USA > Illinois > Shelby County > Historic sketch and biographical album of Shelby County, Illinois > Part 29
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W. E. HICKMAN.
J. B. and Hannah (Thornton) Hickman, were the parents of eight children. seven of whom are still living. Ellen died when but in the flower of young womanhood. Ann became the wife of Mr. George Dial. and with her hus- band makes her home in Ell'aso, in the northern part of Illinois. The other six children still re- side in Shelby, the county of their nativity. Thomas and Elizabeth are unmarried and make their homes together. Mary and Margaret are now Mesdames Joseph Kensil and Walter Carr, respectively, and live upon farms : whilst John having taken a wife, Miss Margaret Dial, is as- sociated with his brother. W. E .. in the mercan- tile business. Mr. Hickman was a native of Kentucky, and came to this county at an early day. Mrs. Hickman was originally from the state of Georgia. William, the eldest child in the family, was born in Shelbyville township. on the' ioth day of December. 1860. Ilis educational privileges were limited to those afforded by a district school, and even these were curtailed for him by the carly death of his father. Much of the responsibility of carrying on a farm devolved upon him when but a mere youth. This, of course, developed the promising, though untried. boy into manly independence. The rightful ser- vice of his youth, he rendered to his widowed mother, and, not until his majority was reached. did he leave home.
When twenty-one years of age. Mr. Hick- man was united in marriage to Miss Ellen, the charming daughter of J. W. and Martha (White) Pritchard, residents of Shelbyville. Immediate- ly after his marriage, he rented a farm where the village of Clarksburg now stands, and during a period of thriteen years continued to work the same.
In the year 1894. Mr. Hickman purchased
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from the "Thornton assignees" a tract of land in Holland township. For a little more than two years he lived upon and worked this land, at the end of which time he moved into the village of Clarksburg and opened a store of general mer- chandise, which business he still conducts.
Mr. and Mrs. Hickman are the parents of three children. Malvoicine C., Waneta, and Dove 1). The hand of death has never yet saddened their home; neither has the time yet come for family separation, the children all being under the parental roof.
In connection with his mercantile pursuits, Mr. Hickman for a time engaged in the handling of hay and grain. This he did from an independ- ent standpoint. At length, however, he became the recognized agent of the Sidell Grain and Elevator Co., and upon the organization of the Clarksburg Hay Co., became a member and was made manager of the same. In these capacities his dealings in produce are still continued.
The esteem in which Mr. Hickman is held may be inferred from the fact that he has been township supervisor and collector for two terms, justice of the peace for one term and post master since the office was first opened. Hc has been a democrat all his life, and takes no small interest in political matters. Mr. Hickman is a member of the lodge of "Modern Woodmen" and is clerk of the camp. Both himself and wife are members of the "Court of Honor," and best of all, according to his own words, "Members of the Methodist Episcopal church."
The store in which Mr. Hickman conducts his business is a large and well-kept one. The stock is extensive and well selected. Customers receive prompt and courteous treatment ; and, we do not hesitate to predict, for one who has achieved so much and is still but forty years of age, the final setting of life's sun upon a coursc of eminent success and accomplishment.
HORACE L. MARTIN.
On the eleventh of July. 1836, in the vil- lage of Jersey, Licking county, Ohio, was born the subject of this biography, Horacc L. Martin. llis father was Mark D. Martin, a worthy repre- sentative of the art of Vulcan, and is now a resi- dent of Terre Haute, Indiana, spending his de- clining years in that city. He is in his eighty- seventh year. The wife of Mr. Martin was Julia A. Ward, who died in 1846. The birth place of both of these was New Jersey.
Horace received his instruction in the com- mon branches of education, in the common schools of Jersey, but was afterwards a student in Central college, a seminary of Franklin coun- ty, Ohio. He entered this college in 1850. and re- mained there in close application to his studies for a period of five years, when he was gradu- ated. In September of 1855, he found his way to Shelbyville, where an uncle was established in the drug business and with whom Horace en- gaged as clerk, and also began the study of medicine, remaining there until the fall of '57. when he entered the employ of Webster & Jag- ger, as a dry goods' clerk. Soon, however, he rc- turned to Ohio, where he spent the winter and spring of 1857-58, in attendance upon the lec- turcs in the Sterling Medical school, of Colum- bus. Afterwards, he went to Granville, O., where he spent one term of six months in studying the Water Cure, in an institution there. Returning to Shelbyville, in July, of 1858, Mr. Martin began the practice of medicine, with his uncle, but there being some features of the profession which were distasteful to him, he soon after- wards again entercd upon a mercantile carcer. engaging for the second time with the firm of Webster & Jagger, with whom he remained as clerk until the year of 1861. Hc then became a member of the firm of S. H. Webster & Co ..
