USA > Illinois > Stark County > Documents and biography pertaining to the settlement and progress of Stark County, Illinois : containing an authentic summary of records, documents, historical works and newspapers > Part 66
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Jones Mestimpson, born in Allegany county, N. Y., in 1825, is the son of Luther and Amy (Daney) MeStimpson, natives of Massa- chusetts. who moved to New York state, where both died. James was raised on the farm there until seventeen years of age, when he migrated westward and settled for a time in this township; moving to St. Louis, Mo., in 1844; returned to Stark in 1846, and with the excep- tion of two years in Henry county, has resided here ever since. In 1855 he purchased eighty acres of his present farm. He married Miss Sarah, daughter of Squire Parrish, as related in this chapter and mar- riage record. This lady is an old member of the Baptist Church-it is thought, of the old Fahrenheit Church. Politically, her husband be- longs to the Greenback Labor party.
Harris W. Miner, deceased, who is said to have effected a settle- ment in Essex Township so early as 1829, was the son of Harris Miner, a native of Vermont, who in 1827 made a tour of inspection through this district, and selected land for future location in this county. In 1829 this explorer, and son, Harris, came here. In 1854, the father moved to Kentucky, to enter the soldiers' home there, as he served from 1812 to 1815, in the Union army against the English and Indians, and died in Kentucky in 1857. His wife, Charlotta Reynolds, who is buried at Lafayette, bore him a family of whom Harris T., now living at La- fayette: Peter, Jesse and Christopher, deceased, came to Lafayette. and subsequently made settlements here, figuring for years among the leading citizens. Harris W. married Miss Susannah Smith, as noted in the chapter on marriage records, and at once entered on the earnest working life of the pioneer, whether living on the banks of Spoon river, in the Indian wigwam near Toulon, in the soklier's camp of 1832. or on the Goshen farm where he made his permanent home, and accu- mulated a large property. To his second wife four children were born, namely : Laura, who married George F. Dexter ; Addison, deceased : Carlos, of Independence, Kan., and Harrison, of Goshen. His first. wife was Miss Nancy Grasse, who died in 1831, to whom Horace, who died in 1533, was born. Ilis second wife passed away, July 16, 1881. [As all marriages prior to 1867, and all deaths of the people buried here, from the beginning of the county to the present time, are noted in the general and township histories, the reader is referred thereto for dates.] Harrison, the youngest child, and only male representative of
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OF GOSHEN TOWNSHIP.
Harris W. Miner in the county, was born on the place where he now resides, in 1840. He married a daughter of Ruloff Parrish. an old settler of Goshen, often referred to in this work. By this marriage there are five children. namely : Ida L., Edgar S .. Ernest A. Everett 11 .. and Carlie Roy. Mr. Miner is a thorough representative of his father and grandfather. No matter where we look in the general or township history, we find their names, and now we find that of a sou and grandson following in the same course of usefulness, always reli- able, whether on the board of supervisors, in his home, or out on his broad acres, of which he has 620.
Susannah (Smith) Miner died near Saxon, July 16, 1881. She was born in Lincoln County, Mass., in 1798, moved to Virginia in 1814. to Ohio in 1816. and to this county in 1829. At the time of her death she was the oldest resident.
Robert Moore, born in Ireland in 1816, settled in Fulton County. Illinois, in early times, moved to this county in 186 or 1869, and died in Goshen, October 26, 1881. He owned the farm purchased by him from Wm. Miner prior to 1870.
Henry S. Voucomer, born in Fayette County, Pa., in 1829. died in Toulon, July 19. 1553. in his sixty-second year. He settled in Goshen Township in 1864, moved to Toulon in 1577.
