USA > Illinois > Warren County > Early days in Greenbush : with biographical sketches of the old settlers > Part 9
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George S., born December 27. 1863: married Rose Marks. Channing C., born August 5, 1865; died March 2, 1869.
Cland C., born January 8. 1870; died in infancy.
Clyde W .. born October 6. 1872; married Lucy A. Dodge, September 21. 1895. She was born at Ringwood, Illinois, Feb- ruary 2. 1877.
Dr. Randall's second marriage was to Mrs. Edwina C. Karns. Her maiden name was Edwina C. Bond. She was a daughter of Jesse W. and Sarah E. (Terry) Bond. This marriage occurred February 26, 1879. To them one child was born.
William B., born April 3, 1882.
Dr. William Randall graduated at the JJefferson Medical col- lege, Philadelphia, at the head of his class, March 9, 1858. The same year he came to Greenbush. Warren county, Ilinois, and commenced the practice of medicine. Here he built up a good practice and was very successful. He continued his practice up to the time of his death, which occurred October 23, 1888. In polities he was a democrat.
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WILLIAM McMAHILL.
William MeMahill was born in Nicholas county. Kentucky, December 23, 1806. He was a son of John and Susan (Burnet) MeMahill. He was married in Kentucky, in 1827, to Mary Snapp. She was born February 22, 1806, and was a daughter of George and Sarah (MeIntyre) Snapp.
William MeMahill and wife came to Sangamon county, Illinois, in 1830, where they resided until 1835, when they came to Greenbush, Warren county, Illinois. To them the following- named children were born :
George, born March 8, 1829; married Franees Barnum, about the year 1854. He resides at Riverside, California.
Susan B .. born March 26, 1831; married Leonard Hall. March 25. 1852. He died July 28, 1896.
Sarah, born May 16, 1833; married William J. Hamilton. Naney Jane, born April 6, 1835; married Andrew J. Sisson.
Elizabeth, born June 2, 1837. She fell into a kettle of hot lard and was so badly burned that she died the next morning. This oeeurred in March, 1839. Her grave was the first one in the MeMahill graveyard.
John. born in 1839; married Emily Hogue, at Yates City, Illinois.
Ann M., born in 1842: married Allen S. Phillips, January 26, 1868.
America, born in 1844; married Jaeob M. Kepple. She died March 13, 1877.
William H., married Ann Morris.
Pinckney, married Mary Ewings. Her maiden name was Mary Hanks.
Mary E., died with scarlet fever when she was only four or five years old.
Lneinda. died in infancy.
William MeMahill, the subject of this sketch, was by ocen- pation a farmer and stockraiser. In polities he was a republican. In religion he was early connected with the Methodist Episcopal ehureh and was for many years a local preacher in that denomi- nation. His wife was also a member of the same church. Many religious meetings were held at their house in the early days.
Mary, wife of William MeMahill. died August 31. 1877. He died June 6, 1881.
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BARNARD SLOEY.
Barnard Sloey was born in County Monaghan. Ireland. Octo- ber 22. 1815. He emigrated to America in 1833. Hle first located temporarily in Greenbush township. Warren county, Illinois, in 1840; and again to stay, in 1844.
In 1846, he was married to Miss Anna O'Grady of Marshall county, Illinois. They then commenced pioneer life in earnest, building a log-cabin on section 26, where they resided.
At this time neighbors were "like angels' visits. few and far between." John Griffen then resided where the town of Prairie City was afterwards located. Mr. Sloey says at this time wild game was plenty and wolves were fierce, dangerous, and annoying.
Mrs. Sloey was born July 21. 1830; and died April 30. 1877. She was a daughter of Francis and Susan ( Kenaly) O'Grady. When she was a child. she sat on the lap of Black Ilawk. the Indian chief. he having stopped at her father's house. probably on a begging or exploring expedition.
To Mr. Sloey and wife the following-named children were born-their two first. not named. dying in infancy.
