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 65
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 65
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J. HENRY PRICE.
THE subject of this sketch is one of the pioneers of Shelby county. He was born in Cochran's Grove, Shelby county, April 22, 1833. His father, John Price, was one of three brothers who came to Shelby county in 1824 or 1825, and settled in what was then known as Cochran's Grove. He was a native of North Carolina, and moved from there to Kentucky, where he married Jane G. Cochran, daughter of John and Martha (McCaslin) Cochran. He was born January 1, 1792. He remained in Shelby county till his death, which occurred in the fall of 1866. His wife, and the mother of J. Henry Price, was born November 3, 1799, and died in this county in the spring of 1856. There was born to John and Jane G. Price ten children, three sons and seven daughters. Seven of the children have survived their parents. The subject of this biography is the only remaining son of the family. In his youth he assisted his father in cultivating his farm, and occasionally getting a little schooling in the rude log school-houses of the pioneer era of Illinois. The knowledge therein obtained did not go beyond the three " R's, reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic." The ambitious and industrious pupil who got beyond the rule of three was looked upon as a mathematical wonder, and a brilliant future was predicted for him. Yet within the rude log school houses of fifty years ago, sat youths poring over their books who liave since that time startled the world
RESIDENCE OF DR. W. H.DUBLER, WINDSOR, SHELBY CO. ILL.
RESIDENCE OF S.H. WEBSTER, EsQ. 25 BROADWAY, SHELBYVILLE, SHELBY CO. ILL.
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HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
with their genius, oratory and profound statesmanship. Mr. Price remained at home until after he was of age, and on the farm until 1868, when he came to Windsor and commenced the milling business. In 1860, however, he was engaged in operating a saw and grist mill in Cochran's Grove. In 1866, he and William Wool- ard commenced the erection of the city mills, and as soon as finished commenced operating them, and has remained in the business up to the present. He has had several partners. The firm is now Price & Blithe. On the 3d of November, 1853, he married Miss Nancy C. Renshaw. She was born January 10, 1831. Her father, John Renshaw, was a native of Kentucky, and came to this county about 1824 or 1825. He married Mary Carr, a native of Tennessee. There have been born to J. Henry and Nancy C. Price, eight child- ren, four of whom are living. Those that are dead, died in infancy, The names of those living are James J., John M., William H. and Charles T. Price. Both he and his wife are members of the Chris- tian Church. In politics he was a democrat until 1880, when he voted for Gen. Weaver, the Greenback candidate. Mr. Price bc- longs to the pioneer family of the county. He has resided liere since his birth. He is much respected by all who know him.
W. F. HILSABECK, M. D.
THE subject of this sketch is the fifth in a family of ten chil- dren of W. F. and Elenor (Walden) Hilsabeck. His father was a native of Georgia. He left that state at the age of fifteen, and came with his father's family to Hillsboro, Montgomery county, Illinois. Subsequently he removed to Shelby county, where he at present resides. Dr. Hilsabeck was born in Windsor township, Shelby county, October 8th, 1846. He received his education in
the public schools of Shelby county, at the seminary in Shelbyville, and at the Mt. Zion Academy in Macon county, where he spent one year, also attending the Normal School in Potsdam, New York, one year.
In 1868 he commenced the study of medicine in the office of Dr. Harnett, of Shelbyville, and continued with him until he entered the Medical Department of the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, where he remained one college year. In the winter of 1871-72 he entered Rush Medical College, Chicago, and gradu- ated from that institution with the degree of M. D. in the following year. He returned to Windsor and commenced practice. In 1876 he entered the Missouri Medical College at St. Louis, and also graduated from that institution, and resumed his practice ; and has continued with great success to the present. On the 24th of Octo- ber, 1877, he was united in marriage to Miss Eugenia Sargent, a native of Claremont county, Ohio, but a resident of Moultrie county at the time of her marriage. He is in political faith a stalwart re- publican. He is a member of the ancient and honorable Order of Freemasonry, and belongs to Windsor Lodge, No. 322. He is an advocate of temperance, and strictly a total abstainer. The doctor has a large and growing practice, and he gives it his undivided attention.