Dr. J. H. Nichols, physician and surgeon, was born in New Jersey, December 18, 1818. Ilis parents were Zaba and Margaret (Smith) Nichols. natives of New Jersey. The doctor received the rudiments of an education at home, the practical part of which was acquired on the farm. When a lad he entered commercial life in the village of Sparta, N. Y. In 1839 he moved to Connersville. Ind., came to Lafay- ette. Ill., in 1840 ; subsequently studied literature at Tolsbury college, next taught school at Rising Sun, W. Tenn .. and studied medicine under Dr. Lamb, until he entered the Ohio Medical College in 1543. In the winter of 144-5 he graduated from this institution, and in the spring of 1850 located permanently at Lafayette. In those years bes was called to attend the sick and wounded over a large area - duties generally attended with dangers, difficulties and privations. The horse and saddle formed the locomotive of this olden time - a monotonous. slow means of travel. but the best means which the military traet then assumed to be practicable. Notwithstanding those years of labor and hardships the doctor is still sound in mind and body, giving promise of holding his place among the pioneer physicians of Central Illinois for Years to come : though how retired from active professional work. Io was married at Connersville. Ind., to Miss Louisa Woodcock in 154s. Their children are Luella Butler, wife of G. H. Butler, of Hiff, Col .. and Albert II. Nichols. His wife died in 1-74. in commmion with the Congregational church. In Isst he was appointed an officer of inland revenue at Peoria, Ill .. served four years, going out with the Republi- can party, of which he has been a life-long member. In 1878 he married Mrs. Emily Howell. of Lafayette. Dr. Nichols is a charter member of the Blue Lodge at Lafayette, and took a prominent part in building up the social and industrial interests of that village. eredited to him in this work.
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BIOGRAPHY AND REMINISCENCES
Jones Nicholson, a native of Scotland, came to the United States in 1819, locating in St. Lawrence county. N. Y., where he resided until 1838, when he migrated to Sangamon county, IH. In 1842 he settled in this township and died here in 1856, aged sixty-six years. His wife died prior to the removal of the Family from York state. Six of his children settled in Stark county. namely : David, Jane, wife of James Johnson. Toulon ; James, a citizen of California, Elizabeth (deceased ). Peter, in Nebraska, and William, of Company B, Thirty-seventh Illinois Volunteer Infantry. who died in hospital at St. Louis, Mo., in 1862. David Nicholson was born in Scotland, in 1818, accompanied his par- ents in all their travels, but preceded his father in settlement here. having located one-half mile west of his present home in 1841, and entered the eighty acres on which his house now stands. In February, 1843, he married Jane, daughter of Thomas Johnson, then residing near Springfield, Ill. After the ceremony he had only twenty-live cents left to begin life on, and this investment is now represented by 485 acres of well improved land - all the result of his own thrift and enterprise. Of the eleven children born to Mr. Nicholson ten are liv- ing, namely : Louisa. Margaret, James and Thomas, twins. Mary. Robert David J., Carrie, William F., Francis B., and Nancy (deceased ). Mr. and Mrs. Nicholson have been members of the Congregational church at Toulon for over thirty years. Politically he is a Republican.
Eric 1. Norberg, was born in Wasbo county, in the District of Wester- gotland, Sweden, June 22. 1813. There his father died in March, the following year, and with his mother, Eric worked on the farm and attended school. Subsequently he clerked in a factory for one year. then was appointed an officer of the government in one of the connties. which position he tilled up to May, 1542, when he emigrated to Amer- ica. On his immigration he settled near Milwaukee. Wis. In 1844 he moved to Ludington, Mich., where he was the first settler. In 1848 he joined the Bishop Hill coiony. and in 1863 settled in Goshen town- . ship. He was married at Bishop Hill to Miss Britta Johnson in 1848. Of their three children, two are living: Caroline. wife of John A. Jones, and Gustavus, an attorney of Holdrege, Neb. Mr. Norberg is. in religious life, a Swedenborgian : in politics he is very liberal. always voting for men rather than for party.
