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 9
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September 23rd, 1854, he was again married. His second wife was Miss Alice E. Seed, of Central Lake, Michigan. She is a highly educated and refined lady, and is still living.
In September 1557, he opened the first grocery store in Tolono, with five hundred dollars of borrowed capital. Mr. A. Lyons whose biography appears in this issue, start- ed about the same time in Tolono, with dry goods, notions and groceries. From this small beginning Mr. Redhed has aceumulat- ed a comfortable competency. For twenty nine years he has been engaged at Tolono in the mercantile business with continuous success. He has been so careful in his busi- ness and so correct in his contracts that he has never been sued, although transacting an extensive business for many years. He has never had a ease of his own in a court of record and has only sued one or two persons in his life. Honesty and integrity have characterized his every day life and he is emphatically a self made man, who has by his own unaided efforts succeeded admirably in a business, the pathway of which is strewn with many failures.
MELVIL
LE
PENROSE STIDHAM.
Near the banks of the historie Delaware, in the city of Wilmington Del., October 24th, 1807, Penrose Stidham first looked upon the world. His parent were Joseph and Anna (Gregg) Stidham. His early life was spent at the place of his birth. Jannary 9th, 1836, the love that had existed between himself and Miss Mary Sergeant, a native also of Delaware, happily culminated in marriage.
She was born February 4th, 1816, and is still living : and is, to-day, at the age of seventy years, as active and strong as those who have not lived half so long, nor borne any of the burdens of pioneer lite. The surviv- ing children of this marriage are: Joseph P., who married Sarah Elder, and resides in Lebanon, Mo. ; John T., who married Emma White (now deceased), and later. Jennie Nichols, and now resides at Mahomet, Ill .; and Melissa A., who married Thomas B. Carson, now a revenue agent in the internal revenue service, residing at Urbana. Three of their sons are dead. Penrose Stidham was confirmed as a member of the Episcopal church in his youth and he lived a eonsist- ent and faithful believer in the tenets of that church. In the spring of 1836, soon af- ter his marriage, he, with his young wife, emigrated to what was then the border lands of the great west-to La Fayette, Indiana. Here he engaged in farming for a portion of the time. It was while residing there that he built a steam saw mill on the banks of the Wabash and followed that business for a number of years. Here he also served his neighbors as justice of the peace, ably and well. In 1848, having a firm belief in the rieh resources of the vast and growing west, he was led to follow in the wake of advanc- ing civilization still farther toward the set- ting sun. He accordingly gathered his house- hold goods and personal property together and came to Urbana. He broke and open- ed up the farm just south of town, now owned by E. A. Shaw, where the doors of his hospitable home were ever open to his hosts of friends, until the day of his death, which occurred September 30, 1862. At the time he built, his was the only house between Urbana and Sidney. His little home was once seriously endangered by a prairie fire that swept across the untamed prairie. Mr. Stidham and some of the family were sick, hence Joe and John held the horses and drove, Mrs. Stidham held the plow while they plowed furrows around the premises and sent to town for help; a wagon load came to the rescue and a successful figlit was made against the dreaded enemy, after which Mrs. S. prepared a supper for the en- tire party which was of the kind for which she has always been noted, for she never took second place as a first class cook. Mr. Stidham was a Jeffersonian democrat and through all his life he was firm and unwaver- ing in his political faith. He was sheriff of Champaign county for the years 1853 and 1854, and again for the years 1857 and 1858, being elected on the democratic ticket. He also served as chief deputy for two years. As sheriff and ex-officio collector, he visited
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each precinct in the county to receive the taxes, giving two days to each precinct. He handled, in this way, thousands of dollars, but never was robbed nor lost a cent. He was urged by S. H. Busey and Asa Gere to run again but on account of failing health he declined. Penrose was a modest man but he was very popular among the people. His word was relied upon as absolutely good and he had the entire confidence of the members of both political parties. He has kept a character that was untarnished and a memory that will be cherished long by those who knew him.
WINSTON SOMERS, M. D.
