USA > Illinois > Brown County > Biographical review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois: Containing biographical sketches of pioneers and leading citizens > Part 60
USA > Illinois > Cass County > Biographical review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois: Containing biographical sketches of pioneers and leading citizens > Part 60
USA > Illinois > Schuyler County > Biographical review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois: Containing biographical sketches of pioneers and leading citizens > Part 60
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Joseph resided at home after his marriage until the death of his mother. In the fall of 1889, he removed to Brown connty, and pur- chased his present farm of 159 acres of land, fifteen acres of this is planted with as fine an orchard as is in this part of the State. This farm is a very good one in every way, as it onght to be, as Mr. Smith has always followed farming, and so ought to know how to de- velop his land. He deals largely in the cult- nre of sinall fruits and has been very suc- cessful with them.
Mr. Smith's father was a blacksmith by trade, and pursued his trade in his native State. This work had no attraction for Jo- seph, however, and so he turned his atten- tion to farming, with very satisfactory re- sults, as his nice farm with the two sets of farm buildings testifies.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith have no children. Mr. Smith is a Republican, but like his father
before him he has refused any office. He and his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church, of Clayton. They are very estima- ble people, and enjoy the respect of the whole community.
OHN BAUJAN, deceased, who died at his home at Beardstown, July 4, 1889, at the age of sixty-nine years, was born in Siegberg, Germany, April 6, 1820. He came of pure German stock and had grown up to the trade of stone and brick mason. He left Antwerp with two of his fellow towns- men, William and Philip Frisbaugh, in the spring of 1849. They landed in New Orleans and came up the river in one of the old river boats to St. Louis. The cholera was raging there at this time and he came on to Arenz- ville, Cass county, Illinois, and was engaged there for some years at his trade of making brick, building several houses at that place. He then lived one year on a farm three miles from Arenzville, and in 1856 came to Beards- town and made this place his home until his death. He followed his trade and later he with Philip Frisbaugh, put up a sawmill and ran it two years. After that, with John Schultz, he purchased tlie gristmill at this place under the firm name of Banjan & Schultz. They did a very large and success- ful business here. At his death the mill in- terest went to his two sons, Louis and Edward. Mr. Baujan was a good, upright man and one of the city's best and most successful citizens. He was a Democrat in politics and a Roman Catholic in religion. He was an Alderman of Beardstown city and served in that capacity in a faithful manner.
He was married in 1852, to Catharine Yock of Würtemburg, Germany, born September
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10, 1828. She was the daughter of Jacob and Christina (Trouth) Yock, who lived and died at Würtemburg. They were members of the Lutheran Church and were worthy, liard- working people. Mrs. Baujan came of a large family, who now reside here. She has been a true, good wife and mother, and is a much respected lady of this county and a most con- sistent member of the Lutheran Church. Mr. and Mrs. Baujan had eight children, one, Philipena, died young. Those living are: John of the grocery firm of Baujan Brothers, on Fourth street, this city; Rosa, wife of John Schultz, a miller of this city; Henry, who is a liveryman and blacksmith; Kate, wife of Charles Rupple, with his father, Henry Rup- ple, in the shoe business; Louis and Edward, of the firm of Baujan Brothers, millers; and Otto, of the firm of Baujan Brothers, grocery merchants.
AMES L. DE WITT, a son of the Rev. James De Witt, whose biography ap- pears on another page of this history, was born in Rushville township, Schuyler county, Illinois, April 30, 1845. He remained at home and lcd the life which usually falls to the pioneer farmer's son, until twenty-five years of age, when he was united in marriage to Miss Sarah F. Ross, who was born in this township and county, October 6, 1850. Her parents, Talbart and Catharine (Snyder) Ross, were natives of Kentucky and Virginia respectively. The father emigrated to Illi- nois about the year 1830, and died liere at the age of forty-five years; he purchased land and left one of the finest farms in this locality. Ilis wife was a native of the Shen- andoah valley, and died in Adams county, Illinois, at the age of fifty-six years. They
had born to thein a family of nine children, eiglit of whom are living. In his political opinions Mr. Ross affiliated with the Demo- cratic party until 1844; he their united with the Whigs, to whom he gave his support un- til 1856; he then cast his suffrage with the Republican party. He and his wife belonged to the Methodist Episcopal Church, and were members of the Rev. James De Witt's con- gregation, in Littleton township; they were zealous workers in the Sabbath-school, and were among the pioneers in establishing and keeping up organizations.
