USA > Illinois > Ford County > Historical Atlas of Ford County Illinois > Part 24
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John Goodman was born in Huntingtonshire, England, July, 1818. He came to this country in 1852, and settled in Erie County, Ohio; after living there four years, he moved to Ford County, Ill., and settled on Section 30. He lived there until a few years since, when he gave up farming and moved into the village of Piper City. In 1852, he married Sarah Bellamy, of England. They have four children.
BUTTON TOWNSHIP.
Button Township is bounded on the north by Iroquois County ; on the east by Vermilion County ; on the south by Champaign County, and on the west by Patton Township. It is situated in the extreme southeast corner of the county, lying in three different ranges and two different meridians. It is six miles north to south, and varying from five to six miles east and
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west. This township is favorably located; settled with thrifty, industrious people, they are mostly well-to-do farmers, with im- provements and buildings suitable and adapted to the day and age. This township was set off from Patton and organized in December, 1864, and derived its name from James Porter But- ton, its first Supervisor.
Among the early settlers of Button Township were Edward Pyles, John Rails (two squatters, Couk and White), Joshua Trickel, Robert Trickel, W. J. and W. R. Trickel, William and Samuel Swinford, O. H. Campbell, Story Button, David Patton, Matthew Elliott, Bennett Lucas, Jacob Tanner, John Doppe, Milton Strayer, Harmon Strayer, J. B. Strayer, Joseph Harris, William Walker, J. H. Flagg, A. F. Flagg, E. Wait, Eli Dopps, Spencer Cushing, Daniel Stamps, William McClintock, David Saunders, William Phebus, Daniel Moudy, William Montgomery, A. Lance.
"Trickel's Grove," now owned by O. H. Campbell, is beyond doubt the first settled locality in Button Township and in Ford County. A few squatters, who never became permanent settlers, built log houses and lived in or near the " grove" prior to 1835. In 1886, two brothers, Joshua and Robert Trickel, located at the " grove," which was then a part of Vermilion County, and bought out these squatters' claims, and we have every reason to believe the Trickels were the first permanent sottlers of what is now Ford County, except it might have been Andrew Sproules, who oocu- pied for a short time what was afterward the W. Walker farm.
The first schoolhouse built in Button was of logs, and located on the farm owned by John Rails near Trickel's Grove. This farm was entered by Edward Pyles ; afterward owned by William Swinford, and at present by A. L. Clark.
The first schoolhouse built north of the timber on the prairie was located on Section 15, near the Vermilion County line, on the farm now owned by A. H. Morrison. There are six district school buildings in the township. In Section 86 are two churches, the Methodist and Christian (Mt. Olive). These are the only church buildings in the township.
The first school taught in the township was by Simon Mitchell, in a cabin belonging to Jacob Tanner.
Clarence P. O. (Kirk's Station, Lake Erie & Western Rail- road) is a thriving village and grain center, located on Sections 7 and 8, on the farms of W. T. Morrison and S. I. Hutchison. It was surveyed and laid out by Robert F. Whitham in August, 1878. It contains six stores, one blacksmith shop, public school building, and grain elevator, owned by D. A. Frederick. This elevator, with a capacity for 25,000 bushels, is one of the best built, commodious and convenient grain warehouses on the line of the Lake Erie & Western Railroad. The village is surrounded by . fine farming country and is destined to become a trading point and pleasant residence town of considerable importance.
The Supervisors have been James Porter Button, 1865, William Walker, 1866; James H. Flagg, 1867 : William Walker, 1×72; Robert N. Gorsuch, 1878; J. C. Kirkpatrick, 1874; James S. Hewins, 1876; J. C. Kirk patrick, 1877; William T. Patton, 1879; Hugh McCormick, 1880; James C. Kirkpatrick, 1884.
The following are sketches of some of the early settlers and other prominent men of Button Township :
James Porter Button (deceased) was born in Jefferson County, Ky., January 29, 1822. He came to Ford County in 1852. Mr. Button was married to Miss Sarah R. Hook, in Fountain County, Ind., February 8, 1845. They have had a family of eight children, seven of whom are now living. Mr. Button en- tered land in Section 25, Town 28, Range 10, in the township which now bears his name. The present home farm was pur- chased of Joseph Coonts, who was an early settler of this county. Mr. Button filled many positions of trust with credit to himself and satisfaction to his constituents. He was the Treasurer of Ford County at the time of his death, which occurred at Paxton March 22, 1866. Sarah R., his widow, is a daughter of Jacob Hock, an early pioneer of Fountain County, Ind. W. J. Button, the second son, has bought out the heirs of the old homestead, comprising 320 acres, where his mother still resides.