Mary, born November 28, 1848: married Peter MeFarland, February 24, 1873.
William, born November 30. 1852: married Mary Thomas, September 12, 1877.
Francis, born March 30. 1854: married Julia Thomas, May 14. 1884.
Susan, born November 1. 1856: married Patrick H. Tanney, November 2. 1879.
James, born March 26. 1859: married Clara Belle Allen, Jume 16. 1897.
Thomas B., born October 6, 1861: married Mac Martin. June 17. 1891.
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Ella, born April 19, 1864; married Osborn Randolph Ash- ford, September 8, 1884.
Anna, born March 3, 1867; married A. A. Wilson, April 23, 1889.
Rose, born July 15, 1869; married Wm. Henry Crater, Sep- tember 18, 1890.
John, born January 13, 1872; first marriage to Minnie Rice, July 27, 1896; second marriage to Lola Massey. January 17, 1901.
On April 15, 1881, Mr. Sloey moved from Greenbush to Gove county, Kansas. After remaining there awhile, he moved to Thayer county, Nebraska, where he now resides with his son- in-law Peter McFarland, surrounded by the most of his children and grandchildren.
Here he is passing his last days in peace and comfort, patiently awaiting the white-winged messenger of time to an- nounce his departure to the realms of eternity, hoping for a joyful reunion with many dear ones who have preceded him. In religion Mr. Sloey is a Catholic: in politics he is a democrat.
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JAMES SIMMONS.
James Simmons was born in Warren county, Kentucky. August 10. 1809. He was a son of William and Esther (Stice) Simmons, who were married in 1798. He was born in 1775, and died in 1865. She was born in South Carolina, in 1779. and died in 1855. To them the following-named children were born :
Peter. Martin, Betsey, James. Charles. Sarah, Lucinda, John, Roley, Susan, Herbert. Nancy, and William.
James Simmons in his young days moved with his parents from Warren county. Kentucky. to Howard county. Missouri. Here they resided one year, then moved to Boone county. Mis- souri, where they resided about eight years; they then moved to Illinois and located in Morgan county. near JJacksonville. They afterwards moved to Warren county. Illinois, and located in the northeast part of Greenbush township.
William Simmons, father of James Simmons, was engaged about one year hauling mineral ore at Galena. Illinois. lle finally moved to Iowa, where he died in 1865.
James Simmons, the subject of this sketch. was married December 18, 1839, to Melinda Jennings. She was a daughter of Aaron and Sarah Jennings, and was born in Indiana, January 27, 1821: died JJune 19. 1897. To James Simmons and wife the following-named children were born :
Elizabeth Eunice, born February 28. 1842: married Thomas Stockton. November 20, 1857.
Sarah E., born May 28. 1844: married William Young. Sep- tember 4. 1862.
Samantha Jane, born August 15, 1846: married John Pat- terson. November 19, 1863.
Nancy M., born December 12. 1848; married William Il. Davis. She died June 9. 1900. He died August 16. 1893.
William E., born November 30. 1851: died May 12. 1884.
Eliza E .. born February 20. 1855: married Noah Davis.
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Thomas J., born June 8, 1857; married Amy A. South, October 11, 1883. She died February 6, 1894, at the age of 29 years. Ilis second marriage was to Victoria Miller, February 14, 1895.
Ida M .. born August 22, 1860; married George Davis.
James Edmond, born August 1, 1863; married Cornelia Stice, July 8, 1885. She was born September 10, 1864, and was a daughter of David and Elizabeth (Semelroth) Stice.
James Simmons resided in Greenbush township for many years. He was a successful farmer and stockraiser. In politics he was a democrat. He died at his old home place, on section two in Greenbush township. September 25, 1900.
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SARAH SNAPP.
Sarah Snapp was born in Virginia. March 20. 1784. Her maiden name was Sarah MeIntyre. She came with her parents to Kentucky. in 1789: and was married to George Snapp in Nicholas county, Kentucky, in 1802. Ile was born February 18, 1780, and died December 20. 1823. Hle was a son of George Snapp, who was killed by the Indians in Kentucky in an early day.