Mr. De Witt has been a citizen of this community all his life. He has represented the people in the various local offices; has been town Clerk. Justice of the Peace, and Collector, rendering entire satisfaction in his methods of conducting the business of these offices; it should not be omitted that he has filled the position of Supervisor three terms, giving the same faithful service that has characterized his transaction of business, both public and private. Mr. and Mrs. Dc Witt are the parents of two children: Jessie R. was born February 26, 1875; Clyde L. was born January 1, 1882.
HOMAS J. CHALFANT, a well-known and influential citizen of Beardstown, Illinois, was born in West Virginia in 1823. His parents, William and Helen (Adams) Chalfant, were natives of Pennsyl- vania. Here they were rearcd and were married, after which they moved into West Virginia, and Mr. Chalfant followed his trade of ship carpenter until his death, which occurred when he was sixty-five years old. His wife had died previously, in 1832, leaving six children, three of whom are yet living.
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Thomas Chalfant is the only one of the family in this State. He came to the State when but twelve years of age, with a family by'the name of Clark. He had lived with this family after the death of his mother. He assisted in farming until he was twenty- four, and then learned the trade of inachine carpenter and pattern-maker, and after learn- ing was three years in a foundry. At last he went to work on his own account, and started to making wagons. For years he made a greater number of the wagons than were made in the whole surrounding country, but in time he was obliged to give way to the larger manufactories, and he then did repair- ing until six years ago, when he turned the business over to his son Walter, who now carries on the business with his partner, Mr. Doesser. Mr. Chalfant has lived in the town of Beardstown so long that he has seen it change from a wilderness to the growing, prosperous place it now is. He has lived here ever since coming to the State, with the exception of a trip he took in 1859. He started in that year for Pike's Peak, but be- came discouraged and returned home. Beards- town was the chief town for conveying goods from St. Louis to inland places, and oxen were used to draw the wagons from one place to the other, and this slow and laborious mode of travel was continued some time after Mr. Chalfant caine to the State.
He was married in Beardstown, to Miss Anna E. Norton, of Wheeling, West Vir- ginia, and the daughter of Thomas P. Nor- ton, a worthy pioneer of Illinois. He started the first store and hardware shop of Beards- town. Two of their children are deceased. Their living children are: Helen, now Mrs. David B. Treadway, of Butler county, Ne- braska; Matilda, now Mrs. William Danner, of Kansas; Walter S., who carries on his
father's old business, married Louisa Looken, and resides in Beardstown; Gertrude, now Mrs. James McClure; Anna, now Mrs. Edwin Stribbs, of Beardstown.
Mr. Chalfant is one of Beardstown's most honored and respected men. He has worked his way up from a poor boy to the position he now enjoys. He has retired from busi- ness, and is now reaping the benefits of lis years of toil and labor.
EPTHA PLASTER, au esteemed pioneer of Cass county, Illinois, for four years Associate Justice, and a prominent citi- zen of Chandlerville, was born in Robinsou county, Tennessee, March 19, 1827.
His parents, Thomas and Elizabetlı (Batts) Plaster, were also natives of Tennessee, the families on both sides being prominent in the State, many members holding responsible public offices. Thomas and Mary Plaster, the paternal grandparents, were natives of North Carolina, who accompanied their son to Illinois in an early day. The grandfather was a devout and able Baptist minister, who, besides successfully conducting a farm, preached throughont Cass and adjacent counties, doing much good in the dissemina- tion of moral and religious knowledge. No opportunity escaped him of enlightening the people in regard to their obligations, and urging upon thein a conscientious fulfillment of their duties. On one occasion, when the subject of this sketch and his grandfather were on their way to the mill, the old gentle- man, seeing a group of people, addressed them in an impressive discourse, after which he and his grandson resumed their journey. The grand parents lived to a very old age, and were the recipients of wide-spread and uni-
