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 76

Author:
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : Brink, McDonough & Co.
Number of Pages: 458

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 76
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 76

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RUFUS DE GARMO.

THIS gentleman, a view of whose residence, in Flat Brauch town- ship, appears on another page, is a native of New York state, and was born near Esopus, in Ulster county, on the 1st of November, 1821. He is of French-descent. His great-grandfather, in company with two brothers, emigrated from France to America at the time of the Huguenot persecution. He settled in New York city. He was killed in one of the engagements of the French and Indian war. Peter De Garmo, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was a resident of New York, and his father, Elias De Garmo, was born in Dutchess county of that state. Both his father and grandfather were members of the denomination of Friends. Mr. De Garmo's mother was Clemma Powell. Soon after his birth his parents rc-

moved from Ulster to Dutchess county, where they lived till 1833, when they settled near Rochester, New York, where both died. Mr. De Garmo was twelve years of age when the family moved to the vicinity of Rochester. His education was principally attained at academies at Waterloo, Seneca county, and Alexandria, Genesec county, New York. In 1844, when twenty-three, he emigrated to the west and settled at Sterling, Whiteside county, Illinois. August 25th, 1847, he married Laura M. Miller, whose death occurred in the spring of 1851. She was a native of the state of New York. From 1847 to 1852 he lived in Wisconsin. The latter year he re- sided in Whiteside county. From 1853 to 1857 he filled the office of county clerk of Whiteside county. In the spring of 1861 he re- moved to St. Clair county. In the fall of 1864 he volunteered in the one hundred and forty-ninth Illinois regiment. He was placed on the non-commissioned staff and acted as quartermaster's ser- geant during his service. His regiment was principally in Georgia. He was mustered out in February, 1866. After his return from the army he moved to Shelby county and settled on land pur- chased from the Illinois Central railroad company, in section 28, Flat Branchi township. At that time there were few improvements in that vicinity. On the 13th of March, 1854, he married Lavinia F. Miles, a native of Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania. Her father, Joshua Miles, cmigrated from Pennsylvania to Whiteside county, Illinois, in 1843. He has four children living, all but the oldest by his second marriage. They are Charles, now a teacher iu the Illinois Normal Institute, at Normal, Illinois; Caroline ; Alice L .; and Lidia De Garmo. He was brought up to believe in the doctrines of the democratic party, but was an early anti- slavery man, and became a republican on the first formation of that organization He has been one of the strong supporters of the republican party in Flat Branch township, and voted that ticket when there were but few republican votes cast in that part of the county.

A. LANSON OSBORN.

MR. OSBORN, a farmer of Flat Branch township, was born in Athens county, Ohio, August 15th, 1822. His grandfather, Josiah Osborn, was born on Long Island, and took part in the battle of Bunker Hill His father, Moses Osborn, was born in Connecticut, and in New York State married Judith Francis as his second wife, who was born on the island of Guernsey, and came to America when fifteen years old. From New York city he moved to near Buffalo, and about 1818 to Athens county, Ohio, then a new coun- try, where for a small sum he had bought a land grant. In Octo- ber, 1826, he moved to the north-eastern part of Sangamon county, Illinois, and in 1827 to Greene county, six miles north-west of Car- rollton. He was a Methodist preacher. He died in 1858,. and his wife in 1879. Mr. Osborn was in his fifth year when he came to Illinois. He was principally raised in Greenc county; he oh- tained his education in the old-fashioned subscription schools ; most of it he got by himself. He was married February 25th, 1850, to Elizabeth Pruitt, danghter of James R. and Mahala (Ambrose) Pruitt, who was born in Green county. The Pruitt family lived in Madison county, near Wood river, at the time of the Wood river massacre, near the vicinity where a woman and two children were killed. Her grandfather, Major William Pruitt, was one of the Madison county rangers. In the fall of 1850, Mr. Osborn moved near Fidelity, in Jersey county, and in 1855 to Gillespie, in Macoupin county, where he sold goods several months, and then went to farming at Dry Point. In 1865 lie settled on his present farm in section 18, Flat Branch township. He owns 200

STOCK FARM OF NATHAN KILLAM SEC. 13, RIDGE TP. (2) R.3, SHELBY COUNTY ILL.

CIDE

"MAPLE FARM" THE PROPERTY OF R. DE. GARMO, SEC. 28, T.13, R.2, (FLAT BRANCH TP.) SHELBY CO.ILL.

