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 62
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 62
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After Mr. Foster returned from the war, he settled in the village of Lovington, and engaged in the grocery and provision trade, and from that time to the present has been one of the active business men of the village. Politically, he is one of the few original Re- publicans, and cast his first presidential vote for John C. Fremont in 1856. He has never swerved from his allegiance to that political organization, from that day to the present, but it has strength- ened with his years, and he may be classed among the stal- warts. He has held various offices of a local character, and was the first Police Magistrate of Lovington. He was commissioned Notary Public April 24th, 1867, and has held the office ever since. He was commissioned Justice of the Peace, May 27th, 1872, and Police Magistrate May 9th, 1874. On the 18th of October, 1875, he was appointed postmaster of Lovington, and rc-appointed in 1879. Mr. Foster is among the oldest settlers of the northern part of Moultrie county. He has been a resident of the county since 1848, and in all these years has sustained the character of an honest man and good citizen.
NATHAN CHEEVER, M. D.
AMONG the representative men of Lovington township may be mentioned Dr. Nathan Cheever. He was born in Delaware county, Ohio, on the 13th of April, 1818. His parents were Nathan and Mary Cheever. His father was of German descent, and a native of New Hampshire ; when a young man he went to the State of New York, where during the war, of 1812, he enlisted in the American army ; he was married in New York State to Miss Mary
PRAIRIE FARM OF 360 ACRES
FARM RESIDENCE OF JOHN. T. HOWELL, SEC 8, T. 15, R. 5, (LOVINGTON TP.) MOULTRIE CO.ILL.
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HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
Tripp, who was of Irish descent and boru near Salem, Massachusetts. By this union there were twelve children, of whom nine grew to maturity. Dr. Cheever's father in the year 1817 emigrated to Delaware county, Ohio. He was a farmer all his life, and died in Franklin county, Ohio, in the year 1861. The subject of this sketch was raised in his native county, during the summer assisting his father on the farm, and during the winter attending the neigh- borhood school. At the age of eighteen he took charge as teacher of a county school. For five successive winters he taught school and attended an academy where Central College is now located in Franklin county, Ohio. This academy at that time was under the charge of Prof. Ebenezer Washburn, a graduate of Yale College, who took particular interest in advancing the subject of our sketch in his search for knowledge. His kindness Dr. Cheever remembers with much gratitude. With the money carned in teaching sehool he began to qualify himself for the inedical profession. His prc- paratory studies were conducted in the office of Dr. S. H. Potter, a prominent physician of Circleville, Ohio. In the spring of 1843, lie received a diploma from the Willoughby Medical College, then near Cleveland, now in the city of Cleveland. After his graduation he began the practice of his profession at Harrisburg, Franklin county, Ohio, where he remained more than three years, and then removed to Waterloo, Fayette county, Ohio, where he successfully practiced about eleven years. He then removed to Iowa, and entered eight hundred acres of land and purchased an improved farm of eighty acres adjoining the village of Libertyville, Jefferson county. He resided there eighteen months, and then in November, 1857, came to Lovington where he practiced medicine till 1875. Since that date his time has been occupied by other business matters. Soon after his arrival at Lovington, he purchased 170
acres of land immediately north of the town. Part of the village has sinec been built on this land. He afterwards purchased sixty acres adjoining his first purchase, and since then has handled more or less real estate. He is now the owner of between four and five hundred acres in the vicinity of Lovington. On the 22d of Septem- ber 1842, he married Miss Mary Hubbard, daughter of Jacob Hub- bard, one of the prominent farmers of Pickaway county, Ohio. He had six children : Mary E., now at home; Byron, in the grain business at Lovington ; Laura A., who died at the age of five years ; Isadora, now deceased ; Florry, who died in June, 1880, at the age of nineteen, and Elnora, now deceased. Dr. Cheever has been en- gaged at Lovington in the mercantile business, which, however, he proposes to abandon and spend the rest of his life in retirement, with no other cares except to look after his lands and town property. He is still full of life and vigor, and with his cheerful disposition is well-fitted to extract enjoyment from the remainder of his days. His success in life has been due to his energy and economy. In his politics he is a Republican.
CHARLES HOWELL.
