USA > Illinois > Brown County > Biographical review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois: Containing biographical sketches of pioneers and leading citizens > Part 65
USA > Illinois > Cass County > Biographical review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois: Containing biographical sketches of pioneers and leading citizens > Part 65
USA > Illinois > Schuyler County > Biographical review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois: Containing biographical sketches of pioneers and leading citizens > Part 65
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BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF CASS,
continued farming there until 1889, when he sold the farm and inoved into Mt. Sterling. He then engaged in the manufacture of tile and brick. The inost solid and enduring brick in existence is made by Mr. Bush at his yards. . It is exclusively used for the paving of Jack- sonville and Quincy. He introduced the first portable steam sawinill into Brown county, and owned and operated the first mower and reaper combined, the first twine binder and the first thresher in that part of the State. Mr. Bush is an intelligent man, he has pro- gressive ideas and he is not afraid to put them into practice.
He was married in 1848, to Lucinda Stayle, born in that part of Morgan now included in Scott county, a daughter of Peter and Par- thena Stayle, natives of Kentucky and pio- neers of Morgan county. Mr. and Mrs. Buslı have eight children: Elizabeth A., Peter T., Emma J., Alexander J., Parthena S., Asenatlı, Minnie and R. Arthur. He is a Republican in politics.
ILLIAM J. LAMBERT, a promin- ent citizen of Schuyler county, has been a resident of the State of Illi- nois since his childhood, and has aided in de- veloping the wild, uncultivated land into one of the inost fertile farming sections in the United States. He is a native of Washing- ton county, Kentucky, born January 21, 1832, a son of William and Catharine (Den- nis) Lambert. William Lambert, Sr., was born in Washington county, Kentucky, and was reared to the occupation of a farmer, which he followed all his life. He emi- grated to Illinois in 1836, and settled at Rushville, where he operated a pioneer hotel until 1844; he died in that ycar, at the age
of forty-five years. The trip to Illinois was made with a covered wagon and four liorses, and the trials and hardships endured by the family were many, and such as are incident to life on the frontier. The mother of our subject was born in Mercer county, Ken- tucky, and died at Rushville, Illinois, at an advanced age; she was married a second time, this union being to Charles Wells; she reared a family of three children, two of whom sur- vive, Mrs. M. O. Snyder and William J., the subject of this notice.
He was a youth of fourteen years when he left the home of his childhood, and went out to meet some of tlie responsibilities of life; lic first worked for his brother by the month, and in 1847 he came to Littleton township, and bought a tract of wild prairie land, which he undertook to improve and place under cultivation. Here he was married April 18, 1852, to Miss Josephine Rose, who was born on the farm which is now her home, June 29, 1833. Her parents, Randolph and Sarah Rose, were natives of Kentucky, but emigrated to Illinois and settled in Schuyler county in 1826; they had to undergo all the hardships of pioneer life, and did their share in the development and improvement of the country; they had a family of three children. Mr. and Mrs. Lambert are the parents of eight children, six of whom are living: Mabel is the wife of George Little, and has two children; William L. is married and has two children; Ellen, a talented artist, is a pupil in the Art Institute, Chicago; Edward is on tlie home farm; Josephine is a teacher in the Littleton schools; Fannic is at home. Tlie family have had excellent educational advan- tages, and are among the most prominent citizens of the county.
Mr. Lambert in his youth enjoyed only suclı educational facilities as were afforded in the
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district schools, but he improved his time and secured a fund of information that fitted him for the ordinary duties of life. After his marriage he settled on a farın which he oc- cupied for some time and then sold; he now owns nearly 500 acres of as choice land as lies within the borders of the county. He is engaged in general farming, but gives especial attention to the raising of high-grade cattle.
Politically he affiliates with the Demo- cratic party. For more than twenty years he has been School Director, and has always given a liberal support to those movements which tend to advance the interests of the county and State. In his religious faith he is a Baptist, and has been a member of that church for many years. The children being reared to this faith, are also members of the church.
HARLES H. JU ETT, a well-known farmer of Woodstock township is the subject of the following biographical sketch. He is a native of the State of Ken- tucky, born in Fayette county, June 7, 1831, a son of John and Catharine (Hoffman) Juett; the parents were natives ef the Blue- grass State, and there passed all their days; they had born to them a family of nine chil- dren, two of whom died in infancy, and four of whom are yet living. Charles H. was married February 22, 1859, to Miss Mary Jane Hoffman, a native of Fayette county Kentucky, and a danghter of Michael and Syba Hoffman. Nine children have been born of this union, two of whom died in in- fancy: John M .; William, who is married and has one child; Anna M., married and the mother of two children; Catharine A., married and the mother of three children;
Eliza E .; Charles H .; Benjamin D .; Effie S. and Francis M.