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versal esteem. The maternal grandparents, Jeremialı Batts and wife, were life-long and respected residents of Tennessee, where they died at an advanced age greatly mourned by a large circle of friends. The father of the sub- ject of this sketch grew to manhood in his native State of Tennessee, and was there mar- ried. A few years after marriage, in the spring of 1828, leaving his family in Ten- nessee, he canie alone to Illinois, and located Government land. In the fall of the same year, he returned after his family, who, with his parents, accompanied him on his removal to the Prairie State. The journey was made overland with an ox team and cart, several weeks being consumed on the way. Once, their cart broke down, and they were obliged to trade a horse for a wagon with whicli to procced. On their arrival in Illinois, the grandfather settled on Governinent land in Morgan county, which then embraced what is now Cass county, the latter having been forined out of Morgan county territory in 1835. The father continued to live on rented land for a year or two, when lie removed to his own farm. For twelve or fourteen years, he and his family occupied a little log cabin. This was subsequently replaced by a better log and frame house, which, in 1853, gave place to a substantial farm residence. His father purchased all his early supplies in Beardstown, which then boasted of but one log store. The country abounded in wild gaine, such as deer, squirrel, rabbit, tur- key, prairie chicken, etc., whichi, supple- mented by the products of the farm, formed the diet of the frontiersman. Thus, industri- ously and happily, the parents passed their lives on the old homestead, which they had reclaimed from the wilderness. It was in this home, made sacred by many ties, that the beloved inother expired at the age of
fifty-five years. The father survived hier but a short time, dying in 1858, aged fifty-six, as if unable to endure separation from his life-long companion. This worthy couple had nine children, three of whom survive: the subject of this sketch; Mrs. Richard M. Johnson, living in Chandlerville precinct, Cass county, Illinois; and Mrs. Elizabeth Layman, residing in Lincoln, Logan county, same State.
Jeptha Plaster, whose name heads this memoir, spent his early days on the old homestead, and received his education at a subscription school and from private instruc- tion at his teacher's home. In those days, it was customary for the teacher to board around in the various families of the neighborhood, each person subscribing toward the support of the school, according to the number of children sent: Our subject's father agreed to send two pupils, but usually sent and paid for three.
When twenty-one years of age, Mr. Plaster rented land from his father, which he farmed until 1852, at which time, induced by the gold excitement in California, he went over- land to that State, where he spent a year and a half prospecting and mining. He then returned to his old home, and worked on his father's farm.
On October 14, 1858, lie married Miss Elizabeth Johnson, an estimable lady, and a native of Morgan, now Cass, county, where she was born March 15, 1838. She was a daughter of John and Rosanna (Adkins) Johnson, both natives of Tennessee, who were early settlers and esteemed residents of this section of Illinois.
Mr. Plaster continued to fellow agricultural pursuits until 1880, when he bought his valuable city property, on which he erected his present comfortable residence, and retired
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from farm life. His father left at his death about 1,000 acres of land, of whichı Mr. P'las- ter now owns about 600 acres, a good share of which he bought.
Coming of a family of lifetime Democrats, Mr. Plaster has followed in their footsteps, casting his first vote in 1848 for Lewis Cass and William O. Butler for president and vice-president. His constituents have em- phasized their appreciation of his abilty and worth by electing him Associated Justice of Cass county in 1869. He is also a member of the School Board, his election to the latter position having been non-partisan and un- songht, although he appreciates the honor.
Such unanimous endorsement of Judge Plaster's worth renders further remarks on the subject not only unnecessary but imper- tinent. He has brought to his office a varied and extended experience, unusual acumen, and sustained powers of thought and reason as well as a reputation above reproach, to- gether with a kindly disposition, which can sympathize while condemning, thus winning the hearts of his fellow-men.
APTAIN ROBERT E. WILLIAMS, Postmaster and druggist, of Camden, has been one of the most prominent of its residents since 1850. He was born in Montgomery county, Kentucky, April 14, 1829, being a son of Robert P. and Christina A. (Urquhart) Williams, both natives of Kentucky. The family came to Illinois in 1830, and first settled in Haucock connty, but soon removed to Quincy. Robert Will- iams was a lawyer and practiced law the re- mainder of his life at Quincy. He died in 1840. He was an ardent Whig, and held local offices. He was also a member of the
Metliodist Episcopal Churchi, being an earnest worker. When he died he was only thirty- five years old. His wife died in 1833, aged thirty years. They had three children, of whom Robert is the only surviving member. The father of Robert P. was John, and he married Amelia Gill. They came to Illinois, and died in Pike county. They had a large family of twelve children which they raised. They were widely known and respected.
Robert E. received a fair education, and then clerked in several stores until lie came to Schuyler county in 1850 and engaged in farming, in Birmingham township, where lie purchased 340 acres of land. Three years later he removed to Rushville and engaged in saddlery and harness, continuing in the same nearly twenty years, and was also en- gaged in the drug trade. In 1879 he came to Camden, and has since represented the drug trade in Camden.