J. G. ALLEN.
ONE of the enterprising business men of Windsor is J. G. Allen. He is the proprietor of the Windsor livery, feed and sale stables, and takes great pains in fitting out the public in single or double rigs with or without drivers. His terms are very reasonable, and as low as any livery in the county. The public will find him a very accommodating and obliging gentleman.
MARROWBONE TOWNSHIP.
(MOULTRIE COUNTY.)
HIS township is situated in the western part of Moultrie county, bounded north by Dora, east by Lovington and Sullivan townships, south by Shelby county, and west by Shelby and Macon counties. It contains 24,948 acres, 23,224 acres of which are improved ; valued at $243,769. There was originally about one-third of terri- tory covered with timber, much of which has been cleared off and made into farms.
The rich lands are drained by the West Okaw river, Marrowbone creek and their tributaries, which flow south and south-easterly 31
through the township. The name Marrowbone, originated from the following peculiar circumstances : - Jacob McCune and Jones Daniels, while hunting in this region, encamped for the night on section 8, town. 14-4, and after lighting their camp-fire, mnade preparations for supper, which consisted of venison roasted before the fire. After eating the mneat they broke the bones and feasted on the marrow. The next morning when they had prepared to leave, Daniels asked, " What shall we call this camp ?" McCune looking around at the scattered bones with a keen remembrance of the feast, replied, " We will call it Marrowbone." Hence the name.
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HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
When the first settlers arrived in this region, there was still re- maining here a fragment of the Kickapoo tribe of Indians. They were very friendly to the whites, and often invited them to sit at their camp-fires. When the early settlements began to appear along the edge of the Marrowbone timber, the poor Kickapoos again took up their march westward. At one time there was probably an Indian conflict on the place now owned by J. A. Strain, as all over the slight elevation, upon which his residence stands, there have been large numbers of flint and iron arrow licads, stone and iron hatchets, old gun locks, musket barrels, and trinkets of various kinds, plowed up and collected by Mr. Strain. When his father settled here there were numerous slight depressions over the surface, and upon investigation they were found to contain the remains of Indians. Several strings of beads, charms, etc., were taken from their graves. Mr. S. has a number of these curiositics in his pos- session, and many have been carried away by relic hunters.
FIRST SETTLEMENTS.
Andrew Bone and Elias Kennedy, who came here together from Tennessee, were the first settlers in what is now Marrowbone town- ship. They both brought their families with them, each in a wagon drawn by horses, and landed here in November, 1828. Mr. Bone was a native of North Carolina. He settled in the edge of the timber on section 24, town. 14-4, on the place now owned by W. F. Vaughan, and broke the first prairie in this part of the county. He died a few years after settling here, and left quite a large fami- ly, many of whose descendants are still living here Elias Kenne- dy was born in Tennessee in the year 1800. Upon his arrival he settled in section 35, 14-4, where he built a cabin of rough, un- hewn logs near the creek. He lived on this place about two years, and sold it to William Thomason, and moved farther north to sec- tion 27, and settled the place on which Robert Roney now lives. In about four years he sold this to a man by the name of Frederick, and moved across the West. Okaw, about five miles, where he made some improvements, and again sold out to Reuben B. Ewing. He then re-crossed the West Okaw and settled near where the Marrow- bone emptics into it, where he constructed a small horse mill. He afterwards purchased of David Cochran, the place where M. M. Crowder now resides. He lived here for a time, and finally moved to Kansas, where he died in 1871. He had a family of eleven children, only four of whom are living, Finis E., in Kansas, and James C., Alexander and David F. are residing in this township. His daughter, Elizabeth W , born in February, 1829, was the first birth in the township.