Michael Jordan, one of the old settlers of Stark county. was born in Carlow county. Ireland, in 1800: emigrated to Newfoundland in Youth. and there, for several years, was engaged in the fisheries. Mr. Nowlan was married in Newfoundland. Moving into the United States the family made a home at Boston for some time, and next set- tled at Worcester, Mass .. the father being engaged in the construction of America's first railroad. In 1840 he sought the western prairies as a home for his large family, and came to this county rio the Atlantic. Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi and Illinois rivers - the trip, even forty- seven years ago, being a long and weary one. He settled on the west half, southwest quarter, section 22, Goshen. walking to Rock Island o» route to Galena, to make the entry. Subsequently he entered the north half, northeast quarter, section 25, but made his home on the homestead of 1840, where his widow still resides. His sons. Patrick,
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OF GOSHEN TOWNSHIP.
of Hastings, Nebraska ; James, of Toulon; William, of Goshen ; and John, deceased, came with the family in 1840, There were born here
Edward, of Goshen ; David, of Havelock, la .: Michael, deceased ; Mary. a sister of the order of the Holy Cross. Baltimore, Md .: Henry. of Goshen; George, cashier of the Exchange Bank, Toulon, and Joseph, who for some years worked on the News, now in Peoria: David served in Company B. Thirty-seventh Illinois Volunteer Infantry, subsequently transferred to Davidson's Battery, retransferred to Thirty-seventh and mustered out after three years' service. The father of this large and popular family died March 5. 1881.
William Nowlan, son of Michael Nowlan, an old settler of this county. whose history is given above, was born at Worcester, Mass .. Angust 4, 1837. He came to Illinois with his father when three years old. attended the common schools here, entered the University of Notre Dame at South Bend, Ind .. and returning, took all those parts in building up the school system and teaching, credited to him in the chapter on schools, and the school history of Wyoming. Tonlon and Lafayette. In 1862 his marriage with Miss Ellen B. Lynch. of Peoria county. Ill., was solemnized. To them Francis E. and John were born -- the latter deceased. He was elected surveyor of Stark county in 1860. as shown in the political history, and filled all these positions credited to him in the history of Goshen township. He owns 160 acres of land southeast of Lafayette, which is fully improved. His home is always open to temperanee, intelligence, and their great associate, virtue, No- where can genuine hospitality display itself in a higher degree than in his family circle.
Philanda ( Rixton) Pomeroy, born in Franklin county, Vt., in 1814; died at Lafayette, March 19, 1884. She settled in Hinois in 1847.
Elijah Pomeroy, who died at the close of the war, settled here about 1540. One of his sons resides at West Jersey and the other in Kansas, as noted in other pages.
Henry Presler, born in Fairfield county, Ohio, in 1823, was edu- cated partly in the district schools and partly at Lancaster, Ohio. In 14 he came to Stark county, settled in Goshen township. and for over thirty-two years has called this his home. Prior to coming west he married Miss Angelina Murphy, of Indiana, who died prior to 1855. For second wife he married Mrs. Sarah Ann, widow of Gideon B. Gillette, an old settler of Goshen, who died here at an early date. She is a daughter of Henry Dixon, of New York, and came west with her first husband abont 1842. Her children were-Sheda. Abigail. Cynthia and Mary. By her second marriage two children were born Cora and Frank, both deceased. For many years Mr. Presler has been prominently identified with the Christian church, and, indeed. with all religious work in his district. His wife is also a member. Up to 1844 he was an ardent supporter of republican doctrines, but in that campaign he embraced the cause of the prohibition party, and be- came one of its most devont advocates.
Samuel Parrish, founder of the Parrish family in this county, was an Eastern man, a soldier of the Revolution, who settled in Canada and came from Canada to Ilinois in 1837, locating on lands which he
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BIOGRAPHY AND REMINISCENCES
entered in Goshen township. One year later he, his wife. one son and three daughters embraced the Mormon faith, moved to Nauvoo, where the parents resided until their death, while their children followed the fortunes of that church to Salt Lake, where, today, one of their sons -- Joel Parrish- is a celebrated Mormon preacher. Of his eleven children, who accompanied him from Canada to Stark county. Lydia is wife of Jacob Emery of Galva, and Sulfina is the widow of Edward Mott, also a Mormon (who built the okl court-house). are living. Ruloff Parrish, aged seventy-eight years, died in 1882.
