USA > Illinois > Brown County > Biographical review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois: Containing biographical sketches of pioneers and leading citizens > Part 26
USA > Illinois > Cass County > Biographical review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois: Containing biographical sketches of pioneers and leading citizens > Part 26
USA > Illinois > Schuyler County > Biographical review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois: Containing biographical sketches of pioneers and leading citizens > Part 26
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Our subject is a Republican in politics. He and his wife are both members of the Christian Church, as also was his first wife.
ENRY C. KEIL, a large and very suc- cessful dealer in all kinds of hardware, stoves and tinware, was born in Hesse- Darinstadt, Germany, November 7, 1848. He grew up, attained lis education and learned his trade of tinner in his native country. His father, Jolianas Keil, is yet living in Germany at his old home, and is seventy years of age. He has been all his life a fariner. He had inarried a Miss Eliza- beth Moell, a native of his own province. She died at the age of sixty years. Slie and her husband had belonged all their lives to the German Lutheran Churchi.
Henry Keil is the eldest of four children. After coming to this country and locating in Beardstown in 1867, he went back by way of Hamburg, Germany, in 1873; lie returned to
Beardstown in the spring of 1874, and has since lived here. Hefollowed the tinner's trade for some time. He began business for him- self in 1876, and has from that time on been increasing his stock and his trade. He car- ries a full line of first-class goods in a fine brick store of his own building, which he erected on Main street in 1890. He is a live . man, full of business, and one who works for the best interest of his city and county. He has been a stockholder in the First National bank since it was started, first as a private bank in 1877, and later a national bank in 1887.
He was married in Beardstown, to Sophia Weis. She was born at Hamilton Station, Cass county, and was there raised and edu- cated. She is the daughter of Joliu and Catherine Weis, who both died on their old farm in Cass county. They were pioneers in Cass county, having come about 1840. Mr. and Mrs. Keil are members of the Lutheran Church, as were their parents. They have threc smart children: Alma, Arthur and Ed- win, all still at home.
Mr. Keil is a Republican in politics, has been Alderman of the city for several terms, and is a fine man in every way.
CHABOD PERRY, one of the early set- tlers of this county, residing in Mount Sterling, was born in Claiborne county, Tennessee, July 18, 1815. His father, Ed- mond Perry, was a native of North Carolina and served in the war of 1812, receiving a land warrant for 160 acres; but it is not known that this was ever located. His father came from the same State, and re- moved from there to Claiborne, Tennessee, where he purchased land and carried on farmning until 1831, when he came to Illinois
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He spent his last years in Brown county. The maiden name of his wife was Rebecca Yarberry, also a native of North Carolina. She died in Brown county, also. Their son, Edmond, was a natural mechanic, but never learned a trade, and as he was very fond of hunting, he put in a good deal of time in that way. He resided in Tennessee until 1831, when, with his parents and others and wife and ten children, he emigrated to Illi- nois, and after four weeks overland travel landed in Morgan connty. He rented a log cabin, three quarters of a mile from Jackson- ville, and there spent the winter, and in the spring of 1832 came to that part of Schuyler that has been included in Brown county. He settled on a tract of vacant land in what is now Cooperstown township, and at once built a log cabin in the usual manner of the settlers, with rough hewn logs and puncheon floor. He lived in that place for about a year when he found out that he had built his house on the wrong land. He then moved to the adjoining quarter and put np a log cabin there, and later purchased this land, paying therefor $200, mostly in prop- erty. It was military land. This included the southwest quarter of section thirty, and he turned liis attention to the improvement of the land, and resided in this locality until his death. The maiden name of liis wife was Rachel Bridges, daugliter of William and Sarah Bridges, who moved from Tennes- see to Missouri in 1831, and spent the rest of their days there.
Ichabod was sixteen years old when he came to Illinois with his parents. The country was sparsely settled and but little improvement has been made anywherc. For some years the people lived on the pro- dnce of their farms and on the wild game that abounded in the forests. His mother
used to card, spin and weave, and dressed her children in homespun made by lier own lands. The father, being a skilled linnter, used to kill a great many deer. He dressed the skins, and in the winter the boys used to wear pants made of that material. Ichabod received his early education in the public schools of Tennessee. These were taught on the subscription plan, each family paying according to the number of children sent. He made the best of his opportunities, and in later years has improved his mind by ex- tensive reading. He remained with his par- ents until he was twenty one and then began life for himself. In 1836 he went to the Territory of Iowa. At the time of liis mar- riage he located on wild land in section 24, of Mount Sterling township, whichi he oc- cupied for fifty-three years. He bought other tracts of land at various times, and at one time was the owner of 800 acres. He has assisted each of his children to homes, and now lives with his daughter, Mrs. Ward.
