USA > Illinois > A history of southern Illinois; a narrative account of its historical progress, its people, and its principal interests > Part 14
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On November 6, 1873, Mr. Gordon was married at Perey, Illinois, to Miss Clara J. Short, a daughter of R. J. Short, long a prominent farmer in Randolph county. Mr. and Mrs. Gordon have three children : Eugene R., manager of the Gordon telephone system at Chester, married Miss Agnes Aszmann : Clarice is the wife of Edward W. Meredith, of Ches- ter ; and Florence married B. C. MeCloud, also of Chester.
JULIUS IIUEGELY. The milling interests of Nashville, Illinois, are very extensive, the city being located in the center of a great agricul- tural distriet, and prominent among those who have identified them- selves with this industry may be mentioned Julius Hnegely, the young- est son of John Huegely, and one of the successors of his venerable father in the management of the interprise founded and developed by the latter during the thirty-seven years of his active connection with Nashville affairs. Julius Huegely was born near the site of the big Nashville mill, March 27, 1870.
John Hnegely was born November 11, ISIS, in Hassloch, Bavaria, Germany, and his parents being in rather humble circumstances, he was given only limited educational advantages, and as a Ind was forced to go out and make his own way in the world. Mr. Huegely remained in his native country until he had reached his majority, and then started for the United States, arriving at New Orleans March 9. 1.10. Looking about for work with which to earn money to enable him to journey
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further north, he secured employment at sawing wood, and thus earned passage money to Monroe county, Illinois, where he obtained work with Mr. Saners, father of the proprietor of Sauers Milling Company, Evans- ville, Illinois. He continued with that gentleman for two years, and then entered the employ of Conrad Eisenmayer, who conducted a water mill at Red Bud, Ilinois, his wages there being twelve dollars per month. Subsequently he removed to a farm near Maseoutah, Illinois, but soon thereafter engaged with Ph. H. Postel, and continued with him until 1853, which year marked the forming of a partnership with Ph. H. Reither, they purchasing the saw and grist mill at Nashville. In 1860 the old mill was replaced by the present structure, which at that time had a capacity of two hundred barrels, and in 1871 Mr. Huegely bought his partner's interest and enlarged and remodeled the mill from time to time until it is now a modern plant of five hundred barrels' capacity. In 1890, feeling that he was entitled to a rest after his many years of industrious labor, Mr. Huegely turned over the active management of the venture to his sons, John Jr., and Julius, and his son-in-law, Theodore L. Renter, who have since eondueted the business. The success which attended the efforts of Mr. Hnegely in his private affairs led the citizens of his community to believe that he would be just as able to manage the business of the publie, and he served for some time as associate judge of Washington county and as delegate to the Republican national convention in 1864 which nominated Abraham Lincoln for his second term as president. For about sixty-two years he has been a consistent member of the Methodist ehureh. Although he is in his ninety-fourth year, Mr. Huegely is hale and hearty, in full possession of his faculties, and an interested observer of all important topics of the times. A self-made man in all that the word implies, he has so condueted his affairs that they have helped to build up his eom- munity, and no man is more highly respected or esteemed.
Julius Huegely attended the public schools of his native place and spent three years in the Central High School and Wesleyan College of Warrenton, Missouri, rounding out his preparation for efficient service with his father by taking a course in a St. Louis commercial college. His connection with the big factory began in 1889, when he eame into the accounting department, and sinee the retirement of his father this de- partment of the eoneern has fallen to him, largely, as his portion of the responsibilities to be borne by the new regime.
On August 17, 1904, Mr. Huegely was married in St. Louis, Mis- souri, to Miss Cora Wehrman, of Champaign, Illinois, daughter of the Rev. Charles Wehrman, a minister of the Methodist church, stationed at Ogden, Illinois, and a native son of the Fatherland. Mr. and Mrs. IInegely have had two children : Julins Wallace and Charles Russell. Mr. Huegely is a director in the First National Bank of Nashville and of the Nashville Hospital Association, and is president of the Nashville Pressed Briek Company. His politieal affiliations have been fashioned after his elders, and the interests of the Republican party have ever claimed his attention. He has served as secretary of the county central committee and was a delegate to the Republican national convention of 1900 which nominated Colonel Roosevelt for President MeKinley's see- ond running mate. As a Mason he was worshipful master of the Blue Lodge for four years and high priest of the Chapter eight years, repre- senting both bodies in the Illinois Grand Lodge during his ineumbency of the chairs. He is a Knight of Pythias and has elung to the teael- ings of his parents in spiritual matters, being a faithful attendant of the Methodist Episcopal church. His home is one of the residences in the cluster of homes in the atmosphere of the parental domicile, in ac-
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cordance with the plan of the father in gathering his children about him for a happy and contented termination of the parental lives.
