USA > Illinois > Clay County > Biographical and reminiscent history of Richland, Clay and Marion counties, Illinois > Part 16
USA > Illinois > Richland County > Biographical and reminiscent history of Richland, Clay and Marion counties, Illinois > Part 16
USA > Illinois > Marion County > Biographical and reminiscent history of Richland, Clay and Marion counties, Illinois > Part 16
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Mrs. Morrison is the mother of three children; Mary, the wife of J. F. Jolly, of Olney; Mattie, wife of J. L. Clevlen, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri; Kate, the wife of E. A. Powers, of Olney. Mrs. Morrison makes her home with her children, spending most of her time in Olney. She is one of the oldest residents of the county now living. Her life has been one of the usual hardship and pleasure, of victory and defeat, but lived in such a manner as to result in no harm to others, as was also that of her worthy hus- band, both being faultless in honor, fearless in conduct and stainless in reputation, com- manding the uniform regard and esteem of their many friends.
SAMUEL D. GRAHAM.
The enterprising citizen whose name heads this article needs no introduction to the people of Marion county. He has been
for some time prominently identified with the financial and industrial interests of the community where he resides and always manifesting an active interest in the pub- lic welfare. His long life has been a most active and useful one in every respect, and has resulted in the accumulation of an ample competence for his closing years as well as in much good to his fellow men and the community at large, where he has many warm friends.
Samuel D. Graham was born in Rush county, Indiana, in April, 1836, the son of Hezekiah and Sarah (Smith) Graham. Grandfather Graham was born in Scotland and came to Pennsylvania in the seven- teenth century. Both he and his brother, Isaac, came from Scotland and both fought in the Revolutionary war. Grandfather was a captain and he had his eyes burned by the explosion of a gun in the hands of one of his own soldiers and eventually lost his eyesight from the effects of it, having been blind for twenty years before his death. He never drew his pension although it was al- lowed. It is in the hands of the govern- ment yet. He was about eighty years old when he died, leaving eight children living out of a family of nine, all of whom lived to maturity, five of whom moved to Ohio, where they made homes and reared families and where they died. Grandfather was dea- con in the Baptist church for forty years, and he and Grandmother Graham were Baptists and always lived the Christian life.
Grandfather Smith was a native of Penn- sylvania, who moved from there to Butler
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county, Ohio, after the death of his first wife. He and our subject's father were married by the same minister and with the same ceremony. In Grandfather Smith's family there were seven children, who lived to maturity. The youngest daughter by this marriage, Rebecca McClelland, was the mother of Gen. George B. McClelland. There was no issue from the second mar- riage. Grandfather Smith lived to be well advanced in years. After his remains had been buried twelve years, they were taken up for removal and it was found that his body was petrified. Grandfather Smith was a Revolutionary soldier and one of his sons- in-law, Oren Davis, was with him as a sol- dier, and his son, Charles was in the Black Hawk war.
The father of the subject left Pennsyl- vania when twenty years old. He did not have early school advantages, but in time became educated and a well read man through his own persistent efforts, being particularly well informed on historical mat- ters and events. He settled in Butler county, Ohio, buying timbered land which he cleared and developed into a good farm, living there for about twelve years, when he moved to Rush county, Indiana, in 1831, remaining there until his death, which oc- curred at the age of seventy-two years, his date of birth having occurred on August 6, 1799. His wife was born in October, 1800. He was twice married, his first wife being the mother of our subject. She died at the age of thirty-seven years, having given birth to eleven children, seven of whom
lived to maturity. The father was married again, there being born to the last union ten children, all of whom lived to maturity. The father and mother were Baptists. The former spent his entire life on a farm, leaving a farm and a goodly share of money to his heirs, and also left land in Iowa, all of which shows that he was a thrifty and prudent man of affairs.
Hezekiah Graham, father of the subject, in addition to his own family of eighteen children took four orphan boys and one girl and kept them until they reached ma- turity and in addition to these he was al- ways hunting and finding homes for other orphan children, and his own smoke-house and granary were always open to the poor and needy. He believed with the great philosopher, Henry Drummond, that "The greatest thing a man can do for his Heavenly Father is to be kind to some of His children."
