USA > Illinois > Franklin County > Franklin County, Illinois, war history, 1832-1919; containing a brief review of the world war--complete history of Franklin County's activities--photographs and service records of Franklin County's soldiers, sailors and marines--industrial and biographical review of business and professional firms who have made this history possible > Part 32
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44
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FRANKLIN COUNTY. ILL. WAR HISTORY.
Judge William H. Hart
C OMBINING the legal and commercial instinct and thereby creating a wide reputation as an attorney and business executive, William H. Hart, former county judge, is probably one of the best known corporation attorneys and executives in southern Illinois.
William H. Hart is a native of Williamson county, born Aug. 31, 1862. He is a son of William Jasper and Sarah Ann (Murphy) Hart, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Indiana.
Mr. Hart received his early education in the Franklin county schools and entered upon his career as a wage earner in the capacity of a teacher. For ten years he engaged in a peda- gogical capacity, but during the most of that time he was arriving at the conclusion that he wanted to be a lawyer and later effected his preliminary studies. He taught school in several localities, and while en- gaged in his profession at Coulterville he met and married Mary Ward East, who came from a pioneer family of that locality. Mrs. Hart was also a teacher and received her educa- cation in the State Nor- mal University at Carbondale. To this union a fine quartet of a son and daughters has been born, namely:
William W., Marion M., Mary M. and Mabel E. The son, William W., is now the junior member of the firm of Hart & Hart, and also United States Commissioner, Marion M. and Mary M. are attending the State Uni- versity at Urbana, and Mabel E. the High School at Benton. The family is always prominent in all local and national activities calling for manifestations of felicity to home and country-the honor roll section of the sold- iers in this history showing the military record of the boys, and the home service section the activities of the other members of the family.
Mr. Hart attacked his Blackstone under the able direction of Daniel M. Browning with such good results that he was admitted to the bar in Feb., 1889, and entered the office of Browning & Cantrell and remained thus engaged until Mr. Browning was made Commissioner of Indian affairs under Cleve- land's administration. He then formed a partnership with W. S. Spiller, and remained with that gentleman inactive and successful practice until elected county judge in 1898. He served one term and again began active practice and soon built up one of the largest clienteles in southern Illinois. In 1906, he formed a partnership with Walter W. Wil- liams, and the new firm became identified with the developing of the coal industry of the county, opening up mines, buying and op- tioning coal lands for themselves and large corporations-the Zeig- ler Coal Co., Leiter es- tate, United States Fuel Company and Old Ben Coal Corporation, for which they acted as attorneys and agents, are monuments to their marked abilities as at- torneys and executives. In 1917, the firm .of Hart & Williams was dissolved to give each member an opportunity of better cater- ing to their individual interests.
Judge Hart at the present time has prob- ably the largest corporation practice in Southern Illinois, being counsel for the Old Ben Coal Corporation, the largest owners of mines in the district, W. P. Rend Collieries Co., W. P. Rend Coal & Coke Co., Southern Gem Coal Corporation, Franklin Coal & Coke Co., Hiawatha Coal Co., Buchanan Coal Company, Valier Coal Co., Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company, Benton State Bank, First National Bank, Christopher, and Benton Coal Company.
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FRANKLIN COUNTY, ILL. WAR HISTORY.
William W. McFall
M EN that are architects of their own fortunes, and who have developed their characters and fortunes without outside assistance, economists claim are the only men worth considering. Experience seems to prove that it is such men as these who are self-reliant and purposeful and can be depended upon in any crisis that may come to their country or community. Benton is fortunate in having as citizens several self- made men who are in this class, but none that stand out more prom- inently as builders of their own fortunes and at the same time de- veloping their home and county than William W. McFall, who was born August 31, 1844, in Williamson county, a son of John and Jane (Cantrell) McFall.
Mr. McFall is a de- scendant of a prominent Southern family who were planters and slave holders in North Caro- lina, who decided to go to Tennessee and sold slaves and property, ac- cepting state money, which upon arrival at destination was found to be worthless. Here the McFall spirit was shown - not disheart- ened the family began to build anew. John McFall, the father of our subject, was at this time a child, but when a young man, was engaged in the flat-boat business on the Cumberland river to New Orleans, but in 1840 sold his interest and came to Williamson county, where he bought out an improve- ment and began to farm. In 1856 he moved to Benton and engaged in the mercantile business. His wife was a daughter of Richard Cantrell, also from Tennessee and the progenitor of the well-known Cantrell family of Benton.
