USA > Illinois > Brown County > Biographical review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois: Containing biographical sketches of pioneers and leading citizens > Part 57
USA > Illinois > Cass County > Biographical review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois: Containing biographical sketches of pioneers and leading citizens > Part 57
USA > Illinois > Schuyler County > Biographical review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois: Containing biographical sketches of pioneers and leading citizens > Part 57
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about eighteen years ago. He was a kind- hearted man, was very active in politics and was an ardent Republican.
The gentleman of wlion we write was one of five children, of whom he is probably the only survivor. He served four years in the German army and soon after liis discharge came to America, where he lias been a very successful man. He and his good wife have fonr living children, as follows: Joshua T. was born April 16, 1864, and is now married and the father of one boy; William E. was born September 28, 1866, and a girl is now the comfort of his home; Matilda C. was born May 1, 1869, and now in lier home has a boy and girl of her own; Henry P. was born Sep- tember 27, 1876; and Frank, a lad of eleven years is dead. All the children received an education in the district school.
Mr. Frankenfield believes in the principles of the Democracy and cast liis first vote in this country for James Buchannan. He and all of his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and he has been very active in work in the church and Sunday- school. Hc has carried on a system of mixed farming and lias 300 acres of land. He is a man who commands the respect of the whole neigliborhood, and the family is one which has been very prominent among the pioneers of this grand old county.
OHN W, MORRIS, a contractor and builder of Rushville, was born in Rock- ingham connty, Virginia, April 8, 1832. His father, William Morris, was a native of Augusta county, the same State, and the father of the latter was a life-long resident of the Old Dominion. The father of John W. Morris was reared in Virginia, where he
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BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF CASS,
learned the trade of a carpenter, a calling he followed there until 1833, when he emigrated to Ohio accompanied by his wife and six children, making the journey with teams. A year was spent at Lancaster, Fairfield county. when another migration was made, this time to Franklin county, where he purchased a tract of timber land near Groveport, where he resided ten years, all the time carrying on the business of contractor and builder, besides superin- tending the improvement of his farm. Sell- ing out again, he again took his family with him, settling in Delaware county, purchasing a farm near Centreville. He pursued farming until 1862, when the spirit of change again came over him, and he found a home in Grand View, Edgar county, Illinois, where two daugliters and one son continued to reside. He lived there, retired from business, until his deatlı, which came peacefully in May, 1879, when he was seveuty-seven years old. His wife's death preceded his a few months, she having passed away in February of the same year. Her maiden name was Eliza Palmer, and she was born in Virginia, and was the daugliter of Robert and Martha Palmer. She reared eight children: Harriet Stevenson, George, Charles L., James H., William B., John W., Jane F. and Caroline Cavendish.
John was so young when his parents left - Virginia that he has no recollection of his native place .. He attended the public schools of Franklin and Delavan counties, and when not in school assisted liis father at his trade and on the farin. He was a natural mechanic and gave evidence of skill with edged tools at a very early age. He did journeyman's work in Ohio until 1856, when he went to Grand View, Edgar county, where he re- mained until 1862, when he removed to Ful- ton county, following his trade at Marictta
for two years. Mattoon, Coles county. was next his home, and then, in 1866, he removed to Rushville, where he engaged in mercantile pursuits for two and a half years; tiring of this he followed farming for two years, when, settling in Rushville, he began the business of contractor and builder, which he lias con- tinued ever since. The principal business blocks of Rushville were erected by him, and they are so many monnments to his skill and to the fidelity of his work.
Mr. Morris was married in 1860, to Eliza- beth Cary, who was born in Ohio in 1840. His married life has been a happy one, and three living children bless their union, viz .: Mary C., Annie E. and Alice G. Two, Cary and Charles L., are deceased.
Mr. Morris united with the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1859, and has continued since that time to be a consistent member of that body. In politics Mr. Morris is a Re- publican, earnestly advocating the measures of that party.
