USA > Illinois > Brown County > Biographical review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois: Containing biographical sketches of pioneers and leading citizens > Part 33
USA > Illinois > Cass County > Biographical review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois: Containing biographical sketches of pioneers and leading citizens > Part 33
USA > Illinois > Schuyler County > Biographical review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois: Containing biographical sketches of pioneers and leading citizens > Part 33
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 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76
years, after which he removed to Hancock county, locating near Nauvoo, where he re- sided until death. He was an intelligent, pious, good man, and was greatly esteemed by all who knew him.
The subject of this sketch was reared and educated in Ireland, where he continued to live until 1832, when, at the age of twenty years, he emigrated to America, sailing from Derry in the sail vessel William Ewing. He landed in Philadelphia after a tempestuous voyage of seven weeks, a stranger in a strange land. He found employment in the City of Brotherly Love, at the weaving trade, and continued to operate a loom until the fall of the year of his arrival. He then reinoved to Lancaster county, that State, where he ob- tained employment on the farm of his uncle, James Little. He continned there until 1834, when he removed to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, securing employment on a farmi near that city. Three years later lie went to Illinois, going via the Ohio, Mississippi and Illinois rivers, to Rushville, Schuyler county. At tliat early period the country was sparsely settled, and some of the land was still owned by the Government. Rude log houses dotted the country. At that time Rushville was all insignificant village, with nothing like its present pretentious appearance. Mr. Wilson immediately engaged in merchandising in a small way, buying his goods in St. Louis and transporting them by way of the river in summer and by wagon in winter. His busi- ness gradually increased until he became, in time, a prominent merchant of the town. Since 1872 he has been interested in bank- ing, and upon the organization of the Schuy- ler County Bank he was elected its president, bringing to this position unusual financial ability and extended experience.
-
-
294
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF CASS,
He was married September 18, 1834, in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, to Miss Susan Clark, an estimable lady, a native of Lancaster county, that State, and a daugliter of John and Eleanor (Greer) Clark. They have three children: Anne Jane, wife of James P. Clark; John; and Lorinda, wife of John T. Sweeney. Eleanor and Sarah Elisa are deceased. Eleanor died in December, 1860, after finish- ing her education at Monticello in 1857; and Sarah died in February, 1883, leaving three children; she was the wife of Hiram Graff.
Mr. and Mrs. Wilson are earnest and useful members of the Methodist Church, and are prohibitionists in principle. They are worthy people, and enjoy the esteem of the entire community.
UNCAN REID was born in Forfarshire, Scotland, August 12, 1809, son of Will- iam and Grace (Mckenzie) Reid. His parents were natives of Scotland, and passed their lives there. Reared and educated in his native land, Duncan Reid thien learned the trade of tailor. On account of ill health, however, he sought out-door employment, turning his attention to the stone-mason's trade. He resided in Scotland till 1855.
October 10, 1839, he married Jane Wilkie, who was born in Fifeshire, Scotland, Novem- ber 19, 1818, daughter of William and Eu- phemia (Gaul) Wilkie. Their union was blessed by the birth of six children: Will- iam, Jean, Susan, Margaret, Stuart and Dun- can. Mrs. Reid and her two oldest children are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, her son being a ruling Elder in the church. Miss Susan Reid is a teacher in the Kensington school, Chicago.
In 1855, accompanied by his wife and four children, he came to America, setting sail from Liverpool in May in the Aurora, and landing at New York after a voyage of five weeks. He came directly to Illinois and set- tled in Cass county. For six years he culti- vated rented land, and during that time, by his energy and good management, not only supported his family but also laid by a snug little sum. He then purchased the property on which his family now reside, it being at that time a tract of wild land, covered with timber and brush. , Here he built his cabin, which served as the family home until further prosperity enabled him to erect a comfortable frame residence. His death occurred liere on the 14th of April, 1883. Mr. Reid was a self-made man, and one who was held in high esteem by all who knew him.
HARLES F. JOHNSON, practical farmer and truck-raiser of Beardstown, was born in Salem county, New Jersey, April 7, 1863. He lived in his native State until thirteen, when his parents came to Cass county, settling in Beardstown. The father, Chalkley Johnson, followed his trade as a carpenter until February, 1884, when he and all their children, but one, Charles, went to Sedgwick county, Kansas, and settled on a farm, where the father and mother both live. The latter's maiden name was Luwesia Lip-
pencott. Both were natives of Salem county, New Jersey, where they were reared, mar- ried and all their children were born. They had four, of whom our subject is the young- est, and of whom three are yet living,- Charles and two sisters, Mrs. Mary McKen- nel, of Sedgwick county, Kansas, and Mrs. Ella Crater, now living in Beardstown.
