remained until the 1st of November. They were then in camp at Memphis until March, 1863, when they went to Milliken's Bend, on the Mississippi, and from there down the river sixty miles below Vicksburg. They were attached to the Second Brigade, Thirteenth Array Corps, and the flrst battle in wbich tUey pavticipsited w»§ at Magnolia Hill. This was followed by the engage- ments at Champion Hill and Black River Bridge. On the 19th of May, 1863, they commenced the siege of Vicksburg, which lasted forty-eight days, when the city surrendered. On the 5th of Jul}-, they were ordered to Jackson, Miss. The Rebels were driven into their works and evacuated July 16. They then returned to Vicksburg, and went down the river to New Orleans, when they were transferred to the command of Gen. Banks in the Department of the Gulf. In Februar}', 1864, Capt. Harris resigned his commission on account of rheumatism and malarial fever, and returned to his home. He was a faithful soldier, but his ardu- ous service proved too much for his health, and for a long time after the expiration of his service he was unable to do any work. After partially recovering, the Captain engaged in buying and selling stock, which business he followed until 1867, when he embarked in mer- chandising within a mile and a-half of the place where he was reared. To this work he devoted his energies for some sixteen years, and the busi- ness is now managed by his son. He came to Greenville in 1883, and for two years lived retired. He then formed the partnership with Mr. North- cott, which continued until his demise. Mr. Harris was married in 1853, to Elizabeth A., daughter of John Gregory, of Clinton Count}-, 111. They became the parents of four children, all of whom are yet living, as follows': Margaret is the wife of Thomas J. Hull, of this county, by whom she has three children, Grace, Harris and Alice. Luther J. is engaged in a general mercan- tile business at Wisetown, where he makes his home; he married Miss Bettie Sharp, of Bond County, and they have one son, Darrel. John F., who is clerk in the Woodmen's office, at P'ulton, 111., married Miss Ella Denny, of this county, and they have one son. Linden. Shaw is a student at Fulton. In his social relations, Mr. Harris was an Odd Fellow and a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. In politics, he was a stalwart Republi- can, and served as a member of the County Board of Supervisors for ten years, and was for a time Mayor of Greenville, He possessed a splendid 450 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. physique, being about six feet in heigiitand lieavy set. In manner, be was genial, and upright in liis business dealings, enjoying the confidence of all with wliom ho was brouglit in contact. It wns considered a public loss when he was removed hence by death, August 7, 1891. After his de- cease, his widow removed to 'Wisetown, where she now makes her home. 4^ ^> » ' I I ' I '^ ACOB CLEARWATER, M. 1). The subject of the present writing is the oldest physi- cian of Litchfield, having come here when there were only three houses in the place. He is the son of Reuben and Jane (Miller) Clear- water, and was born in Highland County, Ohio, December 27, 1820. His father, a farmer by occu- pation, was originally from North Carolina, and, for a time, made his home in Tennessee, where he mar- ried, and thence removed to Ohio. He was reared a follower of George Fox, and a member of the So- ciety of Friends, but he saw reason to change his belief, and became a preacher in the Methodist de- nomination. He was cotemporary with, and a companion of Peter Cartwright, and these good and self-sacriflcing men worked together for many years. Our subject well remembers seeing them together, and the visits he made to the home of the good but erratic old divine. Reuben Clearwa- ter lived to be eighty-six j'ears old and passed away after a ministerial life of sixty-two 3-ears. His last days were spent in McLean County, 111. When nine years old our subject aocompanied Uis parents to McLean County, 111,, ape] be well re- Si members the time when, with his father, he at- tended the first sale of town lots at Bloomington, this State. When he reached a proper age he be- gan to read medicine with Dr. Moran, of Lero3', 111., and afterward was with Dr. Wakefield, of Point Isabella, 111. Some five or six years later he entered into partnership with Dr. Lemon, and that connection continued for ten years. In 1854, Dr. Clearwater came to Litchfield and opened an of- fice for the practice of his profession. He soon won his way, for in those times the physician was the friend as well as the healer, and no call was disregarded though it came from many miles away. The good Doctor has traveled over the prairie as far distant as St. Louis and Mattoon on his errands of mercy. In those early days he was obliged to make many journeys on horseback, no doubt, and probably often over Indian trails in- stead of good country roads. How many changes the Doctor has seen in his long life here! The school and church bells peal over the land where, in his early pioneer life, was heard the war-whoop of angry savages. Rich mead- ows and fattening flocks meet the eye where once grew wild prairie grass or the trees of natural growth. All these changes have been very appar- ent to the country physician in a growing commu- nity, and with the improvements in every direc- tion our subject took a deep interest. The active practice of Dr. Clearwater did not close until he was himself attacked, and by one of those myste- rious maladies which have always baffled the skill of the most learned. He was paralyzed in his left side in 1886, and this caused him to restrict his at- tention entirely to office practice. His patients would not give him up, but he was stricken a sec- ond time. Since that calamity he has recognized the affectionate wishes of his patients, and opened an office in his home for those who feel that they can have no one else. The first marriage of Dr. Clearwater united him with Miss Susan Stansbury, of McLean County. They became the parents of one child, that died four days after the death of its mother. Later the Doctor married Miss Elizabeth, daughter of Sam- uel Brickey, and to them nine children have been l?orn,of wlioffl tlil'Ce are still liyjjig. Susfip is tll§ 454 PORTEAIT AND BIOC^fRAPIlICAL RECORD, wife of John Mundou; Hester M., is the wife of Thomas Tolly, of Wilmington, Del.; and Napoleon lives in the residence adjoining that of his father. Our subject bnilt his present home in 1872, and has lived in this place ever since. Socially, he af- filiates with the Masonic fraternity, and Elliott Chapter No. 2. He and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. W EMUEL ADAMS, a prominent citizen of ll (© Greenville, claims Ohio as his native State. He was born in Dayton, April 30, 1831. Through many generations the ancestry of the family is traced back to John Ap Adam, who left the marshes of Wales in 1310, and settled in Eng- land. Those in the line of direct descent are John , John Ap Thomas, William John, Roger Adams, Thomas, Nicholas, Richard, Robert, George and Henrjr, all natives of England. The family name was Adam in Welsh, and was finally anglicized to Adams by Roger Adam, and the name remains the same now. Henry Adams came to this countr}' in 1632 with eight sons, and settled in Braintree, Mass. One of his children, Joseph, was one of the incorporators of Braintree in 1634. Another son, Henry, removed to Medford, Mass., in 1649, and served as Town Clerk, and was Representative to the Colonial Legislature in 1659, 1665, 1674 and 1675. He was also a Lieutenant in King Philip's War, and was killed in his own dooryard by the Indians. Plis wife was accidentally killed by an Englishman. We give below a copy of the will of Henry Adams, the founder of the family in this country. " First, my will is that my sonne, Peter and John, and my dau. Ursula, shall have the ground in the Neck, both upland and meddow dur- ing the time I was to enjoy it until it returne into the townes hands againe, from whom I had it. Also tlie aker in the millftelds. My Will is t,b3,t rn;y bookes s[iftl|. bfs (^pyjdecl amongst a}! m^ children, that mj' wife shall have and enjoy all my other Goods so long as shee liveth unmarried, and if shee marry, then ray Will is yt Josephe, Ed- ward and my dau. Ursula should enjoy all my grounds in the field that lyetli in the way to Waymouth ferry, and my house Lott with all the houses and fruit tries and all my movables, at the death or marriage of my wife: Provided they and their mother shall pay to my sonne Samuel that wch is due him for the ground I bought of him to be paved in Convenient tyme. But incase God should deal with my wife that slice be con- strained to make use of something by way of sale, shee maj'. finally for movables my will is that my Sonne Peter and John shall have an equall share with my sonne Joseph and Edward, and my dau. Ursula. HENRY ADAMS, BliNJAMrN AlLBEE, ) o a -.nin r-, ■ ^ D T5 ' V 8,4, 1647. Brain tree,Mass. Richard Beackett. j Increase Nowell, Sec. Recorded in Suffolk Probate Records, Vol. 2, page 32. Amt. of inventory 75£, 13s. Increase Nowell, Sec." 8, 4, 1647. Joseph Adams, son of Henry Adams, was the next in line in direct descent to our subject. Then came Joseph, Jr., born December 14, 1654, and Samuel, who was born in Massachusetts in 1694. Nathaniel, born January 19, 1746, the great- grandfather of our subject and the son of Samuel, was also born in the Bay State, was a farmer by occupation, and was a Revolutionary soldier. John C. Adams, grandfather of our subject, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., and married a Miss Waldron, a native of New Jersey. They removed to Virginia, and from that State to Kentucky, in 1798. In 1800 they went to Ohio, settling near Springfield, where he engaged in farming. He afterward removed to Dallas County, Iowa, where his death occurred at the age of eighty-eio-ht years. John Adams, father of our subject, was born in Ohio in 1802, and married Mary Bflcon, a native of New York. He emigrated to ^Scott County, JIJ,, ip J850, apd tbcr? yroy]ie^ ^t the tfftde of PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 455 coopering until his removal to this county, in 1852. He settled in Mills Township, and after- ward came to Greenville, where he died in 1877. His wife died the same week. He was seventy- five years of age, and she seventy-three. In poli- tics, Mr. Adams was a Republican. With the Meth- odist Church he held membership, and his wife was a Presbyterian. Of their six children four are yet living: Nelson, Lemuel, John and Harry. At the age of seventeen years Lemuel Adams left home, and started to learn the blacksmith's trade in Indianapolis, Ind. In 1850, he came to Illinois with his parents, remaining with them until after their removal to Bond County. He was em- ployed in a blacksmith shop and wagon works until 1861, when, prompted by patriotic impulses, he joined Company D, Twenty-second Illinois In- fantry, and was made Second Lieutenant. He participated in the battles of Charleston, Belmont, Farmington, Columbia, and the siege of Corinth, and at the battle of Belmont was wounded in the left arm and hip. He was also taken prisoner and sent to Kentucky, but after a few days was ex- changed. He was then confined in the hospital for three months, and while there was promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant. In July, 1862, he rejoined his regiment, and the following No- vember, his health being completely broken down, he resigned his position and returned home. After his return he served as Deputy Sheriff, and later engaged in merchandising with good suc- cess for some years. In 1882 he was appointed Postmaster by President Arthur, serving until 1886, when he was elected County Clerk. That office he filled four years. Mr. Adams was married in 1862 to Miss Julia £. Birge, daughter of Ansell and Millicent Birge, natives of Vermont. She died in 1874, leaving three children, Emma, Edgar and Cora. In 1882, Mr. Adams married Miss Anna Morris, of Indi- ana, and they have a daughter, Mattie E. Mrs. Adams is one of four children born to John B. and Martha (Chappell) Morris, members of the Society of Friends and natives of North Carolina. The grandfather, Joshua Morris, was a native of the same St^te, ^nd a miller by trade, The great- ^rnnc|fq,tljer, ffatbq,n Ikjorris, was ^)so boro in North Carolina, and his parents emigrated from England to America in the seventeenth century, and first settled on Nantucket Island, Mass. Mar- tha Morris was a daughter of Gideon and Mary (Squires) Chappell, natives of North Carolina, and of French and Scotch descent. The father of Mrs. Adams was an extensive farmer. He emi- grated to Indiana in 1824, and there died in 1879, having survived his wife one year. Their chil- dren were Francis M., David W., Caleb J. and Anna. In his social relations, Mr. Adams is a Mason, an Odd Fellow, and a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. Plis residence is a fine home in the eastern part of Greenville. For many years he has been numbered among tbe leading citizens of the countj', and has borne a prominent part in public interests. He is true to everj' duty devolv- ing upon him, whether official or private, and the highest esteem of his friends and acquaintances is his. I^^^^.J / g?^ . Cov^ iHE LITCHFIELD PUBLIC LIBRARY. The above-named institution appeals to two classes of people with equal beneficence and graciousness. It is a wonderful educator to the residents of the city, who have constant access to its well-filled shelves; to the stranger who may happen to be within the pretty town and with but few, if any, acquaintances, it is indeed a God-send. The facts concerning its history are necessarily few and brief. It has another history, however, which is read in the lives of the growing j'oung people of the town which boasts its possession, for such an institution cannot exist without hav- ing its silent, refining and ennobling influence. The Library was opened in A|)ril, 1882. Who its original promoter was, the writer does not know. From the first it was taken into the charge of the municipal authorities and is supported by tax. Every evening finds its hospitable door open for the reception of tho^e who may wish to oonsv(lt works of refcj'epce, magagines or papers, ^p^ tliose who 456 POETEAIT AND BIOGEAPHICAL EECOED. are on the regular list for exchanging books. The Library contains twenty-six hundred volumes, which have been selected with great care and in- dicate the taste of Litchfield's reading public. Last j'ear fifty-three hundred books were taken out from the room and ten thousand five hundred visitors were hospitably received during the same length of time. The rooms are attractive and well kept. They ■ are made cheery in the evening by the whiteness and brightness of the electric light. Its Board of Directors consists of nine persons appointed by the City Council, and the present Board comprises the following persons: D. W. Taylor, President; R. N. Paden, Vice-president; Mrs. F. E. Milnor, Sec-, retary; Mrs. John W. Eose, S. M. Grubbs, Charles Bartling, Mrs. H. IL Beach, Mrs. D. P. Woodman, and G. L. Zink. S^****!: a^"?***-?-? ^^USTAYUS E. SPANNAGEL is a promi- (|| ,_- nent and wealthy citizen of Nokomis, 111., ^^1 and was born in West Prussia, August 15, 1828, in which country his father was a farmer. On his farm our subject grew to manhood, and in addition to assisting in the duties of the farm, he attended the public schools, receiving what in that country is termed a good business education. When fifteen years old he was apprenticed to loarn the hardware business, which he followed for five years, after which he was connected with a silver- ware manufactory for two years, and then spent one year in the Prussian army, retiring with a Lieutenant's commission. He next went to Bel- gium, and for about a year and a-half he was em- ployed as book-keeper in the office of a large im- porting and wholesale grocery house, where he found it was necessary for him to speak four dif- ferent languages, which he was soon able to do. He became remarkably proficient in them all, and learned to read and write, as well as speak, them. About this time ho became very desirous of cowing to America., a,n4 io 1857 reached the United States, and proceeded directly to St. Louis, where he had an uncle living. He at once became an employe in a wholesale hardware establish- ment, a poition of the time being in the store as a salesman, and a part of the time on the road. He was with this establishment when the Civil War opened, and as he had learned to love his adopted country, and had been taught to respect the Stars and Stripes in the land of his birth, he promptly responded to the first call for troops, and in the latter part of April, a few days after the call for seventy-five thousand troops, he was commissioned Sergeant-Major of a regiment of Missouri infantry, and went first to Camp Jackson and thence to Cairo, 111., where he and his command remained for two months. They then made a raid into Missouri after Marmaduke, but his term of enlistment had more than expired, and the command was ordered to St. Louis to be mustered out. Mr. Spannagel was satisfied that more trouble was in store for the Government, and he decided to hold himself in readiness for further action. He at once commenced to raise a company, and in March, 1862, was commissioned First Lieutenant of Corn- pan}' E, First Missouri Infantry, for three years' service. After being at Camp Jackson for some six months, he went to Pilot Knob, where he was again honored with promotion, being commis- sioned Quartermaster of his regiment, with head- quarters at Pilot Knob. This position he held until his term of service expired, and for much of the time was in command of the post, as well as of the regiment's quartermaster department, at Sul- phur Springs. He filled all these places of trust with marked distinction and scrupulous honesty, and at the expiration of his three years, or in March, 1865, he was mustered out of the service at St. Louis, having been in the employ of the Government almost continuously for four years. At the close of the war he established himself in the hardware business in St. Louis, under the firm name of G. R. Spannagel & Co., a capitalist who furnished the greater part of the money for the enterprise being the company. This partnership continued for three years, at which time fortune had smiled upon Mr. Spannagel to such an extent tllf^t he bq.d s^ved enougU fflppey to embaj-fe ijj PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 457 tho business himself. Tie amassed a goodly for- tune in this business, which he continued to fol- low until 1880, but continued to carry on a whole- sale agricultural implement business for sometime afterward. In the spring of 1885 he came to No- komis, and here established himself in the hard- ware, furniture and agricultural implement busi- ness, which he has since successfully conducted. A man of large means and liberal views, he is ever read3' to lend a helping hand to a worthy cause, and the citizens of Nokomis are justly proud to number him as one of them. He is a prominent member of the Grand Army of the Re- public, and was for years Commander of the post at Nokomis, and in 1891 was an Aid-de-camp on the staff of the Department Commander. He has been a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows for the past thirty years, and is a member of the Nokomis Town Board. While in St. Louis he was a bank director. In 1862, while in the army, he was married to Miss Louisa Pleuger, a native of St. Louis, but of German descent, and to them a family of four children has been born, onl3' two of whom are living: Gustavus H., who is associated with his father in business; and Al- bert, who is a jeweler of Nokomis. ^^^r©^®!^^ ■jflOHN FIREMAN, a prominent resident of I Pitman Township, Montgomery County, is a native of Brunswick, Germany, and was born December 18, 1841. He was the son of Jacob and Elizabeth Fireman, both natives of Germany, who spent their lives in that land and never ventured across the blue waters of the At- lantic. Our subject was reared in his native place and obtained a good German education, and since his arrival in America has learned our tongue with surprising quickness. In 1858, he decided to bid adieu for a time to his native shores and make his way to America. Hither he came, and from his embarking at Bremen until he landed at New Or- leans the boy of eighteen was receiving new impres- sions. Nine weeks were spent on the ocean, 'and when he landed he found still quite a journey before him. He came up the Mississippi River to Mont- gomery County, 111., and began work for a farmer at $12 a month. Here he labored until the call came for volunteers in 1861, and, like so many of his coun- trymen who had found a home on these shores, he immediately enlisted in Company E, Forty- ninth Illinois Infantry, in the Sixteenth Army Corps, under Gen. A. J. Smith. He participated in the battles of Ft. Donelson, Shiloh, Corinth, Little Rock (Ark.), the Red River expedition, Tupelo, the siege and battle of Nashville, and other engagements of minor importance. During the service at times he became incapacitated and received an honorable discharge September 21, 1865. Our subject returned from the war not quite as strong and well as when he set out, but he felt that he had won a right to the country which had invited him to her shores. His old home was still in Montgomery County, and there he re- turned, and in the spring of 1873 he settled on his present farm and purchased two hun- dred acres of land. The marriage of Mr. Fireman was celebrated in November, 1869, with Bridget Leonard, a native of Ireland, and the daughter of Patrick and Catherine Leonard, both of whom are deceased. In the fall of 1865, Mrs. Fireman emi- grated to America by way of Queenstown, and by steamer reached New York City in eleven days, and came to Sangamon County. Here she lived for several years and then came into Montgom- ery County, where she met Mr. Fireman. The children who have resulted from this union are Elizabeth, who is the wife of Arthur Brown; Katie, Mollie, William, Nora, Rosa, Michael, Henry and Albert. Louis is deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Fireman are connected with the Roman Catholic Church, and are regarded in that connection with great respect. Mr. Fireman has been a very hard-working man all his life and has earned his fine land and sleek cattle by his honest toil. Our subject is fond of seeing his friends, and his good wife assists him in showing hos- pitality. He has a good record as a soldier and 458 POETRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. is kindly remembered by many of his old com- rades in arms. The ranks of these brave men grow smaller and smaller every year, and the time will come when such records as this will be highly prized by the friends and families, who will turn to the truthful tale of the old soldier with pride. Mr. Fireman is regarded as one of the most pros- perous and progressive of the German-American citizens of Montgomery County. F. McEWEN, the Superintendent of the Litchfield Marble and Granite Company, whose name appears above, was born at Hillsboro, March 17, 1842. His father, John McEwen, was a native of North Carolina, and being a man of considerable strength of char- acter, be was enabled to attain a pleasing degree of success in life, for in those early days it was only he who had moral and physical force who could successfully battle witli the hardships of the day. In 1839, John McEwen removed to Montgomeiy Count}', being at the time a widower. He came here as a pioneer, for there was as yet almost no improvement. He had the advantage of a trade, it being that of a blacksmith, and for some time prior to his death, which occurred in 1848, he was Justice of the Peace, and many were the hearts and lives which he bound together in bonds of matrimony. He himself was united in marriage to Miss Lj'dia Fitch, who was born in Olnej', this State. She continued as his loving lielpmate until her decease in 1887. Our subject with his companion, Ed Lane, now a Member of Congress, was obliged to work in order to maintain himself while he went to school at Hillsboro. After learning his trade, that of a marble-cutter, he enlisted in the war, April 23, 1861, volunteering in answer to the first call for troops, and joining Company H, of the Ninth Illi- nois Infantry. They did not, however, leave Cairo during the first one hundred days. He re- enlisted in the same comfjany and regiment, and went through all the important battles of the West, including Fts. Donelsonand Henry, and was at Cor- inth and Shiloh,at which latter place he was shot three times in one day. After this he was sent home on a furlough as soon as he was able to go. On reaching Mound City, he was unable to go far- ther, and was obliged to lie down on the grass, with only the blue sky above him for a canopy, remaining there for several hours, when he was put on board the cars and continued his journey home. After six weeks of recruiting health, our subject returned to his regiment, going with it to Atlanta, Ga., in that memorable march. His time of ser- vice having expired after that expedition, he re- ceived his honorable discharge. He came to Hills- boro and was there united in marriage to Miss Maria M. Abbott, daughter of Stephen, and sister of William, Abbott, both of Hillsboro. In the spring of 1866, the young people moved to Litch- field, and our subject soon after went into the marble business, opening a shop for himself, being sole proprietor of the establishment for twelve years. At the expiration of the time above mentioned, Mr. McEwen sold out his marble business and went into the grocery trade, but after an experience of five years in this line he returned to his old trade, in which he was occupied at the time of the or- ganization of the Litchfield Marble and Granite Works. This organization, of which he was one of the original