USA > Illinois > Shelby County > Combined history of Shelby and Moultrie Counties, Illinois : with illustrations descriptive of their scenery and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers > Part 12
USA > Illinois > Moultrie County > Combined history of Shelby and Moultrie Counties, Illinois : with illustrations descriptive of their scenery and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers > Part 12
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
Richard Thomason was a native of Virginia, and was born Aug. 17, 1770. When a mere boy, his parents emigrated to Nortlı Carolina, where, in after ycars, he married his first wife, Ellen Lce. A large family was the result of this union. He subsequently moved to Stuart county, Tennessee, where his first wife died. He
47
HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
again married a lady by the name of Elizabeth Howell, and in 1814 came to Illinois, settling in Clinton county ; but afterwards moved to Fayette, and subsequently to Shelby county. In March, 1850, he moved over into what is now Moultrie, settling in the northern part of Sullivan township. His descendants figure prominently in the history of this county. Judge Arnold Thomason is still living on his farm near the village of Lovington. He has represented the county in the State Legislature, and filled many important county offices from its infancy to the prescut time. Uncle Joc Thomason has also figured largely in the politics of the county, and has always been one of the most willing and obliging officials. Not a more hospitable and humane man ever lived than Uncle Joe. Hc is now residing in Sullivan. Asa H., William, John C. and George are now deccased. Milbra, wife of Robert H. Sharp, is still living a few miles north-west of Sullivan.
One of the prominent settlers of Moultrie county, was John Cook, Sr. He was a native of Rhode Island, and afterwards emigrated to Indiana In 1830, he moved to Illinois, and settled on the southi- cast corner of Section 3, Marrowbonc township. Hc built a small water-mill on the West Okaw, where it proved a great convenience to the early settlers. His widow is still living.
Thomas D. Lansden located on a place west of Bethany, known as the Evans' farm. He was a native of North Carolina, and moved to Tenuessce when he was quite a young man, where he married Peggie McClin. In the year 1830, he moved with his family to what is now Moultrie county, where he resided until his death, which occurred in 1838. He was a blacksmith by trade, and built the first blacksmith shop in that part of the country. He was one of the patriots of 1812, and was with Jackson behind the cotton balcs at New Orleans.
In October, 1830, John Warren, a native of Tennessee, came to Moultrie, and settled on what is now the western border of the county. In his carly manhood he married Miss Sarah Jennings. They had a large family of boys and one daughter, several of whom are still living. Daniel P'. and Jesse A. are still residing near the old homestead. Samuel and Elisha are living in the State of Kan- zas, and John in Sangamon county, Illinois.
Jesse A. Walker was a native of North Carolina, and in later years moved to Kentucky. He came to Illinois in the fall of 1830, and settled on Brush Creck. He had a family of eight children, two of whom are still living in the comty.
One of the sturdy settlers of 1830 was James Fruit. He was a native of Kentucky, and settled in Marrowbone township, in the year above written. A large family grew up around him, several of whom are yet living. Mr. Fruit was a well read man, and at one time practiced medicine in his neighborhood. He was twice married, and died near Bethany- in 1845.
William Ward, one of the pioneers, came to this county in 1830, and settled near Welborn Creck. He raised a large family of children that are now somewhat scattered. James O., A. L. and Frank are still living in Moultrie county, well-known and good citizens. The father died in 1838.
Larkin Beck, a native of Kentucky, settled on Section 28, Mar- rowbone township. Hc built a cabin, and began the improvement of the farm now owned by E. A. Walker.
William Walker, an old-timer, came to Whitley township in 1830. He was a son-in-law of Isaac Waggoner, and settled on what is now the J. H. MeCormic farm. His son, Isaac Walker, had the honor of being clected the first sheriff of Moultrie county.
Uncle Jimmy Camfield was a native of Kentucky, came to this county in 1830, and located about three miles south-west of Sullivan. He raised quite a large family, and proved one of the solid men of
the country. Everybody in the county knows Jimmy Camfield. He died only a few years since, leaving quite a fortune to his descendants.
Two brothers, natives of Kentucky, John W. and Gideon Ed- wards, in company with two other Kentuckians, Isham and Jedu- thun Hardy, settled in Whitley township in 1830, and, historically, stand prominent among the carly settlers. Johu W. Edwards, especially among the above mentioned, raised a large family, several of whom, and their descendants, are still living in the county.