AMONG the prominent agricultural and stock men of Moultrie county may be mentioned the name that heads this biography. He was born in Shelby county, Kentucky, March 20th, 1830. He was the son of David and Elizabeth Howell ; David Howell was a na- tive of North Carolina, and of Welsh deseent; he came to Shelby county when a young man and there married Miss Elizabeth Bry- ant, a native of Kentucky; her parents were also from North Caro- lina. David Howell's father's name was John Stephen Howell; he emigrated to Kentucky in an early day and settled in Shelby county, where he resided until his death. After David Howell's
marriage he began farming, an occupation he was brought up to; he remained in Kentucky several years after his marriage, and in 1836 emigrated to Illinois and settled in what is now Moultrie county, near where the subject of our sketch now resides. He bought three hundred acres of land and began the improvement of this tract; his health was not good after coming to this State, and after seven years he died, leaving a widow and ninc children to mourn his demise. Charles Howell was then in his thirteenth year; he remained at home with his mother, and assisted in the manage- ment of the farm until her death in 1851. His advantages for re- ceiving an education were very limited, about nine months being all the schooling he received, but in after life, by his own energies, lie qualified himself sufficiently to transact almost any ordinary busi- ness. At the age of twenty-four he was united in marriage to Miss Eliza E. Hill, daughter of William Hill, of Fayette county, Ohio. Mrs. Howell is of German ancestry. This marriage took place January 4th, 1854. They have had born to them a family of eleven children, and have never had a death in the family. Mr. Howell was educated to agricultural pursuits, a business he has followed his entire life with marked success; he received less than forty acres out of his father's cstate, and by industry and economy he acquired about 143 acres by the time of his marriage, and by add- ing tract after tract he now owns 1,620 acres of fine land, and his improvements are among the best in the county. He has for years been quite extensively engaged in stock-raising. and to this line of business is more particularly due his success in life; what he has of this world's goods has been acquired by his industrious habits and untiring energy. During the early settlement of the county, or be- fore railroads were built through this section of country, he bought hogs and drove through on foot to Terre Haute, Indiana; and when a young man, before his marriage, made trips through to Ohio with droves of fat cattle, in the employ of Samuel Pancost. In politics Mr. Howell is a republican, but has never taken an active part in politics, desiring rather to employ his time in the improvement of a model farm. Religiously, Mr. and Mrs. Howell are members of the M. E. Church.
JOHN T. HOWELL
WAS born in Shelby county, Kentucky, February 12th, 1832. He was the son of Ransom and Nancy Howell. The family is of Welsh extraction, the forefathers emigrating to America in the colonial days. John Howell, the grandfather of the subject of our sketeh, emigrated from North Carolina to Kentucky in the early settlement of that state, and settled in Shelby county, on the waters of Clear creek, where he improved a farm. He here married a Miss Mary Busey, a daughter of one of the old families in that part of the state. They raised a family of nine ehildren. It was here where Ransom Howell was born and raised ; he grew to man- hood on a farm, and afterwards married Miss Nancy Gailey, of Shelby county, Kentucky. There were two children born by this union, John T. and Mary C. Mr. Howell was eight years of age when his father died, and in consequence was left to his own resources at a very early age. He lived with his relations, and at times attended school until about eightccu years of age, when he began to learn the wagon-making trade; he remained at this busi- ness about two years. At the age of twenty-two he was united in marriage to Miss Susan Harris, who was a native also of Shelby county, Kentucky. They have a family of six children-Henry T., Shelby W., Robert E., John R., Mollie G., and Jimmic. Mr. Howell lived in Kentucky until 1864, when he came to Moultrie county, and bought 140 aeres in Lovington township, where he now
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HISTORY OF SHELBY AND. MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
lives. He has increased his landed possessions in this township until he now owns 500 acres. A view of his residence and scenes on his farm can be seen in another part of this book. The princi- pal part of Mr. Howell's property has been the fruits of his own industry and strict attention to business. In politics he is a democrat.
SAMUEL S. WOOD.
