USA > Illinois > Clay County > Biographical and reminiscent history of Richland, Clay and Marion counties, Illinois > Part 46
USA > Illinois > Richland County > Biographical and reminiscent history of Richland, Clay and Marion counties, Illinois > Part 46
USA > Illinois > Marion County > Biographical and reminiscent history of Richland, Clay and Marion counties, Illinois > Part 46
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ject and his third wife, namely: Mae, who is the wife of Jesse Payon, a teacher of Marion county ; Bessie is the wife of Loyd Hanks, of Meacham township. Mrs. Combs had eight children by her first husband, six of whom are still living, namely : Louisa, who married Allen Smith, of Clay county, Illinois; Belle is deceased; Emma married Edward Threewit, of Meacham township; Lockhart, of Sharpsburg, Illinois; Martha is the wife of Walter King, of Meacham town- ship; Franklin is living in McCoupin county, Illinois, and he is engaged as engineer in the coal mines; James is deceased; Ellen is also deceased.
The subject of this sketch purchased eighty acres of land where he now lives and first started to make a home. He kept add- ing to this by thrift and economy until he now has a farm of two hundred and sixteen acres. in Meacham and Omega townships and where he carries on a general farming in such a manner as to stamp him as one of the leading farmers of the township. He has always been a stock dealer and is re- garded as one of the best judges of stock in the county. His farm has always been kept to a high standard of excellence and the soil has been so skillfully manipulated by the proper rotation of crops until it is as rich today as when he first took posses- sion of it.
Mr. Combs has always been a loyal Democrat but he has never aspired to office, being content to devote his time to his work of the farm. Both he and his wife are faithful members of the Christian church.
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BIOGRAPHICAL AND REMINISCENT HISTORY OF
WILLIAM HENRY WILSON.
The ancestors of the Illinois family of this name were early pioneers of Ohio, set- tled in Licking county. In 1851 the gran- parents of our subject removed to St. Paul, Minnesota, and entered four hundred and eighty acres of government land in Anoka county. The grandmother, whose failing health had caused the removal to the north- west, died there in 1852, but her husband long survived her, his death occurring in West Virginia in 1883, when he was more than eighty years old. He left a son, Wil- liam O. B. Wilson, who remained with his parents on the Ohio farm until 1850, when he married Mary Margaret Seymour, when they settled on a rented farm and worked it until 1853. Deciding then that they could improve their fortunes by going farther west, they emigrated to Illinois in wagons and encountered the usal hardships of trav- eling overland. Purchasing eighty acres of land in German township, Richland county, some years were spent in its improvement. Later, forty acres additional of timber was bought, and from this the rails were cut and split for building fences and necessary dwell- ing and out houses. In 1861, Mr. Wilson enlisted in Company E, Eleventh Regiment Misscuri Volunteer Infantry, commanded by Captain Levinson, of Olney, Illinois. After serving a year an attack of erysipelas compelled him to return home on a furlough. After returning to the army at the end of sixty days there was a relapse, necessitating his removal to the hospital at Cape Girard-
eau, Missouri, where he died and was bur- ied February, 1862. His wife died June 24, 1861, shortly before his enlistment in the Union army. They had four children, of whom only two grew to maturity.
William H. Wilson, one of the survivors of the family, was born in Licking county, Ohio, March 18, 1853, and was conse- quently about nine years old when he be- came an orphan at the death of his father. He went to live with his mother's parents, who had come to Illinois in 1852, and set- tled on a rented farm in Richland county. In 1859 they purchased eighty acres of land in Lawrence county and it was here that their orphaned grandchild joined them. The grand- mother died at the age of sixty-eight years and her husband survived until 1872, when he passed away at the age of seventy years. This venerable couple were buried in Wag- oner cemetery by the side of their daughter. At the death of his grandfather, Mr. Wilson was nineteen years old and removed to Allen county, Kansas, but after a few months went back to Illinois. In 1874 he again took up his abode in Kansas, but eventually re- turned to his old home, residing a while in Lawrence county, but eventually taking up his permanent residence in Richland. He has prospered in his undertakings as the re- sult of hard work and good management. He owns eighty acres of well improved land as good as the best in Claremont township besides thirty-five acres in Minnesota, in- herited from his grandfather.
