USA > Illinois > Brown County > Biographical review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois: Containing biographical sketches of pioneers and leading citizens > Part 54
USA > Illinois > Cass County > Biographical review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois: Containing biographical sketches of pioneers and leading citizens > Part 54
USA > Illinois > Schuyler County > Biographical review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois: Containing biographical sketches of pioneers and leading citizens > Part 54
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The youth of Mr. Harshey was a quiet, un- eventful one, and he was at home until after his marriage. He was united to Miss Marissa R. Prather, September 10, 1872, and they are the parents of one child, Ethel G., born Jannary 24, 1877. Mrs. Harshey was born in Jefferson county, Ohio, April 5, 1848, a daughter of James and Bar-
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bara (Young) Prather; the parents removed to this county in 1851, and the father died here at the age of eighty years; the inother is still living.
After his marriage Mr. Harshey engaged in farining on his own account, renting land for a period of five years; at the end of that period he bought his present home, which he has occupied since. He has 130 acres of fer- tile land in a high state of cultivation. He carries on a general farming business, and by ' good management and industry inakes the business profitable. In politics he affiliates with the Republican party; his father and grandfather were Whigs before the organi- zation of the Republican party, but after its forination they joined its ranks. In 1892 he was elected Supervisor for a term of two years. He and his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church, and are actively inter- ested in the work of this society; he is an Elder, and for many years has been superin- tendent of the Sabbath-school. He belongs to Friendship Lodge, No. 24, I. O. O. F.
HARLES HILL, a retired farmer of Mt. Sterling, Illinois, was born in Coopers- town, Brown County, Illinois, Novem- ber 14, 1834. His father, Robert Hill, was born in North Carolina, and was at the battle of New Orleans in the war of 1812. He was the son of John Hill, who was a General in the Revolutionary war. He was reared and married in his native State and resided there nntil about 1825, then came to Illinois and was one of the first settlers of Schuyler county. He resided near Rushville for eight years and then moved to that part of Schny- ler, now included in Brown county, where he bought a tract of timber land. The log cabin
in which our subject was born was the same in which the father resided until his death. The maiden name of his wife was Elizabeth Angel, who lived in North Carolina and was the daughter of John Angel and died at the home of her son-in-law, in Cooperstown.
Our subject was reared in his native State, where he married. He attended the pioneer schools, taught in the log house. In his youthful days there were but few improve- inents in the county and deer and other kinds of game were plentiful. He resided with his parents until his marriage, and then engaged in farming on his own account and was an act- ive and successful farmer for many years and now lives retired in a beautiful home in this city.
Mr. Charles Hill has been married three times, the first time to Miss Farrington, and she died on the home farm in Cooperstown township. His second marriage was to Mrs. Ella Crooks, and she died at the age of thirty- two years; and his third marriage was with Miss Lizzic Irwin. This lady was born in Mt. Sterling; September 6, 1850. She was the daughter of Willam and Mary A. (White) Irwin. Her grandfather, John Irwin, was a native of Fayette county, where he spent his entire life and died at the age of eighty years. The father of Mrs. Irwin was born in Wood- ford county, Kentucky, April 15, 1840, and reared and married in his native State. He came from there to Illinois, in 1839, and was one of the pioneers of Brown county. He settled on section 1, of what is now Mt. Ster- ing township. Here he improved a farm and lived until his death, July 30, 1887. His wife returned to Maysville, Kentucky, in 1830 and died August 12, 1870. The maternal grandparents of Mrs. Hill were James and Elizabeth (Browning) White, na- tives of Kentucky and pioneers of Pike
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.
county : later they moved to Macoupin connty and died there.
In politics our subject is a firm supporter of the principles of Democracy and upholds the party measures upon all occasions. In religious matters Mrs. Hill is an active and zealous member of the Presbyterian Church.
ARIUS RUNKLE was born in Cham- pagne county, Ohio, February 10, 1813. He was the son of William and Mary (Pence) Runkle. William was born in Vir- ginia and went to Ohio in an early day, fol- lowing his trade of tanner until about 1850, when he caine to Illinois, rented a farm in Morgan county and lived there until the close of the war. He then came to near where his son now lives, and died, aged eighty-fonr. His wife, also born in Virginia, died at the same place, aged eighty-six. The Runkles came from Germany, and the grandparents of Darius lost their parents on the trip over to this country.