WILLIAM E. BRADEN. The soil of Southern Illinois has perhaps pro- duced a greater number of wealthy and influential citizens than any other section of similar area and advantages. Randolph county is par- ticularly rich in men of that status, and prominent among them all is William E. Braden, successful farmer, stock-breeder and Iumber dealer of Sparta. He was born near Rosborough, Illinois, November 10, 1846, and is the son of Moses Braden, who established the Braden family in Randolph county in the early forties, and where it has been prominent and influential over since.
The name Braden is Teutonic, and was brought to England by Teu- tons, Angles and Saxons. The first mention of Braden in English his- tory is in Green's History of the English People in the twelfth century. A forest in England was known as the Braden wood. Nothing of note is further known than that Bradens were British subjects until the seventeenth century, when Cromwell put down a rebellion in Ireland. One of the vanquished rebel chief's, "McGuire," Petty King of county Fermanagh and county Tyrone, was stripped of most of his domain. and it was given to Cromwell's brother officers in the English army, among whom were Captain Herbert Braden and Captain George Braden. Herbert Braden died a bachelor, and the estate became the property of Captain George Braden. One of the holders of the estate, supposedly Captain George Braden, was created a Baronet, with the title "Sir."
The name Braden has been spelled a mimber of ways-Braden, Braiden, Brading, Breeden, Breden, and even Brayden and Broeding. but all these names of Irish aneestry or birth are descendants of Cap- tain George Braden, of county Tyrone. Ireland. Between 1840 and 1850 Sir James Braden, of county Tyrone, Ireland, was a member of Parliament. A Braden, an Irishman, was a great Congregational min- ister in London, for some years rivaling Doctor Spurgeon, in his day, and quite a number of Bradens have become ministers in this country, seven having sprung from one family in Pennsylvania, all preaching in 1863, one being president of Vanderbilt University in 1878, but among all of the Braden ministers none were more prominent or did a greater work than Rev. Clark Braden, now near eighty-one years of age, hale and hearty, of Carbon, California, who founded and held the presidency for some years of Southern Illinois College at Carbondale, which later became the Southern Illinois Normal.
Moses Braden was born in county Donegal, Ireland, in 1818, and when nearing his majority, he, having kissed the Blarney Stone, ne- companied by a consin, John Braden, left Ireland and came to America. They located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where they found work at their trade as weavers. Later they came to Chicago and still later to St. Louis, engaging in manual labor of any sort when work at their trade inight not be found. They finally drifted into Perry county, Illinois, where they became attracted by the splendid opportunities offered an ambitious man in a farming way, and they settled down to farm life in that distriet.
The father of Moses Braden. William, and family -a son and three daughters-followed some years later to America and settled in Phila- delphia, Pennsylvania. One daughter was married to James Russel, of Philadelphia, and the other two to Samuel and John Rogers, both of Brooklyn, New York; they all raised families. The son, who was also William, died a bachelor abont 1871 or 1872. The family to which the cousin, John Braden, belonged also came to Philadelphia, one brother.
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Oliver, made two trips to Illinois in the '60s to visit him. Deseendants of both families drifted westward from Pennsylvania to Ohio, and far- ther north, south and west.
In 1844 Moses Braden married Mary Stewart, late from county An- trim, Ireland, and he and his wife were the parents of William E., Eliz- abeth, who died before mature years; John T., who was married in 1884 to Maggie J. Telford, who bore two children, Ethel M. and Clinton S., and died in 1889, near Sparta; and Sarah J., who became Mrs. J. B. Pier, and was the mother of two children, W. R. and C. S., and now resides in Sparta, Illinois. Moses Braden passed away near Rosborough, November 9, 1853, and his widow followed him July 19, 1871.
