USA > Illinois > Champaign County > Early history and pioneers of Champaign County : illustrated by one hundred and fifteen superb engravings by Melville : containing biographical sketches of the early settlers, the early history of the county obtained from the most reliable sources and many graphic scenes and incidents from the bright and shady sides of pioneer life > Part 12
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May 1st, 1831. he was married to Miss Sallie Ann Fitzgerald in the old town of Rockford. His wife, who shared with her husband his joys and sorrows, and was to him a constant help during all the scenes and changes of their domestic life in three different states, for more than half a century, is still living. She has ever been an indus- trious and charitable woman, a loving mother and a devoted wife.
Nine children were born to them: Mary
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Ann, James P., Sarah E., Thomas John W., L., Frances C., Martha M., Lyde Caroline and George Martin : all of whom are living, but two. Sarah died October , 1552, George died September 16, 1856.
In 1541, Mr. Kerr removed his family to Tennessee, where he resided till 1851, when he came to Urbana, and was a continuous resident of the county till his death.
AAfter reaching this county he built a hotel, known as the Union hotel, which afforded shelter and substantial hospitality for the public, and it was here that the old settlers of the county always stopped, especially during the sessions of court. and here they talked of and lived over the early days. A great inany movers on their way to Iowa and other western states, who stopped at this hotel were induced by Mr. Kerr, to make their homes in Champaign county, which he regarded as the garden spot.
In 1956, he bought of the I. C. R. R. Co., 320 acres of land which he afterwards im- proved. This land is now known as the Jno. O. Beaty farm, in Somer township.
At different times during his life, Mr. Kerr followed farming, yet it seemed to be his lot to serve the people in some capacity, and he always discharged his duties with fidelity and in a manner entirely satisfactory to the people. He filled the offices of constable and deputy sheriff in North Carolina, and in Tennessee where his abilities were known, he was almost continually in office. His relatives were also active men, and strong supporters of the union during the war. After coming to this county he was twice elected coroner : also he was deputy sheriff for many years and had charge of the county jail.
When quite a young man he accompanied Tyra Glenn, one of the most extensive negro traders in North Carolina, to Georgia, with a large number of slaves. Mr. Glenn was so well pleased with Mr. Kerr that he offered to make him a full partner in the traffic. He could have made a fortune in the busi- ness but the sorrow and anguish he saw when families were separated and the cruel- ties and horrors of slavery were such that he declined.
Mr. Kerr believed in the Universalist doc- trine, yet he did not belong to the church. He was well posted in the scriptures, being a constant reader of the bible during the last twelve years of his life.
In all his business and dealings with men he was industrious, systematic and perfectly honest. He seemed to have a natural genius as a mechanie ; eould make almost anything he wanted, and was a brick mason, and shoe makerwhich he followed as occasion demand-
ed. He was a man of broad friendship and great hospitality. He enjoyed the society of his neighbors and friends whom he liked to talk with and have them eat at his table.
Mr. Kerr was fond of music, and was a splendid performer on the violin. He made the instrument on which he learned to play.
Ile looked on the bright side of life and made the best of every thing. Ile never looked down upon any one below him, nor looked up to any one above him in life. Always accommodating, open hearted and free, the poor and needy, found in him a true friend.
Mr. Kerr died on the second day of June, 1885, at his residence in Urbana, in the 4th, year of his age.
GENERAL S. T. BUSET.
