USA > Illinois > Clay County > Biographical and reminiscent history of Richland, Clay and Marion counties, Illinois > Part 25
USA > Illinois > Richland County > Biographical and reminiscent history of Richland, Clay and Marion counties, Illinois > Part 25
USA > Illinois > Marion County > Biographical and reminiscent history of Richland, Clay and Marion counties, Illinois > Part 25
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Amos Parm Finch was married to Lou- isa Griffith August 10, 1852, and to this union was born one son, Hiram Clayton Finch, on the IIth day of May, 1854, and after the death of Louisa Griffith Finch, Amos Parm Finch married Sarah Eliza-
beth Davis on the 5th day of December, 1860, and to this union were born Rosa Belle Finch, August 21, 1861 ; Henry Ern- est Finch, August 28, 1868; he married Sarah E. Sibler; Clarence A. Finch, Febru- ary 6, 1872, married Lulu Morrean on No- vember 17, 1895, and Maggie Elizabeth Finch, November 3, 1875.
Mary Elizabeth Finch was on the 3d day of February, 1876, married to John Minor Cunningham, whose father was an early settler in Clay county, Illinois, and to this union were born three children, viz: Fre- mont Cunningham, born on the 29th day of November, 1876, and died six years later. Nelle Cunningham was born September 19, 1878, and was married to Jerry J. Bow- man, October 22, 1902. Max Finch Cun- ningham was born April 14, 1883.
Solomon Tompkins Finch was on the 28th day of May, 1884, married to Lillie Es- tella Pearce, the youngest daughter of Fred- erick and Martha Ingrahm Pearce. The father, Frederick Pearce having been born in Leeds, England, came to this country with his father when he was but twelve years of age; first settled in Western Penn- sylvania, and afterward moved to the city of Pittsburg. When at the age of man- hood he married Martha Ingrahm, and in 1858, moved with his family, which con- sisted of his wife and two children at that time, to Ingrahm Prairie, Clay county, Il- linois; engaged in the milling business, and was among the first settlers of Flora. After his removal to Flora, Illinois, his youngest daughter, Lillie Estella Pearce, was born on
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the 13th of January, 1862. To the mar- riage of Solomon Tompkins Finch and Lil- lie Estella Pearce were born two sons; Earle D. Finch, born in the city of Flora on the 14th day of March. 1865, and Rollae D. Finch was born in the city of Flora on the 7th day of September, 1887.
Solomon Tompkins Finch, after taking a preparatory course at Loxa College, entered the Michigan University, from which col- lege he graduated in the law department, in 1879, and after being admitted to the bar of Illinois commenced the law practice in Flora, Clay county, Illinois, the home of his birth.
Hiram Clayton Finch, after graduating in medicine, entered into the practice, and in 1882 moved to Iowa, continuing the practice and on the 6th day of October. 1882, was married to Ausis Oliva Mat- thews in Jasper county, Iowa, and to them was born one daughter, Ethel Finch, on the 29th day of December, 1884.
Moses Finch, son of Isaac and Amy Finch, was born in the Wyoming Valley, April 15, 1771, and was married to Sarah Beanon in 1789, and to them were born eleven sons; their names were: Isaac, Kin- ney, Charles, Beanon, Abraham Wheeler, Benoni Wheeler, Moses, Archibald Wheel- er, James Beanon, Nathaniel, Walter and John. Sarah, the mother of the above sons, died in Indiana, June 17, 1831. The sons all grew to manhood. Moses Finch, after the death of Sarah, his wife, married Man- da Grange, a widow with three sons and two daughters. To Moses Finch and Man-
da Grange Finch were born two daughters, Florilla and Rebecca. Rebecca married in 1860, and she and her husband died in 1861. Florilla married a Doctor Graydon. of Southport, Indiana.
To John Finch, son of Isaac Finch and wife, were born three sons, viz; Jubal, John and Cyrus. The mother of these children died. after which John Finch married again, and by his second marriage he begot four daughters, viz: Sarah, who married a Dr. Amos Palmer; Elizabeth, who married a man by the name of Davidson ; Margaret, who never married, and Laura, who mar- ried a man by the name of Meak. After the death of the mother of these children, John Finch married the third time, and unto this marriage were born, Hiram C. Finch, John Finch, Fabious M. Finch, who was a prominent lawyer and judge in In- dianapolis, Indiana, and lived to an ad- vanced age. Rebecca, who married James Holl; Angeline, who married a man by the name of Williams, Cynthia married Dr. Na- thaniel Mall, and Horatio Finch studied law, and afterwards died in San Francisco, California.