Samuel D. Graham, our subject, had but little opportunity to attend school, having spent altogether less than six months in the school room. He worked on his father's farm until he was twenty-six years old, then hired out as a farm hand for ten years, dur- ing which time he saved his earnings and bought a farm in Fayette county, Indiana. He lived there for ten years, then sold out and bought another farm in Union county, Indiana, and sold this at the end of two years, when he moved to Illinois, settling in Marion county, buying a farm of one hundred and eighty-five acres of improved land, near Kinmundy in 1882. In 1903 he
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bought his splendid modern residence and two acres of ground in Kinmundy, where he has since resided. He sold his farm here and bought a farm in Butler county, Missouri, consisting of one hundred and sixty acres of improved bottom land on which his son resides and success- fully manages. Since coming to Kinmundy our subject has lived in peaceful and hon- orable retirement, conscious of a well spent life, which has been a very active one and has resulted in success in an eminent degree. He always benefited himself in his land deals and was an unusually good farmer, keeping his farms well improved and in a high state of cultivation.
Our subject was married in 1870 to Mrs. Rhoda E. Prichard, nee Patterson, a native of Union county, Indiana. Her father, Alexander Patterson, was born December 7, 1815, and came to Ohio when fifteen years of age, later to Union county, Indiana, where his father had purchased an eighty- acre farm. He lived and died on that farm. Mrs. Graham became the mother of three children by her first marriage, all of whom are deceased. One of the oldest brothers, James M. Patterson, was a soldier during the Civil war from Indiana, and was killed at Winchester, Virginia, in the battle of September 19, 1864. Her people were of Scotch-German descent. Her grandparents on her father's side were married Septem- ber 6, 1798. Grandfather Patterson was born April 14, 1769, and Grandmother Pat- terson was born July 29, 1776.
The following children have been born
to Mr. and Mrs. Graham: Harvey McClel- land, born August 23, 1871, was accident- ally killed in 1904; William H., was born in 1873, is living on a farm in Missouri, is married, but has no children living: Tillie Alma, who was born December 15, 1878, died January 28, 1879; Katie L., born May 6. 1880, is the wife of Melvin Hamilton, and is living in Indiana. They have two children living.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Graham are active members of the Baptist church. Our sub- ject is a loyal Democrat, but seldom takes much interest in political affairs, however, his support is always for the good of the community in all questions.
Our subject has been a great reader, hav- ing read the Bible through not less than six or seven times, besides scores of other good books and much pure literary matter. He relates that he has been acquainted with not less than five hundred of the Grahams and that he never knew or heard of one of them who ever used intoxicants of any kind or character, and but few of them who ever used tobacco., and about one-half of them are church people.
ERASTUS D. TELFORD.
Only those who come in personal con- tact with the gentleman whose name appears above, the popular and well known City At- torney of Salem, Illinois, can understand how thoroughly nature and training, habits
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of thought and action, have enabled him to accomplish his life work and made him a fit representative of the enterprising class of professional people to which he belongs. He is a fine type of the sturdy, conscientious American of today-a man who unites a high order of ability with courage, pa- triotism, clean morality and sound common sense, doing thoroughly and well the work that he finds to do and asking praise of no man for the performance of what he con- ceives to be his simple duty.
Erastus D. Telford was born in Raccoon township, Marion county, April 23, 1874. J. D. Telford, whose life history is embod- ied in another part of this volume, who has long been a well known and influential char- acter about Salem, is the father of our sub- ject. Samuel G. Telford, who lives in Haines township, and who was born in 1827 in this county, and who is still making his home two and one-half miles west of where he was born, is the subject's grandfather. His great-grandfather was James Telford, a native of South Carolina, who settled in Marion county in 1822, died in 1856. Our subject's father was the first Republican Sheriff of Marion county, having been elected in 1882. The mother of the subject was known in her maidenhood as Ann Wyatt, a native of Tennessee and the rep- resentative of a fine old southern family. Her father sold all his possessions in that state and came to Illinois in 1860, settling on the farm now owned by J. D. Telford, father of the subject of this sketch, to whom and his worthy and faithful life companion
seven children were born, all living at this writing, named in order of birth as follows: Dr. A. T., of Olney, Illinois; Erastus D., our subject; Ula, of the United States Life Saving Station of Chicago; Omer, who lives on a farm three miles west of Salem; Oran is living at home; Erma, who is still a member of the family circle; J. D., Jr. These children were reared in a wholesome home atmosphere and were given every ad- vantage possible by their parents.