After his marriage Mr. Juett removed to Illinois, and settled in Brown county; later he came to Schuyler county, and here he purchased 160 acres of timber land; he then undertook the task of clearing this and plac- ing it under cultivation; he erected a log cabin, 16 x 18 feet, which was afterward de- stroyed by fire. As his means increased he made additional investments in land, and now owns 320 acres, all under cul- tivation. He is engaged in general farm- ing, and has been very successful. He has filled various local offices, and in both public and private life he has made a record for honorable and correct methods of dealing that command the confidence of the entire community.
In politics he was allied with the Whig party until its dissolution, and since that time he has voted the Democratic ticket.
ENRY MEYER, an old and retired Ger- man farmer of section 19, township 17, range 11, was born in Prussia, Germany, in 1814. His parents lived and died in Prus- sia, when quite old. The father, Conrad, was a small farmer, and he and his wife were members of the Lutheran Church. Henry is the youngest but one of the family. He and a brother Fred are the only surviving members of the family. Henry has earned his own living since he was eight years old and has made his present large fortune entirely by his own efforts. He was yet a young man when in the spring of 1833 he sailed from Bremen, on a sailing vessel, arriving at New Orleans after a voyage of nine weeks. He came up the Mississippi river and spent some few months
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- in Missouri, but not liking it he came on to Beardstown, Illinois, and settled here, being among the first settlers of the locality. They were all strangers to him. He is now the old- est settler now living in the county, which was all unbroken when he came to it in the spring of 1833. Arenzville was a small town indeed when he settled there, consisting of two log houses. Beardstown and Virginia were ham- lets, and no roads marked out the sectional and township lines. In fact there were no improvements in the county to amount to anything. As there were no railroads the pioneers had but few advantages to sell their produce when they had raised it. Mr. Meyer has lived to see all this changed,.doing his full share to effect this change. He has worked hard to increase his original 186 acres to his present number of 380 acres, of which 250 are highly improved. The 380 acres are di- vided into two separate farms, each supplied with a complete set of farm buildings. Un- til about five years ago Mr. Meyer worked hard, but then, as advancing age told upon him, he retired, and has been living quietly ever since, enjoying the fruits of his labors. He is now seventy-eight years old, and can point to a life of usefulness that would put to shame many an idle man.
He was married in this county to Eliza- beth Talkemeyer, born near the old home of her husband in Prussia, Germany. Slie came to America with a brother, Frederick, in the '40s, their parents having died in Germany. After they landed in New Or- leans, they came north to Beardstown, and here they both lived and died. Mrs. Meyer died at her home where her husband yet lives, September, 1884, aged sixty-seven. She was a good wife, a devoted mother, and a kind neighbor. Mr. and Mrs. Meyer were the parents of four children: Caroline Keane, of
Arenzville; Mary, wife of William Duvel- meier, of Beardstown; Henry manages the farm, and married Caroline Baujan, of Arenz- ville; Louisa, wife of Fred Wienkencman, a farmer on one of Mr. Meyer's farms.
Mr. Meyer has been a leading. man for many years in his section, and one of the most prominent members of the Lutheran Church in Beardstown, and one near Arenz- ville. Hs is an ardent Republican in poli- tics.
NGUS McPHAIL was born in Glasgow, Scotland, April 25, 1810. His father, Angus, was born on the island of Mull, and served an apprenticeship in Glasgow, to the trade of haberdasher. He then went into business for himself, but was not suc- cessful, losing all he had. He then decided to come to America, and try his fortune in the new world. His son, Angus, sent money to defray the expenses of his parents to America in 1844. He spent his last days in Lee township, and died aged eighty-four years. His wife's name was Jane, daughter of James and Flora (McVicker) Crawford. She was born in Argyleshire, Scotland, and died at the home of our subject. Her father was born in Renfrewshire, Scotland, and descended from the early settlers of that place who fled from France during the time of the persecution by the Roman Catholics. He was a sailor, and followed the sea many years. He fell from the mast, finally, and was killed. His wife passed her entire life in Scotland. The mother of our subject reared seven children: Archibald, Jane, and our subject, were the only ones that came to America.