March 18th, Mr. Wilson was married to Phœbe Miller, who was born in Carroll
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county, Ohio, January 18, 1856. Her par- esting and doubly apropos in connection ents were Jacob and Phoebe (Lewis) Miller, with the prescribed province of this publi- cation. Mr. See is one of the prominent farmers of Kinmundy township, having a finely improved landed estate of two hun- dred and forty-four acres and he is carrying forward his operations with that energy, foresight and careful discrimination which ever betoken the appreciative and model yeoman. natives of Ohio, who came to Illinois in 1864, and settled in Richland county, where the latter died December 6, 1891, and her husband November 27, 1894, aged seventy- six years. They had nine children, all of whom are still living, Mrs. Wilson being the sixth in order of birth. Mr. and Mrs. Wil- son have five children: Charles, Clifford, Clyde, Cloy and Cora. The first two men- Henry William See, Sr., is a native of Marion county, where he has been satisfied to spend his entire life, having been born April 30, 1849, in Kinmundy township, the son of Michael See, who married Elizabeth Allman May 1, 1848, and to this union the subject of this sketch was born, the mother dying when the son was seven months old. tioned are married and both are prosperous farmers in Claremont township. The other three children, one son and two daughters, still remain with their parents. Mr. Wilson is a member of Amity Lodge, Court of Honor, in German township. Though not a member he attends services at the Meth- odist church and is interested in all good works undertaken by the denomination. In politics he is a Republican and takes an act- ive interest in all local campaigns. His first Presidential vote was cast for Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876, when he was twenty-three years old. Mr. Wilson has a comfortable home and an excellent farm which he has made by dint of much toil and trials that come to farmers.
HENRY WILLIAM SEE, SR.
Our subject is the representative of an honored pioneer family of Marion county, so that a consideration of his genealogical and personal history becomes doubly inter-
Our subject received his early education in the district schools of his native county where he applied himself in a careful man- ner to his studies. He spent his boyhood on his father's farm assisting with the work about the place until he reached maturity when he was married to Mary Alice Black- burn June 29, 1869, in Hillsboro, Mont- gomery county, Illinois, the ceremony which made them one having been performed by a Justice of the Peace. The family from which Mrs. See came were, many of them, known as eminent lawyers, doctors and preachers. On her mother's side of the house many of the family were Baptist ministers. Mary Alice was born March 16, 1849, in Medora, Macoupin county, Illinois. Her father was George P. Blackburn, who was born in Huntsville, Alabama, May 24,
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BIOGRAPHICAL AND REMINISCENT HISTORY OF
1826, and who was married February 14, shows. Mr. See is regarded as one of the 1848, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Emily E. best farmers in Kinmundy township as the Farrow, who was born in Mount Sterling, general thrifty appearance of his place would indicate. He is always at work and never neglects anything about his place that needs his attention. Kentucky, December 9, 1830. Seven chil- dren were born to them, five girls and two boys, all of whom lived to be grown and all married, the subject's wife being the oldest of the number.
Our subject and wife are the parents of eight children, named in order of their birth as follows: Harry M., deceased; Ollie E., who married James Laster; they live in Redlands, California, and are the parents of six children, an equal number of boys and girls. Ernest B., the subject's third child, is deceased; Sabyon G. is also deceased; Mabel I. married J. R. Kelly, a Baptist min- ister of Highland, Illinois, and they are the parents of four sons; Emma A. married Dellis Malone and is the mother of one son. She lives in Taibin, New Mexico; Michael J. and Richard E. are both deceased. These children have received good educations and are fairly well situated in life. The subject has eleven grandchildren, all living but one girl.
Mr. See has devoted his life to agricul- tural pursuits, of which he has made an eminent success, now owning a fine farm. No small part of his income from year to year is the result of the successful handling of stock, he being an extensive breeder of Polled-Angus cattle, and good horses. His farm is also well stocked with many fine varieties of chickens, among the principal breeds being the Black Langshan, which has often taken prizes at fairs and poultry
Mr. See is a Democrat in his political relations and takes considerable interest in political affairs, always casting his ballot for the man whom he believes to be the best fitted morally and intellectually for the of- fice sought. He and his family are Mis- sionary Baptists as was also his ancestors, among whom was one minister. The Sees are regarded as people of the highest in- tegrity and are known as substantial citi- zens wherever they reside. Our subject's well improved property is a monument to his thrift and well directed efforts. He is a man of earnest purpose and upright life.