E. D. Telford has lived in Salem for twenty-six years, or since his father moved here. He worked on the parental farm un- til he was twenty-one years old, where he received valuable training in the out door life of the country, not the least advantage of which was the acquisition of a robust con- stitution which is a necessary prerequisite for the battle of life in any field of endeavor. He attended the public schools in his neigh- borhood and later graduated in 1890 from the Salem high schools where he made a splendid record, for our subject early de- termined to secure a good education and fit himself as best he possibly could for life's ardent duties.
After leaving school he decided to teach and consequently followed this line of work with marked success for a few years, during which time he became widely known throughout the county as an able instructor. But not being satisfied with the education he already possessed, and with the routine and somewhat obscure work of the teacher, he gave up his work and entered McKen- dree College, a denominational school at
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Lebanon, Illinois, from which institution he graduated with high honors in 1897, with the degree Bachelor of Science. Having decided to make the profession of law his life work, Mr. Telford in the fall of 1898 went to Washington City and entered the law department of Georgetown University, where he made a brilliant record and from which institution he graduated in 1900. In the meantime he had been appointed to a po- sition in the United States Treasury depart- ment, his unusual talents having attracted the attention of authorities in this depart- ment. Mr. Telford remained in the Treas- ury department, where he gave the greatest satisfaction to the higher officials and where his work was very creditably and faithfully performed until April 1, 1906, when he re- signed and returned to Salem, Illinois, for the purpose of engaging in the practice of law, and, useless to say that his success was instantaneous, and he at once had a large clientele, his office being sought by clients with a wide range of cases, and his fame soon overspread Marion county, extending to other fields, consequently he was fre- quently called to other localities on import- ant cases and his cool, careful, determined manner in presenting his arguments before a jury seldom failed in bringing a verdict in his favor.
Mr. Telford was soon slated for political preferment, leaders in his party being quick to detect unusual ability as a public official in him, consequently in April, 1907, he was elected City Attorney of Salem, which posi- tion he now very creditably fills to the satis- faction of the entire community. At the
primaries in August, 1908, he was nomi- nated by the Republicans for State Attorney for Marion county.
Mr. Telford's domestic life dates from November 1, 1900, when he was united in marriage with Coral M. Wright, the accom- plished daughter of William Wright, a well known and influential citizen of Lincoln, Nebraska. The following bright and inter- esting children have come into the cozy and pleasant home of Mr. and Mrs. Telford, bringing additional sunshine: Elbridge Wright Telford, whose day of birth oc- curred September 29, 1901; Dorothy Mar- garet, who first saw the light of day on August 18, 1905.
Mr. Telford has been a careful business man as well as a successful attorney, and he has accumulated rapidly, now being a stock- holder in the Salem National Bank, also the Salem Building and Loan Association. He is the owner of a modern, substantial and beautiful residence on North Broadway.
In his fraternal relations, our subject is a member of the ancient and honorable order of Masons, the Blue Lodge and the Royal Arch Chapter; also a Modern Woodman. And both he and his wife are consistent and faithful members of the Methodist Episco- pal church. Mr. Telford is one of the sub- stantial and popular men of Marion county, and his home which is presided over with rare grace and dignity by Mrs. Telford, is the center of a genial hospitality. He is liberal in his support of all religious and charitable movements, and no one takes a greater pride in the progress of his commu- nity.
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WILLIAM T. STORMENT.