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HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.

acres of land, and has given some to his children. His children are James Alfred, Richard Francis, Mrs. Mary Virginia Haver- field, Mrs. Nettie Caroline Manley, Lewis Wayland, and Luther Andrew. He was first a whig, and voted for Henry Clay, in 1844. · He voted for Lincoln, in 1860, and has since been a republican. For almost forty years he has been a member of the Methodist Protestant church. He has been a good citizen, opposed to every shape of aristocracy and empire, and believes that the people should rule instead of pope, priest, or king.

WILLIAM R. CLARK

WAS born in Warren county, Ohio, on the 26th of February, 1803. His father, William Clark, was born in Virginia, and died a short time after the birth of the subject of this sketch. His mother, Rachel Ross, was born in Kentucky, and was the daughter of Jonathan Ross, who was born in Maryland, served in the Revolu- tionary war, and afterwards emigrated to Kentucky, and was one of the pioneer settlers of that state. He assisted in building the block house on the Ohio at Newport, opposite Cincinnati. He was in Cincinnati when that place was composed of only four houses. He afterward scttled in Warren county, Ohio, thirty miles east of Cincinnati, where he died about the year 1841, at the age of one hundred and four. William R. Clark was raised in Warren county, on the banks of the Miami river, four miles from Lebanon, the county seat. In the time of his boyhood but little attention was paid to education, and he went to school but little. As soon as he became old enough he was obliged to work, and his grandfather, with whom he lived, being crippled, he had charge of the farm at an early age. He was married on the 19th of December, 1824, to Nancy Burger, who was born in Virginia, on the 15th of September, 1806. He was employed several years in teaming between the Miami river and Cincinnati. He afterward went to farming for himself on rented land. The Miami valley was very rich and pro- ductive, and land being held very high, he determined to come to Illinois where he could secure land of his own. He came to Flat Branch township, in 1854, first settled on the prairie north of the timber, and in the fall of the same year settled on the eighty acres where he now lives, which he had entered at two dollars and a half an acre. He built the first house on the prairie in Flat Branch township, between the timber and the railroad. He had no idea at that time that the country would be settled as it is at present. He has nine children living: Rebecca, Rachel, Mary Ann, Matilda Eliza, James, William, John, Jasper and Emory. He has always been a Democrat in politics. He voted for Jackson for President in 1824, and has voted for every Democratic Presidential candidate from that time to the present.

DAVID MIDDLETON.

SQUIRE MIDDLETON, one of the residents of Flat Branch town- ship, was born in Allegheny county, Maryland, on the second of November, 1811. His father, Ignatius Middleton, was born at Alexandria, Virginia, and his mother, Sarah Lewman, near Cum- berland, Maryland. His grandfather, Hugh Middleton, was a soldier in the war of the Revolution. The subject of this sketch was the ninthi of a family of thirteen children. He was raised in Allegheny county, Maryland, four miles east of Cumberland.

There were no free schools in his boyhood. He had about two years' steady schooling in the neighborhood where he lived, but from the time he was fourteen, he was kept at home to work on the farm, and had no opportunity to attend school. He mastered the rudi- ments of an education, and improved greatly by self-study. Hc has always been a great reader.

Among other books he has been a diligent student of the Sacred Scriptures, which he has read through seyen times. After his removal to Ohio he taught school. In 1828, the family moved to Ohio, and settled seven miles from Cadiz in Harrison county. Squire Middleton was then seventeen. On the first of November, 1832, he married Hester Howse, a native of Harrison county, Ohio. The next day he was twenty-one years old, and celebrated the at- tainment of his majority by casting his vote for Andrew Jackson for President of the United States. He was engaged at farming, and worked some time at the carpenter business. He afterward moved to Coshocton county, Ohio, and was farming there till the fall of 1816, when he moved to Greene county, Indiana. He soon sold his farm there,] and bought a farm on the Wabash river below Vincennes, where he lived two years. In the spring of 1865, he moved to Illinois, and settled first in Rural township, and in 1869 became a resident of Flat Branch township. Six of his fourteen children are living. Their names are: Thomas, Amos, Ignatius, Henry Whiteman, Mary E, and George. The oldest three are farming for themselves in Rural township, and the others reside at home. He has been a straight-out democrat all his life. He has voted for every democratic candidate for President, beginning with Jackson in 1832. He still believes with the sanie earnestness in the principles of the party of Jefferson and Jackson that he did fifty years ago. When in his eighteenth year he united with the Meth- odist church, with which he was connected for many years. He is now an elder in the Bethany Presbyterian churchi-the nearest and most convenient house of worship. He was elected justice of the peace in the fall of 1869, and served until the spring of 1880, having been elected to the office three different times. He is a man who stands well in the estimation of the community. He has lived on terms of good-will with his fellow-men. As a justice of the pcace, he used all his endeavors to discourage litigation and promote peace and harmony between neighbors, a course which does credit to the generous sympathies of his naturc.