The Smyser family emigrated to this county in the fall of 1831. Samuel Smyser was a native of Kentucky, and was one of the first to aid in developing the county. He had a family of six children, viz. : Alfred N., William, Martha, Elizabeth, John J. and Hugh F. He died in 1866, and left a good property to his children, which had been acquired by his energy and frugality. Several members of his family have figured so prominently in the history of the county, that this volume would be incomplete without a brief men- tion. Alfred N. Smyser, the eldest son of the family, married Miss Isyphena, daughter of John W. Edwards. From this marriage there were five children ; Henry, (now of the Champaign Times), Ollic, Samuel E., Katic, now deccased, and Josephine. Capt Smyser, from early manhood until his death, occupied a very prom- inent position in the county ; he served as county clerk for eight ycars, and was a captain in the Union Army, where he served with distinction. He died in 1879, lamented by many warm friends. William Smyser resides on the old homestead in Whitley township. He has a family of five children, viz. : Lucettia, Samuel M., David, Isyphena and Rebecca.
Martha, the widow of John Brown, resides in Whitley. Eliza- beth is the wife of D. R. Munson. John J. died while a young man. Hugh F. lives at Windsor, has a small family, and is a pros- perous business man.
David Strain was born Jannary 25th, 1788, in North Carolina, where he married Margaret, the daughter of Jolin Mitchell, April 26th, 1810. They had a family of eleven children, only two of whom are living, John A., in Marrowbonc, and Lydia, the wife of Robert Livesay, residing in Kansas. Mr. Strain came with his family, and settled in Marrowbonc, October 12th, 1831, where he continued to live until his death, September 9th, 1854, aged 66 years, 7 months, and 15 days. His first wife died August 4th, 1842, and he was married the second time, in 1813, to Susannah Ball.
Andrew Gammill, a Tennesseean, settled in Whitley in 1831. S. T. Gammill, a merchant, at Summit, and the wives of S. G. Frost and Thomas Kinkade are all of his family that are living. Europe, Wm. and John, brother of Joseph Hendricks, and natives of Ken- tucky, came together in the same year, 1831, and settled in Whitley. Europe is the only survivor, and is in his seventy-third year. His wife died about a year ago, and all but one of his children are dead-Mary Ann, the wife of D. P. Warren.
The Snyders were among the first settlers of Lovington township. Henry Snyder was born in Virginia, where he grew to manhood and married Mary Eddens; and cleven children were born to them, six of them now living. His first wife died, and he married a second time-Mrs. Edna Carr, by whom two children were born to him. Mr. Snyder lived in Kentucky for twenty years prior to liis coming to this State, and emigrated from there, arriving here in October, 1831. He had made a trip here the year before, and entered nine hundred and sixty acres around where he settled. In 1836 he moved to Decatur, where, in 1863, he dicd, at the age of eighty ycars. Joseph H., who is the only son living in this county, was twice married, and has five children living.
Another old veteran of the war of 1812-Nathan Stepliens-and
48
HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
a Kentuckian by birth, settled in Sec. 3, T. 14, R. 5, in the same year. He built a distillery here in an early day, and made corn whiskey for a number of years. Hc married in Kentucky Rebecca Netherton, and two sons were the fruits of this union-William and Jamcs H. The latter was sheriff of the county for one term. In 1844 Mr. Stephens was struck by lightning iu the doorway of Dr. William Kellar's residence. Daniel Pea also arrived here dur- ing the same year.
The year 1832 witnesses the arrival of several prominent fami- lies Abraham and Jeremiah Souther, brothers, and natives of Virginia, came in early autumn. Abraham was married in Ken- tucky, to Catharine Hardin, by whom he had eight children. He died April 27th, 1858. Jeremiah since moved to Shelby county, where he still lives.
Elder, Joseph, and Solomon Hostetler located in Lovington town- ship in the spring of 1832. They were natives of Kentucky. Jo- scph was born Feb. 27th, 1797, and was twice married. Frank L. and Dr. C. M. L. Hostetler, residing in Lovington, are the only survivors in this county. Elder Hostetler was a Christian minister of some notoricty in this vicinity, and also practiced medicine here. He died Aug. 27th, 1870. Solomon Hostetler has no descendants living here.
One of the most prominent nien among the old settlers was Abra- liam H. Kellar. He was a native of Virginia, and born in the year 1788. He was married at the age of twenty-one to Nancy J. Hitt. There were eight children born to them, to wit, Joel H., Wm., Jas. H., Elizabeth H., John H., Paulina, Henry Y., and Abram L. In 1832 lic moved to this county ; although the fall prior to this date he had come and raised a crop, but afterwards returned and brought the family. They settled on section 31, in which is now Lovington township.