JAMES AUSTIN RICHEY.
Mr. Richey is the owner of one of "the banner" farms of his county, and there are very few indeed among his friends and neighbors who envy him the success which his honest efforts and steady onward plod- ding has brought him.
James Austin Richey, of German town- ship. Richland county, Illinois, was born August 10, 1848, in Meigs county, Ohio, near Pomeroy, the county seat. He was the son of Thomas L. and Elizabeth (Frank) Richey. His father, who was born May 5, 1810, was a native of Pennsylvania ;
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RICHLAND, CLAY AND MARION COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
his mother, who was born March 2, 1808, was a native of Germany. Grandfather Richey was a native of Ireland. Thomas L. Richey came from Pennsylvania to Meigs county, Ohio, with his parents and re- mained with them on the family farm until they died, his father dying first, and his mother survived for several years. Thomas L. Richey then worked for a man who was engaged in running produce boats down the Ohio river. He later worked on steam- boats running from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, to New Orleans, continuing in this employ- ment for several years. In Meigs county, Ohio, about the year 1834, he married Eliza- beth Frank. At this time he bought forty acres of land which he improved and sold, and with the proceeds of the sale he bought an eighty acre farm nearby, on which he re- mained until he sold out in 1855, and started with his wife and four children for Illinois. They took the riverboat at Racine, Ohio, down the Ohio river, landing in Evansville, Indiana, in the fall of 1855. Thomas L. Richey then made a prospecting trip to Illi- nois, where he bought one hundred and twenty acres in German township, Richland county, then returned to Evansville and brought his family to their new home, ar- riving in November, 1855. / About thirty acres of the land was already cleared and a combination log and frame house stood in the clearing. This land had first been en- tered by Joseph Basden, his deed from the government being written on a piece of sheepskin. It was from Mr. Basden that the father of our subject bought the farm.
At the time of the family migration to Illinois James Austin Richey was but seven years old. As soon as he was large enough to work his services were enlisted in the hard work of the clearing and farming pro- cesses. In those far off pioneer days great herds of deer roamed the woods and prairies and flocks of wild turkey and much wild game of all kinds were abundant. He worked hard and faithfully assisted his par- ents until their deaths, his father dying in the fall of 1874, at the age of sixty-five. His mother died in January, 1877, aged sixty- six years. Both are buried in Lone Tree cemetery in Prairieton, Lawrence county. They were the parents of six children, only four of whom grew to maturity, James Aus- tin being the youngest in order of birth. John Andrew and Sarah Matilda are de- ceased. Mary died some years ago; the two other children dying in infancy. James Austin Richey, the only living member of his family, was married to Mary W. Richey on the 14th of October, 1879. Mary Richey was born in Meigs county, Ohio, on the 19th of February, 1857. She was the daughter of Hugh David and Cyrena (Nease) Richey, both natives of Ohio. Her grandparents on both sides are now dead and are buried in Meigs county, Ohio. Her parents were married in April, 1856, and lived in Syracuse, Ohio, until they came to Illinois in the same year, where they re- mained but a few months. Her father had bought a farm in Richland county and his son, David, had come to live upon it. After a few months the family returned to Ohio,
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BIOGRAPHICAL AND REMINISCENT HISTORY OF
where Mary W. Richey was born. They remained in Ohio till 1864, when they again returned to Illinois and settled in Richland county, where they remained on a farm in Claremont township until 1881, when a change was made to Flora, Illinois. Here Mrs. Richey's father died on January 30, 1904, at the age of seventy-one years, and was buried in the cemetery at Flora. His widow still survives him and lives in Flora, reaching the age of seventy-two years on September 30, 1908. Mrs. Richey's parents had four children born to them. Her brothers Arthur and William E., are still living and a sister, Ida, died when eighteen months old.
James Austin Richey and his wife at the time of their marriage settled on the farm in which they still live. Previous to his marriage he built the present substantial house at the cost of one thousand dollars. Other good improvements on the farm were also made. Upon the death of a sister, James Austin Richey, together with the members of his family, moved to Arkansas, where the family lived for about two years and a half in Green county. After the death of his elder brother in Illinois, the subject of our sketch and the members of his family re- turned to Richland county in the year 1905. During his farming career in German town- ship he has been successful and is.now the possessor of a farm which embraces two hundred and forty acres.