ยท Hiram C. Finch was married to Mary Finch, on the 28th day of November, 1829, and to this union was born one son, Henry Clay Finch. Mary Finch died December 29, 1839, and after her death, Hiram G. Finch married his second wife, and to this union were born Frank, Allice, who was married to John Connor, and Horatio Finch. The name of the second wife of Hi- ram G. Finch was Mariah Passwatter.
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Fabious M. Finch was married in linois, where he died in the summer of 1810 to Mariah Allen, and to this union 1881. To this union of James Austin and Florence Brissanden Finch were born four children, viz: Mary, William, Laura and James Austin. were born John A. Finch and Alice Finch. John A. Finch, after having studied law, made a specialty of the insurance law, and being associated with his father in the law practice under the firm name of Finch & Finch, became one of the first insurance lawyers in the United States, and compiled what is known in the law practice as Finch's Insurance Reports. John A. Finch died suddenly in Minneapo- lis, Minnesota, while on business in that city.
Fabious M. Finch soon followed the death of his most honored son, and left surviving his widow and Alice Finch, a most estimable and accomplished daughter. unmarried. Aaron Finch was married in Indiana, 1823, to Mary Waddell, and after- wards moved to Clay county, Illinois, and settled on a farm eight miles southeast of Flora, Illinois. To Aaron Finch and his wife were born: James Austin Finch and John Resen Finch; also a daugh- ter, Laura. Aaron Finch died in the early fifties. James Austin Finch was joined in wedlock with Mary P. Grif- fith and studied medicine and died in the early sixties. To this union was born one son, James Austin Finch, Mary P. Finch died in 1898. James Austin Finch was married to Florence Brissanden, studied law, became well up in his profes- sion, and was elected to the office of Prosecuting Attorney of Clay county in 1876, and afterwards located in Olney, Il-
John Resen Finch was born in Indiana, moved to Clay county, Illinois, with his father, and settled on the farm with his father. He first married Sarah Schooley, and to this marriage were born one daugh- ter and one son, viz: Mary Matilda and William Fabious Finch. After the death of his first wife he married Rachel Schooley, a sister of his first wife, and to this union were born one son and one daughter, viz: Aaron and Amy Finch. After the death of Rachel, the second wife of John Resen Finch, he then married Bethsheba Long Finch, and to this union was born one daughter, viz: Martha Louella Finch. After the death of Bethsheba Long Finch, John Resen Finch then married one Sarah War- math, and departed this life in 1879, having continued to reside on the farm upon which he and his father located upon moving to Clay county, Illinois.
Augustus Finch Shirts, who was born to George Shirts and Rebecca . Finch Shirts, was born November 26, 1824, married to Nancy Barnhill, and to this union were born three children, viz: George Shirts, Mary Shirts, who married a man by the name of Baker, and Elbert Shirts. Augustus Finch Shirts studied law, settled at Noblesville, Indiana, became very prominent as a law- yer, and as a politician, also became noted as the author of the history of Hamilton
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county, Indiana, and retired from the law practice in 1900.
George Shirts, son of Augustus Finch Shirts, studied law, graduated at the law department of the University of Michigan, in 1876, entered the law practice at Nobles- ville, Indiana, became eminent as a corpora- tion lawyer, and in 1903, was selected by the Governor of the state of Indiana, as one of the Codifying Commission, and se- lected by that body as their clerk.
In the early spring of 1814, Amos Parm, John, Moses and Solomon Finch, together with their families, went in wagons from Genesee county, New York, to Olean Point, New York, a point on the tributary of the Ohio river, and building a flat-boat there, they floated down the river to the Ohio riv- er, and thence down the Ohio river to North Bend, Ohio, the present site of Cincinnati, Ohio, and after landing there, Solomon T. Finch took service under Gen. William H. Harrison (Old Tippecanoe), and after the war was over still remained with him for a time as superintendent of his plantations, the old log cabins that were famous during the campaign of Gen. William H. Harrison as a candidate for President. Enoch Finch settled somewhere in the eastern part of Ohio, and Moses and John went to Brook- ville, Indiana, engaged to some extent in the milling business there, and afterward went to Connersville, and were there joined by Solomon Finch. Soon afterward Moses went to Michigan, and died there at an ad- vanced age.
