USA > Illinois > Douglas County > Historical and biographical record of Douglas County, Illinois > Part 29
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SAMUEL ERVIN.
Samuel Ervin, retired hardware merchant, large land owner, and a resident of Tuscola, was born in Hillsboro, Highland county, Ohio, in 1844. He was reared and educated in his native county and in 1865 came west and lo- cated in Tuscola. He and a younger brother were associated in business together up to
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1893, when he retired. He owns five hundred and sixty acres of land that extends up to the corporate limits of Tuscola.
In 1871 Mr. Ervin was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Beach, who was born on Staten Island. She died in 1894. To their marriage were born two children: Pearl, who is the wife of C. S. Wardall. The other dangh- ter is in college.
Samuel Ervin is a son of William B. Ervin, now deceased. The ancestry of the Ervins is traced back to the great-grandfather of Samuel, Thomas Ervin, a native of Ireland and member of the Presbyterian church, who was by occu- pation a bleacher of linen. Hle was a man of means, emigrated to this country in 1771, and purchased a farm in Chester county, Pennsyl- vania, residing there until his death. Ilis wife was a daughter of the Scottish house of Mon- teith, which aided the mission of William Wal- lace so nobly and espoused the cause of Bruce. Jnrad, the father of William B. Ervin, was born in 1758 and was thirteen years old when his parents came to America. He was a wit- ness to many of the exciting incidents of the Revolutionary war. Ilis education was limited and early in life he learned the hatter's trade and went to Rockingham county, Virginia. Here he followed his trade until 1813, when he removed to Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania. remaining there two years. Ile then emigrated to Highland county, Ohio, and was there en- gaged in farming until his death, which oc- curred at the ripe old age of one hundred and six years. His wife, Sallie Herron, of Harri- sonburg, Virginia, was born July 4, 1776. Dec- laration of Independence day. Of this union there was a family of nine children, William B. being the second. He was born December
1. 1806, in Rockingham. Virginia, at nine years of age removed to Highland county, Ohio, and in 1865 came to Tuscola, where his death oc- curred.
Samuel Ervin during his thirty-five years residence in Douglas county has witnessed the wonderful transformation that has taken place, making this county one of the best in the com- monwealth, and he has contributed his share to its improvement and development. His land- able business career has gained him the con- fidence of all with whom he has come in con- tact, either in a business or social way, and his friends throughout the county are many.
JAMES L. REAT, M. D.
James Lee Reat, M. D., one of the most dis- tinguished physicians and surgeons of Illinois, and who has been long and honorably con- nected with the professional and industrial in- terests of Douglas county, was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, January 26, 1824. The Reat an- cestors are traced back to Scotland, where the name was pronounced in two syllables, with the accent on the last. Two brothers emigrated to this country during the war of the Revolu- tion, one of whom espoused the cause of the rebels, the term by which the patriot colonies were then known, and served through that struggle with Washington's forces. The other brother sided with the Tories, in consequence of which the two brothers became alienated and a total separation occurred between the two branches of the family. Dr. Reat is descended
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from the one who cast his fortunes with those of the patriots and who, after the war, settled in Frederick Town, Maryland. At this place James Reat ( father ) was born and subsequent- ly found his way to Ohio, where he married Su- sanna Rogers, a Virginia lady, and with her set- tled in Fairfield county, Ohio. When our sub- ject was five years old, his parents removed to Coles county, Illinois, where the father purchased a farm on which they resided for a time, then removed to Charleston and lived there up to the time of his death, in 1868.
Dr. Reat's early education was derived from the meager advantages offered in the neighbor- hood schools of that day and later attendance at the seminary at Charleston. That institut- tion was conducted under eminent professors and here Dr. Reat received a good collegiate education and later took up the study of the languages, becoming familiar with Latin and German, and at the same time teaching school a number of terms. His natural taste and tal- ent were those of his chosen profession and he soon thereafter took a regular course of stud- ies at the Medical College at Cincinnati, where he was graduated in the class of 1858; he later Dr. Reat is a member of the Military Loyal Legion of the United States and the Illinois Army and Navy Medical Association. He and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church of Tuscola. Both have taken an active part in the temperance cause. He has always manifested public spirit and through his entire life has been a man of abstemious habits and consistent morals. For three years he was clerk of the board of education of Tuscola and while occupying that office took deep interest in the attended the Rush Medical College at Chicago and there graduated. After leaving college, he was engaged for a time in the drug business at Charleston, but soon sold his interests and in 1859 took up his residence at Tuscola. In the fall of 1862 he received an appointment as assistant surgeon in the war of the Rebellion and was assigned to a post at Louisville, where he remained for some time in charge of a hos- pital. On March 1, of the same year, he was commissioned first assistant surgeon of the erection of a public school building, which is
Twenty-first Regiment Infantry ( Grant's old regiment ). On July 22, 1864, he was pro- moted surgeon of the regiment. He returned to Springfield at the close of the war and was mustered out in January, 1866. He then re- turned to Tuscola and resumed his regular prac- tice.