Darius is one of ten children, four of whom are yet living. He remained at home until twenty-one years of age, working at the tanning business and farming. He had very limited schooling and is entirely a self-ınade man. After he was twenty-one years old be worked for $10 a month for two years and then clerked for a brother-in-law in a general store in Sidney, Olio, for two years more. He then started for Illinois, coming to Beards- town, and then walked over to Doddsville, wading two miles in water, This was in the spring of 1837, and he came to take charge of Samnel Dodd's general store. He con- tinued in that for a year and one-lialf, and during that time entered eighty, acres which later he sold and then bought 160 acres of
wild land where he now lives. He also bought another eighty acres in the timber. In the fall of 1838, lie returned to Ohio and remained with his father working in the tan yard for two years, and then came back here and commenced improving his farm. He broke forty acres, built a story-and-a-half house, and on October 12, 1840, he married Anu Maria Walker, who was born in Adams county, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of Andrew Walker of Adams county, Penn- sylvania, who came here in 1840, and settled on Mr. Dodd's farm. Mrs. Runkle was one of nine children. Mr. and Mrs. Runkle have ten living children. The sons are: James J., William, Charles W., Joseph C. and Stephen A .; and the daughters: Mary A., Laura, Liny and Clara J. Mary A. had two sons and four daughters: Clara J. two daughters and two sons; both the mothers are deceased.
After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Runkle moved into the log house he had built, and remained there until 1866, and then moved into his present fine home, which is one of the best in McDonough, having cost $10,000 and being first-class in every particular. Mr. Runkle has built four or five different times where his sons live, and has bought thee farms with houses upon them. He commenced with $90, and had to borrow $10 to enter his first eighty acres. He now has 3,000 acres of land, 970 in Schuyler county and 1,940 in McDonough county, and he has given each son a fine farmn. He makes a specialty of fine stock, and has been engaged in various kinds of business during his life. In 1841 be bonght a stock of goods, and was a merchant for two or three years, and was Postmaster in 1843- '44: lie also kept a stage. He was Super- visor of School Boards for years, and he with two others built the first schoolhouse in this
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district, and it also served as a church. He also loaned money to build a pioneer mill and tried to get a railroad through this section. He has helped many a deserving and worthy object. His wife has been a church member ever since their marriage, being one of the first to take an active interest in church and Sunday-school work in the placc. She was very active in everything tending toward the building of churches and schools, and was a most worthy companion to as public-spirited a man as Mr. Runkle. Her death occurred in 1889. Mr. Runkle can count his friends by the number of his acquaintances and his enemies arenot known. He treats every one well, and the deserving are never turned away without help and words of cheer. Politically he has always affiliated with the Whig and Republican parties. He voted first for Henry Clay, and at the birth of the Repub- lican party voted for Fillmore. He is very well satisfied with Republican principles.
OBERT NEWMAN, an extensive farmer of Cass county, Illinois, dates his birth in that part of Grayson county now included in Carroll county, Virginia, August 31, 1834. Jesse Newman, his father, was born in Botetourt county, Virginia. He learned and followed the trade of cooper, and in connection with his trade also operated a sawmill. He resided in what is now Carroll county for a number of years. From there he came to Illinois, resided in this State twelve years, and then went back to Virginia, where he is still living. His wife, the mother of Robert, was before her marriage Miss Nancy Bedsall. She was born in Virginia, and spent hier whole life in that State. She reared six children.
The subject of our sketch was reared in his native State, and was there married when he was nineteen years old. Accompanied by his bride, he came to Illinois the fall after their marriage, making the western journey via the Ohio, Mississippi and Illinois rivers, at that time the most expeditious route, and landed at Beardstown. He was in very lim - ited circumstances at that time, being unable to go to housekeeping for want of means. He was industrious and persevering, however, and at once found work on the farm, at $15 per month. Little of the land in this section of the country was then improved, most of it being owned by the Government. It was not long after his arrival here till Mr. New- man purchased a squatter's claim to eiglity acres of land, in section 9, township 18, range 9, for which he paid $8 per acre. There was a rude log cabin on this place, the cover of which was made of boards rived by hand, there being no floor at all. They at once took possession of the place, and as soon as Mr. Newman could get the money, bought from the Government, under the graduation law, paying twelve and a half cents per acre. As there were no improvements on the land and lie had no team, he continned working by the month a portion of the time, putting in his sparc hours in grubbing on his own land. This he continued for twelve years. At the time he located on it, his land was covered with a heavy prairie grass, prairie fires hav- ing run over it every year and checked the growth of timber. Deer and other wild game abounded here. There were no railroads in the county for some years, and all produce was marketed at Beardstown. The price of grain was low, corn selling as low as ten cents per bushel. Mr. Newman has been very successful as a farmer, has purchased other tracts of land at different times, and is now
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the owner of 554 acres. Of this amount 245 acres are in Mason county, the rest being in Cass county.