David Patton (deceased) was born in Ross County, Ohio, De- comber 20, 1815. Thomas Patton, the father of David, emi- grated to Vigo or Parke Counties, Ind., when David was about three years old. They remained there only a few years. In 1828, the family moved to Fountain County, Ind., where Thomas Patton died. December 10, 1844, David was married to Miss Jane Cade, daughter of William Cade, who settled in Fountain County in 1828. November 2, 1854, David Patton came to IIM- nois and settled in Button Township. then in Vermilion County. Here he resided until his death, February 29, 1880. He en- tered 480 acres of choice land in Section 88, Town 28, Range 14 west, in Button Township. There are eight children, all living near the old homestead, where the Widow Patton still resides.
Matthew Elliott (deceased) was born March 4, 1799, in the District of Columbia. When about twenty-one years old, he came West . to Ohio, where he remained until the spring of 1850; then came to Ford County, Ill. (then Vermilion), and en- tered land in the southeast quarter of Section 25, and moved his family here from Ohio in the spring of 1852. He purchased the home place of Benjamin Stites, who entered the land and made the first improvements where Franklin Holloway now lives, in Button Township. Mr. Elliott died August 28, 1881. They have a family of five children. W. H. H. Elliott owns and re- sides on the old home place. Mrs. Annie Elliott, widow of Mat- thew Elliott, and mother of W. H. H., is still living at the ripe old age of seventy-four, and makes her home in Champaign City, III.
Joshua Trickel (deceased) was born August 5, 1788, in Vir-
FORD COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
ginia. Mary Trickel, his wife, was born February 8, 1800. William Trickel, son of Joshua Trickel was born in Pickaway County, Ohio, October 17, 1820, and came to Illinois with his par- ents when only seven years old. His father settled at Butler's Point, in Vermilion County, until they took up their residence in Ford County. Elizabeth, wife of William Trickel, was born in Lawrence County, Ind., July 29, 1888. (Her father, Alex- ander Henry, was an old settler of Iroquois County, Ill.). Mr. and Mrs. Trickel were married January 7, 1857.
David Saunders was the first to buy land in School Section 16, now owned and improved by William Phebus.
Obadiah Leneve was born in Halifax County, Va., December 80, 1801. Samuel Leneve, father of the subject of our sketch, was a native of France, and emigrated to America with his brother John. They came to this country at the time La Fayette and his troops came over to assist the Americans in their strife with En- gland for the independence of the colonies. John Leneve. grandfather of Obadiah, was one of the soldiers who came over with Gen. La Fayette; he died in Virginia. Samuel, the father of Obadiah, was about three years old when he landed on American soil. They settled in Virginia near the old Halifax Court House; here he grew to manhood and married Katie Arrington, a native of that place. About 1806, he emigrated to Tennessee, where he remained about one year; then journeyed on to Kentucky and settled in Mercer County ; there he remained eight years; then moved to Nelson County ; then about two years he went to Bullitt County ; then again moved to Sullivan County, Ind., and settled at "Shakers Prairie." Here he remained only year, when he made his last move to Lawrence County, Ill., and resided until his death in the spring of 1881. Obadiah was married in Lawrence County, Ill., to Poly Lemons, a native of Tennessee. She died in May, 1878. They located in Vermil- ion County in 1824, in the " Newell settlement," in northeastern part of the county. They had a family of eight children ; only three are now living, viz. : Samuel, who lives in Oregon, where he went in 1851; John, in the mercantile business at Danville, Ill. ; and Rebecca Jane, wife of Joseph Phillips, living on the old home place in Vermilion County. Mr. Leneve has been one of the hard-working and successful pioneers of Vermilion and Ford Counties. Mrs. Moudy (deceased), first wife of Daniel Moudy, one of the prominent farmers of this county, was a dangh- ter of this old pioneer. Mr. Leneve died in Paxton February 4, 1884, at the home of one of his nephews.