In the time of his country's need he enlisted in Company K. One Hundred and Thirty-seventh Illinois Volunteers, going as Captain. They were stationed at Memphis. Captain Williams raised this company and served 100 days, the time of the enlistment. On his return he assisted in raising Company K, One Hundred and Fifty-first Illinois Vol- unteer Infantry, of which he was made First Lieutenant. They were ordered to Nashville, and from there to join Sherman in Georgia, at Columbus. Here the company was mus- tered out of service.
In the cyclone of 1887 Mr. Williams lost his building and a fine stock of goods. He was caught up and lodged in the branches of an apple tree, some distance from where lie was.
He was married in 1851, to Mary E. Baker, born in Missouri, a daughter of George Baker. She died in Rushville in 1877, leaving one
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son, Emory, now with his father. In 1879 Captain Williams was married to Nancy Allen, who was born in Ohio. They have two children, Ellen M. and Myrtle A.
He is a Republican in politics, and has been one since the formation of the party, and has held the position of Postmaster since 1880, with the exception of about ten months during the Cleveland administration. He is a member of Ruslıville Lodge, No. 9, A. F. & A. M., and Royal Arch and Chapter, at the same place. He was Master of the lodge two terms, and has held many of the minor offices. He is now Secretary of the lodge. He and his wife are worthy members of society, and are highly esteemed by all who know them.
EORGE EDWARD SNYDER, a prominent farmer and respected citizen of section 15, Buena Vista township, Schuyler county, Illinois, was born in the same section on which he now resides, the date of which event was October 7, 1836. His parents were Jacob and Margaret (Hughes) Snyder, natives of Virginia, who located in Schuyler county, October 5, 1835. His father was born August 9, 1798, and died Septem- ber 28, 1865, aged sixty-seven years. His mother was born March 23, 1798, and died November 7, 1849, aged fifty-one years. She was a woman of inany admirable traits of character, much beloved, aud lamented by her family and friends. His parents were married February 10, 1822, and located in Schuyler county, Illinois, October 5, 1835. They had four children: John W., born in Frederick county, Virginia, June 4, 1823; Jaines W., born June 14, 1830, now residing on a farm near Hamilton, Illinois; Joseph W.,
born July 9, 1833, resides in Littleton town- ship, same State; and the subject of our sketch.
Our subject was reared on a farm, and at- tended the district schools. He lived at home and assisted on the farm, until he was mar- ried, on October 25, 1859, after which he farmed for himself. He married Margaret McCreary, daughter of Robert and Fannie McCreary. After his marriage, he rented land in Buena Vista township, on which he remained for two years, and then purchased 320 acres in Huntsville township, where he lived until the death of his father, in 1865, when he sold his farm and returned to the old homestead, where he has since resided. He owns 162 acres of land and has good improve- ments. Besides agriculture, he deals largely in live-stock, in which he is very successful.
His wife died March 16, 1877. She was a woman of ability and was much lamented by her family and friends. She left six children: Roland M., who was born September 9, 1862, now a farmer of Buena Vista township; Charles died at the age of seven years, four months and twenty-seven days; Florence was born April 10, 1867, and married P. Bartlow, now residing in Littleton township; Fannie was born August 8, 1870; Dwight C. was born May 27, 1874; and Carl C. was born September 14, 1876.
Our subject married a second time Sep- tember 26, 1877, lis choice being Mrs. Eva Ann Boyles, nee Krieole. She was born in Clarion county, Pennsylvania, March 16, 1845. Her parents were David and Mary Krieole, both natives of Pennsylvania, who re- moved to Ohio about 1846, locating in Benton county. Here their daughter, Eva Ann, married John H. Boyles, October 6, 1861, who in 1869 removed to Illinois, locating in Augusta, Hancock county, later removing to
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Schuyler county, where he died September 19, 1873. He was a soldier in the Civil war, a member of Company D, Ninetieth Ohio, and served for three years, dying from the ef- fects of disease contracted during his service. He left five children: Mary E., born Novem- ber 2, 1862, who died aged sixteen years and three months; Martha Ann, wife of William Krieole, resides in Macomb, Illinois; Nora J. was born April 9, 1868, and died in 1873; Daniel H. was born March 12, 1870, now re- siding in Littleton township; Viola M. was born December 16, 1872, and died in May, 1874.