295
SCHUYLER AND BROWN COUNTIES.
Mr. Johnson has a fine farm of 238 acres, most of it located in township 18, range 11. He has owned it for four years, having man- aged it on his own account for two years pre- viously. Since he bought it he has made considerable improvement in the buildings. When he was twenty-one years of age he be- gan to raise truck, making a specialty of sweet potatoes. Hc has been a hard worker and is very successful in everything he undertakes. He has made his large property by his own efforts.
He was married in this county, to Amelia Shuman, born in Hagener Station, Cass county, in 1866. She was reared and cdu- cated here, and is a good woman. She is the daughter of John Shuman, who was a native of Germany, coming to America when a young man and settling in Cass county, where he spent his last days as a farmer, dying in 1888, aged sixty-eight. He was a good man and a member of the German Methodist Episcopal Church. He was a Democrat in politics. His wife died in 1867, after the birth of five children, of whom Mrs. Johnson is the youngest. All the other chil- dren are now married. Mrs. Shuman was born in Germany, and her maiden name was Kate Loeb. She was a good wife and mother, and a member of the German Methodist Epis- copal Church.
Mr. Johnson and wife have three children, -Viola, Gurtre and Nettie. They are mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Mr. Johnson is a Republican in politics. They are worthy, good people.
NTON RINK, a successful brewer of Beardstown, was born on the river Rhine, August 9, 1833. He is the only member of his family now living in this
country. His mother died in Germany when he was only two years of age. In 1850, and after his father's second marriage, he left the old country, and after a long and weary trip finally settled in Perry county, Missouri, where the father died four years later. His wife married a second time, and continued to live in Perry county until her death in 1890.
Mr. Rink came here from Missouri after he had spent ten years on a farm and had made some money to put into a business. He then was poor, but is now very wealthy, and has become so by his own efforts, and has been a real benetit to the town in which he lives. He arrived in 1864 and purchased a part in the brewery run under the name of A. Rink & Co. In 1867 he built a large brick brewery, with a capacity of 5,000 bar- rels per annum. The business has been suc- cessful, being represented on the road by himself and son in a commercial way. He is also a wholesale liquor dealer, running other places of business in the city. He is a stockholder, a promoter and original director of the First State Bank of Beardstown. He has been interested in all local matters af- fecting the good of the city ever since he came here, including the building of a wagon bridge across the Illinois river. He has been City Treasurer, and is a Democrat in politics. Mr. Rink, a sincere man, has not only been ambitious, but is also successful in earning a good reputation for ability, honesty, industry and exccutiveness.
He was married, in 1865, to Margaret Schultz, who was born in the same province and near her husband in Bavaria, Germany, and came, when twelve years of age to Me- nard county, Illinois. Her parents lived and died in Germany. They were members of the Catholic Church. Mr. and Mrs. Rink
296
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF . CASS,
were the parents of eight children, five of whom are living: John and Amil assist their father in his business; Jessie is a teacher of music and has been well educated; Clara, now at home, was educated at Quincy, Illi- nois; and Arthur is in the deaf and dumb in- stitute at Jacksonville, he being a deaf mute. Mr. and Mrs. Rink and family are members of the Catholic Church and take an interest in social matters.
OHN H. BLACK, a prominent citizen of Woodstock township, is a representa- tive of one of the earliest families of Schuyler county, and is entitled to a space in this history. He was born in Woodstock township, August 2, 1842. His father, James P. Black, was a native of Mecklenburgh county, North Carolina, a son of Richard S. Black (see sketch of Isaac Black). James P. Black removed to Indiana at the age of four- teen years, and resided there until 1826. Then, with his bride, he came to Illinois; the " wedding journey " was accomplished with a yoke of oxen, the bridegroom walking most of the distance. He located in Wood- stock township, and there entered a tract of Government land which he began to improve. It was in this year that the county was or- ganized; there were few white settlers. In- dians were numerous, and the frontier was not far removed toward the setting sun. Mrs. Black's maiden name was Mary Pad- gett; she was born in Kentucky, a daughter of John and Eleanor Padgett, and died on the home farm in 1851. Our subject, John H. Black, received liis education in the com - inon schools of Woodstock township, and at the Western Seminary, Rushville. At the age of nineteen years he began teaching in
Woodstock township, and was actively en- gaged in educational labors for more than twenty ycars.