The maiden name of Mrs. Newman was Mary Mangus. She was born in Roanoke county, Virginia. Their union has been blessed by the birth of two children, viz .: Sarah, who married Thomas Wortinan, and has seven children; and Alexander, who wedded Ellen Cunningham, and has six chil- dren.
OHN GLANDON was born in Harrison county, Ohio, February, 1834. His father, William, was born in 1780 and moved to Harrison county, Ohio, where he bonglit a sınall farm. His wife was Mary Magdalene Peacock, of German descent, probably born in Maryland. Her father was Robert Peacock, a soldier of the Revolution and he laid his land warrant for 160 acres on the historical Mt. Vernon home. She was one of five children, and her parents were stirring farmers of that time and died in Ohio, at an advanced age. Mr. Glandon is one of eleven children, all of whom came to an adult age and became heads of families, but all have passed away except five. The father was an honest, hard working man, but did not accumulate much wealth and died at the age of seventy. His wife was much younger than he and survived him many years. She spent her last years at the home of this son, but while on a visit to McDon- ough county, in 1866, she died there, aged seventy-two.
Mr. Glandon had but very limited school- ing, as he had to work hard in early boyhood. At the age of twelve hic carried the mail for one year for his uncle from Cadiz, Ohio, to
Cambridge, a distance of forty-two miles. This he continued daily, except Sunday, and this year's experience will never be forgotten. He worked on the liome farm from the age of thirteen to sixteen, when he engaged as sales- man, on the road in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia, in the fanning-mill business. He was a snccess at this for two years. He then returned to the home farmn, where he re- mained until the death of his father. He then took the contract to build two miles of railroad in Harrison connty on the Pan Handle road. He next went to Kentucky at the mouth of the Big Sandy river, where he built two miles of road on the Lexington & Big Sandy. This, however, wasnot very profitable. He had married in Harrison county and with his wife and one child he came to Illinois. His wife was Delilah, daughter of Joseph and Catherine (Wood) Banister, both of whom were from Maryland. They first bought 125 acres, at $13 dollars an acre in 1855. Upon this place there were a small log house and a rude stable. Since then from time to time they have added ten to twenty acres at a time, until he now owns 985 acres, all fenced in and 700 acres under culture. Nearly all of this is good, arable land. Much of it is very fertile and is very desirable as it is all in one body. When he built his first large barn, 40 x 70, with base- ment, it cost him $25,000. It is one of the best barns of the section, with solid stone basement. About six years later he built his second barn in which he can stall 100 head of cattle and ten head of horses. He built his present large farm house in 1885. These buildings are on an eminence, nearly 100 feet above the bottom lands and com- mands a view of over 500 acres. He grows from 400 to 500 acres of corn, yielding sixty bushels to the acre. He rents much of this
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land to small farmers, for twenty bushels to the acre. He believes in a rotation of crops and has for twenty-five years fed from fifty to 150 head of cattle. Of late years lie fecds less and sells his corn. During the war he kept sheep, as high as 1,700 of the Merinos, and sold his clippings one year for $1 per pound. In 1882 he bought the Brooklyn Water Gristmill of which lie had to rebuild the lower portion and put in the roller sys- tem. This cost a great deal of money, but proved a great succes for three years- Cus- tom came from far and near, and they had more than they could attend to, as there was no other mill like it nearer than Quincy; but other mills of this kind sprang up and Mr. Glandon moved his machinery to Walker, Ellis county, Kansas, in 1888, but within two years lie exchanged it for property in Denver, Colorado. The result of this invest- ment is yet to be seen. Mr. Glandon has all he can do to look after liis tenants and busi- ness, but he has often followed the plow and swung the ax. He has served as Commis- sioner and has filled all the minor offices. He always votes the Republican ticket.
