USA > Illinois > Clay County > Biographical and reminiscent history of Richland, Clay and Marion counties, Illinois > Part 43
USA > Illinois > Richland County > Biographical and reminiscent history of Richland, Clay and Marion counties, Illinois > Part 43
USA > Illinois > Marion County > Biographical and reminiscent history of Richland, Clay and Marion counties, Illinois > Part 43
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Mr. Thomason attended the district schools until he was eighteen years old, when he entered Orchard City College, at Flora, from which he graduated in 1894, having made a splendid record for scholar- ship. He taught school one year before graduating and a few terms afterward, with much success attending his efforts. He then went to Mercer county, this state, where he engaged in the grain and stock business with an uncle, having been asso- ciated with him for four years, making a success of this line of work in every par- ticular. But a business life was too prosaic for him and he decided to enter the profes- sion of law, and accordingly began study at Aledo, Mercer county, this state. He
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attended Kent College of Law one term, in Chicago, and was admitted to the bar in 1899, in Clay county, where he at once be- gan practice and has continued ever since in a manner that has stamped him as one of the leading representatives of the bar in this part of the state. He first practiced alone.
In 1900 Mr. Thomason was elected State's Attorney on the Democratic ticket, for a term of four years, which office he filled with much credit and to the satisfac- tion of all concerned. He was a candidate for re-election, but was defeated by one vote only, the rest of the ticket being de- feated by majorities ranging up to four hundred and seventy-three. This shows Mr. Thomason's great popularity in the county with his party. He then formed a partnership with H. R. Boyles, which con- tinued until Mr. Boyles died in 1905. He practiced alone then until 1907, when he formed a partnership with H. D. McCollum, which now exists. The firm has a very large and complete library, which is kept well replenished with late decisions and the most standard works, in fact, it is one of the best in Clay county, and few firms do a more extensive business than this one.
Mr. Thomason was united in marriage March 28, 1900, to Margaret L. Downing, daughter of John Downing, of Joy, Mercer county, this state. She is the worthy rep- resentative of an influential family of that locality. To this union two winsome daughters have been born; Corrinne and Helen. Mr. Thomason has a farm in Blair township, and he is interested in the stock
business, always keeping some good breeds on hand. His farm is a valuable one and is kept well improved.
Our subject is chairman of the Demo- cratic County Central Committee, and is very active in politics. He was appointed Master in Chancery in March, 1908, and is now ably serving in this capacity. In his fraternal relations he is a member of the Masonic Order, and at this writing Master of the Louisville Lodge No. 196. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias, being Chancellor Commander. He is also a mem- ber of the Woodmen and Ben Hur.
It stands to Mr. Thomason's credit that he has attained prosperity and definite suc- cess through his own efforts, since he started out in life with no further reinforce- ment than that implied in a stout heart, willing hands and a determination to suc- ceed through honest and earnest effort.
JOSEPH C. PARKINSON.
No family in Marion county is better or more favorably known than the Parkin- sons, who have been identified with the growth of this locality since the early pio- neer days, and who have in every instance played well their parts in the county's his- tory. The subject of the present sketch is a worthy representative of his ancestors.
Joseph C. Parkinson was born on the old Parkinson homestead in Raccoon township, February 27, 1869, the son of Brown and Mary J. (Leuty) Parkinson, the former a native of Tennessee, and the latter of Jef-
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ferson county, Illinois. He married in Jef- ferson county and came to Marion county, locating in Raccoon township, where he se- cured one hundred acres of land in section 23, all wild land, but he was a hard worker and cleared it, making a good home. He de- voted his life to farming, and was School Director, a Republican, and he also held several minor offices. He and his wife were members of the Reformed Presbyterian church. He died in October, 1883, and his wife died August 29, 1905. The father of the subject was not only well known but well liked. To the parents of the subject the following children were born: John, a farmer in Raccoon township, living on part of the old place; Luella married B. F. Mer- cer, of Raccoon township; William K. is a farmer in Raccoon township; Nettie is de- ceased; Charles A. is superintendent of the public schools at Glen Carbon, Illinois ; Jo- seph C., our subject, is the youngest child.