This pioneer was one of the first to aid and counsel in bringing about the new county, Moultrie. He served in mauy responsible and onerous positions in the county until his death, which occurred July 23d, 1855, in the sixty-seventh year of his age. Several of the family are still living, prominent among them are H. Y. and A. L., both excellent and prominent citizens of the county.
George Mitchell, a native of North Carolina, settled in Marrow- bone December 4th, 1832. He had a large family of children, seven now living. Mr. Mitchell was one of the first county com- missioners ; was a good and true man, much loved by all who knew him. He died in 1854, aged seventy-four years, cleven months, and twenty days. Those of his children living are David, Samuel, John B., William B., who are all elderly men with families: Mar- tha Jane, the widow Bone; Rachel A., the widow West ; and Susan E., the wife of David Crowder.
Major James Poor, a patriot of the war of 1812, also settled near George Purvis, in 1832. During the following year, 1833, there was a great deal of sickness, and almost every family was attacked, and many deaths occurred.
In the spring of 1832 Grandfather James. Patterson and his sons-David and Joshua, with their families, and Jonathan, a single man-settled in Sullivan township. Hugh and Levi, also sons of James Patterson, came about 1837.
Grandfather Patterson was a native of Scotland, and came to this country with General La Fayette, in April 1777, and served as a sol- dier in the revolutionary war, and also in the war of 1812. He was twice married, the last time without issue. He had nine sons and two daughters. David and Jonathan were twins. David Patterson married in Kentucky Polly Harbaugh, in 1826, and had a family of eight children, viz .. Jonathan, Amanda J., Nancy, Levi, Absalom, Wm. D., America, and one child that died without a
name. Those living are Jonathan (Dock), Absalom, Aınanda J., and America, all married, and have families. David held several county offices, and died October 9th, 1867; and his widow August 11th, 1869.
Levi died in this county over thirty years ago. William, Jona- than (Douty), Polethann, Jane, and Francis M., are all of his family that came to this couuty, and are all living but Francis M. The descendants of David and Levi are all of the Patterson family living in this county.
Prominent amoug the arrivals of 1833, was Colonel Allen Clore and his family. He was born in Kentucky in 1810 and settled in the northern part of the county. James Carter, a Virginian, Sam- uel Finley, and David Howell came in 1833. Howell was a Ken- tuckian, and had a large family. Charles, residing in this county, and Elizabeth, iu Champaign county, are the only ones living. The Wood family, Samsons, John Poor, Tobias Rhodes, Alexander Porter, William and Henry Bailey, F. W. Maddux, Rolands, New- lands, Weltons, Knights, Huffmans, Hiram Luster, Joseph IIart- man, Edward Keedy, the Dceds, Jacob Rea, Selby's, and Zenith Prather were early settlers.
James Elder came from Tennessee, and located in the eastern part of the county in 1834. He had a family of six children, three of whom are living in Sullivan, viz., William, a prominent banker, Mary Ann, the wife of W. P. Corbin, and Cordelia, the wife of Dr. T. Y. Lewis.
Mr. Elder was one of the influential men of the county, and held several important offices. He died in January 1870, and his widow still survives.
In the year following there were numerous arrivals, and among them Reuben B. Ewing figured conspicuously in the county's his- tory. Ile was born in Tennessee in 1801. Of his family of ten children seven are still living. Ewing was an early justice of the peace, and one of the first county commissioners, and an associate judge for several years, and represented this district in the State legislature. He moved to Logan county in 1853, and was subse- quently made judge of that county, which office he filled for four- teen years. About 1876 he returned to Sullivan, where he died in 1877. Ebenezer Noyes, a native of Massachusetts, who became a large land-owner in this county, settled the same year.
The Freelands came in 1836. James Freeland was of Scotch- Irish ancestry, and was born in Orange county, North Carolina, in November, 1794, where he married Jane Strain, daughter of Alex- ander Strain. On the sixteenth day of February, 1836, hc and his wife and children-David J., Sarah Ann, James S., Miriam C., Mary Elizabeth, Joseph C., William T., Nancy E., Salina A., and Samuel D .- left their native State for Tennessee, where, in Maury county, they stopped for one season, and raised a crop. In the last of September of the same year they again packed up and came north, heading for Marrowbone creek, then in Macon county, Ill., reaching that point, where they settled in the latter part of Oct., 1836.
