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 58
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 58
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
JOHN B. KINKADE (DECEASED,)
Who died February 9, 1880, was one of the representative farmers of Whitley township. He was born in Logan county, Kentucky, October 28, 1817, the son of William and Sallie Kinkade. He was raised in Kentucky. His father was a farmer. The schools of that day were inferior, and his education was about the same as fell to the lot of most boys of that period. From the time he was old enough he earned his own living, working part of the time on a farm and then became an apprentice to the blacksmith trade in a large shop where repairs were made for a stage line. He was married November 22, 1839, to Fanny Jenkins, a native of Fairfax county, Virginia. He came to Illinois in 1840, and settled in Coles county .. He came from Kentucky in company with another family. They started with two horses and one died on the road. On reach- ing Coles county, the two families had together only ten cents in money. Mr. Messer was industrious and energetic. He lived in Coles county for a period of twenty years. Part of the time he carried on the blacksmith business, and then engaged in farming in Paradise township. In 1860, he moved to Moultrie county and settled, where he afterward lived till his death, on Section 27 of township 12, range 6. He settled here on the raw prairie. He im- proved a farm of two hundred acres, and at the time of his death owned five hundred acres of land. He had usually enjoyed good health through life but was taken with disease and after a week's sickness died on the 9th of February, 1880. He had six children, of whom five are now living. The names of the six are as follows : Thomas ; Ambrose, who died at the age of two years ; Agatha, now the wife of G. W. Armantrout; Isabella, Richard and William. All of those living are residing in Whitley town- ship. At the age of twenty-five he became connected with the Methodist Church. He assisted in organizing the Methodist Church at Summit, of which he was one of the active members till his death. He was a man who exemplified his profession of Christianity in his daily walk and conversation, and by his death the county lost a useful citizen. He was first a Whig in politics and then a Re- publican.
JOHN W. DAWDY,
THE son of Henry and Eliza Dawdy, was born in Shelby county, September 20th, 1840; Daniel Dawdy, the grandfather of the sub- ject of our sketch, was a native of Kentucky, was taken to the State of Tennessee when quite young, and grew to manhood in that State ; he was a soldier in the war of 1812, and was in General Coffee's division under the command of General Jackson. In 1816 he came to the territory of Illinois, and settled in what is now
Hamilton county. In 1827 he came to Shelby county and settled about four miles north of Shelbyville, where he died in 1852; his wife, who was a Miss Nancy Tindall, a native of Augusta, Georgia, died the month after her husband. Henry Dawdy, the father of John W., married, in Shelby county, Miss Eliza Earp, a daughter of Simon Earp, one of the early settlers of Shelby county. After Mr. Dawdy's marriage he improved a farm in Okaw township, where he resided until his death, which occurred in 1846; his partner in life yet survives him, and is now the wife of John L. Walters, a farmer in the above township. Henry Dawdy raised a family of four sons, viz., Daniel J., who lives in Okaw township, Simon T., John W., and James H .; Daniel J. and the latter are now deceased. The subject of our sketch was raised on a farm; he attended the common schools of his neighborhood, where he received a fair business education. January 1st, 1862, he was united in marriage to Miss Frances Knox, a native of Pennsylvania, who only lived a short time. After his wife's death he joined the army in the late war. He enlisted, August 15th, 1862, in company K, 126th Regiment Illinois Volunteers, under Colonel J. Richmond ; he remained in the service about two years when he was discharged for disabilities. He was at the siege of Vicksburg, and other en- gagements incident to the operations of this regiment from 1862 to 1864. Upon his arrival home it was some time before he recovered his health. In 1867 he married Mrs. Elgina Allison, a native of Kentucky, but raised in Shelby county; immediately after his mar- riage he began farming in Moultrie county; in 1878 he moved on the place where he now lives, having purchased this farm of two hundred and sixty acres two years previous. Mr. and Mrs. Dawdy have one child, John C. In politics Mr. Dawdy is a republican ; he cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln.
S. F. GAMMILL.
THIS gentleman, who is carrying on the mercantile business at Summit, is a native of Moultrie county, and was born three miles north of Summit, in Whitley township, on the twenty-first of June, 1841. He is of Scotch descent: his grandfather, William Gam- mill, was born in Scotland, emigrated to America before the revolu- tionary war, and settled in North Carolina; he died in Illinois in 1845. His father, Andrew Gammill, was born in North Carolina in the year 1802; he accompanied his father to Shelby county, Tennessee, about 1818, and was married in that state to Jane Whites, who was born in South Carolina, and was carried from that state to Shelby county, Tennessee, on horseback, when two years old. Andrew Gammill moved with his family to this state in 1831, and settled on Whitley creek; he was among the early pioneers of that part of the county. He died in Whitley township in 1867, and his widow died at Summit in 1876.