EV. DANIEL A. BLOSE, pastor of the First Congregational Church of Beards- town, was born in Indiana county, Pennsylvania, May 23, 1854. He was reared on his father's farm, and there remained until seventeen years of age, when he entered Covode academy in the same county, and a year later attended an academy in Armstrong county, and graduated in the class of 1875, and then entered the University of Lewis- burg, now known as Bucksnell University, and graduated there with the class of 1878, receiving 100 per cent. in all class examina- tions, also the first honors with the oration in the scientific course. He entered in the fall of 1878, the Auburn Theological Semi- nary of Auburn, New York, and graduated
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with the class of 1881. He was then li- censed by the Kittanning Presbytery of the synod of Pennsylvania, that being their cus- tom. He was ordained by the Geneva Pres- bytery of the synod of New York, January 12, 1882, and soon after became pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Dresden, New York. In 1886 he became connected with the Congregational Church, and has since been an earnest worker. It was in De Kalb, Illinois, that he did his first work as a Con- gregational minister, and the beautiful stone church edifice of that place stands as a silent monument to his labors. Being overworked he was obliged to resign his position against the unanimous protest of the people. Hc was immediately called to the church at Tonica, Illinois, which he accepted under the promise of being able to rest. During his one year there the membership was doubled. At the close of the year an anti-Masonic fac- tion caused a lack of harmony in the church, and the Rev. Blose resigned against the united request of the congregation. He im- inediately received a call from four churches, and decided to accept theone from La Harpe, Illinois, where he remained fifteen months, and increased the membership by fifty mem- bers. He was then unanimously called to the church at Beardstown, which he accepted mnuch against the wishes of his congregation at La Harpe.
He was married May 1, 1881, at Burns, Allegany county, New York, to Mamie E. Coray, born December 15, 1857, educated in the Union High School of Canaseraga, New York, graduating in 1879. She is an ac- complished lady, an enthusiastic worker in the church and in all the avenues where good may be promoted, and is the devoted mother of two very bright children; Minnie Coray and Charles A.
Mr. Blose is a sound Republican, his faith being born of intelligence vitalized by right- eousness and patriotism. He feels that he has a right to spread his principles and advo- cate his political faith from the rostrum as he preaches his religion from the pulpit.
ENRY VETTE, a general fariner, was born in Prussia, May 10, 1864. His father, William Vette, was a brick ma- son, and died when he was thirty-eight years old. His wife had died the preceding year, and they both were members of the German Lutheran Church.
Henry was left an orphan at the age of ten, and grew up as a maker of cigar boxes in his native province until seventeen years of age, and then he and a friend set out for this country. They set sail from Bremen in 1882, landed in New York city in the same year and then came to Illinois, reaching Beards- town with $1.10 in his pocket. He began work first as a laborer with his uncle, Henry Vette, and after some years of economy he was able to purchase the large farm he is now rapidly paying for. The farm consists of 125 acres, well improved, and other land that is not under plow, amounting to 372 acres. He is a young man of good judgment, and has shown what he can do and is bound to succeed.
He was married in Cass county, to Anna Shave, who was born in Beardstown, March 22, 1867, and was reared and educated in this county. She is the daughter of William and Ingle (Shave) Shave. They are now living in this county, successful farmers, owning fine property. Mr. and Mrs. Vette are members of the Sixth Street Lutheran Church in Beardstown. They are the parents of
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BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF CASS,
three children, Hilda 1., William H. and Edna L. Mr. Vette is an ardent Republican, and both he and his wife are highly esteemed by all who know them.
.
ARON LOGSDON was born in Madi- son county, Kentucky, May 7, 1821. His grandfather was Edward Logsdon, a native of Maryland, who moved to Ken- tucky in early life, where the thirteen chil- dren were born. These all grew to adult age and reared familics of their own. The mother of this family was Polly Brown, also a native of Maryland. George Logsdon, the father of the subject of this notice, was the youngest of the family. He was reared on a farmn and was early accustomed to hard work, only having the meager schooling of the time. He lived at home on the farm, which finally became his own at the death of his father, Edward. The latter was a man of wonderful strengtlı, perfectly fearless, and in his old age was a match for many incn who were younger. He weighed nearly 200 pounds, and was six feet high. He was one of the pioneers of Kentucky, and in those days strength and courage were the only safeguards of a man. He was a very peaceable person, but had some encounters with fighting men, and never was conquered. He married Sally Mc- Kinzie, a daughter of John McKinzie. The union took place in Kentucky, and there they lived and there their family of cleven children were born. Two of these died in infancy, but all of the others grew up and became heads of families, and seven of them are still living. The parents came to Illinois in 1856, bringing three children with them. Our subject had preceded thein in 1852, with his wife and five children, coming by water to Lagrange.