Joseph C. Parkinson lived at home with his mother until he was twenty-two years old. He attended the neighborhood schools there and got a fairly good education. He was happily married February 5, 1891, to Flaura J. March, of Raccoon township, the daughter of John S. March (whose sketch appears in full in this volume). To the sub- ject and wife seven children have been born as follows: Maude, Hattie, Harris, Roy, Helen, May and Merle.
After his marriage Mr. Parkinson located on a part of his father's farm and lived on the old homestead, making a success of his farming operations until the spring of 1901,
when he moved to the south line of the old homestead, where he has since resided. He owns fifty acres of the old place and twenty- six and one-half acres adjoining it, making his a very valuable and desirable farm, highly improved and one of the most pro- ductive in the township. The subject car- ries on a general farming business. He raises all kinds of grain, horses and cattle, good hogs; his cattle are Jersey and Dur- ham, and his hogs are Poland-China and Duroc Red. His fine stock is known all over the county, and no small portion of his income is derived from this source. He has always been a farmer and is considered an excellent one by those who know him. He has a comfortable home and convenient out- buildings.
Mr. Parkinson has ably served his com- munity as Township Clerk for two years and School Director for three years. He is a stanch Republican, and always takes an interest in the affairs of the county, doing what he can to promote his interests, whether politically, socially or materially. He and his wife are faithful members of the United Presbyterian church.
WILLIAM H. HUDELSON.
The history, biographical record or mem- oir of Clay county or of Southern Illinois, would be singularly incomplete without mention of William H. Hudelson, deceased. Therefore the following article has been
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compiled from facts available and quota- tions from the utterances and writings of those who knew him intimately throughout his long career as a citizen of Clay county.
In every community there is to be found a man, or a few men, whose names are pre- eminently and unmistakably identified with the community's material growth and development, and who are always to be found associated with every movement that seems to promise an addition to that com- munity's wealth, resources and enterprise, and to enhance the importance of its loca- tion and surroundings. Such men are sel- dom obtrusive, though always on the alert, and always to be found when called upon. The masses feel their presence, though it is not thrust upon them, and almost insensi- bly, but no less surely, do they leave their impress upon the character, institutions and developments of that community. Such a man was William H. Hudelson.
was catalogued with the natural sciences, and geography among the classics. It was the time of day of the pious mother, who had her pleasant legends and fairy tales, with which she suppressed the rising sighs and kept open the leaden eye-lids of the little ones, as she plied her spinning-wheel and waited for the return of her husband from his labors, when perchance, driving snowstorm delayed him far into the hours of thickest night.
Amid such scenes our subject spent his boy- hood and the revolving years on to his man- hood, until, in April of 1852, he located in Louisville, Clay county, Illinois. With a limited financial capital, he established in the grocery and "general store" business with John McGriffin as a partner. This was some years before the advent of Rail- roads, and their stock of goods was brought by wagon from Evansville, In- diana. By industry and fair dealing the firm was successful and endured for a pe- riod of five years, when in 1857, Mr. Hud- elson exchanged his interest for the farm of Harrison Rayburn. Here from dawn
He was born on a farm three miles south of Princeton, Gibson county, a son of Sam- uel Hudelson, a pioneer of that community. He was not exactly a child of the wilder- ness, but wilderness features surrounded. far into the night he labored and toiled. the rude cradle in which he was rocked. His tremendous industry, his splendid phys- ical strength and endurance made him known throughout the countryside and many are the tales related of his wonderful powers. In 1866 he sold his then titled farm and he again became a resident of Louisville village. At about this time the building of the court-house was agitated, and bonds providing for same were issued by the county. Clay county was even then much in the "back woods" and the financial The trail of the wolf was yet to be seen in the snow and the alarm of the rattle-snake at the base of the hill. It was the period of the legendary cabin and fire-place, the old family Bible and alphabet, and the school- house with its floors of puncheon, its un- hewn logs and roof of boards. It was the day of the hasty, primitive education, when the subjects taught were reading and writ- ing, spelling and arithmetic, when grammar