AMONG the old settlers of Moultrie county, the Wood family are numbered with the early pioneers. Samuel S. Wood, one of the substantial farmers of Lovington township, was born in Old- ham county, Kentucky, on the 11th of July, 1822. His father, William Wood, was a native of North Carolina, and of Irish de- scent. He was married in North Carolina to Miss Elizabeth Grove, daughter of John Grove, who was of German parentage, in the city of Philadelphia, and served as a captain in the Revolution- ary war, thus doing his part to secure the independence of the thirteen colonies and found the American republic. After the con- clusion of the Revolutionary war, John Grove emigrated to North Carolina. By this union there were born nine children, of whom three sons and five daughters grew to manhood and womanhood, and became the parents of children. Samuel S. Wood, the subject of this sketch, was next to the youngest child of John and Elizabeth Wood. When he was eleven years old, in the year 1833, his father moved with the family to Illinois, and settled in what is now Lovington township, then a part of Macon county. At that time there were few settlements in this portion of the state. The prai- ries were covered with tall grass, and the early settlers considered that they would never be brought under the domain of agriculture. The few improvements which had been made were confined to the timber. The early pioneers had by no means an easy time, but
were compelled to undergo the hardships and inconveniences inci- dent to a new country. The city of Chicago and the Wabash river were the nearest market for stock and grain. "Wheat was often sold for twenty-five cents a bushel. To the early pioneers who first met and faced these difficulties are owing some of the advantages now enjoyed by the present generation. Amid such circumstances as these Mr. Wood was raised. There were few advantages for ob- taining an education. He attended school during the winter months, and in the summer worked on the farm. His father died on the 9th of May, 1851, and his mother on the 2d of May, 1859.
At the age of nineteen he began life for himself. On the 1st of November, 1849, he married Miss Alice Howell, daughter of David Howell, one of the early settlers of the county. Her death occurred. on the 1st of November, 1856, six years after her marriage. Mr. Wood's second inarriage took place on the 24th of August, 1858, to Miss H. Dunscomb, a native of Ohio, daughter of Orren H. Duns- comb, who was born in the state of Vermont. He had seven child- ren, one by his first and six by his second marriage. Mr. Wood has been a farmer all his life. In his early days he followed breaking prairie, and has turned over at least two thousand acres of the primeval sod. In. this way he acquired the means with which to enter his first tract of land of one hundred and sixty acres. On this land his présent residence stands. He owns seven hundred and thirty-five acres of land. His comfortable position in life has been obtained chiefly by his own energy and economy. He was. originally a member of the old Whig party, but on the dissolution of that organization he became a Republican, and has since been a: staunch supporter of the Republican party. He is connected with the Masonic fraternity ; he has seven children, whose names are. as follow : Nancy E., now wife of Samuel Parrett; William O., Edgar F. ; Dora J .; Austin G., Elmer C., and Mary Ollie.
BIG SPRING TOWNSHIP.
(SHELBY COUNTY.)
S situated in the extreme south-east part of Shelby county. It is bounded on the north by Ash Grove, west by Prairie township, south by Ef- fingham county, and east by Cumberland county, and is six by nine miles in extent. The town- ship is about equally divided between prairie and timber. The Little Wabash river passes through its entire length from north to south ; along this stream the land is quite broken. The other streams are Copperas, Drake, Bills, Brush, Hog, Rattlesnake and Clear creeks-all tributaries to the Wabash. The first settlers were : Fancher, Weatherspoon and the Daniels. B. Fancher settled the place where John Spain now lives, known as Big Spring Post-office, in 1827.
Samuel G. Weatherspoon settled about a half mile south of Big
Spring, in 1828, near the Wabash ; and the following year he built a small water-mill on this stream,-ground corn only,-it was considered at that time quite an improvement upon the horse-mills. In 1832 he began grinding wheat, and instead of a bolt he used a sifter, also run by water-power. Two years later he put in an up- right saw, which was quite an acquisition to this part of the country at that time, as here the early settlers could get timber sawed out without the expense of so much labor. Prior to the putting in of this saw, the lumber, what little was used in the early settlement of the country, was sawed out by the use of the whip-saw, where two logs were laid across a deep ravine ; cross-timbers were then placed on these, and the log to be sawed was rolled on -- one man stood above and one below, and by the use of a long thin saw they could turn out some very nice lumber ; but it was a slow business, and very hard work. The mill has long since been washed away, and
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HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
hardly a sign of it now remains. But the mill and its surround- ings are still bright in the memory of many an early settler in the eastern part of Shelby, northern part of Effingham, and western part of Cumberland counties. Weatherspoon made the first land entry in this township, June 14, 1832. He entered forty acres, the north-west quarter of the north-east quarter section twenty-nine, where he had previously settled and started an improvent ; it is now a part of the A. Quicksall estate. Weatherspoon afterwards re- moved to Texas.
Bazel Daniel settled one-half mile north-east of Big Spring, about 1828.
William Daniel built a cabin near Fancher's in 1831.
Nathaniel Daniel built his cabin within half a mile of Big Spring the same year.
Fancher and the Daniels only held "squatter claims." They improved about four acres each, on which they raised a little corn. However, they spent most of their time in hunting. Fancher left this country in the fall of 1832 for the west, and was soon followed by Bazel Daniel and his son William; Nathaniel and Amon re- mained. The Daniels were from Tennessee. Bazcl Daniel was a native of North Carolina.