Doctor Somers, the pioneer physician of Urbana, was born in the year 1800, near Rockford, Surry county, North Carolina. He received a fair education in the comnon schools at the place of his birth, and taught school in North Carolina, where Miss Mary Graves Haynes went to school to him. She afterward, in 1829, married him. She was born in Stokes county, in February, 1811. Their children were all born in North Caro- lina. William H., the eldest, is now a resi- dent of San Diego, California, (his portrait and biography appears elsewhere) ; James W., is a member of the Board of Review of the Pension office, at Washington, (see his portrait and biography in another column) ; John W,, is a druggist at Ida Grove, Iowa; Joseph W. is traveling for an agricultural implement house, but resides in Urbana. Doctor Somers came alone on horseback from North Carolina, here, in 1843. On his 11
way, in the mountains of North Carolina, he stopped at a humble log house over night. Toward morning the Doctor thought he heard significant movements of the family and he got up, took his horse and went on his way. He feared they were going to rob him. The next day he stopped at a lit- tle town and waited for a gunsmith to make him two revolvers. He had previously been unarmed. These curious old primitive pistols were in the family for many years. Doctor Somers, after inspecting this wild prairie country made up his mind that this was where he would make a permanent home for himself and family. He returned to North Carolina and brought his family. He loaded his limited worldly effects into wagons and with three horses he brought them and his family, consisting of his wife and four boys, to this wild and un- cultivated prairie. His oldest son, William H., was then thirteen years old and his youngest, Joseph, was five. When he ar- rived here, his capital, so far as money was concerned, had been reduced to the limited sum of seventy-five cents, but he had a brave heart, indomitable energy and good business capacity. He, of course, soon bought land and utilized his boys (a part of his capital) in farming, while he practiced his profession in a circuit of fifty miles in diameter, Urbana being the center. He had to visit patients on the Middle Fork, and at Rantoul, Sadorus, Homer, and many times would be gone from home for days at a time visiting the sick, riding in a gir or sleigh, carrying his saddlebags with a small stock of medicines, there being no drug store nearer than Danville.
The denizen of to-day, who looks upon a local and near by population of 10,000, who traverses paved streets, lighted by gas and electricity, who sees and mingles with peo- ple of the highest culture and looks upon the massive and imposing building of the State University, here located, will find it difficult to correctly imagine the Urbana of 1843, when the Somers family pitched its tent, strangers in a strange land. Instead of the evidences of our advanced civilization visible on every hand, as now, they only looked out upon a hamlet of a dozen small houses and cabins, built in a thicket of ha- zel brush and on the border of a boundless and uninhabited prairie. Instead of a teem- ing population, busy in the shops, offices, and on the farms, they encountered the few pioneers here at that day, supplemented by wolves and other "varmints" of the wilder- ness, who made successful warfare upon the chicken roosts and pig-sties of the set- tlers. Instead of the advanced common
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schools now existing and flourishing all over the county, erowned by a great University, located but a mile from their home. this family saw only here and there a log school house, and the pay schools kept by ambu- latory school masters of the Sam Crane va- riety. Such was the home to which Dr. Somers brought his family. After several years of arduous labor he went to Rush Med- ical college and graduated with high honors in 1553. He then practiced a year in the hos- pital in Chicago, after which he resumed his life work in Urbana. He was the first elerk of the circuit court of Surry county, North Carolina, the former ineumbents hav- ing held the office under title derived from the king of Great Britain. He was a men- ber of the Board of Enrollment for this district. at Danville, during the war. Be- fore resigning he made a voluminous report of the operations of the board. to the Pro- vost Marshal General. U. S. A., which was published in an official volume. by Dr. J. II. Baxter, Chieago. Medical Purveyor. who wrote Dr. Somers a highly complimentary letter thanking him for his contribution to medical science. He never read a novel in his life and opposed novel reading always. At the age of fifty he began and mastered the Greek and Hebrew languages so he could read the Bible in the original text. He was in the banking business, for a short time. with his son William. He died in 1871, leav- ing for his widow ample provision for her comfort the remainder of her days. She re- sides at the old home, now in her 26th year and in excellent health. He was very de- cided in his opinions, liberal in his religious views, but very earnest in the support of his favorite doctrines. He was a member and one of the founders of the Universalist chureh, in Urbana, and always contributed liberally to advance the cause he had so much at heart. He was anti-slavery in his views, even before he left the south, and was one of the earliest and most uneompro- mising republicans. He lived an earnest, energetie life and was of the stuff of which hardy pioneers are made. He was emphat- ically the architect of his own fortune. He achieved a high rank in his profession and left a record for earnest endeavor and manly enterprise that should be an example to the young men of our day.