To George Snapp and his wife Sarah were born the follow- ing-named children :
John, born in 1811: died in Kentucky, in 1823.
Maria, born in 1804: married William Booth. Her second marriage was to Joseph Wallace. She died in California. July 18. 1886.
Mary, born in Nicholas county. Kentucky. February 22. 1806; married William McMahill. in 1827. She died August 31. 1877. Hle died June 6. 1881.
Elizabeth, born in Nicholas county. Kentucky, February 2. 1808; married John Crawford. Her second marriage was to Moses T. Hand. December 23, 1835. She died August 19. 1898. Moses T. Hand died February 18, 1898.
Franklin Greene was born in Nicholas county. Kentucky. Octo- ber 18, 1812. He came to Illinois in 1833: settled in Greenbush township in 1834. He was united in marriage to Miss Adeline Morse. She was born May 6. 1816. To this union the follow- ing-named children were born :
Maria JJane. born October 9, 1833: married John A. Butler. November 22, 1849.
Samuel M .. born May 22. 1835: married Saphronia Hanon. Ile died October 11. 1891.
George L., born June 4. 1838; married Emiline Griffith.
Albert N., born May 18, 1840: married Mrs. Matilda Nelson.
F. G. SNAPP.
1.DL AND
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Caroline, born June 1. 1843; married Dr. William Randall. She died May 20, 1875. He died October 23, 1888.
John R., born April 14, 1846; married Clara Foster. After receiving a divorce from her, he was married to Ahna Yast, in April, 1879.
Mary C., born December 23, 1848; died December 10, 1850.
Ada Ann, born October 20, 1851; died November 11, 1858.
Amanda E., born May 12, 1854; resides at Buffalo. New York, where she is engaged teaching music.
Emma P., born February 16, 1857; married Alphonso Waiste. They reside in Canada.
F. G. Snapp was engaged in an early day in Greenfield, in the mercantile business; and in later years he again engaged in the same line of business, making in all three or four times that he kept store in the village.
Ile was a farmer and resided on the southwest quarter of seetion five for many years. Ile spent a great portion of his life in raising, buying, and selling live-stock. In this line he was a man of excellent judgment.
Ile was a trader in many lines of business, and would buy and sell anything from a cookstove to a grist-mill. He was also an auctioneer and did considerable business in this line in the early days.
In 1870, he purchased thoroughbred Durham cattle in Ken- tueky and brought them to Greenbush, which proved a great benefit to the country by improving the breed of cattle then here. He also shipped in several hundred bushels of blue-grass seed from Kentucky the same year. This grass seed being sown on timber lands, grew rapidly and soon spread over adjoining lands. At this time John W. Barlow was engaged in shipping Durham cattle and blue-grass seed from Kentucky.
F. G. Snapp left his farm in Greenbush township and moved to Galesburg, where he spent his last years. He and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church, having joined that denomination in early life and retained their membership up to the time of their death. In polities he was a republican.
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He died April 10, 1895. His wife died September 22. 1898. Their remains rest in the cemetery at Abingdon, Illinois.
Ezekiel M., born in Nicholas county. Kentucky. in 1816; married Lueinda Willard. October 19, 1839. He died October 1, 1842. She died January 21, 1899. To this union one son was born-
William L., born February 12, 1842. He was married Decem- ber 19. 1861, to Mary E. May. She was born April 19. 1843; and died November 21, 1900. She was a daughter of William and Susan ( Harrison) May. To William L. Snapp and wife the following-named children were born :
Alice Mand, born November 16, 1862; married Andrew B. Camp. January 18. 1883.
Thomas, born February 23, 1864; married Mary J. Hen- dricks. January 5, 1889.
Mary. born July 4, 1867: died March 21, 1869.
William L., born August 2, 1871; married Minnie West, November 7, 1899.
