USA > Illinois > Clay County > Biographical and reminiscent history of Richland, Clay and Marion counties, Illinois > Part 37
USA > Illinois > Richland County > Biographical and reminiscent history of Richland, Clay and Marion counties, Illinois > Part 37
USA > Illinois > Marion County > Biographical and reminiscent history of Richland, Clay and Marion counties, Illinois > Part 37
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70
Our subject has faithfully served as a member of the local school board for six years. He is a Republican in his political affiliations. He is a member of the Farm- ers' Educational Co-Operative union at Bun-
dyville, Illinois. He has gained his success not through the assistance of relatives or friends, but by his own efforts.
JOHN PETER XANDER.
Scientific methods of farming dissem- inated through the medium of the agricul- tural schools throughout the country have come as a great blessing to those pursuing agricultural callings. Yet the farmers in our younger days had no such advantages. They had to depend upon their own judg- ment, their own foresightedness, their own intuition, as it were, to overcome many a perplexing agricultural problem: Their success was more often than not almost phe- nomenal; and we can pardon them if they look askance upon our newer methods. The subject of the present sketch began his farming career (on his own land) about the Civil war period, and his well cultivated land today shows that his efforts did not go unrewarded.
John P. Xander, of Richland county, Claremont township, was born May 26, 1833, in Lehigh county, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Joseph and Mary (Dorney) Xander, natives of that state, who in the year 1834; took a boat on the Ohio river from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, to Evans- ville, Indiana, enroute to Illinois. They brought with them on the boat their horses, wagons and all belongings. During the voyage one of the deck hands happened to
318
BIOGRAPHICAL AND REMINISCENT HISTORY OF
throw one of their wagon wheels overboard and the voyage had to be interrupted to fish it out. They landed in Evansville, In- diana, April 28, 1834, when they crossed the Wabash river on the ferry boat and set forth on a journey by land settled in Wabash county, Illinois. Mrs. Xander's parents also came along at the same time and set- tled in Illinois. Grandfather Dorney took a farm there at that time and Joseph Xan- der and his wife went to live with them for several years. Later they took up eighty acres of government land, paying one dol- lar and twenty-five cents an acre for it in Wabash county, and on this place they con- tinued to live until their death. John P. Xander's mother died about five years be- fore his father. He remained with his par- ents assisting them on their farm until his twenty-sixth year when he started on his own account. At the age of thirty years he married Mary Betebenner on August 23, 1863. He then rented a farm in Wabash county, where he remained about seven years, at the end of which period he bought a farm of one hundred and twenty acres in Claremont township, Richland county, and moved onto same where he remained for thirty years, again removing to the home he now occupies. His farm life was all the time marked with industriousness and his improvements did much to enhance the value of the land he settled on. He built every portion of the substantial house he now lives in.
John P. Xander's wife was born Novem- ber 18, 1839, in Frederick county, Mary-
land. She was the daughter of Geor and Lydia Betebenner, her mother's ov name being Everheart, who were natives Pennsylvania. She was the fourth of ni children. Her parents came to Illinois the year 1856, coming by train over t. early railroad, where they settled in W bash county, Mrs. Xander then being seve teen years of age. She remained with h parents on their farm until the time of h marriage. Her mother died at the age sixty and her father survived about fi years, dying at the age of eighty-five. Bo died on the farm they occupied and we buried in the Lutheran cemetery in W bash county, where the parents of Jol Xander are also interred.
John P. Xander's married life has be blessed with seven children, one of who died in infancy. In the order of birth h children are: Ida A., who is the wife Peter Crum, and resides on her husband farm in German township; Furman, wl has married, and lives at home with his pa ents; William H. is married and resid near Altus, Oklahoma, on a farm. Ëv the wife of George Bragunier, who reside in Emporia, Kansas. James E. is marrie and lives in Lincoln, Illinois. John H. single and resides in Ogden, Utah, whe he is employed by a large meat packin concern.
At the time of the Civil war John ] Xander was drafted for service in 186 having responded to the call to arms, bt upon arriving in Cairo, Illinois, he was r turned home on account of a sufficiet
319
RICHLAND, CLAY AND MARION COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
number of soldiers having already been ob- tained.