In 1861 he was married to Miss Sallie C. Callaway, of Jacksonville, a lady of fine liter- ary attainments and of Christian virtues. She was born in Kentucky and was a graduate of Berean College. Iler father was the late well- known Rev. S. T. Callaway, a Baptist cler- gyman. They have had three children, all of whom are living: A daughter Lois, who is the wife of Hon. Theodore Brantley, at pres- ent chief justice of the supreme court of Mon- tana; Samuel C., who with his cousin, Harry R. Caraway, were proprietors and editors of the Tuscola Journal. He is now in Washing- ton, representing a number of metropolitan newspapers. He is a graduate of Union Law School, at Chicago, and is taking a post-grad- uate course in literature. Fred, who graduated from the Illinois State University, and is now proprietor of the Tuscola Republican.
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surpassed by few in this section of the state. Dr. Reat is widely esteemed for his many good qualities of mind and heart.
JOHN J. JONES.
Joli J. Jones was many years previous to his death most prominently identified with the affairs of Douglas county. He was born in Virginia in about the year 1835 and died in Chicago in July. 1893. In early life he came to Illinois as a penniless orphan and located at Georgetown, in Vermilion county, where he re- sided with two of his cousins and with whom lie remained until he was about grown, when he came and located in Camargo. Here he be- came a clerk for Alonzo Lyons, remaining with him for some time, when he, in partner- ship with Coleman Bright, who was manager for Mr. Lyons, started a little grocery store at Camargo. This was along in the '50s. The firm continued very successfully in business up until the fall of 1864. Then they sold out, came to Tuscola, and engaged in general merchan- dising, taking in a Mr. Wibly as a partner, under the firm name of Bright, Jones & Wibly. In about 1868 Mr. Wibly soll his interest to Bright and Jones, who continued together in business until Mr. Jones sold his interest to Mr. Bright; this was along about 1884 or 1885. Mr. Jones then gave his entire time to the man- agement of his large farm near Tuscola. He was twice elected mayor of Tuscola. In the fall of 1890 he became the president of the banking house of Baughman, Orr & Co. and remained as such up to the time of his death,
Mr. Jones was united in marriage to Miss Lizzie Ketchum, a daughter of Dr. Ketchum, of Terre Haute, Indiana: she survives him. John J. Jones was of quiet and unassuming manner, a self-made man and his uninterrupted success and his character as a man were well worthy of the admiration of the entire people. He had the mind to conceive and the hand to . direct his business affairs in such a way that brought him success in all of his undertakings. For many years he was a consistent member of the First Presbyterian church and a mem- ber of the Melita Commandery of Knights Templar of Tuscola.
A. C. SLUSS.
A. C. Sluss, the proprietor of the Tuscola Journal, a weekly paper published at Tuscola, and the present postmaster of Tuscola, has been for many years prominently identified with the business, social and political interests of his city and county, having served the city of Tuscola twice as allerman, three terms as city clerk and one term as mayor. He was born in Edgar county, Illinois, April 7, 1850, and is a son of Thomas S. and Martha ( Ilineman) Sluss. His father, who was born in Kentucky, removed to Tuscola in 1861, and there carried on his trade, that of a harness maker, up to the time of his death, in 1893. at the age of eighty years.
His grandfather, David Sluss, and his grandfather. John Hlineman, were both natives of Kentucky, and were among the first settlers in Monroe county, Indiana.
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A. C. Sluss learned the trade with his father, and received his education in the schools of Tuscola and the Chicago Business College. He was engaged in the manufacture of harness, etc., when, in 1889, he was appointed post- master of Tuscola by President Harrison, and again received the appointment by President Mckinley, which shows his popularity and efficiency as a public official. Mr. Sluss became the sole owner of the Tuscola Journal, the official Republican organ of Douglas county, in December, 1898. The Journal was founded by Siler & Lindsay in 1864, and has at the present time a paid circulation of about two thousand in the county. It is stanch Repub- lican in its political views, and is one of the most progressive and up-to-date country news- papers in central Illinois.