In 1838, he married Martha Bell, born in Kentucky, January 1, 1818, daughter of Robert and Jennie Bell. She died January 7, 1892. He has four children living: Oliver H., married to Martha McMillian; Lewis C., married first to Columbia Sharon, and for his present wife, Julia Dennis; Ethan Allen, married Delia Sharon; and Mary, married to Willian Ward. Mr. Perry is an ardent supporter of Republican princi- ples. In 1846, etc., when he was a Democrat, he was Justice of the Peace two terms.
RANKLIN A. HAMMER, of the firm of Beatty & Hammer, dealers in all kinds of hardware and farmers' imple- ments, was born on the banks of the Shenan-
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doah river, in Buckingham county, Virginia, April 10, 1829. He is the son of John Hammer, who, with two other brothers, had come from Germany prior to the Revolution. The family was started in this country by the grandfather of Mr. Franklin Hainmer, who settled in Virginia, and lived and died there at an advanced old age. His son grew to manhood in Virginia, and participated in the war of 1812. After that war was over lie moved to the Shenandoah valley and farmed in Rockingham county for some years, when he went to Morgan county, Illi- nois, and started his life in that State as a general mechanic and blacksmith and wagon- maker. In 1843, he removed to Beardstown and opened up a livery stable and hotel, which he ran until 1848, when he sold out and bought a farm six miles from Beards- town, and lived on it for some years, farm- ing and improving it to a great extent. At the end of that time he again moved to Beardstown, and died at the age of eighty, in 1868. He was a good man and citizen and well known pioneer. He was a Methodist in religion, and a Democrat in politics. He married in his native county, Miss Elizabeth Marica, of Virginia. She died on the farm in Cass county, at the age of forty-six. Slie was a member of the Lutheran Church. He was married a second time, to Cynthia Dal- ton. She died on the farm in Cass county, without issue, when quite old.
Franklin is the only surviving member of his father's three children. He canie to the State of Illinois in 1835, when but a small boy, with his parents, settling in Arcadia, Morgan county, Illinois; and later, in 1843, the family came to Beardstown, and his father settled on a farm in Cass county. Our sub- ject returned to Beardstown and was con- nected for many years in the livery business,
buying and selling horses and preparing them for fancy roadsters. He was a true ad- mirer of the noble, intelligent animal, and his judgment in regard to the worth of a horse was very good. In the old days lie could drive four-in-hand as well as a western stage driver. He still retains his fondness for them, and has all his old power of judg- ing them. In 1874, he sold out his livery and horse business, except as a breeder of the Hambletonian horses, that he continued until 1877, when he became president of the old Cass County Bank. He continued in this capacity until 1883, when he resigned in or- der to enter into a partnership with Mr. Beatty, he buying the stock of Mr. Rearick. He had been a stockholder in the Cass county bank ever since its organization in 1866. It had been previously an insurance business. The present firm of Beatty & Hammer is noted for the full line of reliable goods they carry. They are located on Main street. Mr. Hammer has always taken an active part in all the affairs of the town. He has made ju- dicial investments in various ways, and has inade considerable money.
Mr. Hammer was married in Cass county, to Miss Margaret A. Lee, of the same county of Cass. Her parents, Caleb and Matilda (Higgins) Lee, were natives of Maryland, and after marriage came, in 1828, to Cass county, Illinois, and settled there. He was a farmer, and spent the remainder of his life on the farm that he purchased upon coming to the county.
Mrs. Hammer is the youngest of four children, and all were born in Cass county. She and her husband are the parents of two children living: John, in business with his father; and Nellie, wife of Charles Ireland, a conductor on the Ohio & Mississippi rail- road. Mr. Hammer is a Democrat in pol-
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itics, and he and his wife are members of the Congregational Church. He has been the Treasurer and Assessor of the county one term.