As a youth, William G. McFall was not given many educational advantages, al-
though he attended the Benton school for some time, but most of his schooling was secured in the school of hard work. Early in his life he displayed marked business ability and the happy faculty of making money. His first venture of a business nature was in the woolen mill and cotton gin enterprise, in which he was successful, selling his interest in 1872 and engaged in the flour milling business with John Ward, with whom he built one of the first mills in the county. For eight years he engaged in the livery business with contracts for car- rying mails; then en- gaged in lumbering with Ward & Moore. Later he contracted to furnish the timber for the con- struction of the C. & E. I. Railroad from Mt. Vernon to Marion, which netted him a handsome profit. In 1897, he helped organize the McFall Hardware Co., mentioned else- where in this section. In 1902 he associated with others in organ- izing the First National Bank, for many years has been its president and was one of the lead- ing spirits in the move- ment to erect its present fine home. In addition Mr. McFall owns a large amount of city property and farming land, and takes great pride in the achieve- ments of his city and county. Everything with which he has been engaged has turned out successfully, but it has been the charac- teristics of the man which have made him, not the development of his surroundings.
In 1867, Mr. McFall was married to Miss Helen A. Denning, daughter of Judge A. Denning. Five children have been born to this union, namely: Hallie, Maude, Gussie, William and Pearl, of whom William is de- ceased. The four daughters are married to prominent business men.
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FRANKLIN COUNTY, ILL. WAR HISTORY.L
William P. Seeber
A N example of a lover of his profession, pursuing the methods of a scholar of science-quietly, enthusiastically and indus- triously, William P. Seeber has by the highest intellectual qualities and attributes of character, won for himself an enviable reputation as one of the busiest and most dependable lawyers in southern Illinois.
Mr. Seeber is a native of Franklin county, born on a farm near Ziegler, Feb. 17, 1878, a son of William D. and Florence (Pope) Seeber, the biography of the former appearing on another page in this history.
William P. Seeber re- ceived his early educa- tional training in the public schools of Ben- ton, graduating from the Benton City High School in 1898, and im- mediately after entering upon his chosen profes- sion as law clerk in the office of Flannigan & Cantrell. While still a law clerk and only twenty-one years of age, he received the nom- ination for state's at- torney, but in the en- suing election, in 1900, he was defeated by a small majority, in 1904 he was again the re- cipient of the nomina- tion for the office and this time was elected, and while an incum- bent thereof completed his law studies and was admitted to the bar. At this time Mr. Seeber formed a partnership with J. P. Mooneyham, and they soon built up a large and lucrative practice in all the courts. This partnership was dissolved in 1915, and Mr. Seeber has since moved into the largest and most commodious quarters in the new Bank building of Benton. Mr. Seeber is considered one of the brightest attorneys in southern Illinois, and he is also possessed of keen business judgment and honesty in all his dealings. He was the first attorney for
the United Mine Workers' of America, in the sub-district consisting of Franklin, Williamson and Saline counties, serving for three years, 1916-17-18, after which he resigned. In this capacity he served the miners' organization faithfully and numbers among his friends the officers, as well as the rank and file of this organization.
He is enthusiastically in favor of those things that stand for the right and bitterly opposed to dishonesty and underhandedness, is ever interested in the welfare of his friends, gives unsparingly of his time and means for the interest of his country and community. He has the happy faculty of drawing men to him and enjoys the utmost confidence of those with whom he has come in contract. He is an ac- tive worker in the ranks of the Republican party and has served as a delegate to a number of county conventions and two State conventions. His many friends this year prevailed upon him to enter the race for State Senator of the fiftieth congressional district, but after his petition had been filed and prospects were good for his nomination and election, withdrew from the race to promote party harmony in the district. A recognized leader in his party, he will soon receive a befitting honor in some subsequent election. Fraternally he is a member of the Court of Honor, charter member of the Knights of Pythias, and member of the B. P. O. E.
In 1899, Mr. Seeber was united in mar- riage with Miss Elfie Harrison, daughter of Isom Harrison, veteran of the Civil War. Mr. and Mrs. Seeber are the parents of seven children: Earl, Charles, Doyton, William, Dorothy, Ruth and Lola-Doyton and William being deceased.
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FRANKLIN COUNTY. ILL. WAR HISTORY
William D. Seeber
T "THE purpose of this department is to record the history of those who have been instrumental in building the civic and industrial life of the county. Seldom is the opportunity found to record the public serv- ices of a long and honored career as that of William D. Seeber, the subject of this sketch.