"Squire Parrish, son of Samuel Parrish, and his wife. Sophia Alt- house, came from Canada with their family to Goshen township in 1837, making their wagon a sleeping-room, and eighty acres their liv- ing-room for two weeks, until their basswood log house was completed -the pioneers aiding in its building. The logs were first gathered. then split in balves, the bark peeled off and used for roofing: but, to keep this " species" of roof in place, poles had to be laid over it. It is related that while 'Squire Parrish was "To mill at Utica," his wife. two children and a visitor kept house during that winter of IS37-S. One night a storm came on, the efforts of the wife and visitor to keep the roof on failed. The snow began to pour in. so that some other plan had to be adopted. This was simply to take down the children's trundle-bed, and, with the ropes belonging to it, tie down the rebellious bark. The plan was adopted, the end of the rope tied to the stove and the family slept out the storm without further interruption. On the return of the father the roof was thoroughly repaired. Some time later Mr. Parrish added another eighty acres to his first purchase, and resided in Goshen until 1850, when he moved to Toulon. where he died in 1877. Mrs. Sophia Parrish is still a resident of the county seac. Their children were: Bethuel. of Goshen : Sarah, wife of James MeStimpson : Iliram, of Union county. la. ; Happy, wife of George Dugan, of Taylor county. Ia. : Cynthia, wife of George Maxtield, of Nebraska : Lucy Cooley. deceased ; Sophia, wife of D. Maxfield, of Nebraska ; Ruloff, residing with his mother, and one son named Poter. deceased, who was a blacksmith at Toulon. Squire Parrish was not a member of any church, though raised a Quaker. Ilis wife has been a Methodist for years.
Bethuel Parrish, eklest son of 'Squire Parrish, was born in Canada. September 15, 1832. He was educated in this county, receiving a lib- eral education in the high schools of Toulon and Galva. For two years after coming of age he worked on his father's farm. He married Miss Elizabeth, daughter of John Straver. born in 1839 and married in 1856, as told in the marriage record. To them one son was born, Feb- ruary 16, 1557 - William HI., now a farmer of this township. Since this time Mr. Parrish has been engaged in agriculture and stock grow- ing. He first purchased eighty aeres of the homestead farm on section 11. three years later he acquired the other eighty acres. To this he bas since added 240 acres, or the " Bowen Farm ;" also 80 on section 10, which Sammel Parrish entered : also 80 acres on section 11. pur- chased from Samuel Burge: again he purchased 200 acres from A. N. Harris, on sections 9 and 10-aggregating 760 acres fully improved.
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OF GOSHEN TOWNSHIP.
After the death of his wife, and on February 4, 1861, he married Miss Celestia (born June 24. 1842). daughter of Elijah and Lydia Ferris, both natives of Canada. To them ten children were born : Lillie M .. born December 14. 1862, died in 1877, and George F., born October 7. 1864. deceased in 1853; Bertha A., born September 2, 1866 : Herman A .. born August 22, 1868; Blanche S .. born Angust 11. 1873: Lizzie E. and Lucy M. (twins). born September 18, 1877 ; Sarah P., born November 8, 1880; Jessie L. and Bessie L. (twins), born October 16, 1853. Mr. Parrish is not a politician. although when a boy he remembers the voters taking a "jug" of whisky with them to the polls: he also remembers the corn mortar and mill, and fully appreciates the improve- ments in voting and milling. In school matters he is earnest, and has for eighteen years been a director: in agriculture he ranks among the first farmers in the state, and as a citizen among the most useful and excellent. ( Vide history of Joel and Ruloff Parrish.)