ILLIAM T. ADAMS was born in Logan county, Kentucky, March 7, 1831. His father, Benjamin Adams, was born in Maryland, and his father was also from Maryland. He was also a farmer, who left Maryland for Kentucky about 1815, settled in Logan county and resided on his farm until his death. His wife's name was Sarah Bell, and she also died in Logan county. Benjamin Adams was about ten years old when his parents moved to Kentucky, and there he was reared, married and lived until 1830, when le came to Illinois and settled in what is now Brown county. He was accom- panied by his wife and three children. He made the entire journey by teanı, making it in three weeks. He rented land a mile north of Mount Sterling for one year, and then bought timber land in sections 2 and 3 of the same township. ' He at once built a log cabin, making a comfortable home, althongli lie had to hew the logs and build it himself. He lived npon the same farm until his death in 1873. His wife's name was Perneta Clark, born in Logan county, Kentucky, whose father, Abner, came from North Carolina, an early settler of Logan county, where lie lived until 1835. He then sold out and came to Illinois, and bought in what is now Missouri town- ship, improved his farm and resided there until his death. His wife's name was Nancy Gorham, of Kentucky. The mother of our subject is still living at the old home, aged eighty-six. He was two years old when lie came with his parents to Illinois. Of course, in those days the people were obliged to live
on game, fish and the product of their land. He. as many other pioneer boys, went to school in a log hut with seats of slabs. Holes in the side of the building served for windows. He resided with his father until his marriage, when he settled on the farm where lie now resides.
He married, September 21, 1854, Ann Eliza Buvinger, of Martinsburg, Virginia, born November 15, 1853. Her father was born in Maryland, and her grandfather in Germany. The latter located in Baltimore when he came to America, and continued there until his death. The father of Mrs. Adams was a hatter. He went when a young man to Virginia, and there married Margaret McCormick, and in 1834 moved to Cham- paign county, Ohio, and in 1852 came to Illinois. He purchased a liome in Mount Sterling, and here resided until his death. Mr. and Mrs. Adams have four living chil- dren: Charles B., who married Sarah Briggs; Sarah, married to William Briggs; Thomas, married to Julia Harris; and William E.
S. NICHOLSON, editor of the Beards- town Illinoian, was born in Oldham, Lancashire, England, in 1832. The family left Liverpool on the anniversary of the Queen's marriage, and, like so many emi- grants, had a slow passage to New Orleans, thence up the Mississippi river, settling at last, after a journey of eleven weeks with teams, at Jacksonville. In 1850 the family settled on improved lands near Beardstown. They farmed this land. . Part of the family mnoved to Rome, Peoria county, where the father died, aged seventy-three years, four montlis and twenty-eight days. He had been a good, quiet citizen. The war of the Rebellion changed his politics and he became a decided
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Republican in his old age. His wife, for- merly Miss Mary Needhamn, died February 9, 1881. She had been a good, kind wife and mother, and both she and her husband were consistent members of the Metliodist Church, having been so connected for thirty- five years.
The subject of our sketch commenced life here as an office boy at the office of a paper of which he later became the proprietor and editor. The history of journalism in Beards- town began as early as 1834, when F. Arenz, the brother of Judge Arenz, became the editor of the Beardstown Chronicle and Illinoian, a kind of land advertiscr. The next paper was started by Judge Emmons in 1845, and this was later owned by C. D. Dickinson, and he was followed by J. M. Sherman. Soon after it became the property of B. C. Drake, who ran it under the name of the Central Illinoian. When the war broke out the of- fice was closed and the editor enlisted. The paper was re-organized by R. S. Mitchell, the property becoming owned by a stock company. Following the election of 1863 it became the property of L. W. Reavis, who continued to be the owner until 1866. The next year the paper was the property of A. J. Miller and was edited by Judge Einmons, and in 1877 Mr. Nicholson became the manager and pro- prietor. He was his own editor, and except for a short interval in 1883, has continued to run it successfully as a semi-weekly, under the name of the Illinoian. He is a thorough and practical newspaper man and the columns display his ability. His paper is run in the interests of the Republican party, and he has taken hold of all matters that tend toward reformn. He has always been agreat admirer of Abraham Lincoln and relates Mr. Lincoln's early experiences here with an cspecial pride and enthusiasm.
He was married in this city, in 1860, to Miss J. D. C. Harris, who came from Eng- land with her parents when a young woman. She died here in 1873, leaving four children, of whom but one is still living, Charles B., a member of the firm of Merry & Nicholson of St. Louis, Missouri. Mr. Nicholson was married for the second time, in this city, to Miss E. J. Buck. She was born, reared and educated in Cass county, and she has been a good wife and mother, and is an intelligent lady. Her one child is a son named Edgar E., a bright lad of twelve years. Mr. and Mrs. Nicholson are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is a Republican in every sense. He has frequently been a dele- gate to the State and District Conventions and once a member of the State Central Com- mittee.