In his youth and early life, John P. Xan- der attended the subscription schools in Wabash county, where he imbibed all the knowledge that institution could give him. His school days were at the period of the elementary spellers; first, second and third; and McGuffey's readers. Arithmetics were also in use in the log school-house. The old hewn planks, pin supported, were the seats, and the desks along the wall were of the same quality.
In politics the subject of this sketch is and has been a Democrat and a loyal sup- porter of W. J. Bryan. The first Presiden- tial candidate for whom he exercised his right as a voter was James Polk. In for- mer days he took a man's part in the poli- tics of the township and county. He was for three terms Township Assessor in Claremont township.
John P. Xander, his wife and the mem- bers of his family, belong to the English Lutheran church. He has been very active himself in church circles, holding both the office of deacon and elder, and is a man looked up to by all of his co-religionists.
The subject of this sketch is now living quietly upon his farm of eighty acres which through his industry and zeal has been brought to its present state of cultivation. His health, which has always been of a rugged character, has failed somewhat within the past year and he is consequently a sufferer to some extent. He has always been unsparing in his hardworking efforts
to improve his land, and as a result his labors have marked his frame. Aside from his ill health, his home life is extremely happy.
THOMAS B. NEAL.
The gentleman whose name heads this re- view is one of the leading farmers in his community in Marion county, and this volume would be incomplete were there fail- ure to make mention of him and the enter- prise with which he is identified. Tireless energy and honesty of purpose are the chief characteristics of the man.
Thomas B. Neal, a native of Marion county, Illinois, was born October 31, 1830. the son of Thomas and Rossanna (Walters) Neal. The former came to this county from Kentucky about 1828 and located near Owens Hill where he spent the remainder of his life, having made a comfortable living from his farming pursuits, being a hard worker and a man of highest integrity. The Walters people were born in Georgia and came from that state to this county. The father and mother of our subject were mar- ried in Kentucky.
Thomas B. Neal, our subject, was reared on a farm which he helped develop from the wild country into which the father had moved, but this was an industrious family and soon a good and productive farm was developed. His early schooling was some- what limited owing to the fact that it was necessary for him to work on the farm and
320
BIOGRAPHICAL AND REMINISCENT HISTORY OF
schools were of the most primitive type in those days, taught only a few months out of each year. Our subject showed his loyalty to the "old flag that has never touched the ground" during the forties when this country was in war with Mexico. Being unable to restrain his patriotism when he heard the call for troops to fight the descendants of the Montezumas, and he is today one of the few highly honored sur- vivors of that famous conflict in this coun- try, and it is indeed a privilege to meet and to show proper courtesy to such heroes. Mr. Neal enlisted in Company C, First Illi- nois Volunteer Regiment, and served with marked distinction in the same throughout the war. He is now remembered by his government with a pension of twenty dol- lars per month, as the result of his valor in this war. The only other living Mexican war veteran in Marion county besides our subject is William Bundy.
After his experience in the army, Mr. Neal returned home and was married in 1851 to Julia H. Chandler, whose people were from Wilson county, Tennessee. To this union eight children were born, all de- ceased but four. Mr. Neal's first wife passed away May 2, 1898, and he was married again April 10, 1900, to Manda S. Cozad. No children have been born to this union. The names of the subject's children by his first wife follow: Alexander, deceased; John A., deceased ; Etta, Della, Rose A., de- ceased; Cora, Charley and Ben, deceased.
Our subject has six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, of whom he is justly
proud. Mr. Neal owns a fine farm of forty acres in Tonti township, which he has de- veloped to a high state and which has yield- ed him a comfortable living from year to year and enabled him to lay up a compe- tency for his old age. This place shows that a man of good judgment has had its man- agement in hand, and while he is now in the evening of life he is able to still successfully manage his affairs. He lives in section 9 of Tonti township in a substantial farm house which is surrounded by convenient outbuildings, and his farm is properly stocked with various kinds of live stock and poultry. He delights to see the advance- ment of his community and county, and he formerly took an active part in the affairs of the Democratic party.
LANDON M. BOSTWICK.
It is always pleasant and profitable to contemplate the career of a man who has made a success of life and won the honor and respect of his fellow citizens. Such is the record, briefly stated, of the well known and progressive gentleman whose name forms the caption of this article, than whom a more whole-souled or popular man it would be difficult to find in the business cir- cles within the limits of Marion county, where he has long maintained his home and whose interests he has ever had at heart, for in all the relations of life he has proven true to every trust reposed in him and few cit- iens of the county are worthier of the high
LIBRARY Of THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS.