LOWE TOWNSHIP.

(MOULTRIE COUNTY.)

HIS township constitutes what is known as Con- gressional T. 15, R. 6, and is situated in the north-eastern part of the county. It is bounded on the north by Piatt county, east by Douglas county, south by Jonathan creek township, and west by Lovington. The surface is a gently- undulating prairie, with neither stream or tim- ber within its borders. The soil is a deep, rich black loam, that in fertility is not excelled by any in this part of Illinois. The first land was not entered in this township until No- vember 1st, 1851, when Cyrus R. Gifford entered the following in scc. 31 : Lot 1, S. W. quarter, forty acres ; E. one-half of the S. E. quarter, eighty acres ; and S. W. quarter of the S. E. quarter, forty acres. In 1852 and '53 nearly all the land in the township was entered.

The earliest settlements were made in the north-east corner, near the Douglas county line. Abraham Moon, who settled on section one in 1831, has the honor of being the first settler. He built the first house and made the first improvements. The next arrival was David Taylor, who located a little south of Moon, on the same sec- tion. Mr. Taylor died in December, 1860, but his widow and one daughter, the wife of Samuel Lewis, are still residing in the town- ship. Lewis Bowen, Charles Whitsel, Benjamin Ford, Alfred and John Taylor (brothers), and George Nelson settled in the same neighborhood in the years 1851 and '52. Isaac Kinney came to the same settlement about 1854, and about the same time James Browning, John W. Budd and John Q. Adams arrived. James Underwood made an improvement in the southern part, near the Springfield road about 1856, but soon abandoned it. A Mr. Bradley settled in the south-eastern corner probably as early as 1856, and a Mr. Iles settled about the same time ncar the center of the township, on the west line. These were all the settlements made here before 1858, when William and John Ellars, John Mc- Dougal, Wesley and David Barrett, Joseph Taylor and John Davis came in and settled. At the election held in November of that year (1858), there were just twenty-seven votes cast in this township -twenty of which were democratic. There were but few more set- tlements here until after the close of the late war, when the country soon filled up with a good, energetic and thrifty class of farmers, According to the last census Lowe has a population of one thousand' three hundred and five.

There was no school taught here until the building of the Mc- Dougal school-house in 1861. This was a small frame building erected on the south-west corner of section twelve, but it has since been moved to section twenty-four. There are at present twelve school districts, all having good houses, where school is taught the

greater part of the year. The Missionary Baptist Church, which was erected on section twenty-seven, in 1875, is the only church building in the township, outside of Arthur. The first mercantile business was carried on by the Landers Brothers, who kept a store one mnilc west of the present site of Arthur in 1872, which was afterwards moved into the village. John Earhart had a blacksmithı shop in the north-west part of the township, and James Williams one in section twenty-six, before Arthur was laid out.

Notwithstanding the territory in Lowe was about the last in the county to be settled, her citizens have evinced a stirring enterprise in all their pursuits, and to-day their township ranks among the best in the county. The following, taken from the last assessor's book, will give an idea of the rapid progress they have made :- No. of acres improved 'land, 24,677, valued at $247,301. No. of acres unimproved land, 840, valued at $7,870. Total number of acres, 25,517, valued at $255,171. Corn is the principal product, though flax and all the smaller grain yicld large crops.

The following have represented Lowe in the county board of su- pervisors, since township organization in 1867: George W. Winn. elected in 1867; A. L. Maddock, in 1868 ; C. A Reeves in 1869 and served until 1871, when James Kinney was elected and served until 1874 ; C. A. Reeves was re-elected in 1874; James H. Jones 1875, and served till 1877, when C. A. Reeves was again rc-elceted, and served until 1880; Jacob Dumond, elected in 1880.

ARTHUR.

This village was laid out in September, 1872, by M. H. Warren and William Kanitz. These gentlemen laid out twenty acres each, and donated half to the Paris and Decatur, now the Illinois Mid- land Railroad. The line dividing Moultrie and Douglas counties, runs north and south through the centre of the plat, and the rail- road through from east to west. It was re-surveyed and platted September 1, 1873, by Abraham Jones, county surveyor, and filed in the office of county recorder September 2, 1873.