Mr. Freeland lived here until his death, Feb. 19th, 1871. John A. Freeland, his oldest son, was born in Orange county, North Caro- lina, February 22d, 1818. At the age of twelve he was attacked with inflammation of the joints, and was confined to his bed for nine months, from which he arose a cripple for life. He weut with his parents to Tennessee, and when they left for Illinois, he was so afflicted with malarial fever that he was unable to accompany them ; but on the second of June, 1837, he left Columbia by stage for Nashville, thence to Paducah by steamer, intending to follow the river to St. Louis, but it was so obstructed with floating ice that the steamer could proceed no farther, and he hired two men to paddle
49
HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
him across the river in a skiff, which was done with considerable difficulty. Arriving on the Illinois side, he started in the direction of his journey, traveling through Pope county, Mt. Vernon, Salem, and Vandalia, where he stopped, as he says, and "took a look at the last session of the legislature held in that place "; on to Shelby- ville, thence to Marrowbone, reaching his father's place on the 23d day of the same month, having traveled all the distance on crutches.
Unele Johnny, as he is better known, was an carly school teacher, and was elected the first clerk and recorder of Moultrie county, which offices he held for fifteen consecutive years. He was one of the two republican representatives that was ever sent from this district to the State legislature. His life has been an active one, notwithstanding his physical disabilities, Even in his declining years his mind is active, and his wise and conservative counsel is sought after by all parties and creeds; and when his time shall come to shuffle off this mortal coil, he will be lamented by all as one who has done his part in the age in which he lived. Wm. Martin and Esquire Alexander Edwards settled in Whitley in 1836. Esquire Elwards has been a justice of the peace for several years, and he and his family are among the best citizens of the county.
John Lee, a North Carolinian, settled in the western part of the county in 1837. He only remained here one year, and returned to Tennessee. His sons-Wm. R. and Captain A. B .- who came with lim, remained here. William R. Lee died in Sullivan in 1859. Captain A. B served one year in the Mexican war, and four years in the late rebellion, and received three captain's commissions ; was the first coroner in Moultrie county, and has held other offices of trust. He is now practicing law in Sullivan,
The Crowder family settled in Marrowbone township in 1837, and are among the best citizens in the county.
Other early settlers, who do not appear in this chapter, will be mentioned in the township histories.
CHAPTER VIII.
CUSTOMS OF EARLY DAYS.
HABITS AND MODES OF LIVING OF THE PIONEERS AND FIRST SETTLERS.
T is a trite but true proverb that " Times change, and we change with them ;" and it is well il- lustrated by the changes in dress, condition and life, that have taken place in this county in less than half a century, We doubt not that these changes, as a whole, are for the better.
To the old man, indeed, whose life-work is accomplished, and whose thoughts dwell main- ly on the past, where his treasures are, there are no days like the old days, and no song awakens so re- sponsive an echo in his heart as " Auld Lang Syne."
The very skies that arch above his gray head seem less blue to his dimmed eye than they did when, in the adoration of his young heart, he directed to them his gaze ; the woods appear less green and inviting than when in the gayety of boyhood lie court- ed their cool depths ; and the songs of their feathered inhabi- tants fall less melodiously upon his ear. He marks the changes that are everywhere visible, and feels like crying out in the language of the poet :
" Backward, turn backward, oh, Time, in thy flight!" 7
It is natural for the aged to sigh for a return of the past, nor would we attempt the hopeless task of convincing them that with the changes of the years there have come also an increase in happiness, an improvement in social life, a progress in education, an advancement in morality, and a tendency upward in all that relates to the welfare of mankind.
We may learn useful lessons however, from a study of that land over which the pardonable and fond imagination of the old settler has thrown the "light that never was on sca or land," if, withdrawing ourselves from the dizzy activities of the present days, we let the old settler take us by the hand and lead us back into the regions of his youth, that we may observe the life of those who founded a grand empire in a great wilderness. Let us leave the prow of the rushing ship, from which may be dis- cerned a mighty future rich in promises and bright with hope, and take our place upon the stern and gaze backward, into the beautiful land of the past.
No doubt we shall be led to regret the absence among us of some of the virtues of dwellers in those early days. Gone is that free-hearted hospitality which made of every settler's cabin an inn where the belated and weary traveler found entertainment without money and without price. Gone is that community of sentiment which made neighbors indeed neighbors; that era of kindly feeling which was marked by the almost entire absence of litigation.