In 1875 Mr. Sluss was united in marriage to Miss Minerva Higgins, of Highland county, Ohio. They have three children, Alfred II., Frank L. and Hattie E.
W. H. BASSETT.
Judge W. H. Bassett was born January 12, 1832, on a farm in Harrison county, Ken- tucky, and there grew to manhood, receiving a common-school education. He later at- tended acommercial college in Cincinnati, Ohio, graduating May 12, 1854. Afterward he en- gaged in the mercantile business in Cynthiana, Kentucky. He came to what is now Douglas county, Illinois, in 1857, and was engaged in farming until 1862. At this time he enlisted in Company K, Seventy-ninth Illinois In-
fantry, and served to the close of the war, fill- ing all the company offices from corporal to captain.
Upon returning from his army service our subject engaged in merchandising and farming in and near Arcola until 1882, when he was elected county judge. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1889. Politically Judge Bassett is a Republican, and religiously is an adherent of the Methodist Episcopal church, having joined that society at Millers- burg, Kentucky, in 1856.
In 1860 our subject was married to Miss Nellie M. Gruell, and two children are the re- sult of this union: Jonathan H., residing at Arthur, Ilinois, and Martin H., residing at Mattoon, Illinois.
MR. AND MRS. JACOB EPHLIN.
Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Ephlin are the oldest couple in Tuscola. They came here from Parke county, Indiana, April 4, 1858, when the num- ber of inhabitants could be counted on the fin- gers of the two hands. They have lived here more than forty years, and out from the door- way of no home in Tuscola has come a kinder greeting to the wayfarer or a more hospitabic reception to friends and relatives. Uncle Jake is closely related with the primitive town and the early county, having been among the first business men and serving as deputy sheriff under I. L. Jordan. Aunt Martha is best known for her charitable deeds that tell of mis- sions of kindness and love and crown her with glory. To a life full of years and rich in ex-
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perience they have added the greatest measure of affection for each other and love for man- kind, two gems that shine with undimmed splendor in the crown of human possibility.
W. T. PULLIAM, M. D.
W. T. P'ulliam. M. D., is one of Tuscola's leading physicians. The Doctor has been in practice for many years, and has, by his energy and efficiency, achieved a success and reputa- tion in the healing art second to none. He is thoroughly educated, and a most honorable and congenial gentleman. lle received a literary and scientific education at the University of Illinois, after which he studied medicine in the Indiana Medical College, from which he was graduated in the spring of 1882. Since that time he has been fully devoted to his chosen profession at Tuscola, where he now enjoys a lucrative and extensive practice.
GEORGE CALLAWAY.
George Callaway, a retired physician of Tuscola and a large land owner of Douglas county, is a native of Christian county, Ken- tucky, and was born May 4. 1848. In 1850 he removed to Illinois and was princi- pally educated in the Illinois College at Jack- sonville. After leaving school he read medicine with Dr. J. L. Reat, at Tuscola, Illinois, and subsequently entered the Ohio
Medical College at Cincinnati, from which he graduated in the class of '73. Dr. Callaway commenced the practice of medicine at Vir- ginia City, Montana, having gone first in 1871 to that territory as surveyor in the employ of the government. In 1875 he located in Tus- cola, where he successfully practiced his pro- fession up to within the last few years. At present he gives his entire attention to the management of his farm in Douglas county. owning in all over eight hundred acres of land.
In 1879 he was united in marriage with Miss Emma C. Wyeth, of Tuscola, daughter of L. J. Wyeth (see sketch). To their mar- riage have been born four children : Leonard. Katie, Ralph and Emma. Dr. Callaway owns one of the handsomest and most costly resi- dences in Tuscola and is a large stockholder in the First National Bank of Tuscola. He is a son of Samuel T. and Mary ( Means) Cal- laway, the former born in Clark county, Ken- tucky, and the latter in Christian county. in the same state. Samuel T. Callaway was a Baptist minister, and many years of his life were spent in the work of the church. For a time lie served as county superintendent of schools of Douglas county. The Callaway family came from North Carolina, as did also the Means family, and settled in Kentucky, where they were contemporaries of Daniel Boone.