MEL
ASA FLEMING HAYS.
Fourth child of William Hays and Margaret Fleming, was born near Greenville. Darke county, Ohio, October 24, 1525, twenty nine years after Wayne's treaty with the Indians near his birth-place. His grandfather was William Hays, who settled in this county, at Gobin's Grove. about 1838, and died on what is known among old settlers as the Isaac Albright farm, near the Somers' school house in January, 1552. His father was a farmer till elected sheriff of Darke County, and after his term of office, returned to his farm, where he resided till his death, April 6, 1545.
The subject of this sketch, passed his boy- hood and early youth on his father's farm. At the age of sixteen he was apprenticed to Jeremiah Reis for four years to learn the blacksmith trade. For these years of faith- ful service. he received board, clothes, six month's schooling and a fifty dollar suit of clothes. Hle considered himself as well re- warded. The kindest of feelings always ex- isted between him and his old master. Ilav- ing learned his trade he was immediately employed by Mr. Reis, and after a few months went to Indiana on a visit, and. being pleased with the country, went to work in a machine shop in Attiea. About this time he became acquainted with Cather- ine Tracy, whom he married, May 23, 1847. Meanwhile his old master solicited his return and offered him a partnership.
In August of ISAS, he moved to Pleasant Hill, Indiana, where he followed his trade till December 1550, when he moved to Peoria county, Illinois, where he resided till De- cember, 1551, when he moved to this county,
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and settled on Benjamin Brownfield's farm about four miles northeast of Urbana. In March, 1853. Mr. Hays became a citizen of Urbana, settling near Kerr's tavern, and has since done his share towards the improve- ment and advancement of our city.
Mr. and Mrs. Hays have two children; James W., who has been principal of the public schools of Urbana, since 1571. except- ing one year. and Mrs. H. O. Alexander, of Sturgis, Dakota.
Mr. Hays joined the M. E. church at the age of eighteen years, and has thus been identified with the interests of his church for more than forty years. When entitled to participate in political affairs, he cast his influence and votes in favor of the whig party and has never regretted voting for the pathfinder, Gen. Fremont. He is as strong in the republican faith and creed to-day as he was thirty years ago, but has never been an office holler or seeker.
Mr. Hays has been all his Ilfe. a hard worker, and by good habits, industry and correct conduct. has given his children a thorough education and provided an elegant and comfortable home in this city, in which we trust he may continue to enjoy life for many years more.
F. B. SALE.
This gentleman, one of the leading farmers of northwest Champaign county, was born in Greene county, Ohio, June 9th, 1822.
His father, John Sale, was a native of Virginia, and in early life moved to Ohio, and was one of the pioneer ministers of the Methodist church, of Ohio. He was a pre-
siding elder at the time of his death, and was a minister for over thirty years.
F. B. Sale was the youngest of the family, of nine children. He was educated in the common schools while spending his boyhood and youth upon the home farm, where he remained, assisting to carry on the business until he was thirty one years old.
October 11th, 1544. he was married to Miss Maria Cramer. Eight children were born to them, viz: Willis George, now a resident of Indianapolis: Edwin C .. who is a grain merchant at Dewey. in this county; Charles E .. a resident of Nebraska: John A .. who is now the secretary of the Illinois Reserve Fund Association, at Rantoul Illinois; S. B., who is engaged in mercantile pursuits at Fisher, IIl. ; Frank O., a dentist at Huron, Dakota; James P .. and Fannie.
Mr. Sale is the grandfather of twenty three children. and says he has a fine prospect for forty more.
In the fall of 1>53. Mr. Sale removed with his family to Urbana. where he was engaged in merchandising and trading until 1856, when he settled on a farm in Condit town- ship. He taught the first school in the new building in district No. 1, and was the first teacher in the township, who received a salary as high as forty dollars per month. This was in 1856-7. He was deputy assessor under C. HI. Sherfy and Wm. Munhall, in the years 1856-7. In 1858. he was elected Justice of the Peace, and has acted in that capacity most of the time since.