The first wife of our subject was Lucinda Dunbar, who died in the prime of life, of consumption, and left him two daughters and an infant which soon died. The daugh- ters were Sally and Minerva. Mr. Logsdon was again married, to Martha J. Johnson, the daughter of Thomas Johnson and Re- becca Shearer, the latter from Ireland and the former from Pennsylvania. They were early settlers in Kentucky, and the father is still living and hearty at his old home. He reared eleven children, ten of whom are still living, the youngest being forty-six years of age.
Mr. and Mrs. Logsdon came here without means, and rented land for one year, but then bought 160 acres of wild land for $500, pay- ing $200 of it down. They occupied the log cabin for several years, were frugal, and as soon as they had paid for their first land they bonght forty acres adjoining for $600, and still later bought more until he owned at one time 400 acres. He has sold off and given to his sons nntil he has only 155 acres left. He has retired from active labor, and his sons, Aaron and Ed., are working the farm. Mr. Logsdon and his present wife have had eleven children. The eldest danghter, Mary E., is the wife of Jolin Lear, who died in January, 1883, aged thirty-six, and left two children. Mary is dead, and Grandpa Logs- don has adopted the children. The living children are: Minerva, who is the wife of Frank Simmons, who is a farmer in Missouri; Thomas W. is a farmer in Nebraska; George lives near by; Rebecca is the wife of Henry Behymer, a farmer near Versailles; Lucinda is the wife of William Betzmcr; Aaron mar- ried Maria Ballard, of this county; Nancy is the wife of Samuel Wright, a farmer near by; Edward owns a part of the homestead, and lives near with his wife, Minnie Brewer,
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SCHUYLER AND BROWN COUNTIES.
and two children; Marthia A. is the wife of James Harper, a farmer of this county. This fine old couple rejoice in their ten great- grandchildren, and have thirty-two grand- children, living, and have seen ten buried. There was patriotismn in this family, for tlie brother of Mr. Logsdon went all through the war, and the brother of Mrs. Logsdon carries a bullet wound and had two others; and the son-in-law, Robert Johnson, went three years through the great struggle, and bears three wounds.
Mr. Logsdon has been a Master Mason for thirty years, and has been a Republican for many years. The family are religions people, and belong to the Church of God.
EZEKIAH LEEK, M. D., has been a resident of Schnyler county, Illinois, since lie was a child of seven years. He was born in Peoria county, Illinois, Janu- ary 25, 1840, a son of Jacob and Adiathia (Leek) Leek. The maternal grandfather, Henry Leek, was a native of Germany, but emigrated to the United States when a young man; he was married in the State of New York, and later resided in Pennsylvania, Olio and Illinois, being one of the earliest settlers of the last-named commonwealth ; he first located in Wabash county, and later re- Inoved to Peoria county, and finally came to Schuyler county, where he died at the age of ninety years; his wife lived to the same ad- vanced agc. They had a family of eleven children: Benjamin F., William, Allen, Robert, George, Wright, Levi, Adiathia, Abigail, Pernina and Mary. Jacob Leek, the father of our subject, was born in Ohio, and removed from that State to Illinois, set- tling in Peoria county. In 1847 he came to 82
Schuyler county and entered land in Freder- ick township, which he occupied until the time of his death in 1842. He left a family of six children; Saralı, wife of Abraham Yuble; Margaret, wife of Annis Davis; Henry, deceased; Hezekiah, the subject of this sketch; Alexander, who died in the old homestead; Jacob F., a minister of the Mis- sionary Baptist Church. The mother died in the autumn of 1891; she was a woman of rare force of character, and for forty years had been a consistent member of the Chris- tian Church
Dr. Leek spent liis youth on the farmn, and received his literary education in the com- mon schools. Having determined to pursue the science of medicine, he began its study about 1857, in Fulton county, Illinois, under the preceptorship of Dr. Smith of Cuba; he subsequently studied at Olney, Illinois, and iu Wabashı county. He began the practice of his profession in McDonough county, Illinois, and remained there until 1871, when lie returned to Schuyler county. In 1880 he received a certificate from the State Board of Health, having practiced fourteen years. He now resides in Rushville, but ihs patients are scattered over a wide terri- tory. He has been very successful and has won a reputation as a skillful and careful dhysician.
Dr. Leek has been married twice: In 1859 he was united to Drusilla Tungate, who died in 1866, leaving four children : Abel; Margaret, wife of William Shriver; Amos, deceased; and Minerva, deceased. His second marriage was to Angelinc M. Johnson, a daughter of Joel Johnson; she died in Aleny, Illinois, leaving four chil- dren: Joel C., Harmon J., Asa, deceased, and one child that died in early life. In politics lie adheres to the principles of the
.