William E. Braden received his principal education in the public schools, with two terms in the Sparta High School. He followed the oe- cupation of his father, in which he grew up by his own energy and dili- genee, and has always maintained an active and profitable interest in that pursuit. Later in his agricultural career he became an enthusist on the subject of thoroughbred horses and cattle, and in more recent years he has devoted his time and attention to those interests. He is widely known throughout Southern Illinois as a grain and stoek farmer, and he is now serving his third term as director in the State Farmers Institute from the twenty-fifth congressional distriet. In addition to grain and stock farming he has attained a considerable reputation among stock breeders. The breeds he is most interested in are the regis- tered Hamiltonian and Pereheron horses and Shorthorn eattle. While not an importer of registered males, he has bred up a fine strain of horses of the bloods mentioned, and his modest herd of Shorthorns show pedigrees of Seotch tops from the well known breeders Wilhelm of Ohio, and the Harned stock farm of Missouri. Mr. Braden and his sons' estate comprises a goodly traet of land near the seenes of his childhood, and his place is one of the finest in the state. Mr. Braden and sons are also the owners of between two and three thousand acres of land in other states, namely, Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, Colorado and North Dakota.
In 1895 Mr. Braden invested largely in the lumber business in Sparta in the interests of his sons, thus establishing them firmly in a splendid business. The Schulenberger and Beckler yard in Sparta thus eame into the possession of the Braden family, and the senior Braden is al- most as deeply interested in the manipulation of that business as are his sons. Mr. Braden is and has been president of the Cutler Creamery and Cheese Company sinee its organization in 1889, which is about the only one of the various plants of that character organized during the so-called "ereamery age" that is still being operated by the men who promoted it, and with E. C. Gemmill as secretary and manager, now a heavy stockholder, holding his position sinee the plant opened for bus- iness, they have done a most successful business since they started. Mr. Braden's life record is purely that of a business man. He has not permitted politics or its demands to interfere with the operation of his business, being interested in the fortunes of the Republican party in a merely casual manner.
On March 23, 1876, Mr. Braden married Jane Smiley, the daughter of James Smiley, who was an early settler of Marissa, Illinois, originally from Ireland. Mrs. Braden was born in Randolph county. Mr. and Mrs. Braden are the parents of Smiley M., of Sparta, interested in busi- ness with his father, who married Miss Estella Richie, and they have a son, Stanley R., born February 23, 1911 ; Clarence A., a lawyer of East St. Louis, married Miss Paula Dimer, of Champaign, Illinois, January 17, 1906: Anna Mary married Ed. H. Smith, Mareh 22, 1910, and re- sides in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and has a daughter, Jane B., born
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May 6, 1911. The Braden family are affiliated with the Covenanter church, of which Reverend W. J. Smiley, a brother-in-law, is pastor.
The lineal descendants of Captain George Braden, of county Tyrone, Ireland, are now scattered over several states-New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, some in the southern states, and in Ontario, Canada.
CASSIE B. LEWIS. Franklin county, Ilinois, shows today some of the best-cultivated farming land to be found in the southern part of the state, and many of the most successful agriculturists of this section are living on land that they have developed from a practical wilderness. It would be hard for the casual visitor to the vicinity of Sesser to believe that the magnificent tract of land comprising the farm of Cassie B. Lewis was only a comparatively short time ago a wild waste of prairie, swamp and timber, and that the same soil which now yields bounteous crops was at that time almost totally unproductive. This, however, is the case, and it has been due to the efforts of just such men as Mr. Lewis, most of them self-made men, that the county is at present in such a flourishing condition. Mr. Lewis is a native of Franklin county, and was born January 29, 1855, on his father's farm near Sesser.
The paternal grandfather of Mr. Lewis lived and died in South Carolina, and little is known of him save that he was a farmer, the occupation followed by Mr. Lewis' maternal grandfather, Samuel Ham- mond, who was born in Kentucky, and moved to Illinois at an early day, the remainder of his life being spent in agricultural pursuits. Two of his sons, Sanford and Reuben Hammond, served as soldiers during the Civil war, and both died while wearing the blue uniform of the Federal army. John B. Lewis was born in South Carolina, and came to Franklin county at an early day, seenring land from the Government and develop- ing it into an excellent farm. A quiet, unassuming man, he never en- gaged in publie matters, but at his death, in 1895, was known as an ex- emplary citizen and skilled farmer. He and his wife, who hore the maiden name of Rachel Hammond, died in the faith of the Baptist church, of which they had been life-long members.