Joel Parrish, referred to in the sketch of David W. Brown, came to this county in 1838 with his wife and children. In 1843, he and his wife died in Iowa, and wore buried in the cemetery at Montrose. Susannah, wife of Rulotf Parrish, resides on the old homestead. Lydia Parrish married Asa Driscoll, and secondly Jacob Emery : Aurelia. widow of John Sturm, married Isaac Stewart : Sylvania also married a second time, her husband being Edward Mott : Electa married Lyman Mott : Zerinah also married ; Olive, wife of Mr. Brown, and Lucy mar- ried one Ilaskins. Those, with Samuel. 'Squire, Ruloff and Jason con- stituted the family. Rulotf Parrish was born in Canada in 1804. h 1827 he married Miss Susannah Morris, in New York state, and en- tered a half section in Goshen township, where his widow now resides, erecting a small board shanty until a better house could be completed. Here he lived until his decease, March 12. 1882. Of his family, Avis is wife of llarrison Miner: Eurania and Phoebe both married and raised families, but are now dead. Ruloff Parrish was one of the most es- teemed citizens of the county and one of Stark's wealthiest farmers.
J. Il. Quinn, to whom so many references are made in the general and township history, was born in Preble county. Ohio. in 1826. When about ten years old his father died, and soon after he went to live with a neighbor farmer, with whom he lived until eighteen years of age. when he learned the shoemaker's trade and worked at that trade for some years. In the year Is49 he, in company with another young man. opened a boot. shoe, hat and cap store in his native town of Eaton, Ohio. In July. 1851, he married Miss Mary, daughter of Jacob Fall, of Preble county. Ohio, to whom seven children were born, of whom six are living, namely: Ann Eliza. Ida Belle, William D .. Frank F., Horace G. and James A. In the year 1858 he sold his in- terest in the store and took a trip to the then far west and bought 240 acres of unimproved prairie land in Goshen township. On his re- turn home he engaged as a salesman in a mercantile house, in which position he remained until the beginning of the year 1855, when he again went west, driving through with a team, during which year he built a house on his previously bought land, and in March. 1856, he moved his family from Eaton, Ohio, into it. where he still resides.
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BIOGRAPHY AND REMINISCENCES
Mr. Quinn has taken all the parts attributed to him as member of the County Board, of the Agricultural Society, of the Township Board, of the I. O. O. F. at Toulon. of the Christian church at Lafayette, and of other local organizations. His farm of 480 aeres is considered one of the most productive and best improved in this section of Illinois. His Durham or shorthorn herd of forty cattle, his Poland China hogs, and large herds of other graded stock have, for some years, been cele- brated throughout the country. The beginnings of the Quinn family date back to Treland. Robert Quinn, a native of Maryland, married Elizabeth Lacey. and they were the parents of James Quinn, who settled with them in Preble county, Ohio, in 1805, and there married Sarah, daughter of John and Ann Glines, of Massachusetts, early settlers of Ohio, who were the parents of J. Il. Quinn.
Mrs. Reed, widow of W. B. Reed, came from Connecticut in 1840, to Goshen, and died here April 12, 1877, in her eighty-second year.
I'm. A. Rved. or " Boss Reed," born in New London county. Conn .. in 1815, came to Goshen township in 1840 and resided in this and Knox county up to February 16, 1882, when he died.
Isaac C. Reed, born in Litchfield county, Conn .. in 1822, eame with his parents, William A. and Amy Reed, to Lafayette in 1840. was married there to Miss Luna A., daughter of Elijah Pomeroy, and moved to Missouri with his family in May, 1871. Ernest A. and Il. L., sons of this pioneer, are regular visitors to this county.
Hugh Rhodes. ( Vide following sketch.)