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BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF CASS,
Republican party. During the war he was president of the Union League. He was once a minister of the Baptist Church, and later was in the Christian Church in the same capacity; he does no ministerial work at the present time, but devotes himself wholly to his profession. He has always been decply interested in the welfare of his connty and town; in his profession he has won the highest respect of his colleagues, and as a citizen he enjoys the respect of all who know him.
EESE H. GRIFFITH, one of the lead- ing merchants of Rushville, is an Amer- ican by adoption, his native land being Wales; there he was born November 5, 1824. His parents were Humphrey and Mary (Da- vies) Griffith, the latter a native of Hanover, Wales. His father was reared in the Inde- pendent faith, and became a minister of that denomination in Wales. In 1825 he, with his wife and one child, sailed from Liverpool for America. Landing in this country he settled in Somers, Westchester county, New York, where he was pastor of the Presbyte- rian Church until 1832. He then removed to Michigan Territory, and located in Tecum- seh, Lenawee county. Michigan was then a wilderness, and the greater part of the land was owned by the Government. Mr. Grif- fith purchased a tract near Tecumseh, in which place he was later called to the pastorate of the Presbyterian Church, he being the second minister of the society. His family had remained in Detroit while he was pre- paring a home for them in Tecumseh. In the fall he started back for them, but was taken ill at Ypsilanti, where he died. Thus his wife was left a widow with four small chil-
dren, one of whom died soon after the father. Fortunately for her and those dependent on her, she was a woman of superior education and unusual energy. To support herself and children, she opened a select school in Te- cumseh and became prominent among the early educators of the State. In addition to providing for her family, she lifted a heavy indebtedness that rested npon the land pur- chased by her husband. Her last days were passed in Rushville, Illinois, where she died in 1877, in her seventy-ninth year. The three children, who attained a mature age, were: Reesc H., the subject of this notice; Hum- phrey, who died in Sacramento, California; and Theophilus D., a resident of Kansas City, Kansas.
Reese II. was an infant when his parents crossed the sea to this country, and was but eight years old when his father died. He was thus reared and educated by his mother, who, fortunately for him was a woman of un- usual intelligence and activity. He later attended a branch of the of the Michigan Uni- versity, and when nineteen years of age com- menced to teach, which profession he followed in Michigan for nine years. He then went to northern Alabama, and was engaged for five years in teaching in Florence. In the spring of 1852 he came to Rushville, Illinois, where he taught school one year, which ter- minated his career in that capacity. He next embarked in the hardware business, in which he has been very successful. He, his son Charles and a nephew, Humphrey Griffith, compose the corporation under the firm name of the Griffith Hardware Company.
Mr. Griffith was married March 15, 1852, to Susan P. Stebbins, an estimable lady, a native of Simsbury, Connecticut, and a dangh- ter of Samuel S. and Laura (Bester) Stebbins, also natives of that Statc. They have six
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SCHUYLER AND BROWN COUNTIES.
children: Charles, Effic, Harry, Edwin, Laura and William. The nephew, Humphrey Grif- fith, has been a member of the home circle since early youth, and is esteemed as a son. The parents and children are members of the Presbyterian Church.
Politically, Mr. Griffith was formerly a Whig, and cast his first vote for Zachary Taylor. Since the formation of the Repub- lican party, he has been a supporter of its principles, and has served that party in va- rious positions of trust. He has been a dele- gate to numerons county, district and State conventions; and in 1892 was alternate delegate from his district to the National Republican Convention at Minneapolis. He also takes a prominent part in all church matters of his denomination. He has always taken a decp interest in Sabbath-school work, has served as president of the Illinois State Sabbath-school Association, and was the first president of the Schuyler county Sunday- School Association, having been a member of the executive committee of the latter society since its organization. In 1861 he acted as delegate to the Presbyterian Conference at Syracuse, New York, and went to New York in the same capacity in 1889.
It is a matter of congratulation that Rush- ville should have a man of such superior intelligence and morality, for. though this combination is very pleasing, it is too often " conspicuous for its absence. He who founds his life on these lines builds with success, and is eminently worthy of the esteem of all good inen.
EORGE P. HUFF was born in Schny- ler county, Illinois, July 28, 1850. His father was William Huff, born in North Carolina in 1808. and his grandfather was
John Hnff, also of North Carolina, where he lived and died. The name of his grand- mother was Charity Adams, born in North Carolina.