In 1867 he removed to Richfield, Adams county, and there purchased a home in which he lived for a few years; his next change was to Quincy, where he bought city property, and thence lie removed to Camp Point, where he lived five years; at the ex- piration of that period lie returned to Quincy and made his home there until 1878, when he sold out and bought the farin he now oc- cupies on section 12, Woodstock township.
Mr. Black was united in marriage in 1862, to Telitha Parke, a native of Brown county, Illinois, and a daughter of Oliver H. F. and Mary (Logsdon) Parke, natives of Kentucky, and pioneers of Brown county, Illinois. Of this union five children have been born: Mary, Nettie, John R., Lelia and J. Charles. The father and mother are members of the Church of God. Mr. Black has held various offices of trust, and has represented Woodstock township on the county Board of Supervisors for three terms. For twelve years he was Superintendent of Schools in Adams county, and did much to elevate the educational standard. He is a man of rare force and uprightness of character, and has the re- spect and confidence of the entire com- munity.
ARQUIS L. CRUM, of township 17 north, range 10, section 32, was born about two and one half miles from his present location, Jannary 16, 1851. His parents were James and Christina (Ream) Crum. The father was born in Indiana, in 1806. His mother came from Ohio, and married in this county, in 1833. The father
297
SCHUYLER AND BROWN COUNTIES.
came to the county in 1832, the mother with her parents, who settled in this neighborhood. The fatlier was of German descent, and was the father of twelve children. His wife died May 1, 1878, and the father has since ınar- ried again, and resides on the old homestead. Marquis was educated in the public schools, and then attended the State Normal school for two years, and the Illinois Wesleyan University four years, graduating in the scientific course in 1874, receiving the de- gree of B. S., and three years later the de- gree of M. S. was conferred upon him. Being in very poor health at this time, he re- sumed farming, and this has proven so benefi- cial, under tlie favorable circumstances sur- rounding him, that he has continued to fol- low it.
He was married, March 30, 1875, to Fan- nie Stubblefield, of Funk's Grove, McLean county, born there September 17, 1853. They became acquainted while attending the university, which she attended about three years. Her family are old settlers in that county. Mr. and Mrs. Crum have four chil- dren: Edith, the eldest, now sixteen, has been attending the Illinois College at Jack- sonville, and expects to complete a course in one of the higher institutes of learning; Arthur E. and Oral C. are bright boys; and Rena F., now three years old, is thie pet of the family. Mr. Crum owns a farın of 700 acres, principally devoted to stock. He breeds shorthorn cattle, and uses the Percheron- Norman horses, bis father-in-law being an importer of this breed of horses in Bloom- ington. He also owns a stock farm of 240 acres near Kirksville, Missouri, and usually buys his stock in Missouri and ships liere. They are members of the Methodist Episco- pal Church, and Mr. Cruin belongs to the A. O. U. W. He is a Democrat. He has
been associated with the Farmers' Alliance, and was the State president of it for eighteen months. He declined a re-election. He was a delegate from Illinois to the national convention at Ocala, Florida, and Mr. Crum describes this trip as the finest lie ever made. He has three nice tenement houses on his extensive farın where his employees reside. He hires four or five nien by the year, usually inarried men, and furnishes them with house, fuel and garden.
OSEPH MESERVEY, of Elkhorn town- ship, was born here, June 22, 1841. He is the son of Joseph and Eliza Meservey. Joseph was the son of Nathaniel, both of Vermont. He spent his life there and died when nearly ninety years of age. Joseplı followed the business of shipping horses for nine years, and then went into a distillery, and then sold out and came to this State at an early date.
He continued at home until his mnar- riage, worked with his father, and attended the subscription school when able. When he married he had a little farm, and after- ward lie bought more land. He now owns 760 acres, which he earned himself. He carries $10,000 life insurance. He rucs a large quarry by machinery. This is a new industry, and will employ fully thirty men, and the machinery will require an outlay of nearly $8,000. He is a Republican in poli- ties, and voted first for Abraham Lincoln.
He was married, June 15, 1865, to Mel- vina Jane Wilson, born in Pike county, Illi- nois. (Sec sketcli of George Wilson for history of Mrs. Meservey's family). Mr. and Mrs. Meservey liave nine children: Clara M., Warren R., George O., Maggie B., El-
298
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF CASS,
wood, Lorena E., Herbert H., Herman H., and Amy A. Warren R. married Cora V. Moore, of Brown county, and has two chil- dren: Estel V. and Nina.