stockholders, was incorporated Janu- ary 25, 1888. Mr. T. C. Kirkland was made Presi- dent; S. M. Grubbs, Treasurer; and our subject Superintendent. Their capital stock was $3,00t), and the firm is now running on a basis of about double that amount, there being a large amount of undivided profit. They are doing a business of about $26,000 annually, and this is constantly in- creasing in magnitude, the sales of last year being thirty per cent, more than the sales of the preced- ing year. Mr. McEwen was a stockholder in the Litchfield Investment Company at the time of its organiza- tion. In his political views, he is loyal to the PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 459 principles of tlie Democratic party. lie is a mem- ber of the Grand Army of the Republic, and thor- oughly enjoys the reunions with his old comrades. He belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America, and is also a Knight of Honor. Of the Qve children who owe the gift of life to our subject, Minnie H. is the wife of Charles Flem- ming; Grace is the wife of James F. Robinson, Braid wood; Maude A., Florence, and A. F., Jr., are still unmarried. As a family, they are united in their religious views, all being devoted mem- bers of the church except Mr. McEwen. Our subject is more than ordinarily successful in the affairs of life, and holds an honored place among the citizens of Litchfield, this fact being attested by the honor which they have conferred upon him in electing him to the position of City Alderman. I^+^I "=] 'SS*^-,R. P. L. FREELAND, of Nokomis, lU., is the youngest practicing physician and sur- geon in the place, and since 1885 has been the faithful and eflflcient professional servant of the public in a community which has become more and more attached to him as the years have rolled by, while in neighboring towns and cities his skill has become recognized, and his services are in demand. Called into a family as a physician, he becomes a sympathetic friend and counselor, and to his care, as a natural consequence, there are many trusts committed. Our subject was born in North Carolina, near Statesville, March 20, 1854, a son of Thomas A. and C. S. (Lentz) Freeland, who were also natives of the old North State, his father being of Scotch- Irish descent, and his mother of Pennsylvania Dutch stock, her forefathers having in an early day settled in that State. Thomas A. Freeland tilled the soil throughout life on the farm on which he was born. Like other farmers' boys, the Doctor assisted his father with the farm duties during his youth, and at short intervals attended school until he was thirteen years of age, at which time his parents left their native State to take up their residence on the prairies of Illinois. They settled on a farm near Hillsboro, in Montgomery County, and here he continued his former occu- pation of tilling the soil and attending school, being for some time an attendant of the Hills- boro Academy. As his father was bj' no means a rich man, the Doctor had to w,ork his way slowly, and with the money he had received for his labors he paid his own tuition at the academy. He was employed to ring the bell and sweep the schoolrooms, and this he continued until he had attained his tsventy-flrst year, when he went into a drug-store in Hillsboro as a clerk. He remained here for one year, during which time he acquired a taste for the business, but in the meantime he taught a country school one term. In the fall of 1880, he entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons at St. Louis, where he commenced to prepare himself for the jioble calling of a phy- sician, and in the fall of 1881 and the spring of 1882 he attended lectures at the American Medi- cal College of St. Louis, from which he was gradu- ated in the spring of 1882, and the following August opened an office at Sandy Bend, Mont- gomery County. After practicing for nearly three years, he moved to the town of Witt, of which place he was a successful practitioner until the fall of 1886, when he went to St. Louis and com- pleted his course in the College of Phj'sicians and Surgeons, graduating in the spring of 1887. Succeeding his graduation, our subject returned to Witt, where he continued to reside until the spring of 1887, after which he continued his prac- tice at Witt. In 1888, he came to Nokomis, and here he has built up a practice that is much to his credit. It may be said of him that he stands at the head of his profession. Faithful and just in the conduct of his business, as he is skillful and efficient in the practice of medicine, he is without reproach in any of the affairs of life. He devotes himself to his work with conscientious zeal and, as his profession is agreeable to his tastes, he cannot fail to become prominent. The Doctor j like all the other members of his family, is a Democrat, yet he takes no active part in politics, 460 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. His brother, C. A. Freelaiid, has been quite a fac- tor in Montgomery Countj^ politics and has served for some years as County Treasurer. On the 31st of December, 1883, the Doctor was mar- ried to Miss Nouie Casselberry, a native of Illi- nois and a daughter of a prominent farmer of this section. They have one child, a daughter, Noi. O^r^'^^C^.ffl^t*- '■■ ^' ^i^^^'^'^^r^O VMLLIAM J. ZIMMERMAN. On section 21, 11 Harvel Township, Montgomery County, Ij 111., may be seen a fine farm, upon which has been expended much care in cultivation and development. The land is well drained, well watered and adorned with plenty of trees. Six acres are planted to apple trees of the best varieties adapted to Central Illinois. This well-ordered place belongs to the gentleman whose name is in- scribed above. He is a native of the Prairie State, born in Madison County, April 9, 1847, the son of John W. and Mary (Slaughter) Zimmerman. Our subject's father was born in Germany, from which country he emigrated with his wife in November, 1846, at the age of twenty-eight years. Arrived at Alton, 111., in December. In the spring he moved to a farm near Moro. He has farmed and owned land in Madison and Macoupin Coun- ties, and is now living near his farms in the vil- lage of Harvel, Montgomery County, 111. He is seventy-five years old, hale and hearty. Of nine children born to our subject's parents, William J. is the eldest. The others are John H., Wade J. M., Melissa, Fiederick, Edward and HenrJ^ The two other children are deceased. The one sister of the family is now Mrs. Dues, of Madison County, 111. In early manhood, our subject divi- ded his years of growth between Madison and Ma- coupin Counties. He taught school two terms, was in the hardware business one year, but, finding it not congenial to his tastes, he has fol- lowed agricultural pursuits since. Mr. Zimmerman was married April 9, 1871, his bride being Miss Mary Keiser, of Fosterburg, Madi- son County, 111., a daughter of H. H. Keiser. They have a large family and their children seem to be well cared for. Much is expended to give them an education and to instill into them the better principles of life. The children's names are Ida W., a pupil of Jacksonville Deaf and Dumb Asy- lum; John Franklin, a Freshman at Blackburn University, Carlinville, 111.; Ella Maria, Mary Matilda, Minnie Malissa and Bertha Martha Lena are attending public school; Frances Hattie, An- •nie Fredericka and Arthur Willis are the young- est; Herbert William is deceased. The Zimmerman farm comprises one hundred and sixty acres of land under excellent cultiva- tion. By industry and prudence, our subject has been able to reap a gratifying degree of success* from his labors. He enjoys the lespect and honor of his fellow-citizens, who have shown their con- fidence in his integrity by electing him to various local offices. He was Drainage Commissioner, and was the first one to project and, by the able as- sistance of his neighbor, W. W. Whitlow, to com- plete Union Drainage District of Montgomery and Christian Counties near Harvel, which drains nearly eighteen hundred acres, and cost more than 111,000. He has always taken an active part in pub- lic school affairs. Politicallj^, he is a Republican and a member of the Modern Woodmen of Amer- ica. In their church views, he and his family affili- ate with the Baptist denomination. ♦=^»^» / kOUIS WAGNER, the pioneer marble dealer of Montgomery County and for over a quarter of a century a I'epresentative busi- ness man of Hillsboro, is an expert and accurate draughtsman and skillful carver, excelling in both the design and execution of his work. During the Civil War he furnished Harper's Weekly with many of its best sketches, and through the wide circulation of that magazine won for himself de- served recognition as an artist of ability. RESIDENCE OF LOU 15 WAGN ER, H I LLSBORO, ILL. si^^ RESIDENCE OF WK.J. ZmUtRUkH, {BREEDER OF RED POLLED CATTLE&JHROPJHI RE5HEEP)ZLf;>M., HARVELTR MONTGOMERY CO., ILL. PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 463 Although nearly all of tiie early recollections of Mr. Wagner are interwoven with the pioneer his- tory of Illinois, he is a native of tlio kingdom of Wurtemberg, Germany, and was born August 24, 1840. He is the son of George Wagner, a con- scientious, earnest man, and passed his childhood years in his birthplace, Germany. When a mere boy, seeing but little opportunity for advancement in the home of his youth, he gathered together his possessions, and, with his elder brother, George, em- barked for the New World. Almost a half-century has elapsed since the young emigrant made his long and tedious voyage, and the j'ears that have come and gone have been eventful ones in his life. Our subject is one of ten children in the paren- tal family, nine of whom reached mature years and reared families. The daughters have all passed away, but four sons still survive: George, John, Fred and Louis, the latter being the youngest son. Louis Wagner was but ten years of age when he went to reside with a brother in Chicago. He laid the foundation for his education in the public schools of the Garden City, but completed his stud- ies at the Hathaway Academy, from which he was graduated with honor in 1861. School life ended, he began an apprenticeship as marble cutter with J. Schurman, whose yard was situated on Clark Street. In 1859, he decided to make a change of location and removed to Hillsboro, 111. A little later there came a general call to arms, and with true patriotism our subject enlisted as a private in Company D, One Hundred and Twenty- sixth Illinois Infantry. Only a short time elapsed before this regiment was facing the enemy in some of the fiercest battles of the late war. Our young volunteer shared the perils and privations of the memorable siege of Vicksburg, and upon various battle-fields had many narrow escapes from cap- ture and death. He received his discharge at Springfield, July 12, 1865. As before mentioned, he enlisted as a private, but was promoted from the ranks successively to Sergeant, Second Lieu- tenant, First Lieutenant, and was mustered out as Captain by brevet. The war ended, Capt. Wagner returned at once to Hillsboro, and with characteristic energy began the business he has conducted since so successfully. October 13, 1871, he was united in marriage with Miss Eliza Bielby, who was born in Yorkshire, England, but was brought by her mother to this country when but two years old. Capt. Wagner and his estimable wife have three children, two sons and a daughter. Leo is preparing himself to enter the medical profession as chemist and physi- cian, and is now at the Henry Heil Chemical Works, St. Louis. Carl is engaged at the marble works with his father. Annette is in school and enjoys the excellent educational advantages now obtain- able in Hillsboro. Our subject and his wife are members of the Lutheran Church, and are always first in social and benevolent work. Capt. Wagner wears the button of the Grand Army of the Republic and greatly enjoys the social re-unions of the order. He is identified with the M. W. of A., No. 183, and is also a member of Mt. Moriah Lodge No. 51, F. & A. M., and Hillsboro Chapter No. 62, R. A. M. Politically, he is an ardent Republican. He takes a deep interest in public affairs, is a pro- gressive citizen and has been a member of the City Council. 4^ eHRISTIAN SIEMENS. As a tribute to the worth and character of the late Mr. Sie- mens, formerly one of Sorento's most in- fluential citizens, we incorporate in the Record the following brief statement with reference to his life. He was born in Brunswick, Germany, Octo- ber 30, 1822. In his native land he grew to man- hood, thence in 1850 he emigrated to Amer- ica, settling in St. Louis, where for some time he was successfully engaged in the butcher business. In 1859, Mr. Siemens came to Bond County and purchased land adjoining the present village of Sorento. A pushing, energetic man, thrifty and with excellent business qualifications, he accumu- lated a goodly amount of property, and at the time of his death, which occurred September 19, 1891, he left his family in comfortable circum- 464 POETRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. stances. Shortly after be came to America, he was manied to Mina Lohmann in St. Louis, Mo., a native of Hanover, Germany. Six children were born of the union, of whom only one now sur- vives: Augusta, wife of John Buckhart, a wealthy and influential citizen of Sorento. Herman Siemens, a son of our subject, is remem- bered as one of the most prominent of Bond Count3''s young agriculturists and business men. For some years he was a lumber merchant at Sor- ento, and he also served for one year as book- keeper for the Sorento Coal Company, of which his father was a stockholder. His fellow-citizens, appreciating the fact that he was a man of more than ordinary ability, called upon him to fill sev- eral offices of trust and responsibility, and he was an important factor in local politics. His death occurred January 24, 1891, at the age of thirty-two years. He was survived by his wife, who was formerly Miss Dora Gracey. Their children are: Robert, born September 7, 1887; Earle, born July 26, 1889, and a daughter now about eighteen months old. The members of the Siemens family have always been strong in their adherence to the doctrines of the German Lutheran Church, and are equally strong in their support of the principles of the Republican party. pete LEE ELLIOTT. Sorento is truly of mush- room growth, scarce numbering in its his- tory a decade, and yet so well and thor- oughly organized is the town as to com- suceessfully in commercial interests with many of its older sisters. It commands a splendid agricultural district, and the trade enjoyed there- from is very large. Our subject, Mr. Elliott, is one of the pioneer merchants of the place, and is num- bered among the most substantial men here in business. He was born in Grayson County, Ky., May 20, 1856, and is the only child of George and Lucina (Kessinger) Elliott. Our subject's father, George Elliott, was a lineal descendant of Commodore J. D. Elliott, who was second in command under Perry in his memorable fight on Lake Erie in 1812, and who succeeded to the office in 1813, and was in command of the Philadel- phia Navy Yard at the time of his deatk in 1845. The Elliott family was no doubt of Scotch ances- try, but the date and the name of the original emi- grant is a matter of conjecture, but was, as nearly as we can learn, early in the eighteenth century. The mother of our subject, Lucina Kessinger, like her husband, was born in Graj'son County, Ky. She was the third child of William L. Kes- singer, who was born in Hart County, Ky., and was the son of Joseph Kessinger; tlie latter in turn was the eldest son of one Solomon Kessinger, he being the son of Mathias Kessinger, a German nobleman of great prominence and wealth. Solo- mon Kessinger was born in what is now the pro- vince of Bavaria, near the River Rhine, in the united kingdom of Germany. He was educated by his father for a Catholic priest, but before tak- ing the vows he became enamored with one Betsey Greenwalt, and as the laws of the Roman Catholic Church forbade the marriage of the clergy, love, as is usual, won the day, and he forever renounced Catholicism, left his native land, fame and fortune behind and came to America, where he met his fiance at Baltimore. There they were married and at once went to what is now Hart County, Ky., whence the Kessinger family in America springs. We have given sufficient outline of the ancestry of the Elliott and Kessinger families to show the patrician blood that flows in the veins of the man of whom we write. He was less than a year old when brought to Illinois by his relatives. They located at Litchfield, where he was reared. He early applied himself to obtaining a liber.al educa- tion, which, by hard work and perseverance, he completed at the Litchfield Seminary before he had reached his nineteenth year. We will not attempt to follow him minutely for the next two years. It is enough to state that from nineteen years of age he was employed as a successful teacher in the public schools, spending three years of the time in Kansas. February 27, 1878, our subject was married to Miss Maggie, daughter of Isaac Bishop, a pioneer PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 465 of Montgomeiy County, and a veteran of the Mexican War, who died in 1863, leaving a snug fortune, a portion of which was inherited by the daughter. After marriage Mr. Elliott continued to teach, judiciouslj' investing his earnings in land, which brought him in quite a comfortable income. AVith the proceeds of his investment, in June, 1882, he established himself in business atRayTnond,in the northern part of Montgomery County, but before he had been there long he saw a better field for his young and energetic mind on what was known as Pleasant Prairie, in Bond County, the Jacksonville & Southeastern and Charleston, Neoga & St. Louis Railway Companies having formed a crossing. The town of Sorento was laid out, and we find that Mr. Elliott was among the first to establish him- self in business in the new place. Moving his stock of goods from Raymond, our subject came here with the determination to de- velop his interests in proportion with the develop- ment of the place. In 1884, he erected a two- story brick building, and therein he is now estab- lished in the general mercantile business. He was one of the original stockholders of the Sorento Coal Company, and for four years was a member of the Village Board of Trustees. His business in- terests are by no means confined to the mercantile line. He is engaged in the land, loan and insur- ance business, and carries on a heavy business in buying and selling grain, and has handled large quantities of railroad timbers. As he is a Notary Public, he is frequently called upon to look up ^ and settle estates. Besides giving an able atten- tion to these various interests, he is devoting much time to improving his beautiful suburban farm, where be is extensively engaged in fruit culture. He raises a good class of stock, having upon his farm some animals that are well pedigreed. Politically, our subject springs from a long line of Whig ancestors, who all became Republicans on the organization of the party, and with this party he was identified until 1884, when he joined hands with the Prohibitionists. Since that time he has thrown all the energy and enthusiasm of his na- ture into the balance with his party. He is at present a County Central Committeeman and also a local manager. He has been a life-long tem- perance advocate. In his church associations, he is a Methodist, and no man in his locality is more devoted to the cause of Christianity than is he. Greatly interested in Sunday-school work, at the present writing he is Township Chairman of the State Sunday-school Association. Modest and unassuming, Mr. Elliott is a man who makes friends with all with whom he comes in contact. "ir'ACOB CRESS, who resides on section 26, Butler Grove Township, is numbered among the oldest of the pioneers now residing in Montgomery County. He was born in Indiana in 1818 to Jacob and Catherine Cress, who moved from North Carolina to Indiana, and then came to Illinois and settled in Montgomery County the same year our subject was born. They spent the remainder of their days in this county and were useful and highly-respected pioneers. They left at their death a large number of their de- scendants in this county. Of the large family granted to this worth}' couple, there are yet liv- ing besides our subject: Caroline, who married Daniel Lingofelter, resides in Hillsboro; Sarah married Mr. Thomas McNitt and makes her home in Irving, 111., and Margaret married Mr. David Gregory and lives in Irving, Hi. Jacob Cress was brought to this county when less than a year old, in the year that the then Ter- ritory of Illinois was admitted to the L^nion as a State. The public lands had not yet been sur- veyed by the Government, and Indians were nu- merous. Wild game was very plentiful and settlers few and far between. Our subject received his education in the subscription schools of that period. He remained at home assisting in the clearing and developing of the farm his father had secured. January 23, 1840, our subject chose as his life companion Miss Helena, the daughter of the Rev. Daniel Sherer, one of the pioneer Lutheran minis- 466 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRATHICAL RECORD. ters of Illinois. As j'ears passed by, chilrli-en gath- ered around the hearthstone of our subject and his wife until there were eleven in number, nine of whom are yet living, as follows: Absolom A., a real- estate dealer of Hillsboro, 111.; John M., engaged in the real-estate business in Portland, Ore.; J. D., engaged in grape-growing near Dinuba, Cal.; William S., who is associated with John M. at Portland, Ore.; Samuel E., a hardware merchant of Sorento, 111.; Benjamin L., a civil engineer en- gaged in mining at Red Cliff, Colo.; Sophia L.,the wife of Dr. Blackman, of Dixon, this State; Joseph E., a farmer of Romona, S. Dak., and Thomas J., who is at home with his parents. Both Mr. and Mrs. Cress have been for many years connected with the Lutheran Church of Hillsboro. -.>l.- >~^^Yitl) Ipe^tity, ^Btg^ige^ce, and all womanly virtues, and all tliese she cheerfully laid on the domestic shrine to make a home of love, peace, and delight for her husband. Not one time or place can I now recall in our long associ- ation stained by an ill-tempered word or an un- loving act. Her sympathies were ever enlisted for the poor, the weak, the ignorant and the afflicted. She would teach her domestics all kindly and social duties. Her friendship was loyal, faithful and true. Her literary tastes were of the highest and purest order. She rarely viewed life from any other but tiie bright side. She was a florist appar- ently by intuition. It was sometimes said of her that she had only to touch the plant and it would send forth bloom. She raised them not only to make her own home pleasant and beautiful, but she car- ried them to the sick to gladden their hearts, and to the afflicted whose dear ones had passed away they were borne in profusion. All her years on earth were full of good deeds, and her religion was obedience to and love for the commandments of 'Him who spoke as never man spake.' " It would be superfluous to add anything to the trib- ute offered to the memory of this gracious woman- hood which was spent by the side and in the companionship of the one who offers it. Surely he knew the richness and benignity of her nature better than any other. In 1854, our subject came to Fillmore Township and operated a farm for four years. Five years later, on the first day of the new year, he came to Litchfield and began the practice of the pro- fession for which he had long been fitting himself. After one year, he was admitted to the Bar at Springfield upon an examination before Judges Gillespie, O. B. Fecklin and Cummings. He prac- ticed alone for a number of years, and during his thirty-thi'ee years' experience before the Bar has had few partners. From the beginning his ad- vancement in his profession and his popularity as a legal man were rapid. As a public-spirited and enterprising citizen, he first distinguished himself by raising the money to start the Litch- field Car Works, that is the $15,000 bonus that was required, He was also largely instrumental in securing the Wabash Railroad at this point, ^a^ tjie (Jifferent wafiuf^cturing ejitprprisps tli8| 470 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. have been started here have, with few exceptions, received their impetus from his wise and far- reaching mind. He is at the present time local attorney for the Wabash road and transacted for it the business of purchasing thirt\' miles of right of way. It was he who organized the Beach, Davis it Co. Bank, securing tlie charter from Springfield and becoming a stocliholder. He is also a Director and stockholder in the First Na- tional Bank. In early years the municipal honors by which our subject was crowned were inaugurated by his election as Alderman. In 1881, he was elected Mayor of the city, and in 1876, as before stated, was elected to represent Montgomery and Chris- tian Counties in the Senate on the Democratic ticket. During his incumbency of this position he served upon the Judiciary, Charitable and Penal Committees. In 1884, he received the honor of a re-election by the flattering majority of three thousand. Mr. Southworth owns property in Litchfield, besides having important interests in East St. Louis and other towns. Since the bereavement sustained in the loss of his wife, our subject has been exceedingly alone, for there remained to him no children, their one and only child having died in infancy. His place of residence is one of the landmarks of Litchfield, he having resided in the same for twenty-four years. ?