Carrie M., born August 19. 1874.
Delos V., born August 17, 1876; married Emma Pauline Fowler. February 18. 1903.
Russell, born March 9. 1878; married Mand D. Stokes, July 17, 1899.
Ezekiel M., born January 28. 1880.
Sunner, born November 25, 1881.
William L. Snapp has held the offices in the township of town clerk, tax collector, justice of the peace, notary public, and school treasurer, and is the author of this work. In religion he is a Methodist. In polities he is a democrat.
Robert M .. son of George and Sarah Snapp. was born in Nicholas county, Kentucky. February 5, 1818. He was married three times. His first marriage was to Margaret A. Morse, in December. 1843. One child was born to them-Mary J. She died in infancy. Margaret, wife of R. M. Snapp, died in 1844. Ilis second marriage was to Adaliza Morris, March 26. 1849. She
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died December 23, 1856. To this union the following-named children were born:
George II., born May 9, 1850; died October 13, 1872. Alberteen, born December 24, 1852; died January 8, 1873. Eugene, born December 24, 1852; died February 19, 1866. William, born October 15, 1854; died July 27, 1856.
Austin, born June 4, 1856; died September 26, 1872.
His third marriage was to Mrs. Clarrissa Simmons, October 28, 1858. She was the widow of James D. Simmons and daughter of Joab and Rebecca Morris. She died December 24, 1882. To this union the following-named children were born :
Julius M., born October 29, 1859; died September 22, 1860.
Arthur L., born February 27, 1861; now lives in De Kalb county, Missouri.
Sarah F., born May 26, 1862; married David Tunks, Feb- ruary 2. 1883. He died in January, 1892. She was again mar- ried in 1895. to C. Brand, and now lives near Cameron, Missouri.
Laura, born February 4, 1865; married Augustus Pence, March 15. 1885; now lives near King City, Missouri.
Emma H., born March 5, 1867; married Hugh Stanton, April 7, 1895 ; now lives in Union Star, Missouri.
Giles, born June 1, 1869; lives in DeKalb county, Missouri.
Eva A., born September 28, 1872; married A. B. Durbin, January 13, 1892. They live in Gentry county. Missouri.
Clara E., born December 20, 1874: married F. H. Everett, February 26, 1903; now living in St. Joe, Missouri.
Robert M. Snapp was bugler in Captain Wyatt Stapp's com- pany in the Mexican war. This company was mustered in at Quincy. Illinois, August 16, 1847, and returned July 29, 1848. Mr. Snapp was a farmer by occupation. He was justice of the peace in Greenbush township for many years. He was pos- sessed of a wonderful memory, and could give more dates of cir- cumstances and events than any other man in the country. In
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polities, he was a democrat. He moved to Missouri in the spring of 1872, and died there June 21, 1899.
William, son of George and Sarah Snapp, was born in Nicholas county, Kentucky, June 12, 1820. He was married to Elizabeth Hedges, June 21. 1845. To them were born the following-named children :
Nathan B., born March 13. 1847 ; married Nannie Evans, March 1, 1874. They now live in Utah.
Catherine, born March 27. 1848; married J. P. Reed. December 23, 1866. She died March 7, 1877.
Ezekiel M., born October 1, 1849; lives in northern California.
James A., born March 28, 1851: married Phebe Tunks. Sep- tember 13. 1874. She died December 24, 1876. His second mar- riage was to Rebecca J. Brown. November 7, 1883. They now reside on a farm near King City, Missouri.
John W., born October 1. 1852; now lives in Clark county. Kansas.
Sarah A., born May 25, 1854: married Jacob W. Fry, March 17. 1875. They reside in southern California.
George, born February 21. 1856: married Mary Fry. Novem- ber 3, 1876. They live in DeKalb county. Missouri.
Mary, born September 1. 1857: married Jerry Renniger, in March, 1878. They reside in DeKalb county, Missouri
William W., born July 18, 1859: married Verdie Myricks, in March, 1892. They reside in DeKalb county, Missouri.