In 1865, he, in company witli William Hornley, went to Graystone, Texas, by teams for an aged couple who had been stranded there. This journey of about 2,000 miles took from October 4 to December 1. It was an arduous, dangerous journey at this time of civil strife, and strong and resolute as they both were they were glad to land here safely with those dear old people, and the two sons of Mr Hornley who had been left in the South.
Mr. and Mrs. Glandon have four children: Belinda Jane Mckelvie, of Clay county, Nebraska; James William, residing in Den- ver, Colorado; Mary Alice Fowler, on a farm close by; and Edgar Denis, now taking a
course at the Eureka College, Illinois. He took one term at Knox College, wliere his brother John was educated. Mrs. Glandon has always been frail in health, but still superintends and does mucli of her house- work. There are but few finely located homes as this one.
₪ENRY W. OETGEN, farmer and stock- raiser of Frederick, Illinois, was born near Beardstown, March 10, 1849. His parents, William and Katherine (Middle- buslier) Oetgen, were natives of Hanover, Prussia. The father was born May 31, 1817, the mother December 23, 1823. They came to America with their parents when quite young, the paternal grandparents locating in Pennsylvania, and the maternal grandparents came straight to Beardstown.
Our subject was the third child of his par- ents. He received his education in the pub- lic schools of Cass county. He then engaged in farming, which has been liis life work. In the fall of 1882 Mr. Oetgen purchased tlie farm on which he now resides and moved there the following spring. He owns a stock and grain farm of 260 acres, besides some town property in Frederick, all very valuable. His residence is a modern cottage, beautifully located and nicely furnished.
He was married in Cass county, March 13, 1879, to Miss Angusta C. Hansmier, dauglı- ter of Henry and Kate (Smidt) Hansmier. Her parents were natives of Germany and both came to America with their parents prior to marriage. The paternal grandmother and two daughters died on the voyage. The grandfather located in Wisconsin, where he remarried, afterward coming to Beardstown,
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where the father of Mrs. Oetgen married and now resides.
Mr. and Mrs. Oetgen are members of the German Lutheran Church. They have two children: Arthur H. and Inez Hallie. Mr. Oetgen is of straight Republican faith. He has served one term as Tax Collector of Fred- erick township and is a member of the M. W. of A.
ILLIAM SEWALL, one of the earli- est settlers of Cass county, Illinois, was a son of Major-General Henry Sew-all. He was born January 17, 1797, in Augusta, Maine; received a good business education at home, and also took a short academic course. In 1818, at the age of twenty-one, he obtained a elerkship in Wash- ington, but on his way thither was ship- wrecked, which event entirely changed his plans, for, in working the ship's pumps his hands were so badly frozen as to render it impossible for him to fill the position. He then spent a year teaching sehool in Mary- land, Virginia and West Virginia, when, in addition to the common branches he taught also bookkeeping and the higher mathematics, including astronomy, navigation and survey- ing. To illustrate these he used the best brass-mounted terrestrial and celestial globes, with maps, eharts and other applianees.
He was married August 9, 1821, to Mrs. Elizabeth W. Adams, who was born in Charles county, Maryland, July 27, 1795, a daughter of Samuel W. Middleton, an exten- sive planter. Mr. Sewall removed with his family to Jacksonville, Illinois, in the fall of 1829, and while residing there he again taught school. He was present at the or- ganization of the First Presbyterian Church
in Jacksonville, and he and his wife were among its first inembers.
In the spring of 1833 he removed to his farm of 640 acres, entered from the Govern- ment and partially opened a short time be- fore. It was in the Sangamon bottom, near the present site of Chandlerville. At that time it was a wilderness which the Indians had not yet wholly abandoned. Here, as was his custom, he zealously engaged in Sabbath- seliool and other Christian work, and exerted on the new and growing community an in- fluenee for good difficult to estimate. Within a radius of eight or ten miles he organized three or four Sunday-schools, one of which was at his own house, where he condueted it for a considerable time, with only the assist- ance of his wife. They furnished free to each family a large eloth covered Testament for use in this work. Afterward, in the seeular sehools, these became the only reading books for many of the children for a number of years. By their constant zeal and Christian labor they were instrumental in preparing the way for the first church organization in the vieinity, the First Presbyterian, but after- ward a Congregational Church, and located at Woodstock, now Chandlerville. Mr. Sew- all was elected its first ruling Elder and Sunday-school Superintendent, and these offices he continued to fill with efficiency as long as he lived. He was a man of exten- sive reading, and rather in advance of his time-a pioneer in material improvements as well as morals. He had the first washing- machine, the first eook-stove and the first threshing-machine ever used in the county. He also brought the first Durham stoek of cattle into his neighborhood, and mnade the first brick, which were of unsurpassed qual- ity. Shortly after his death his widow bought the first harvesting-machine ever
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used in Cass county. He also was a good singer and performed on the flute. He lived a very useful life in all respects; and al- though called from his labors in the prime of life, he won the confidence, respect and cs- teem of all who knew himn, and succeeded in laying the foundation for a competency for his family.