^HOMAS KIRK. Tiiere is little need to portray the virtues or defend the memory of this gentleman, for he lives in the. affec- tion of his family and friends as a devoted hus- band, a kind neighbor and public-spirited citizen. He departed this life on the 27th of August, 1892, and his remains were followed to their last resting- place by a large number of those who had for many years been his sincere friends. Of him no truthful tongue ever spoke ill, for his life pre- gented 8 cleav m^ spotless page of noble deeds nobljf done. During the many years he resided in Pitman Township, he was to the people all that is required in good citizenship, public enterprise and sympathetic friends. In the love of his estimable wife he found his cares lightened, and in the re- spect of his fellow-citizens received the reward of his faithfulness. Mr. Kirk was boi'n in Lincolnshire, England, April 23, 1826, to the marriage of William and Ann Kirk, natives of that country, and was there reared to mature years. His father being an agri- culturist, the principal part of .young Kirk's days were spent in the arduous duties of the farm, to tlie detriment of his education. Possessing a nat- urally bright intellect and active mind, he was mainly self-educated and was a student all his life. By reading and observation he became thoroughly posted on all important subjects, and at the time of his death Was one of the best-informed men in thecounty. With an ideaof bettering his condition, Mr. Kirk decided to come to the United States, and in 1850 he took passage at Liverpool.' After being on the ocean for fifty-two days he reached New Orleans and came up the Mississippi River to Illi- nois, where he worked as a farm hand for some time. Later, he rented land, and after farming on this for some time, bought a farm in Macoupin County, and cultivated and improved this for a number of years. In the spring of 1865, he sold out and came to Montgomery County, settling on the farm where his family now resides. On the 24th of May, 1858, he wedded Miss Eliza Parker, a native of Kentucky, born in Hardin County, April 4, 1834, and the daughter of David and Susannah Parker, natives of the Blue Grass State. She had two uncles on the maternal side in the AVar of 1812, and both participated in the battle of New Orleans. Mrs. Kirk was fifteen years of age when her parents removed to Ma- coupin County, 111., where they were among the early settlers. To Mr. and Mrs. Kirk were born the following living children: Anna, William; Ella, wife of Rev. G. II. Cruzan, of the Methodist Episcopal Church; Elizabeth, John, Charles, Sarah and Frank. In 1865, Mr. Kirk with his family came to Montgomery County, l\]„ ^nd settled in Pitman Toirnship. He opon§(l \\p and began de. PORTEAIT AND BIOORAPHICAL RECORD. 473 veloping his farm, and by hard work and energy, together with good management, he became the owner of one of the finest farms in his section. On this our subject passed the remainder of his life, honored and respected by all. No better man ever made his home in the county. In character he was generous, free and frank, and as he was keenly alive to the sufferings and misfortunes of others, no one ever appealed to him in vain for aid or consolation. In him the community had a faithful and unswerving friend, ever alert to serve its best interest, and generous iu his contributions toward everj' movement tending to the general advancement. He was a strong advocate of edu- cation and had served as Director of Schools for some time. He was identified with the Republican party for many years, and was the leading spirit in all worthy movements. He was a man of supe- rior intellect, with a good fund of common-sense from which to draw, and his word was considered as good as his bond. He was noted far and wide for liis integrity and uprightness, and his death was a great loss to Pitman Township. His farm consisted of one hundred and sixty acres of land, the product of his life's work. ^ ON. G. F. COFFEEN. Prominent among y the successful agriculturists of Montgomery County may be mentioned the name of Mr. Coffeen, who, after years of active and arduous labor, has retired from farming duties and is passing his time quietly at home in East Fork Township. For years he has occupied a position of influence in the pul>lie affairs of this community, and it is to his excellent judgment, wis? foresight and general business ability that many of the valued public improvements of the township are due. He represented his constituents in the Legisla- ture in 1860, and for many years served as Town- ship Supervisor, and in these ofHces, as well as in others in which he was called upon to serve, dis- charged the duties incumbent upon him in a man- ner eminently satisfactory, 22 Born in Watertown, Jefferson County, N. Y., Jane 19, 1819, our subject remained in his native place until he was twenty-five j'ears of age. He received his education in the schools of Water- town, and afterward aided in the support of his parents. His father, Frederick Coffeen, had been a farmer in the early part of his life, but for about twenty years kept an hotel in Chaumont, Jefferson County, N. Y. Henry Coffeen, the paternal grand- father, was born in New England and is supposed to have been a native of New Hampshire. Through his maternal ancestors, our subject traces his descent from one of the heroes of the Revolution. His grandfather, Abner Hubbard, was a conspicuous figure in the stirring scenes of 1776. He was a man of indomitable will and cour- age, and rushed to the defense of his country with such patriotic spirit, that he was immediately made. Captain. It is one of the family traditions that he was the first Captain mustered in as such. Hubbard's Bay, Jefferson County, N. Y. was in later years the home of the old veteran, and there his' daughter Elcena was born, and passed her youthful days. She was united in marriage with Frederick Coffeen and bore him four daughters and two sons, all of whom lived to maturity. The faithful mother passed to her rest in Chaumont at three-score years and ten. Mr. Coffeen spent his last days in Omar, Jefferson County, N. Y. G. F. Coffeen, the eldest son, was married in New York State to Miss Mar}' A. Bell, a native of Herkimer County, but of German ancestry. Our subject and his wife came to Illinois in 1852, and located permanently where he now resides. The town of Coffeen was founded by our subject and it wa? not long before settlers began to arrive there from various parts of the country. In a short time Mr. Coffeen, who had owned the entire town site, had sold most of the lots. He still re- tains a good frontage, upon which he has erected a number of buildings. To him alone is due the fact that the line of the Toledo, St. Louis & Kan- sas City Railroad passes through the village of Coffeen. The idea met with a great deal of op- position from parties who wished to secure the road at other points, but his perseverance, energy and tact were successful in removing all opposition, 474 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRArfflCAL RECORD. and the railroad followed the right of way staked out by himself. The entire property once owned by Mr. Coffeen had an area of eleven hundred and forty acres, all in one body of land. The greater portion ot this tract is now owned by the children of our subject, their father retaining but two hundred and forty acres. Mrs. Coffeen, who had shared the privations of pioneer life with her family, and who had also lived to enjoy their prosperity, left many to mourn her loss when she died in 1891. She had been the mother of three children, two daughters and a son. One child preceded her to the better land; those who survive are Frederick H., and Mary, the wife of John McLain, of Montgomery County. Mr. Coffeen has lived to witness man 3' wonder- ful local and National changes. Neighbors to whom in early life he tendered a helping hand are many of them no more; the customs and times are changed; the primitive homes are giving place to handsome residences, but with all the vanishing old landmarks, Mr. Coffeen still clings firmly to the wise teachings of early youth. Away back in old New York State fully fifty years ago, his father voted the Democratic ticket, and to-d.ay his son still endorses the same platform. He has always been a public-spirited citizen, ready and willing to aid in any enterprise established for the public good. ylLLIAM LAWS. This gentleman is one of many who have spent the greater por- tion of their lives in developing the coun- try, that their children and grandchildren might enjoy the advantages which they themselves were denied. In truth, we to-day are the "heirs of all the ages" and profit by the labor and self-denial of the hard-working classes of time past. Mr. Laws was born in Todd County, Ky., November 15, 1826, and is a son of Fielding Laws, who was born in North Carolina. In that State the elder Mr. Laws was reared but he later moved to Kentucky. About 1830 he came to Bond County, 111,, took up land from the Government, and made his home on the same until his death, when seventy-four years of age. The grandfather was a native of Virginia, in which State he passed his entire life. He was of Irish descent. Fielding Laws married Miss Betsey Vaughn, a native of Kentucky, where she was reared and married. She lived to be about sixty-eight years of age. Her father was a native of the Emerald Isle and when a 3"0ung man came to America. Our subject's father and mother were the parents of eleven children, nine of whom grew to man- hood and womanhood, married and became heads of families. One of these has since died. Our subject, the eldest of these children, was about four 3'ears of age when he came with his parents to Bond County, III., and his schoolboy days were spent in the little log schoolhouse of pio- neer times. He remained with his parents until twenty-two years of age, and in May, 1848, was married to Miss Mary M. McCaslin, a native of Caldwell County, Ky., born November 26, 1828. She came with her parents to Bond County, 111., when about three years of age. Her father, Thomas McCaslin, was born in Kentucky, as was also her mother, Sarah (Robinson) McCaslin, and both were of Irish descent. After his marriage our subject located on the section where he now lives and began life in a very primitive and simple way. He first built a small log house, 16x16 feet, of round logs, with no windows, puncheon floor, clapboard door, and mud and stick chimney. He had sixty acres of raw land to start with, one yoke of oxen and one cow. Although this young couple started out under rather unfavorable auspices, they were am- bitious and frugal, .and by hard work and good management soon began to gather around them many of the comforts and conveniences of life. Mr. Laws is now the owner of three hundred acres of land, all under cultivation, and in connection with agricultural pursuits is engaged in stock-rais- ing. He and his estimable wife have made all their property by their own exertions and can now pass their declining years in peace and com- fort. As the years crept along, children gathered PORTEAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 475 around the fireside, three daughters and six sons, who were as follows: Sarah E., wife of John McLean, of Bond County, 111.; Thomas G. (see sketch); Lucinda M., widow of O. F. Lewy, of East Fork Township; Alfred W., of Bond County, 111.; Fielding F., also of Bond County, 111.; Mary E., wife of Charles Linder, of East Fork Township; Charles L., also of East Fork Township; William H. and Albert P. (deceased). All these children were reared on the farm where our subject now resides and where he has spent the principal part of his life. He is one of the first-class citizens of the county, and during his long career here not a word could ever be said against his honesty and uprightness. He has been a Republican since the war and has held a number of official positions in the town- ship. He is interested in educational matters and was School Director for some time. In every laudable enterprise he takes an active part and is a public-spirited citizen. /^EORGE ^^Jl coal, is ^^^EORGE W. FLINT, a manufacturer of and formerly a dealer in lumber and is numbered among the leading busi- ness men of Greenville, Bond County. A native of St. Clair County, 111., he was born February 6, 1847, a son of William and Mary (Gedney) Flint. His parents were both natives of England, who, immediately after their marriage, crossed the broad Atlantic to the United States. This was in the spring of 1842. . They located in Lebanon, St. Clair County, and Mr. Flint engaged in farming. In 1848, he purchased a farm about four miles north of Lebanon, and there engaged in agricul- tural pursuits for nearly twenty years. He then purchased a farm of two hundred acres of land, ad- joining the corporation limits of the city, and made his home thereon for ten years. In 1878, he removed to the city and his death occurred the same year. In politics, he was a Republican, was a lifelong member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and was a highly respected citizen. The Flint family numbered nine children, eight of whom are yet living: Mrs. Mary Nelson, of Missouri; Edith M., wife of Rev. L. W. Thrall, of Greenville; George W., of this sketch; Rev. John W., Presiding Elder of the Methodist Episcopal Church, with a residence in Carbondale; James G., a man- ufacturing chemist of Decatur, 111.; Henry H., who resides in St. Louis, where he conducts a grocery store; Samuel L., a salesman in the jewelry house of Brooks Bros., of St. Louis; and William W., who is general agent for a Chicago publishing house, and resides in Lebanon. In the usual manner of farmer lads, our subject was reared to manhood. His education was com- pleted by his graduation from McKendree College, of Lebanon, in 1872. Previously he had taught for a time, and after his graduation engaged in teaching one term. For a year after finishing school, he remained at home, and then started for Iowa, where he engaged in teaching and farming near Glenwood, about eighteen miles south of Council Bluffs, where he remained three years and a-half. He then returned home and later went to Mt. Olive, Macoupin County, where he conducted a lumber yard and a drug store in company with his brother, James G. This partnership continued for five years and they did a successful business. During his residence there, Mr. Flint was mar- ried, in May, 1881, to Miss Anna E., daughter of T. C. Kirkland, of Litchfield, Montgomery County, 111. One child graces their union, Earl W., born November 3, 1885. In 1882, Mr. Flint came with his wife to Greenville, and engaged in business here. In his political views, our subject is a Repub- lican, and socially, is connected with the Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen. In the Methodist Episcopal Church he is a faithful and consistent member, and serves as one of its Trus- tees. In the ten years of his residence in Green- ville he has built up an excellent trade, and by his courteous treatment of his patrons and his fair and honest dealings, he is now doing a fine busi- ness which yields to him a good income. He is recognized as one of the substantial, prominent 476 PORTEAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. and representative citizens of the community, and has the confidence and high regard of all with whom business or social relations have brought him in contact. ^"f OHN CLANTON, an early settler, prosper- ous farmer, and influentiar citizen of Rip- ley Township, Bond County, 111., was born ^__^ in North Carolina, October 2, 1821. His parents, James and Elizabeth (Anderson) Clanton, were also natives of North Carolina, but were un- doubtedly of Scotch descent. Early in their mar- ried life they removed with their family to Illi- nois, and in 1829 located near Greenville, where an uncle, John Ellis, had settled in the early days of 1816, up to which time the history of the State is one continued narrative of contests with the savages. For twenty-six years the parents of our subject together shared the toil, cares and privations of pioneer experience, and then, in 1847, the faith- ful, loving wife and mother passed away. In March, 1860, after nearly two-score years of con- stant residence, the father died upon the place north of Greenville, where he had settled with his family wlien young, ambitious and energetic. John Clanton was the sixth in a family of ten children, of whom but three are now living. Chapman died in Bond County, when he was about forty-five j'ears of age; Wesley passed away in the old home, in January, 1873; Alfred lives in Shoal Creek Township, Bond County; Enos A. died in 1873; Mary is the wife of David B. Wood, a suc- cessful farmer of Macoupin County, 111.; Martha married Hezekiah Campbell, and died in Buchanan County, Mo., in 1880; Sina died in blooming maidenhood, at seventeen years of age; Edward lived to be nineteen years old; George Washing- ton, with the promise of a bright manhood, died at seventeen years of age. Our subject, John Clanton, grew up to manhood on his father's farm. He was earl^' trained in all agricultural duties, and was for years employed in assisting his parents, during boyhood gaining the crude education offered by the subscription scliools of those pioneer days. With the excep- tion of a short time, when Mr. Clanton was en- gaged in the farm-implement business in Poca- hontas, he lias devoted his life to the tilling of the soil. In 1847 he purchased his present farm, and with knowledge gained by years of experience, coupled with wise and energetic management, soon brought the land up to a high state of culti- vation. Carefully preparing the soil, ploughing, s.owing, and reaping the harvest, toiling faithfully year after year, our subject has won a competence, and now, at three-score years and ten, can look with satisfaction upon the record of his useful, upright life. In 1846 Mr. Clanton was united in marriage with Miss Margaret Ellen Gracy, who died five years later, leaving one child, a daughter, Mary. This daugliter liyed to become the wife of Jacob File, and died in 1876. On June 24, 1852, our subject was a second time married, being united with Miss Martha File, tlie daughter of Moses File, one of the highly respected pioneer settlers of the county. Mr. and Mrs. Clanton have had nine children, of whom seven survive to cheer the declining days of their parents, by whom they ' were so tenderly reared and carefully trained in the necessary duties of life. Elizabeth, the eldest, who was born April 12, 1853, died February 10, 1873, in the prime of youth and hopeful anticipa- tions of a useful life; James, born July 26, 1854, is a prominent and well-known resident of Ripley Township; Moses F., who was born May 8, 1856, is a prominent citizen of Pocahontas; John Henry, born May 9, 1858, now makes his home on the farm with his parents; Julia A., born October 26, 1860, is the wife of James Willeford, a prosperous young farmer, and son of Willis Willeford, one of the substantial and wealthy men of his section of the country; Lydia A., born January 28, 1863, is the wife of Henry Hoffman, of Columbia, 111.; Martha N., who was born March 24, 1865, died September 9, 1876; Dora F., who was born No- vember 2, 1869, married John MoUet, March 17, 1892, a successful farmer of Pierron, III.; and Em- PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD, 477 ily E., born May 9, 1876, is now engaged in study at Columbia, where she is receiving excellent educa- tional advantages. Beside their own large family Mr. and Mrs. Clanton adopted and carefully reared two chil- dren: Marion C. File, who was born Februarj- 4, 1868, and died Febiuary 21, 1881; and Julia M. File, born January 30, 1873, who now resides with her adopted parents. Mr. Clanton, his wife and children are all highly respected, and occupy po- sitions of prominence and influence in the county, where they are widely known among a large circle of acqijaintance. Our subject and his wife are members of the Primitive Baptist Church, and have ever been found among the active workers of the organization. The}' are both interested in the matters of the day, and are advocates of prog- ress and reform. Mr. Clanton has never been prominently connected with political life, but he is an adherent of the Democratic principles and votes the ticket. RS. M. J. STAHL. The husband of her whose name introduces this sketch was born in Chodziesen, Prussia, in 1833. He received his education in Germany, and after completing the school course insisted on by the laws of his native land, devoted himself to the trade of a coppersmith, which he mastered before reaching his majority. Soon after attaining to years of manhood, Mr. Stahl left his native home to seek his fortune in the United States, and lo- cated at Bloomington, 111. He continued to gain his living at his trade, and by thrift, energy, and perseverance soon accumulated enough to warrant him in choosing a life partner and companion. Fortune favored him in the person of Miss Mary J. WaJdron, who became Mrs. Stahl in 1856. Four years after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Stahl moved from Bloomington to Litchfield Township, nt which place Mr. Stahl became engaged in the hardware and farm-implement business, in which line he was a very successful dealer. The first store site on which he conducted this enterprise is the one now occupied by Messrs. Sehmit & Loescher. It was here that Mr. Stahl met with one of the most disastrous experiences that marked his mercantile life. The store took fire and the build- ing and stock were completely destroyed. He soon replaced the structure, however, and on the same spot there stand to-day the four brick stores which surround the First National Bank, and the two grocery stores which front on State Street. Mr. Stahl found time to engage in other pur- suits beside his hardware business, and becajne largely interested in the Litchfield Car Works, of which company he was Secretary and Treasurer. He was a prominent Mason and an active member of the Presbyterian Church, occupying the posi- tion of Elder at the time of his death. Mr. Stahl was a sound Republican, a man of influence in the community, and one who bore an important share in the enterprise which tended to the growth, wel- fare and prosperity of the town wherein he spent so manj' years of his life. His death occurred on the 22d of May, 1887, and his loss was mourned by a large circle of friends, who esteemed him as a man of more than ordinary character and worth. The bereaved family consisted of a wife and three children. The eldest daughter, Susan Amelia Goodell, died ten months after her father, and the son, Louis, departed this life at Los Angeles, Cal. Mrs. Stahl and her daughter, Miss Jennie, are the only surviving members of this prominent family so closely connected with the history and welfare of Litchfield. Their home is one of the most beautiful residences in the town, situated at the junction of Jackson and Harvard Streets. Mrs. Stahl was born in Albany County, N. Y. Her parents were Aaron and Susan (Blooming- dale) Waldron. She received her education in Albany, and made her home Ihere until the death of her parents, when she moved to Bloomington, III., at which place she became the wife of Mr. Stahl. Mrs. Stahl is a woman of much ability and many noble traits of character, numbering among her friends the best people in Litchfield. Her re- ligious belief is that of the Presbyterian Church, 478 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD, and her attitude toward her fellow-creatures is that of one who delights in doing a kindly act when opportunity offers. The bereavements of her life have been many, and her many charitable acts and kindly impulses are the best proof that she herself has felt the chastening rod, and is there- fore capable of feeling for others. e^+^§ V >ILLIAM A. HOWETT. The philosophy of success in life is an interesting study. In whatever pursuit individual effort is directed, it should be entered into with a theoreti- cal knowledge acquired at the proper schools, fol- lowed by a practical application, to prepare one to successfully assume the responsibilities that follow. In choosing a pursuit in life, taste, mental gifts, opportunities and disposition to labor should be considered, as every young man who has any am- bition to become a respectable and useful citizen desires to succeed in his chosen vocation. The business opportunities in this country are great and are open to all, whether native or foreign born, and all a man requires is to determine what his natural gifts and capacity will enable him to successfully grasp and prepare himself therefor, and when thus determined, industriously perse- vere, observing courteous and honorable methods in all relations, and success — the aim and object of all — will be the reward. A narrative of success in life affords a lesson from which others may profit. In Flora, Clay County, 111., there was born on the 18th of June, 1860, a boy who grew to sturdy manhood, ambitious to excel in the pursuit of his choice. He inherited the mental activity and indomitable will of his father, Hon. Edmond L. Howett, who was born in New York and who had come to Illinois when a j'oung man. The fa- ther located in the county seat of Clay County and became one of the most distinguished lawyers of the State. He practiced his profession for about twenty years and during Gen. Grant's administra- tion was appointed United States District Attor- ney for the Southern District of Mississippi, and removed to that State in 1868. At the expiration of his term he was appointed Judge of the Chan- cery Court in the same State. Many important decisions were rendered by Judge Howett during his honorable incumbency of the judicial position, but it mustsufHceto say that they were invariably distinguished for their sound judgment, strength and legal research; and in prac- tice, after finishing his terra, he has fully sustained his high reputation for the ingenious, eloquent and effective advocacj' of his client's case. Personally, Judge Howett is a dignified, cultivated gentleman, yet, withal, genial and approachable, and is es- teemed by a wide circle of friends, among whom he is recognized