Cassie B. Lewis received a common-school education, but did not re- ceive many advantages in that line, as the family was in anything but prosperous financial circumstances, and the youth's services were needed on the home farm. Ile remained with his father for a number of years, accepting every opportunity that presented itself to make a little extra money to add to his earnings, and finally was able to make the first payment on a small piece of land. Following the example of the first settlers, he eleared and cultivated his little tract, and by industry and persistent labor was able from time to time to add to his livestock and farming utensils. When he had his first purchase well under cultiva- tion he added to it, and the original small property grew from year to year until it is now one of the handsome, productive farms of this lo. eality, and the poor lad who started out without influential friends or financial help is now one of his community's prosperous citizens, owning real estate in country and city worth ten thousand dollars, and being vice president of the First National Bank of Sesser. Such a career must of necessity be encouraging to the poor youth of the present gen- eration, and will serve as an example of what the man with sufficient perseverance can accomplish in spite of all handicaps and discourage. ments.
In 1877 Mr. Lewis was married to Miss Martha Cook, daughter of George Cook, a native of Hamilton county, who died during the Civil war. Seven children were born to this union: Harley, who was killed
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in a mine accident; Elza, who is engaged in mining and farming; Arthur, an agrieulturist of Franklin county; Ople, who is in business at Sesser; Ica Jennings, who resides at home, and one who died in in- fancy. The mother of these children died in 1900, and in 1901 Mr. Lewis was married to Mrs. Ellen Browning, daughter of John Maddox, an early settler of Franklin county. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis are members of the Missionary Baptist church. He belongs to Sesser Lodge, No. 918, A. F. & A. M., of which he is secretary. In politieal matters he is a Democrat, and for a number of years aeted as justiee of the peace. Mr. Lewis is one of the self-made men of his county of whom Illinois is so proud, and is respected and esteemed by a wide cirele of friends and ae- quaintanees.
HARDY M. SWIFT, M. D .- The present mayor of Mount Vernon is one of those rare beings who find it possible to combine the exaeting duties of a busy representative of the medieal profession with those of an active participant in the administration of municipal affairs. Previous to his election to the mayoralty, Dr. Swift was prominent in every good work caleulated to contribute to the betterment of civie conditions, and in his profession, in his interests in financial and real estate enterprises of the eity and county, and his eoneern for the public welfare he is regarded as one of the first men of his eity.
Dr. Hardy M. Swift was born August 29, 1871, in Jefferson county. He is the son of James M. Swift, a farmer and merchant of Southern Illinois, and the grandson of Alfred Swift, who was a native of Tennes- see and one of the pioneer settlers of Jefferson county. James M. Swift was reared in Mount Vernon and at one time had a mereantile business at Ham's Grove, which later was destroyed by fire, and in his young manhood beeame engaged in the mercantile business on his own responsi- bility in Mount Vernon, where he continued for several years, and later was associated with a number of prominent firms in this city. He is a veteran of the Civil war, having seen active service through the greater part of the rebellion as a member of Company A, Twentieth Ilinois In- fantry, being transferred later to the One Hundred and Tenth, after the Twentieth Ilinois has been practically annihilated at Lookout Mount- ain and Chickamanga. He participated in the battle of Missionary Ridge and also of Chattanooga, and took part in the Atlanta campaign and was in the "March to the Sea" with General Sherman, being mus- tered out at the elose of the confliet at Washington. He married Dru- cilla Jane Maxey, the daughter of Charles Hardy Maxey, a prominent pioneer settler of Mount Vernon. Charles Hardy Maxey was born in Tennessee and moved into Jefferson county in the spring of 1818. HIe was always a prominent figure in Jefferson county, and particularly in Mount Vernon, in which plaee he ereeted the first building on what is now the publie square. His sturdy, pioneer life in Jefferson county was filled with incidents of peculiar interest.