Peter Moudy was a native of Virginia, where he was born August 1, 1804, but was raised in Butler County, Ohio, where his father moved when he was an infant. Here he remained until 1885. He was married to Miss Elizabeth Herring, daughter of George Herring, December 25, 1825. She was a native of Pennsylvania, but Jeft there when about five years old and was raised in Butler County, Ohio. They remained in But- ler County, Ohio, until 1885 when they emigrated to Western Indiana and located in the Wabash Valley. In Vermilion County, Ind., Daniel Moudy, son of our subject, was born February 4, 1886. Peter Moudy had a family of twelve chil- dren, six now living, viz. : Hannah Jane McGinnis, living in Warren County, Ind. ; Mary Ann, wife of Elisha Rogers, in Warren County, Ind. ; Rosa, wife of William Martin, living in Vermilion County, Ind. ; Daniel, residing in Button Township, this county ; Jacob, in Phelps County, Mo .; Emily, wife of Rob- ert N. Atherton, living near Danville, Ill .. Peter Moudy located in Vermilion County, Ill., in the spring of 1855, where he resided until his death, May 7, 1875. Mrs. Moudy, mother of Daniel Moudy, is still living on the old home place, enjoying good health, and is in her seventy-eighth year. Daniel Moudy is one among the early settlers of Button Township, coming to his present home place in 1859, where he commenced making improvements by breaking prairie with oxen and making a farm. Very few set- tlers had located north of the timber at that time. Mr. Moudy has owned several fine farms in this township, comprising 780 acres in all, but has recently given his children 820 acres of excellent farming land. He has at all times been one of the lead- ing and progressive farmers and stock-raisers of Ford County, and to-day is enjoying the fruits of his early efforts, living where he made his first improvements, in a beautiful home surrounded with all the comforts of life. The first wife of Mr. Moudy was . daughter of Obadiah Leneve, an old pioneer of Vermilion County, Ill. She died January 81, 1879. Henrietta, his second wife, is a daughter of O. H. Campbell, an early settler of Ford County.
Obadiah H. Campbell was born in Northumberland Coun- ty, Penn., December 17, 1811. He left that State and came to Indiana in 1855 ; remained there till the spring of 1858, when he located at Trickel's Grove, buying out the heirs of Joshua Trickel. Mr. Campbell is one of the oldest living settlers of But- ton Township, and owns one of the very first settled places in Ford County, owning altogether 878 acres. His father, James Campbell, was born in New Jersey, and emigrated to Pennsyl- vania when fifteen years old. He died there at an advanced age. Mrs. O. H. Campbell (deceased) was a native of Pennsylvania. She was born in 1817 and died on the 2d of February, 1867. They had a family of nine children, eight of whom are still living.
Jacob Strayer, father of Milton and Harmon Strayer, was born in Berkeley County, Va., in 1796; he came to Ford County in 1854, and lived here until he died January 8, 1879. Elisa- beth, his wife, was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, August 1, 1803. She died June 21, 1883.
Milton Strayer was born in Fountain County, Ind. In Sep- tember, 1851, he moved to Ford County on the line of Cham- paign County, and entered the land where La Fayette Patton
now lives. In 1854, Mr. Strayer moved on to his present home farm, on Section 25, in the narrow range of sections in this town- ship, which land he entered in 1853. He was married, August 81, 1851, to Miss Sarah Jane Middlebrook, a native of Ohio, and a daughter of William Middlebrook, who located in Fountain County, Ind., about 1841. Mr. and Mrs. Strayer have had ten children, seven now living. He has one of the choice farms of Ford County.
Harmon Strayer, son of Jacob and Elizabeth Strayer, was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, September 20, 1820. He came with his parents to Fountain County, Ind., in 1824. He came here in the fall of 1851. In 1858, he assessed all the lands in Ford County, then Patton Township, Vermilion County. In 1858, he married Miss Martha McClure, daughter of Samuel McClare, an early settler of Cass County, Ind. She was born in Ohio. They had a family of four children, two now living.
Joseph Harris was born in Germany March 25, 1838. When nineteen years old, he came to America, and in 1857 located in Ford County. In 1860, he was united in marriage with Miss Josephine Strayer, daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth Stayer. She was born in Fountain County, Ind. They had nine chil- dren, eight are now living. Mr. Harris, for five years, worked by the month. In 1865, he bought land of the Illinois Central Railroad Company. He has now 239 acres of excellent land, and is one of the successful farmers of Ford County.
J. C. Kirkpatrick was born in Adams County, Ohio. He came to Button Township in 1861, settling on Section 17. Mr. Kirkpatrick was united in marriage with Miss Sarah A. White, of Oak Grove, McLean County. They had eight children, seven of whom are now living. Several years ago he engaged in the hardware business in Clarence ; he also deals in grain, coal, lum- ber and agricultural implements. He owns a fine farm of 480 acres of land in this township, and is one of the leading business men of this part of the county.
William A. Hutchison was born in Wayne County, Ohio. He came to Ford County in 1868. He was married to Miss Margaret Ghormley, of Ohio. His father, Samuel Hutchison, helped lay out the village of Clarence. The subject of our sketch is Postmaster of Clarence and also runs a grocery store.