Mr. and Mrs. Snyder have two children: Lee Edwin, who was born January 29, 1878, and Eva Lena, born June 22, 1882.
Politically, Mr. Snyder affiliates with the Democratic party, and has been honored by his constituents by an election to a member- ship of the School Board, in which capacity he has served for twenty-one years, and has also served as Road Commissioner for a period of three years.
Mr. and Mrs. Snyder belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which they are respected members.
Upright in his dealings, of high morality, and great industry, he has accumulated a comfortable supply of this world's goods, and what is best of all, enjoys in addition thereto the hearty good-will of his fellow citizens.
*
OHN P. MURPHY, of the firm of Murphy & Co., proprietors of the Cam- den Roller Mills, at Camden, Illinois, has been a resident of Schuyler county since 1886, born in East Tennessee, August 18, 1833, being a son of William L. and Matilda (Hill) Murphy, natives of Virginia and
North Carolina. William's father was a na- tive of Scotland and came to the United States, settling in Virginia. He was a mer- chant of Richmond, Virginia. William, born in 1805, went to Sullivan county, Ten- nessee, when a young man, and there ınar- ried, and still resides there, a farmer. His wife is deceased. They had nine children: Preston W., John, Robert E., William B., David W., James J., Martha Josephine, Mary and Caroline.
Jolin was reared on a farm and received a limited education. When he grew up he learned thie trade of a blacksmith. When the war broke out he was exempted from serving, although he was conscripted. He worked for the Confederate Governinent at his trade at Knoxville. When Burnside captured the city John remained with the Union forces. In March, 1864, he engaged as engineer in a mill. In 1868 he returned to East Tennessee and worked as engineer for four years. In 1872, he returned to Brown county and continued his trade until 1886, when he came to Camden and pur- chased the Camden Roller Mills. He made many improvements, putting in the newest machinery, and has made it one of the finest niills of its kind in the vicinity. He has a flour, feed and exchange at Mount Sterling.
He was married to Flora Gault, who was born in East Tennessee, a daughter of Robert Gault. She had one child, deceased. She died at Knoxville, Tennessee. Mr. Murphy was married at Mount Sterling, to Mivina M. Black, daughter of Judge Samucl Black. He is a Democrat in politics, but takes very little interest in such matters. Mr. and Mrs. Murphy are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Murphy is a mem- ber of the Hardin Lodge, A. F. & A. M., No. 44, and also Chaplain of the R. A. M.,
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at Mount Sterling, of which he was a promi- nent inember for many years. He is also a member of Unity Lodge, No. 310, I. O. O. F., and has passed all the chairs in the same.
EV. WILLIAM WEIGAND in charge of St. Alexis' Catholic Church, Beards- town, was born in Zanesville, Ohio, April 12, 1852. He was reared in Brown county, Illinois, where his parents moved when he was a child. His parents were John and Elizabeth (Leisen) Weigand, natives of Hesse- Darmstadt, Germany. The father was a soldier in the regular German army and he came to the United States after his discharge and married his wife in Baltimore, where she had lived after coming to America with her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Weigand settled in Philadelphia and afterward mnoved to Zanes- ville, Ohio, and from there to Brown county, Illinois, in 1864, and settled on a farm. Farming was the vocation of Mr. Weigand. He died soon after coming to Illinois when he was fifty-four years of age. His wife is still living, aged seventy-six years, and is the housekeeper for her son, the subject of this notice. She has eight children, forty- eight grandchildren and twenty-two great- grandchildren. The entire family are good Catholics and are successful in whatever pro- fession they have adopted, making hosts of friends.
Mr. Weigand was thirteen years old when he was sent to St. Francis College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Later he was sent to St. Joseph College and finished his course at a college in Ohio. The church at Beardstown is the first charge he has had since he graduated in the spring of 1878. He was ordained by the
Right Rev. Father P. J. Balters, now de- ceased, then of Alton, Illinois. The church has grown under Father Weigand in a won- derful degree. When he came there four- teen years ago he found the church bending under the weight of a heavy debt. He has not only cleared off the debt, but has recently finished a new church edifice that is one of the finest buildings in the county. The cor- ner stone was laid July 7, 1889. It is of brick and all the appointments, both inside and out, are of the most beautiful design. The altar furnishings are in keeping with the general tone of the whole building, and the whole taken together far surpasses any of the buildings used for religious purposes in Beardstown.
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