William A. Huff married Betsy Ann Tea- ncy, daughter of John and Nancy Teaney. She was born in Pennsylvania in 1812. When she was fonrteen years old, her parents moved to Bartholomew connty, Indiana, which they did with their own team. Mrs. Huff was married at the age of twenty-three, fifty-seven years ago. They set out for Illinois witlı their own horse and buggy and reached Rush- ville in the fall, where they remaincd thir- teen years, and then inoved to their present home. They had enough means to buy nine- ty-six acres of Government land on which they built a hewn log house containing one room. This land was all wild, the conntry entirely unsettled, abonnding in game, large and small. Mr. Huff afterward bought eighty acres more, making his farm in all 156 acres. In 1860 they built the present frame house, which was nearly completed in the fall of 1861, when he died. They had buried one son, John, who left a widow. Since the death of her husband she has buried, Sarah Huff, aged thirty-four; Melissa Tucker, about forty years old, and Martha Duncan, who died at fifty-two years, leaving ten children. Mrs. Huff has eight children still living: Mary Clampitt of Greeley, Kansas; Amanda Line- burger, of Hancock county, Illinois; Maria Fisher, of Creston, Iowa; Francis, a stock dealer of Hancock; George F. and Homer W., are still at home; Perry P., a farmer on an adjoining farın, and Eliza Wilborn, living on the old homestead.
Mrs. Huff is still well and active in mind and body, and considering that she has been the mother of twelve children, has been a toiler these many years, being now eighty
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BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF CASS,
years old, she is a fair sample of the sturdy pioneer women of early days. Mr. Huff died in the faith of the Methodist Church, of which his widow is a member. He and his sons have always been Republicans, and they are higlily regarded in the community in which they live.
RA N. GIBSON, of Browning, Illinois, was born January 1, 1843, near New Cas- tle, Pennsylvania, his parents being John and Mary F. (Fervor) Gibson. They were natives of Pennsylvania. They removed to Morris, Illinois, stayed there seven years; thence they went to the army; at the close of the war, went to Peoria, when the subject was twelve years of age. Both parents are still living.
Ira Gibson grew to manhood in l'eoria, but in the fall of 1863, while prospecting in Iowa, he enlisted in the Iowa Cavalry, at Sioux City. He was sent out on the plains, where he remained fighting Indians and guarding the frontier until the close of the war, wlien he was mustered out, at Davenport, in 1865.
He returned to Peoria and engaged in mill- ing, where he remained seven years. He was head miller in the mill of Frank Fields, for two years.
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Quitting the milling, hie engaged in the fishery business on the Illinois river, and this has been his occupation since. In it he has acquired a comfortable living and a nice property in Browning, Illinois. He furnishes his stock both winter and summer to J. W. Peters, at St. Louis, where he finds a ready sale for all his products. He puts up his. own ice and operates the business in a sys- tematic manner.
Mr. Gibson has been twice married. His first venture into matrimony was when twenty- four years of age, to Miss Frances Smith of Peoria. At her death she left four children: Alice, Frank, Louisa and Viola.
Mr. Gibson was married a second time in Browning, to Miss Mary Williams, who was born in Fulton county, Illinois, in 1858. To this union there are two children: Frances and Ethel, bright little girls, at home.
Mr. Gibson is a Democrat in politics, and is a member of Browning Lodge, No. 309, I. 0). O. F. He was formerly a member of the G. A. R., but the post disbanded and he has not yet joined any other.
His first wife was a Roman Catholic in re- ligion, but the present Mrs. Gibson is a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
THOMAS LAWLER, a widely and fa- vorably known citizen of Woodstock township, Schuyler county, Illinois, is a native of Virginia, having been born in Fanquier county, that State, May 7, 1824. His parents were Alexander and Margaret (White) Lawler, both natives of Virginia. His father served with distinction in the war of 1812. His father was a cooper, and fol- lowed his trade in liis native State until the spring of 1839, when he with his family drove from Virginia to Ohio, and thence to Schuyler county, bringing all their worldly goods in their wagon. Arrived in Illinois, they purchased 160 acres of wild timber land in Woodstock township, on which they built a log house, and began the life of pioneers. Both father and mother lived here until their death, although it had been much improved during their possession, both with buildings of a substantial kind, as well as tlic land well - .
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