USA > Illinois > Perry County > Combined history of Randolph, Monroe and Perry counties, Illinois . With illustrations descriptive of their scenery and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers > Part 108
USA > Illinois > Randolph County > Combined history of Randolph, Monroe and Perry counties, Illinois . With illustrations descriptive of their scenery and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers > Part 108
USA > Illinois > Monroe County > Combined history of Randolph, Monroe and Perry counties, Illinois . With illustrations descriptive of their scenery and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers > Part 108
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121
PRESENT BUSINESS.
Physicians .- William Vance, J. C. Barber, M. W. Clen- dinen, J. N. Taylor.
General Merchandise .- G. W. Walters.
General Merchandise and Drugs .- Benjamin Richards
P. J. Wagner, W. G. Harry & Son. Postmaster .-- W. G. Harry.
Lawyer .- John P. Mann.
Justice of the Peace .- W. G. Harry.
Blacksmiths .- Robert Emery and Son.
Wagon Maker .- John Ried.
Carpenter .- G. W. Hooker.
Tailor .- Zivny.
Machinery Agent .- Benjamin Richards.
Dressmakers .- Mrs. J. A. Ried, Miss Francis Jeffrey. Restaurant .- John Frazier.
BIOGRAPHIES.
-
SAMUEL MANSKER.
A LIFE of four-score years cannot fail to be full of eventful incidents, and especially is this true of the career of Samuel Mansker, born in Kentucky, in 1795; his family were pioneers of Missouri locating there in 1804, and a few years later settlers of Randolph county, Illinois
In 1807, the Manskers made their first improvements in Illinois, near Rockwood. The site has been washed away by the waters of the great river, many years. Upon the break- ing out of the war of 1812, the throbs of patriotism beating
in his breast, led Samuel. then a lad of seventeen, to offer his services to his country, as a drummer boy. They were accepted. For over seventy years he has resided where his father located before him, a few miles below Chester. Here he has followed his business of farming, flat-boating and trading with great snecess. He is one of the largest land owners in the county. A man of great energy, perseverance and courage. One of the few who served in the war of 1812 now living.
469
WINE HILL.
RANDOLPH COUNTY.
HIS precinct is in the southeast side of Randolph, adjoining Jackson county. It is quite irregular in shape, and com- prises in geographical area, portions of townships six and seven south, range five west and a portion of township seven south, range six west, and con- tains in all about twenty-five sections of land. The principal streams, supplying water and drainage, are Little Mill and Mobb Creeks and Mary's River. The surface is composed principally of hilly up-land. Gillespie's Prairie in the northeast contains about four hundred acres of level surface. There is also some good bottom land at the junction of Little Mill Creek and Mary's River. Most of the land, especially the hill-sides, was originally heavily wooded. Much of the surface, however, consisted of open hill-tops covered with a growth of tall grass. These open ridges proved to be fertile and well adapted to the produc- tion of wheat and clover, yielding more certain results than the prairie. The timber consists principally of oak and hickory, and is still abundant. Wheat, both in the prairie and the high lands, is the staple production. Clover is largely grown and turned under with the plow as a fer- tilizer. The precinct is well supplied with schools. There are five within its limits. The principal one is at Shiloh Hill, which at one time made considerable pretensions. An attempt was made to elevate it to the dignity of a college, and to this end a charter was granted to ten trustees by the State Legislature. The precinct is well organized and free from debt. It had, census of 1880, a population of 881. The woods, considering the ruggedness of much of the sur- face, are well kept. But little attention is paid to stock breeding. Henry Eichelman introduced the Durham breed of cattle, about 1872. The cholera of a few years ago, gave a set-back to hog-breeding, from which recovery has not yet been effected. The Essex, the Berkshire, and the Poland China breeds have received attention. The Berkshire is the favorite.
The earliest permanent settlement was made in the region of Shiloh Hill. Benjamin Brown located here in 1816. But little is known of his history. In 1817, the Bradley family made a permanent settlement in this neighborhood, which bears their name. They were hardy, influential and public spirited men, and well-fitted for pioneer life. They were James, Franklin, William and Richard. In this same year came William Guin, from Sumner county, Tennessee. He was of Irish descent, the family having emigrated to this country and settled in South Carolina, about 1775. He
brought with him to the county, his wife, Francis Canaday, whom he had married in Sumner county. He entered one hundred and sixty acres of land in the N. W. quarter of section eleven, where he improved a good farm, and on which be lived until 1848, the date of his death. He was the pioneer settler in Gillespie's Prairie, and the cabin he there erected, and the improvements he began, were among the very first evidences of civilization in the precinct. He had a family of eleven children, whose descendants are quite numerous in the county.