The second entry of land made in this township was by Francis Simpson, August 10th, 1833 ; he entered the extreme north-east forty in township, 10-6. The third entry was made by Willian Morgan, Feb. 8th, 1836; he entered the south-west quarter of the south-east quarter of section fourteen, in Copperas creek. The fol- lowing November 30th, Preston Ramsey and Daniel Stuart entered forty acres each in the north part of the township. Ramsey's land was in section eighteen, and Stuart's in section five. Amon Daniel, son of Bazel, settled in the south part of the township, section five, in about 1835. Feb. 6th, 1837, he entered forty acres in this sec- tion the same day. Nathaniel Daniel entered forty acres in section eight. Amon Daniel raised quite a large family, and improved a good farın, where he resided until his death. Nathaniel raised a family of six children, and resided in the township until his death. Three of his children are now living. Paul Daniel in Prairie township, and the other two in Texas.
John Spain, a native of North Carolina, though from Tennessee, here came into the township in 1832. Eight years later he settled per- manently at Big Spring, where he now resides. About thirty years ago he got a post-office established here, called Big Spring, and he has filled the office of post-master without intermission up to the present time. The mail route has been changed several times ; when the office was first established, the mail came by the way of Coch- ran's Grove post office. The mail now comes from Stewardson once a week.
Jolın Young, who lives in the east part of the township, near Cop- peras creek, settled there in 1840. For fourteen years previous to his settlement here, he lived in Coles county, about ten miles distant from where he now resides. He was a soldier in the Black Hawk war, and went from Coles county under Captain Ross. Mr. Young was born on the road, while his parents were emigrating from Georgia to Kentucky in 1804.
William Hart settled farther down the Copperas creek in about 1842. Thomas Robinson was the next to settle in this part of the township, and Charles Sawyer and John Waggoner soon followed. William Garrett settled in the north part of the township on the side of Wabash creek as early as 1841.
Joseph Baker settled first on Sand creek, in the year 1827, and in 1845 moved to Big Spring township, and located on section 2, town. 9, range 2. Jesse and James Baker settled near by the following year.
Among the first German settlers in the vicinity of Sigel were Harman Sicmer, Jolın Sankinaster, Joseph Luke, Henry Kateman and Joseph Werman. There is now a large German population throughout the township, so much so that the wooden shoe is in constant demand, and one of the prominent articles of trade in Sigel. The Germans here are a hard-working class of people, and are doing much towards the improvement of these lands. H. Sie- mer built a saw and grist mill about three-quarters of a mile north- west of Sigel in 1855; this mill had three run of burrs, and did a good business until about 1867, when it was moved into Effingham county. Siemer also had at this place a still house, where he made whiskey for several years, and until the high tax was put upon that article, when he sold it out to one Zirngible, who carried on the business for about two years, when it became neces- sary for him to emigrate with his still, going to Missouri. The Swedes came into the township, and settled in the west and north part quite numerously about 1860. But in some way they be- came dissatisfied with the country, and the most of them have since left.
The first school taught in this township was in an empty cabin on the place of John Spain, Thomas Bell being among the first teach- ers. This cabin was used for school purposes for a number of years.
Early preaching in the township was at the residence of John Spain, by the Baptists and Methodists. William Martin, Aaron Hood, and Thomas Frailkill were the first preachers.
VILLAGE OF SIGEL
Was surveyed out on the line of the Illinois Central R R- north, east quarter of section fourteen, by Charles R. Underwood, deputy county surveyor, June, 1863, for Theodore Hoffman, proprietor of , the town.
The first house built was a business house, where Martin Gay opened up a small stock of general merchandise in the fall of 1863 ; he was also the first post-master ; the post-office was called Hooker until 1871, when it was changed to Sigel. The building Gay occu- pied at that time is now used by A. C. Rea as a residence. In 1864 Gay sold out to John Henman, who began merchandizing, whichi business he followed until 1875, when he was succeeded by his son, Hugo Hemman and E. F. Hoffman, They now occupy the corner building. It was erected by G. A Hoffman in 1872. The build- ing on the opposite corner was built by Frank Zirngible, one of the early merchants, in 1863 and '64; it is now occupied by B. H. Kohlmeyer.