This okl citizen of our county was born in Greencastle, Indiana, in November, 15335. Emigrated with his parents to this city in the following April. He worked on his father's farm until he was of age. In 1556// he engaged in merchandising, which he followed until 1862, when he sold out the drug store of Busey & Miller to enter the service of his country. He obtained a com- mission from Gov. Yates, to recruit a com- pany with which he went into camp at Kankakee, August 6, 1562. Was elected captain of company B, 26th Illinois volunteer infantry, and on the organization of the regi- ment was elected lieutenant-colonel. Aug. 22 went south to Columbus, Kentucky, then the base of supplies for Grant's army, at Corinth; thenee to Bolivar, Tenn. Went with Grant to Coffeyville, Mississippi, gar- risoned Ilolly Springs and regiment was rear guard on return. He became colonel of
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regiment in April, 1963, and led his regiment to join Grant's army in rear of Vicksburg, and landed at Chickasaw Bayon, the night Grant drove the rebels into Vicksburg. His division being sent to Snyder's Bluff to guard . the rear. the officers of the division circulat- ed petition to Grant to send them to the front. Colonel Busey refused to sign it. stating that General Grant was in command and it was the duty of a brave soldier to take any position assigned him, and not an- noy the commanding general who was re- sponsible for results; when chided by other officers he quietly remarked. "The 76th is ready to go when and where it is ordered and will do the best it knows how, but I trust I have no officer willing to seek promo- tion by needlessly sacrificing a single man ;" three days later they were ordered toextreme left : the first night two of the loudest boast- ing regiments, most anxious for fight, were surprised and routed with 114 men taken prisoners; the 76th turned out, prevented what might have been a general rout, ad- vanced the line on river bank, afterwards took and held the most advanced position on the entire line until the surrender. He led his gallant regiment thence to Jackson, Miss., held the post of honor, the extreme right, during the siege. Colonel Busey was the first union officer in the city after the evacuation by the rebel troops. He won the gratitude of citizens by his efforts in subdu- ing fire and restraining the lawless. He re- fused promotion to Brigadier General, be- cause he didn't want to leave his regiment. Later he was offered command of the post Natchez, and urged by citizens and soldiers to accept ; thisChe declined for same reason. His regiment was then attached to the Re- serve Corps of Mississippi river. During this time he had led several expeditions into the country around. He and his regiment left Memphis, January 1st. 1865, and was the first to report to General Canby, at New Orleans, of that vast army afterwards oper- ating against Mobile. He went to Pensaco- la. Florida, thence to Pollard, Alabama, and thence down the country to Blakely, the last stronghold to Mobile, which was car- ried by assault, April 9, after a hot siege of ten days. The old, 76th was the first inside the works and suffered more loss than all the rest of the command. Col. Busey was the second man on the rebel works, urging his men to deeds of bravery. the other man was killed and the Colonel was wounded after an almost hand to hand conflict with three different men, each of whom was per- snaded to "lay down." He was sent to the hospital at New Orleans, returned in June; thence he went to Texas, was mustered for
discharge at Galveston, and was discharged at Chicago, August 6, 1565. He was after- wards commissioned as Brevet Brigadier General, on recommendation of Generals Andrews. Steel and General Grant, for gal- lantry in leading his regiment in the as- sault on Fort Blakely.
So our readers will see he is entitled to the appellation of "General," which we give him at the head of this article. At the close of the war he followed farming until the fall of iso2. when he and his brother S. Il. organized Busey Bros.' Bank. He after- wards bought out his brother's interest and associated with him his nephew, M. W. Bu- sey, and the bank is known as Busey's Bank.
General Busey married late in life, but he is an exception to the rule in such cases, for he succeeded in winning an exceptionally excellent lady, to whom he was married Dec. 25. 1577. at Delphi, Indiana. Mrs. Bu- sey, who was Miss Mary E. Bowen, the daughter of a prominent citizen of Delphi, is still living and they have had born to them twochildren, both girls, Marietta and Bertha. He has been thrice elected mayor of this city, which office he now holds, and dis- charges its duties with signal ability while he presides over one of the strongest and safest financial institutions of the county. A brave soldier, a public-spirited citizen, a business man of the strietest integrity, he has the respeet and confidence of all our people.
NCLVILLE
GEORGE G. WEBBER Was born in 1530 in Shelby county, Ken- tucky. His father was William T., and his
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mother Nancy (Baskett) Webber. They brought young George to his western home at the age of three years, coming to Urbana in the fall of 1533 from Shelby county, Ky., and settled on the farm just east of town, upon which George G., the subject of this sketch, with his family, now reside. He re- ceived an English education in the primi- tive schools of the time, and grew to man- hood and will doubtless spend the years of his old age"on the spot where his infant feet were planted tifty-three years ago.
Thirty-four years ago, to-wit, in 1-52, he was united in marriage to Miss Martha E. MeFarland, who is yet living at the age of tixty-six years. Following are the names of their children: Flora M., at home, Fannie. who is married to James Thorpe. foreman in the I .. B. and W. shops at Urbana; Laura, who is at home, Frank B., married to Mar- garet MeConnell and resides at Urbana. Harry E .. married to Nellie Boysce, and a tinner in the L. E. and W. shops at Lima, Ohio, Mae, who died very suddenly a few years ago just as she was approaching won- anhood, and Fred, the youngest, who is a fine musician, and resides at home. In fact the entire family are natural musicians.