as a man of absolute integrity and a representative and valuable citizen. He is now retired from the active duties of life and has a very attractive home in Flora, Clay County, 111. He is of English descent, his parents having been natives of that country. Judge Howett married Miss Sarali E. Corrie, a native of Lawrence, 111., where she was reared. Her father, Andrew Corrie, was born in Scotland, and her mother, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Schrader, was born in Germany. Mrs. Howett died in Clay County in 1882. She was widely and favorably known for her many excel- lent and womanly qualities, and was a devoted wife and mother, a true and faithful friend. Of the seven children born to this worthy couple, two sons and five daughters, only two besides our sub- ject are now living: Agnes, a teacher in the Girard public schools, and Alice, wife of Jesse T. Cress, of Hillsboro. William A. Howett is a worthy son of a worthy sire. He is the eldest child born to his parents, and his first scholastic training was in the schools of his native place. There he was reared, with the exception of about six 3'ears spent in Mississippi, and was graduated from the High School of Flora, 111., in 1878. Following this, he taugiit school for two years, and in 1880 entered the Normal School at Valparaiso, Ind., where he studied science and elocution, being graduated in 1882. He began the study of law with his father when seventeen years of age, and in 1882 he went to Hillsboro, where he entered actively into the practice of law. His ad- PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 479 vancement was very rapid, and in a comparatively short space of time he not only secured an exten- sive practice, but also an acljnowledged high posi- tion at the Bar. Learned in the law, refined, sound and clear in his reasoning, a wise counselor and an eminently successful advocate, his services are sought by the highest class of clients in the most difficult and important cases. On the 16th of February, 1882, he was united in marriage with Miss Ida M. Rutledge, a native of Hillsboro, 111., born February, 16, 1862, a daughter of Thomas J. Rutledge (deceased), who was a na- tive of Hillsboro and a very prominent attornej' of that cit3\ Three children have been born to this union, all sons, Earle, Roy and Wilbur. Mr. Howett is a warm adherent of the Democratic party and in recognition of his efforts and services in its behalf, he was elected to the office of Mayor of Hillsboro in 1889 and held the position until 1891, and was the first and only Democratic Mayor of the city since the present oi'ganization. He has been Master in Chancery of the Circuit Court for four years and still holds that responsible position. Socially, he is a member of Montgomery Lodge No. 40, 1. O. 0. F., and Lodge No. 226, K. of P., in which latter order he'is Deputy Grand Chancel- lor of the State. j****i I**** ^^EORGE PERRY SWAN. As might natur- (II J---, ally be expected, mention is made in the ^^ijj present work of many citizens of Mont- gomery County now prominent in their different callings, but none more so than the unusually suc- cessful agriculturist, George P. Swan, who pos- sesses an excellent judgment and mucli good sense on matters pertaining to the farm. In every- thing connected with the growth and prosperity of the county he lias taken an active interest, and as a tiller of the soil he stands in the foremost ranks. Born in Perry County, Mo., January 26, 1830, our subject is the son of Richard and Catherine (Barber) Swan, natives of Mai-yland and North Carolina respectively. The elder Mr. Swan moved to North Carolina when a young man, was married there, and in 1827 moved to Missouri. He lo- cated in Perry County, took up land from the Government, and remained there until his death, when sixty-two years of age. The grandfatlier, Charles Swan, was also born in Maryland and fought bravely in the Revolutionary War. It is supposed that the maternal grandfather, J. Barber^ was a native of the old North State. The mother of our subject died' on the home farm in Mis- souri when sixty-four years of age. Thirteen children were born to this worthy couple, all but one growing to mature years. Twelve married and reared families, but all are now deceased except one daughter and two sons. George Perry Swan, the tenth in order of birth, passed his boyhood and youth in his native county, and supplemented an education received in the common schools by attending a select school. He remained on the home place and as- sisted his father in the arduous duties of the farm until the latter's death. He was married in Mis- souri, in 1855, to Miss Mary L. Villar, a native of Perry County, that State, where she was reared and educated. Following his marriage, Mr. Swan located on the old homestead in Perry (Jounty, and was ac- tively engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1865, when he moved to Montgomery County, 111. He located on section 20, one-half mile from where he now resides, and in 1875 he built his present residence. He has a very attractive rural home and is a thrifty, industrious tiller of the soil. His land is naturally very productive, and he has spared no pains to make it more so, all his efforts being directed towards its improvement and de- velopment. He is an example of what may be ac- complished when the spirit of determination is exercised in connection with the everyday affairs of life. His farming operations have resulted satisfactorilj% and he is now in a position to en- joy all the conveniences and many of the luxuries of life. Ten children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Swan, five sons and five daughters, one of whom 480 POETRAIT ANT) BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. died in infanc3r. They are as follows: Joseph C, of Hillsboro; Frances L., deceased; Charles E., also of Hillsboro; Eddie, deceased; Mary C, wife of George Moore, of East Fork Township, this county; Martha A., wife of James Barringer, of Hillsboro; Emma C, wife of John Stephens, of East Fork Township; Nettie and EflBe, at home. Mr. Swan is the owner of two hundred and ten acres of land and, in connection with tilling the soil, is engaged in stock-raising. In politics, he is a devoted Democrat and has held a number of township offices, being Road Commissioner and School Officer. ) LMER W. DENNY. It is probable that the gentleman of whom we write has an experi- ^^ ence extending over as many years in this particular locality as almost anyone in the county, for he was born in Shoal Creek Township, Bond County, September 18, 1836. He is a son of James E. and Mary P. ("White) Denny. The father was a native of North Carolina, born in 1796, and in 1823 he married Mary P. White, also a native of that State. The two families had emigrated to Illinois in 1819, although the White family settled in Madison County. James Denny died in 1843 and his wife passed away while still on the old homestead, December 2, 1883. Mr. Denny was one of twins who were next to the youngest of a family of eight children. Frank- lin S. was born in October, 1825, and lives at Springfield, Mo. John W. was born June 18, 1828, and went to California with the memorable '49ers. He there made a permanent residence and died January 18, 1878. Oliver C, who was born April 30, 1830, and served for three years in the late war, now owns the old homestead; James E., who was born June 12, 1832, is a wealthy mine owner and politician in California; Juda A.,who was born November 4, 1834, married John N. Prickett and died December 29, 1883, leaving two children. William S. and Addie. Our subject's twin brother, Theron L., died in the army October 4, 1861. Will- iam H., who was born April 26, 1842, is a farmer in Southwestern Kansas. The father of this family was a man of considerable education for an early day, and was more or less engaged as a teacher. In 1871, our subject purchased two hundred and sixt}' acres of land which adjoins the old home- stead and has since bent his energies to its cultiva- tion. Most of his attention is given to the .stock business, which lie finds very profitable, as there is not so much liability of loss from conditions of weather and similar causes. Our subject was married Januar}' 26, 1868, to Miss Ann Finley, who, like himself, was born in this county. Their children are as follows: Ledger Theron, born April 16, 1869, is now a bus- iness man of Sorento; Elmer Walter, born July 3, 1871, has just completed his education and is at present at home; Anna S., born July 25, 1873; George O., January 5, 1876; Cordelia Jane, Febru- ary 2, 1878; and William Chalmer, March 26, 1881. -{- i>-^^^^<1 CSv— "■ eYRUS ALFRED PRESTON. In presenting to the readers of this volume a biograpliy of Cyrus Alfred Preston, a prominent young business man of the thriving town of Nokomis, it is but mere justice that prompts us to go back to the early history of his famil}' to see what manner of man he is, to see whence the fam- ily came and what they have done to distinguish themselves. We find that he is a direct descend- ant of John Preston, who was of English extrac- tion, but born in County Derry, Ireland. He was there married to Miss Elizabeth Patten, of County Donegal, Ireland. In the year 1746, John Preston with his wife and three children emigrated to the New World, settling in Virginia, and at the May term of court lie presented himself and made oath that at his own charge he had imported himself; pjlizabeth, his wife; William, his son; and Letitia and Ann, his daughters, immediately from Ireland into the colony of Virginia, and that this was his first effort in procuring his right in order to partake of His Majesty's bounty in taking up land. In order to show what a host of heroic men and beautiful and talented women came from this one immigrant, the honors they held, the intermarriages they made, and the influence exerted by them in every department of American politics and society, we propose to group together a few of the descend- ants of John Preston, the Irish immigrant. In addition to the three children brought with the parents from Ireland two more were born. These children are sketched as follows: William married Miss Susannah Smith. He was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, and died of a wound received at Guilford's Court House. Letitia mar- ried Col. Robert Breckenridge, of Virginia, and af- ter his death immigrated to Kentucky. Margaret married the Rev. John Brown, a graduate of Princeton College and a prominent Presbyterian minister in Virginia and Kentucky. Ann married Francis Smith, of Virginia, and went toKentuckj', where one of her daughters married James Blair, Attorney-General of that State and father of Francis P. Blair, Sr. In the direct line of descendants of this distin- guished family we find John Breckenridge, a United States Senator, and Attorney-General in Jefferson's Cabinet; James Breckenridge, a member of Con- ress from Virginia; and Elizabeth Breckenridge, who married Col. Samuel Meredith, a nephew of Patrick Henry. John Brown represented Kentucky in the Mrginia Legislature and was throe times elected State Senator from Kentucky. He married the daughter of the Rev. John Mason. James Brown was the first Secretary of State of Kentucky and for many years was United States Senator from Louisiana; he married the sister of Mrs. Henry Clay. John Preston was a member of the Virginia Legislature and for many years Treasurer of that State. Francis Preston was a member of the Vir- ginia Senate, a Congressman from that State and a Brigadier-General in the War of 1812. He mar- ried the daughter of Gen. William Campbell, the hero of King's Mountain and a niece of Patrick Henry. William Preston was a Captain in Gen. 23 492 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Wayne's army. James Patten Preston was a Col- onel in the United States army and a member of the Virginia Senate; he also served as Governor of of that State. Letitia Preston married John Floyd, Governor of Virginia, and was the mother of John B. Floyd, who was also Governor of Virginia. Thomas Lewis Preston was a member of the Virginia Legislature, a Major in the War of 1812, and married a daugh- ter of Edmund Randolph, who was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and At- torney-General of the United States. John Smith married the first white child born in Kentucky. Margai'et Howard married Robert WicklifCe, of Kentucky. Letitia Breckenridge married Peter B. Patten, of Niagara Falls, who was Secretary of War in John Quincy Adams' Cabinet and a Major- Gen eral in the War of 1812. Joseph Cabell Breckenridge, of Kentucky, was a member of the House of Representatives and also served as Secretary of State for Kentucky. John Breckenridge was a professor in Princeton College and married a daughter of Dr. Miller, who was President. Robert J. Breckenridge was n distin- guished theologian and pulpit orator. William L. Breckenridge was President of Danville College, Ky. John B. Preston was for many years a member of the Kentucky Legislature. William C. Preston was President of the College of South Carolina, United States Senator in that State, and was one of the foremost orators and statesmen of the land. John S. Preston was a member of the South Car- olina Legislature, a Brigadier-General in the Con- federate army and married a daughter of Maj.- Gen. Wade Hampton, Sr., then the wealthiest plantation owner in the United States. William Ballard Preston was a Member of Congress from Virginia and Secretary of the Navy in President Taylor's Cabinet. He was a member of the Con- federate Senate and was a distinguished orator and lawyer. Margaret B. Preston married Gen. Wade Hampton, Jr., who was Governor of South Carolina and a United States Senator from that State. Elizabeth McDowell married Thomas Hart Ben- ton, the distinguished United States Senator from Missouri. James McDowell was a member of Con- gross from Virginia and Governor of that State. Henrietta Preston married Albert Sidney Johnston, the noted General of the Confederate army. William Preston was a Member of Congress from Kentucky, served as Lieutenant-Colonel in the Mexican War, was United States Minister to Spain, and a Major-General in the Confederate army. John B. Floyd was Governor of Virginia, Secretary of War in President Buchanan's Cabinet, and a General in the Confederate army. Necketie Floyd married John W. Johnson, Uni- ted States Senator from Virginia. John T. L. Preston was a Colonel in the Confederate army and a Professor at the Virginia Military Institute. Francis P. Blair, Sr., was veteran editor of Gen. Jackson's organ, and Thomas F. Marshall was a Congressman and eloquent orator of Kentucky. Alexander K. Marshall was also a Member of Con- gress from Kentucky. Agatha Marshall married Chancellor Caleb Logan. Edward C. Marshall was a Member of Congress from California. Mary W- Parker married Thomas L. Crittendon, Secretary of State from Kentucky. Susan S. and Sally Buchanan, both daughters of Francis Preston, mar- ried their two cousins, James McDonald and John B. Floyd, both Governors of Virginia, both Mem- bers of Congress, and one a Cabinet Minister. Lavennette Floyd married Frederick P. Holmes, of the University of Virginia. Peter A. Porter was a Colonel in the Union army and fell in the battle of Cold Harbor. John C. Breckenridge was a Congressman and United States Senator fi'om Kentucky, Vice-president of the United States, and Major-General and Secretary of War for the Confederate army. Samuel Miller Breckenridge is a prominent lawyer and Judge of St. Louis, Mo. Margaret M. Breckenridge was de- voted to hospital and other charities in the late war. William E. P. Breckenridge, Colonel in the Confederate army, married a daughter of Henry Clay. Benjamin R. Brown, United States Senator from Missouri, was candidate for the Vice-presi- dency with Horace Greeley. John Mason Brown was a Colonel of Cavalry in the Union army and a prominent lawyer of Louisville, Ky. Edward Cabell Carrington was a Captain in the Mexican War, a member of the Virginia Legislature, and PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 493 Brigadier-General in the Union army. William Campbell Pi-eston Carrington was a Confederate officer who fell in the battle at Baker's Creek, near Vicksburg. Susan Caleb married John B. Weller, Member of Congress from Ohio, also United States Senator from California, Governor of California and Uni- ted States Minister tp Mexico. Jessie Benton mar- ried Maj.-Gen. John C. Fremont, the Republican candidate for President in 1857. Sarah Benton married Richard T. Jacob, who was Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky. Susan Y. Benton married Byron Souldee Boilleau, French Minister to Peru. Sallie C. P. McDowell married Francis Thomas, Governor of Maryland. William Preston Johnson was a Colonel in the Confederate armj', confid- ential Aide to President Davis, and President of Tulare University. Randall Lee Gibson was a Brigadier-General in the Confederate army and a Member of Congress from Louisiana. Hart Gibson was a member of the Kentucky Legislature. Will- iam Preston Gibson served in the Louisiana Legis- lature. Six brothers of these Gibsons were distin- guished officers in the Confederate army. Two of them, William Preston and Claude Gibson, gave up their lives for the Confederate cause. Mary Massie married Jolin Hampton Pleasants, the well-known Virginia journalist, who was killed in a duel by Thomas Richard in 1846. Ann M. Lewis married the son of a Virginia lawyer, John Howe Payton. Montgomery Blair was Postmaster- General in President Lincoln's Cabinet. James Blair, Jr., married a daughter of Gen. Jessup,of the United States army. Francis P. Blair was a Mem- ber of Congress and United States Senator from Missouri. He was a Major-General in the Union army and a Democratic candidate for the Vice- presidency. Elizabeth Blair married Admiral Lee, of the United States navy. Ellen Preston married James W. Shaffey, and Mary Shaffey married Prof. W. E. Painters, of the University of Virginia. Mary W. Packer married Todd Robinson, Judge of the Supreme Court of California. Thomas T. Crittendon was a Brigadier-General in the United States army and Governor of tlie State of Mis- souri. Cyrus Alfred Preston, Sr., the father of the sub- ject of this sketch, was born in Kentucky in 1816, and was a direct descendant of John Preston, the Irish emigrant, in the sixth generation. He was educated at Danville College, Ky,, from which he graduated, and later was a Director in the same institution. Born as he was in a slave State and the son of a large slave-holder, he early in life learned to abhor the institution of human slavery and soon became an avowed Abolitionist. An able lawyer, he located at Lexington. He possessed great oratorical powers and during the Douglas and Lincoln campaign we find liim a supporter of Douglas, but many and eloquent were the speeches he delivered in favor of the abolition of slavery. Later, he embraced the principles of the Republi- can party, to which he clung to the day of his death. He served as Mayor of the city of Coving- ton, Ky., and was Provost M.irshal under Lincoln. In 1866, our subject's father gave up his politi- cal and professional life to seek quiet and retire- ment on his farm near Shipman, Macoupin County, 111., where the great lawyer, scholar and orator died in 1876, at the age of fifty-nine years. The mother of our subject was Mary Amelia Myers, a native of Broome County, N. Y., and the daughter of Aaron Myers, a prominent lumber merchant. She was educated at Elmira College, Elmira, N. Y., and was a high-minded, cordial and Christian lady. Her marriage to Alfred Preston occurred in 1865. After his death, she married Dr. G. H. Gilson, a prominent physician of Shipman, 111. Her decease occurred October 18, 1888. Cyrus Alfred Preston, Jr., the subject of this sketcli, is the eldest of three children born to his parents. He first saw the light on the home farm near Shipman, 111., February 7, 1867. His father died in 1875, and he, with his sister, Daisy Mary Amelia, was left to the care of his widowed mother. After his mother's marriage to Dr. Gilson, he con- tinued to reside with them until he had completed his education. It had been his desire in earl3'^ life to become a physician. He studied pharmacy at the National Institute of Pharmacy in Chicago and from which he graduated in 1887. He later passed the State Board of Pharmacy and engaged in the drug business with his step-father at Ship- man. In 1890, he established himself in the same 494 POETRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECOED. business at Nokomis, where we find him conduct- ing a very successful business. The history of his family is such that he may justly be proud of it, and future generations of his family will read and admire the record made by their ancestors from the time John Preston, the Irish immigrant, first set foot on the soil of America down to the present and seventh generation. i > T t »pi > ■ » » > - } ' 1 ^1' \fl OHN B. TURNER. The gentleman whose distinguished name opens this notice was born January 6, 1838, in Jacksonville, 111. He was the son of Jonathan B. and Rhodol- phia S. (Kibbie) Turner, the former born in Tem- pleton, Mass., and the latter a native of Somers, Conn. The family of Turner is well known in the locality where Mr. Turner's celebrated father was reared. Jonathan Turner was a descendant of "Mayflower" stock, and from thai sterij blood may- have come much of his firmness of character in de- fending right and in fighting wrong and oppres- sion. His birth took place in 1805, and his early education was so directed that he was able to enter Yale College when quite a young man, and he was graduated from this renowned seat of learning with honors. He began his career as a teacher in his native State and in New Hampshire, and later came to Illinois and became a lecturer and teacher in the Illinois College at Jacksonville. He remained in Jacksonville, and was made a Professor, and by that title ho was afterward known. His feelings on the great questions of tlie day were so intense, that he could not keep silent, and soon his voice was heard in lecturing on anti-slavery, sectarian- ism and educational matters. In 1833, he entered into the discussion of the fence problem in the State, and was so advanced in his ideas upon the value of the Osage Orange, that it became known as "Prof. Turner's folly." He was interested in all agricultural improvements, and not only in a theo- retical way, for he studied these problems as if they had been in some dead language, or some deep mathematical calculation, and went into the causes and effects, explained the microscopic in- sects and fungoid growths which interfered with vegetation, advised rotation of crops, and an an- alysis of soils in order to understand tlie best crops for certain localities, and gave much information to the masses that only the most intelligent could understand. There were ignorant agriculturists who went on in their own way, calling Iiis discov- eries college theories, but it may be remarked that at the present time those same theories are the ones adopted by those who have become successful in tilling the soil. It was Prof. Turner who was one of the principal originators of the modern methods of planting corn by machinery. This talented man was an agitator on political questions, and his essay on currency attracted at- tention from Daniel Webster. His essays, lectures, speeches and papers against all modes of slavery, sectarianism and party drill, would fill a large vol- ume. One of his addresses was published in the State Natural History, in which is an able discus- sion of secret societies. He was always, during his prime, an advocate for the State Normal School. One of his best-known works is the one called "Mormonism in all ages," which was published in 1842. Another, "Christ's Creed and Charter of the Kingdom of Heaven," appeared in 1847. He married in Connecticut, and his family grew up to be fine representatives of a brilliant father, al- though none of them have yet attained the liter- ary prominence which has been his. The family record reads as follows: Rhodolphus K. married Ella Kibbe, who still lives at Quincy, 111., with her three children. The husband died December 18, 1880. William Henry married P^annie P. Grobe, who died here September 10, 1883, and left his wife and eleven children. Charles A. became a farmer, andresides in Macon. He lias been twice married; the first wife was named Elizabeth Retter, and she left one child. His second wife was a Miss Hatfield. Mary Louisa married Dr. Henry Carriell, the Superintendent of the Insane Asylum at Jacksonville. Four children resulted from this marriage. Howard Asa resides in Minneapolis, and is in a real-estate and law business there. He is the father of three children, two of whom are living. PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 495 Fred Clifford married Lizzie Alexander, the daugh- ter of John Alexander, and is engaged in the prac- tice of law. One child belongs in this household. The immediate subject of this sketch was reared in Jacksonville, 111., and was graduated from the college there in the spring of 1860. He remained in the congenial atmosphere of home until winter, when he taught school, but came herein the spring of 1861, where his father owned a farm, and he and his brother William engaged in agriculture. He continued here until the fall of 1878, when his brother Howard and himself engaged in sheep-rais- ing in Texas, and all continued in business until 1883, when the death of William broke up the pleasant relation, and our subject returned home and has remained in Butler Grove Township ever since, engaged in farming and stock-raising. The farm is one of great extent, comprising one thou- sand and seven acres, and is stocked and improved to the fullest limit. The family owns one hundred acres of timber in North Litchfield. Our subject was married September 26, 1888, to Mrs. Fannie Turner, the daughter of John Fred and Ursula (Hagman) Grobe, who was born