After the-e two families there were no settlements made for near- ly two years, or not until 1830, when there were several arrivals, but we are unable to give them in the order they came. James Fruit, a Kentuckian, who had first settled farther south in the Wakefield settlement, came into this country in the spring of 1830, and located on section 26, on the place where J. B. Hudson now resides. He afterwards settled the Peter Forsythe place. He died in 1845, and was at that time residing about a half mile west of Bethany. His widow was subsequently married to Major Poor, spoken of in East Nelson. She died in February, 1880. Several of the descendants of Mr. Fruit are perpetuating the name in the county. In the same year Thomas D. Lansden and George Bax- ter came together with their families.
Baxter remained herc but a short time and moved into Shelby county. Mr. Lansden was a native of North Carolina, and brought with him a large family from Tennessee, where he was married and lived prior to his coming to this state. They reached this country
November 19th, 1830, and settled thic Emanuel Sickafus place on section 24. From here he moved to the Evans place, just west of Bethany, where he died October 1st, 1838, at the age of 71 years. His wife died three years earlier. Mr. Lansden built the first blacksmith shop in the township. He was a good and useful man among the early settlers, and several of his descendants are among the best citizens of to-day. John Warren, a native of Tennessee, and Daniel Pound, his brother in-law, came here together in Octo- ber, 1830. He had a large family of boys and one daughter, Lu- cinda. Of this family, Daniel P. Warren is the only survivor liv- ing in this county. Jesse A. Walker, a North Carolinian, emigrated from Kentucky here in the fall of 1830, and settled the Frank Ward farm on Brush Creek. He had eight children, some of whom are yet living here. William Thomason settled in section 35, in the same year. Jerry Provolt also stopped here for a short time, in the Welborn settlement. William Salsman arrived in the same year, first stopping in Welborn settlement, and afterwards opened the farm, at present owned by Frank Hagerman. John Cook, sr., was a native of R. I., and moved here as early as 1830. He settled on section 3, 13-4, or near the Welborns. He became quite pro- minent in the organization of this county. At an early date he constructed an undershot water wheel grist mill on the West Okaw, and was a useful and enterprising man. He died some years ago, and his widow still survives. Larkin Beck from Kentucky, settled on section 28, 14-4, on the E. A. Walker place. Wm. C. Ward, and his son James O. Ward, with their families, came in June of the same year. Mr. Ward brought a large family, and several are now living here and in Shelby county. Allen Perryman, John and Edward Woolen, and Samuel and Simeon Robertson were also here in 1830. These families above mentioned were about all that settled here up to 1831. As taken from the county records, the first lands were entered as follows: April 21st, 1830, U. Kutch entered the E. ¿ of the S. W. } of section 23, T. 14, R. 4 east, 80 acres. June 11th, 1839, Joshua Johnson entered the W. ¿ of the S. W. }, sec- tion 9, T. 13, R. 4 E. 80 acres. Same date Andrew M. Bone en- tered the W. ₺ of the N. E. } of section 24, T. 14, R. 4 E. 80 acres. Oct. 14th, 1830, Wm. Thomason entered the W. } of the S. W. } of section 35, T. 14, R. 4 E. 80 acres. Nov. 18th, 1830, John S. Woolen entered the W. } of the S. E. }, section 22, T. 14, R. 4 E. 80 acres. Dec. 8th, 1830, James Roney entered the E. ¿ of the S. E. ¿ of section 9, T. 13, R. 4 E. 80 acres. Same date John Ro- ney entered the W. } of the S. E. 4, same scction, town and range containing 80 acres.