About the same time the settlement of Shiloh Hill was increased by the accession of Barrows and Houseman ; Jas. M. Houseman was for a number of years a respectable far- mer of that region, where descendants of the family still re- side. In 1819 Adonijah Ball made a settlement on Rock Castle creek ; this settlement was then in advance of the frontier line ; he came to Illinois from Connecticut, and finally moved to Missouri, when he accidentally killed him- self while carrying water. John Stearns came in from Ten- nessee about 1821, and settled on the S. E. } of section 3; he lived here a number of years, and then moved to the town of Rockwood, where he engaged in merchandising; he was an active and enterprising man, and in 1842 laid out the town into lots. He died here, aud was buried in Gilles- pie's grave-yard in section 2. James Gillespie came to what is now known as Wine Hill precinct in 1826, and entered the S. W. } of section 2, and built a hewed log house ; he was born in 1794. He went from Summer county, North Carolina, to Tennessee when twelve years of age, and lived there till he came to Illinois, and permanently located on section 2. He brought with him, in an ox-cart, his wife, whom he married in 1819, and three children, John, Eliza. beth, and Nellie. He was an active, public-spirited man, and manifested much interest in public instruction. The people of the county testified their appreciation of his worth by electing him to the position of Associate Justice of the county court. The beautiful prairie in which he lived bears his name. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, and was in several important engagements under Colonel Coffee. He died in 1865. His son, John, married Miss Ann Askins, and settled down on section 3; here he died in 1849. Eliz- abeth married John K. Burk. Nellie became the wife of Willis Osborn, who first settled in Jackson county ; he after- ward went to Missouri, and thence to Oregon, on the way to which State Nellie died and was buried at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Mr. Gillespie had seven children born here -- three sons and four daughters, all of whom are living. Colonel David Gillespie lives on the old homestead, and in
470
471
HISTORY OF RANDOLPH, MONROE AND PERRY COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
the old ancestral house ; in his door-yard stands a pear trce, more than eight feet in circumference, planted by his father over fifty years ago; it is said to be the largest of its species in Illinois. John B. Burk entered eighty acres of land, and built a cabin thereon, in 1827; he was born in Iredell county, North Carolina, in 1789; he there married Jane Cowan in 1816, and about three years later with her and their child, Thomas C., removed to Tennessee, where he re- mained till his departure for Illinois, which occurred at first without thecompany of his family, for whom he returned, after completing his cabin ; he brought them, consisting of his wife and three sons, Thomas C., John K., and James, in an old North Carolina wooden-wheeled wagon; on his return to Ten- nessee, he fastened up in his newly-built house two dogs, for whom he had prepared a supply of Indian meal and water; on his arrival they seemed none the worse of their long im- prisonment. and testified their joy at his return. He died in 1869. Thomas C. married Jemima Barrow, of Jackson county, by whom he had several children. He entered land in section 15. His death occurred at Shiloh Hill. John K. married Elizabeth Gillespie, and settled on forty acres of unimproved land in section 23; from this small beginning he became a large land owner. In 1877 he moved to Texas. By Elizabeth Gillespie he had thirteen children.
James MeLaughlin came about 1828, from North C'aro- lina. His family consisted of his wife, one sou, James, Jr., and four daughters, Rebecca, Susan, Polly and Elizabeth. The two latter are still living, the others are dead. Mr. Mclaughlin entered land in section 21, and built a hewed log house still standing, where he lived till old age. IIe died in the neighborhood. Abel Broughton and his wife, came from Tennessee, about 1838, and squatted on a piece of land in section 1, and there built a small cabin. On his arrival he had an old gray mare, which constituted the sum and substance of his property, and whose value did not exceed ten dollars. He used to make the old-time shuck collars and splint baskets By industry and frugality he ae- cumulated property and became a successful farmer and stock raiser. He finally squandered his property by dissipation. Among the names of earlier settlers, may be mentioned those of Duran Houseman and Martin Ireland. The former was from Tennessee. He entered forty acres of land in the S. W. + of section 14, where he died and was buried. Judge Martin Ireland was born in Scott county, Kentucky, October 18, 1811. In 1835 he married Mary Short, grand-daughter of Rev. Ellis Short, the pioneer preacher. Two years later he came to Randolph county, bringing his wife and son, John J. He entered forty acres in the N. E. } of section 20. Other entries and purchases have largely increased his pos- sessions. He now lives on the N. W. } of the N. W. } of section 21.