The subject of this sketch was the youngest son and ninth child of a family of eleven children ; he was raised on Whitley creek, and obtained a good business education in the schools of that part of the county. On the seventh of September, 1861, he enlisted in Company H, of the Seventh Illinois Cavalry. This company was raised at Shelbyville. He served till November, 1865, in the States of Missouri, Kentucky, Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee. He took part in the battles of New Madrid and Mt. Pleasant, Missouri ; the evacuation of Corinth, Mississippi ; the battles of Iuka and Corinth, Miss. ; the engagements on Grant's advance to Coffeeville, Miss .; the Grierson raid; and the battles of Port Hudson, La. ; West Point, Miss. ; and Franklin and Nashville, Tennessee. He was mustered in as corporal ; after two years' service was promoted
213
HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
to sergeant, and subsequently to first lieutenant. He was dis- charged in November, 1865, several months after the close of the war, with a good record as a soldier.
Ater returning to Moultrie county, he first engaged in farming in Whitley township. In 1865 he moved to Summit, and began the mercantile business ; he then had little knowledge of "keeping store," in comparison with that which he has since gained,-and some of the Summit pcople relate that when a lady came in about a month after he opened his store, and asked for " hosc," the mer- chant replied that he was out just then, and would have some be-
fore time to make garden. He was married on the second of No- vember, 1873, to Maggie Wilson of Summit, daughter of W. N. Wilson. He has three children : Mack Gammill, Tola Jane, and Stella May. Since 1872 he has acted as post-master of the Whit- ley Point post-office. His father was a whig and republican, and Mr. Gammill is an earnest republican, and a sincere believer in the principles of that party. He is well and favorably known as a business man. As a representative of one of the younger class of business men of Moultrie county, his name should be mentioned in this book.
OCONEE TOWNSHIP.
(SHELBY COUNTY.)
S situated in the extreme south-west corner of Shelby county and contains fifty-four sections ; it is bounded on the west by Montgomery county, on the north by Christian county, on the south by Fayette county, and on the east by Cold Spring township. The township of Oconee is well drained, and well supplied with water by the numcrous creeks with which it is traversed ; the . largest of these is Opossum creek. This stream directs its course from the north-west towards the centre of the township ; thence flowing in a north- easterly direction making its exit at section 2+ into the adjoining township where it joins Beck's creek, which in turn empties itself into the Kaskaskia river. Coal creek, Grassy branch, and Doyle branch, are in the north-east part of Oconee, and are all tributaries of the Opossum ; Matney branch in the center of the township, also joins the Opossum creek. In the southern part of the township are Indian Camp branch, Stone Quarry branch and Otter creek, all of the last named streams flowing in a southerly direction. There is considerable timber growing in this township, particularly adjacent to the water courses ; the western, northern and most central parts however are good prairie lands, with well improved farms and buildings ; the soil is fairly productive, and for agricultural pur- poses may be classcd among the good townships of the county.
The first person who entered land in this township was Merida Henderson, in February, 1836, upon the west half of the south-east quarter of section 21, Town 10, Range 1 East. During the same month James Reed made entry of the north-east quarter of section 17, also the north-east quarter of section 22. John S. Hayward at the same time made entries of land in sections 17, 20, 21, and 23.
. The first settlers of whom we have any authentic record were the Widow Matney and family about the year 1830. She came from Sangamon county accompanied by her four boys and four girls. The family settled upon section 34, on the east side of the Matney branch creck. The only member of this family left and now living in the county is Nancy Gragg who resides upon section 33. Titus
Gragg was a soldier in the war of 1812, figliting Indians in the valley of the Mississippi.
One of the first settlers in the vicinity of the town of Oconee, was Charles Matney ; he located upon what is now known as the Custer place, as early as 1830 or 1831. Walter Matney settled a short distance north upon the same tract of land about the same time. Leonard Matney located upon Round Prairie about 1840. Samuel and William Matney settled on the Matney branch creek about the year 1831.
Thomas Holbrook, a native of North Carolina, settled on section 25 about 1840 ; three of his sons still live here and are farmers.