The second house was erected by Henry Berchtold, in 1863, for a hotel. His son, Henry Berchtold, jr., was the first birth in Sigel, January 13th, 1864. The City Hotel building, the largest in the place, was built by - Sherwood, in 1866 and '67.
John Perkins came to the place in 1864. He erected the build- ing now occupied by C. Trager in that year, and opened a general store. The same year hc built the mill now owned and run by John C. Knecht. It has three run of burrs, and receives a fair custom trade. Perkins built the store-house on the opposite corner, where he sold goods in 1866. He died the same year. His death was a severe blow to Sigel. He was a thorough business man, and did much in his short stay, towards building up and improving the town.
There are two churches in the place-Catholic and Lutheran. The Catholic denomination are at this time just finishing a hand- some church-edifice, in place of one recently burned. They had the misfortune also of having their school-building burned in Octo- ber, 1880. It was a very commodious structure.
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HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
The town commands the trade of an extent of good farming country. The building up of Stewardson on the Chicago and Paducah R. R, now Wabash, St. Louis and Paducah R. R., in- jured the place for a time quite perceptibly. But it has been for- tunate in having for its business men, gentlemen of energy and enterprise, who have spared no pains to advance the interests of the placc. The town is now represented by the following professional and business men.
Physicians .- J W. Wilhite, P. E. Chapman, William Bartles.
General Stores .- Hemman & Hoffman, B. H. Kollmeyer, H. J. Schneiderjon.
Drug Stores .- T. G. Frost, P. E. Chapman.
Post-master .- T. G. Frost.
Hardware and Farm Implements .- F. W. Jaeger.
Hardware and Tin Shop .- Christian Trager. Grain Dealers .- Hemman & Hoffman, E. Orr. Boots and Shoes and Shoemaker .- G. Schneider'
Blacksmith Shops .- Henry Gier, Henry Schwerdts, Henry Mense, Jacob Krein.
Wagon Maker .- Frederick Fincke.
Butcher Shop .- E. W. Paxton.
Wooden Shoemaker .- B. Ruschhoff
Saloons -D. Widmeir, John Kirn.
Hotels .- City hotel by E. Orr ; Union hotel by Dr. J. W. Wil- hite ; Sigel hotel by Mrs. B. Berchtold.
LANDISVILLE
Is a paper town laid off by Joseph Landis, Section 1, on the line of the Illinois Central Railroad.
Supervisors of this township : A. Blythe, elected in 1860: R. S. Tweedy, elected in 1861 ; E. Barrett, elected in 1862, re-elected in 1863, (Chairman) 1864; A. Blythe, elected in 1805, re-elected in 1866; John Spain, elected in 1867, re-elected in 1868; H. Storme, elected in 1869; E. Carey, elected in 1870 ; E. Houclins, elected in 1871, re-elected in 1872; H. Storme, elected in 1873; J. Steele, elected in 1874, re-elected in 1875; T. Dooley, elected in 1876, re- elected in 1877; W. L. Cummings, elected in 1878 ; Peter Allen, elected in 1879, re-elected in 1880, and is the present incumbent.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
PETER ALLEN,
HE present supervisor of Big Spring township, was born in Chatham county, North Carolina, April 7th, 1832; his ancestors were of Scotch descent ; his grandfather, Peter Allen, emi- grated from Scotland and settled in Pennsyl- vania about 1760, and from there removed to North Carolina. It is said that this Peter Al- len, who himself served in the war of 1812, was an uncle of Ethan Allen, celebrated for his daring deeds dur- ing the Revolutionary war.
John D. Allen, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Chatham county, North Carolina, and in that State married Lu- cretia Fogleman, who was of German descent. Peter Allen was the fourth of ten children. He lived in Chatham county, North Caro- lina, till he was twenty-one. His early educational advantages were inferior, but he obtained a good business education by his own efforts. On coming west in 1854 he settled in Wayne county, In- diana, where he learned the carpenter's trade. In August, 1861, he enlisted for three years in the 33d Indiana Regiment, and on the expiration of his term of service re-enlisted as a veteran, and was discharged in August, 1865. His regiment formed part of the Army of the Cumberland, and after serving in Kentucky and Ten. nessee took part in the famous march of Sherman from Atlanta to the sea and on to Washington. He was in the battles of Wild Cat, Mill Spring, Stone River, Lookout Mountain, Buzzard Gap, Mari- etta, Dallas Woods, Savannah, Goldsboro', and Raleigh; he was wounded at Dallas Woods, Atlanta, and Buzzard Gap. He en- listed as a private and was promoted to be a sergeant. For six
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