The gentleman whose name introduces this sketch is one of the leading farmers and fruit growers of Marion county, and also enjoys the distinction of being a representa- tive of two of the old and highly esteemed pioneer families of the township in which he lives. John Storment, his grandfather, a South Carolinian by birth, moved to Marion county about the year 1838, and purchased a large tract of govern- ment land, principally in what is now Haines township, the patents for which bearing the signature of President Van Buren are now in the possession of the subject of this re- view. John Storment became a prosperous farmer and representative citizen and wielded a strong influence among the early settlers of Haines township, having been a man of great force of character and deter- mination of purpose. He did much to pro- mote the interests of agriculture and will long be remembered as one of the sterling yeomen to whose labors and influence tlie present flourishing condition of Haines township is largely due.
William K. Storment, son of John Stor- ment and father of William T., was a native of Marion county and for many years one of the progressive farmers and enterprising citizens of the township of Haines. He, too, was public spirited and a natural leader among his fellow men, stood high in the es- teem of all with whom he came into contact and belonged to that large and eminently re- spectable class who in a quiet but forceful
way do so much for the material progress of the country and give moral tone to the body politic. At the breaking out of the late Civil war he enlisted in the One Hundred and Eleventh Illinois Infantry and devoted three of the best years of his life to the serv- ice of his country, participating in all the campaigns and battles in which his regiment was engaged and earning an honorable rec- ord as a brave and gallant defender of the Union.
When a young man William K. Storment married Miss Martha I. Wham, of Marion county, and in due time became the father of five children, namely : Elmer (deceased ; Minnie (deceased) ; John R., a farmer and fruit grower of Mississippi; William T., of this review, and one that died in infancy. The parents of these children were esteemed members of the United Presbyterian church and spared no pains to impress upon their young minds and hearts the principles of re- ligion and the beauty and value of a living Christian faith. William K. Storment was not only an influential man in the affairs of his church, but was also a local politician of considerable note, having been one of the leading Republicans of his township, though never a partisan, much less a seeker after the honors and emoluments of public office. He died some years ago on the home farin in Haines township, lamented by all who knew him, leaving to his descendants the memory of an honored name, which they value as a priceless heritage. Mrs. Storment is the daughter of William Wham, one of the early settlers of Marion county and an
RESIDENCE OF W. T. STORMENT,
LIBRARY Of THE
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RICHLAND, CLAY AND MARION COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
influential factor of the pioneer period. Slie is still living and enjoys the acquaintance of a large circle of friends, who hold her in the highest personal regard.
.
William T. Storment, to a brief review of whose career the following lines are de- voted, was born in Haines township on the farm one mile north of Kell, which he now owns and occupies, September 10, 1867. Like the majority of country lads, he was reared to habits of industry, early became familiar with the various duties of farm life and in the public schools, which he attended at intervals during his minority, received his educational training. Manifesting a decided taste for mechanical pursuits while still young, he turned his abilities in this direc- tion to practical use by learning carpentry, at which he acquired more than ordinary pro- ficiency and which he followed for some years in his own and neighboring localities, a number of residences and other edifices bearing witness to his ability and skill as a builder. After a time, however, he discon- tinued his trade and purchasing the home farm, has since given his attention to agri- culture and fruit growing, meeting witlı most encouraging success and achieving much more than local repute as a progres- sive and up-to-date tiller of the soil. In the meantime he has made many valuable im- provements on the place, remodeling the house and converting it into a first class mod- ern dwelling with all the latest conveniences, including among others a heating plant that adds greatly to the comfort of the home, be- sides lessening in no small degree the ex-
pense of providing fuel. The barn, which is one of the largest and most conveniently ar- ranged buildings of the kind in the neigli- borhood, is a model of architectural and mechanical skill, while all the other improve- ments are in keeping therewith, the farm consisting of one hundred and twenty-five acres of highly improved land, being one of the most valuable as well as one of the most desirable places of its area in Marion county.