Angus was reared in Glasgow, and served six years' apprenticeship to the tailor's trade,
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SCHUYLER AND BROWN COUNTIES.
and then did journey work in different parts of Great Britain. He came to America in 1835, and stopped in New York a few weeks, and then made his way to Toronto, there bought property and opened a shop, continu- ing at his trade until 1837. Early in the spring of 1838, he left for the States by a roundabout route, and at last reached St. Louis, which then contained but 2,000 peo- ple. He stopped there a short time, and then came on to Beardstown, and from there to Rushville, and here opened a shop where le conducted his business until 1840, and then went to Mt. Sterling, and there opened a shop and continued until 1850. He then moved to the farm he now owns, and has since been engaged in farming.
He was married in Glasgow, in 1833, to Mary Crawford, born in Scotland, who died in 1852. He was married a second time in 1855, to Jane McCaskill, born in Sangamnon county, Illinois, February 26, 1828. Her father, Daniel, was born in North Carolina, and his father, John, was born in Scotland, and coming to America settled in Nortlı Carolina, and then went to South Carolina, where he died. The father of Mrs. McPhail went to Indiana wlien a young man, and studied medicine, and continued practicing there. He then became one of the pioneers of Sangamon county, Illinois. He practiced medicine in that county until 1835, and then took eighty acres of Government land in Pea Ridge township, and bought 240 acres more in the same township. He remained there until his death, at the age of fifty- nine. The maiden name of the mother was Esther Turner, the daughter of Archibald Turner, a native of Ireland, who died at the liome of the family in Pea Ridge township.
Mr. and Mrs. McPhail have four living children: Daniel, William, Archihald Jolin
and Flora Ellen. He has also four living children by his first wife: Mary, Catherine, James and Scotland. They are members of the Presbyterian and Methodist Churches, and he is a Republican.
ENRY A. HIERMAN, a young and energetic farmer, living on section 12, township 17, range 12, was born on this farrm on June 6, 1865. He was educated in the public schools, and lived at home until the death of his father, since which time he has farmed on his own account. He is the fourth son of nine children born to his parents, Bernhardt and Mary (Legermeier) Hierman, natives of Germany, whose parents both lived and died in the fatherland. The father was yet a young man, about twenty years of age, when he came to the United States in the '50s and inade a settlement at Beardstown. He there followed his trade of painter, which he had learned in Germany. He afterward decided to go to farming, and purchased land six miles from Beardstown, in township 17, range 11. He here improved a large and beautiful tract of land embracing inore than 300 acres. There are eighty acres of timber. He put up good farin buildings and made everything pleasant around him. Here he died, November 16, 1887, in the fifty-sixth year of his life. He was a good man, well known throughout the community. He was a Republican, and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His wife, who survives him, had come to the United States when a young woman. She married Mr. Hierman in Beardstown, and after his death inarried a second time, Fred Housmier, a re- tired farmer. His first wife had died here. Mr. and Mrs. Housmier arc members of the
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BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF CASS,
Methodist Episcopal Church, and Mr. Hous- mier is a Republican in polities.
Mr. Hierman now conducts a large farm of 320 acres, belonging to his mother. He has been operating it for the past three years very snecessfully. It is in a high state of eultivation and is one of the substantial farins of the township. The brothers of our subjeet are: William A., a farmer of Schuyler county, married to Mary Winklehack; Edward, a dealer in agricultural implements in Arenz- ville, married Josie Beard; Thedora married Cinda Haekman, and they are fariners in Morgan eounty; our subject married Lizzie Nordsick, who was born and reared in Cass connty, and is the mother of one child, Inas; Frank lives with his brother Edward, in Arenzville; George lives with his brother Theo, in Morgan county; Louis and Al- bert, twins; and Charles is with his brother Henry.
Mr. Hierman is a Lutheran, but his wife is a Methodist. Mr. Hierman is a Republi- can, and both he and his wife are highly re- speeted throughout the community where they live.
ONRAD BECKER, now a retired farmer living iu seetion 32, township 17, range 11, near Arenzville, was born in Hesse- Darmstadt, Germany, August 18, 1826. He grew up and was educated in his native provinee, being twenty-one years old when le came to the United States, sailing front Bremen on a sailing vessel that landed him in New Orleaus after an eight weeks' voyage. He came from there up the Mississippi river to St. Louis, and from there to Beardstown, taking five weeks to make the trip. He set- tled in the last named eity, February, 1847. He was a poor man at that time and among
strangers, but by hard work and economy he has accumulated a fortune. He is the only member of his family who eame to the United States. The parents of Mr. Becker died in Germany, and were fariners, as were their parents before them, and they were Lutherans in religion.