June 15, 1845, in Switzerland, of Swiss parents. She came to America when about five years of age, and was reared near Jacksonville. Her father died February 14, 1865, at this place, at the age of forty- eight years, and her mother, who was born in Jan- uary, 1822, still resides here. Her father was a carpenter by trade, and followed his occupation in this country. She has one sister, Annetta, who married Albert Dolea, and died in Jacksonville, and left six children. Mrs. Turner, the wife of our subject, is an ac- complished lad3', and attended the Methodist Col- lege. She was married the first time to William Henry Turner, December 12, 1866. The children are as follows: Nettie, who married W. W. Doug- las, lives in Carbondale, where her husband is the leading physician of the Keeley Institute, and she has one child. William Fred lives in Coleman County, Tex., where he is managing a cattle ranch near Santa Anna of twelve thousand acres, which is owned by his father, and uncles John and Howard. Minnie and Carrie are at school in Chicago. Wal- ter Soott is also located in Chicago, where he is en- gaged as a house decorator. Jonathan B. is an at- tendant at a veterinary school at Toronto, Can- ada. All of these have been graduates of the But- ler High School, and Walter, John B. and Carrie are also graduates of Hillsboro. Ida Ella, Annie Myra, Charles Philip, Howard Asa and William Henry are at home. By her second marriage, Mrs. Turner has become the mother of another little son, Rhodolphus Kibbe, who was boi-n April 26, 1890. The subject of this sketch has filled the ofiice of Township Supervisor, and has been a stanch Re- publican in his political faith. His aged father is still living, with mind bright and clear, and is still producing books that attract attention. He lives a retired life, as his eyesight has failed him, but he can truly say that to him his "mind a kingdom is.' W. WILLIAMS, M. D. Prominent among ^ the younger physicians and surgeons of p^ Litchfield may be mentioned Dr. Williams, who located in this place in August, 1888, and has since won for himself an enviable reputation as an able practitioner and genial gentleman. He was born near Litchfield, in Macoupin County, 111., April 23, 1855, being the son of Elihu and Martha (Cormack) Williams. His parents were originally from Tennessee, and were among the pioneers of Macoupin County, where they entered land from the Government and made a pleasant home. The rudiments of our subject's education were ac- quired in the common schools of the neighbor- hood, and he subsequently entered Blackburn University, at Carlinville, 111., where he availed himself to the utmost of the splendid educational advantages there afforded him. He had decided to follow the medical profession, and in order to carry out that resolve he commenced to read med- icine with his uncle. Dr. A. W. Cormack, at Fre- donia, Kan. He took a course of lectures at the 496 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. American Medical College, of St. Louis, from which he was graduated in 1878. Mr. Williams' theoretical knowledge gained, he located at Greenfield, this State, where he opened an office, and for a time practiced his profession. Thence he removed to Coal Bluff, Ind., and from that place to Arkansas City, Kan., where he re- mained only a short time. He also practiced at Fredonia, Kan., coming from that city to Litch- field, where he has permanently located. Al- though he has been here but a few years, he has already established a lucrative practice, and enjoys the confidence of the people, who repose the greatest trust in his ability and skill. Dr. "Williams is a member of the county and State medical societies, and is also identified with the Knights of Pythias. His marriage in Decem- ber, 1879, united him with Miss Mary A. Pickett, of Indianapolis, and they are the parents of three children: Lena, Mamie, and an infant unnamed. Dr. and Mrs. Williams are attendants at and sup- porters of the Presbyterian Church, and are prom- inently connected with many important measures for the progress of the place. 4^ 9^A ARSHALL HUNTER, a prominent farmer I \\\ and old settler of Ripley Township, Bond W ia\ County, 111., was born in Ripley Township, * and within a-half mile of where he now resides, March 1, 1820. He is a son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Maben) Hunter. His grandfather, John Hunter, was an Irishman by birth, and was a young man during the Revolutionary War. He was the son of one Thomas Hunter, a wealthy landlord in Ireland, and during his young days was somewhat wild, rebelling against the restraints placed upon him by his father, and this resulted in his running away from home with the determination to emi- grate to America. There was only one difficulty in the way, which was that he did not possess enough money to pay his passage. However, he determined to make his way to the New World, and, as no better opportunity offered, he joined the British army, and was shipped to America as a soldier. He came with no intention of participat- ing in the war, and as soon as opportunity offered after landing on American soil, he deserted from the army and made his way to North Carolina. Later, he went to Tennessee, and there Joseph Hunter, our subject's father, was born, being one of a family of seven boys. With this family John Hunter removed by team to Illinois and settled on land not far from where the present generation of Hunters now live; but the original settlers have all passed away. At death Thomas Hunter, the wealthy Irish landlord, left his son a few hundred pounds of his fortune, but as the latter was not given an equal share, he refused to take what was offered and died without claiming it. Of the seven sons who came to Illinois with him, John died in Kansas; Samuel, in Texas; Thomas, James, William, Daniel and Joseph, the latter the father of our subject, all died in Bond County. Of these, Thomas, Samuel and Joseph served in the War of 1812. The motlier of our subject was also a native of North Carolina, and she bore her husband a family of seven children, of whom our subject was the second. Of these, Susan died when a girl of sixteen years; Mary married Daniel Briggs and died in Bond County; Elizabeth died when a young lady; Steward Nelson died in child- hood; John is now living in Johnson County, Tex.; and William M. lives on the old homestead. Our subject was reared on the farm and received but little education, as school advantages were limited in his boyhood days. Much of the time was occupied in assisting in the clearing up of the farm. In 1843, he married Sarah E. Myers, a native of Bond County, but she died ten months later. In 1846, he married Elizabeth Glenn, a native of North Carolina, and a daughter of Alexander Glenn, who was brought to Illinois when she was a child of one year. Mr. and Mrs. Hunter had a family of seven children, six boys and one girl, three dying when small. Those who reached mature years were Mary, wife of William Ward, who resides in Ripley Township, where he is the present Supervisor; Samantha, wife of John Wilieford, a prominent young farmer of Ripley; Alice, wife of William POETRAIT AND BIOGEAPHICAL RECORD. 497 Cacahuens, resides on the farm of Mr. Hunter, who has lived with them since the death of his wife in February, 1883; Joseph W., the second in the family, was born April 5, 1849. He now has a farm adjoining his father's. Mr. Hunter was married to Miss Harriet M. Sybert, whose parents were also early settlers in the county, her father being William B. Sybert, a prominent farmer of this township. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Hunter have three children: Alice M., Henry Albert and Rus- sell Hall. Mr. Joseph Hunter is a prominent mem- ber of the Masonic fraternity, Gordon Lodge No. 473, of Pocahontas, in which he has been quite ac- tive, and he is also a member of tiie Farmers' Mutual Benefit Association. The Hunter family has been Democratic since the original emigrant first landed on American soil, and the present members of the family still continue in the same faith. They are also all members of the Cumber- land Presbyterian Church, Joseph being at present a Deacon in that body. Mr. Marshall Hunter is no doubt the oldest living pioneer residing in Bond County. m 1^^* ^^ S. WYCKOFF. There is not within the limits of Litchfield a man who is held in more general respect than the subject of this notice. Self-made in the broadest sense of the term, his career illustrates in an admirable man- ner what may be accomplished by unflagging in- dustry, perseverance and good management. We find him the possessor of a fine home which in all its appointments fulfills the modern idea of cultured taste. Our subject was born in New York City, July 15, 1850. His parents were Dr. James B. and Mar- garet (Winship) Wyckoff. Dr. Wyckoff was a na- tive of New York, and practiced there for some time. In 1865 he came West and located at Jer- seyville, this State, but did not long survive his removal, leaving a widow and one son, who is the subject of this biography. The mother and son re- turned to their old home, and some years later Mrs. Wyckoff became Mrs. Eytinge, and changed her place of residence to Bayonne, N. J., where she still lives. Our subject's mother is a woman of pronounced literary ability, and has for years suc- cessfully edited the children's department of the Detroit Free Press. She is a graduate of the Rutger Institute of New York City, and received the gold medal of her class. Her parents were na- tives of New England, and she can trace a direct line of ancestry back to the "Mayflower." J. S. Wyckoff, with whose name we commenced this sketch, was educated in the public schools of his native city, and for some years after his grad- uation occupied himself as a teacher. Circumstances seem to have compelled him to seek the field in which he should prove the greatest success, for pre- vious to entering the line he is now engaged in, we find him acting as school teacher and clerk alter- nately. Soon after accepting a school in this part of the State, in the year 1871, our subject became interested in plants and flowers to such an extent that he resigned his position and accepted a place in a nursery as salesman. Nature must have en- dowed him with the necessary talent and concep- tion for this line of work, for only a few years after his introduction to the business we find him in the position of proprietor, and making an unqual- ified success in this chosen field of labor. In the year 1876 he came to Litchfield, and built up a trade which extends over the southern portion of the State. He employs a large number of salesmen, but the success of his business is due to his own excellent ability, energy and management. In 1889 he built the home in which he resides at present, and which is an excellent monument to his per- severance and thrift, as well as an excellent illus- tration of the taste possessed by its owner. When twenty-six years old, Mr. Wyckoff, hav- ing accumulated enough of this world's goods to found a home, took unto himself a wife and help- mate The marriage occurred January 10, 1879, and the bride was Miss Maggie L. Johnson, daugh- ter of Henry Johnson, a well-known and much-es- teemed citizen of Hopkinsville, Ky. The results of this union are three intelligent and bright chil- dren, Pearl, Ralph and Carl. Mrs. Wyckoff 498 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. is a woman of most estimable traits of character and warm sympathies, which make for her many friends in the vicinity of her home. Our subject is one of the stanch, substantial cit- izens of Litchfield, and a man of sterling principles, progressive ideas and generous impulses. Eulogy is never questioned when bestowed on one whose every characteristic displays qualities of heart and brain superior to the average, and yet capable of comprehending and discovering the best in those with whom he comes in contact, and he whose bi- ography we have here sketched is one of the best types of American citizen, and a man beloved by his fellow-men. Mr. Wyckoff is a member of the Knights of Pythias, also of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Modern Woodmen of Amer- ica. Both he and his wife are members of the Pres- byterian Church. ylLLIAM M. BRIGGS. Our subject is a man of more than average ability, and one who has made the most of his opportuni- ties. He is a representative agriculturist and promi- nent citizen of Harvel Township, living upon his fine farm in section 8. Mr. Briggs was born in North Litchfield Township, Montgomery County, 111., in 1847, September 24, being a son of the late Judge Stephen E. Briggs, formerly an As- sociate Judge of Montgomery County. Judge Briggs was a native of Ohio and came to Illinois with his parents when but four years old; he resided for a short time in Bond County, and then removed with his parents to North Litchfield Township, Montgomery County, 111., where he grew to man- hood. Pie was Associate Judge for many years, dis- charging the duties of that office with distinguished ability. Until the war of 1861-1865 he was a Dem- ocrat, but the stupendous revolutions of those times resulted in his changing to the Republican party, in wiiich he remained until his death in 1871. His devoted and faithful wife survived him ten years, passing away in 1881. His marriage was a fruitful one; of the children the following survive: James, William M., Mrs. John Seward, Thomas, Mrs. Wesley Davis, Douglas, Charles and W. M. Briggs. Our subject grew to manhood amid the scenes " incident to passing out of pioneer life into a modern farming region, well settled and with the appliances and comforts and the luxuries of modern civilization. The educational advantages of his youth were greatly inferior to those enjoyed by the farmers' sons of to-day; but such as they were he had to be content with them. He- was married September 1, 1870, to Miss Louisa Smith, a native of Kentucky, who bore him three ciiildren: Charles W., Amelia and David. In 1881 he settled upon his present farm, consisting of one hundred and sixty acres of raw prairie, which by hard work he has brought up to its flne condition. Although his educational advantages were few, he has been from his youth up a zealous reader and is well in- formed upon current and general history. He is a man who thinks for himself and is an independent in politics, insisting upon voting for principles and not for party. The Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he and his wife are members, elected him a Steward in that body, a position he still holds. He is a member of the Modern Wood- men at Raymond, 111. V_ ♦^♦^» / *^^= eSCHLUCKEBIER. For many years, or since his location in this county, the reputation that Mr. Schluckebier has enjoyed has been not only that of a substantial and very pro- gressive farmer, but of an intelligent and thor- oughly posted man on all public affairs. Al- though he started out for himself with limited means, and at the bottom of the ladder, he has reached almost the highest round of success and is one of the most prosperous citizens. He is the owner of four hundred and thirty-four acres of PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPRtCAL RECORD. 499 land, and all bis farming operations are conducted in a manner showing his familiarity with that pursuit. The original of this notice first saw the Tight of day in the principality of Waldeck, Germany, February 22, 1829, and his father, C. Schluckebier,was a native of the same place. The elder Mr. Schluckebier fol- lowed the occupation of a farmer in his native country' and died there when seventy-two years of age. His wife, Elizabeth Schluckebier, was born in the same place and died thei-e when about sixty years of age. Their children, three sons and two daughters, all grew to mature years, and tliree sons came to America. The daughters died in the Old Country. Our subject is the only one of the family now living and was the eldest child. The benefits to be derived from a residence in America prompted him to cross the ocean, and in 1857 he set foot upon United States soil. He first settled in St. Louis, and, after residing there for twelve years, moved to Illinois. The farm that he then owned and cultivated there is now in the citj' limits. It was in 1870 that Mr. Schluckebier came to Montgomery County, 111., and settled in East Fork Township, where he bought one hundred and twenty-two acres of land on section 18. Since then he has added to the original tract, until now he has one of the most productive and best culti- vated farms in his section, all the result of honest industry and frugality', traits of character no doubt inherited from his German ancestors. "When he landed in St. Louis, he had just $3 in money, but here the sturdy and thrifty elements of his nature asserted themselves and he went to work with energy and perseverance to lay the foundation for his subsequent prosperous career. Iq 1861, while a resident of St. Louis, he was married to Miss F. L. Ortmar, who died in 1872 in Montgomery County, leaving two children, Mary, the wife of L. Edward's, of East Fork Township; and William F.,at home. The second marriage of our subject was with Miss Doreta Hazelmier, who died, leaving one daughter, Julia F., at home. Mr. Schluckebier selected his third wife in the per- son of Mrs. Anna L. Shanhert, a native of St. Louis. Our subject is one of the influential citi- zens of Montgomery County, and has contributed greatly to its growth and prosperity. His name is synonymous with successful agriculture, and in all the affairs of life he has borne himself in an up- right manner, and is regarded as a man of true worth. FREDERICK LOHMANN. Our subject, a well-known and much respected citizen and skillful farmer of Pitman Township, Mont- gomery County, 111., was born in Prussia, January 28, 1835, being a son of Henry and Sophia Loh- mann, natives of Germany. He was reared tp manhood in his native country and all his life long has worked upon a farm. He received a fair education in German and a moderate knowledge of English. The spirit of emigration seized him and in 1860 he took passage at Bremen on a sailing- vessel for America, being seven weeks and four days on the ocean. Landing at Baltimore, he pro- ceeded direct to Macoupin County, 111., where he worked upon a farm until January, 1864, when he enlisted in Company I, One Hundred and Fifty- second Illinois Infantry, remaining in the service until the close of the war. Garrison duty in Ten- nessee was his principal service until his discharge in 1865, and for disease contracted in the service he receives a pension of $8 per month. He returned to Macoupin County, worked for several years as a farm hand and was married September 23, 1875, to Anne Koch, born November 18, 1866, at St. Louis, a daughter of William and Dorothy Koch, natives of Germany. Her father, now dead, brought her with her mother to Macoupin County from Germany, when Mrs. Lohmann was a little girl; re- maining there two years they went to Christian County, where she was reared and educated. Mr. and Mrs. Lohmann are the parents of five children, namely: Henry, Dora, Frank, Frederick and Ernest. After their marriage they came to Montgomery- County and settled in Pitman Township upon a farm of eighty acres, which was bought and paid for with money earned by the earnest toil of man 500 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. and wife. They are members of the church in which their parents and they grew up and that is very dear to them — the Lntiieran, at Harvel. Mr. Lolimann is a Republican in politics, a party with which he has been associated for many years. Our subject is a man of unassuming manner, honest in all his dealings with his fellow-man and an indus- trious, hardworking farmer. .♦♦♦♦t J ^t? AMES YOUNG. What honesty, hard work and steadfast determination will accomplish in America can not be better illustrated than by giving a brief sketch of the life of James Young, now one of the wealthiest citizens of Montgomery Count3% 111. He was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, May 3, 1828, the second of a family of six children born to Anthony and Jane (McCoy) Young, the former of whom was a son of Thomas Young, a Scotchman, who left that country for the North of Ireland during the relig- ious trouble in his native land, or about the year ] 780. He was a high-minded, cultured gentleman, possessed of an ample fortune; in fact, it has been ascertained that he was at one- time one of the largest and wealthiest land-owners in the northern part of the Isle of Erin, owning nearly, if not quite, a township of land. It was on this vast estate that Anthony Young, the father of James Young, was born in 1801. Upon the death of his father, Thomas, he came into possession of his share of his father's fortune, there being several other heirs. The other children of his father, five in number, were also born on the home place. Anthony Young was one of those warm-hearted, whole-souled gentlemen who could never say no to a friend, but he was not as good a financier as could be desired, and while on a visit to a brother, James Young, who was an officer in the British army, he was taken sick and suddenly died, after which a crisis in the financial affairs of the young family came, for it was found that the father had befriended so many with money or the use of his name that the entire estate was swept awaj', and his widow with six children was left penniless. Of this family Thomas was the eldest, and at the age of eighteen years he entered the British armj'^ and soon became a member of the Queen's Body- guard, but died at the age of twenty-one years. James was the next eldest and it devolved upon him to look after the welfare of his widowed mother and younger children, and he at once put his shoulder to the wheel in the determined way for which he has always been noted. It did not take him long to make up his mind that America should be his future home, and in 1851 he, having provided sufficiently for the family to keep them until he could reach the United States and earn money to send them, set sail for this country, and so closely had he figured that when he reached Canada he had but three cents in his pocket. However, he was a strong, healthy young man and was not long in obtaining employment, and after remaining in Lower Canada for about a year he came to the States and soon after became the owner of some of the fertile acres of Illinois, in Madison County. So successful was he in all his operations that in 1853 he sent for his mother and the other four children, three boys and one girl; but here the sister, Ann, died, on the 3d of November, 1860. William is a successful and well-known farmer of Madison County. The other two broth- ers, Robert and Anthony, did valiant service in the Civil War. Anthony became a private in Company K, Twenty-second Illinois Infantry, and during his service of more than three years he participated in twenty-two general engagements. He was promoted to be Orderly-Sergeant and at the battle of Belmont, when his Colonel and Captain fell wounded and the Lieutenants had deserted their post of duty, he commanded his company and for bravery and meritorious conduct was given a Lieutenant's commisison. Later, he was presented by Gen. Pliil Sheridan with a gold watch and chain. At the battle of Stone River he was taken prisoner and for three months there- after fought starvation in Libby Prison, during which time he sold the gold watch and chain that had been presented to him by Sheridan and dis- POETRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 501 tributed the proceecls among his unfortunate fellow-prisoners. A braver or more daring soldier than Mr. Young never trod the crimson turf of a battlefield, and upon his return liome he bore with him the heart-felt gratitude of his country. For some time after the war he was extensively en- gaged in mining in Ueadwood and later in New Mexico, making and losing two or three fortunes, and finally died in St. Louis in 1889. The subject of this sketch has been wonder- fully successful in everything that he has under- taken since he reached the free soil of America, and his farming enterprises in Madison County, together with the advance of property, made him a snug fortune. In 1867 he was attracted to the then almost unimproved prairies of Montgorrery County, and the same year he purchased the farm where he now lives and has since added to it until he is now the owner of over one thousand acres of the finest land in the county. Aside from this he owns a large amount of property in the city of Nokomis, for he, in company with D. H. Zepp and Henry A. Best, bought up all the vacant lots and some two hundred acres of land adjoining the town in 1879, which alone made him a fortune. His accumulation of wealth did not have the ef- fect of changing to any appreciable extent either his manner or his customs in dealing with those who were brought into contact with him. He has alwaj's been thoroughly democratic, is as genial and kindly as he was in the days of his early struggles, and has ever been the same industrious, upright, honest Christian gentleman. He was mar- ried in 1858 to Miss Lucy A. Alvis, a native of the State of Illinois, by whom he has six children: Jennie, wife of A. L. Culp, of Nokomis, is an artist of no small ability and repute; Annie M. also paints well and is now at home, having completed her education; Helen L. is pursuing her studies at Alton College; William is attending school at Nokomis; Clara Belle and Lucy May are attending the public schools. The mother of Mr. Young died March 31, 1873, at the age of seventy-four years, having always made her home with him after coming to America. In politics Mr. Young is the strongest kind of a Republican. He is a prominent member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in which he has been a member of the Grand Lodge, and also belongs to the Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons. He is also an exemplary member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1878, he