ILLIAM W. GLAZE was born Feb- ruary 18, 1825, in Scioto county, Ohio. His father, Jacob Glaze, was born in the same county, but his father was a native of Virginia, although he died in Scioto. Mr. Glaze, 'Sr., was a farmer all his life, and died in the county where his entire life was spent, in 1844. His wife was a member of the Reardin family, a native of the same county as her husband, and she lived until 1891. She left three children living.
William Glaze moved to Brown county in 1856, by team, with his family. Here he has remained ever since on the land lie bought when he came to the connty. He built a house when he brought his family, as the old one-story house that was on the place when he bought it burned down. Times were hard after his arrival in Illinois. The banks of the State were in bad repute and money was scarce. Mr. Glaze had a great deal of
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difficulty in paying his taxes the first year. He served as Supervisor two terms.
He married Miss Elizabeth M. Coleman, a native of Scioto county. They have six child- dren; May J., Maggie F., Carrie F., Julia H., Thomas H. and A. J. Mr. Glaze has been a member of the I. O. O. F. for twenty-six years and has filled all the important offices in the order. He once represented the order at the Grand Lodge. Two of his children live at home.
HARLES BOCKEMEIER, general farmer and stock-raiser, was born in Prussia, not far from the river Rhine, August 16, 1835. His father, Charles, lived and died in Prussia, a blacksmith by trade. His wife came to the United States six months after his death, joining her sons in Cass county, dying at the age of eighty-two. She and her husband were life-long members of the Lutheran Church. Charles was a yonng single man when in 1854 he set out for the United States. He took the usual route via New Orleans, Mississippi, Ohio and Illinois rivers, to Beardstown, and joined his brother Casper, who had come here two years before. He has been in the county for more than thirty years, and what he now owns he has made by his own efforts. He has owned his present place for fourteen years. It consists of 160 acres, some well iniproved, and some very fine pasture land. He is at present Commissioner of road district No. 3, of Cass county.
He was first inarried to Miss Barbara Gemming, of Germany, who came to the United States when a young woman. At her death she left three children: Mrs. Anna Flamme, of Pekin, Illinois; Mrs. Lena Her- ety, wife of a railroad employé, and Mrs.
Emma Nortrup, of Scott county, Illinois. He was married a second time, near Beards- town, to Mrs. Loise Wubker; her maiden name was Loise Schewe. She was born in Prussia, came here when a young woman, was first married in Cass county, to Henry Wubker, and by that marriage had seven children. Mr. and Mrs. Bockemeier have two sons, Charles and William. They attend the Lutheran Church, and are highly re- spected members of it. Mr. Bockemeier is a sound Democrat and an excellent man.
HOMAS I. McDANNOLD, an exten- sive farmer of Pea Ridge township, was born in Bath county, Kentucky, July 5, 1826. His father, John, was born in Montgomery county, Kentucky, in 1797, and his father, Reuben, was born in Culpeper county, Virginia, in 1750; and his father, Alexander, was born near Aberdeen, Scot- land, coming to America in colonial times, and settled in Culpeper county, Virginia, where he spent the rest of his days. Reuben emigrated to Kentucky at an early day, secured a large tract of land, which he im- proved with slave labor, and resided there until 1834, then sold out and emigrated to Pike county, Missouri, settled near Clarks- ville, bought a farm and resided there until his death in 1854. John learned the trade of tanner and conducted the business in Owensville, Kentucky, and in connection with it engaged in the mercantile business. He resided there until his death in 1834. He was a Whig in politics, and served several years as Sheriff of the county. In 1834 the mother of our subject emigrated to Illinois, making the journey in a two horse wagon. She located at Springfield, where two brothers lived. Her father gave her some land, a part
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SCHUYLER AND BROWN COUNTIES.
of which is now included in the land in Springfield and the rest at Buffalo Heart Grove. She married a second time, and lived near Springfield for a season, and then moved to Jacksonville and spent her last days there.