Mr. Beeker has lived in Cass county for forty years, and has been a successful farmer and stoek-raiser. His property embraces some very fine land, besides his fine residence and a large number of Government bonds.
Mr. Beeker was married in Arenzville in 1851, to Miss Sarah Hakes, born in Notting- hamshire, March 7, 1828, daughter of Will- iam and Elizabetlı (Freeman) Hakes, natives of Nottinghamshire, England, where they lived and died. Mrs. Becker lost her inother when quite young, and so was obliged to take care of herself. She is the only member of her family who eaine to the United States, and she made the trip in 1848, sailing from Liverpool, England. She landed in New York city after a voyage of some weeks, and eame thence to Morgan eounty, Illinois, where she remained a few weeks, and then came on to Arenzville, which has sinee been her home. She has proved herself a true wife and mother, always willing to do any amount of hard work. Mr. and Mrs. Beeker have three children: Henry married Mattie Boyer, and resides in Arenzville; Mary died in 1882, at the age of twenty-four, being tlie wife of Herman Weber; Lizzie, wife of Ed. Petefish, farmers of Virginia, this county.
OHN H. WALKER was born in Gray- son county, Kentucky, October 5, 1831. His father was Felix, born in Brecken- ridge county, Kentucky, November 14, 1804.
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SCHUYLER AND BROWN COUNTIES.
539
He was a farmer whose father, William Walker, was a farmer who lived and died in the same county. He owned a good home and raised a large family. Felix Walker came to Rushville and settled four miles north of Buena Vista township, in 1837. He rented lands for some years, but in 1844 he bought forty acres in Brooklyn township. This was wild land, on which he lived for only a short time. He had but a few hundred dollars and soon mnoved to the hamlet of Brooklyn, where lie died November 14, 1845. He left a wife, five danghters and his only son, John. Soon after his death, his daughter Harriet died, in her sixteenth year. The mother of these children was Rachel Watts, of Hardin county, Kentucky. She died January 22, 1884, aged eiglity years. Slie was lame many years from a dislocated hip cansed by a fall, but other than that she was well and bright to the last. There are four of her children still living: Mr. Walker; Sarah Blackburn, living in Brooklyn town- ship; Catherine Hine, also of Brooklyn; Callie Shaler, living in Adams county, Iowa.
Mr. Walker grew up on the farm and re- mained at home until thirty-one years of age, when lie enlisted, August 11, 1862, in Com- pany A, Seventy-eiglith Illinois Infantry. He served nearly three years, and was in but one general engagement, and that against Hood at Nashville, Tennessee. He was in seven skirmishes, but was confined to the hospital most of the time. He returned to Brooklyn and resumed farming the forty acres his father had left. In 1866, with liis brother-in-law, Orville Blackburn, he bought eighty acres on section 29, for $1,700. They farmed this in company for three years.
In 1869 he was married to Lydia McAllis- ter, born in Shelby county, Kentucky, dauglı- ter of Enoch and Elizabeth (Smiley) Mc-
Allister, who came to Illinois in 1854. The father died in the Confederate army, at Cor- inth, Mississippi, in 1862, aged fifty-one. His wife is living near Huntsville, eighty- one years of age, and is still well and active. Mr. and Mrs. Walker have buried one child, but they have five living: Felix, Adolphus, George A., Maude A. and an unnamed baby. Mr. Walker has eighty acres in his home farm and 120 elsewhere. He raises horses, cattle and hoge, buying and selling thein. He has been Road Commissioner many years, Super- visor five years and is also Assessor. He is a Republican, member of G. A. R., George A. Brown Post, and is a Master Mason.
OHN W. MCCLINTOCK was born in Ireland, August 12, 1812. His father was also John, a farmer in Ireland, who died there iu middle life, when his son was a youth. His wife was Jane Thompson, the mother of fifteen children. She lived to be quite aged. Of this family, Isabella came to this country first, when a young lady and her sister, Margaret, joined her. Onr subject came next, when twenty-eight years of age, bringing his wife and two children. His wife was Eliza Hebron. They came in 1840 on the sail ship, Sardiana, and were six weeks and three days between Liverpool and New York. They encountered a great storm, and for two nights they were nailed below the decks. Mr. McClintock had $100 after pay- ing his way. They lived first with a farmer of Chester county, named William Webb, a grand, good man, a Quaker. Mr. McClin- tock lived with him for five years, in which he had house rent, cow and feed, free. In 1846 they to Ohio, and two years later he bought two acres of land, for $200, at
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BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF CASS,
Youngstown, Ohio. He lived here five years, farming, and within five years he bought eight acres in the suburbs of that village, for $166 an acre, and brush at that! At this time there were eight railroads there. This eight acres brought him $500 in money and 120 acres of land here in Brooklyn township. His two acres brought him $500, and he came to his present farm liome in the fall of 1871.