William T. Webber, the father of George, donated 20 acres upon which the city of Ur- bana was founded. He and Col. Isaac Bu- sey giving to the county the land which comprises the original town of Urbana, the consideration being the location of the coun- ty seat at Urbana. William T. Webber was one of the most prominent of the pioneers and did much to build up the town and county. Ile died in 1840. The mother of George died in 1860, having lived with George and family since the death of her husband.
Mr. Webber is a man of broad and chari- table views and in his religious belief is a Universalist.
Politically Mr. Webber has elung to the political faith of his fathers and continues to be a democrat of stalwart principles, be- lieving in the Jeffersonian ideas of democ- racy. He has engaged in farming and stock- raising all the mature years of his life. He has kept up with the foremost of our far- mers and stock raisers and is now residing on the old home farm where his parents liv- ed and died, where he has seen this county grow with his own growth until at the sum- mit alnost, of a successful life he ean com- pare with much interest and describe very entertainingły the Champaign county of the present and the Champaign county of his boyhood days.
MELVILLE CKI
JAMES L. SOMERS,
Mr. Somers was born at Rockford, Surry county, North Carolina. in 1517. His father was Waitman Somers, who came to this county in 1541. Ilis mother was Miss Caro- line Durham, who died in North Carolina. Ilis father settled north of Big Grove, on what is now section 22, Somer township. James L., came in 1543, and settled same place. He first married Miss Jemima Ham- lin, who died soon after reaching this eoun ty leaving no children. December 26th, 1544, he married Miss Rosannah Adkins, daughter of Lewis Adkins, who settled in this county in 1532. His last wife sarvives him, and has always been a kind hearted Christian lady with whom he lived happily until his death. His children are: Mary, who married D. W. Stamey, of Rantoul township; Carrie, who married J. W. Stamey, residing just north of Champaign; Jennie and Ella, who reside at home with their mother on the old home place. Two of their children, Willie L., and James W., are dead.
Mr. Somers united with the M. E. church in 1551 and lived a consistent member until his death.
He was first a whig. then a republican and was always a conscientious observer of the duties and obligations of a good citizen. He was assessor of Somer township for 13 years, supervisor six years and sehool treas- urer eight years. He was filling the last two offices at the time of his death.
In 1879, he was a candidate for the office of county treasurer on the independent or greenback tieket. The democrats support-
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PIONEERS OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
ing him although he had always been a re- publican: the regular republican nominee was elected because of their large majority. During the canvass however. no aspersions were thrown upon the character of Mr. Somers. He was faithful in every public trust. No man was more popular in Somer than he. Ile had fairly won the confidence and respect of the people of all parties by his plain manners, good judgement, and sterling integrity.
He died March 2. 12. after an illness, from pneumonia, of only one week. His memory will be cherished by all who knew him. for his many nobh traits of character.
MELVILLE
CHI
REV. WILLIAM MUNHALL ..
This gentleman, so well known to the pi- oneers of this county, was usually referred to as "Preacher Munhall." He was born May 30. 1-16, at Harrisburg. Pa. We are unable to obtain reliable information as to his early life before coming to this county. Ile united with the Protestant Methodist church in 135. and began soon after to preach the Gospel. He had a personal mag- netism that made his preaching effective and enabled him to accomplish a great deal of good. by this means. He was married to Miss Dorathy F. JJackson. March 5. 150. at Brownsville, Pa. The children resulting from this union were Sylvanus C., married and residing at Watseka, Illinois; C. S., married and residing in Nebraska; William H., married and engaged on the Gazette, in Champaign, and Sammel C., single and residing in Chicago. He came to Urbana in 1554, preached a sermon or two here and at- tracted the attention of Col. W. N. Coler
and others by his logie and eloquence: they made up a purse and employed him to preach for a year. At the close of this engagement he united with the M. E. church. He also served as pastor of the Congregational church of Champaign for one or two years. Ile was a democrat of the old school type and knew well how to maintain his princi- ples in argument. He was elected on that ticket for county treasurer and assessor in 1-55, and was reelected in 15%. serving four years. In the fore part of 1-60 he bought out the Clarion, a newspaper owned by Mun- ger & Knapp, which he continued to pub- lish under the name of Democrat and Pa- triot, until about 1-62, at which time he left this city and removed to Cleveland, Ohio. where he died March 9th. 1964. He was a man of strong impalses and of great abilities. His oratory was graced by the use of bean- tiful language. and an easy delivery. that with his fine talents enabled him to succeed admirably in that line. He made many warm friends all over the county, and could have succeeded always in politics, had he seen fit to engage in it.