made an extended trip through Europe, traveling through England, France, Scotland and Ireland, but came to the con- clusion that America was a good enough country for him. Mr. Young's career might be copied by indigent young men of the present generation, for it points its own moral. Much more might be said of the early members of his family, for Robert Young, a cousin of his father, was a man of letters, an author and poet who was well and favorably known in his native country; in fact, his writings were known and read in two continents. .,=^0. \i-^ ON. JESSE J. PHILLIPS. The distin- fl guished subject of this sketch was born in Montgomery County, 111., May 27, 1837, the son of Thomas Phillips, a native of Macon County, 111., who was born October 7, 1790; the latter removed to Kentucky, and lost his parents in the year 1811; later he removed to Kaskas- kia. 111., and finally left there and went into business at Ste. Genevieve, Mo. His stay there was a short one, and he returned to ,a point near Kaskaskia, where he located and remained for the balance of his life. During the war with Mexiccf he was a Second Lieutenant in Roun- tree's Company, Second- Regiment of Illinois Volunteers. He passed from life September 22, 1877, aged eighty-seven years, at Hillsboro, 111. His father, John Phillips, was a native of Wales. The wife of the latter was Lucy Hampton, born in South Carolina. Our subject's mother was Jane Roberts, a na- tive of Kentucky, born August 7, 1802, and was reared at Smithland, in the same State. Her de- mise occurred May 23, 1888. Her father, Jesse Roberts, was a native of South Carolina, where he 502 PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. was reared and pursued the vocation of a Uni- versalist preacher. His mother was Effie Carter, a native of North Carolina. Jesse Roberts had one brother, Obadiali, who left a son, Orvin, who took an active part in the struggle for the inde- pendence of Texas, and subsequently was a Judge of the Supreme Court of Texas and also Gov- ernor of that State. He still resides at Austin and is known as the "Old Alcalde." The father and mother of our subject were married at Smithland, Ky., and later removed to Illinois. They were the parents of eight children, five sons and three daughters. One son died in in- fancjr, while the others grew to maturity; the youngest, Sidney B., was Sergeant-Major of the Ninth Illinois Infantry, and was mortally wounded at the battle of Shiloh, April 6, 1862, dying from the same June 8 following. Burrell, the second son, was a member of the General Assembly of the State of Illinois from the Forty-first District, in 1876, and again in 1886 from the counties of Montgomery and Christian. The eldest son, Henry, is a resident of Jefferson County, 111.; Hannah is the widow of Gen. Scott; Unity J. is the wife of George Seward, of Montgomery County, 111. Permesea was the wife of William H. Brewer, and died in 1868. Our subject is the seventh child and fourth son; he was educated at the Hillsboro Academy, and at the age of nineteen was appointed Route Agent on the Terre Haute & St. Louis Railroad, a posi- tion he held until 1857; he then entered tlie law office of Davis & Kingsbury, of Hillsboro, where he studied three years, after which he was ad- mitted to the Bar, in the year 1860, and began the practice of his profession at Hillsboro. In the year 1861, in response to the call for seventy- five thousand men, he raised a company, which was organized April 17, 1861, of which he was elected Captain ; they reported at Springfield and made part of the Ninth Infantry, our subject being made Major. Maj' 1 next the regiment was at Cairo, 111., and continued on garrison duty three months, the term of its enlistment. The regiment was reorganized September 3, 1861, and entered the service for three years; soon after it was ordered, with the Twelfth Illinois Infantry, by Gen. Grant to proceed to Paducah, Ky., and at this time Maj. Phillips was temporary commander of the regiment. He was commissioned Lieutenant-Colonel December 21, 1861, and in February, 1862, his command moved up the Ten- nessee River and formed part of the army that co-operated with the fleet in the attack upon and capture of Ft. Henry. He also took part with eight companies of his regiment, he being in com- niand, as the Colonel was disabled by a wound, in the siege and capture of Ft. Donelson. In this battle the Ninth Regiment, with six hundred men engaged, lost thirty-five in killed, one hundred and sixty wounded, and six prisoners. Col. Phil- lips received high praise from his brother officers and from Gens. Grant and Oglesby for the supe- rior manner in which he handled the regiment during the fight. While leading the bayonet charge his horse was shot from under him. The regiment next took part in the battle of Shiloh, April 6, 1862, going into the fight with five hun- dred and seventy men and suffering a loss of sixty-one killed, two hundred and eighty-seven wounded and ten prisoners. One commissioned officer was killed, nineteen wounded and only four escaped unhurt. Among the mortally wounded was Sidney B. Phillips, a brother of our subject. Col. Phillips' horse received three musket shots and one grape shot before it fell, and the Col- onel himself was shot through the hand jiiid twice through the thigh. Owing to the wounds of the Colonel of the regiment, received in March, the command at that time devolved upon Col. Phil- lips, a position that he retained not only in the battles of Shiloh and Donelson, but also until the expiration of the term of service of the regiment. After our subject recovered from the wounds re- ceived at Shiloh, he was ordered to Athens, in North Alabama, where he was stationed several months, the command at this time being mounted as scouts. The post was one of great danger, requir- ing constant vigilance, hut his duty there ceased September 1, 1863. His command was in a number of fights, in one of which, near Florence, Ala., during a sabre charge which he directed, he re- ceived a serious injury by the fall of his horse after he had broken through the enemy's line. PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 503 He made a charge with thirty-three of his men upon seventy of the enemy, and succeeded in capturing thirty-four, the only one hurt during the charge, except the Colonel, being a rebel, who was cut down by a sabre in the hands of Col. Phillips. April 15, 1863, Col. Phillips with his regiment had a battle with rebel cavalry at Cherokee, Ala., and the same day with another body of the enemy at Lundy's, the rebels losing fifty killed and wounded and twenty-three prisoners, the Union loss being five wounded and fifty-five prisoners. During the same month the Colonel and his regiment took part in other battles at Cherokee and Crane Creek, Ala., and May 4 in a fight at Tupelo, Miss., and on the 28th of the same month was in a battle at Florence, Ala. Col. Phillips, with a command of six hundred men, his own and portions of two other regiments, while scouting in Mississippi, June 19, 1863, was attacked by about three thousand men at Mud Creek Swamp. A hard fight ensued, which lasted from eight o'clock A. M. until 3 o'clock P. M., when Col. Phillips, finding himself opposed by such superior numbers, retreated m a masterly manner, contesting every inch of the ground, pun- ishing the enemy so badly that it Anally gave up the pursuit. The rebel loss was two hundred killed and wounded, while the Union loss was but five killed and eighteen wounded. Col. Phillips' conduct during the fight and in the retreat was warmly cornmendedby his superior officers in their olllcial report. He made a raid in August, 1863, with about sixteen hundred men through Missis- sippi, and at Granada they captured and destroyed about sixty jockeltes, four hundred and fifty cars of all kinds, and a large amount of stores. Here he met and drove back a force of fifteen hundred rebels under Col. Slemmer. At Forked Deer River he engaged the enemy in a skirmish October 21, 1863; again, October 8, he attacked a largely su- perior force of the enemy at Salem, Tenn., and after fighting two hours was reinforced by eight hundred men under Col. McCrillis. After fight- ing until dark at a disadvantage, he retreated. October 11, of the same year, the rebels at- tacked Collierville, Tenn., and were repulsed. Col. Phillips, being in command of a brigade, fol- lowed them and an engagement took place at Graham's Mill, and again at Royal, Miss.; in the last engagement he had a horse shot under him At Florence, Ala., November 30, 1863, with two hundred men, he attacked a force of the enemy, charging them with sabres, and captured thirty- four of them. His command was next ordered to Decatur, Ala., where he remained from January, 1864, until May 1 following, during which time he was engaged in a number of skirmishes, the most important of which was near Moulton, Ala Shortly afterward he engaged a force of rebel cav- alry under Maj. Williams at Somerville, Ala., and drove them to Danville, Ala., and from Dan- ville to Moulton, where a sharp fight ensued. Col. Phillips, encountering a reinforcement of largely superior forces, deemed a retreat prudent. Here his horse was shot and fell upon him, plac- ing him in peril of capture, from which he was rescued by a charge from a portion of his com- mand led by Lieut. Cyrus Gilmore, of his regi- ment. About May, 1864, the corps to which he belonged was ordered to Chattanooga to prepare for the Atlanta campaign. Upon reporting, he had orders to move to the front to take the ad- vance of the army. In obedience to the order, he set out with his command, and on passing through Snake Creek, Ga., he encountered a force of rebel cavalry. At the battle of Resaca, May 14, 1864, in a reconnoisance he confronted a heavy force of rebel cavalry under the celebrated Gen. Wheeler, and was driven back after a fight of two hours. Here again he had a horse shot under him and received a painful injury in the ankle, which rendered him unfit for service until June 1, when he again assumed command. In the battle of July 22, 1864, in front of At- lanta, the Colonel took an active part, being placed on the staff of Gen. Dodge, who made honorable mention of the Colonel's gallantry in his official report. On the night of July 22 he was placed in command of a brigade of infan- try, and on July 28 his command took a promi- nent i)art in the engagement. On that day Col. Phillips aided Gen. Logan in a masterly way, the General's command sustaining the flank of the battle. August 1, 1864, he was appointed 504 PORTKAIT AND BIOGEA.PHICAL EECORD. Chief on Gen. Dodge's staff, where he remained until the capture of Atlanta, when he resigned, the resignation being accepted in September, 1864. He returned to his home at Hillsboro and resumed the practice of law; was commissioned Brevet-Colonel to rank March 13, 1865; also on the same date he ,was commissioned Brigadier- General by brevet, both commissions being for gallant conduct and for meritorious and distin- guished services during the war. In politics, our subject is a Democrat, high in tlie councils and confidence of his party, having twice been the nominee for State Treasurer, in 1866 and 1868, and was defeated both times, because his party was in the minority. He is now and has been Circuit Judge, a position he has filled with dis- tinguished ability. ^^>-M-<^^- ^■' F. RHODES. The subject of tl)is sketch is a man of much influence in his com- munity, he being highly respected and re- garded as a man of sound judgment in public affairs as well as in matters relating to the farm. He lives in Anderson Township, Mont- gomery County, 111., and was born in Rockingham County, Va., Julj' 25, 1827, being the eighth in a family of twelve children. His parents were Jacob and Christina Rhodes, the latter dying when he was quite young. But little can be learned con- cerning the early history or the ancestry of the family, yet there is little doubt that they are of German extraction, the father, as far as can be learned, having been born in Pennsylvania, being what is commonly termed a Pennsylvania-Dutch- man; he settled at a very early day in Rocking- ham County. He was a farmer of considerable means, reared a large family, and finally died in the county named, upon the farm which he first settled. The subject of this sketch grew up on the farm, devoting the greater portion of liis time up to his twentieth year in acquiring the very liberal edu- cation he then received. He was stricken hard with the gold fever, and in 1849 he and his brother, Emmons, sailed around Cape Horn in a sailing-vessel, consuming six months in reaching the land of promise. They at once went to min- ing near Stockton, but after a time started a trad- ing post at what was then known as Wood's Creek, the brother conducting the store and our subject hauling the goods by ox-team from Stock- ton, a distance of about eighty miles. Two years of this traffic resulted in yielding the enterprising young men a snug little fortune, which contented them; and in 1853 the}' returned home, via the Isthmus of Panama. The gold excitement in Aus- tralia enticed him from his home a second time, and he made his way to Melbourne and then to the mines.-. Here Fortune, the fickle flirt, frowned upon him and all he had made in California was soon lost. He was full of game, however, and we find him soon at work for the Australian Govern- ment, wheeling dirt at £3 sterling per day, a pursuit he followed until he had saved up quite a sum of money, with this returning to the mines. Now Fortune, as many another jade has done when good luck has struck a fellow, smiled her sweetest upon him, and for four years the shining yellow metal flowed into his pockets in a steady stream. At the end of this time, satisfied, he re- turned by way of England, visiting that country, Scotland and Ireland, at last reaching Barton. In his absence his father had died in Virginia and his family was scattered; so he did not return to his native place, but started for Texas. Stopping over to visit a married sister, Mrs. D. D. Scraney, at Nokamis, 111., he was induced to locate here, pur- chasing the farm upon which he has resided ever since. Soon after, in 1857, he married Miss Rosa Corpburn, of German-Pennsylvania ancestry, who has borne him seven children, five of whom are living: Kate, wife of Thomas Gay, of Ford, Kan.; Maud, at home; Otis P., living at Cincinnati; Ar- beny D., living in California; Glenn H., at heme. Clair died at the age of two, and Fred died at the age of twenty-two, in 1886. Mr. Rhodes' beautiful home is situated upon an eminence, beautified b^' trees, shrubbery, flowers and grass, from which the countiy about may be seen to a PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 505 distance of many miles. Here, in content and happiness, he is spending his declining years, at peace with his neighbors and the world. ■ ^ ■ li I' liy \n > ■ ? I ' I ' ON. HUMPHREY H. HOOD, M. D., is one (.1 of the leading insurance agents of the city of Litchfield, 111., and also Secretary of the ^ Oil City Building and Savings Association. Dr. Hood has been a resident of this city since 1853, and was born in Philadelphia, Pa., Septem- ber 19, 1823, being the son of Lambert and Sarah (Hughes) Hood. The father was a mechanic and his ancestors had beea residents of -that place for three or four generations. The father was a con- sistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Our subject received his education in Philadel- phia, read medicine when twenty-five years old, and in 1851 was graduated from Jefferson Medi- cal College. He then came West looking for a lo- cation, settling first in Jersey County, 111., where he remained one year, and then came to this city, in 1863, practicing here until within the past three or four years. He went out as Assistant Surgeon of the One Hundred and Seventeenth Il- linois Infantry, serving ten months, and was then made Surgeon of the Third United States Heavy Artillery, colored, with which he remained two years and eight months, being stationed all of the time at Memphis. His entire service stretched through three and one-half years, and after the war he resumed his practice. In 1884 he received the nomination for the Legislature on the Republican ticket and was elected. After his return from Springfield he went into business. At the time of the organiza- tion of the Oil City Building and Savings Asso- ciation he was the active mover in it, and was at that time made its President, the capital being $500,000, which was afterward increased to $1,- 000,000, all of it taken up. A proposition is now before the stockholders to increase it to $3,000,- 000. The first series will soon be due. The asso- ciation charges nothing for membership or books, and fifty cents per month on shares. There are six hundred stockholders, and the company has been the means of much saving to poor people. Dr. Hood bought out an insurance business at the time of retiring from practice, and has been a member of the City Council, Supervisor of the county, and a member of the School Board. He built and owns the Masonic Block, beside other business and residence property in the city. Dr. Hood w.is married to Miss Matilda Jackson, of Philadelphia, to whom were born three children who now survive her: George P., who is station agent for the Jacksonville & Southeastern Rail- road; Frances and Anna. Dr. Hood again married, this wife being Abigail E. Tori-y, to whom were born two children, Harold and Louis. Our sub- ject is a Trustee in the Presbyterian Church, In which he is a very prominent member. He is also a popular member of the Grand Army of the Re- public. At one time he was a member of the County and Central Medical Associations, but has not attended recently. G. BUFFINGTON, M. D. The original of the sketch to which our attention is now- directed is a rising j'Oung physician of the general school, who has already made a name for himself in the town of Litchfield, where he has been located since 1886. In the village of Jersey- ville. 111., on May 22, 1859, Dr. J. H. and Frances (Gordon) Bufflngton became the parents of the bright young man who has already shown the effect of grit and brains combined in his make-up. The father of our subject was born in Philadel- pliia, and was there educated, and came to Illinois when the wild animals and the still wilder Indians had not wholly disappeared from the region around What now is Jersey ville. 111. The medical profes- sion seemed to be the one most desired in the fam- ily, as a brother, an uncle of our subject, also em- 506 PORTEAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. braced it, and now is occupying the position of Professor in the celebrated Rush Medical College of Chicago, where the most wonderful displays of medical and surgical skill have been made in the past few jears that the world has ever seen. Dr. Bufflngton practiced his profession at Jerseyville until the time of his death, and he loft three chil- dren to mourn his loss: Dr. C. D., of Atwater; Mrs. Clara E. Roberts, a widow of this place; and the subject of this sketch. Our subject grew to manhood in Jerseyville, and attended the High School of this place. He then chose the profession of his father for his life work, and for this he has proven himself peculiarly fitted. He engaged with Dr. Hadway to read medicine with him, and continued under this prominent physician until he was prepared to enter the Mis- souri Medical College of St. Louis, where he at- tended lectures during 1879-80-81. He was one of the gi'aduates in the Class of '81, and located in Jersey County for his first practice, ten miles west of Jerseyville, and there he remained for five years. He was successful, and was made the county physician for one year, but he was ambi- tious and desired to get into a wider sphere. The opening in Litchfield for a young and progressive physician seemed good, and he came to this place in 1886. He could scarcely have done better in any place, as his ability has been recognized and he has become very popular. He estimates that his practice in the first six years was |4,000 per year, and he has accumulated property in the city worth $7,000, and he now owns his office, his fine residence and two other places of value. Dr. Bufflngton has not become a member of any societies as yet in this locality, but during his stay in Jersey County, he was a member of the medical society there. Pie now is the examiner for the brakemen who desire positions on the Jackson- ville & Southeastern Railroad. The marriage of our subject took place May 29, 1889, to Miss Anna Huddlestou, of Macoupin County, born January 10, 1871. She was the daughter of the late Samuel Huddleston, who was the largest land-owner in tlie county of Macoupin, having no less than thirteen hundred acres. Mrs. Bufflngton is a lady of rare accomplishments, hav- ing been educated at the Blackburn University at Carlinville, and in her and her husband Litchfield society has gained two very desirable members. The Doctor has two brothers now deceased, who dur- ing their lifetime were engaged in the drug busi- ness, one in Jerseyville, 111., the other in Indianola, Iowa. MLLIAM WILSON. Our subject is a young j/ man of much promise, being intelligent, energetic and progressive. He resides in Harvel Township, Montgomery County, 111., on section 9, and was born in Madison County, 111., February 22, 1859, the son of William and Agnes (Anderson) Wilson, both natives of Scot- land, who emigrated to America in 1848 or 1849. The father came with his family to Montgomery County in 1862, and settled upon the farm where our subject now resides, the whole country being then a wild prairie, and he a very early pioneer. He was a self-made man and the father of eight children, four of whom survive, viz.: James; Susan, the wife of Mark Worrell, and William and Peter, all of whom are living in Kingman County, Kan. The father died in December, 1864, his wife still surviving him at the age of sixty-four, making her home chiefiy in Kingman County, Kan., with her children. Our subject grew up to man's estate in this new country, seeing it gradually developed and improve until it has reached its present state of prosperity. His schooling was received in the home district, alternating attendance there with work upon the farm. He was married September 10, 1885, to Minnie, daughter of Hanka and R. Jelder, resi- dents of Harvel Township. Three children have blessed this union, viz.: William, born July 7, 1886; Margaret, .June 18, 1889; and Henry, Sep- tember 12, 1891. Mr. Wilson is an ardent Repub- lican, is interested in all matters looking to the advancement of liis commnnit}', and is now serv- ing his first term as Commissioner of Highways. PORTEAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 607 His well-improved farm consists of two hundred acres. He is a prominent member of the Farmers' Mutual Benefit Association. Mr. Wilson owes his success in life mainly to his own unassisted efforts, being practically a self- made man. He is not easily discouraged, is ac- customed to think before he acts, and makes very few mistakes, and, not being afraid of work, does not get impatient while waiting for results. Such a man exerts a good influence in his community by his example, and he has the best wishes of his neighbors and friends for his complete success in life. ER. VOORHEES, the subject of this sketch, is the proprietor and manager of the Litch- field Livery, Feed and Sales Stables. He was bom in this county and State, eigbt miles south of this place, April 22, 1863. He is the son of A. 8. Voorhees, of whom it will be inter- esting to give a short sketch. A. S. Voorhees was born In Princeton, N. J., on the 25th of November, 1836, and was edu- cated in Jersey County. His father, Robert Voor- hees, came to Alton first, and then removed to Jerseyville, where he lived until his son was ten years old. Hef tlien removed into the country on a farm, where he remained until 1865, when he came to this county, lie settled seven miles south of this village, the country around being all prai- rie at that time. He located on .i farm which had been partly improved, but from 1870 to 1876 he lived in Walshville and Nokomis, engaged in dif- ferent employments. He came to Litchfield in the latter year. Mr. Voorhees married Miss Mary D. Murphy, of this county, but who was born in Jersey County. To this union were born three children: E. R., Nellie and Katie. After the removal of his father to Nokomis and Walshville, our subject attended the schools of these places, and also went to school after his ar- rival here. He begaij his first woyk op a f»rm in 24 1876, and continued at this labor some time, dur- ing which season he was careful and provident, and naturally became possessed of some means. He then went into a stable for about sixteen months and there became acquainted with the habits and needs of horses. He was about this time given an opportunity to make a trip through Arkansas and Texas with a railway contractor, and gained not only a knowledge of the country, but a con- sidei-able amount of practical information. Upon his return he engaged in work for Shefile Broth- ers for twenty months, and then went into a foun- dry, where he remained one year. All of this time Mr. Voorhees had been taking care of the pence, and as a matter of course the pounds then cared for themselves, and he found himself in a position to enter into business for himself. He entered a new building north of the Park with new machinery, and there he continued for three years. In 1891 he was pi'osperous enough to warrant more extended expenditure, and he established himself in the new brick build- ing, which was built by Wilton for the purpose, located opposite the new hotel on Ryder Street. He sold out the old barn and now gives all of his attention to this place. The marriage of Mr. Voorhees took place De- cember 24, 1889, to Miss Ida Brokaw, the daugh- ter of A. Brokaw, of South Litchfield. One child has blessed this union, Clarence. The Presbyte- rian Church is the religious