Three boys and two girls constitute the family of Mr. and Mrs. Richey ; all are now grown up, the youngest being fourteen years old. In the regular order their names are: Thomas E., who is married to Clara B. Al-
sey, and they live on a farm in German township; Clem D. is the husband of Mamie Young; they reside on a farm in German township. Bessie Blanche, Cerena Maude and William Earl, all three reside at home with their parents and are single.
The subject of our sketch attended several winter terms of the free common school in Amity school district. When sixteen years of age he had to devote himself entirely to farm life and thus his education was not of a very complete nature. He obtained a good general training, however, becoming pro- ficient in reading, writing, arithmetic and spelling.
James Austin Richey's father and elder brother, John, served through the Civil war, his father having enlisted December 1, 1861, and his brother in 1862. Father Richey joined the. Sixty-third Illinois Regiment, Company A, under Captain Glaze (after- wards promoted to colonel, Captain Mc- Clure taking charge of the company). Thomas L. Richey was soon promoted to the rank of sergeant and went to the sea on the march with Sherman. On the 13th of July, 1864, he was mustered out of ser- vice, obtaining surgeon's certificate of total disability, his term of service having covered two years and eight months. John Richey served but a little over a year, being dis- charged in St. Louis in the spring of 1863, from the hospital there on account of his broken health. He was attacked with the measles at Memphis, Tennessee, brought about by the hardships entailed and lack of shelter.
James Austin Richey has served as School
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RICHLAND, CLAY AND MARION COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
Director in the home district for twelve years, while his wife served in the capacity of post mistress at Amity post-office in Ger- man township, for over three years. He also served as Road Supervisor for two terms in German township. He has a good record as a resident of German township, having lived for fifty-two consecutive years in the same school district. He was in the township when the first school-house was built in the year 1855.
In the arena of party politics, James Aus- tin Richey is a strong Republican, having always voted a straight national and state ticket. His first vote went to Lincoln to help him into office for a second term. He has never taken a very active part in local politics as he has always strenuously object- ed to be foisted into public office.
Mr. and Mrs. Richey are members of the Methodist Episcopal church in Germantown- ship, where they have always held member- ship with the exception of the two years spent in Arkansas, when membership was transfered to the church there. The Richeys have always been active in church work and church duties.
JOHN SMITH.
The subject of this sketch early in life realized the fact that success never smiles upon the idler or dreamer and he has ac- cordingly followed such an aphorism, de- voting his life to ardent toil along lines that
cannot but insure success. The prosperity which he enjoys has been the result of energy rightly applied and has been won by com- mendable qualities.
John Smith, one of the progressive farmers of Tonti township, Marion county, Illinois, was born in this locality October 7, 1838, the son of Britton and Mahala (Fos- ter) Smith. Great-grandfather Smith was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, having taken part in many of the famous battles and strenuous campaigns of the same. This old family finally settled in North Carolina, where Britton Smith was born in 1811, on November 7. He came to Tennessee and then to Marion county, Illinois, in 1829, among the pioneers and overcome the ob- stacles always to be encountered in such a country, however, he remained here only about a year when he returned to Tennes- see, but soon returned to Illinois bringing his father, having been enthusiastic of the prospects in the new country, believing that the future was filled with great possibilities. The entire family made the trip from Ten- nessee as soon as they could arrange to do so and they set to work at once making a home here, where their labors were richly rewarded by mother nature, who seldom fails in just compensation for labor expended in her domain.
Our subject's father was united in mar- riage in 1836 to Mahala Foster and settled in section 28, in Tonti township. His wife was the daughter of the well known Hon. Hardy Foster, who was an early settler in this county, having come here from
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BIOGRAPHICAL AND REMINISCENT HISTORY OF
Georgia, becoming popular and a leader in political affairs, having represented this district in the legislature. Fos- ter township was named in honor of this pioneer. Britton Smith at one time owned two hundred acres of land in this county, being one of the best known farmers in this locality and he also took much interest in local politics, having served as Deputy Sheriff of Marion county for about seven- teen years, during which time he rendered much valuable service to the public. He was a Democrat in his political faith. From time to time he held several township offices.
John Smith, our subject, was born here and worked upon the farm, having a poor chance to receive an education. However, he applied himself as best he could and has since broadened his intellectual horizon by general reading and travel.