RESIDENCE OF L. M. BOSTWICK. Centralia, Illinois.
1
L. M. BOSTWICK.
LIBRARY Of THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS.
321
RICHLAND, CLAY AND MARION COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
steem which they enjoy than Mr. Bost- vick, who is known as one of the leading umbermen of this part of the state.
first brick building in that town. At Pres- ident Lincoln's call for volunteers he en- listed as a private in Company E, Twelfth Michigan Volunteer Infantry, and he was made a prisoner of war at the battle of Shiloh and served nine months in Ander- sonville and Libby prisons. After his re- lease he received several promotions and finally was made captain of the company, serving as such in a very creditable manner until the close of the war. He died at Niles, Michigan, in the year 1876, when fifty-six years old, and was given a military and Masonic funeral, which was very largely attended.
The subject of this review is descended rom a long line of sturdy ancestors, the arliest generations being easily traced to he settlement of the Bostwick family at Stratford, Connecticut, prior to 1650. John Bostwick, the subject's great-great-great- great-grandfather, was born at Stratford, Connecticut, May 4, 1667, and he became Deputy to the General Court of Connecticut, erving during twenty-one sessions, from September, 1725, to October, 1740, and he erved in the army as lieutenant and major. The great-great-great-grandfather of the . Among the subject's ancestors on the ma- ubject, Ebenezer Bostwick, was born in ternal side of the family was Rev. Peter 693, and he was captain of the First Com- Pruden, one of the founders of the colony at Milford, Connecticut, and in 1639 the founder of the First Church of Christ. When the two hundred and fiftieth anni- versary of Milford was celebrated, a memo- rial window was placed in the church in honor of his memory. There is also in the memorial bridge a stone in his memory, bearing the text of his first sermon, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness." Of him the noted Cotton Mather says, "His death was felt by the colony as the fall of a pillar which made the whole fabric to shake." Another distinguished ancestor of the subject's mother was Capt. Thomas Willets, the first Mayor of the city of New York. any or train band, of Danbury, Connecti- ut, in October, 1743. Edmond Bostwick, he great-great-grandfather of our subject, vas born September 15, 1732, and died Feb- uary 2, 1826. The subject's great-grand- ather, Ebenezer Bostwick, was born June 2, 1753, and died March 16, 1840. He ad an excellent war record, like his an- estors, having been an orderly sergeant in he Revolutionary army and he was a pen- ioner until his death. This family remained n the state of Connecticut through many enerations and the subject's grandfather, Andrew Bostwick, was born at New Mil- ord, that state, November 3, 1778, but he nigrated to the West and died at Berrien Springs, Michigan, October 21, 1838. The Landon M. Bostwick, one of the fore- most business men of Centralia, Illinois, was born December 1, 1862. He received ather of our subject was a merchant at Niles, Michigan, his store having been the
21
322
BIOGRAPHICAL AND REMINISCENT HISTORY OF
his early education in the public schools and afterward was instructed in the higher branches by a private tutor, the course of study including some travel. The death of the subject's father made it necessary for him to give up study and seek means of self-support, which he found in the locon10- tive department of the Michigan Central Railroad, becoming an engineer at the early age of nineteen years. While serving in the capacity of fireman and engineer, he took a course in mechanical mathematics and draughting, and otherwise fitted himself for work other than locomotive engineering. At the age of twenty-four he designed and built the machinery plant at the Michigan State prison at Jackson, Michigan, which, at this writing, twenty-two years after com- pletion, is still in active service with prac- tically no alteration or change.
After acting as manager of this plant for one year, Mr. Bostwick was offered, and accepted, a position as engineer on the Panama Canal, when it was owned by the French government, and was being con- structed by the famous French engineer De Lesseps ; but by a curious turn of fortune's wheel, Mr. Bostwick gave up the Panama Canal project, while enroute and also the mechanical line of business in which he had so successfully launched. At this time the South was just beginning to be called upon to take the place of the North in supplying lumber, and Mr. Bostwick grasped an op- portunity to become a lumberman, making his initial beginning in the backwoods of Howell county, Missouri. The pay was poor and the work was hard, but opportu-
nity had knocked at the door and the sum- mons were willingly and gladly answered.