David Strain, another North Carolinian, landed here with his family October 12th, 1831, and settled on section 21, on the place where his son, John A., now resides. He had been here the year before and raised a crop in the Welborn settlement, and purchased of Allen Perryman the place on section 21, where he moved with his family, and where he resided until his death, September 9th, 1854. Mr. Strain was an early Justice of the Peace in this county, and one among the most intelligent and enterprising old settlers. He was twice married, and raised a large family, only two of whom are now living, viz : John A. Strain, who resides on the old home- stead, and Lydia, the wife of Robert Livesay, residing in Oregon. Daniel Pca came here in 1831, and purchased Thomas D. Lansden's claim on section 24, and remained here about two years, then moved into what is now Lovington township. In 1832, James Ro- ney, a native of Kentucky, located in the Melbourne settlement. He had a large family. Joshua and Robert, farmers in this town- ship, Mary, widow of Joseph Sedgwick, and Louisa, the wife of W. Underwood, living in Kansas, are all of this family now living, that came to thic county. George Mitchell, born in North Carolina,
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HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
brought his family here in 1832, and settled on section 24. He had a family of ten children, seven still living, viz : David, Samuel, Martha, Jane, widow of Thos. A. Bone, John B., Rachel A., wi- dow of G. T. West, Wm. B. and Susan E., the wife of David Crow- der, who are among the oldest living settlers in the county. The old gentleman was one of the first county commissioners. He was a wagon-maker by trade, but followed farming principally. He died on the place where he first settled in 1854, upward of 74 years of agc. U. Kutchi settled on the south side of section 23, in the fall of 1832, where he still lives, a hale and hearty old man. He was a great hunter, and killed eighteen deer the first three weeks after his ar- rival in this region. He says that there were plenty of Bee trees here when he came. On his first trip he found as many as four a day in the Marrowbone and West Okaw timber. Susan Bone, the widow of Thomas Bone, a brother of Andrew Bone, came here in 1833, with a family of three sons and one daughter. Beverly Tay- lor and James and Samuel Howell were also early settlers. In 1834, WV. P. Foster and Ezekiel Sharp settled in the Bone settlc- ment. Sharp died soon afterwards. Three of his sons, Robert, Joseph and James, are residents in this neighborhood.
Robert Morrison, from Tennessee, settled in 1834, and died the following year, when his family returned to Tennessee.
In 1833 or 1834 John Haberson came and settled the Crowder place. He was also from Tennessee, and after a short time returned there. Elisha Brison, a son-in-law of William Ward, was also here for a short time. The Freelands came in 1836; Enoch Walker and family and the Crowders in 1837; the Banksons in 1838. There are others, perhaps, that might be mentioned, but we feel that we have named most of the prominent early settlers, and for further information we will refer the reader to the Pioncer and other chapters in the front part of this work. The first death that we have any account of was that of a child of Edward Woolen, in 1830. The first burial-ground in the settlement was on Andrew Bone's place, now the property of W. F. Vaughan. The first marriage was James O. Ward to Elizabeth Stark, in the summer of 1831. Esquire Thomason performed the ceremony. William Crouch to Miriam Strain; Thomas Bone to Jane Mitchell ; and Robert Law to Amanda Lansden, were also early marriages.
Addison Smith taught the first school in a log cabin, on section 27, in the summer of 1833. The early preachers were of the Cumberland Presbyterian denomination, and the meetings were held at the cabins of the settlers. (See Church History.)
George Thomason, a very early settler, kept the first store in this part of the county. It was on section 35, and consisted of a small stock of general goods. This was in the year 1835. In 1832, Andrew Bone built a rude horse-mill, the first in this locality. In 1836, Robert Law built another of the same kind on the spot where the village of Bethany now stands. Beverly Taylor con- structed a water-mill on the West Okaw in 1837. John Cook also built another of the same character farther down the stream.
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The first steam saw and grist mill was built by John A. Strain in 1851. The engine and machinery were purehased at the Piasa shops at Alton, and carted on wagons to this point. Thomas D. Lansden also built a water mill for William Foster in 1837.