Mr. Seeber was born in the Empire state in 1844, the son of W. M. Seeber, who came to America from Germany while yet a young man, settling in the state of New York, where he spent the remainder of his life. Mr. Seeber came to Illinois at the age of seventeen and settled in the southwestern part of this county. He soon engaged in farming, winning himself a place among the substantial citizens of Franklin county, who, recog- nizing his ability in handling his own affairs and rightly surmis- ing that he had the ability to handle matters of a public na- ture, elected him, in 1878, to the office of sheriff, he being the first Republican to hold
that position. In 1881, he moved to Wayne county, living there until 1884, and during the time there was elected justice of the peace. He returned to this county and was elected police magistrate in April, 1899, selected deputy county clerk and served from June 1, 1898, to Nov. 1, 1902; elec- ted county clerk Nov. 4, 1902, and relected 1906, '10 and '14, serving as clerk until 1918. In 1918 he was again appointed deputy clerk and also master in chancery, making in all, a record of twenty-two years of faithful and efficient service in the county clerk's office.
Mr. Seeber was married to Florence I. Pope, Sept. 16, 1869. Mr. and Mrs. Seeber are the parents of Charles Seeber and William Seeber, the former a prominent merchant and the latter a popular attorney, both mentioned at length on other pages in this section, and two daughters, Cora (Seeber) Jack- son and Lillie Seeber.
Charles E. Seeber
C NE of the principal business and mer- cantile institutions of Benton is the general store of Charles E. Seeber, son of William D. Seeber, whose biography is also given on this page. As will be seen from the biographies of William D. Seeber and his sons, the Seebers have always taken an active part in the business affairs of the county, always making good in their particular line of endeavor.
Charles E. Seeber was born October Ist, 1874, at Plumfield, Illinois, where Zeigler is now located. Attending the Benton schools until eighteen years of age he was then employed as clerk of Pope & McGuire, gen- eral merchandising store of Ben- ton. He continued with this firm for eleven years and in 1902 opened a store for himself on South Main . street, and at once began to demonstrate that he had mastered the in- tricacies of merchandising. He
moved into his present store in 1906. His complete knowledge of the mercantile business is shown in his ever increasing patronage.
On October 20th, 1901, there occurred the marriage of Charles E. Seeber to Miss Cora Hudleson, daughter of G. A. Hudleson. Mr. and Mrs. Seeber are the parents of two children, Leora and Joseph William. Although an ardent Republican and consistent worker for the success of his party, Mr. Seeber has never sought a political office. He always takes an active interest in the affairs of his city and county and is the president of the Franklin County Fair Asso- ciation. As is his father and brother, our subject is an ardent Republican and has served as County Central Committeeman and delegate to different con- ventions for his party.
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FRANKLIN COUNTY, ILL. WAR HISTORY.
--
Jesse Dimond & Company
THE industrial history of Franklin county would indeed be incomplete without a sketch of the firm, and one of its principal members, that has been identified with practically all the development work of the county-Jesse Dimond, the head of Jesse Dimond & Company, came to Franklin county in 1905 from Rockford, Winnebago county, where he had been engaged in farming, real estate and the meat market bus- iness. He later located in Thompsonville where he purchased a farm and then tried real es- tate development work. There being no direct reason for the booming of Thompsonville this work showed very little results. About this time the mining industry sur- rounding Christopher had begun to show ac- tive progress. The in- stinct of Mr. Dimond for real estate develop- ment work at once de- cided that this was the place for his efforts and in partnership with Thomas Horn purchased all available property in and around Christopher, estab- lishing new additions and began the boom that soon placed Christopher among the largest coal mining cities of southern Illinois. It is noteworthy to mention here that the citizens of Christopher were not able to grasp the advantage that the mining indus- try would mean to their town. Many discouraging problems were met and solved
in spite of the lack of co-operation of those who would benefit by such large develop- ment work in real estate. An instance showing the confidence in the future of Christopher possessed by Messrs. Dimond and Horn was the purchasing of three acres of land for several hundred dollars, which was conceded to be worth not more than three hundred dollars. Not long after Messrs. Dimond and Horn had started this work, D. M. Parkhill also became identified with the company.
It did not take the above gentlemen long to make headway in their development work at Christopher and their next field of operation was at West Frankfort which was also being rapidly developed as a mining center. They purchased considerable real estate and opened new additions in this town and then devel- oped a mine of their own which was called the West Frankfort Coal Company or "West Mine" and this mine is today conceded to have the best working conditions of any mine in the county.