In April, 1819, Solomon Finch and his
family and part of the family of John Finch, moved from Connersville to Hamil- ton county, Indiana, and settled on what was then known as Horse Shoe prairie, about two miles from the present site of Noblesville, Indiana, the county seat of Hamilton county, and they were followed in the following September by John Finch, and the remainder of his family. John Finch lived to a ripe old age, and as shown many were his sons and daughters. He died in Hamilton county, Indiana.
The compiler of these accounts, including deaths, births, marriages and events, has relied upon statistics furnished him by old members of the family in its various branches, and on the war records fur- nished him from the department at Wash- ington, and on letters from the Lord Mayor of Nottingham, England, and on the true historical data as furnished by reliable au- thors. He has compiled this short history not for any compensation, but because he has felt that it ought to have been done by some member of the family, but up to this time, they have all been too busy a lot of Finchs to give it their attention.
JOHN R. FRENCH.
The subject is the obliging and well known hotel proprietor, insurance and real estate dealer of Kell, Haines township, Marion county, who has spent his life with- in the borders of the same, having been
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identified with the growth and taken no for a while, then he moved to Newton, Il- small part in the same. He was born Au- linois, and bought a furniture factory and a restaurant, ice cream parlor and bakery, all of which he conducted with great success until in May, 1907, when he came to Kell and bought the hotel here, which he has since conducted in such an able manner that it has become known to the traveling public as a comfortable and well conducted hostelry, where no pains are spared to make guests feel at home and comfortable. He has built up a good business which is con- stantly growing. He also finds time to do considerable business in insurance and real estate. gust 4, 1861, the son of Gilbert W. and Louisa (O'Bryant) French. John R. French's father, a native of Tennessee, came to Marion county, Illinois, in 1835. He was a native of Tennessee and the son of John P. and - (Hartman) French. John P. French was a native of Pennsyl- vania, who moved to Tennessee in an early day and in 1835 came to Marion county, Illinois, locating in Tonti township, where he devoted his life to farming, having died in the town of Alma. The subject's grand- father was a soldier in the War of 1812. Gilbert French and his first wife were the Mr. French was united in marriage in December, 1886, to Etta Sweet, who was born in Alma township, the daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Carnes) Sweet, a well known family of their community. parents of four children, namely : Angie, the wife of Mathew Organ; Louisa, who was the wife of J. N. Jones, is deceased; John R., the subject of this sketch; Amanda is the wife of J. W. Ross, of Centralia, this county. The subject's father married Mary Howard, and three children were born to this union, Thomas, living in Kinmundy, this county; Harry B., of Odin, Illinois; Rachel is the wife of E. W. Wilson, of Alma, Illinois.
The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm near Alma and was educated in the common schools. After farming for a while, he learned the plasterer's and brick layer's trade. In 1891 he clerked in a store at Alma, this county, and in 1894 he en- tered business in a general store in Alma which he successfully conducted for a peri- od of eight years, when he sold out and went back to farming, which he followed
The subject and his wife are the parents of the following children: Edward is single and living at home and is engaged in the restaurant and bakery business. He has a modern and fully equipped bakery and does an extensive business, shipping bread to many outside towns; Cora, the second child, is living at home; Bessie is the wife of Wesley Howard; Gladys, who is living at home attending school; Clara is living at home; Clifford is a baby at this writing, (1908.)
Mr. French is a Democrat. He has ably served as Justice of the Peace for eight years in Alma township and he was School Treasurer for four terms of two years each. In 1892 he made the race for the nomina-
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tion on the Democratic ticket for County Germany, and the latter of Pennsylvania. Clerk, but was defeated, however, the re- The father was born in Hesse-Darmstadt in 1804, and when twenty years old emigrated to the United States and lived in Pennsyl- vania, first settling in Philadelphia in 1840. His first wife died in the old Keystone state and he married the subject's mother, a na- tive of Lancaster, and the daughter of Philip Dundore, of German descent. Philip Bower moved to Jeromeville, Ohio, and in the spring of 1840 came to Olney, Illinois. He worked at the cabinet maker's trade for sev- eral years, and also engaged in merchandis- ing and farming. His death occurred in the fall of 1873, at the age of sixty-nine years. sults showed that our subject was a popu- lar man in the convention. Mr. French helped incorporate the village of Alma. He was also a member of the first board that organized the Building and Loan Associa- tion at Alma, Illinois. Our subject is a member of the Modern Woodmen of Amer- ica, being a charter member at Alma. His son, Edward, is also a member of the Mod- ern Woodmen of America at Kell. Mr. French is known to be a man of strictly honest business principles, industrious, pleasant and agreeable, making both friends and visitors feel at home.