When twenty-one years old Mr. Smith went to Texas, where he remained a short time. In 1862 he was united in marriage with Flotiller Nichols, who passed away fourteen months after her marriage, and on October 2, 1868, Mr. Smith married Eliza- beth Smith, who was reared in this part of Illinois, and who was called to her rest in November, 1877. Two children were born to the subject, one of whom, Charles B., is living in this county. His date of birth oc- curred in 1873. Our subject was again married, his third wife being Lenora E. Coe, who is also now deceased. He was married a fourth time to Martha C. (Mea- don) Lawson, who has also been called to
her rest. Four children were born to Mr. Smith by his third wife, three of whom are living. Our subject has devoted his life principally to farming with the result that he has achieved definite success in this field of endeavor, for he has great ability in ag- ricultural lines and is a hard worker. He at present owns eighty-one acres of land in this township, which have been developed into an excellent farm, being very produc- tive and yields excellent crops from year to year. He has an excellent residence, well furnished and all the necessary equipments for carrying on successful farming in a general way. Although Mr. Smith has now retired from the farm, he still oversees its management.
Our subject is a faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, being one of the Stewards of the local church, and is at this writing ( 1908) superintendent of the Sunday school. Fraternally he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Patoka, Lodge No. 860. In poli- tics he is a Democrat and takes a lively in- terest in local political affairs, having served as Township Assessor, also as Township Clerk, and Township Treasurer, which office he still holds, having had charge of the same since 1885. This would indicate that he has given entire satisfaction in the dispensation of all his public duties, and is held in strictest confidence by his constitu- ents else he would not have been entrusted with so many important public offices, nor retained so long.
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RICHLAND, CLAY AND MARION COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
JOHN BECK.
The history of Mr. Beck has for many years been entwined with that of German township, Richland county, in which he lives, where he has always been regarded as a valuable and influential citizen and one who possesses all the higher qualities of the successful farmer.
John Beck was born in Stark county, Ohio, on the 30th of July, 1841, and was the son of Jacob and Elizabeth ( Phillips) Beck. Both were natives of Pennsylvania, the former having been born on the 28th of January, 1797, and Elizabeth Phillips in April, 1806. Jacob remained at home with his parents on the farm in the Keystone state until his twenty-eight year, when his marriage took place in 1825. For about four years he and his wife remained in Pennsylvania and then removed to Stark county, Ohio, where Jacob bought about forty acres of land, on which they lived for some time, until the discovery was made that the title was worthless and they were forced to give up the place. This, needless to say, was a great loss to them. They then lived in different parts of Stark county for sometime afterwards, but did not purchase any land and, finally, in the early fall of 1842 they set out overland in wagons for Illinois. The trip covered four weeks and in October they landed in Richland county, Illi- nois. Jacob Beck found himself there with a wife and one boy, John, aged one and a half years, one dollar and twenty-five cents in money, an old blind mare and a one-horse
wagon, in which they had journeyed from Ohio. (For further information on John Beck's parents, see biography of Daniel Beck, of Claremont township, in another part of this volume.)
John Beck made his home with his parents until his mother's death in April, 1872. Our subject for some time afterwards lived with his father. During this time he had acquired a half interest with his brother Henry in forty acres of timber land in German town- ship. Some time later he sold this half inter- est to William Miller for three hundred and fifty dollars, with which he acquired a saw- mill. He later sold the mill to J. J. Goss. On the 8th of October, 1874, he married Eliza- beth Sager, who was born on the 17th of March, 1855, in Northampton county, Penn- sylvania. She was the daughter of Reu- ben and Elizabeth (Snider) Sager, also na- tives of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Beck's mother died when she was but four years old and she went to live with an elder sister. Wheni about nine years old she came with her father from Pennsylvania to Richland county, Illi- nois, in the fall of 1864. She and her father remained with a brother, Peter Sager, senior, until his marriage to Leah Crumb, the widow of Isaac Crumb. Our subject's wife then remained with a cousin, Daniel Sager, for about three years and then worked for neigh- bors. She continued in occupations of this kind until her marriage. Her father after- wards died and is buried in Goss cemetery in German township; his age at the time of his decease was fifty-six. Mrs. Beck was a member of a family of eleven children, nine
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