Gone, too, some say, is that simple, strong, upright, honest integrity which was so marked a characteristic of the pioneer.
So rapid has been the improvement iu machinery, and the progress in the arts and their application to the needs of man, that a study of the manner in which people lived and worked only fifty years ago seems like the study of a remote age.
It is important to remember that while a majority of settlers were poor, that poverty carried with it no crushing sense of de- gradation like that felt by the very poor of our age. They lived in a cabin, it is true, but it was their own, and had been reared by their hands. Their house, too, while inconvenient and far from water-proof, was built in the prevailing style of architec- ture, and would compare favorably with the homes of their neighbors.
They were destitute of many of the conveniences of life, and of some things that are now considered necessaries ; but they patiently endured their lot and hopefully looked forward to better. They had plenty to wear as protection against the weather, and an abundance of wholesome food. They sat down to a rude table to eat from tin or pewter dishes ; but the meat thereon spread-the flesh of the deer or bear ; of the wild dnek or turkey ; of the quail or squirrel-was superior to that we cat, and had been won by the skill of the head of the house ur of that of his vigorous sons. The bread they ate was made from corn or wheat of their own raising. They walked the green carpet of the grand prairie or forest that surrounded them, not with the air of a beggar, but with the elastic step of a self-respected free- man .*
The settler brought with him the keen axe, which was indis- pensable, and the equally necessary rifle ; the first his weapon
* The whole country, now dotted with smiling farms and happy villages traversed by railroads and telegraph wires, was a wilderness, consisting chiefly of prairie, which stretched away in billowy vastness like a congealed ocean. Along the water-courses was a fringe of timber, and occasionally was to be seen a grove. The immigrants came ; some in carts, the children packed like sardines in a box; some in wagons, anl some on horseback with pack-horses.
50
HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
of offence against the forests that skirted the water-courses, and near which he made his home; the second that of defence from the attacks of his foe, the cunning child of the forest and prairie. His first labor was to fell trees and erect his unpretentious cabin, which was rudely made of logs, and in the raising of which he had the cheerful aid of his neighbors. It was usually from four- teen to sixteen feet square, and never larger than twenty fect, and was frequently bnilt entirely without glass, nails, hinges or locks.
The manner of building was as follows : First large logs were laid in position as sills; on these were placed strong sleepers, and on the sleepers were laid the rough-hewed puncheons, which were to serve as floors. The logs were then built up till the proper height for the eaves was reached ; then on the ends of the building were placed poles, longer than the other end-logs, which projected some eightcen or more inches over the sides, and were called " butting pole sleepers ;" on the projecting ends of these was placed the " butting-pole." which served to give the line to the first row of clap-boards. These were, as a matter of course, split, and as the gables of the cabin were built up, were so laid on as to lap a third of their length. They were often kept in place by the weight of a heavy pole, which was laid across the roof parallel to the ridge-pole. The house was then chinked, and daubed with a coarse mortar.
A huge fire-place was built in at one end of the house, in which fire was kindled for cooking purposes, for the settlers generally were without stoves, and which furnished the needed warmth in winter. The ceiling above was sometimes covered with the pelts of the raccoon, opossum, and of the wolf, to add to the warinth of the dwelling. Sometimes the soft inner bark of the bass wood was used for the same purpose. The cabin was lighted by means of greased paper-windows. "A log would be left out along one side, and sheets of strong paper, well greased with coon-grease or bear-oil, would be carefully tacked in.
The above description only applies to the very earliest times, before the rattle of the saw-mill was heard within our borders.
The furniture comported admirably with the house itself, and hence, if not elegant, was in most perfect taste. The tables had four legs, and were rndely made from a puncheon. Their seats were stools having three or four legs. The bedstead was in keeping with the rest, and was often so contrived as to permit it to be drawn up and fastened to the wall during the day, thus affording more room to the family. The entire forniture was simple, and was framed with no other tools than an axe and auger. Each was his own carpenter; and some displayed con- siderable ingenuity in the construction of implements of agricul- ture, and utensils, and furniture for the kitchen and housc. Knives and forks they sometimes had, and sometimes had not. The common table-knife was the pack-knife or butcher-knife .* Horse-collars were sometimes made of the plaited husk of the maize sewed together. They were easy on the neck of the horse, and if tug-traces were used, would last a long while. Horses were not used very muchi, however, and oxen were almost exclu- sively used. In some instances carts and wagons were construct- cd or repaired by the self-reliant settler ; and the woful creakings of the untarred axles could be heard at a great distance.
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.