After working up through every depart- ment to the position of manager and finally stockholder in some of the best mills of the South, he has no regrets over the humble beginning in the backwoods of Missouri.
The Bostwick Lumber Company of Cen- teralia, Illinois, is a corporation of which our subject is president and the heaviest stock- holder. He knows the lumber business thor- oughly and always gives his customers a fair deal, consequently his trade, which has steadily grown, is now very extensive.
Landon M. Bostwick was happily married February 3, 1892, to Frances Pease, a na- tive of Wilson, New York, the daughter of A. Douglas and Abigail Pease. One of her ancestors received a grant of land from King George, this family having been originally from England. The subject and wife are the parents of three children, name- ly : Willard D., born January 26, 1893, and who is at this writing attending the public schools; Dorothy was born November 17, 1900; the date of Allen L.'s birth is Oc- tober 18, 1903. They are interesting chil- dren and add much sunshine to the modern and pleasant home of the Bostwicks.
In his fraternal relations Mr. Bostwick is a member of the Masonic lodge at Cen- tralia, No. 201, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, Centralia Chapter No. 93; also Centralia Council No. 28, and Cyrene Com- mandery No. 23; he also belongs to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, No. 493, and the United Commercial Trav- elers; the Modern Woodmen and the Hoo-
323
RICHLAND, CLAY AND MARION COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
Hoo, the latter an organization of lumber- men, purely social, now consisting of nearly thirty thousand members. The mystic num- ber of this association is nine, every mem- ber having a number, and is fortunate if there is a nine in it. President Roosevelt's number is 9999. The Bostwick family for many generations have been members of the Episcopal church. Mr. Bostwick is now and for many years has been senior ward- en of St. John's Episcopal church at Cen- tralia.
Our subject is a member of the Episcopal church as is also his estimable wife. In pol- itics Mr. Bostwick is a Republican, and while he has not been prominent in the af- fairs of his party, he has ever assisted in whatever way he could the furthering of good city government and the welfare of his community. He is now president of the Board of Education.
Whatever of success has attended our subject's efforts has been entirely owing to his own endeavors, his energy, industry and natural ability. From small beginnings he has gradually attained a prominence in his county which entitles him to be regarded as one of its leading citizens.
DANIEL BECK.
The name Daniel Beck, of Claremont township, needs very little introduction to the people of Richland county for it is a name that has ever been associated with the mate-
rial and spiritual progress of the community for an extended period. No aspersions can be made on any action of his during a pil- grimage of upwards of sixty-three years. He has been one of the original promoters of the establishment of St. James Lutheran church, and he has lent himself at all times to all movements for the betterment and ad- vancement of the people of the locality in which he resides.
Daniel Beck was born in Olney township on the 19th of October, 1845, on what was known as the "Hooverler" farm. He was the son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Phillips) Beck, both natives of York county, Pennsyl- vania, in which county they were married. His parents at the time of their marriage soon moved to Ohio, where they lived for a few years in Stark county. In the year 1842 they migrated overland in a one-horse wagon to Illinois, where they settled in Richland county and moved onto the "Hooverler" farm in Olney township, which they rented, living there for three years. In their family they reared Bessie Hooverler for six years, for which they received sixty dollars. With this money they entered forty acres of tim- ber land in German township, although they had intended to enter the land where the St. James Lutheran parsonage now stands in Claremont township. There was not a sin- gle effort at improvement made in the land they entered. They set to work and cleared enough space to build a log house, after which they started to clear the rest for farm- ing purposes, and bring it to perfection. Here, Daniel Beck's parents remained until
324
BIOGRAPHICAL AND REMINISCENT HISTORY OF
the time of their deaths. His mother died in April, 1872, having passed her sixtieth milestone. His father survived her several years, dying in April, 1882, at the age of eighty-four. Both are laid to rest in Goss cemetery, German township, which is about two miles from the spot in which they lived for so many years. They were the parents of ten children, seven of whom grew to ma- turity, three dying in infancy. Daniel, the subject of our present sketch, was the ninth in order of birth. He remained with his parents on the home farm until his marriage to Susan Ditch, which took place December 24, 1867. His wife, who was born Decem- ber 25, 1851, in Stark county, Ohio, was the daughter of John and Catherine ( Boatman) Ditch, her father being a native of Pennsyl- vania, and her mother of Ohio, their mar- riage taking place in Ohio. Her parents came to Illinois in the spring of 1852, com- ing along down via tlie Ohio river to Evans- ville, Indiana, thence overland to Illinois, where they settled on a farm in Claremont township, Richland county, where her father bought forty acres, for which he paid two hundred and fifty dollars, and which con- sisted of unimproved land. He started in and built a log house for his family, and put the land into the shape of a farm. Here they lived until the death of her mother which occurred December 23, 1880, at the age of fifty-four years. Her father survived five years longer, dying January 16, 1885, at the age of sixty-six. Both were buried in Goss cemetery, German township. They were the parents of fourteen children, of whom half
the number arrived at maturity ; seven dying in childhood. Mrs. Daniel Beck was the seventh in order of birth.