John Flaville Rhodes, son of Hugh and Julia (Kingsly ) Rhodes, was born in Knox county, Ill .. April 11. 1841. His father was born near Sacket's Harbor, N. Y .. and his mother a native of Massachusetts. In their early married life they moved from Pennsylvania to Trumbull county. Ohio, returned to Pennsylvania, and in 1839 moved to Knox connty, Ill., locating near where the village of Hermon now stands, In 1844 he sold his improved farm in Knox county and opened one in Goshen township. this county, which he sold in 1854, then moved nearer Toulon, and improved another farm. Here, December 3, 1861, his wife Julia died, and November 26, 1864, he married Mrs. Hannah Beatty. who still survives him. He died July 14, 1852. This old set- tler was county judge for eight years, township supervisor, etc., and among the earliest and best supporters of the Congregational church at Toulon. as related in the history of that church. His remains lie in the private cemetery on the first farm he improved in Goshen town- ship, where his first wife, his parents, Jonathan and Hannah Rhodes. and his son. Franklin. are interred. The family of Hugh Rhodes con- sisted of eight children, namely : Sophronia E., now Mrs. Caleb Lyon, of Toulon : Charles, a retired farmer residing at Toulon ; Harriet. wife of Daniel Bryan, of Guthrie county, lowa ; Achsa. wife of Joseph Curtiss, of same county ; John F .. of Goshen township; Henry F., a farmer of Sedgwick county, Kan .: Lewis, of same county, and Frank- lin, who died, leaving a widow, Catherine (Wood) Rhodes and four children. John F. Rhodes spent his earlier years on the farm and in attendance at school. On the breaking out of the Rebellion and after the death of his mother in 1861, he enlisted in Company F, One-
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OF GOSHEN TOWNSHIP.
hundred-and-twelfth Ilinois Volunteer Infantry. At Resaca he was wounded in both arms, recovered at the Marine Hospital, Chicago, and received honorable discharge in 1864. On arriving home he awaited the total recovery of his right arm, and in 1866 resumed the active life of the agriculturalist and stock-grower. In 1870 he em- barked in the hardware and agricultural implement trade at Toulon. which he carried on successfully for fifteen years, returning to the farm in 1884. He married Miss Clarissa Robinson, a native of Ohio. to whom were born Thadins II., Ruby G. and Bayard C. Rhodes. Both Mrs. and Mr. Rhodes are members of the Congregational church, the latter being superintendent of Sabbath School the last seven years; He served as supervisor of Goshen township two terms, served as county coroner six years, is an old member of W. W. Wright Post. G. A. R., and of the County Agricultural Society. ( Vide also History of Goshen, Toulon and County.)
T W. Ross, son of James S. and Martha A. (Watson) Ross, was born in Philadelphia, Pa. in 1827. His parents were natives of New Jersey, now both deceased. Mr. Ross passed his early years in New Jersey or attending school at Reading, Pa. In 1842 he moved to Bel- mont county, Ohio, and in the village of Pleasant Grove, learned his trade of blacksmith. In 1848 he moved to Peoria city, but soon after located at Lafayette, where he carried on his business of blacksmithing until 1857, when he engaged in mercantile work. In 1860 he resumed his trade. Ile was appointed postmaster at Lafayette in 1852, during the Pierce administration, serving until 1860 when he resigned. He was the first clerk of Goshen township in 1853, one of the village trus- tees and village treasurer. Of all the men who were in the village when Mr. Ross came, there are only three now living in the town, and of the women, only the few named in the history of the village as sur- vivors of pioneer tines. . Mr. Ross was married in 1849 to Miss Mar- garet J. Armstrong. They are the parents of six children, namely : Martha .. Ella E., Wm. W., Emma E., James A .. and Thomas S. Mrs. Ross died in 1860. In 1866 he married Miss Happalonia (. Wilber, who is also the mother of six children : Edna M., Edith A .. Fred .. Max. W., Rena L., and Chas. F. A reference to the history of masonry in Lafayette, to the municipal history, and to the political chapter of the general history, as well as to other pages of this volume. will be necessary to learn the varied and unostentatious parts taken by this old settler in the social and industrial progress of the county.
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