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under which firm name they conducted a general merchandise store for nearly a dozen years.
In August of 1872. he began his journalistic career, by purchasing an interest in The Union. with his brothers. Park T. and Elgin. In the same year they established The Republican, in Effingham. Elgin H. going there as manager of the same. This paper, however. was soon sold to Henry Painter, and The Union engaged their whole attention. In the following year. Horace Martin became the sole proprietor of this paper and plant, and has so continued until the present. He has put a good deal of earnest toil into his effort to make The Union one of the leading papers of the county, and the paper. itself, speaks of his success along that line. It was the only Republican paper in the county for many years. In 1888, Mr. Martin deemed it expedient to es- tablish a daily paper, which he did. continuing it under the name of The Daily Union, which has proven to be a pronounced success.
The domestic life of Mr. Martin has ever been congenial and happy. he having married the lady of his choice, on Independence Day. 1859. This was Miss Mary A., daughter of Elmus H. and Hannah (Noah) Jagger. who have now been dead for some years. Miss Jagger was born in Summit county, Ohio, July 23. 1840. though a resident of Shelbyville from 1856. This union has been blessed by the birth of six chil- dren. The first of these was Julia, born in May. 1860, who died October 9. 1862, and the rest as follows: Edward, born October 17. 1861. died October 30. 1862; Homer, born August 21. 1863. died October 1. 1863: Henry Mellville. born September 5. 1864, died October 8. 1866; Etta, born May 26. 1867. and was first married to John E. Downs. in 1886. but is now the wife of J. F. Renshaw, having been united in this marriage on January 6, 1894. To the first union was born one daughter. Ferna Estelle, who has
ever made her home with Mr. and Mrs. Martin : and to the second union, one child, who died in infancy. The last birth to be recorded is that of Lucy, who was born September 12. 1869. and is still in the parental home.
The living members of the family are mem- bers of the Presbyterian church, and Mr. Martin is one of the elders of the same. In 1882. Mr. Martin was elected secretary of the Laborers' Loan Association, a position he has acceptably filled. and still occupies. He has never been a candidate for any public office, and consequently. in these days when an office-seeker has to "blow his own horn" to a considerable extent. he has never received any public office in political affairs. Still he has ever upheld the principles of the party to which he belongs, and is con- sidered a stable. successful business man, whose character is above reproach.
PHILO PARKER.
One of the most prominent and best known citizens of Sheiby county, is the President of the Shelby County State Bank. Philo Parker. For forty-five years he has been closely associated with the business interests of the county, and has been ever ready to aid materially in the develop- ment of the same.
Mr. Parker was born on a farm in Saratoga county, New York, on the 8th day of May. 1830. His father. Samuel Parker, was one of the pros- perous farmers of that part of the state, a man highly respected by those who knew him. He died in 1863. Mrs. Parker, whose maiden name was Mary Du Bois, died in the year 1848. when the son, Philo, was but eighteen years of age. In youth. Mr. Parker received a good common school education in the schools of his native dis- trict and in Balston and Syracuse. When 20
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years old, he went to Savannah, Ga., where. he spent several years. In 1855. he made his first appearance in Shelbyville, when he engaged as foreman with C. C. Scovil in the milling and lumber business, which position he held until the fall of 1856. At this time a partnership was entered into by the former owner and himself. which existed for about two years. Then Mr. Parker became sole proprietor of the enterprise and continued the business for thirteen years. In the lumber business, he was quite successful from a financial standpoint, and this can be said with equal truth of all other business engage- ments entered into by the subject of this sketch.