James Freeman came to Shelby county as early as 1832, and settled upon section 2; he was a soldier in the Black Hawk war, and a man of considerable prominence in the early days. He was also a captain in the Mexican war. He erected a horse mill upon his place in the year 1833, and at one time had a still in operation. Jamcs Freeman raised a family of nine children. Henry Freeman now resides upon the land. The old gentleman died somc ycars ago in Okaw township, near the Okaw river.
William Price, a native of North Carolina, located upon the land he now occupies in 1834. Other old settlers in the south part of Oconee, were : Andrew McGee, Willis Rose, Lewis Hinton, Henry Rose, Thomas Bell, E. Doyle, and J. Woolard. Thomas Freeman, brother to James, settled here in 1833. He afterward purchased the James Freeman place, where he died in 1875. He raised a family of six children. Jonathan Lee settled on Grassy Branch creek about 1843.
John Mount was also one of the early residents, and located upon Sec. 2, where he crected a horse mill, which was in operation for several years. He is now a citizen of the town of Pana, in the ad- joining county.
Other old settlers in the north part of the township, were : Miner Winn, J. J. Donnelly, J. Hobson, and James Combest. John Hin- ton, now living in Oconee, is one of the oldest citizens of the place. His father, Lewis Hinton, settled in the east part of the township (now the Jolin Woolard place) in 1836. He raised a family of
214
HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
twelve children, ten of whom are now living. All excepting one are residing in this county. William Price, his wife, and Nancy Gragg are the oldest settlers now living in the township.
The first preaching was at the residence of James Freeman. The Rev. James Beck was the preacher, and was of the Baptist denomi -. nation.
In 1834-5-6 the Methodist itinerant ministers preachcd at the residence of Wm. Price.
The first school-house was built of hewed logs, in 1838, and was erected in the north part of section 35, near the present school- house and P. Hinton's residence.
The first school-house erected in the north part of the township stood near the centre of Section 2. It was built in the winter of 1846. It was a round log structure, with greased paper windows, after the manner of school-houses in those days. The following April Wm. Price opened a subscription school, which he taught for two years consecutively. This building was also used as a church, in which the Rev. Montgomery preached the first sermon.
The first town laid out in the township of Oconee was called Luro, (upon Section 5), about 1854. When the Illinois Central R. R. was being constructed, Dr. Ballard laid out the town, which gave promise of being of some importance, but the R. R company refu- sing to put in a switch, its enterprise speedily died out. Ervin Sanders erected a store and sold the first goods in the town. Free- man, Roberts & Hinton also put up a store, and opened a stock of goods in Dec. 1854. The town died out and the store buildings were removed to Oconce, a newer town, laid out in the following year. April, 1855, Oconee was surveyed by E. G. Shallenberger, the county surveyor, on Section 20, for Morris, Ketchum & Co. Freeman, Roberts & Hinton having removed their store building from Luro, began selling goods in August, 1855. This was the first stock of goods taken into the town of Oconee.
The first house erccted in the town was built by James A. Coplin, a physician and carpenter ; he also kept a boarding-house. The second building was owned by Culbertson & Co., in which a saloon was carried on, but afterwards changed their business to that of a dry goods and general store. Smith & Brothers who had done business in Luro, removed to Oconee and opened a general store.
The first post-master was William Gunnells, and as he was also the railroad agent, the post-office was kept at the depot. John McBride was the first blacksmith in the town.
There are three churches in Oconee of the following denomina- tions : Methodist, Catholic and Lutheran.
A commodious brick school-house consisting of three rooms graces the town, wherein arc employed two teachers.
The mill at Oconee was built in 1873, by M. G. Fuller, by whom it is still managed ; it has two run of burrs, and an elevator in con- nection with the milling business, operated by John Hinton, who handles all kinds of grain. Fuller has this year, 1880, added a saw attachment to his mill, which is in frequent operation.
A hay press was erected in the town in 1876, by D. M. Keys, who presses and ships about 800 tons of hay annually.
The following building interests are also represented in the town :
Physicians .- John Spell, J. H. Miller and W. D. Blatchley.
Double Store General Merchandize .- Sloan & Roberts.
General Merchandise .- L. L. Gale & Son, Henry Griffith.
Drugs and Deputy Post-master .- W. H. Aughinbaugh.
Jewelry, Watches and Clocks .- J. W. Davis.
Restaurant .- Mrs. C. Steinbrunn.
Hotels .- A. B. Wilmot, Mrs. L. Ball.
Blacksmith Shops .- Davis & Stokes, Phillip Diefenthaler.
