USA > Illinois > A history of southern Illinois; a narrative account of its historical progress, its people, and its principal interests > Part 65
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Doctor Newlin is a member of the Crawford County Medieal Society, of the Esculapian Society and of the Illinois State Medical Association. He is mueh interested in these organizations and believes that they are of mueh benefit to the profession, not only for the intellectual stimulus of the meetings, but for their tendeney to draw the members of the pro- fession into closer harmony with each other. In his religious affilia- tions the Doctor is a member of the Christian church, and is a very promi- nent member of the church, being one of the elders. In the fraternal world he is a member of the Masonie order and of the Modern Woodmen of America.
Doctor Newlin was married on the 26th of March, 1903, to Louise O. Vanee, a native of Crawford county, Illinois. Before her marriage Mrs. Newlin was a school teacher, and by nature and by education she was in every way fitted to become the companion of the Doetor. She was educated at the Danville Central Normal and is a graduate of that institution. Her parents were Mehlin and Margaret M. Vanee, both of whom were natives of Crawford county. Her father is now dead, but her mother is living. Doctor and Mrs. Newlin are the parents of three children, all of whom are students in the township high school and bid fair to emulate the examples of their father and mother. These children are Mary, Harold V. and John A.
EDWARD JERRY CASPAR. A number of the leading farmers of the younger generation are carrying on operations on property that has been brought to a state of cultivation from wild swamp, prairie and timber land by members of their own family, and take a justifiable pride in the faet, and among these may be mentioned Edward Jerry Caspar, of Cache township, whose fine farm of one hundred and thirty-four and one- . half acres, located one and one-half miles west of Belknap. is one of the productive traets of this section. Mr. Caspar was born on a farm one mile west of Belknap, March 24. 1883, a son of Jeremiah and Elizabeth Jane (Sowers) Caspar.
Samuel Caspar, the grandfather of Edward Jerry, was born in North Carolina, and came from that state to Johnson county, where he spent the remainder of his life in agricultural pursuits and died at a ripe old age. His son, also a native of the Tar Heel state, accompanied him to this locality, became an extensive farmer of Johnson county, and died in 1895, at the age of sixty-three years, owning several hundred acres of some of the best land in Cache township. He and his wife were the parents of eleven children, of whom five are now living, namely : Jesse Adam, David Calvin, Edward J., Mrs. Minnie Pearl Kean and Mrs. Luhu Allen Lowry.
Edward J. Caspar was reared on the home farm and attended the
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district schools of the neighborhood. Reared to the life of an agriculturist, at the age of eighteen years he inherited a traet of seventy-one acres of land, which he at onee began cultivating, and subsequently added there- to tracts of forty-seven and sixteen and one-half aeres. Mr. Caspar be- longs to that school of agrienturists who believe in scientifie conditions of the land, and he has made a study of crop rotation and soil conditions, as well as being an adherent of draining and tiling and the use of modern power farming machinery. His buildings are large and substantially built, his fencing neat and entirely competent to his needs, and the whole appearance of the property denotes the presence of good management and enthusiastic industry. Mr. Caspar's progressive ideas have made him in favor of any movement that will tend to advance the interests of his community, and he may always be found supporting the enterprises that have for their object the development of the best resources of Cache township or Johnson county. His genial personality has made him numerous friends in the vicinity of his home, and he is very popular with the members of the Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of America, belonging to the lodges of both orders at Belknap.
On January 19, 1907, Mr. Caspar was united in marriage with Miss Milly May Morgan, the daughter of William Morgan, a well-known ag- riculturist of Johnson county, and one child has been born to this union : Wanda Jane, who is two and one-half years old.
LENGFELDER BROTHERS. The three Lengfelder brothers, Charles R., Lonis and Gustavns Adolphns, come of pure German stock, their father and mother both having the blood in their veins of that strain that has given to our country some of its finest men. They have brought to our nervous, excitable, enthusiastie race the deeper intelleet and calmer tem- perament of an older nation, and to the thrift and stability and strength of character of the parents is owing in large measure the success of the children. They are the owners of one of the largest farms in the county, and make a specialty of breeding stock of the purest strains. One of the brothers is the leading poultry raiser west of the Alleghany mountains and is the largest known importer of Imperial Pekin dueks in the coun- try. They have gone into the business of caring for and breeding animals in a seientifie manner, and are constantly trying new methods and in- vesting money in improvements that might benefit their business. It would appear that the busiest men are the very ones who have the most time for outside affairs, and these brothers are no exception. They are all prominent in the county affairs, political, educational or economie, and they have all held various offices, which they filled to the entire ยท satisfaction of their fellow citizens.