In the vicinity of Wine Hill village the population is principally German. The first of that nationality to settle there, was Fritz Knop. He came in 1851, with his wife, from Hanover, and entered one hundred and twenty acres of land in the N. } of section eight, where he died. Henry Helms came from Hanover, a single man in 1851. He entered forty acres in the S. W. } of section eight, where he
still lives. From the same place, in 1852, came Conrad Walters. He brought with him a wife and three children, and settled on the N. E. } of section eight. Conrad, Jr., lives on the S. E. } of section five. Another early German settler from Hanover, is D. Rickenberg, who came in 1852, and entered land in the N. W. } of section eight.
The pioneer miller, was Alexander Barber, who ,built a combined saw and grist water-power mill, on Mill creek, a portion of whose foundation is yet to be seen. It had one run of burrs and an upright saw, and was probably built about 1825. George Steele built a saw mill on Rock Castle creek, in section 32, as early as 1830.
The first school-house was built about 1830, and stood in the S. E. corner of section 10. The first to give instruction in it was Isaac Brown. Rev. Eli Short preached the first sermon at the house of James Gillespie, about 1830. An early preacher was Richard Davis. James Gillespie and John Burke were the early blacksmiths of the precinct, and at their shops on their farms did, for a number of years, the work in their line for the community. The Burk, Guin, and Gillespie families, planted orchards soon after their ar- rival, and a few of the original trees in the Gillespie orchard are still standing. Dr. Curtis Swanwick, who lived near Shiloh, was the first resident physician. His practice he- gan not far from 1850. Dr. Ashby Jones, of Steelesville, had been the principal medical dependence prior to that date.
The first physician consulted by the settlers was Dr. Betts, of Kaskaskia. Jeremiah Chapman established the first wagon shop about 1856. A post-office was established in 1860 at Shiloh Hill, and kept by Mr. Picket; Emanuel Canaday was the first justice of the peace under the present precinct organization. William A. Durkee sold the first goods, a half mile north of the town of Shiloh ITill, about the year 1852. The Germans in the neighborhood of Wine Hill hamlet introduced grape culture and wine-making quite extensively, and this circumstance gave rise to the name of Wine Hill. An early, and probably the first marriage, was that of James Barber and Sophia Crider, about 1832, at the house of James Gillespie, 'Squire John Stearns officiating. The Gillespie burial ground, section 2. is the oldest. The burial of a little son of John McNeill in this graveyard was probably the first burial. The first land entries were as fol- lows: Richard Jones, August 3, 1818, entered one hundred and sixty acres, being the S. W. } of section 2; November 18, 1817, John Crenshaw entered the one hundred and sixty acres of the N. E. } of section 11. Adam Storm entered the eighty acres in the E. } of the S. W. } of section 3, October 3, 1818. January 1, 1819, the eighty acres in the E. ¿ of the N. E. } of section 14, were entered by John I Henry.
VILLAGE OF SHILOH HILL.
This village, formerly called Steuben, is situated in the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section 14. The first building was the old Shiloh school-house, erected some time prior to 1838. A notable fact connected with its history is, that Gen. John A. Logan was one of its inmates, and received a part of his early education under its clapboard
472
HISTORY OF RANDOLPH, MONROE AND PERRY COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
roof. It was used as a Union church house as well as for school purposes. It was in this house that Rev. Cyrus Chrisler, an old " Ironsides " Baptist minister, is said to have burned brimstone, to purge it from the devil, whom he claimed had been introduced through the agency of a fiddle used by Jabez Newton, au early singing master, in the instruction of his classes. The school of Shiloh Hill has ever been of a high grade, and its history is the pride of the villagers aud neighbors. An eighty acre tract of land was ceded and a charter granted by the State Legislature to ten trustees about 1840, for the purpose of establishing a college to be called " Shiloh College." The scheme was never fruit- ful, beyond fostering and stimulating an interest in higher education. The old school house did duty till 1857, when a frame one was built on the same site. This was superseded iu 1882 by the present, a handsome two-story brick building, which was erected at a cost of $3,500. In 1856 the sale of town lots, which had been previously laid out, commenced. The town is able to report progress, and is enjoying a share of prosperity, as will appear from the following showing of the
PRESENT BUSINESS :
Physician -P. H. McMillan.