Mr. Parker established the first exclusive boot and shoe store in Shelbyville, and after a time sold it to F. Clements, subsequently buying out the general merchandise stock of Capt. Espey. Upon the death of C. C. Scovil, his for- mer partner in business, he was appointed one of the administrators of the estate, which was a very large one, and in the settling of which he was actively engaged for some time. It was largely due to his wise management of the affairs that after all claims against the estate had been miet. there was quite a surplus left. This was contrary to the expectations of many who were familiar with the condition of the estate, as they thought the liabilities would exceed the assets.
Mr. Parker was one of the organizers and a charter member of th First National Bank of Shelbyville, which was instituted in the fall of 1873. He was the first to be elected to the vice- presidency of the bank, a position which he held for fourteen years, when he resigned because of ill-health and was not actively engaged in busi- ness for himself for several years.
Upon the failure of the Thomas M. Thorn- ton bank. Mr. Parker was appointed one of the assignees, and was engaged for a year and a half
in settling up the affairs of the bank. In March of 1895, he assisted in the organization of the Shelby County State bank, which was opened for business in May of that year. Mr. Parker was elected the first president of the bank and has held the office to the present time, and has been instrumental in placing the bank upon a firm financial basis and amongst the foremost of the monetary institutions of the county.
In April of 1856. Mr. Parker was united in marriage to Miss Denuma Parish, a young lady whose birthplace and home was Shelbyville, and who still lives to enjoy the beautiful home-life with her husband. But one child was born to Mr. and Mrs. Parker, a daughter, Mollie, who is now the wife of J. B. Isenberg, a prosperous merchant of Shelbyville.
From youth, Mr. Parker was religiously in- clined and has been for many years a prominent member of the First M. E. church, and has for some time been president of the Board of Trus- tees of the same.
While still a young lad, Mr. Parker took a personal pledge in accordance with the sentiment of which he has ever been a total abstainer from all liquors, and has never used tobacco in any form.
In politics he is an ardent Republican, and is a believer in the principle that all good men should take an active interest in politics, there- by making it hard for the demagogue and poli- tical trickster to prevail.
It is ever a pleasure to note the degree of prominence attained by those men who have fought life's battle alone and against great odds. and the career of Mr. Parker is an illustration of what may be achieved by strict adherence to right principles, by buoyant courage and indomi- table purpose.
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ALBERT ALLEN.
A biographical album containing the names of the "prominent men" of Shelby county, would be decidedly incomplete were not the name of Albert Allen. County Clerk, amongst them. There is no more familiar figure, no more prom- inent nor popular official in the court house. than he: and it is with pleasure we attempt a brief resume of his useful and eventful life.
Mr. Allen was born on a farm in Putnam county. Indiana. October 10. 1839. The first twenty years of his life were spent in the toils of farm life, and in attendance upon the common schools of the neighborhood, in which he re- ceived his education. On the first of January. 1860, he left the parental home and entered the county clerk's office, at Greencastle. Ind., where he remained until August of 1862. It was then he enlisted in the 18th Indiana Light Artillery. and faithfully served "Uncle Sam" throughout the Rebellion, receiving an honorable discharge on the 30th of June. 1865. Mr. Allen was with the famous "Wilder Lightning Brigade" throughout the service, and bears the remark- able record of never having missed a day from duty, through sickness, furlough, or whatever cause.
On September 17, 1861, Mr. Allen was mar- ried to Miss Amy E. Robinson, at Greencastle. Indiana, that city being the place of her birth in 1839. She was the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Robinson, prominent residents of that place. To Mr. and Mrs. Allen was born one child, Edward, March 16, 1866. He is now a popular member of Shelbyville society, and is as- sociated with his father, as deputy. in the clerk's office.
Mr. Allen, with his family, came to Shelby- ville in April, 1872, and on the first of Septem- ber. 1873. entered the county clerk's office, under
J. William Lloyd. He served as deputy clerk under Mr. Lloyd until December ist, 1877. and continued as deputy for J. E. Frazier, who then became clerk. until 1882. For the succeeding two years he was employed by Cochran & Lloyd. abstracters ; then by Graybill & Company, real estate dealers, until December 1. 1886, when he re-entered the office of county clerk. as deputy for A. F. Allen, whom he served until December 1. 1894, but continued under I. R. Small, until February 1. 1896, when he retired.