Thomas was in his eighth ycar when they came to Illinois, and remembers many of the incidents of the journey. At that time Van- dalia was the capital of the State, and Spring- field was only a village of 2,000 inhabitants. There was no railroad in Illinois, and St. Louis and Beardstown were the nearest mar. kets for supplics. He went to school at Springfield, and resided there until 1844, and then went to his grandfather's in Pike county, Missouri. He remained with his grandfather one year, and in 1845 came to Mount Ster- ling, and in the next year, in company with his brother-in-law, General Singleton, pur- chased a tract of land in Missouri township, which he occupied two years, and in 1848 purchased the place where he now resides. He is well known as a practical and success- ful farmer, and has purchased land at different times, and now owns some 400 acres. His improvements rank with the best in the county.
He was married in March, 1849, to Mary Elizabeth Means, born in Lewis county, Ken- tucky, January 1, 1828. Her father, Major John Means, was born in the same county, and his father, John Means, born in Penn- sylvania, went from there to Kentucky with his family and was one of the pioneers of Lewis county. The removal was made with pack-horses. He secured a tract of land on which he engaged in farming, and on which he remained until his death. His wife's name was Elizabeth Elton, born near Phila- delphia, and she died in Lewis county, at the age of ninety-six. The father of Mrs. Mc- Dannold learned the trade of a blacksmith,
which he followed in Lewis county until 1835, and then with his wife and three chil- dren came to Illinois. He settled in that part of Schuyler county now included in Mount Sterling, and bought a tract of land one mile east of the city, and remained there until his death in 1863. The name of his wife was Martha Parker, born in Culpeper, Virginia, and died in Mount Sterling in 1884. Mr. and Mrs. McDannold have four living children: John J., Thomas R., George R. and Clara L. They are members of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. McDannold was formerly a Whig, but has been a stanch Rc- publican ever since the formation of the party. For seventeen years he has been director on the County Agricultural Board, and for six years has been its vice-president.
EORGE W. WILLIAMS was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, March 17, 1826. He was the son of Thomas and Margaret (Young) Williams. The former was a native of New York, and died in St. Louis, Missouri, when George was about four years old. Mrs. Williams was born in Penn- sylvania, and died in Brown county, at the home of her son, aged seventy-eight.
George W. Williams was bound out to the trade of saddler at the age of eight, and re- mained there until he was seventeen, working for his board and clothes. At the expiration of his apprenticeship, he hired out at ten dol- lars a month, and worked for six months be- fore he went to St. Louis, and worked under instructions for two years, and then traveled for two years. In 1849 he started a shop in St. Charles, Missouri, and continued there until the next year, when he started for Mt. Sterling. He remained there only one sum- mer, and then opened a shop in Versailles.
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In 1852 he sold out and crossed the plains to California with a team of oxen. He engaged in mining at Michigan Bar, and followed it for several months, when the city was burncd. He then went to the inines, but that fall opened a shop in Red Bluff, and managed it until 1858. He then returned by way of New Orleans to Versailles, and again opened a shop. In a year or two he went on a farm, which he had bought previously, of 240 acres, partly improved. He built a log cabin 16 by 18 feet and lived there until 1863, when he built a two-story frame house and various farm buildings. Mr. Williams retired from farm work in the spring of 1891, and bought a nice house with twelve acres surrounding it in Mt. Sterling, just out of the city limits. He has been Assessor and School Director. He is a strong Democrat, though he cast his first vote for Taylor.
Mr. Williams was married in Versailles, Illinois, October 11, 1858, to Miss Juliet Ross, of Kentucky. She was the daughter of Richard Ross. Mr. Ross is still living, but his wife is dead. Mr. and Mrs. Williams have four children yet living, three being dead. Those still living are: Frank, married and having a bag works at the old home; Lydia, married; Charley and Edith are at home.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Williams are very esti- mable people, and are very influential among their large circle of friends.
ILLIAM B. MANLOVE was born in Schuyler county, December 28, 1830, near the town of Rushville. He is the son of Jonathan and Charity (Bo." denhamer) Manlove. The former was a far- mer of North Carolina, and came to this county in the fall of 1830, traveling over
land all the way, and settled near Rusliville, where he stayed the first winter. The next spring he went south and settled ncar Sugar Grove; and in 1834, he sold and moved to Birminghan township, and bought a farm where our subject still lives, of eighty acrcs. He put up a log house, in which the family lived. During the building of this house the father died, at the age of twenty-eight, leaving a wife and three children, of wliom William was the eldest. The mother wove cloth for a living, and kept the old farm, and later married a second time, dying at the home of her son, William. William Manlove, Sr., was of English descent. The family were all farmers as well as can be ascertained. They left North Carolina on account of slavery.
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