David A. Frederick . was born in Middlesex County, Mass., and came to Ford County in 1857. Mr. Frederick is in the grain business in Clarence, owning a large and most convenient elevator on the L. E. & W. R. R. In connection with this he keeps a general store, doing an extensive businees.
Hugh McCormick was born in Allegheny County, Penn. He came to Ford County in April, 1866, settling on Section 9. He owns the east half of this section, which is a fine body of land. In 1880, Mr. McCormick was elected Supervisor of Button Town- ship, which office he has filled with entire satisfaction, as is shown by his continued election to this office.
William Phebus is a prominent farmer of Button Township. He was born in Fountain County, Ind., and settled in Ford County in 1865. His farm of 200 sores is one of the best in the township.
William T. Patton is the son of David Patton, and resides on Section 88. He was born in Fountain County, Ind., and came to Button Township in 1854. William owns 480 acres and is one of the leading farmers in this part of the county.
James H. and Arthur F. Flagg, brothers, are natives of the State of Maine. James H. came West and settled in Button Township in 1859. He lives on the southeast quarter of Section 80, and has erected pleasant, commodious buildings, equal to any in the township. Mr. Flagg was Supervisor of Button Township for four years. Arthur F. came to this township in 1861. He now owns a splendid farm of 280 acres, with good improvements.
Mitchel A. Karr, son of John Karr, lives on the southeast quarter of Section 14. He was born in Coshocton County, Ohio, and came West to Illinois and settled in Button with his father in 1864. He is one of the active farmers of the township.
William T. Morrison lives close to the village of Clarence in one of the finest houses in Button Township. He is a native of Adams County, Ohio, and settled in this township in 1868.
Albert J. Pool is one of the leading young farmers of the county. He is a native of La Salle County, Ill., and settled in Button Township in 1878. He has erected on Section 6 one of the neatest and most attractive houses to be found in the town- ship.
William Montgomery resides on a splendid farm of 820 acres on Section 29. He is's native of Shelby County, Ind., and settled in Ford County in 1857. He has a pleasant home and is well situated to enjoy life.
William Walker, farmer, lives on Section 85, Range 10, But- ton Township. He is a native of Wayne County, Ind., and settled in this county in 1859. He owns a fine body of farming land and is one of the active pioneer settlers of this township.
J. E. Walker, or Elmer Walker, as he is more generally known, is a son of William Walker, an old settler of this township. El- mer was born in Fountain County, Ind., in 1858, and that year came with his parents to this township. His residence is on Section 86.
Samuel Parsons, farmer on Section 2, P. O. Loda, is a native of England. He settled in this township in 1869 and owns a farm of 160 mores.
DIX TOWNSHIP.
All that part of Ford County lying in Range 7 and 8 cast, was originally called Drummer Grove. In 1864, steps were taken by the citizens to have the name changed to Diz, in
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honor of Gen. Diz, of New York. The petition was granted by the Board of Supervisors. Afterward the following townships were created or set off from Dix, viz. : Drummer, Sullivant and Peach Orchard, leaving the present township of Diz, as shown by the maps in this work.
Among the early settlers of this township were John Wag- goner, John D. Bell, David Metcalf, Ephraim and James A. Black- ford, Samuel Todd, George Waggoner, Asa Trickel, John Wal- lace, Jackson Pitser, R. Stephen Chamberlin, Joseph Kendall, John Brown, James Reed, Levi Fouts, Leonard Pierpont, David Pollock, John Schoonmacher, Jonathan Bedell, Charles Wilcox, and Peter Beatty.
The first post office in Dix Township was East Bend, with John S. Waggoner first Postmaster ; his commission was dated November 26, 1859.
The first person that died in Diz Township was Ass Trickel, who was buried at the Wallace Graveyard near Elliott.
The first schoolhouse built in this township was in District No. 2, built in the spring of 1859. Miss Cynthia Newlin, daughter of William Newlin, of Patton Township, taught the first school in this district and in the township.
The first religious service held in Dix Township was at the house of John S. Waggoner, by Rev. Mr. Wenner, who was a United Brethren minister.
ELLIOTT.
The land where Elliott stands was donated by S. P. Bushnell, Samuel Elliott and Gustave Punke .. It was the undivided half of forty scres. Mr. Elliott contributed twenty acres, Mr. Bushnell ten acres and Mr. Punke ten acres. It was surveyed and laid out by County Surveyor H. J. Howe. The village contains four general stores, one hardware store, one hotel, two blacksmith shops, one wagon shop, two drug stores, one meat market, two elevators, one flax mill and two agricultural warehouses. John Richardson built the first elevator in Elliott. J. J. Crawford was the first Postmaster, and Hugh Lambert was the first station agent. The village was named after Samuel Elliott. The vil- lage is surrounded by a fine farming country and is a good trading point.