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men of the East to whom the then young son Academy, which flourished during his West looked for its cast supply, did not life largely through his contributions for its maintenance. take kindly to the court-house bond issue. In consequence they were not greatly He was a Democrat in his political faith though in no respect a politician. He held the office of Justice of the Peace for some time and in 1868, he was a candidate against Hon. L. S. Hopkins for County Judge, which contest resulted in a vote whereupon Mr. Hudelson magnanimously relinquished his claim and Mr. Hopkins was seated. He was of deeply religious temper- ament, and joined the Baptist church at Lou- isville in 1868, continuing his membership there for many years, though a few years before his death he withdrew from that congregation and became a member of the Wabash Baptist church. He contributed much to the church and was largely re- sponsible for the erection of the church edi- fice at Louisville, a building which would do credit to a much larger city. sought and were offered at a most liberal discount. With a far-seeing wisdom and an abiding faith in the community and its citizens, Mr. Hudelson invested his capital and savings in these bonds and the subse- quent years fully warranted his faith and trust in the county's future. His first ven- ture in the whirlpool of finance proving suc- cessful, he for some years, devoted himself to investments and private banking. In about 1870, with Henry Watson as a part- ner, a savings bank was established, known as the Bank of Louisville, and this he con- ducted until in about 1879, the business was closed, after which he continued as a pri- vate banker and an investor in lands and real estate. At one time his land holdings were estimated at between thirty-five hundred and four thousand acres, and his wealth, a portion of which he inherited from deceased relatives, was said to have been about two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
He was one of the organizers of the Farmers' and Merchants' Bank of Louis- ville, in 1892, and served as its president for a number of years. Some years pre- vious to his death he launched a series of philanthropical movements, which it was his aim should result in advancing the cause of Christianity, education and the betterment of mankind. He gave lavishly of his wealth to Ewing College, of Ewing, Illinois, and erected a handsome building and grounds in Clay county, known as Hudel-
Mr. Hudelson was twice married, his first wife being Frances C. McCawley, of near Clay City. They were married Octo- ber 26, 1854, and her death occurred Au- gust 12, 1856. One child. Cornelius, who died in infancy, was born to them. On Oc- tober 12, 1858, he married Mrs. Pennina Bentley (nee Bundy), who died May 13, 1903. Mr. Hudelson died March 9, 1905. "Uncle Bill" and "Aunt Piney" Hudel- son will live long in the memories of the citizens of Clay and adjoining counties, where one or both of them were known al- most universally. "Aunt Piney" was an affectionately comforting and devoted woman, deeply attached to her husband,
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and wholly consecrated to his well being. His circle of home was cheerful, tranquil, and in that charmed spot he ever seemed as happy as a child, and when after forty- five years she was taken from him, he felt an irreparable loss, for his devotion to her was the echo of hers for him.
"Uncle Bill" and "Aunt Piney" found great pleasure in the association of friends and deeply enjoyed their society. To those in whom the former had confidence and with whom he became most intimate; to those who merited and won his friendship, he was indeed a friend, tried, trusted and true. In his dealings with his fellow men he was honorable, fair, punctual, his word as good as his bond. If he was your debtor he would repay to the last farthing and he exacted the same treatment, the same ster- ling integrity from those who were in his debt. He possessed a genius for execution and management and of that quality of personality which accompanied by deed de- termination is bound to rise no matter what the environment or circumstances.
E. P. GARNER.
The subject of this sketch has well earned the honor to be addressed as one of the progressive, public-spirited men of Marion county. His early labors were devoted to railroad work, but the latter years up to the time of this writing, 1908, were spent in the management of a grocery store in Salem, where he held high rank as a merchant and successful business man.
E. P. Garner was born in Salem, Illinois, March 4, 1856, the son of Albert Garner, a native of Tennessee, who came to Illinois when a young man, settling in Salem. He drove a stage coach on the old Mayesville and St. Louis lines; in latter years he was a stock trader and butcher. He died in Sa- lem after an active and useful life replete with success and honor. The mother of the subject was known in her maidenhood as Letitia Pace, who was born in Mt. Ver- non, Illinois. She is a woman of beautiful Christian character and admirable traits and is living in Salem in 1908, at the age of sev- enty-five years. The parents of the subject had a family of seven children, four of whom are deceased at this writing. They are: Florence, deceased; Ann, deceased; Albert, deceased; E. P., our subject ; Blanche, deceased; Maggie, the wife of J. H. Vawter, of Salem; Frankie, who is liv- ing in Salem.