denomination to which our subject belongs. f)ILLIAM C. H. SMITH. Uncle Sam has 'AWx/f placed in charge of the postal service in \V^ the village of Reno, Bond County, the gentleman whose name appears above. He unites with his duties as a Government olHcial the busi- ness of merchant. Mr. Smith was born in what is now Lyon County. Ky., on the Cumberland River, near Eddyville, June 11,1828. He is a son of Tho^ifis sind Sarah (Hall) Smith, the foj-jner a pfi. 508 JfOETRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL EECOED. tive of North Carolina, where he was born No- vember 17, 1803. When a child his parents re- moved to Kentucky, and there, March 18, 1827, was married to our subject's mother. William Smith is tlie eldest of a family of nine children. Of this number only five are now liv- ing: our subject; Pernecy, who is the wife of James W. Jett, of LaGrange Township, Bond County, was born December 9, 1830; Elizabeth, who was born March 23, 1835, married William Jett, and is now a widow, living in Crawford County, Kan.; Nancy was born December 11, 1836, and married John P. Haley, and is a widow living at Donnellson, 111.; and Isaac F., who was born December 31, 1840, is now a farmer at Cuba, Kan. In May, 1839, the family came to Illinois and spent one season. They then went to Missouri, but not finding that to their taste soon returned to Bond County and located on a farm cast of Reno, where our subject's father died Januarjr 26, 1853. The mother passed away some thirteen years before, the date of her decease being Decem- 31, 1840. Our subject received but a common-school edu- cation, and followed farming until 1873, when he became interested in the mercantile business at Elm Point, and there continued until 1881, when he came to Reno, since which time he has been constantly engaged in mercantile pursuits. Be- fore coming to Reno he was Postmaster at Elm Point for a good man}' years, and since becoming a resident of this village has held the office con- stantly with the exception of the term of the Cleveland administration. He has been a life- long Republican, and has served as Justice of the Peace for twelve j^ears. From 1861 to 1864 he acted as Constable. Mr. Smith's marriage occurred July 6, 1852, his bride being Miss Nancy L. Laughlin. She died January 28, 1856, and left her husband two chil- dren: Mary Eveline, born July 3, 1853, is now the wife of James D. Baker, who is a farmer in Missouri; and Sa,rah M., who was born March 26, 1856, married a Mr. Carroll; she died in Reno April 2, .1887. Feeling that his children needed a mother's cq.re he persuaded 3, Miss CincJnU^ Gwyn to take her place as mistress of his home and heart. They were married April 2, 1857. She passed away from this life December 27, 1890. Mr- and Mrs. Smith were the parents of four children two of whom are now living: Nancy Alice, the wife of Joseph N. Curlee, who lives in Baxter, Ark.; and Ellen M., who is the wife J. Nelson Dressor, who resides near Reno. Our subject is a man who for years has com- manded the utmost respect as well as personal re- gard of his fellow-men. As head of his family he has been a most exemplary husband and father, and the public trusts have been guarded as care- fully as though they were his individual affairs. M. BARLOW, manager of the Co-opera- tive Association Store of Walsh ville, and a widely-known and prominent business man, was born on his father's farm in Grisham Township, Montgomery County, May 25, 1851. His parents were Joseph and Nancy (Blair) Bar- low. The father was born in Memphis, Tenn,, in 1801, of Scotch parentage, the grandfather of our subject having come to this country prior to the Revolutionary War. Joseph Barlow was a man of good education, and became a Presbyterian min- ister. In 1825 he and his three brothers, John, William and James, left their native State and started for Illinois. The last-named located in Saline County, but the others continued their journey to Montgomery County, and located iu' the townsliip where our subject was born. There his father engaged in farming, teaching schooland in preaching until his death, which occurred on the old homestead in 1870. His wife was born in this county. Her parents were natives of the Keystone State, but came to Illinois at a vej-y early day. We now take up the personal historj' of Mr. Barlow, whose name heads this record, lie was the y^oungest of a family of tep ghi^drep, two sops PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 509 and eight daughters, and with the exception of two sisters all are yet living. His mother died in 1859, when he was only eightyears of age. He was educated mostly by his father, and in his youth was early inured to the labors of the farm. When only sixteen years of age he was married, the lady of his choice being Miss Nancy E. McPhail, daughter of James McPhail, one of the pioneer settlers of this county. By their union have been born four children , three sons and one daughter, but the latter, Lillie, died at the age of one year. Charles married Annie Haley; Ellis and Thomas are still upon the home farm. Mr. Barlow exercises his right of franchise in support of the Republican party, following in the footsteps of his father, and for about six years served as Constable, discharging his duties with promptness and fidelity. After his marriage he embarked in farming for himself, and carried on agricultural pursuits until about two years ago, when he came to Welshville and assumed the management of the Co-operative Association Store. In this capacity he is now employed. Mr. Barlow is a popular gentleman, widely and favorably known in this his native county. Those who have been acquainted with him from boyhood are num- bered among his stanchest friends, a fact which indicates the honorable, upright life which he has lived. ^^EORGE MUNIE. The farming community III (_-, of Bond County has received a recent val- "5^^ uable addition in this gentleman, who in 1892 removed hither from St. Clair County and purchased a farm. In addition to general farming, he is considerably interested in stock-raising, in which he has met with more than usual success. A practical, enei-getic and persevering farmer, he uses modern methods of agriculture and the latest improved machinery, and his recently-purchased estate already gives indications of his skill and judgment, TUe province pf hormne, tjiep owned b^ France, but secured by Germany in the Franco-Prussian War, was the native place of our subject, and Aug- ust 24, 1844, the date of his birth. His father, Paul Munie, was born in that province in 1800, and there grew to manhood, choosing as his wife a lady who was likewise born in Lorraine. In 1853, the family emigrated to the United States, and, after landing at New Orleans, came by boat up the Mississippi River to St. Louis, whence they proceeded to Illinois, and settled upon a farm in St. Clair Township, St. Clair County. There the father remained engaged in agricultural occupa- tions until his death, which occurred April 17, 1866; his wife survived until 1881, passing away March 25 of that year. The following is recorded of the brothers and sisters of our subject: Magdalena married George Buchler and resided in St. Clair Township, St. Clair County; Pfyacinth chose as his wife Miss Louise Adams, and they reside upon a farm near Freeburg in Smith ton Township, St. Clair County; Joseph married Christina Germain, and is a well- to-do farmer residing in St. Clair Township; Mary Ann; George, the youngest child, was reared on his father's farm in St. Clair Township, and in his youth was a student in the common schools, later attending the Catholic schools in Belleville. Tlie estimable lady who, on April 10, 1866, became the wife of Mr. Munie, was born April 17, 1848, and bore the maiden name of A_delinc Tribout. She was one of six surviving children among the thirteen born to Bonaventura and Margaret (Fournie) Tribout, the former a farmer in St. Clair County until his death May 5, 1881, at the age of seventy-five. The mother lives on the old home- stead two miles north of Belleville, and is in full possession of her mental faculties, notwithstanding her advanced age of seventj^-eight. Eleven chil- dren have been boi-n to Mr. and Mrs. Munie, who are named George J., Magdalena, Katherina, Rosa, Louis, Emil}', John, Arthur, Victor, Lawrence and Edmond. Katherina died at the age of eighteen years; Rosa, when six; Louis at four, and Emily in infancy. The others reside under the parental roof, and are gaining good educations in the schools of the county.- Mr, Munie retiiov^d to Hot Springs, Ark,, 510 POETEAIT AND BIOGEArfflCAL RECORD. having sold his farm in St. Clair Township, and for several months engaged in the wholesale pro- duce business. He was not satisfied with that State, however, and soon returned to his former place of residence, where for about two years he was proprietor of an hotel in Belleville. He then bought back his old homestead In St. Clair County and resided there until 1892, when, realizing that it was too small to give employment to himself and sons, he sold it and bought the above-mentioned estate in Bond County. He is independent in politics and is a man of decided beliefs and force of will. He finds his religious home in the Cath- olic Church, in which faith he was reared, and to which he has ever been devoted. i****<2 I****'! |IZ_^^ARDIN ELMORK. The gentleman whose (f)! sketch we now purpose to place bofore the '^^ public is a prominent farmer of Zion ^g) Township, and is located on section 12, in this township. Bond County, 111. He was born in Russell County, Ky., August 19, 1826. He owns four liundred acres of fine land and is a man well known in this locality. The father of our subject was Hiram El- more and he was a native of North Carolina but was reared in Kentucky. His father died, about the time he was born and his mother (our subject's respected grandmother) died in Bond County at the age of one hundred and Ave years. The mother of the gentleman of whom we write was Sarah Walker and she was a native of Kentucky, where she was born and reared. Her father was James Walker, and he was an early settler of Mont- gomery Countj', III. The father and mother of our subject were married in the State of Kentucky, where they lo- cated, but came to Illinois in 1830 and settled in Bond County, within Mulberry Grove Township, and there improved land which vy^s obt!?.ined from the Government. In 1831 they moved upon the farm where our subject now lives. They were enterprising people and were willing to make the best of circumstances. They lived in a -rail pen for a time, until they could get the log cabin built, and enjoyed the life when the wolves were not unusually bold. Those were days when luxuries were not thought of and where a contented mind gave more comfort than much money does in these extravagant times. The mother died many years ago, and the father married again, his second wife being Miss Lucy Curlee. From the first marriage eight children resulted and from the second there were two. Our subject is the oldest child of the first mar- riage, and he has two sisters living. He was four years old when he was brought into Bond County, and he remembers the first school he attended. This was kept in a little log house, 12x14 feet, and in this temple of learning the foundations of his education were laid. The young man remained at home until the year 1846, when he enlisted in Company E, Third Volunteer Infantry, for the war with Mexico under Col. Zenas Foreman. Al- though not wounded, our subject felt the effects of the war for three years after, as for that time he was sick. The first marriage of Mr. Elmore was with Miss Sarah Seems, and at her death she left three children, but only one remains at this time. This is Mr. Russell Elmore, who resides in Mulberr^^ Grove. The second marriage of our subject took place July 14, 1864, to Miss Mary E. Roberts, a native of Bond County, and the daughter of Richard S. Roberts. Plve children have been born of this marriage, Frank, Martha, Florence, Eliza- beth and Lafayette. The large amount of land which Mr. Elmore has under control numbei-s him among the land princes of the township. Almost all of it he has under cultivation and upon it he carries on general farming and does well in raising stock. He has a preference for the Jeffersonian princi- ples of the Democratic party, and the ideas of that party upon tariff and taxation of all kinds meet his approval. His famil}' is one well known and highly regarded in the neighborhood, PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 511 E. DEE, one of the well-known residents of Mulberry Grove, carries on a flourishing milling business in this place. The father of our subject was named Hiram Dee, and he was a native of Vermont, born in 1812, and was reared in his native place, where he conducted a shoe- maker shop. The father of Hiram was named Washington, for the Father of our country, was a native of Vermont, and was of Scotch-Dutch par- entage. The mother of our subject was Mary Walker, and she was a native of Vermont also, and was reared in her native village, and in that State our subject's parents wore married. They removed to Des Moines County, Iowa, and lived there un- til 1851, when they came into Madison County, and located near St. Jacobs, where the father died in 1863, and the mother in 1885. The former took part in the Civil War, having been a member of Company D, One Hundred and Seven teeth Illi- nois Infantry, and served his country faithfully. Mr. and Mrs. Dee were the parents of eleven chil- dren, seven of whom grew to maturity, and six of them are still living. The eldest of these is the subject of the present sketch, Charles. The others are, Lavina C, Warren W., Clara O., James G., and Laurence W. Our subject is the second son and child in the familj'. Being the eldest of the living children, the responsibility of the family fell upon him after his father's death. His first schooling was obtained in Iowa, where he attended the subscrip- tion schools, and after he came into this State, he went to school in St. Clair County. He remained with his mother caring for the family until his marriage. This important event took place Au- gust 4, 1870, when he made Miss Sarah B. Riley his wife. She was tlie daughter of William Riley, and was a native of Bond County, where she grew to womanhood. Our subject came into this county in 1869, and located at Mulberry Grove, and there engaged in the sawmilling business, in which he continued for one year, when he started a flouring mill, and has made a very successful business of this en- terprise. His mill is one of the latest in all im- provements, and is a sixty-barrel roller mill, and his flour is in great demand. His trade is con- stantly increasing, for the staff of life is a neces- sary adjunct to every family, and all prudent peo- ple soon find where the best flour can be obtained- Poor flour makes poor bread, and that is dear at any price. Mr. and Mrs. Dee became the parents of three chil- dren, of whom two are living, George and Wallace; Charles E. died at the age of sixteen months. Mr. Dee is a Republican in his political preference, and cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln, and has voted with that party since. In his church relation- ship, our subject is prominently connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and in that de- nomination he is Trustee and Class -leader. He is a man of means, and one, who possesses the esteem of the whole neighborhood. m^ The Wabash. ^O THE public and our thousands of readers in general: It will no doubt be interesting to all if we give a brief description of this road. The Wabash, as now known, has been oper- ated under different names from time to time. It ■ is the offspring, as it were, of the first line of road projected in Illinois, then known as the Northern Cross Eailroad, extending from Dan- ville to Quincy. This was chartered in 1837, and upon it the first locomotive was placed in the winter of 1888-39, running from Meredosia, on the Illinois Eiver, to Jacksonville. In 1842, the road was completed from Jacksonville to Springfield, and three trips per week were made. The track was of the old flat-rail style, which was made by nailing thin strips Of iron on two parallel lines of timbers placed at the proper distance apart and running lengthwise of the road. The engine, as well as the road, became so impaired that the former had to be abandoned and mules substituted as the motor power. However, such locomotion was destined to be of short duration, for the State soon after sold the entire road for a nominal sum, and thus for a short time was suspended one of the first railroad enterprises in Illinois. But in the West a new era-one of prodigious industrial ac- tivity and far-reaching results in the practical arts — was dawning, and within thirty years of the tem- porary failure of the road mentioned, Illinois had outstripped all others in gigantic internal improve- ments, and at present has more miles of railroad than any other State in the Union. The Great Western, whose name has been successively changed to Toledo, Wabash & Western, Wabash, and Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific, and Wabash Railroad, and The Wabash, the last of which it still bears, was an extension of the Northern Cross Railroad above mentioned, and traverses some of the finest portions of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. It soon became the popular highway of travel and traffic between the East and the West. Through a a3'Stem of consolidation unparalleled in American railways, it has become a giant among them, and has added many millions of dollars to the value of bonds and shares of the various com- panies now incorporated in the Wabash System. The road takes its title from the river of that name, a tributary of the Ohio, which in part sep- arates the States of Illinois and Indiana. In look- ing over Ihe maps of the Wabash Railroad it will be seen that the line extends through the most fertile and wealthy portions of the center of the United States, having termini at more large cities than any other Western road. It was, indeed, a far-reaching sagacity which consolidated these var- ious lines into the Wabash System, forming one immense chain of great commercial activity and power. Its terminal facilities are unsurpassed by any competing line. Its home offices are estab- lished in commodious quarters in St. Louis. The lines of the road are co-extensive with the impor- tance of the great transportation facilities required TEANSPOETATION. 513 for the products of tlie Mississippi Valley. This line passes through the States of Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan. The various lines of road may be divided into the following: Miles. St. Louis to Chicago 286 Toledo to Kansas City 662 St. Louis to DesMoines 860 Logansport to Detroit 207 Chicago to Laketon Junction 123 Clayton to Keokuk ' 42 Bluffs to Quincy 105 Streator to Forest 37 Attica to Covington 15 Champaign to Sidney 12 Edwardsville to Edwardsville Crossing . 9 Bement to Altamont & EfHngham 63 Brunswick to Omaha 225 Roseberry to Clarinda 21 Salisbury to Glasgow 15 Centralia to Columbia 22 Total miles of main lines and branches. . 2204 From the above main lines and branches as in- dicated it will readily be seen that the Wabash connects with more large cities and great marts of trade than any other line, bringing Omaha, Kan- sas City, Des Moines, Keokuk, Quincy, St. Louis, Chicago, Toledo and Detroit together with one continuous line of steel rails. This road has an immense freight traffic of the cereals, live stock, various productions and manufactured articles of the West, and the States through which it passes. Its facilities for rapid transit for the vast produc- tions of the packing houses of Kansas City, St. Louis aiid Chicago to Detroit, Toledo and the East- ern marts of trade is unequalled. A lar^e portion of the grain productions of Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana finds its way to the Eastern markets over the lines of this road. The Wabash has always taken an advanced posi- tion in tariffs, and its course toward its patrons has been just and liberal, so that it has always en- joyed the commendation of the business and trav- eling public. The roadbed is one of the best in the country, and is ballasted with gravel and stone, well tied, and laid with steel rails. The bridges along the various lines are substantial structures. The depots, grounds and general property of the road are in good condition. The management of the Wabash is fully abreast of the times. The road is progressive in every respect. The finest passenger cars on the continent are run on its lines, and every effort is made to advance the interests of its patrons. The passenger de- partment is unexcelled for the elegant and sub- stantial comfort afforded travelers. The sleeping cars on some of the most important lines are of the compartment system, upholstered in a costly and tasteful manner, each room supplied with hot and cold water. On several of the main branches of the system dining cars are run. .kS=j 'g^ _Eat3_ ^^=s«" Illinois Central Railroad. SHIS is one of the largest corporations in Illi- nois, and with its splendid terminal facili- ties in Chicago, and its numerous suburban trains, has been a potent factor in building up the South Side and South Chicago, while at the same time enriching itself. Its management has always been careful and conservative, and it is'not too much to say that it has been most potential in de- veloping many of the rich agricultural districts of the State, besides fostering and encouraging the growth of towns and cities along its line. As this was one of the early roads of the State it will not be uninteresting to give a brief history of its inception. In September, 1850, Congress" passed an act, and it was approved by President Fillmore, grant- ing an aggregate of two million five hundred and ninety-five thousand and fifty-three acres to aid in luilding the road. The act granted the right of way and gave alternate sections of land for six miles on either side of the road. The grant of land was made directly to the State. On February 10, 1851, the Legislature of Illinois granted a charter to an Eastern company to build it, with a capital stock of 11,000,000. The Legislature, in granting the charter and transferring to the cor- poration the lands, stipulated that seven per cent, of the gross earnings of the road should be paid semi-annually into the treasury of the State for- 514 TRANSPORTATION. ever. This wise provision, in lieu of the liberal land grant, yields a handsome annual revenue to the State. Also, that in the event of war, Gov-' ernment transportation should be furnished at a certain reduction from the prices regularly paid by the General Government for such services. The proceeds of land sales have been regularly applied to the redemption of construction bonds, and it is significant that the original issue of mortgage bonds amounted to 122,000,000. That amount has been so reduced that in 1892 the whole issue will be practically retired, and the stockholders will own a road in Illinois more than one thousand miles in length, fully equipped, and with no outstanding liability other than the share of capital. It may be noted here that when the General Government donated lands to the States of Illinois, Mississippi and Alabama, it was in- tended that through the aid derived from these lands a through artery of travel should be estab- lished between the Lakes and Gulf ports. Had the war not supervened, the project would then have been carried out in its entirety, and the North and South movement of traffic would have been fully developed, but the enforced delay in carrying out the original program was utilized in building up the State of Illinois and in perfecting the track of this road. Strict attention to local business has always been a marked characteristic of the Illinois Central Railroad management. By an extensive system of railroad construction and by its leased lines, the Illinois Central Rail- road has termini in many important centers of trade in the Missouri and Mississippi Valleys, as well as the great chain of lakes at Chicago. Through this vast system Chicago is brought into close connection with Sioux Falls, Dak.; Sioux City, Cedar Rapids and Dubuque, Iowa; Lyle, Minn.; and Dodgeville and Madison, Wis. Its traffic also extends to St. Louis, Mo., through run- ning arrangements over the lines of the Vandalia and Cairo Short Line Railroads. Its " Diamond Special," between Chicago and St. Louis, is rapidly acquiring popularity with the traveling public, owing to its splendid equipment and rapid time. Over the Big Four Road connection is made with Indianapolis and Cincinnati, and with its Spring- field Division the Illinois Central reaches the cap- ital of Illinois, and taps the center of the great corn belt. At Cairo the Ohio River is spanned by a magnificent steel bridge, from which point south connections are made with the great cotton marts of Memphis, and the principal cities of Mississippi, and New Orleans. Thus it will be seen that the great metropolis nestling on the shores of Lake Michigan by this sinuous artery of steel is brought into direct traffic relations with the leading marts in the sunny South, as well as the semi-arctio regions of Dakota, affording the traveler, both in summer and winter, unsurpassed facilities for reaching a pleasant clime. -^ Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, ^I^OPULARLY known as the Santa Fe Route. The initial line of this great system was first built from Atchison to Topeka in 1869, and for many years the former city was the Eastern terminus of the road. The man- agement of the Santa Fe, with wonderful energy, pushed out its lines in every direction into the young and growing State of Kansas, and in the majority of instances preceding settlement and civilization. This road was the first to penetrate across the southern part of Colorado, via Pueblo and Trinidad, into New Mexico, until its lines pen- etrated the old adobe town of Santa Fe, whose citizens were half Spanish and half Mexican. As its course penetrated the wilderness, it sometimes followed the Old Santa Fe Trail, and generally not far distant at any time from the trail which had been made famous years before by trappers and the Government freighters. The marvelous growth and development of the State of Kansas is in a great measure due to the enterprise and pub- lic spirit of the managers of the Santa Fe System. Not only did they devote their energy to the up- building of the road, but at great expense they maintained emigration and colonial agents in the various countries of Europe, as well as the Eastern, Middle and Southern States, thereby advertising TEANSPORTATION. 