In 1862, he enlisted in the 125th, Reg., Ill., Vol., Infantry, under command of Col. Ilarmon. He was mustered in at Danville. Ill., September 3rd, 1862. with a determina- tion to follow the fortunes of his comrades to the close of the war. He was a brave and resolute soldier and was elected captain of his company, which he commanded with ability and was a great favorite among his comrades. The long marches the hardships and privations of a soldier's life soon began to undermine his constitution, and he was compelled regretfully to resign and retire to the paths of peace: but his heart was still with the boys, who remained to defend their country. He did not fail to serve his country loyally at home with the same fidelity that had characterized his army life.
He has been a local preacher in the M. E. church since 1857, and has been instrumental in bringing many souls into the fold of his Master.
He was ordained deacon in the M. E. church at Bloomington, in 1866, by Bishop Ames : in the same year he was appointed agent of the American Bible Society. His distriet was composed of the counties of
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Champaign. Iroquois, Piatt and Macon.
In 1-71. he was ordained an Eller at Jack- sonville, by Bishop L. Scott.
He hasalways been a republican since the party was organized. and is a radical tem- perance man. Ilis voice has always been raised in solemn warning against the evil of liquor drinking and selling.
His influence has always been for purity in politics and honesty in all things. In short. Mr. Sal is a high minded Christian gentleman, which is all that need be said of any man.
WILLIAM SIM.
The drug and book store of William Sim is one of the oldest business houses in the county. William Sim was born in Baltimore county, Maryland. November 2, 1525. He is the son of Joseph W. and Kitu- rah (Mercer)Sim. He was reared in his native state and from there removed to Ohio, where he remained until he came west to Illinois and to U'rbana in 1554. He first en- gaged in teaching school in a building that was situated close to the old court house back of the M. E. church. He also was a teacher in the public schools several years before engaging in mercantile business. Ilis first business venture was in the drug and book trade in connection with Drs. C. A. Hunt and M. Lindley. This was in the fall of 1555. The partnership continued until 1861, when it was dissolved. Mr. Sim then formed a co-partnership with John T. Far- son and they purchased the stoek of drugs of Busey & Miller, and continued in busi- ness for three years, when Mr. Sim pur-
chased Farson's interests and has con- tinued the business alone ever since. The drug business from 1562 to 1566 was very profitable, so much so that it enabled Mr. Sim to pay off about 86,000 in- debtedness incurred by the old firm. Mr Sim is now the proprietor of as large and extensive a stock of drugs, books, paints, oils, notions and druggists sundries as can be found in the county. He is the owner of the business block occupied by him. also has a fine residence. He has reared and educated his children and started them in business. His boys, who have gone out from the old home, are all doing well and are on the high road to wealth and usefulness.
Mr. Sim married Miss Lucinda Lindley, who was born in 1525. The ceremony oc- eurred at Fredericktown. Ohio, Ang. 9. 1-53. The following are the names of the child- ren: Anna, who is yet beneath the parental roof. Coler L. married Miss Nellie, daugh- ter of Col. Huntoon. of Topeka. Kan .. They reside at Wichita, Kan., where he is engag- ed in the banking business. He has also an interest in a drug house at Topeka. Edward L. married Miss Belle Young and is in busi- ness in St. Louis, Mo. Walter T. married Miss Emma Coogan, and is in the employ of Messrs. Richardson & Co., wholesale druggist, St. Louis, Mo. Benjamin F. mar- ried Miss Nellie, the daughter of Dr. J. E. Morrison, of Urbana. He is with his father in the drug business. William E. is a student and at home. Mr. Sim and family are members of the M. E. church. He united with that christian organization in 1849 at Fredericktown, Ohio. He was a member of the official board there and has occupied the same position in the church here since 1855. Politieally he was originally a whig, but joined the republican party on its formation and has been a con- sistent member up to the present. Mr. Sim was school treasurer for Urbana township for twenty-eight years. During that time he was the custodian of many thousands of dollars, all of which was accounted for in the most exact and business-like manner. Mr. Sim, as will be seen by the foregoing. is an old settler and old business man among us. Ilere among his neighbors, who know him best, where he has lived all these years since 1554, all unite in according to him the reputation of an honest. upright, christian gentleman and liberal-minded citi- zen.