MEL VILLE (CHI
WILLIAM J. FOOT
Was born at Mendon, Monroe county. N. Y., Sept. 10, 1817. He comes of a long-lived fami- ly : his paternal grandfather, Charles, (whose ancestors came from Colchester, England, and foundled the town of Colchester, Con-
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nectient. ) was a soldier in the Revolutionary war and died at the advanced age of eighty- nine years. The father of William J .. also named Charles, lived for one hundred and two years and seven months, and died in September, 18>3. He voted at all the presi- dential elections from Thomas Jefferson to Garfield, and remembered all the elections including that of Washington the first time in 1759. Three of his brothers lived to be over ninety: another. E. B. Foot, is still liv- ing at the age of eighty-one.
William J .. the subject of this sketch. learned in New York the business of brick maker: he worked at thisand upon the farm until 1542, when he sought to better his con- dition by starting for the west. He located at Medina, Ohio, where for thirteen years he worked at brick making and other occu- pations. eight years of which he carried on the business for himself.
He was married July 4. 1544. to Lucy Ma- ria Aleott, youngest daughter of Medad Alcott, whose ancestors for five generations are traced back to Thomas Alcott, who came over with Governor Winthrop in 1630. His father. John Alcott. was Lord Chancellor of England under King Henry VII. Mrs. Foot is still living and will be sixty-nine years old Aug. 10th. 1886. She is a full cous- in of A. Bronson Aleott, the Concord phil- osopher. The children of this union were: Julia R., who married M. W. Mathews, Eva A., Charles Bronson, Orloff W., (who died at the age of ten years) and Franklin W.
Mr. Foot was a whig and cast his first vote for William Henry Harrison in 1840. Later he became a republican and has voted an un- scratched ticket ever since that party was born. He was coroner of Champaign coun- ty for two terms, and had served in Ohio for six years as deputy sheriff.
He came to Urbana in 1855 and engaged in the manufacture of brick until 1871, since which time he has not engaged in business on his own account. He made the brick for the court house, the M. E. church, the old school building, (which burned) and for about all the brick buildings both in Urbana and Champaign that were built prior to 1871. While not in the most robust health he has ambition and vigor enough to last him yet many years.
MAL.VILL
RICHARD ALLEN.
Richard Allen was the son of Samuel and Phoebe Allen, natives of Dutchess county. N. Y. He was born in Poughkeepsie, same state. March 10, 1514. The family is of Eng- lish origin and Quaker belief. In November 1834, Mr. Allen left New York on a sail-vessel for Savannah, Georgia, and from there, walk- ed to Milledgeville, a distance of one hun- dred and fifty miles, and from the latter place on horseback to Columbus, one hun- dred and fifty more. Ile then took charge of twenty five slaves, and escorted them to Montgomery, Alabama. The road passed through the Creek Indian reservation. At Montgomery. he engaged to drive stage from that city to Columbus. He soon after took a steamer down to Mobile, where he tanght school three months. Ile returned to New York in June, 1835, and the same year went west to Gallia county, Ohio. He there purchased 350 acres of heavily timbered land. He cleared up one hundred acres and farmed it for twenty three years. The land being poor 'the profits arising therefrom were meagre. In 1858, he sold his farm and came to this county, and bought land in Somer township, where he still lives.
In 1838, he was united in marriage with Miss Mary E., daughter of Col. Nial Nye. The following are the names of their children: Lewis, who is a resident of Em- poria, Kan .; Sarah, who lives at home; Samuel, a resident of Fairbury, Neb. ; Ira H., of Urbana; Joseph, who lives at Perry, Iowa. Part of the family worship in the Congrega tional church, and the others are Metho dists.
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PIONEERS OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
Politically Mr. Allen was a whig until that organization was abandoned, and since then has acted with the republican party. While Mr. Allen has not been an active politician. yet he is a man of strong and de- cided convictions. Ile believes firmly in high protection for American industries and the party esponsing those principles, receives his warm endorsement and vote.
Mr. Allen has represented his township for four years on the board of supervisors. He has been Justice of the Peace for ten years and at present holds that office. He is modest and unassuming in manner, but has a will of his own and is not easily swerved from a position once taken. These characteristics are written plainly by our artist in the splendid portrait above given.
MEL VILLE CHI
JOHN BROWNFIELD.