An office was opened in Benton in 1911, as it was believed that Benton would be the center of the mining industry of the county.
Mr. Dimond constantly extended his field of operations, becoming interested in several mines and large acreages of mining land in
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FRANKLIN COUNTY, ILL. WAR HISTORY.
Jesse Dimond & Company
Continued
this and surrounding counties and by his great ability as an organizer and promoter was able to carry the many projects of Jesse Dimond & Company through to a successful conclusion in spite of the panic during 1913, when his many friends and other financial interests were discouraged of the possibility of completing such large operations.
In September, 1919, Mr. Dimond effected a combination of the West Frankfort Coal Co., with mines at West Frankfort and Herrin, Crown Coal & Mining Co., Winkle, and the Modern Coal Co. at Sessers, with several thousand acres of coal land, and formed the Southern Gem Coal Corporation, with gen- eral offices in Chicago, where Mr. Dimond has taken up his residence, leaving the local com- pany in charge of his son Ray and his co- partners, D.M.Parkhill, Thomas Horn and H. W. Blough.
The most recent operation by Mr. Dimond, which shows his ever increasing capacity for large organization work, was the securing the control of the Wabash, Chester and Western railroad which runs through a large section of several thousand acres of coal land recently secured by the Southern Gem Coal Corporation, located near Waltonville and Sheller, in Jefferson county, about three miles wide and six miles long. The railroad will be used in developing the mining interest of the corporation in that county.
Mr. Dimond has two sons-Ray, mentioned above as being the pres- ent manager of Jesse Dimond & Company, and Jesse, Jr., the head of the Dimond Motor Sales Company. The Dimond boys are worthy descendants of their sire and are showing remarkable ability in their different lines of endeavor.
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1919
FRANKLIN COUNTY, ILL. WAR HISTORY.
D. M. Parkhill
F "RANKLIN county has as citizens several men who took the initiative in the devel- opment that is responsible for its present position as one of the most rapid growth counties in Illinois. The subject of this sketch, D. M. Parkhill, has been, and is now, one of the most active of those who have created the opportunities for rapid development. He was born in Jackson county, near Shilo Hill, the son of a prom- inent farmer. At the early age of twenty- one he became a land-owner, purchasing 160 acres from his father and an additional 40 acres from a neighbor. The instinct for progressiveness was at once shown as he began improving and modernizing his farm, creating in a short time one of the most modern farms in that community. In 1906, he sold his farm and moved to Christopher, where he entered the implement business and also bought and sold horses and mules. In 1910, the real estate and coal properties were ripe for active development work, and he entered into a partnership with Jesse Dimond and Tom Horn. This firm at once took the lead in developing real estate and coal properties, the most important of the early work being the platting of the Horn, Dimond & Parkhill addition to West Frankfort, and then the sinking of the West Frankfort Coal Co. mine, which was under the direct supervision of Mr. Parkhill. After the mine was in operation he again turned his attention to disposing
of the firm's real estate holdings in West Frankfort. In 1918, this work finished, he moved to Benton, where there was pre- viously, in 1917, purchased 388 acres of land, one and one-half miles north of Benton. He at once began the improvement of the property, creating valuable property from impoverished soil. The magnificent picture of the stock barn shows a partial group of the improvements. It is a demonstration of how impoverished and "run down" farms can be builded into valuable properties.
Mr. Parkhill is vice-president of the Southern Gem Coal Corporation, director of the First National Bank of Benton and West Frankfort Bank & Trust Co., vice-president of Illinois Live Stock Co., and an active member of the Executive Board of the Franklin County Farm Bureau. Always giving his best in private business he still finds time to co-operate and assist in every movement for the benefit of his county.
He was married in January, 1899, to Miss Dora E. Bear, daughter of a neighbor- ing farmer in Jackson county. The result of this union is three daughters-Helen, Lola and Pauline. Helen has graduated from the Benton High School and will this year enter Lindlewood College for Girls, at St. Charles, Mo. Lola is in her second year of High School, while Pauline is in the grade school.
Mr. Parkhill is an Elk, Mason and K. of P.
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FRANKLIN COUNTY, ILL. WAR HISTORY.