HON. WILLIAM BOWER.
It is both gratifying and profitable to en- ter record concerning such a man as he whose name appears at the head of this life record, and in the following outline suffi- cient will be said to indicate the forceful in- dividuality, initiative power and sterling character, which have had such a decided in- fluence in making their possessor a leader in enterprises requiring the highest order of business talent, and to gain for him wide publicity among those who shape and direct policies of more than ordinary consequence.
William Bower, the well known druggist of Olney, Illinois, was born May 21, 1842, the second child of Philip P. and Mary (Dundore) Bower, the former a native of
William Bower, our subject, is a member of a family of six children, born to Philip P. Bower by his second wife, being the second white male child born in what is now the city of Olney. The mother of the subject was called to her rest in 1856. Our subject attended school at the old log school-house of Olney, having finished his education at the Olney Seminary, where he applied him- self in such a careful manner that he re- ceived a good education. He began to make his own way in the world soon after his mother's death, leaving his parental fireside at that time. Beginning life as a teacher, he taught a six months' term at Macksburg and afterward two terms in Olney, making a success in this line, but not feeling that this should be his life work, he began learn- ing the trade of marble cutter and later en- gaged to learn the trade of watch maker, having worked a few months at each, but he never finished either. He then engaged with
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K. D. Horrall, then as now, a hardware ness man in years of uninterrupted dealing merchant in Olney. He was to receive three dollars per month for the first year, four dollars per month during the second year, and an increase of one dollar each month for the third year, also board and lodging. After remaining at this for a period of two years, Mr. Bower could not restrain the pa- triotic fervor he felt when the War of the Rebellion began, consequently he enlisted in the spring of 1861 in Company D, Eighth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, under Colonel Oglesby, afterward Governor of Illinois. After serving his enlistment of three months, proving to be a very capable sol- dier, he returned home and taught school, working at night at the tinner's trade. In the spring of 1863 he engaged to Charles Schultz as sutler clerk. While thus em- ployed he was captured by General Whee- ler's forces, shortly after the battle of Chat- tanooga, but after being held prisoner for a few days, was paroled and sent north.
In October, 1863, Mr. Bower bought a stock of tinware and stoves and carried on a business in Olney until the following De- cember, when he sold out and bought a half interest in the drug store of Dr. E. W. Ridgway. Fifteen months later he pur- chased his partner's interest and has since conducted the business alone, now being the oldest druggist in point of years of continu- ous trade in Richland county. He was suc- cessful in this line from the first and his business has gradually increased until he has quite an extensive trade throughout this lo- cality. Mr. Bower is the second oldest busi-
in Olney. He has been actively identified with the Illinois Pharmaceutical Association for many years, having served as its first vice president and chairman of the commit- tee on legislation during the period when the Illinois pharmaceutical law was first en- acted. On November 29, 1864, Mr. Bower was married to Sarah E. Ridgway, a repre- sentative of a well known family. Her father having been the late Dr. E. W. Ridgway. She was born in Mansfield, Ohio. Four children have been born to the subject and wife, as follows: Catella, now the wife of M. E. Sebree, now superintendent of the Indiana Southern Railroad Company ; Ernst Zeledon, who is in the store with his father, also owner and manager of the "Bower Knoll Stock Farm", the home of "John G. Carlyle" and other high bred horses ; Emma died at the age of four years and Nina when two years old. The children of Mr. Bower have received good educations and are cul- tured and popular.