Mr. Brownfield was probably of Seoteh- Irish descent. His father, Robert Brown- field, at the time of the birth of John, Oct- ober 7th, 1755, lived in Washington county, Penn. The maiden name of the mother was Ramsey. Subsequently, and in the boyhood of John. the family removed to Harrison county, Ky., from which place they removed to this county in October. 1832, the year be- fore the establishment of the county, by law. The father. Robert, is still remembered by the few remaining old settlers of fifty years ago. He was born June 4th, 1760. and lived to become a resident of this county, with his son. Ile was a soldier in the revolutionary war. He died in 1541. The mother died be- fore the family left Kentucky. John Brown- field was married about 1504, to Anna Clem- ents, a sister of James Clements, another early settler. She was born in 1790 and died Angust 25th, 1545, in the fellowship of the
Freewill Baptist church, of which she was long a consistent member. Mrs. Brownfiekl is still remembered as a kind-hearted, ehar- itable lady, devotedly attached to her ehil- dren, of whom she had thirteen, most of whom long since joined her on the other shore. John Brownfield volunteered under Col. Coleman in the war of 1512 and spent several months in the Harrison campaigns in the Maumee country, for which he re- ceived a goverment land warrant. Two years before their removal to this county. Mr. Browntiek came here on a prospecting tour. and being pleased with the outlook, he bought out the improvements of one John Light, a squatter then living on Sec. 35, in Somer township, where his son. Thomas Brownfield, now lives, and formally enter- ed the land at the land office at Palestine, on September 2, 1830. This Light is still re- membered, by citizens, as one of the first pio- neers of this county. He was possessed of some learning, for he was among the first, if not the first, school teacher who taught in this county.
In 1831. about October 25th, the Brown- field family, destined to become so conspic- uous in family names and in the affairs of the county, reached their new home and became domiciled. Near their cabin ran the Ft. Clark road, the only road that was more than a trail, leading through the coun- ty. Their neighbors were Phillip Stanford, the Rhinehearts, John Light, William and Robert Trickle, James T. Roe, Isaac Busey, Matthew Busey, and a few others. No store was then in the county and the nearest mar- ket was Chicago, then, only a military post. or some of the Wabash towns. Mr. Brown- tield was a blacksmith by trade and at once became a useful man in the community. At that time the facilities for grinding grain in the settlement were limited to a hand mill owned by Robert Trickle, made of a short section of a hollow log enclosing the "upper and the nether mill stones," capable of grinding one bushel an hour. This was brought from Butler's Point, Vermilion county. This deficiency Mr. Brownfield set about remedying. In 1835, by the aid of one Hohnes, probably the tirst Methodist preach- er who ever preached the gospel in the county, completed a horse grist mill near his home. This mill was capable of grind- ing from fifteen to twenty-five bushels of corn or wheat per hour. It was supplied with a bolting chest for bolting the flour, which was operated by hand. The machin- ery of this mill was so well constructed that a high velocity was given the stone. The larger wheel was twenty-four feet in diam- ter. The mill at once became very useful,
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PIONEERS OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
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to the people, far and near, who came long distances to get their grain ground. In 1842 Mr. Brownfield commenced the erection of a saw and grist mill on the creek about three miles below Urbana, to be run by water power. The saw mill was completed in 1843 and in 1844 the burr stones were removed to it from the horse mill and there did duty until 1849 when they were probably super- ceded by Park's steam mill, in Urbana. The frame of the old horse mill still remains and is used by Thomas as a stable, while the burr-stones are still kept for the good they have done. Mr. Brownfield ran one of the first threshing machines brought to the county. He also for a time kept a small stock of groceries.
Under the constitution of 1818 the probate business was entrusted to an officer known as the Probate Justice of the Peace, who, as such, had jurisdiction in the settlement of estates, probate of wills, &c. To this office John Brownfield was elected in 1841, and in it he served the people acceptably for one term of two years. It he ever made any errors in this office they were errors of the pen and neither of the head nor heart. He also, for many years, served as a justice of the peace. Mr. Brownfield, as above stated, raised thirteen children, only five of whom, William, Joseph, Thomas, James C., and Susan McClatchy, are living. The three first named live in this county. One of his danghters, Mary Ann, married Andrew Stevenson, the first sheriff of this county. He was married a second time to Mrs. McEl- roy, who survived him a few years. John Brownfield died July 6th, 1863, and will long be remembered by citizens as a very orig- inal and anomalous character. Born and reared at a time and in a section of country when and where educational facilities were out of the question, he was conspicuous for his lack of book learning and as conspicu- ous for his strong common sense, which never deserted him in any emergency. Although without a knowledge of the world of mankind, beyond his limited line of ob- servation, he
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