The first house was erected in November, 1872, by J. W. Sears, who came from Jonathan Creek township. It was a two story frame building, 20x24 feet, with a store room on the first floor, and the second story arranged for living purposes, into which he moved with his family. He placed a stock of goods in the store-room, and was the first merchant and the first resident in the village. This house has since been cnlarged, and is now kept as a hotel by Mr. Sears. The second building was a dwelling, erected in January, 1873, by Dr. J. P. Lamb, who located here and became the first physician. Also about the same time John Warren erected a small frame office and established a grain business. In March of the same year, Wil- liam Ward built a store-house and opened a general stock of goods

288

RESIDENCE & FARM OF JOHN FOSTER , SEC. /9, T. 15, R.6. (LOWE TP.) MOULTRIE CO. ILL.

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HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.

for sale; and a little later in the same spring, J. W. Fisher erected a store building, and opened a stock of the same character. During the same year the following parties erected buildings : Joel Miller, a store-house ; Scott Warren, Abel Fleming, William Hood, Wil- liam Karuger, David N. Magner, J. W. Sears and David Crockett all built residences. William Hood and William Karuger each built a blacksmith shop in the summer of 1873. The railroad was built through here in the summer of 1872, and the place was named by R. G. Hervey, then president of the road, in honor of his brother Arthur, living in England. The present school-house was the first one built here. It was erected in the autumn of 1876, by directors James Ellars, J. H. Watkins and D. N. Magner, for the sum of $3,000. It is a two story frame, with helfry, 32x48 feet, and 26 feet high. There are two rooms, arranged with the latest improved furniture ; the school is graded, employing two teachers. The only church- house is an old frame building, moved into the village from a mile and a half south. Esquire M. H. Warren, the present justice for Moultrie county, was the first in the village. The daughter of J- W. and Sophronie Sears, born February 17, 1873, was the first child born here; and a child of H. K. and Susan Davis was the first death. The post-office was established in 1873, and T. T. War- ren was the first post master. M. H. Warren, H. K. Davis and W. H. H. Reeder have been post-masters. The village was incorpo- rated in June, 1876, and the following were the firstt rustees : W. H. H. Reeder, President; J. W. Sears, C. C. McComb, Matthew Hun- saker, Nicholas Thompson, Henry Jones ; J. W. Fisher, Treas. ; J. W. Barrum, Clerk. The present board : M. H. Warren, President; Edward Kirby, Michael Corbit, J. W. Sears, J. H. Dolan, G. V. Lankan ; P. I. McCord, Clerk ; C. A. Reavs, Treas. On the night of June 29, 1878, a fire was discovered in Sears' Hall, and three stores and two residences were completely destroyed. Two stores now replace the old ones.

There is considerable trade carried on at this point, but the ship- ment of grain is by far the principal business. The present busine-s is shown in the following list : The Arthur steam flouring mill, which stands in the south part of the village, was built by Dawson, Ridge and Marshall, in 1874. It has a run of two burrs, one corn and one wheat, and is now owned by Jacob Smock.

The Arthur Elevator was erected in 1876, by Levi Seass. It has a capacity of 20,000 storage, and is built for handling all kinds of grain. Seth Woodworth is the present owner and operator. D. N. Wagner is operating the grain business for J. O. Peckam & Co., of Farmer city, Illinois.

Physicians .- W. M. Henry, J. B. Rigley.

General Stores .- D. H. Baker, W. H. H. Reeder.

Drugs .- Henry & Barrum.

Hardware, Stoves, &c .- H. O. Snyder.

Groceries -J. W. Fisher.

Restaurants .- Charles Stapp, James Davis.

Harness Shop, Furniture and Undertaking .- Frank Shaltz. Shoe Stores .- George Vanlaken, G. M. Piper.

Blacksmith Shops .- Jacob Painter, William Krauger, Frank Key. Lumber, Coal and Agricultural Implements .- C. A. Reavs.

Butcher .- T. I. McCord.

Stock Dealers .- Ellars and Murphy.

Hotel .- Scars House. Barber Shop .- Simon Bolinger.

WILLIAMSBURG

is a post-office and station, on the Illinois Midland Railroad, situated in Section 30 of this township, The first settler was Esquire Wil- liam White, who still resides there. A general store kept by J. C. Howser ; a blacksmith shop occupied by Nathan Dixon and Byron Cheevers dealing in grain, constitutes the business.

DRY POINT TOWNSHIP. (SHELBY COUNTY.)