Karl Daniel Lengfelder was the founder of this family in America. He was born in Germany on the 17th of June, 1836, He was well edu- eated in his native land, and came of one of the finest families in the country, and sinee he had perfected himself in bookkeeping and held a fine position in the treasury of his native eity, everything pointed to- wards a peaceful life in the land of his nativity. But it was not to be. Young Karl heard of that wonderful country where one could walk along the shore and pick up chunks of gold as large as one's fist, so nothing would do but that he should set out for that marvelous coast. His en- thusiasm fired others and he had soon recruited quite a company, and in June, 1854, they landed in New Orleans with their faces turned toward the gold fields of California. At New Orleans they boarded a steamer and made their slow way up the Mississippi until they reached St. Louis. Ilere they were told of the long overland trip that took months, of the Indians, the sand storms, the scareity of water, and then at the goal of
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the likelihood of their finding no gold. As it was life in the new country was difficult enough to the young foreigners, and the thought of attempt- ing such a perilous trip, with their utter lack of experience in the conn- try, induced them to abandon their scheme. Karl Lengfelder remained in St. Louis for one month, and then he located in St. Clair county, where he followed the trade of wagon making for some months. He soon gave this up and went to farming, working at varions places until by dint of close economy he had saved enough to buy a farm of his own. He had his eye on a fine farm in St. Clair county, and had made all the preliminary arrangements when, fortunately for Jefferson county, the owner decided not to sell. Looking about for another location, Mr. Lengfelder was struck with the desirability of a farm of one hundred and thirty acres in Dodd's township and he bought this property in August, 1880. The following winter, in February, he moved his family hither, and from that time he was uniformly successful, adding to his holdings until at the time of his death, in 1900, on the 4th of January, he owned four hundred aeres.
Mr. Lengfelder married Katherine Zinlieh in May, 1867. She was the daughter of Conrad Zinlich and was born in Germany on the 2nd of November, 1844. She was brought to America by her parents when quite a small child, and lived until 1860 in Baltimore. At this time her family moved to Belleville, Illinois. It was while Mrs. Lengfelder was making a visit to an aunt in 1866 that she met Mr. Lengfelder, and they were married within a year. Eight children were born of this marriage, five of whom are living. These are Charles R., Louis F. and Gustavus Adolphus, who live on the old home place: Annie P., who is Mrs. Grant and lives in Jefferson county ; and Henry W. The mother of this family is yet living, at the age of sixty-seven years.
The eldest of the brothers is Charles R., who was born on the 28th of November, 1868, on a farm in St. Clair county, Englemen township. Ile was educated in the schools of St. Clair and Jefferson counties. All of his life has been given to farming, he and his brothers operating the original farm of four hundred acres, to which they have added until now the aereage is a thousand acres. Since 1896 they have devoted much of their time to the breeding of horses and cattle, and they are the pioneer importers of registered horses and eattle in Jefferson county. They breed not only registered horses and cattle, but also pedigreed hogs, sheep, and poultry. Charles R. is a loyal devotee of the fraternal orders of which he is a member. He is affiliated with the Masons of Mount Ver- non and with the Knights of Pythias of the same place. His mother and father were both members of the German Evangelical ehureh, but he is a member and sineere supporter of the First Presbyterian church of his home town. He has always been actively interested in polities and has done much to advance the cause of Republicanism in Jefferson county. He served as tax collector of Dodd's township for two terms, from 1894 to 1898, and is now serving his second term as county supervisor. Edu- eational progress has ever been of great interest to him, and he is now serving his fourth term as township school treasurer. He was a candi- date for county treasurer and led his ticket in the field. the result of the election giving him two hundred votes ahead of his ticket. This is an example of the popularity of Charles Lengfelder. It is no wonder, how- over, that the people like him, for he throws his whole soul into whatever he may be doing and since he only stands for the cleanest sort of politics. his neighbors are always anxious to secure him for their representative.