Mr. Storment takes a pardonable pride in his home and has spared neither pains nor expense in making it beautiful and attractive and it is now conceded to be one of the fin- est country seats not only in Marion county, but in the southern part of the state. Be- lieving this section of Illinois to possess the necessary characteristics for successful fruit . growing, Mr. Storment some years ago planted a part of his farm in choice apple, pear and peach trees, the results in due time more than realizing his highest expectations. Encouraged by the success of the venture, he continued planting from time to time, un1- til he now has one hundred and ten acres in fruit, the income from which far surpasses what he ever received from the raising of grain. He makes horticulture not only his chief business, but pursues it with the en- thusiasm and delight of a pastime. He de- votes much time to the study of the subject, reduces his researches to practical tests, and in this way has made the business very re- munerative. By employing scientific meth- ods, such as proper fertilizing, spraying, pruning, etc., he never fails to realize abun- dant crops of the finest fruits raised in this
IO
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BIOGRAPHICAL AND REMINISCENT HISTORY OF
part of the state, and that, too, when other orchards fail entirely or at least bear but a scanty supply and of a poor and inferior quality. Among the improvements of which he makes use is a portable gas engine for the purpose of spraying, the value of which in the saving of time as well as of insuring full yields is many hundred fold in excess of the amount the contrivance cost.
Mr. Storment is not only the leading hor- ticulturist in Marion county, but as a farm- er he also occupies a place in the front rank. making use of modern implements and ma- .chinery and employing only the most ap- proved methods in the cultivation of the soi !. He is essentially progressive in his ideas, be- . lieves that satisfactory results can only be ob-
tained from the exercise of sound judgment and wise discretion and possessing the abil- ity to foresee with remarkable accuracy the future outcome of present action, he is sel- dom if ever disappointed in any of his plans or undertakings. A man of strong charac- ter and inflexible integrity, he stands higlı as a citizen, takes an active interest in pub- lic matters both general and local and all measures and enterprises for the material progress of the country and the social and moral advancement of the people are sure to enlist his hearty co-operation and support. His political views are in harmony with the principles and traditions of the Republican party, and while firm in his convictions and earnest and fearless in maintaining the soundness of his opinions, he cannot be called a partisan, nor has he ever disturbed the even tenor of his life by aspiring to of-
fice or leadership. He is first of all a credit- able representative of the ancient and hon- orable calling of agriculture and as such he ranks among the most enterprising and suc- cessful men in the state, this, with the simple title of citizen, being sufficient to make him contented with his lot, as well as an example to his fellow men in correct living.
The domestic life of Mr. Storment dates from 1892, in which year he was united in marriage with Esta Davis, of Marion coun- ty, daughter of Bloom P. and Mariah (Al- bert) Davis, both natives of Illinois, the fa- ther of Jefferson county, the mother of the county of Marion. Mr. and Mrs. Storment are esteemed members of the United Presby- terian church, belonging to what is known as the Romine Prairie congregation and active in all lines of religious and charitable work under the auspices of the same. Socially they are numbered among the best people of the community in which they reside and their popularity is limited only by the circle of their acquaintance. The Davis family, to which Mrs. Storment belongs, has long oc- cupied a conspicuous place in the confidence and respect of the people of Marion county and its reputation for honorable manhood and womanhood is second to that of no oth- er family in this part of the state. For many years the name has been identified with the Christian church of Marion and neighboring counties, Mr. Davis and his wife having been prominent members of that body and influential in religious work in their own and other localities. Mrs. Storment is the oldest of a family of four children, three sisters and
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a brother, namely: Maggie, who married Ernest Kell, of Marion county; Anderson, who lives on the home farm, and Minnie, who is unmarried and also a member of the home circle.
JUDGE THEODORE AUGUSTUS FRITCHEY.
When it is stated that the subject of this sketch has served as postmaster of Olney for three terms, or since 1897, the significance is so patent that nothing further need be said as indicating the confidence and esteem in which he is held by the people of Richland county. As an able official and representative and popu- lar citizen, we are pleased to record in this work a sketch of the life of Mr. Fritchey, who is one of the best known men in the county, and who for many years was among the most prominent members of the bar and bench in this locality, and who, during his long residence here has done so much for the material, civic, educational and moral advancement of the county, ever having its interests at heart and losing no opportunity to help others in the work of progress while advancing his own interests.
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