Dimond Motor Sales Company
THE history of the Dimond Motor Sales Company is epochal of the automobile industry of Franklin and adjoining counties. In 1911, the Dimond instinct for develop- ment work was directed toward the auto- mobile industry in the person of Jesse Dimond, Jr., who with Noble Steves organ- ized the Dimond Motor Sales Co. Mr. Steves, however retained his interest in the organization only about nine months. During the year of 1913, Ray Dimond came into the organization and from that time until after the war period, the business grew steadily with no particular efforts direct- ed toward unusual or spectacular growth. As soon as the war ended and conditions became ripe for rapid business, the Dimond spirit for development work be- gan to show in the in- crease of business and territory by the organ- ization. In this line of endeavor, L. C. Rea purchased an interest in the company and was made manager of the Benton office which is the home office, thereby relieving Jesse Dimond, Jr., of the detailed work incidental thereto and permitting him to exercise the necessary guiding hand over the then con- templated additions to the organization. In 1919, the greatest activity was shown by organizing branch offices, sales and service rooms in Marion, Christopher and Herrin. At Marion, Elijah Lewis, Mayor of Marion, was placed in charge of the work and is rapidly advancing the interests there. The Christopher branch is under management of H. M. Rea, who became a partner in the organization in 1919. With the securing of
the Chevrolet agency of Williamson county came the desirability of placing a direct branch of the Company in Herrin, which was accomplished in September, 1919, with H. L. Rea as manager. Another branch was opened in Carterville in February, 1920, with W. H. Allen as manager.
The Dimond Motor Sales Co. are perhaps the largest distr butors of Chevrolet auto- mobiles in Illinois. Be- sides their own agencies, sub - agents who buy buy their Chevrolet cars from the Dimond Motor Sales Co., are located at West Frankfort, Ses- ser, Valier, Akin and Johnston City. The home office at Benton also has the agency for the Dort and Oakland cars. The principal ef- forts of the organization are directed toward the distribution of the Chevrolet, and since the agency for this car was secured in 1916, more than one thousand have been sold. The sales of other cars since 1911, will bring the total sales of the Dimond Motor Sales Co. to approxi- mately two thousand. The reputation of the Dimond Motor Sales Company has been builded from the efforts of always making the buyer of one of their cars a satisfied customer and a booster for the organization. For the perpetuation of this reputation, carefully selected service me- chanics are employed that the many drivers and owners of Dimond sold cars will always receive maximum use of their cars.
The directing head of the Dimond Motor Sales Co. is Jesse Dimond, Jr., a son of Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Dimond. A sketch of Jesse Dimond's high development work will appear on another page.
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FRANKLIN COUNTY
E. B. Nolen, DIRECTOR.
H. M. Rea, DIRECTOR.
A. L. Eskew, DIRECTOR.
D.M. Parkhill, DIRECTOR.
JESSE DIMOND, DIRECTOR.
WALTER W. WILLIAMS, DIRECTOR ..
F.E. Goodin, ASS'T CASHIER.
H. W. Nolen, ASS'Y CASHIER.
FIRST NATIONAL BANK
ERECTED . A. D. 1919!
W.W.MªFall, PRESIDENT.
Geo.C.Cantrell, VICE PRESIDENT.
FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF BENTON.
"Stability and Progress."
J. L. Ohle, VICE PRESIDENT.
Geo. H. Powers, CASHIER.
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FRANKLIN COUNTY, ILL WAR HISTORY.
The First National Bank of Benton
T THE handsome six story bank and office building shown on the opposite page, the highest and best building in Southern Illi- nois,is the result of genuine business sagacity and enterprise shown by the group of Ben- ton's best citizens who have been identified with the success of the First National Bank since its organization.
The building is six stories and basement, the first story being nineteen feet to the ceiling. The first floor is occupied with the banking rooms and offices which is approx- imately 50 x 90 feet, and a restaurant room, 20 x 90 feet. Occupying small places in the lobby is the Western Union office and a cigar and tobacco stand. The banking room is handsomely decorated in beautiful blend- ing shades with figures in oil. The wood work in the banking room is brown mahog- any, paneled off with plate and prism glass, harmonizing beautifully with the interior decoration. The floor of the banking room is marble, in the center of which is a beautiful marble writing stand. The vault is concrete, reinforced with steel, equipped with a vault door which weighs 81/2 tons, on which there is a triple time lock and in the vault are the safety boxes for the safe-keeping of securities. Above this main vault is one of the same size which the bank will use for storage. The entire building is modern and fire-proof, no wood being used in the construction of the walls, floor or roof. There are five floors of offices with nine suites to the floor, making forty-five suites in all.
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