Mr. Garner was reared in Salem, having attended the common schools until he was fiften years old. His first position was as a brakeman on the Baltimore & Ohio Rail- road, on a passenger train, having followed this from the time he was nineteen until he was twenty-four years old. He then fired a locomotive on the same road for one year, between East St. Louis and Vincennes. Af- ter this he went to work for the Wabash Railroad at East St. Louis as a car account- ant, having followed this up to 1906, on which date he abandoned railroading and went into the grocery and meat business in Salem, which business he has handled with success, building up an excellent trade.
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RICHLAND, CLAY AND MARION COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
Our subject was happily married March 8, 1883, to Janie Jackson, a daughter of John W. Jackson, of Frankfort, Kentucky, who is a brother of the late Capt. James S. Jackson, of Salem. This family has always been influential. Three interesting children have been born to the subject and wife, as follows: Garrie J., whose date of birth occurred March 17, 1884, in Salem; Sherrill P., who was born February 25, 1889, in East St. Louis ; Ralph E., born De- cember 23, 1898, in Salem, is in the public schools at Salem. These children have re- ceived every care and attention at the hands of their parents and they all give promise of successful futures.
Our subject is a charter member of the Modern Americans, and in his religious af- filiations he subscribes to the Christian church. Mrs. Garner and the three boys are also members of this church.
Mr. Garner was on the Executive Com- mittee of Salem township in 1880, with W. J. Bryan at the organization of the Hancock and English club. This was Mr. Bryan's first political act, he being only twenty years old at that time. Mr. Bryan was chairman of the committee on permanent organization.
EDWIN HEDRICK.
The student interested in the history of Richland county does not have to carry his investigations far into its annals before learning that Edwin Hedrick has long been
a leading representative of its agricultural interests, and that his labors have proven a potent force. More than half a century has passed away since he came to the county. There was much difficult work before the early settlers, like the Hedricks, in clearing the land for improvement and for many decades Edwin has successfully carried on the various lines of farming, and while he has prospered in this he has also found ample opportunity to assist in the develop- ment of the county.
Edwin Hedrick, whose farm lies in Deck- er township, Richland county, was born in Ohio county, Kentucky, January 23, 1830, the son of Samuel and Sarah (Lucas) Hed- rick, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of South Carolina. Grandfather Philip Hedrick was born in Germany, where he was reared and where he mar- ried. He came to the United States and settled in Clark county, Ohio, where he en- tered a great deal of land, and became very wealthy. He reared a large family of fif- teen children and carried on a big dairy. He made large quantities of cheese which he hauled to Cincinnati by the wagon load every two weeks. He continued to buy government land. and acquired many sec- tions, dividing it among his children, giv- ing each a large farm. He was a German to the core, and did not acquire much Eng- lish education. His cousin was Colonel Hedrick in the Revolutionary war. After the war the colonel returned to Germany, where he had invested money and became a millionaire. He never married and his
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fortune finally went to the German govern- ment. Philip, the father of the subject, ac- quired a farm from his father and consid- erable money from the estate. He sold out in Ohio, and went to Kentucky, where he married and engaged in farming for sev- eral years. He then sold out and in 1841 came to Richland county, Illinois, settling in Decker township, where he entered about one thousand acres of land, paying one dol- lar and twenty-five cents per acre. It was a wild, unsettled country at that time, and later he went to Palestine to enter land. There were no roads at that time, and there was plenty of wild game of all kinds, tur- keys, deer, by the hundreds. He lived only five years after coming here, having died in 1846, at the age of fifty-three years. He had been a minister in the Cumberland Presbyterian church for several years. His wife survived him twenty-five years, and she married a second time, her last husband having been a Mr. Harrison. She was sev- enty-six years old when she died on the old homestead in Decker township. She be- came the mother of eight children by her first husband, of which number our subject was the third in order of birth. Three of them are living at this writing; a younger brother, Mason Hedrick, was a major in the Union Army during the Civil war, in the Twelfth Kentucky Cavalry, having en- listed from Davis county, that state, and served until the close of the war. He is now living at Odin, Illinois.