Evaline, born February 28, 1862; died in 1864.
Eliza J., born September 29. 1864: married Joseph A. Fry, in 1888. They reside in Buchanan county, Missouri.
Elizabeth A., born June 9, 1871 : married Jacob Harshburger, in 1901. They reside in Clark county, Kansas.
William Snapp was a farmer by occupation. In his younger days he was engaged in burning brick, and was for a time engaged in the mercantile business. He also ran a steam sawmill in com- pany with his nephew. William L. Snapp. for several years in Greenbush. He was commissioner of highways and held other
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offices of trust in the township. In politics, he was a democrat. He moved to DeKalb county, Missouri, in June, 1868, where he died in August, 1883. His wife, who was five years younger than he, died in January, 1890.
George, son of George and Sarah Snapp, was born in Nicholas county, Kentucky, September 12, 1823. He married Ann Rebecca Hicks, in 1853. She died February 12, 1875. To this union the following-named children were born :
Oscar, born May 28, 1854: died December 28. 1863.
William, born December 25, 1856; died March 10, 1864.
Adeline, born May 12, 1858: died December 25, 1863.
Elizabeth, born March 8, 1860.
Robert M., born November 19, 1861; married Josie South, February 17, 1886. She was born June 24, 1864, and died Novem- ber 12, 1897.
Charles F., born October 15, 1863; married Mary Starr.
Lucy, born April 26, 1865: married Elijah H. South.
Anna, born January 9, 1869; married Charles C. McClurg, December 29, 1888.
Ada, born October 14, 1871; married William C. Gordon, November 21, 1894.
Catherine, born February 6. 1873.
George Snapp has been by occupation a farmer and stockman, and was at one time engaged in the mercantile business in Green- bush. He went to California, in 1850. in a company of twenty- seven men, driving ox teams. James C. Stice was captain of this company. His mess was composed of Robert M. Snapp, R. K. Belt, James C. Stice and himself.
He returned to Greenbush township, in 1852. where he has since resided, except a short time he was in DeKalb county, Missouri. ITis second marriage was to Ann Davis, April 10, 1876. She was born in JJefferson county, Indiana, September 29. 1839.
Sarah (MeIntyre) Snapp, the subject of this sketch, was a woman of strong constitution, used to hardships from childhood. She early learned industrious habits, which she retained through life. In religion, she was a Methodist. She died November 26, 1859.
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ELIJAH FRAMPTON, SENIOR.
Elijah Frampton was born near Lewistown. Pa .. April 20. 1786. Ile was married October 20, 1822, to Rebecca Clark: and again to Lucinda Trowbridge, May 28. 1828-both at Burlington, Ohio. He died at Avon, Illinois, January 23. 1877.
To the first union were born five children-four of whom died in faney-viz. : Isaac Clark. William Walker, and three sisters (triplets). Isaac C. and sisters died in infancy.
To the second union were born four children, namely: Elijah, John Martin. Rachel Jane. and Isabelle Rogers. Rachel died October 26, 1836. at the age of four years.
Mr. Frampton. like most boys of his time, was sent to school only three months each year. School books were scarce, one set usually doing duty for the whole family. He made a specialty of mathematics, with a view to taking up surveying. Shortly after he had mastered the business, his father died ; and he, being the oldest boy, was suddenly brought face to face with the problem of bread and butter for the family. which was a large one.
He soon discovered that while surveying gave him a promi. nent place in the community, there was not enough in it to enable him to support the large family. And so he gave it up and turned his attention to boating on the Ohio river. At that time river transportation was almost wholly done by Hat-boats and keel-boats.
These boats would be loaded at Pittsburg and floated down the river as far as necessary, and then pulled. "cordelled." by means of a rope, and pushing with long pike poles, back to the starting place.
This sort of life was full enough of incident and adventure to make it quite spicy, and was besides a cash-down business. Settle- ments on the river were few and far between. To add to its
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picturesqueness, game was plentiful and bands of robbers infested the country.