515 the State of Kansas as no other State has hereto- fore been done. Its climate, its soil, and great ad- vantages to the homeseeker, were at all times fully portrayed by the enterprise of this road. Every fostering care was given to the stock and ranch- men, to the merchant, to the mechanic and the manufacturer to settle in Kansas. As a result, we have a State here in the center of the Union, of boundless agricultural resources, settled by a wide-awake, enterprising and prosperous people. The Santa Fe owns and operates more miles of road in Kansas than any other line, with its vast system of East and "West, North and South lines reaching everj' important town in the State, and penetrating sixty-three counties in Kansas alone. The magnitude of its business is immense. Its lines, beginning at the Missouri River towns in Kansas and Missouri, St. Joseph, Atchison, Leavenworth and Kansas City, extend south to Coffeyville, Arkansas City, Honewell, Caldwell, Kiona (thence to the Pan Handle of Texas); and North to Superior, Neb., Concordia, Clay Centre, Minneapolis, and other Northern Kansas cities. Its main line and branches reach nearly every im- portant city in the State. St. Joseph on the Mis- souri side of the river has a population of nearly one hundred thousand, and its wholesale trade is heavy throughout the West. Atchison is a grow- ing city, and Leavenworth an important manufac- turing center. Leavenworth was the earliest famous city of Kansas, as it was the original outfitting point for travel and traffic across the plains. The Kansas System may be described as a main East and West line, over four hundred miles in length, with branch lines extending in every direction where an area of particularly rich country or some other special advantages invited a line of rails. The road from Topeka after 1869 was extended West and South, and then East to Kansas City by purchase of a line built by another company from Kansas City in 1887-88. The line was extended to Chicago under the name of the Chicago, Santa Fe & California Railroad in 1887, also the pur- chase of the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Road; and the extension of the Kansas lines through the In- dian Territory to Texas gave the company a line to the Gulf of Mexico, so that at the present time the Santa Fe System proper begins at Chicago. It passes through Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kan- sas, Colorado, Indian Territory, Texas, New Mex- ico, Arizona and California, and has for its South- ern terminal Galveston, on the Gulf of Mexico, and El Paso, on the Mexican frontier; and for its Western terminals San Diego and Los Angeles, on the Pacific Coast (San Francisco being practically a Pacific Coast terminal, as it is reached, via Mo- jave, over the tracks of the Southern Pacific Rail- way); and for its Northern terminals Chicago, St. Joseph, Mo., Superior, Neb., and Denver, the capi- tal of Colorado. Chicago to Kansas City is practically an air-line, being the most straight and direct of any road be- tween those cities. It passes tiirough a large number of important towns in Illinois, including Joliet, with its great steel works and other manu- facturing interests. The next important place is Streator. A few miles south of the latter place a branch extends to the thriving cities of Peoria and Pekin, on the Illinois River. From Streator the main line crosses the Illinois at Chillicothe, and extends through Peoria and Knox Counties to the beautiful and enterprising city of Gales- burg. Here it comes in competition with several lines of the Burlington System, then running in a Southwesterly direction through a rich and popu- lous section, crosses the Mississippi at Ft. Madi- son on a magnificent steel bridge. Here the com- pany have established shops, that being the ter- minus of the two operating divisions of the road. From Ft. Madison, Keokuk is reached by a spur. Along the Santa Fe new towns are springing up and new industries are being developed. Twenty miles East of Kansas City the Missouri River is crossed by a steel bridge, so that the line enters Kansas City on the south side of the river. From Kansas City to Topeka the line runs on the south bank of the Kansas River. At Wilder and HoUi- day are points for the departure of branch lines — one Northward to Atchison, and the other South- ward through Ottawa and Southern Kansas, beino- known as the Southern Kansas Division of the Santa Fc System. From Lawrence to Topeka the road is still in the Kansas Valley, through a veri- 516 TRANSPORTATION. table garden. Native trees of great lieight over- hang the railway here and there, and in the spring and summer the crops loolt green and luxuriant. The approach to Topeka is tlirough the long yards and by the vast machine shops of the Santa Fe Companj', and across various broad streets to a com- modious brick station. The general offices of the road are in Topeka, and occupy a handsome and commodious building near the State Capitol. From Topeka to Denver the Santa Fe route runs for about seventy-five miles in a southwesterly di- rection to the upper wateis of the Neosho River. At Emporia, passing through Osage County, are found some of the richest coal fields of the West. At Newton the line diverges South through South- ern Kansas, the Indian Territory and Texas to Galveston. Continuing West from Newton the first city of importance reached is Hutchinson. Here are some of the heaviest salt works in the United States, besides other extensive manufactur- ing interests. At La Junta, Colo., the line for New Mexico, Arizona and beyond turns South. Pueblo, sixty- five miles due West of La Junta, for years the ter- minus of the Santa Fe Sj'stem, is a growing man- ufacturing city. It is admirably located with ref- erence to the great ore-producing canons of Colo- rado. All roads leading to it ship coal, iron, silver, gold, lead, copper, building stone, everything in fact which is produced in the greatest mining State in the Union rolls naturally down hill to Pueblo. Beyond Pueblo to the west are many thriving cities founded on mining and agriculture, notable among which is Leadville, the greatest min- ing camp in Colorado, while forty miles north of Pueblo,on the line of the Santa Fe, are the beautiful cities of Colorado Springs and Manitou, nestling at the foot of Pike's Peak. Manitou is at the mouth of a deep canon, and is one of the most lovely sum- mer resorts in America. Near here is the famous Garden of the Gods, whose wondrous beauty and grandeur are unsurpassed. From Colorado Springs Westward through Manitou, and up the canon be- yond Pike's Peak, the Colorado Midland Railroad is pushing its way toward the western border of the State. Eighty miles north of Colorado Springs, the Santa Fe line terminates at Denver, a magnifi- cently built city. It is probable that no Ameri- can city has so many features of unique beauty as Denver. Its splendid public buildings, and its broad avenues lined with beautiful residences, coz- ily located at the foot of the snow-capped moun- tains of the Rocky Range, render it unlike any other city of its size in the world. The ride from Pueblo to Denver along the foot of the mountains is one never to be missed. The snow-covered peaks, the many combinations of sun, cloud, rain, snow, and the marvelous atmosphere, all combine to surprise and charm the beholder. NewtOn to Galveston. The line leaving the main East and West line in Kansas at Newton runs di- rectly South to Galveston. The first place of im- portance reached is Wichita, located on the big and Little Arkansas Rivers, a city of thirty-five thousand people, where only a few years ago was an Indian trading post. South of Wichita is a cluster of growing cities, comprising Winfield, Wellington, Arkansas City and Caldwell. Wich- ita and Arkansas City have profited much b^' the opening up of Oklahoma to settlement. Entering the Indian Territory the line passes through a magnificent agricultural country, as yet almost wholly undeveloped. Galveston, the terminus, is a rapidly growing city of fifty thousand inhabi- tants. It is charmingly situated on the Gulf coast, and has an unsurpassed climate in both summer and winter. La Junta to El Paso. From La Junta the line climbs to the summit of the Raton Range, seven thousand six hundred and twenty-two feet above the sea. On the way up it passes through the im- portant Colorado towns of P}1 Moro and Trinidad. The village of Raton is an important division point for the railway. And then comes Las Ve- gas and its famous hot springs, six miles distant from the main line, but connected with it by a short line with good equipment. At the hot springs is the Phoenix Hotel. The springs are unsurpassed anywhere in the world, and the hotel is conducted by the company in a most generous manner. The springs are forty-two in number, are hot and cold, and have a variety of mineral properties which render them remarkably strong in their cur- ative power. South of Las Vegas the line passes TRANSPORTATION. 517 through fertile valleys, heavy forests and black and rugged canons until the valley of the Rio Grande is reached. A branch line f I'om Lamy ex- tends up the mountain to Santa Fe, the capital of New Mexico, next to St. Augustine the oldest city in America. Its quaint old churches and dwellings are interspersed with modern structures. It should be seen before the peculiar charm of its antiquity has been entirely destroyed. Albuquer- que, Socorro and San Marcial are the chief points between Santa Fe and El Paso. All are important points for the business of mining, cattle-raising and general commerce. From Rincon a branch line leads to Deming, where junction is made with the Southern Pacific Railway, and to Silver City, and to the other mining towns of Southern New Mexico. It is the fortunate destiny of New Mex- ico generally, and the Rio Grande Valley particu- larlj-, to soon take front rank in the line of fruit production. The grapes produced in the lower Rio Grande Valley are not surpassed in either quality or quantity by the product in any part of the continent. From Albuquerque, in the heart of New Mexico, due West, the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad forms the main Santa Fe route to Cali- fornia. The line passes through a great mining and stock-raising country, where the climate is perfect. Prescott, the «capital of Arizona, is reached by a branch from Prescott Junction. Constant changes of scenery characterize the line, and the crossing of the Colorado Canon is one of the most remarkable accomplishments known in the railroad world. In Southern California the lines of the California Central and Southern reach every important city. Barstow, San Bernardino, Colton, San Diego, National-City, Los Angeles, and a hun- dred other beautiful towns offer unequaled induce- ments to the seeker after health, wealth and pleas- ure. San Francisco and other cities of Central and Northern California are reached by the lines of the Southern Pacific by virtue of a special ar- rangement for tralHc. Between Chicago and Kansas City meals are served on the finest dining cars. On the other lines and branches are superb eating-houses and hotels. From the resume thus given of the facilities pos- sessed by the Santa Fe Railway for interchanging tralflc at its termini and various junctions, it must be apparent to the reader that the line ^s admir- ably situated, and that in many respects it occu- pies a strategic position, superior to that of other trans-Missouri and Mississippi railroads. These advantages have been utilized in the past, as they will be in the future in developing the localities through which the various branches extend, and to build up the permanent prosperity of the prop- erty whose histor\' is so closely interwoven with tbe settlement, development and prosperity of the West beyond the Missouri River. Its local traffic compares favorably with that of other competing lines. To this purely local traffic must be added the contributions of its several termini, all large cities and prominent trade centers in the Missouri and Mississippi Valleys. With the growth and steady development of the manufacturing and other industries of Chicago, St. Louis, Kailsas City, St. Joseph, Atchison, Leavenworth, Topeka, Wichita, Galveston, El Paso, Pueblo and Denver, since the middle of December, 1890, by means of running arrangements with the Jacksonville & Southeastern Railroad, the Santa Fe has a through line from Chicago to St. Louis with a fine equipment of palace cars. The Santa Fe Railway must naturally make corresponding strides toward attaining that proud financial position which has been the life dream of its originators and present owners. Under the present progressive and con- servative management all advantages of geograph- ical position, and all the resources of the -through line, will be constantly utilized in building up the future prosperity of the road itself, and in devel- oping the extended area of Chicago's commercial supremacy. The land grant from the Government amounted substantially to three million acres. In brief, its commanding geographical position, coupled with its direct Eastern alliance for through business, must render tlie Santa Fe event- ually one of the most remunerative of our West- ern railroads. 518 TRANSPORTATION. St. Louis, Vandalia & Terre Haute Kail- road, ETTER known as the Vandalia line. Tliis Y^ was the first and is still the principal road in Bond County. The most important stations on the line in that county are Greenville, Pocahontas and Hulbera-y Grove. In July, 1868, the first trains were run between East St. Louis and Highland, 111., and in July of the following year the road was completed from East St. Louis to Effingham, ninety-eight miles, and through train service established between St. Louis and Chicago in connection with the Illinois Cen- tral Railroad, and in July, 1870, the last rails were laid between EfHngham and the Indiana State line. Immediately thereafter a through line of sleeping cars was established between New York and St. Louis, and the " Vandalia Route " at once became the popular route from St. Louis to the seaboard. Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Kallroad. (the" big four ") fcHIS line, popularly known as the " Big Four," as the above name would indicate, has terminal facilities in the four principal cities in the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys, and takes leading rank among the well-managed and flrst-class railroads of this country. B3' purchase ■ and lease the management has largely extended its mileage, while at the same time perfecting and improving its equipment. The roadbed is of sub- stantial build, well ballasted, and laid with steel rails, and splendid facilities are afforded its pa- trons both in freiglit and passenger trafHc. The most imp.ortant stations on its line in Montgom- ery County are Litchfield, Hillsboro, and Noko- mis. Jacksonville & Southeastern. ?)HIS road has for its nortliern terminals Pekin and Peoria, from which eities it runs in a southwesterly direction to Jacksonville, at which latter place its general offices and head- quarters are. From Jacksonville it extends in a southeasterly direction through the counties of Morgan, Sangamon, Macoupin, Montgomery, Bond, Clinton, Marion and Jefferson to Mt. Vernon. The most important station on this branch south of Jacksonville is Litchfield, the principal city of Mon tgomery County. At Sorento, in Bond County, it crosses the line of "the Toledo, St. Louis & Kan- sas City Railroad, and at Smithboro the Vandalia, in Bond County. Extensive repair shops have been established at Mt. Vernon and Jacksonville. From Litchfield a branch of this line extends al- most due north to Springfield, the capital of the State. Also from Litchfield extends the St. Louis Division. Thus it will be seen that this road has many important and growing cities on its line. On the completion of its line to St. Louis running arrangements were made by which the Santa Fe uses its track, thus affording another trunk line between Chicago and St. Louis. Its managers are wide-awake, active and energetic men, and are bringing the road to the front. Toledo, St. Louis & Kansas City Railroad, ^^ENERALLY known as the "Clover Leaf." [I( (— -, This road was first constructed as a narrow- ^^Jfi gauge road, but owing to its inability in that condition to successfully compete with other lines, it went into the hands of a receiver, the same being Gen. John McNulta, whose splendid ability as a railroad manager soon placed the road on its feet, and gradually increased its earnings, and soon thereafter he had it on a paying basis. It was during the incumbency of the receiver that the plan of broadening the gauge was inaugu- rated and subsequently successfully carried out. It now forms an important line for Eastern and Western traffic, with its eastern termini at Toledo, where the general offices are located, and the western terminus at St. Louis. Its patronage is constantly increasing. This line has opened up a good district of country in both Montgomery and Bond Counties. The principal towns along its line in these counties are Fillmore, Coffeen and Sorento. BI0(3FJp]?r?iapk Abell.P. C 307 Adams, John 23 Adams, Jobu Q 39 Adams Lemuel 454 Alexander, J. T 26S Almond, Anthony 158 Anderson, Mrs. Elizabeth .. ..278 Anderson, K. M 145 Appleton.H. E 228 Arthur, Chester A 99 B Baker, J. M 292 Baker, T.T 350 Barlow", T.M 508 Barnett, F. C 270 Beardsley, C. W 426 Becker, Rev. Henry 191 Bennett, Hon. E. F 289 Best, H. A 4S9 Bigham. Joseph 352 Black, J. A., M. D 316 Blackburn, Eobert 309 Blackwelder, J. F., M. D 205 Blizzard, Prof. Calvin 483 Boll, Pangratz . . 327 Boulton, R. P 184 Bourquln, Abram 370 Brakenhotf, George 267 Brakenhotf, Henry 275 Bray.H. W 390 Breuchaud, Adolphe 312 Brewer, W. H 165 Briggs, W. M 498 Brokmier, August 279 Brunken, Qarrelt 262 Buchanan, James 75 gucb^O^n, J. Cr. . > r f . ■ ,<4p Bufflngton, C. G., M. D 505 Burkhardt, John 354 c Caliban, Anthony 238 Carroll, Rev. P. F 391 Carstens, Garrett 427 Case, Loron 123 Cass, J. J 213 Cauby, Josephus 288 Caulk, J.N 411 Clanton, John 476 Clearwater, Jacob, M. D 453 Cleveland , S. Grover lO.'i Coffeen, Hon. G. F 473 Combs, Hon. J. A 235 Cook, W. H., M. D 272 Copeland, A. B 156 Cornelius, E. E 185 Cox, J.H 296 Cress, Jacob 465 D Davis, J. P 1,35 Davis, J. Y 370 Davis, Eaney 281 Day, E. E 437 Dee,C.K .511 Denman, Smith 402 Denny, E. W 480 Denny, I. H 275 Denny, J. B 211 Denny, O.C 483 Dixon, Eobert 467 Donnell, Capt. J. D 202 Donnell, J. M 221 Poonpl), W, N , m Dressor.E. W..... 177 Dressor, Francis 161 Durdy, A. C 277 E Elliott, S. L 464 Elmore, Hardin 510 Essenpreis, Leo 179 Ferguson, H. M 281 File, J. F 1....297 Fillmore, Millard 67 Fireman, John 457 Fitzjarrell, Mrs. C. M 227 Flint, G. W..' 475 'Fogleman, John 435 Foster, George 122 Preeland, P. L. , M. D .459 Fuller, J. P. 265 G Garfield, James A 95 Garrison, C. W 223 Gartner, William .161 Gerhard, L. M 224 Gordon, J. H., M. D 367 Gracey, W. C 362 Gratf, Daniel 412 Grant, Ulysses S 87 Green, B.F 419 Greenleaf, E. L 180 Greenwood, J. K 128 Groner, Eev. W. H 428 Grosenheider, Frank 430 Grpss.E. J ,,,,,,376 Grubbs, Hon. S. M 214 Grube, Henry 190 Gum, J. E 359 Guthrie, W. H. ••. 186 Gwyn, A. F 339 H Hagood, R. B 369 Hall, J. S 342 Haller, Jacob ; 488 Hard, Leonidas 216 Harold,. Val ee 445 Harris, U. B 448 Harrison, Benjamin 107 Harrison, William Henry 51 Hartley, John 420 Hartsock, L. M 306 Hayes, A. H 206 Hayes, Rutherford B 91 Haynes, Baxter, M. D 286 Hendricks, B. A 168 Henry, Hon. A. G 255 Hensen, H. H. . j 363 Herwig, John 252 Hinkle, M. V 269 Holmes, M. D 250 Hood, Hon. H. H 505 Hoog, Edward 343 Howett, W. A 478 Hubbard, L. B 247 Hubbard, S. W 361 Hubbard, T.S 417 Hulbert, B. M 321 Hunter, Marshall 496 Jackson, Andrew 43 Jefferson, Thomas 27 Jennings, C. W 288 Jestes,U. F 208 Jptt, J.W , m INDEX. Jett.T.M 347 Johnson, Andrew 83 Johnson, C. W 183 Jones, E. C, M. D 302 Jordan, A. C 317 Jordan, C. H 145 Jordan, L. W 306 Jordan, E. C 439 K Keiser, Harm 269 Keiser, John 301 Kessinger, S. W 139 ■ King, Mrs. Lucy K 443 Kirk, Thomas 470 Knebel, Leopold 200 Koch, William 299 Kortkamp, William 379 Krager, John 364 Lane, Hon. Edward 150 Lane, Hon. J. B 341 Law, Frederick 446 Laws,T. G 135 Laws, William 474 Lee, Samuel 218 Libbey,B. H 127 Linck, Christian, M. D 221 Lincoln, Abraham 79 Lindbeck,A. VV 169 Lindly, Hon. C.J 126 Lingle.N. H. M 296 Lipe, Wiley 285 Litchfield Public Library 455 Lohmann, Frederick 499 Lyman, George 262 Lynch, J. A '. 249 M Mackay , Robert 164 Maddux, J. T 291 Madison, James 31 Marshal], James.... 172 Matney, W. D., M. D 389 McAdams, Jesse 308 McCaslin, W. G 401 MoConathy, Jacob 276 McCracken, James 395 McCulley, Joseph 258 McDavid,J.B 142 McDavid,J.S 374 McEwen, A. F , 458 MoKinney, Joseph .326 JIcLea»,J. C J36 McLean, S.H., M. D 215 MoNichols, W. H 397 Mc Williams, Maj. Kobert. ...380 Miller, Austin 213 Miller, G. W 480 Milnor, Hon. F. R 485 Mindrup, George 342 Monroe, James 35 Moos, Peter 269 Morey, Hiram 436 Morey.T. P 257 Mueller, G. H 311 Munday, C.B., Jr 149 Murphy, D. P 384 N Newport, John 305 Northcott, W. A 146 o Og^n, Evan 266 Ohlman, Capt. Michael 319 Owens, W.J 196 Paisley, R. C 403 Pannwitt, F. J 190 Paul, Jacob 234 Peach, William 171 Pennington, Prof. Lott 381 Phelps, Hon. S. A 167 Phillips, Hon. J. J 501 Phillipsen, Anton 423 Pierce, Franklin 71 Poggenpohl. Herman 124 Polk, James K '. . 59 Potter, W. N 129 Preston, C. A 491 Price, John 162 Prickett, J. N 295 Probst, Michael 169 E Ramsey, Hon. C. A ,385 Ramsey, G. J , . .485 Handle, H, N 152 Randolph, A. S 334 Reese, U. A 308 Beum, 0. H 467 Rhodes, A. F 604 Rice,S. R 186 Ripley, R. W 207 Roberts, R. S. D 124 Robinson, J. W 280 Rogers, O. A 217 Rogers, Theodore, Jr 320 Rose, J. W 353 Rosebrough, W. H 407 Ross, J. T 405 Royer, J. D 429 SaathoCf, Henry 239 Sammons, Capt. E. T 360 Sanders, Capt. G. M 315 Sawyer, A. A. K 466 Soharf , William 245 Schluckebier, C 498 SchJup, John 245 Schwartzly, John 201 Sedentop, Louis 138 Seeteldt, E.J 424 Settlemire, G. L 351 Seymour, C. W 418 Seymour, J. E 430 Shepherd, Hiram 173 Sherburne, A. J 193 Short, H.S.,M.D 229 Shuping, W. A 300 Sides, William .322 Sieck, William 354 Siemens, Christian 463 Sihler, G. A.,M. D 318 Simon, John 290 Singer, Nicholas 408 Smith, W. C. H 507 Snel], Wesley 192 South worth , Hon . Elizur .... 468 Spannagel, G. R 456 Spradling, J. .H 260 Sprinkle, J. M 331 Stah], Mrs. M. J 477 Stansifer, J. T 140 Stewart, A. M 413 Strehle, J. C 487 Stutle, Peter 227 Sutton, J. J 328 Swan.G.P 479 Tannehill, J. O 212 Tatham, G. M 445 Taylor, Zachary 03 Terry, W.H 121 Thomas, L. H < 119 Thompson, J. P 282 Todt.J.H 170 Towel), I. T 178 Travers, G. B 140 Traylor, Prof. J, L 130 TrayIor,M.B 163 Truitt, C. E 385 Truitt, Hon. J. M 333 Truitt, Mayfleld 344 Tully , Francis 414 Tuohy,M.E 174 Turner, J. B 494 Tyler, John .55 U Upstone, G. S. Utiger, A. J. . . .392 V Van Buren, Martin 47 Van Deusen, Delos 373 Vest, T.L 382 Volentine, W. B 447 Voorhees.E.E 507 w Wagner, Louis 460 Wait,F.F 351 Wait,H. W 486 Walhs, J. D 398 Walter, Col. Paul 298 Washington, George 19 Weaver, A. F 357 Weaver, G. A 189 Weber, J. M 364 Weber, W. F 239 Webster, William 337 Weitekamp, John 222 Welch, O. C 386 Welch, S. H , 424 WeJlar, Conrad 440 White, E. H 338 White, J. C 348 White, J. W 404 Whitehouse, Charles. 347 Whitehouse, H. G 230 .Whitlock, J. W 137 Whitlow, W. W 250 Whltworth, J. F 325 Wiegreffe, William 406 Wilcox, E.N 251 Wild, J. W 322 Wilkins, D. R., M. D 157 Willeford, Robert 199 Willeford, Willis 450 Williams, T, W 495 Wilson, William 506 Witt, L. H 27J Wpltms-w, John 3JS INDEX. Wood, L. F 438 Wood, Capt. P. C 233 Woodman, D. P 1H Wooster, W. L 261 Wright, J. C 448 Wyckotf, J. S 497 Yackle, Frank 248 Young, James 500 Young, J. P 195 Young, J. W 310 Young, W. A 396 Young, Hon. William 194 Young, Eev. W. J 434 Zepp, Hon. D. H. . . . Zimmerman, W. J. , Zink, Hon. G. L. . . . ...236 ..460 ..188 -►l-«-§'^^=f+^ Adams, John 22 Adams, John Q 38 Arthur, Chester A 98 Brewer, W. H 154 Buchanan, James 74 Caulk, J.N 110 Clearwater, J 452 Cleveland, S. Grover 102 Coffeen, Hon. G. F 472 Denny, Imbert H 274 Denny, J. B 210 Denny, O. G 432 DresSor, E. W 176 Fillmore, Millard 66 Garfleld.J.A 94 Gordon, J. H.,M. D .'ise Grant, U.S 86 Harrison, Benjamin lOG Harrison, W. H 50 Hayes, R.B m Jackson, Andrew 42 Jefferson, Thomas 26 Johnson, Andrew 82 Jordan, C.H 141 Jordan, Mrs. Clara 144 Kortkamp, William 378 Linck, C, M. D 220 Lincoln, Abraham 78 Lipe, Wiley 281 Madison, James 30 Matney, W. D., M. D 388 Monroe, James 34 Newport, John 304 Phelps, S. A 166 Phillipsen, Anton 422 Pierce, Franklin 70 Polk, J. K 58 Prickett, J. N 294 Sanders, Capt. G. M 314 Scharf , A. H 243 Schart, William 242 Sprinkle, J. M 330 , Taylor, Zachary 62 Thomas, A. B 117 Thomas, L. H 116 Tyler, John ,. 54 Van Buren, Martin 46 Washington, George 18 Weaver, G. A 188 Whitehouse, Charles 346 Whitworth, J. F 324 Willeford, Eobert 198 leWQ. Almond, Anthony 159 Bourquin, A 371 Brunken, Garrelt 2C3 Buchana,n. J. G 441 Burkhardt, John 355 .pavis, Mrs. H. M 371 Denny, E. W 481 Donnell, Mrs. A. E 203 Gerhard, L. M 225 Herwig, John 253 McCaslin, W.G 399 Eandolph, Abel 335 Sieck, William 355 Stutle, Peter 228 Thomas, L. H 132 Tully, Francis 415 Wagner, Louis 461 Wallis, J. D .399 Webster, William 33S Wellar, Conrad. . , 441 Zimmerman, W. it 461 - ^mm^i^Smmm^SMmmm^^ 9- 4", ' ' m. . / H' '^' ■SI t./ h^MiiMAHMii^kH^^