Gustavus Adolphus makes a specialty of poultry and is an expert in all that pertains to the raising and breeding of fowls of every deserin- tion. llis partienlar variety of chicken is the Barred Plymouth Rock.
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which as a general all-round fowl is the most popular chicken among all breeders, therefore it is much more to his credit to have carried off so many prizes than if he were raising some less widely known breed, such as Lackenvelders. His Barred Rocks took practically every prize at the St. Louis Poultry Show in December, 1911, and repeated the same per- formance at the Illinois State Show. He also breeds Bronze Turkeys, English Toulouse Geese and White Imperial Pekin Ducks. His authora- tive knowledge on this subject has been recognized in his election to the presidency of the Illinois State Poultry Association. Gustavus A. was born on the 2nd of March, 1882, in Jefferson county, and he acquired his education in the same county, attending the common schools. He married Mary Lurene Williams of Piatt county and they have one child, Elsa Lurene, aged three years. Ile is a Republican in his political af- filiations, and has been an energetic party worker. For four terms he has served as tax collector of Dodd's township. He is now serving as school director. He is a life member of the American Poultry Associa- tion, and is much interested in the work which the association as doing for raising the standard of poultry throughout the country. Both he and his wife are members of the First Presbyterian church.
Louis F. was born on the 5th of March, 1871, and lives with his brother Charles R. In addition to the education that he received in the common schools he attended the Normal College at Normal, Illinois. In his later life, after finishing his school work, he gave a great deal of his time to reading, so that now he is well educated and broadly read, there- fore is a valuable force in the educational advancement of the community. He has elung to the faith of his fathers and is a member of the German Evangelical church.
The Lengfelders breed Percheron horses, which they ship to all parts of the United States, handling from forty to fifty horses annually. Their cattle are of the Shorthorn breed, and during the season of 1911 they handled about a hundred head. In one year they ship about two hundred and fifty head of hogs, the Poland China being their favorite breed. They also devote considerable attention to the raising of Shropshire sheep, shipping about a hundred head annually. Live, stirring business men are these three brothers, who have brought to their business the valuable assets of well-developed minds and bodies, and who are showing day by day that the modern economic thinkers are right in their cry of "Back to the farm," for they are proving that the life is not only independent and profitable, but requires the keenest brains and a large amount of or- iginality. The monotony of the farm of fifty years ago, that is the cause of so much of the congestion in our cities today, is a thing of the past. Science and pioneers like these three brothers, who were willing to go ahead and venture experiments without any certainty of the outcome, have together succeeded in giving to farm life the charm of new ideas and broader interests.
GEORGE B. WELBORN. One of the most prominent men in Woodlawn, and one who has been most actively connected with all affairs tending to promote the best interests of that city, is George B. Welborn, a resident of Woodlawn since 1882, and a representative man of business, post- master of the city for many years, as well as Republican representative from the forty-sixth district in 1910.
Born September 3, 1854, at Mount Vernon, Indiana, George B. Wel- born is the son of Dr. E. E. Welborn, a native of that state. The Wel- horn family originally came from the Carolinas, but migrated into In- diana. Dr. Welborn practiced medicine in Indiana for years. In 1854 he located in Centralia, Illinois, where he remained for three years, and
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in 1857 he removed to Mount Vernon, Illinois, where he practiced medi- cine until 1889. His health declined to such an extent about then that he abandoned his practice and went to Colorado in the hope of restoring his depleted strength, but he died in Denver in 1892. Ile married Frances Boswell, of Princeton, Indiana, and they were the parents of six children who reached years of maturity. They are Anna, Arthur, Mary, Gussie, Henry and George B.