Wagon Shop .- J. W. Davis.
Milliner .- Mrs. M. Wilmer.
Shoemaker .- Willianı Ruppc.
Harness Shop .- B. Simens.
Undertaker .- Harris Gravatt.
Cooper Shop .- C. Steinbrunn.
Butcher Shop .- Burk Bros.
Oconee Lodge, No. 392, A. F. and A. Masons, was chartered October 8, 1863, with the following charter members : W. P. Pax- ton, W. M .; S. S. Roberts, S. W .; A. W. Smith, J. W .; D. J. Sloan, Alfred Hutchinson, James Slater, J. K. Porter, J. H. Russel, James Smith, John Hinton, John W. Coplin. Present officers : W. H Aughinbaugh, W. M .; John Garrison, S. W .; Philip Dic- fenthaler, J. W .; John Jones, Treas .; L. Wrede, Secy. ; J. T. Leonard, S. D .; C. S. Turner, J. D .; A. B. Wilmot, Tyler.
Supervisors of Oconee : J. Williamson, elected in 1860 ; James McNutt, elected in 1861, re-elected in 1862 and 1863; M. Lowe, elected in 1864, re-elected in 1865 and 1866 ; John Hinton, elected in 1867, re-elected in 1868 and 1869; John Casey, (Chairman), elected in 1870; J. Hinton, elected in 1871, re-elected in 1872 and 1873; W. D. Matney, elected in 1874 ; A. Jamison, elected in 1875, re-elected in 1876; J. Hinton, elected in 1877; J. K. Bracken, elected in 1878 ; N. P. McNutt, elected in 1879, re-elected in 1880, and present incumbent.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
JOHN T. LEONARD,
POSTMASTER and Superintendent of Schools at Oconee, is a native of Bullitt county, Kentucky, and was born on the 30th of Septem- ber, 1848. His ancestry is traced back to Pennsylvania. His great grandfather on his father's side visited the site of Louisville when, with the exception of a single log cabin, it was a complete wilderness. The subject of this sketch was the oldest of seven
children of F. B. and Anna (Allen) Leonard. All these children are now living. All the other members of the family beside him- self reside in Kentucky. When he was four years of age the family moved from Bullitt to Hardin county, Kentucky, where Mr. Leonard lived till 1865. He had attended school three months when about six years old, and this was the only opportunity he had to secure an education till after he was twenty-onc. The part of
215
HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
Kentucky in which the family lived was rendered disagreeable and dangerous during the rebellion on account of guerilla warfare. From observing the treatment of negroes in the South he had formed his opinions on the slavery question at an early age, and was decidedly opposed to that institution. Making up his mind to come to Illi- nois, he left home by himself and without ineans, on the 12th of January, 1865, and made the journey from Kentucky on horse- back, arriving in Oconee township, on the 3d of February. The war at that time had not yet closed. For three years he found ein- ployment on the farm of F. G. Jansen, and subsequently was simi- larly engaged. During the winter of 1869-70 he attended a district school in the southern part of Oconee township, and afterwards attended another term of five months. By great industry and per- severance he supplemented the defects of his early education, and in the summer of 1870 received a teacher's certificate. He became teacher 'of the school which two winters before he had entered as a student, with scarcely enough knowledge to work the simplest ex- ample in arithmetic. He taught this school four terms. He embraced every opportunity to thoroughly qualify himself as a teacher, attending institutes at Hillsboro and Shelbyville. For three months he was a student at the State Normal School at Nor- mal, Illinois. Since 1874 he has been principal of the schools at Oconee. His marriage occurred March 1st, 1876, to Mollie E., daughter of W. N. Elliott. She is a native of Higginsport, Brown county, Ohio. He has two children. Since the spring of 1877, he has been post-master at Oconee. He became a republican during his boyhood in Kentucky, at a time when the principles of that party were unpopular in that section, and has since been an active member of the republican organization. He took an active part in the two last presidential campaigns. In the fall of 1877, he was a candidate on the republican ticket for the position of Superinten- dent of Public Schools. The county was so largely democratic that his election was not expected, but his popularity is shown by the . fact that he carried Oconee township (which in 1876 went 105 democratic) by sixty-five majority. He is a member of Oconee Masonic Lodge, No. 292. He is known as a young man of energy, and in the legal profession, which he proposes adopting, will doubt- less make his mark.