Dry Goods Merchant and Postmaster .- Dennis Sheldon. General Merchandise and Drugs .- George Tegtmeyer.
Blacksmith .- William Newman.
Shoemaker .- Henry Brammer.
Tailor. - Fred. Helms.
Cooper .- David Criley. General Agent .- George Tegtmeyer.
Carpenter .- C. J. Steele.
Wagon Maker .- Thomas Neeley.
The hamlet of Wine Hill occupies an eminence overlook- ing a fine landscape, embracing many valuable farms. The farm-buildings of this vicinity are largely new and well- painted. The thrift and economy of the Germans are mak- ing this one of the best farming districts in southern Illinois. In the hamlet is St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran church. It is a frame house, erected in 1862, and is. in point of time, the first church in the precinct. Its supercession in the near future by a brick building is contemplated. The minister first in charge was Rev. Christian Avers. The membership of the church numbers 75. Connected with it is a flourish- ing school, numbering from 75 to 80 scholars, established in 1862. Powel Grose was the first teacher. The school-house is a commodious frame building. The post-office here was established about 1866 or 1867, and was originally called Lakeville. The business consists of a general store kept by William Werre, who is also post-master ; a blacksmith and wagon shop, operated by Henry Stiens; and a tailor's shop, of which Henry Lege is proprietor.
BEAUCOUP.
PERRY COUNTY.
EAUCOUP is situated in the northern part of the county, and is bounded on the north by Washington county, on the east by Tamaroa, on the south and southwest by Pinckney- ville, and on the west by Grand Cote precinct. It con- tained, census of 1880, a population of 1047. The surface, is level and divided between prairie and timber land, the latter largely predominating. Round Prairie, a circular area, is about one mile in diameter. It was originally larger, but has been encroached upon by the growth of the timber. The precinct, though originally in part covered in forests, as appears from a well-marked Indian trail, at present visible, was much less densely so than now. Much of the timber has grown up within the last thirty or forty years. The Indian trail, alluded to, extends in a north- easterly and southwesterly direction, and leads to Beaucoup creek, whose banks the Indians are supposed to have ap- proached, through the trail, for the purpose of hunting and fishing. The St. Louis and Shawneetown road extends
through the precinct, crossing the Beaucoup. This is one of the old highways into the interior of Illinois. The timber consists, principally, of the various kinds of hard wood, and is of an excellent quality. The water supply and drainage are derived from Beaucoup, Little Beaucoup and Swanwick creeks. The soil, like that of Tamaroa, is best adapted to the growing of wheat. The precinct has not a town or village within its limits. Camden was laid out, July 31, 1859, by Isaac Redfern, and platted and surveyed by Robert Steele, county surveyor. It was located on the S. W. + of the S. W. { of section 5, town four south, range 2 west. It never prospered and was vacated years ago.
The first settler in township four, range two west, which includes Beaucoup precinct, and the northwest corner of Pinckneyville precinct was made in 1816 by John Hutchins and William Hutchins his brother, two years previous to the organization of the state. The Hutchins were natives of North Carolina, whence, with their wives, they went to Tennessee, stopped a while, and not being satisfied with the country, pushed foward to the Illinois Territory. Their original aim was Missouri, whither they were on their way, when in May, 1816, they camped upon the banks of Beau-
473
HISTORY OF RANDOLPH, MONROE AND PERRY COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
coup, where they made their permanent settlement. John Hutchings, besides himself and wife and four children, had a colored man named Landon Parks, and Agis, his wife, and another colored woman, named Dinah, in company with him. William Hutchings' family consisted of his wife and six children, and a Miss Delilah Jones, who afterwards be- came the wife of John R. Hutchings, his eldest son. When this body of emigrants, eighteen in all, with their several wagons and teams, halted upon Beaucoup for a few days' rest, they had no other expectation than to continue their journey when their teams had rested and recruited. They, however, found grouse so abundant and wild-honey so plen- tiful. and the whole country wearing such a rich and pro- ductive appearance, that they were delighted with what they saw, and the thought impressed them of abandoning their trip to Missouri. In the course of a few days, however, they continued their journey as far as Ratcliff's or Sawyer's Point, in Washington county, when they concluded to re- turn to the camp they had last occupied on Beaucoup. They accordingly began their return, and when they ar- rived at their destination, there was encamped within sight of them a large body of Kaskaskia Indians upon what was then their favorite camping grounds, and what is now familiarly known as Hutchings' prairie. The Hutchings say that when they came, there were great quantities of elks', antelopes' and deers' bones scattered upon the prairie ; that in Four Mile prairie, below Pinckneyville, there were many human bones to be found. The presence of these bones they supposed at that time to have been occasioned by a desperate fight between the Kaskaskia and Kickapoo Indians previous to their settlement here, in which a great many of the braves were killed on both sides, and in their running fight were left unburied. John Hutchings built his first cabin on the N. W. qr. of sec. 19, tp 4, range 2, which he entered July 25, 1817. He built a two-story house near the original cabin, which was known as the " Traveler's Inn" for a number of ycars; this building stood for upward of fifty years. William Hutchings first built in the south side of the Hutchings' prairie; in 1819 he re- moved to what is now known as the Watson place, where he resided till his death, about ten years after he came here. John R. Ilutchings, oldest son of William Hutchings, is pretty familiarly known throughout the county, having been one of the early schoolmasters and Baptist ministers. He aided in the organization of our county in 1827, and was one of the commissioners to locate Pinckneyville as the county seat, and subsequently served as county judge.