They have buried one son, John, who died in 1882, aged thirty-three years. The living ones are: William, a farmer on the old home- stead; Andrew, at home; Sarah, now Mrs. James Henderson, fariners in this township; Hugh, on an adjoining farm.
Mr. McClintock has voted the Republican ticket since Horace Greeley ran for President. They are members of the Baptist Church, and have given their children a good educa- tion. Although Mr. McClintock had only $100 when he landed in this country, he and his family now have 300 acres of land, worth $30 an acre, with no mortgage upon it. They are worthy people and are justly proud of their success.
ICHARD BOYD, a farmer on section 34, Oakland township, Schuyler county, is a native of county Donegal, Ireland, born in 1858, the son of James and Cather- ine Boyd; the parents of both died on the Emerald Isle, the father at the age of sixty years, and the mother at the age of ninety- nine. At the age of sixteen years Richard Boyd bade farewell to his home and friends and native land, and crossed the sea to America; he landed at the port of New York, and continued his journey to Pitts- burgh, Peunsylvania, to which point his
ticket carried him. He soon secured em- ployment at $2 a day, and worked until he had paid back his passage money which he was obliged to borrow; he remained in Pitts- burgh three years, and at the end of that time came West with his brother Jamnes, who had preceded him to America. He was in the employ of John Young for three years, at $16 a month; he then spent a year in prospecting, and ended his observations by purchasing a tract of eighty acres, a part of his present farm, the consideration being $600; he has since added forty-three acres, and has made many improvements, develop- ing one of the most desirable farms in the township.
Mr. Boyd was married in March, 1891, to Miss Jessie Ackinan, a danghter of Isaac and Nancy (Harmon) Ackman. Mrs. Ack- man died when Jessie was a child of six years, and Mr. Ackman married a second time to Miss Maria Hay, of Ohio; he died May 26, 1886. He was a fariner by occu- pation, and was one of the pioneers of this county, settling here in 1842. There were nine children of the first marriage, and to these the second wife was a good and kind inother; she was as deeply and truly mourned as was the father: David Ackman lives in northern Kentucky; Georgiaua is the wife of Edward Garrett, and lives in Kansas; Mary married Blair Simpson, a farmer of northı- ern Wisconsin; the rest of the family live in Sehuyler county. Mr. Boyd does a general farming business, raising grains and live- stock; his preference iu the latter is Short- horn cattle and Poland-China hogs.
Mr. and Mrs. Boyd are both members of church, and are liberal supporters of the re- ligious denominations. Politically, he affili- ates with the Republican party. Two of his brothers and two of his sisters are living in
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SCHUYLER AND BROWN COUNTIES.
the United States, but the remainder of the family are in Ireland. Mr. Boyd is a man of many sterling traits of character, and has the respect of his adopted countrymen.
AMUEL W. COOK, a highly respected inember of the farmning community of Oakland township, was born in Marion county, Ohio, in 1833, a son of Peter L. Cook. The father was born in 1808. and died May 2, 1892, aged eighty-four years; he enjoyed excellent health until about three weeks previous to his death. The paternal grandfather of our subject, John Cook, was a blacksmith by trade, and also carried on farming in Marion county, Ohio; he was sixty-two years of age at the time of his deatlı, and left his second wife a widow. His first wife was Susan Londerback, a na- tive of Pennsylvania, and in that State they were married; thence they removed to Olio, when Peter L. was a small lad; he is one of a family of nine children, seven of whom grew to adult age. He married Hannah Hankle, a native of Bucks county, Pennsyl- vania, and a daughter of Henry Hankle, who died at the advanced age of ninety-six years. Eleven children were born of this union; the mother died in the fall of 1887, in her seventy-sixth year; one son died in the summer of 1859, aged twenty-eight years; he left a wife and five children; the other members of the family are living, all are married and have families, the first, second and third generations numbering about 125 souls.
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