For a year after their marriage Daniel Beck and his wife lived with his parents on the German township homestead. At the end of that time Daniel took a lease on ten acres in German township. This was all timber. He built a log house, a rather small one, and cleared the land, remaining there for four years. He then moved upon the farm he now occupies in section 28, Claremont town- ship. During his early days in Richland county, as is well known, deer and wild tur- keys were very numerous, and the many wolves which inhabited the timber made life precarious for the sheep.
In his early days Daniel Beck met with some hardships and ill-luck which might have daunted a weaker man. Application and industriousness brought prosperity, however, and he has now a well kept farmstead. In order to build his house there he cut the tim- ber on his land, hauled it to the saw mill, and had it sawed into lumber, and hauled it back again, unaided. He employed his brother- in-law, John Ditch, to build the house.
He and his wife have had six children. Four grew up and two died in early life. Sarah E. is the wife of Eli Sager in Clare- mont township; Rachael C. died at the age · of fifteen; Mary Matilda married Sam Cer- ber, deceased, and is now the wife of Adolph Scherer in German township; John Luther died aged eight years; Ira J. lives on a farm in Madison township; and Emma Eunice died in infancy. Daniel Beck and his wife
325
RICHLAND, CLAY AND MARION COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
also reared three orphan children, two boys and one girl. One of the boys, Charles Smith, is now married and lives in California near Long Beach. Leslie Dickerson, the other boy, and Carrie Shaw, the girl, still live at home on the farm. They are receiv- ing a good education ; Miss Shaw is a grad- uate of home schools and possesses three diplomas.
Daniel Beck before he was quite five years old attended subscription school in Clare- mont township; afterwards at a subscription school in German township; and for another term in Claremont township with Ben Law- yer as teacher. He attended school off and on irregularly until his twenty-first year. The "three R's" were principally the studies en- gaged in, and considering the schooling of the day he received a very good education. The hewn pin-legged seats, without backs, were then in use, and wide planks set against the sides of the wall were the desks used to write on.
In politics Daniel Beck is a Democrat, with a lasting admiration for both Stevenson (once Vice-President ) and the silver-tongued William J. Bryan. He is, or at least has been. somewhat active in local affairs. He was once elected poundmaster, an office which he declined. He served several terms as a School Director in the school district of Hick- ory Point. He lives in section No. 28. He has never sat on a jury, and though he was summoned several times as a witness the few cases never came to trial.
He and his wife and family have always been members and faithful workers of the
St. James Lutheran church in Claremont. He is an elder of the church, having been chosen to fill a vacancy. He can lay the claim also, as before stated, to be one of the originators of the church, which is now in its third building, being at one time an old log structure.
In everyday life, Daniel Beck is a man whose word is as good, if not better, than the bond of many. Honesty and integrity are no meaningless words with him and his records as a man and citizen are without blemish.
HENDERSON BOYAKIN WHAM.
A native of Haines township, Marion county, and having spent the sixty years of his life there, naturally the subject of this sketch is known to every man, woman and child in that section of the state. Mr. Wham has been very much in the public eye, in various capacities, having on more than one occasion been closely identified with the affairs of the township in an official way, and it may not be amiss to state, in this connection, that his constituents never had cause to regret the fact of having conferred upon him their suffrages. He is known as a devoutly religious man.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.