Mr. Allen has been a life-long Democrat. and recognizing his capability and merit, his party gave him a sufficient number of votes in the election of 1898. to elect him to the office of County Clerk, which position he is now hold- ing to the eminent satisfaction of his constitu- ents. Mr. Allen has spent about twenty-three years of his life in discharging the duties of a county clerk's office, and is therefore one of the most capable members of that office the county has ever had.
The home life of Mr. Allen and his family is happy and pleasant. and they have a wide circte of friends in Shelby. We are pleased to be able to produce a portrait of Mr. Allen for the pages of this volume.
ROBERT MARSHALL ROOT.
"So nigh is grandeur to our dust. So near is God to man. When duty whispers low, Thou must, The youth replies, 'I can." "
Birds of short life and feeble flight are reared in warm, soft nests, amid green leaves. golden tassels, and the perfume of flowers. Not thus are eagles reared. Their cradle is an open shelf : their nest a few rough sticks spread on
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the bare rock, where they are exposed to the rain and the blast which howls through the glen. Such is the nursing of the bird that afterwards soars in sunny skies, and with strong wings cleaves the clouds and rises upon the storms. Even so God often nurses amid difficulties and harships those who are destined to rise, by a ladder whose rounds are not smooth, to promi- nence on earth.
Robert Marshall Root, the subject of this review, is one of the men who have achieved a fair measure of success under more than ordi- nary difficulties, and he has but proved the force of the truism, that difficulties are but tests to in- crease our faith and carnestness. Born into a home in which there were but few of the luxur- ies of life, and where unremitting labor upon the part of the father was necessary to provide the needs and comforts, Mr. Root has learned some- thing of what struggles and obstacles mean ; and was carly convinced that if victory were indeed achieved, it must be at the expense of hard and persistent toil, of repeated and continued encoun- ter with opposing forces. But, undaunted by this conviction, it has rather served to make his life the more significant and the higher in in- spiration.
The place of Mr. Root's nativity was Shel- byville, he being born here on the 20th day of March, 1863. He was the third and youngest son of John and Eunice Root, both natives of the "Green Mountain State." The maiden name of the mother was Eunice Cook, daughter of Robert and Pearl Cook, who lived and died in Vermont. The parents of Robert Root were married while still in their native state, but af- terwards spent a couple of years in Plattsburg. New York, coming from thence to Shelbyville about forty-seven years ago. After the birth of Robert, the family circle remained unbroken until the death of Mr. Root, in 1879. The ekl-
est son, Charles B., born in Vermont in 1851, died July 27, 1898. His home was in Mattoon, Illinois, where he had been for some time a manager for a dealer in hay, John G., the second son, born in New York, in 1854, still lives in Shelbyville, where he, too, is engaged in the hay business, being a member of the firm of Wester- velt & Root.
Robert received instruction in the ordinary branches of education, in the common and high schools of Shelbyville. While still a boy, he recognized within himself the inherent talents of an artist, and for the purpose of developing these qualities, he entered the School of Fine Arts of Washington University, at St. Louis, where he spent the years 1888, 1889 and 1890. He applied himself to study and work with so much dili- gence that he made exceptionally rapid progress. and won for himself the plaudits of his associates and fellow-students, and the approbation of his tutors. By marked ability in the execution of some fine works of art he won the full list of . prizes offered by the school; and received scholarships for three consecutive years. So great was the esteem in which he was held, and so manifestly earnest had been his efforts to excel, that at the commencement exercises at the close of his third year in St. Louis, the direc- tor of the school publicly announced his regret that they were unable to confer upon Mr. Root a foreign scholarship, of which he was so justly deserving. On the strength of these warm words of praise from such an influential source. Mr. Root was enabled to make arrangements to spend a couple of years in the study of art in Paris, which he did in 1891 and 1892. His tutors there, were the celebrated Benjamin Con- stant and Jules Lefabvre. They took such an unusual interest in this American pupil, that he found it possible to crowd into his two years of Parisian study, more than the ordinary amount
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D. M. DUDDLESTEN.
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of endeavor and achievement. While there, in 1892, he exhibited one of his paintings in the French Salon, where the mere acceptance of a painting, by the jurors selected to pass upon the merits of all works of art presented for exhibi- tion, is indeed a great honor.