J. H. BASSETT.
J. 11. Bassett is the editor and proprietor of the Arthur Graphic, which he bought and took charge of October 1, 1899. The paper was
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founded in April, 1887, by T. J. Haney, and was edited and owned by him until he sold it to Mr. Bassett. In 1883 he bought the Arcola Record, which he ran until 1886, when he sold it to P. L. Henry. Mr. Bassett was three years and a half in the public printing office at Washi- ington, under the administration of President Harrison, at the end of which time he re- signed and came home. In 1891 he and his father then again purchased the Record and ran it until 1895, selling to B. F. Wamsley. In 1897 he and his brother, M. H. Bassett, who owned the Mattoon Daily Journal, again pur- chased the Record and Mr. Bassett had sole charge of the paper until January 1, 1899, when the paper was sold to Nathan Collins and son. The Arthur Graphic was originally a five- column newspaper, but has recently been made six by the present proprietor, who has in other ways overhauled the paper and office and con- siderably increased the circulation.
Mr. Bassett was born in Arcola township, this county, July 19, 1861. In 1882 he married Miss Nora Perkins, who died in 1887. To this union was born one child, Nellie. He again married, in 1895. Miss Maggie Degnan, of Springfield, Illinois, becoming his wife. To them three children have been born, Bessie, Martin and Mary. The Arthur Graphic has a circulation of about five hundred, is well edited and is a very popular local newspaper.
W. W. SKINNER.
W. W. Skinner was born November 12, 1835. in Vermillion, Indiana. In 1839, with his parents, he moved to Coles (now Douglas)
county, Ills., where he has since resided. When Mr. Skinner came to Douglas county there were only seven families in what is now New- man township, namely: Anson, Gaston, Rob- ert Hopkins, E. J. Howell and three families by the name of Winkler.
Joseph Skinner, father of W. W. Skinner, burned a brick kiln on the banks of the Brushy Fork creek in 1839, it being the first kiln burned in that part of the state. For years after this he followed breaking prairie land, his boys aiding him until his death, which oc- curred in 1857. Hle raised a large family of children, ten boys and three girls, W. W. Skin- ner being the sixth child. From this large family of thirteen children only three are now living : W. W., John and Isaac, they being the three oldest sons. In the year 1862 John, W. W. and Anson Skinner, brothers, enlisted in the Seventy-ninth Illinois Volunteer Infantry. John and Anson were captured at the battle of Chickamauga. They were kept in prison sev- enteen months and nine days, and did not return to their regiment, but were mustered out at Springfield, Illinois, at the close of the war. W. W. Skinner remained with his company, was under the leadership of Sherman, and took part in eleven hard fought battles, besides skirmishing by the month. Ile was mustered out June 12, 1865, at Nashville, Tennessee, and discharged June 27, 1865, at Springfield, Illi- nois.
W. W. Skinner, being an early settler of the eastern part of Douglas county, Illinois, well remembers some of the incidents of its first settlers. Robert Matson, from Kentucky, set- tled here in 1839 or 1840. He first located near Coffee's Grove, in Sargent township, and in a few years removed one and one-half miles
BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL.
northeast of New man. He was a wealthy man, practice of medicine. In 1851 he moved to owning a large plantation in Kentucky and a number of slaves. He brought nine slaves to Illinois with him. In 1847 his slaves were spirited away to Charleston, the county seat of Coles county, they claiming their freedom un. der the laws of a free state and being protected in their project by Rutherford and Ashmore. Mr. Matson, fearing the loss of his human property, followed them to Charleston and brought suit for the rights of property. He employed for his attorney the Honorable Abe Lincoln, who was at this time but twenty-nine years old, while the defendents employed the Honorable O. B. Ficklin. It so happened that Matson lost his slaves, while he himself re- turned to Kentucky, from which place he never returned to the free state of Illinois.
JOHN W. MCKINNEY.
John Wright Mckinney was born near Springfield, Clark county, Ohio, June 17, 1825, and died at Camargo, Illinois, July 31, 1897, aged seventy-two years, one month and twenty- four days. His father and family moved from Chio to Montgomery county, Indiana, in 1830, where the deceased lived until his twenty first year. During the following two years he taught school in Montgomery county, studying medicine meanwhile with an energy and avid- ity so characteristic of his nature.