Politically, he was a Whig, but never prominent in public affairs. He was thor- ongly posted, however, on the political ques- tions of the day, and prompt to express his opinion through the ballot-box.
He died at his residence near Chandler- ville, Illinois, April 7, 1846, at the age of forty-nine years. His widow survived him about thirty years, and to her was left the task of educating a large family of children, and of managing the many interests of an extensive farm. She was successful in set- tling up the estate to advantage, showing great energy and executive ability. She removed an incumbrance on the farm in a very short time, and thus succeeded in saving the place intact for the family. Two or three years after the death of her husband slic removed to Jacksonville, Illinois, to educate her children, where they received a good training. A short time before her death she changed her rcsi- dence to her daughter's, Mrs. J. H. Goodell, at Chandlerville, where she died October 5, 1874, aged seventy-nine years.
Mr. and Mrs. Sewall had two sons and four daughters, as follows:
Henry M., born near Warrenton, Virginia, March 6, 1823, educated at Illinois College, Jacksonville, married Mrs. Ann E. Clark, formerly Miss Higgins, November 22, 1849, and settled on a part of his father's farm, where he died May 3, 1850, aged twenty- seven years. At his father's death, although a Methodist, lie was chosen Superintendent
of the Congregational Sunday-school, at the age of twenty-three, to fill his father's place. After filling that place for a year or two he was appointed Class-leader in his own church, which position he filled until his death. He had one son.
Catharine T. H., born near Warrenton, Virginia, November 6, 1825, educated at Monticello Seminary, married Robert Cole, a farmer of Cass connty, and died November 5, 1854, having had three sons and two daugh- ters.
Susan E., born in Harrison county, West Virginia, July 29, 1829, graduated at Jack- sonville (Illinois) Female Academy in 1851, married in 1867 Abiel Fry, Sheriff of Mus- catine county, Iowa, and after his death mar- ried, in 1878, Rev. William Barnes of Jack- sonville, at one time pastor of the Congre- gational Church at Chandlerville; she is now a widow, residing at Jacksonville, with no children.
William W., born in Jacksonville, Feb- ruary 11, 1832, graduated at the Illinois College, same city, in 1856, and from that time until 1885 made his home at Virden, this State, where he married Susan E. Cox, in 1858. Enlisting in the Union army during the last war, he served three years, engaging with his regiment in a number of important battles; was severely wounded at the capture of Mobile. After the war he established the North Star Flouring mill, and was for seven- teen years a joint proprietor of the same. For many years he was successively Deacon, Trustee and Ruling Elder of his church, the Presbyterian. He now resides at Carthage, Missouri, having two sons and two dangliters.
Mary M., born near Chandlerville, July 15, 1834, educated at Jacksonville Female Academy and married Addison L. Cole, in 1853. She resided on a part of her father's
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farm, where she died April 16, 1857. She had five sons.
Harriet A., born near Chandlerville, April 4, 1838, educated at Jacksonville Female Academy, married in 1865 John H. Goodell, a lumber merchant of Chandlerville, where she still resides, having three sous and three daughters.
OHN HENRY CARLS is a general farmer and stock-raiser, living on sections 24 and 25, township 17, range 12. He was born in Hanover, Germany, December 23, 1831. He grew up in his native prov- ince, a farmer boy, but at last decided to come to America. Not wishing to cross the sea alone to the new country, just before lie sailed he was married to a neighbor girl whose maiden name was Mary Yoost. She came of a good German family, and proved to him a good wife. Immediately after marriage they took passage at Bremen on the sailing vessel Theodore Connor, and landed in New Orleans after a passage of eleven weeks. From there they went up the Mississippi river to St. Lonis and thence to Beardstown. Mr. Carls' ambition was to become a farmer, and he and his wife began in a sınall way have been very successful.
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