S one of the southern tier of townships in the county ; bounded on the north by Rose, east by Holland, south by Fayette county, and west by Cold Spring township. It is well drained by the Kaskaskia river, which flows through its entire length north and south, and its tributary, Richland Creek coming from the cast, also by Mitchell Creek, with its tributaries, in the west- ern part of the township. It is well timbered, in parts heavily so. The soil is rich and fertile, and is well adapted to all cereals raised in this latitude. The scenery presented to the eye of the observer is varied and inviting. 37

The carly settlers located along the river and creek bottoms in the timbered country, thinking the thousands of acres of prairie lands adjacent of little value. Many of them were hunters and trappers, satisfied with a small clearing whercon to raise sufficient corn and garden truck for home consumption. The cabins of many of these hunters were temporary affairs, scarcely affording any shel- ter. As the country was settled these characters left for other fields wherein to enjoy their chosen vocation. Their memories are treas- ured up in many anecdotes of big hunts and narrow escapes. One of them, as related by an old citizen, is of a chase after a strange animal, which proved to be a panther; when overtaken it showed fight, and the pursuers were astonished at finding themselves out

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HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.

of powder. They broke a knife-blade off and inserted it in the end of a long pole, with which they "prodded" the animal successfully.

FIRST SETTLEMENTS.

Aside from the coming and going of these hunters, other parties, the advance guard of a genuine civilization, rcal home seekers, were early attracted to this township; among them Samuel Hall, who came from St. Clair county, in 1821; his sons were John, Jehu, Thomas, Samuel, and William. From the same county also came David Beck, in 1823, Charles Wakefield, in 1826, William Crocker, John Crocker, Jacob Brewer, and Elijah Bangston, rang- ing from 1821 to 1823. These all settled along Mitchell Creek, in the western part of the township. Dr. Johnson, an Indian herb- doctor, practiced medicine among them as early as 1827. His favorite remedies were "Blackstrap," a syrup made of white wal- nut bark, and "Blue Tea," which was death on fever and "ager." It is related of the doctor that he combined much of the supersti- tious with his practice, claiming that some lierbs, in order to possess medicinal virtues must have been collected at midnight and under certain phases of the moon. William B. Sullivan, from Tennessee, located on the farm, where he yet resides, in 1831. His first post- office was Vandalia, and, as he facetiously says, the second was Uncle Joe Oliver's hat. Samuel Hall was probably the first per- son born in the township; his parents lived on section 18 at the time, which was in 1823. Children of the early times attended a school several miles distant, in Cold Spring township, taught by John Perryman. The earliest teaching was in the year 1830. In 1834 Elias Bissen, an Englishman, taught in the Brewer neighbor- hood, as it was called. Samuel Thompson, afterwards a presiding elder, was among the first preachers.

In the eastern part of the township, along the Kaskaskia, settle- ments were made at a later date; the first being by Jeremiah Ban- ning, who came from Virginia in 1828 and settled on section 35, R. 10. The Indians had just vacated their wigwams, which were on a lake, on what is now the Ferrell place, and taken their de- parture from happy hunting grounds before the approach of the pale face.

The first marriage was of James Carson to Keziah Crocker, in December, 1828, by Squire Simeon Wakefield, at what is now the Cole heirs place, on section 25, near the Boiling Spring. The mother of the bride wouldn't permit her daughter to be married at home, saying it was bad luck ; she had had other daughters to run away and marry against hier will, and now Keziah shouldn't marry there either ; hence they sought the shades that scquester the Boil- ing Springs, where the ceremony was performed.

The first birth in this settlement was that of Mary E. Banning, March 14, 1829.

C. M. Banning taught in the neighborhood of Thompson's mill, simultaneously with Elias Bissin.

William Hall was the first magistrate; Simeon Wakefield the second.

Josephi Foulkes was the first preacher. He belonged to thic Methodist Church, and was universally beloved.

The first mill was built by Higgins & Thompson on the Kas- kaskia, in 1843. It supplied a want long felt, as a corn and saw- mill for the neighborhood. Prior to its erection, parties had a long distance to go to mill ; and it is related that flics were so bad on the prairies that persons were compelled to travel to and from mill by night time. The mill was destroyed and rebuilt in 1862. A post-office, called Hart, was opened at the mill in 1860 ; it was kept by W. Jackson Banning.

Of the old settlers Mrs. Malinda Wakefield, who came from

Tennessee, in 1826, James E. Beck, also from Tennessee, in 1825, and Win. B. Sullivan, herctofore mentioned, are yet living in the township.

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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 76

Author: Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia : Brink, McDonough & Co. Number of Pages: 458

Author:
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : Brink, McDonough & Co.
Number of Pages: 458