Mr. Mckinney and Mary Roll were joined in matrimony October 12. 1848, at Pleasant 11ill, Indiana. Soon after his marriage he moved to Hillsboro, Indiana, and began the
Camargo, Illinois, and continued the practice of his chosen profession. Later he attended lectures at the Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia, graduating therefrom in 1855. In 1858 he moved to Centralia, Illinois, but removed to Camargo the following year. Sep- tember 15. 1862, he enlisted in the Sixty-second Regiment Ilinois Volunteer Infantry, but was shortly transferred to the Sixty-third Illinois Volunteer Infantry and appointed surgeon of the regiment, with the rank of major, in which capacity he served during the remainder of the war. most of that time in Gen. John A. Logan's corps-the notable Fifteenth Army Corps. Ile was mustered out April 9. 1865. Before the Sixty-third joined General Sherman's army, it was engaged in the battles of Vicksburg. Mis- sissippi, Mission Ridge, etc. After joining Gen. Sherman's army his regiment was active in the attack on the Ogeechee Canal and Miller's Sta- tion, and participated in the long list of famous battles of Sherman's army during his famous "march to the sea." During its active service the Sixty-third regiment traveled some six thousand, four hundred and fifty-three miles.
After the war Dr. Mckinney resumed his practice of medicine and surgery at Camargo with marked success. He was author of the bill granting the formation of Douglas county. and gave the county its name in honor of the "Little Giant." Stephen A. Douglas. The de- ceased served several terms as supervisor of Camargo township. In politics he was a Dem- ocrat. While he did not belong to any church, he possessed strong convictions of man's duty to his God, his country, his family and him- self, and practiced doing good and being hon- est all the days of his life.
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September 25, 1870, Mary, his wife, died at their Camargo home, respected and beloved by her husband and all who knew her. Septem- ber 10, 1871, Dr. Mckinney and Minnie A. Coykendall were joined in wedlock and lived happily together until death separated them. The Doctor was a prominent member of the A. F. & A. M., Camargo Lodge, No. 440; Knights Templar; Frank Reed Post. G. A. R .; County and State Medical Societies, and was a promi- nent and respected citizen of his township, county and state, being considered one of the most capable and successful physicians and sur- geons of central Illinois. He was a member of the local or county pension examining board, serving in that capacity two terms.
During Dr. Mckinney's late illness-gen- eral physical relaxation-he was attended con- stantly by his wife and children. His express wish, that his family nurse and care for him, was gratified. During these two months all of his family and children were able to be at his bedside and administer to his wants, night and day. Ilis strong will power and remark- able energy coupled with the desire to recover his health, no doubt, prolonged his days. Dur- ing this last illness the Doctor was ever mindful of the wants of his family, prescribing rest and medicine for them if at any time he fancied they needed it. Dr. Mckinney died in the same house he had lived for almost half a century- forty-six years. He died as he lived, loving and beloved by his family, neighbors and friends. His leading characteristics were his honesty in his dealings with his fellow men and his integ- rity as a physician and citizen. He possessed an indomitable will and a conviction of purpose that won him many a battle in the fights for life for his patients. He was courageous as a lion,
yet withal tender and sympathetic as a woman. lle was liberal and generous, administering to the poor as skillfully and carefully as to the rich.
SAMUEL L. HOPKINS.
Samuel L. Ilopkins, one of the most suc- cessful farmers and stock raisers in Newman township, was born south of Newman on the old Hopkins homestead in the year 1849. In 1884 he was united in marriage to Miss Hattie Bell, and is the father of six children. Mr. Hopkins owns four hundred and twenty-seven acres of land which extends nearly to the cor- poration line of Newman. His mother was, be- fore her marriage, Elizabeth Thomas, and was born in Indiana. Ilis father was James Hop- kins, who was one of the earliest settlers along the Brushy Fork timber. He was born in Pick- away county, Ohio, February 12. 1815. At the age of nine years he, with his family, re- moved to Vermillion county, Indiana. Here, on January 21, 1838, he married Elizabeth Ann Thomas, who was mentioned above. In October, 1841, he came to Illinois and located in section 5. township 15. range 14, where he resided until his death. He first bought one hundred and thirty acres of land at seven dol- lars an acre, and at the time of his death he had accumulated many more acres. He was the father of ten children, three of whom were born in Indiana. Two of his sons, John Will- iam and Eli Thomas, enlisted in the Twenty- fifth Regiment Illinois Volunteers at the com- mencement of the Civil war and both died in the service, the former on the 13th of Decem-
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