Edwin Hedrick was eleven years old when he came to Richland county. Reared on a farm he received what education he
could in the public rural schools, which was somewhat limited, school having been taught in the primitive log cabin, with rude furnishings. He attended only a few months during the winter. However, after the death of his father he went to Ken- tucky, and lived for several years, where he secured a good education and taught school in that state in an acceptable man- ner for a period of eight years. He was a fine penman and taught penmanship during vacations. In 1857 he returned to Rich- land county and settled on the old home- stead, having bought the interest of the other heirs and he has since lived here. But few improvements had been made on the place. About that time he got married and began housekeeping in a small log cabin. There were but few roads through the country, and he endured all the privations and hardships of frontier life. Forty acres having been left him by his father, he bought forty acres more from his mother, going in debt for the same. He prospered from the first and bought more land, which he improved, and is now the owner of six hundred acres, comprising one of Rich- land county's model farms, besides having given six hundred acres to his children. For forty years he was widely known as an able farmer, trader and stockman, dealing in live stock on an extensive scale. He was a large dealer in mules for many years. and usually had from one hundred and fifty to two hundred head of cattle every year for many years. He has been unusually successful in whatever he has undertaken.
Mr. Hedrick was united in marriage
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June 23, 1857, to Mary A. Adamson, a native of Union county, Kentucky, the daughter of Aaron and Martha Jennings (Thompson) Adamson, the former a native of Kentucky, and the latter of Tennessee. She moved to Edwards county, Illinois, with her parents, when young. Her father died in Kentucky when about forty years old. The subject's wife's mother died in Wayne county, Illinois, when she had at- tained the advanced age of eighty-four years. Grandfather Thompson served in the War of 1812. He was a native of Louisiana, and came to Edwards county, Illinois, among the early pioneers and lo- cated here.
Eight children were born to the subject and wife, seven of whom grew to maturity. They are Elvira; Francis Marion; Samuel Aaron, Eva McClelland, Mara Martha, Mary Elizabeth, Edwin, a prominent law- yer in Chicago. All these children are liv- ing except Eva McClelland, who died when thirty-six years old. These children have received good educations. .
In politics Mr. Hedrick is a Democrat, and has always been very active, being one of the local "wheel-horses" for many years in local affairs, and was for quite a long time very influential in his township, but since he has reached old age he does not take much part in political matters. He has never aspired to positions of public trust, preferring to give all his attention to his business and in rearing and educating his children.
In June, 1907, Mr. and Mrs. Hedrick
celebrated their golden wedding anniver- sary on the homestead. There were sixty- five relatives present. Both our subject and his wife received beautiful gold watches in remembrance of the occasion, which they prize very highly. Mr. Hedrick has been a faithful member of the Presbyterian church for sixty-five years, and he was an elder of the same for many years. Mrs. Hedrick has also been a member of that church for many years.
Our subject deserves the great credit which he is given for his success, for not a dishonest dollar ever passed through his hands, and his lands, money and stock ag- gregate from forty to fifty thousand dol- lars, all the result of his own efforts, for he started in life with only forty acres of wild land.
W. R. WOODARD.
The subject is now practically living re- tired in Salem, Illinois. Through his long connection with agricultural interests he not only carefully conducted his farm, but so managed its affairs that he acquired thereby a position among the substantial residents of the community. Moreover he is entitled to representation in this volume because he is one of the native sons of Ma- rion county, and his mind bears the impress of its early historical annals, and from the pioneer days down to the present, he has been an interested witness of its develop- ment.
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W. R. Woodard was born in Marion county, about five miles northwest of Sa- lem, August 8, 1844, the son of Charles Woodard, a native of Ohio, who came to Illinois in 1840, settling on the farm where our subject was born, and he continued to live there until 1904, developing an excel- lent farm and reaping rich rewards for his toil from year to year, for he was a thrifty man of the best type of agriculturist. In 1904 he moved to Salem where he spent his old age, surrounded with the comforts of life, which his manhood years, in the youth and "noon" of life had accumulated, having passed to his rest in Salem, Febru- ary 10, 1907, more than eighty-seven years old. He was at one time postmaster at Tonti.
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