The first town meeting was held at the Oregon Schoolhouse, on the 4th day of April, 1865. The meeting was called to order by A. M. Smith, the Town Clerk. J. S. Brown was appointed Moderator. At this meeting, the following township officers were elected : Supervisor, Ephraim M. Blackford ; Town Clerk, A. M. Smith ; Assessor, William B. Holmes ; Collector of Taxes, Benjamin Smith ; Justices of the Peace, Leonard Pierpont and John S. Waggoner; Highway Commissioners, John Bell, Joseph Kendall and David Pollock.
The following sketches are of some of the early settlers and prominent citizens of Dix Township :
John S. Waggoner ranks as one of the representative old set- tlers and business men of Diz Township. Born in Lewis Coun- ty, Va., June 28, 1822, where he lived several years; then moved to Boone County, Ind .; he made his home there for about twenty years. He came to Ford County in the fall of 1855, and settled on Section 88, where he still resides. Mr. Waggoner was the first Justice of the Peace of the township; he has held the same office many years. Was also Postmaster at East Bend several years.
John D. Bell was born in England November 22, 1819, where he remained until twenty-two years of age. He came to America and settled in Providence, R. L, where he worked at his trade in the print works for five years. He came to the place where he at present resides in 1857. In 1868, hte enlisted in the Chicago Mercantile Battery, and served with it for three years. Mr. Bell was the first Town Clerk of this township, and has also held the office of Assessor and Collector. He takes a deep inter- est in the public schools; was the first Trustee of the schools in Diz, and still holds the office.
David Metcalf is a native of England, county of Westmore- land. Here he was born November 26, 1828, and tived at his home, working at the cooperage trade, for twenty-eight years. Emigrating to America, he settled in Ford County. In May, 1851, he was married to Miss Sarah Bell. Four children have been born to them, three now living: 'He is interested in the ad- vancement of all works tending toward the good of his fellow-men.
John Richardson is a native of Liverpool, England. He emi- grated to America in 1849, and landed in Canada ; he moved to Buffalo, N. Y., learned the mason's trade, and worked at it in Detroit, Mich. In 1856, he moved to Iowa, and prospected around until his funds ran short. He came to Paxton, and worked at his trade several years. He then rented a farm, and in time, by his frugality and industry, he was able to purchase eighty sores of land ; to this he added year by year until he had accumulated 500 acres. This farm he exchanged with Judge Patton, of this county, for 1,000 sores lying in Patton and Dix Towichips. . In 1878, he came to Elliott, where he has since re- sided, engaged in the grain business. In 1855, he married Miss Sarah Simons, of Michigan. Seven children have been given them, five now living.
Cyrus.R. Marshall was born in Windsor County, Vt., in 1887, where he lived until 1850, working on a farm. He then moved to Woodford County, Ill. In 1878, he came to Dix Township and bought 160 acres in Section 3, where he still resides. In October, 1857, he was united in matrimony to Elvira Johnson, of Peoris County, Ill. They have five children living.
Abel Hanson was the first Norwegian who moved into Diz Township. He came here thirteen years ago, and rented a farm for three years. He then purchased eighty acres in Section 14. where he now resides. He also has eighty sores in Section 22.
FORD COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
Robert Jardine came from Logan County, Ill. He was born in Scotland, and has been in this State twenty-seven years. He came to Dix Township- in 1867, and owns a neat farm in Soo- tion 4.
Andrew Hamilton was born in Fairview Township, York Co., Penn., November 6, 1886. He lived there, working on a farm and at the carpenter's trade, over twenty-eight years. . He came to Illinois, first settling in Livingston County, where he remained nine years, then moved to Dix Township, where he has since resided. He was married, September 14, 1862, to Mrs. Martha E. Carothers. They have three children. Mr. Hamil- ton has a fine farm of 240 acres.
A. A. Barrow was born in Virginia July 8, 1848, where he remained until 1867, when he removed to Bloomington, Ill., with his father, who came to Ford County and bought several hundred acres of land. Mr. Barrow was married, December 25, 1872, to Miss Martha E. Barrow. They have two children.
George Henry Trailor was born in Illinois October 20, 1886. He lived in Bureau County for thirty years, engaged in farming. He then sold out and came to Livingston County, where he bought a farm and lived for six years. In 1859, he crossed the plains, and went into the gold mines of the far West, meeting with good success. He was united in marriage with Miss Elisa J. Swisher in 1861, who died in three years, by whom he had twin daughters. For his second wife he married Miss Mary Butts. He has a good farm and is well fixed to enjoy life.
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