The following are the supervisors who have represented Marrow- bone :- John A. Freeland, Junior, elccted in 1867; William P. McGuire, elected in 1868, and served until 1873; A. R. Scott, elected in 1873, served until 1875; was Chairman of Board in 1874. T. H. Crowder, elccted in 1875, served until 1877; A. R. Scott, re-elected in 1877, served until 1880; W. P. McGuire, re- elected in 1880.
The township has at present 1595 population.
VILLAGE OF BETHANY.
This is a growing little place, situated on the linc of the P. D. and E. R. R., in section 22. The land upon which it is located was entered by Robert Law, who built the first house. This was a small log cabin erected in 1834. Mr. Law was a farmer, and, as above-mentioned, built an early mill at this point. In 1837, Law sold out to A. N. Ashmore; and he soon afterwards sold out to Rev. A. M. Wilson. Mr. Wilson built a large two-story log house, which was considered quite a fine structure in those days. This was all the building done here until 1854, when Dr. J. D. Livesay, who was the first physician, erected a frame dwelling and store- house, and in partnership with Thomas Sowell, opened a general stock of goods for sale. This was the first frame building, and is now used as a wagon shop by Lantz and Mitchell. The next house was a frame dwelling put up by William P. McGuire in April, 1857, and now owned by H. A. Smith. Mr. McGuire also erected the next building, a frame storehouse, in 1863, and opened a stock of goods. He built another store in 1864. This was brick, two stories high, and is now the property of Thomas Noble. A. N. Ashmore built the next house in 1865. It was a residence, and is now occupied by W. P. McGuire. McGuire built still another storehouse, and when completed sold it to A. R. Scott, who is the present owner. The present A. H. Antrim's store was erected by J. T. Smutz. A. K. Bone, E. Ransford, Peter Forsyth, Widow Robinson, Samuel Mitchell, and James Moore also built early residences. There was no school taught in the village proper until about 1871, when a Miss Snyder taught in the private resi- dence of Stephen McReynolds. Christopher Beck taught the next school, in the second story of Mr. Smutz's storehouse. The present school-house was built in 1874. It is frame, one story, with two rooms, and employs two teachers.
The old Bethany church that stood on the village site, and from which it received its name, was built of liewed logs in 1838. It was replaced by the present frame structure in 1855, at a cost of $2,200. This is the Cumberland Presbyterian church. The Methodist church was erected in the fall of 1872, and cost about $2,500. It is built of brick, 40 x 50 feet, with spire.
There was a post-office established at this point in 1856, at Mar- rowbone, and J. L. Livesay was made the first post-master. W. P. McGuire, was next appointed, and through his efforts the name was changed to Bethany. O. P. Walker, A. R. Scott and J. G. Smutz have also had the office.
Bethany was incorporated as a village in the spring of 1877, and the following were the first trustees. J. F. Knight, President, B. F. McMennamy, D. F. Kennedy, Andrew Bankson, S. H. Sanner, G. T. Hill, clerk, J. G. Smutz, Treasurer. The present board are : J. H McGuire, President, H. A. Smith, R. B. Wheeler, C. C. Creech, W. P. McGuire, T. Ray ; G. W. Logan, clerk, and G. T. Hill, Treasurer.
In 1875 Hyland and son built a steam saw and grist-mill. It was a frame building about 18x24 feet, and is two stories high. It contained two sets of stones, one for wheat and one for corn, and a circular siw. It is now owed by A. R Scott, and operated as a saw- mill by T. J. Clark.
The Bethany Steam Flouring-Mill and Elevator, was erccted in the summer of 1880 by A. R. Scott. It is frame, three stories high and 26x34 feet square, with engine-rooms 16x34 feet, and a belt crib 14x48. It cost about $12,000. There are four run of burrs. The elevator is constructed for handling all kinds of grain, and has a capacity of 5000 bushels storage, and can shell and load 3000 bushels of corn a day.
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HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
BUSINESS HOUSES OF 1880.
General Stores .- A. R. Scott, A. H. Antrim. Groceries .- E. Hampton. Groceries and Restaurant .- R. Hampton. Drugs .- B. F. McMennamy.