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Ilox. S. 11. BrSEY.
Among the many old settlers and promi- ment men of Chunpaign county, who have taken an active part and have contributed much to the growth and prosperity of this section is the subject of this sketch. He is the eldest son of Col. MI. W. Busey, a sketch of whom will be found in another column of this paper. Ile was born in Greencastle, Washington county. Indiana, October 24th, 1824. He there grew to man's estate. His opportunities for receiving an education were meager, and at best were confined to the pay school system in vogue in the pio- neer days of the west. He, however, at an early age, arquired habits of elose observa- tion and this, united with extensive reading in later years and aided by a naturally strong and vigorous mind, has made him an unusu- ally well informed man on past and current topics of the day. In 1536, when but twelve years of age, he came, with his parents, to this county. He remained at home at work for his father until his marriage in 1845, when he commenced farming on his own account. This ocenpation has taken up the greater part of his life, varying it at intervals to en- bark in other business, but in the end always returning to his first love and first vocation. In it he has been more than ordinarily suc- cessful, as his large landed estates would indicate. When the First National Bank of Champaign was originated he was one of its charter members. He sold out and in com- pany with his brother, Col. S. T. Busey, or- ganized the banking firm of Busey Bros. He was the senior partner for a number of years. He wasalso engaged in the drug and grocery
business for a short time. But, as intimated before, these were side issues to a great ex- tent while farming and stock raising were his pursuits.
When Mr. Busey came to this county it was new and the customs were somewhat different from the present. Then neighbor- hoods were few and far between. The peo- ple were eminently of a social turn of mind; news was scarce, and living so far apart the gossip of the neighborhood was not so com- mon as now. The young and old men were acquainted for twenty miles around. Mr. Busey says it was the custom, and almost a duty to attend the dances and weddings that occurred in the county. He, being of a so- cial turn and not particularly averse to mild frolicking, frequently went twenty miles to join in and contribute to the hilari- ty of the occasion. The dances were usually given on a rough floor of split timbers. There was no time and often no tools, to smooth down the rough places. These has- tily improvised daneing platforms were a little rough on the dancers as they generally danced in their stocking or bare feet, and in the morning one, two or more of the most vigorous were minus a toe nail or two. But then, they had lots of fun and the small loss of a toe nail or two did not cut much of a figure. Mr. Busey contracted marriage with Miss Artemesia Jones, in 1848. She was then a resident of Greencastle, Indiana. She is living and is the mother of eight living children, whose names are: John W., who is an extensive farmer of Compromise town- ship; Augusta, wife of Mr. Morgan of Min- neapolis, Minn. : Elizabeth F., wife of Ozias Riley, Champaign; Mathew W., of the firm of S. T. & M. W. Busey, bankers, Urbana: James B., farmer of Fisher Ill .; Geo. W., bookkeeper; Alice, wife of G. Freeman: and William H., still at home. Mrs. Busey is a member of the Baptist church. Polit- ically, Mr. Busey is most soundly indoctrin- ated in the principles and political tenets of the democratic party. He has followed its fortunes through all its vicissitudes and vic- tories from 1844, at which time he cast his first ballot for James K. Polk, up to the present time. While he has not been a pol- itician in the strict sense of the word, yet he has exercised large influence in the coun- cils of the party, and it was always in the direction of sound policy, and the better- ment and future success of the organization. In local affairs he has been quite active, and has been a member, at different times, of the city council, school board, and board of su- pervisors, In 18 ?? , he represented the dis- trict in the 30th general assembly of the state. His course while a member of that
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body was marked by a desire to legislate in the interest of the masses and not for the few. and as such received the hearty com- mendation of his constituents. His prom- inence in political circles, and well known integrity of character. has pointed him out as a suitable candidate to represent this district. in congress. He is now being warmly urged by the leading mem- bers of his party in the district to allow the announcement of his name and become the standard bearer of his party in the coming campaign. We think that in his selection the party would. for once, at least, exhibit traces of returning reason.
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