J. W. DAVIS.
J. W. DAVIS, one of the business men of Oconee, was born in Harrison county, Virginia, May, 1839. He is of Welsh descent. His grandfather emigrated from New Jersey to Virginia, and took part as a soldier in the Revolutionary war. His father was named Eliona Davis. His mother's maiden name was Randolph. She
died when he was two years old, and till he was fourteen his home was with a relative, Isaac F. Randolph. He then went to his fatlier in Doddridge county, Virginia, and with him came to Ohio in the year 1852. He was there employed on a farm in Shelby and Logan counties. He was seventeen at the time of the presi- dential campaign of 1856. Till then he had no decided political convictions. Being desirous of attending a large Republican meeting at Quincy, Logan county, Ohio, the refusal of the man for whom he worked to loan him a horse for that purpose aroused his feelings, and he became a Republican. In June, 1857, he came to Illinois, and at Paris began learning the trade of a carriage-maker. His father meantime had become a resident of Kansas; and in 1860 . Mr. Davis went to that State, and also traveled over the western territories-Dakota, the Pike's Peak country, New Mexico, and also Texas and other frontier regions. He returned to Paris in time to cast his first vote for president for Lincoln in November, 1860. He afterward started into the wagon and carriage manu- facturing business at the town of Kansas, in Edgar county. August 8th, 1862, he enlisted in Capt. Pinnell's company, 79th regiment, Illinois Infantry, for service in the war of the rebellion. The regiment was with the Army of the Cumberland. He was in the battles of Stone River, Liberty Gap, Chickamauga, Mission Ridge, Buzzard's Roost, or Rocky Face Ridge. The regiment took part in the relief of Burnside, besieged by Longstreet at Knoxville, making one of the greatest forced marches on record, covering a distance of one hundred and ten miles in two days and a night. While at Strawberry Plains on the French Broad River, he was detailed in charge of some men to extricate a part of the wagon train from the river. Though the enemy was pressing close, he successfully performed the duty in the face of great danger, the commanding general afterward informing him that that when left in the rear he never expected to see him again. After the battle of Rocky Face Ridge he was placed on detached service as chief artificer, and was stationed at Chattanooga till the expiration of his term of service. He was engaged in drafting and superintend- ing the construction of buildings at that point. He was mustered out of the service August, 1865, and returned to Illinois. He was afterward a clerk in a hotel at Terre Haute; in business at Kansas, Edgar county ; and superintendent of the carriage factory of Lodge, Dodds & Co., at Paris. While at the latter place he in- vented and patented a machine for cutting wagon felloes. In 1871 he became a resident of Shelby county, and in 1873 located at Oconee, where he is now carrying on the jewelry business, the wagon manufacturing business, and a blacksmith shop. He is known as an active and energetic man. He is a strong Republican in politics.
COLD SPRING TOWNSHIP. (SHELBY COUNTY.)
HIS township derived its name from the cold springs, so noted among the pioneers. It is situated in the south-west part of the county, and contains fifty-four sections. It is bounded on the north by Tower Hill, east by Dry Point, west by Oconee township, and on the south by Fayette county. Beck's creek flows through the entire township on the west side, from north to south. The east side is drained by Mitchell's and Polecat creeks. Section creek is a small stream in the south part of the township. In the north-east and through the centre of the township is found considerable prairie ; along the streams the land is heavily timbered. There are many perennial springs, and near these springs the first settlers located, as at that carly period water and timber were a desideratum. It was here that the first settlement of Shelby county was made. There were eight families, who came up in the spring of 1818 from St. Clair county : Charles Wakefield, sr., with his wife and three married sons, Simeon, John and Enoch, and his son, Charles, Jr., who was then a single man ; Ormsby Vanwrinkle and his family ; Lemuel Hawkins and his family; Arthur Crocker and family ; the widow Petties and her children.
Charles Wakefield, sr., located his cabin and made a clearing about three-quarters of a mile south-west of the Cold Spring. His son Simeon settled at the Cold Spring, and John and Enoch built their cabins and made improvements a little west, and in near proximity to the above spring. Ormsby Vanwrinkle was a son-in-law of the elder Wakefield, and located near by, at what is now known as the Horsman spring. Lemuel Hawkins settled south of Cold Spring, just across the hollow, south of Charles Wakefield's place. Arthur Crocker made his improvements on the south side of Mitchell's creek. The widow Petties settled between Crocker's and Cold Spring. These were regular frontiersmen, and when they came the Indians were numerous, but if treated well, were friendly to the settler, and would often provide him with game, and do other acts of kindness.
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.