The family belong to the Methodist Epis- copal Church, and the daughters are mnem- bers of the Epworth League. They are a family that commands the respect and esteem of their host of friends.
OUIS F. KLOKER, a practical and extensive farmer, occupying his fine farm in section 30, township 17, range 11, was born in Beardstown, May 20, 1836. Here he was reared and educated and has always been a resident. His father was Louis Kloker, Sr., a native of Hanover, Germany, belonging to an old German family. He had been a wagon maker, the only son of his father's family, and after growing up, about 1832, he came to the United States on a sailing vessel. After a voyage of thirteen weeks he landed in New Orleans, and came on to Beardstown, via the Mississippi river. He began work as a mechanic, and died about 1839. He was known as a hard-working young man of good habits, and was a mem- ber of the Lutheran Church. He left two sons, our subject and a brother Henry, who died when thirteen years of age. He mar- ried Mary Raube, also a native of Hanover, who had come to America in the same ves- sel with Mr. Kloker. They married soon after landing in Beardstown. She is the only member of her family in this country. After the death of her husband, Mrs. Kloker was married again to Fred Wedeking, who had come on the same vessel and at the same time as Mr. Kloker. After her second mar- riage they lived in Beardstown until 1844,
when they settled on a farm southeast of Beardstown, and there Mrs. Wedeking died, December 25, 1857, aged forty-two. Mr. Wedeking died there also in 1887, aged seventy-six. He and his wife were good Lutherans, and very honest people.
After the death of his father, Louis was carefully reared by his mother and step- father, and since their death he has been taking care of himself. Mr. Kloker form- erly lived in township 17, range 12. He has made the most of his property by his own efforts, and now owns 280 acres, which is highly. improved, and has upon it good farm buildings. He also owns forty acres in timn- ber land.
He was married in this county to Mrs. Minnie Yost, nee Soheide. She was born in Prussia, in 1833, and came to Cass county, Illinois, with her mother. Her father died in Germany, in the prime of life. After they had come to this country they first set- tled in St. Louis, and there Miss Soheide was first married. She outlived all her hus- bands, and died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Kloker, May 20, 1888. She was born February 8, 1794, and hence was ninety-four years of age: she was a strong, stout wo- inan all her life. She and her people were Lutherans.
Mr. and Mrs. Kloker are working inem - bers of the St. Peter's Lutheran Church, near Arenzville, of which he has been Trustee for some years. For thirty years he has been active in school work in the township. In politics he is a Republican. They are par- ents of six children: Henry, farming on the home place; John A., a farmer in this county; Edward, also a farmer in this county; Lena, wife of William F. Duval, a farmer of this county; Herman and Fred are at home on the farm.
299
SCHUYLER AND BROWN COUNTIES.
Mrs. Kloker had three children by a for- mer marriage with Ernest F. Yost, formerly a successful farmer of this county, and a na- tive of Germany. They are: Mary, wife of Ernest J. Boes, now of Beardstown; Louisa, wife of Henry H. Meyer, a family in this county ; and Minnie, deceased, dying at the age of thirty-two, after her marriage with Henry W. Meyer.
OHN SANDIDGE, one of the most intel- ligent and prosperous farmers of Oak- land township, Schuyler county, was born in the State of Kentucky in 1829. His father, Daniel Sandidge, was a native of Vir- ginia, born in 1804; there he married Pa- melia Tate, born in the same place in 1803. The paternal grandfather of our subject, John Sandidge was a Virginian by birth; he married a native of Virginia, and in an early day re- moved to Kentucky, settling in Lincoln county ; he became a wealthy planter, owning a large number of slaves. They liad a family of nine sons and four daughters: Daniel, Clay- ton, Joshua, James, Larkin, John, Wyatt, Madison, Pullum, Emily, Patience, Amanda, and Leanta; all grew to adult age and had families excepting Emily, who died in early childhood. The father met with death by accident, his team running away and throw- ing liim from the carriage. He was an octo- genarian, and his wife died seven years later, nearly eighty years old. The eldest son, Daniel Sandidge, removed from Kentucky to Illinois in 1831, bringing his wife and five children; they first located at Canton, and removed thence to Industry township, Mc- Donough county; hiere Mr. Sandidge took up 160 acres of Government land which he im- proved for two years, selling it at the end of
that time; he moved to Eldorado township and bought a claim to 160 acres, on which he lived until 1840; he again sold, and pur- chased another tract of the same number of acres, and lived on this until 1850, when he sold and bought 160 acres in Oakland town- ship, Schuyler county.