Mr. Frampton followed this business for several years. making many trips down and up the river, sometimes going out on to the Mississippi river. When his load was disposed of. he would "cor- delle" back to Pittsburg with his boat.
He chaneed to be in Pittsburg with his boat when the govern- ment pressed him and his boat into the service to carry a lot of sail, rigging, etc .. to Lake Erie for Commodore Perry's fleet. For this service the government forgot to pay him. But it is probable that he, like Barkis, "was willin' " and never asked for any pay.
At one time he and his younger brother loaded their boat with provisions at Pittsburg and took it out on to the Mississippi river, down to Memphis, Tenn., where they sold boat and cargo, receiving their pay all in silver coin. There was no bank at Memphis and no steamboats on the river. So they had to return with their money overland. For this purpose they bought a stout horse and a pair of saddle-bags. Placing the money into the bags, they put them across the back of the horse and started homeward, taking turns at riding and walking.
Considering the condition of the country-sparce settlements, crude roads, and robbers-this was a perilous undertaking. They made the trip. however, without serious mishap.
As before stated, his boating life was sufficiently exciting and full of ineident to satisfy most any one. Mike Fink, the noted outlaw and river pirate, gave the boatman no end of trouble. Fink was almost a dead shot with his rifle. A boy whom he kept with him as a ecok, he used to make stand off thirty to fifty paees. while Fink, a la William Tell, would shoot a tin eup off the boy's head.
Mr. Frampton once had the honor of being a target for Fink's rifle. HIe heard the bullet whiz by, but fortunately it did not hit him. It was supposed Fink fired the shot just to see what he could do.
In making these trips down and up the river, it so happened that at the time of the earthquake at New Madrid, Mo., his boat
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was flatme down the river in front of the town : of a sudden they heard a deep rumbling sound : when. as if by magie, the river was in a great commotion. rolling and tumbling. seething and boiling like mad. It came like a flash out of a clear sky, and greatly alarmed the men on the boat, but they managed to steer clear of all the eddying whirlpools and escape injury.
About the year 1818, Mr. Frampton moved his mother and family to Burlington. Ohio, a small town on the Ohio river, be- tween Cincinnati, Ohio, and Pittsburg, Pa. His boating life was suddenly brought to an end by an incident which took place while he was at home off duty.
A camp-meeting was in progress near by. and he concluded to attend. While there he was converted ; and, believing he was called to preach the Gospel. he sold his boating interests, united with the Methodist church, joined the Cincinnati conference, and was, assigned to a circuit. This conference embraced all of southern Ohio and a part of Kentucky; and as there was a searcity of preachers, the circuit had to be made very large. That made the work of the preacher very laborions and exacting.
The country being new, there were scarcely any laid-out roads, often nothing but a trail or path to guide the traveler on his way: and there were almost no bridges-streams had to be forded or swam, as the case might be. The preacher considered it his bounden duty to fill every appointment on time. no matter what happened : nothing but the impossible should prevent it. In the broiling hot sun; in the drenching rain: in the pelting hail and sleet : in the driving. blinding snow : over the glaring ice : through mud and water : by day and by night ; astride his trusty horse, with his saddle-bags-stuffed full of clean linen, Bible, hymn-book and lunch-thrown across the saddle, he must make his way from place to place, over his cirenit-a never-ceasing treadmill of duty to meet his appointments-preaching in the little log schoolhouse, sometimes in barns and sometimes in the open.
He must be the minister and the chorister often the whole choir-and often his own janitor. He must administer comfort to the afflicted. consolation to the dying, and sometimes a flogging to the insolent : instant in season and out of season. a sort of half-way station between hope and fruition, a ministering angel, as it were,
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beckoning our thoughts away from the realities of this hard, inexorable life. so full of bickerings and heart-breaks, to that life of perennial beauty and happiness, which we count upon in our reckoning of the great hereafter.
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