George B. was educated in the public schools and in Irvington Aca- demy. In 1875, when he was twenty-one years of age, he engaged in the drug business in Oiltown. In January, 1882, he removed to Woodlawn and again engaged in that business, and he is still actively identified with that industry. Mr. Welborn has achieved no little prominence in Wood- lawn in the years of his residence there. He has become identified with many and various commercial and financial organizations, and he is a heavy stockholder as well as president of the Woodlawn Bank. He was first appointed to the position of postmaster of Woodlawn during Gar- field's administration, and has been the incumbent of that office during every Republican regime since then. In 1910 he was elected representa- tive of the forty-sixth district, and during his term of service acted upon many important committees, among them being the committees on ap- propriation and corporations, fish and game, banks and banking, con- gressional apportionment, and others. His career as a legislator has been marked by unusual honesty and integrity of purpose, and he fulfilled in every detail the expectations of his constituents as their representa- tive. Mr. Welborn was a supporter of Senator Hopkins for the United States Senate, and opposed the election of Senator Lorimer. He has given some attention to various fraternal organizations, prominent among them being the A. F. & A. M. of Mount Vernon, he being a member of the Knights Templar, as is he also of the Modern Woodmen and the Odd Fellows. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
In 1882, on New Year's day. Mr. Welborn married Miss Nellie I. Pratt, daughter of Frank Pratt, of Centralia, Illinois. He is an engineer in the employ of the Illinois Central, and began his service with them in 1853, when the road was first put through that district. Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Welborn. They are Hattie, Arthur, Frank, Laura, Nellie and George, the latter two being twins and named for their parents. Ilattie, Frank and Laura are married, the three re- maining being members of the houshold of Welborn.
SAMUEL BARTHOLOMEW BROWN, justice of the peace in Newton. Illi- nois, has been prominent in the affairs of this section of the country for many years. Ile has been always among the first to speak in favor of any measure conducive to the growth of the town, and in his various serviees in publie positions has won a reputation for serupulons honesty that could not be excelled. For over thirty years he has been treasurer of schools, and under his careful management the school funds, at times rather meager, have been stretched to meet all emergencies.
Samuel B .. Brown was born in Scottsville, Kentucky, on the Ist of March, 1829. His father Allsey Brown, a native of North Carolina, born March 10, 1791. Allsey Brown came to Kentucky when a young man. and here he met his future wife, Naney Childers. She was a relative of the Bartholomew family. Eleven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Brown, Judge Brown being the seventh of the number. Mr. Brown spent his life in the farming industry, and won for his family a comfortable competence from the rich Kentucky soil. He died in 1864. and his wife passed away in 1878.
The early years of Samnel Brown were spent in Kentucky, where
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he was sent to school in the winter and worked in his father's fields in the summer. His edneation was received partly at a subscription sehoot and partly at the public school. He finally completed his school days with a high school course. His young manhood was spent in Kentucky, where he was in the mereantile business. He had a good sized store, well equipped for the general country trade, and was doing a thriving busi- ness when the war times came along and threw everything into a state of unrest. He along with others lost greatly through this state of affairs. At one time his store was raided and stripped absolutely bare, but the despoilers had no intention of leaving him unrecompensed, and to that end left a great heap of bills on the counter. The only difficulty was that these bills were with one exception Confederate money, and there- fore wholly worthless. The only United States greenback among them was one fifty dollar bill, so Mr. Brown was the loser by several hundreds of dollars.
In 1868 Mr. Brown came to Illinois and located in Newton, where for two years he taught school. He immediately showed an interest in public affairs and was soon made county assessor, which office he held for some time. A little later he was elected county surveyor and continued in this position for eight years. Both of these offices carried mueh responsibility, and little honor, but the people of his neighbor- hood were not insensible to his worth, and in 1881 honored him by eleet- ing him justice of the peace, a position that he has filled without a break until the present day. It was at about the same time that he was made treasurer of schools, and the way in which he has carried out the duties of this office have won him the gratitude of the populace. The time that is not given to public affairs he has devoted to the mercantile business, having been connected with various houses both here and in Kentucky.