His wife died in Eldorado township, at the age of forty-two years, leaving a family of ten children. He married a second time, the union being to Cynthia Phillips, who bore liim a daughter and son. He died in 1882, aged seventy-eight years; the wife died in June, 1891, at the age of eighty-four years. The surviving members of this family are named as follows: Lucy J., John, Mrs. Jonah Lindsey, Harriet, wife of Elisha Gorncl, Mrs. Nathan Lindsey, Daniel, Charles, Larkin, Ellen, wife of Mike McCarty.
John Sandidge, our worthy subject, was reared to the life of a farmer, but in his twenty-first ycar left home and went to Cali- fornia; the trip across the plains proved a very enjoyable as well as novel one, and he spent ten years in the Golden State, engaged in mining and raising live-stock. In 1860 he returned to Illinois via the Istlinus, re- mained one month, and then went back to California. In 1871 he came home via the Union Pacific route, the object of this visit being to claim his bride.
He was married November 19, 1871, to Miss Emma Stockton, and they returned to California by rail. It proved a pleasant trip for lier, and Mr. Sandidge sold his inter- ests there, and came back to Illinois in 1873. He lias lived much of his time since 1873 in Vermont, Illinois, where he owns a pleasant home. He bought a farm of 400 acres re- cently, and owns 200 acres in McDonough county. Mr. and Mrs. Sandidge have one son and a daughter: John F. is nineteen and Ida
300
BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF CASS,
Leah is fifteen; both are receiving excellent cducational advantages. The son has a de- cided taste for agriculture, and intends mak- ing that his life occupation. Mr. Sandidge had the severe misfortune of losing his sight in 1882, the cause being brought about by his becoming overheated.
Mrs. Stockton, mother of Mrs. Sandidge, is now eighty-five years of age, but is bright and vigorous; she is a native of Fayette county, Pennsylvania, but came to Illinois in 1839; she was married to Daniel Stockton in 1842; he died in Jannary, 1883, aged eighty- three years. She well remembers the first steamer of the Ohio river, named the Adven- ture, and relates many interesting anecdotes of early days.
Mr. Sandidge is a Prohibitionist, but in former days was a Democrat, casting his vote for Horace Greeley, whom he esteemed one of the greatest men and most giftcd writers. He carries on a general farming business, but inakes a specialty of raising live-stock, giving his preference to short-horn cattle. He plants from forty to seventy acrcs of corn, gathering as high as eighty bushels to the acre; he sows from thirty to seventy acres of wheat, but one of his practices is the rotation of crops, and he seeds to clover every third year. He is a man of good, sound judgment, and has made a marked success of every industry to which he has turned his attention.
COLUMBUS T. WALKER, of Virginia precinct, is a native of Fauquier county, Virginia, born May 12, 1838. His par- ents were Solomon and Emma (Wilkins) Walker. Both were natives of Virginia, father born in 1804, and the inother four years later. They removed to Cass county,
Illinois, in 1855, and located on a farm near Virginia; here they both died, the mother in 1881, and the father in 1890. They had nine children: William W., Darius N., Peter L., Columbus T., Mary F., Churchill A., David T., Jennie E. and James T.
Columbus T. was nineteen years old when he came to this county, and has resided here ever since. He attended the schools in this precinct after arriving in the county. He first learned the tanner trade, and also learned to be a leather dresser, but did not follow the business after leaving Virginia. He has been a farmer all his life. He has a farm of 100 acres, on which he has excellent improve- inents. He is a Republican in politics, although all his brothers are Democrats. He has held all the township offices, and has been School Director for fifteen years, also Road Commissioner and Judge of Election, etc. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, of which he is a Deacon, having held that office for twenty years. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., and has been since 1859, and now is a Past Grand of Saxon Lodge, No. 68.
He was married in Cass county, February 8, 1866, to Emma J. Angier, a native of Cass county, born October 10, 1846. Her parents were Addison G. and Annie E. (Wilson) Angier of Ohio. They were among the ear- liest settlers in Cass county: mother is still living in the county, but father died April 7, 1890.
Mrs. Walker died March 16, 1889, leaving seven children. She was aged forty-two at lucr death. The children are: Ella G., born December, 1865, married Edward Tink, and died in 1892, leaving two children; Edward A., born in December, 1868, married and re- sides in Kansas City; Hattie M., born May, 1871, married Charles Etchison, and resides in Virginia precinct; Louie F., born August,
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.