Mr. and Mrs. Bower are members of the New, or Swedenborgian church. In politics our subject is a Democrat. He served as Alderman from the second ward in Olney in the early seventies, and was elected by a large majority from the forty-fourth dis- trict as representative to the Thirty-first Il- linois General Assembly, where he served as a member of the Committee on Education, Printing and Militia. He was the author of some important measures and proved a most industrious and useful member, show- ing that he was thoroughly alive to the in-
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terests of his constituents and he succeeded in making his influence felt in that body, gaining the admiration of all concerned for his clear and logical counsel. Mr. Bower was elected Mayor of the city of Olney in the spring of 1901, serving one term during which the city's interests were carefully con- served and many new policies inaugurated that will be of lasting benefit to the commu- ity. During the two years in which he served as Mayor, among the more important things accomplished for the public good was the building of the reservoir, costing over six thousand dollars, the city building remod- eled, the Bower Park established and over four thousand dollars expended for water pipes, and there was an unusual activity in all departments of the city, while the debts of the city were not increased, but on the contrary, were somewhat reduced. During Mr. Bower's term an epidemic of smallpox was wiped out at a cost of over fifteen hun- dred dollars.
Socially Mr. Bower is a Royal Arch Ma- son, also belongs to the Richland Lodge No. 180, Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, and he is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.
Mr. Bower has one of the most extensive drug stores in this part of the state, carrying a very carefully selected stock ranging from twelve thousand to fifteen thousand dollars, consisting of all kinds of drugs, physicians' supplies, books, paints, wall paper. He oc- cupies his own building, a substantial two- story stone structure, twety-five by one hun- dred and sixty-five feet, running from Main
to Market streets, and he also has a very pleasant home.
In all the relations of life our subject has proven true to the trusts imposed upon him, and because of his past honorable record, his public-spirit, his genial disposition and his honesty of purpose, he is held in high es- teem by all who know him.
SAMUEL W. JONES.
The honored subject of this sketch is a representative of one of the sterling pioneer families of Marion county and is personally identified with the industrial interests of this section of the state where he has spent his life, being the owner of a fine farming property in Kinmundy township.
Samuel W. Jones was born in Marion county, Illinois, September 15, 1858, and he has preferred to spend his entire life within the borders of the same, where he believed he would have better advantages among the people where the Jones family had long been noted for their industry and honesty, than he would have in other coun- ties of this or any other state of our great Union. He is the son of Jackson C. and Margaret (Whiteside) Jones. A history of the subject's father and mother and their ancestry will be found under the head of James R. Jones, whose sketch appears in another part of this volume.
Our subject received his early education in the district schools where he applied him-
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self in a diligent manner to his books and received a fairly good education, having fed a large herd of his father's cattle in the meantime. He left school at the age of nineteen and began farming, which enter- prise he has since been identified with and which he has made a great success, being recognized today as one of the leading ag- riculturists of his community. He has pros- pered until he has become the owner of a valuable farm consisting of one hundred and thirty-five acres. His land is under a high state of cultivation and the soil has been kept in a very good condition through proper management until excellent crops are reaped from it year by year, the sub- ject being thus enabled to make a comfort- able living and also lay by something for the future. He has a good income also from his stock, being especially interested in the raising of Poland China hogs and Shropshire sheep, both being noted for their excellent quality, for Mr. Jones certainly understands the successful handling of stock. He has a nice, modern and com- fortable dwelling and a large number of good outbuildings, in fact everything about his place shows excellent management and prosperity.
Our subject was united in marriage Sep- tember 20, 1877, to Hannah Atkins, who was born in Foster township, Marion coun- ty, December 24, 1861. the daughter, of Nathan Atkins, who was born August 28, 1817, in Alabama. He came to Illinois when a young man and took up govern- ment land, cleared a farm which he contin-
ued to work the rest of his life and on which he reared a family of twelve children, eight boys and four girls, five of whom are still living. Their names are James, Moses, John, Thomas, Barbara, Margaret, George, all deceased : Joseph, Richard, Hannah, Eliza- beth and Catherine, all living. Nathan At- kins has long since passed to his rest. He married Mary Garrett, the daughter of Moses and Hannah Garrett, pioneers of this county.
Our subject and wife are the parents of three living children and one child that is dead. Their names are, Charles W., Wil- liam O., deceased; Bessie C., and Mary J. Charles W. Jones married Susie Pearson, and they have one son, named Carroll G. William Pearson, the father of Charles W. Jones's wife, was born in Marion county. Her mother's name was Emiline Anglin, who was also born in this county. William Pearson was the father of six children, two boys and four girls. Mrs. Hannah Jones was educated, in the country schools of this county where she diligently applied herself until she was sixteen years of age when she was married to our subject who was nine- teen. She is a good housewife and mother, of a cheerful disposition and is beloved by all who know her for her many beautiful traits of character.
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