Returning to Shelbyville. where Mr. Root still resides with his loved mother, he opened a studio, and has since applied himself closely to his profession, meeting with flattering success. It is not easy for a young artist to secure custom as a rule, but the innate merit of the productions of Mr. Root, was so apparent that he has enjoyed to an unusual degree the commendation and con- fidence of lovers of art who have seen his work as it has been exhibited in the principal art museums throughout the country, he being an annual exhibitor in six of the largest western cities. In fact. his work has gone as far east as Connecticut. He has recently made several very satisfactory sales to prominent people, amongst whom is Rev. Frank Bristol. the pastor of Presi- dent Mckinley.
Amongst other commissions received by Mr. Root, was that of painting a life-size portrait of the son of the Honorable Mr. Rutherford, of Oakland, a life-long friend of our own Judge Moulton ; also a portrait of the son of Cicero Lindley, Chairman of the State committee of Grain Inspectors. This one, for a time, occu- pied a place on the walls of the capitol at Spring- field. The most prominent of his work, perhaps, are the magnificent life-size and life-like portraits of Judge Thornton and Judge Moulton, which adorn the wall of the court room in Shelbyville. Another. worthy of particular mention, is the decorative painting, an allegorical treatment of the Holy Scriptures, in the auditorium of the First M. E. church. Truly it is a beautiful thing. charming the eye with its hallowed perfectness.
Mr. Root is still a young man, just in the
prime of life. He is wedded-but to his art. He merits and has the respect and esteem of his wide circle of warm friends. The vistas of the future are before him, and we predict for him added success and wonderful achievements in the world of art, in which he already enjoys an enviable reputation.
MICHAEL FREYBURGER.
In Schwetzingen, near Heidelberg. Ger- many, Michael Freyburger, third child of John P. and Johanna Freyburger, was born on the 23rd day of February, A. D. 1820. Mr. Frey- burger. Sr., was a native of that part of Germany now known as Rhenish Bavaria, but which was a French possession until Napoleon's great de- feat, after which it was ceded to the German Empire. Mr. Freyburger was an officer in Na- poleon's army, receiving his discharge from ser- vice shortly before the battle of Waterloo. In 1831. he came with his family to Eden township. Erie county. New York. Here he lived for a period of three years, engaged in agricultural pursuits. He then started for the west : driving through with the customary outfit of a "home- seeker." While yet in the cast central part of Ohio, he was taken suddenly ill, and died after a brief interval. The widow purchased a farm near Columbus, where she lived for about one year, after which she sold the same, and drove with her family to Okaw township. Shelby Co .. Illinois. Michael, of whom we write, is the only living member of this family : Charlotte, Wilhel- mina and William all being dead. Mrs. Frey- burger, the faithful and devoted mother, died in the year 1869.
The only educational advantages enjoyed by Mr. Freyburger were furnished by the com- mon schools in his native province. We can best
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judge of the meagreness of these, when we con- sider that he left that land when but eleven years of age. Throughout his long life. Mr. Frey- burger has confined his efforts to farming; in this honorable and primary industry, he came to rank among the best. Mr. Freyburger remem- bers the earliest days of Shelby county. The First M. E. church, Shelbyville, was the only church edifice in the county, when he first came within its bounds. The city of Shelbyville had a population of about 300 souls. There were two saw mills in the county at the time, located on the Okaw, one of which was owned and managed by a man by the name of Francisco. These saw mills belong to the family known in history as "The Up and Down" kind. lle carried grain to a mill about three miles beyond Springfield. Wheat was marketed in St. Louis, being sold for "three bits," thirty-six cents per bushel. Family supplies were hauled from that distant point.
In the year 1843. Mr. Freyburger was united in marriage to Miss Sarah .A. Johnson, a step- daughter of B. W. Henry, who was among the pioneer preachers of this county. To them were born eight children, only three of whom are still living. AAnnie and Laura died in their infancy and Theophilus, Charles, Kossuth and Edward in youth or young manhood. Mary is in charge of the household affairs at her father's home in Shelbyville. John invests largely in live stock and is doubtless the leading shipper in the coun- ty; he too, resides with his father. William is engaged in business in Ellensburg, Washington.
Mr. and Mrs. Freyburger began their mar- ried life upon a farm in Okaw township, which he still owns. In the year 1849, he with a party of seven others, started overland for the gold fields of California. The journey was begun with an ox team, but when St. Joseph was reached the oxen were traded for mules. At this stage of their journey, their party was increased by the
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