Of the union of James M. Swift with Drueilla Jane Maxey, nine children were born, eight of whom are now living. They are: Alfred Ettis, engaged in the real estate business at Brookings, South Dakota; Hardy M., mayor of Mount Vernon and a practicing physician at that place ; Mrs. Ilu Gilmore, living in Mount Vernon ; Mrs. Carrie Estella Westcott, resident of Mount Vernon : Bertie May, wife of Fred E. Perey ; Sarah C., the wife of Hall Anderson, a telegraph operator of MeGhee, Arkansas ; William W., superintendent of streets in Mount Vernon ; and Alva R., who is engaged in farming in Jefferson county. The father is still living in Mount Vernon, aged sixty-eight years.
Hardy M. Swift as a boy and youth was a regular attendant at the
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publie schools of Mount Vernon. He was graduated from the high school of his home town and entered Ewing College. Finishing his course in that place, he entered the Physio-Medical College of Chicago in 1891, passing two years in close and careful application to his studies there. In 1893 he entered Physio-Medical College in Indianapolis, graduating therefrom in the spring of 1895, with his well earned degree of M. D. He began praetiee immediately, choosing Opdyke, Illinois, as a point of location, and he remained there in active practice for eleven years, re- moving in 1906 to Mount Vernon, taking the superintendeney of the Mount Vernon hospital, which he held until 1908, at which time the hos- pital was destroyed by fire. Dr. Swift sold his interest in the institu- tion and withdrew from the superintendeney, becoming absorbed in pri- vate practice immediately. Since that time he has conducted an ever- growing general practice, and his fortunes have steadily mounted higher with the flight of time. Dr. Swift is a holder of considerable real estate in Mount Vernon, which includes nine pieces of fine residence property. He recently traded a splendid farm of one hundred and sixty acres for a prosperous grocery business in Mount Vernon, and his realty holdings are steadily increasing. Dr. Swift is also a stock-holder in the Ham National Bank, as well as a member of the directorate of that institution. Always interested in the correct administration of civic affairs, he has been active in municipal eireles, although he never was committed to any publie office until the spring of 1911, when he was elected mayor of Mount Vernon on the Democratic ticket, which office he is tiling eredit- ably to himself and his constituents. In his fraternal affiliations he is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows of Mount Ver- non, the Modern Woodmen and the Court of Honor. As an aid to his professional interests, the Doctor is a member of the Jefferson County, Southern Illinois, American and Illinois State Medical Associations, be- ing prominent and active in all of them.
In 1894 Dr. Swift married Mary A. Moss, the daughter of T. C. Moss, of Mount Vernon. Two children have been born to them ; Harry Monroe, a student in the Mount Vernon High School, and Thelma Blanche.
JOHN E. LUFKIN. One of the old and honored residents of Anna, Illinois, where for nearly forty years he was engaged in business, is John E. Lufkin, proprietor of the Fair View Poultry Farm, and a man who has proved himself an honest and reliable citizen in every walk of life. He was born in the state of Maine, in 1830, and was twenty years of age when he went to Ohio and engaged in railroad work. He came to Anun in January, 1853, where he became identified with the Ilinois C'entral Railroad as foreman of a construction gang, Anna at that time being a cornfield on which were three log houses. Eventually he became em- ployed in the train service and was one of the two conductors who took the first passenger trains into Cairo, on completion of the I. C. Rail- road to that point. His service with the linois Central covered a period of fourteen years, and he held the position of roadmaster on dif- ferent divisions of the road from 1857 to 1867.
In 1867 Mr. Enfkin gave up railroad work and started a grocery store in Anna, being proprietor thereof for many years and attaining considerable success. He finaly sold out in 1905, and for four or tive years was engaged in travel, but eventually returned to Anna and bought a farm of forty aeres, where he is now engaged in poultry raising The Fair View Poultry Farm is modern in every respect, and Mr. Latkin earries on his operations in a scientific manner, having made a deep study of his business. He now has about five hundred Plymouth Rock
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ehiekens and thirty-five turkeys, while his son gives his attention to ducks. Although advanced in years, Mr. Lufkin is still actively engaged in business, and he makes his home in Anna instead of on his farm. His operations have been successful because he has prosecuted them earn- estly and in an intelligent manner, and all who have had business deal- ings with Mr. Lufkin will testify to his honorable principles. He is essentially a self-made man, and the rise of the youth who came to this eity with but one dollar and fifty eents in his pocket to the prominent man of business has been sure and steady. The interests of Anna have always been foremost in his mind, and he has done his full share in de- veloping the rich resources of this section.
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