Wesley W. Hutchings, who has kindly furnished the facts and dates of this precinct, through Mr. Todd, for this chap ter, is the only surviving member of the family of William Hutchings, the first pioneer. He lives in Three Mile Prairie, Washington county, highly esteemed by all who know him. He was born at the new pioneer home, Oct. 4, 1822, on the east side of the creek.
Mrs. Mary Rice (wife of Hiram Rice, deceased), daughter of John Hutchings, is the only surviving member of that emigrant train of eightcen persons who made their homes in the territory of the precinct in May, 1816. She was five
years old when her father came to Illinois. The nearest settlement to the Hutchings' when they settled on Beaucoup was Ratliff's or Sawyer's Point, as it was called, about fifteen miles distant, in Washington county. Mr. Hutchings says it was no uncommon thing for the whole family to start afoot carly on Sabbath morning to attend preaching at Ratlitl"'s Point and get back home before night.
House raisings were very common in those early days, and the custom was to invite the neighbors in for ten and twelve miles around, those that lived farthest generally coming the evening before and going back on the morning after the raising. The nearest town to this settlement, when first found, was Kaskaskia. Here these early settlers did most, or all of their trading and milling. Deer skins, honey and bees wax were the chief articles of trade. These they ex- changed for clothing and such other goods as they were compelled to have. Bee trees in those days were very rich. One tree cut in the precinct is represented as having combs varying from ten to twelve feet long ; and as many as twenty gallons of honey are known to have been taken from one tree.
The settlers learned from the Indians the art of tan- ning deer skins. They made their hunting shirts, leather breeches and moccasins. Joshua M. Rice, emigrated from Tennessee to Illinois in 1829, and stopped at Hutchings' prairie, where he raised one crop. Hle then removed to township 4, in 1830. Abner S. Rice, son of Joshua M. Rice, was born in Tennessee in 1810, and Mrs. Lucy Rice was born in the same State in 1812, and belonged to another pioneer family named Hulls, that settled in Round prairie. Mr. and Mrs. Rice still live on the old place aged and es- teemed citizens. In 1830, Jeremiah Dinnis settled in sec- tion 1, township 4, range 2, on land that was sold to Edward Hodges in 1834. Mr. Hodges says: " They raised cotton and flax for clothing ; that the cotton, when planted thin, grew to a height of ten or twelve feet, and not maturing until late in the fall, was often killed by the frost ; but, that when they learned to sow it thick, it grew the ordinary height and yielded well. Jacob Walker settled what is now known as the Page place, in 1831, his house being built directly on the line between Washington and Perry counties. Camp- bell Stuart settled on the Lindsley place 1831. Smith or Owens, on the Gilbert Rice place in section 10, Round prairie, in 1831. Christopher Stone, on the Wm. Chap- man place in section 29, in 1841. Lewis Stilley, on the Peytou Brown place in 1836. Elisha Dunn settled the Matthew Marlow place in 1836. James Gordan stopped in the Brown settlement before removing to Washington county. John Peyton settled the Evan Brown place, sec- tion 27, in 1×41. Brown was in Pinckneyville in 1829. James Meadows settled the Shade place, in section 6, in 1833. The Campbell place was settled in 1836. Joseph Todd and wife, born in Lounenberg, made a permanent home, where he now resides, 1839. Mr. Todd came to America on a trial trip, to sce the country, and visited all the principal cities on the seaboard, and then returned with his family. All these places were permanently settled in Beaucoup precinct, previous to, and in the year 1841, it
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.