Hardware, etc .- A. B. Frazier.
Harness .- Edward Stables & Son. Millinery .- Miss Emma Hogg, Misses Dora and Ida Hampton. Furniture .- J. G. Smutz. Undertaker .- C. C. Creech.
Wagon Shop .- Lentz & Mitchell, T. Ray.
Lumber and Coal .- G. W. Logan.
Blacksmith Shops .- J. P. McCord, C. Strain, and J. Matherson. Shoe Shop .- R. B. Utterback.
Barber Shop -E. Norton.
Butcher .-- R. Hampton.
Grain Dealer .- T. P. Logan.
Physicians .- E. A. Pyatt, B. F. McMennamy. Stock Dealers .- Scott & Little, J. McGuire.
Livery Stable .- Robert Lanum.
Carpenter Shop .- Smith & Lansden.
Brick Yard,-Wm. Mitchell.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
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JAMES C. KENNEDY .
R. KENNEDY was born in Wilson county, Tenn., on the 8th of January, 1825. The Ken- nedy family was of Irish desceut, and early residents of North Carolina. His father, Elias Kennedy, was born in Kentucky, in 1800, moved from there to Tennessee, and in 1822 married Isabella Dobbins, daughter of Alex- ander Dobbins and Mary Carson. She was born in Sumner county, Tennessee ; her parents moved to that State from North Carolina; two of her brothers took part as soldiers in the Revolutionary war. The Dobbins family came to America from county Down, in Ireland. In the fall of 1828, Elias Kennedy left Tennessee with his family and came to Illinois; he first settled in Todd's Point township, Shelby county, but in a few months came to the pre- sent Marrowbone township, in Moultrie county, and settled on the west fork of the Okaw, in section 35 of township 14, range 4. He afterwards moved to the vicinity of Sullivan, but after two years moved back to section 36 of Marrowbone township.
One of the first in Marrowbone township, he put up a horse mill, which he ran about three years, and then moved half a mile west of Bethany. In 1865 he moved to Kansas, and died there in 1877; his wife, who had been born in the same year, died a couple of months previously. He had but little means when he came to the State, but accumulated considerable property. He joined the Cumberland Presbyterian church, when a young man in Tennessee, and on coming to Moultrie county assisted in organizing the Beth- any Cumberland Presbyterian church, iu which for a number of years he was elder. About 1847, with the view of securing greater liberty to preach the gospel, he severed his connection with the Cumberland Presbyterians and joined the Protestant Methodists. He was a local preacher in that denomination till his death. He never occupied any public office; he was a whig in politics, and afterwards became a republican. Five of his sous served in the army during the Rebellion ; three were in the 21st Illinois Regi- ment, and one in the 41st Regiment.
James C. Kennedy was the second child; he was between three and four years old on coming to this State; he obtained his educa- tion in the ordinary district schools. He was married in July, 1849, to Rebecca J. Livesay. who was born in Maury county, Ten- nessee, October, 1828; her father, Evan Livesay, was of English descent, and came to Tennessee from Virginia; her mother, Eliza- beth Mitchell, was from Orange county, North Carolina. Mrs. Kennedy came to Washington county, Illinois, in 1830, and to this county in 1835. Her father, mother, and younger sister died of fever in 1835, and she was raised by her grandfather, George Mit- chell. In December, 1849, Mr. Kennedy moved to his present location on the prairie, in section 11; he was one of the first to move so far away from the timber. He has had nine children, Amauda J, wife of James A. Butt; Emily E, who married John A. Crowder ; David L., who died at the age of two years; Estaloia Isabell, who died in January, 1879, at the age of niueteen ; Elias G., James B., Mary Alice, William C., and John C. Mr. Ken- nedy was first a whig in politics, voted for Taylor for president, in 1848, and subsequently became a republican. For many years he and his wife have been members of the Cumberland Presbyterian church.
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