Mr. Brown has been twice married, his first wife, whom he married in 1859, being Anna Staley, a native of Tennessee. She became the mother of eight children, four of whom are living: Lina is Mrs. Sang- ster; Samuel C. is in the hardware business in Terre Haute, Indiana ; Alsey Oscar is a Presbyterian minister of New Orleans; and Mittie Vir- ginia is now Mrs. J. E. O. Clark, of Newton. The mother of this family died in 1873, and in 1875 Mr. Brown was married to Sally Word, of Ten- nessee, and they became the parents of one daughter, Bessie, who is Mrs. W. G. Austin, of Effingham, Illinois. Mr. Brown lost his second wife on the 5th of May, 1911.
Mr. Brown is a Democrat in polities and is one of the enthusiastie believers in the victory of his party in the elections of 1912. He is a loyal supporter of the Methodist Episcopal church, and acted as trustee for this body for some years. His fraternal affiliations are with the Masons.
GEORGE F. M. WARD, DR. TODD P. WARD AND HENRY B. P. WARD. Three of Mount Vernon's most valuable citizens are George F. M. Ward and his sons, Dr. Todd P. Ward and Henry B. P. Ward. The father has been an important factor in the growth and commercial upbuilding of the city of Mount Vernon, while his sons are among the most prom- ising citizens who have ever located in this county. Mr. Ward, Sr., began his career as a merchant in a very modest manner, and has reached his present prosperous condition by degrees. Endowed with a natural instinet for business affairs. and as a young man receiving excellent training through his clerkships in various stores, he has through indns- try and a close attention to all the details of his business attained a high pinnacle of success. In addition to his business interests he has devoted considerable time to doing what he could toward the betterment of the
GAM Ward
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civie life of Mount Vernon, having served the city in many and varied capacities. The force and strength of character which Mr. Ward has shown in all of his dealings is also in evidence in the character of his sons, who have the spirit that will not accept defeat and the courage necessary in their fight against the gods of sickness and death.
George F. M. Ward was born on the 11th of October, 1854, at Har- winton in Litchfield, Connecticut. He was the son of Henry Ward, who was born in Connecticut, his father being Henry Ward and his mother Phoebe ( Woodin) Ward. Henry Ward married Lucy Adeline Todd and they came west when George was four years old. They settled in Illinois in 1858, their first farm being located in Williamson eounty. Later they moved to a farm near Carbondale, and here the children grew up. The farm, which was at that time some distance from the center of the city, is now within the city limits. Mr. Ward died in 1900, on the 13th of March, and his wife passed away in 1889. They were the parents of six children, five of whom were born in Connecticut, and of this number only two are living: Elmina, died in Williamson county; Julius Henry is living in DuQuoin; Wil- liam Dwight died in 1910; G. F. M .; John Nelson died at the age of twelve in Williamson county ; and Samuel Whittamore, who was born in Illinois and died in 1904.
The first education that Mr. Ward received was in the public schools of Williamson county, later receiving that splendid course of training that is given by the grammar and high schools of Carbondale. When he was eighteen he was so anxious to stop school and go to work that he was given permission to do so. He therefore entered the clothing store of M. Goldman at Carbondale, where he remained for two years. In 1875 he went to DuQuoin and entered the employ of J. Solomon, where he stayed three years. During all this time he was reaping a rich harvest of experience, and at the same time was saving his pennies. The result was that in 1879 he was able to come to Mount Vernon and open a clothing and furnishing store of his own, under the firm name of Ward and Solomon. Under the management of Mr. Ward this business grew and thrived, and in 1881 the partnership was dissolved and Mr. Ward became the sole owner. He conducted the business alone until the 16th of January, 1909, when he organized a corporation company, under the name of the Mammoth Shoe, Clothing and Dry Goods Company. The main object of this organization was to interest his employes in the concern by giving them a share in the business. The plan has certainly been successful, for no where will one find a more loyal set of employes, nor receive better service. Mr. Ward is the president and general manager. W. T. Forsyth is the first vice president, Isaac Vermillian, the second viee president. H. B. P. Ward is secretary and treasurer, and the company, which is virtually a close corporation, is capitalized at $30,000. Mr. Ward uses the most modern methods and has the most up-to-date facilities for doing business. His store is run on the departmental plan, and he employes regularly from twenty to thirty men and women. lle carries a well selected stock. valued at $75.000. and the building itself is a large three-story structure, the dimensions of each floor being one hundred by fifty-six l'eet.
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