USA > Illinois > Christian County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Christian County, Volume II > Part 59
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albert a. Sidles and Wife
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times since. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and he belongs to the order of Modern Woodmen of America.
On December 21, 1SS0, Mr. Kirk was married (first) to Miss Addie B. Lindsley, a daughter of Joseph and .Catherine (Bruner) Lindsley, of Ohio, who died on October 14, 1894, aged thirty- five years. Her parents later settled near Grove City, Ill., being among the early settlers at that place. Mr. and Mrs. Kirk became the parents of three children, namely : Ethel C., who married M. F. Hartel, has two children, Melva C. and Gerald K .; Lorena M., who died September 26, 1894; and Claud H., who died August 13, 1906. On November 6, 1895, Mr. Kirk was married (second) to Miss Jennie Ladd, a daughter of Noyes and Eliza (Kennard) Ladd of Sharpsburg, Ill., whose parents were natives of Connecticut and Hillsboro, Ill., respectively. Mr. Ladd came to Illinois at an early day, becoming one of the pioneers of Christian County. Locating near Sharpsburg, he there married, the mother of Mrs. Kirk being his second wife. His first wife bore the maiden name of Phoebe Williams, whom he married in Connecticut. By his second mar- riage, Mr. Kirk has had two children, namely : Esther, who was born July 30, 1897; and Glenn L., who was born June 19, 1899.
KITCHELL, John W .- Some men are interested in perpetuating their names and fame by endow- ing some intellectual institution or hospital. while there are others who prefer to use their means to develop the natural resources of their communities, and bring within the reach of the every-day person benefits that might otherwise never come within their range. Pana developed one of the greatest philanthropists of this part of the state in the person of Jolin Wickliffe Kit- chell, who with his wife. has made the name of Kitchell a household one, not only in Christian County, but throughout a wide territory. Their benefactions embraced many things, but the park which bears the name of Kitchell in honor of him and Mrs. Kitchell, and the success of the good roads movement in this section, stand out prominently as perhaps the most beneficial of all their good decds.
John Wickliffe Kitchell was born at Palestine. Crawford County, Ill .. May 30, 1835, a son of Wickliffe and Elizabeth (Ross) Kitchell, the former born in New York state in 1789. The founder of the family in America was Robert Kitchell, who came from England in 1639, and located in Guilford. Conn. Later he went to New Jersey, and one of his descendants, Aaron Kitchell. represented New Jersey in Congress from 1799 to 1807, and was then chosen United States Senator from that same state.
Wickliffe Kitcheil was married at Newark, N. J .. and then left for Ohio. locating near the Whitewater River, but he later went to Indiana and became very prominent there. serving as sheriff of his county. While engaged in farming to support his family, he read law, and after coming to Illinois in 1818, he was admitted to the bar, and settled at Palestine. Appointed
registrar of the land office, and coming in con- tact with the people, he became a well-known figure, and when he moved to Hillsboro in 1838 to secure better educational advantages for his children, he was associated with such legal lights as Fields, Shields, Gillespie, Linder, Constable, Ficklin, and later Lincoln, Douglas, Trumbull and Thornton. Not only was he state's attorney, but also attorney general of the state from 1839 to 1840. A Jacksonian Democrat, he was fear- less in his advocacy of his principles, and was elected to the state senate on that ticket in 1828 and again in 1838, and was twice elected to the lower house. At the time of the war with Mex- ico, he began to disagree with the doctrines of his party, and with the founders of the Repub- lican party, was present at the Bloomington convention. In 1846 he went to Iowa, but re- turned to Hillsboro in 1853, and died at Pana in 1869. Joseph Kitchell, an elder brother, became receiver of the Palestine public land office, was a member of the first constitutional convention, and a member of the first senate convened after the acceptance of the constitution.
Ten children were born to Wickliffe and Eliz- abeth Kitchell, and of them three sons grew to manhood, shared their father's political opinions. and adopted his profession. Alfred Kitchell located at Olney, Ill., where he became state's attorney, was elected judge of the Circuit court, and was a member of the constitutional con- vention of 1848. His death occurred at Gales- burg, Ill., in 1866. Edward Kitchell crossed the plains in 1852 to California with an ox team, and upon his return studied law with his brother AAlfred. He served in the Union army during the Civil War as a lieutenant colonel of the Ninety- eighth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and was mus- tered out as a brigadier general. On the presi- dential ticket of 1868 he was an elector on the Republican side, and for a time was revenue collector for his congressional district. His death occurred at Olney, Ill., July 11, 1869.
John Wickliffe Kitchell left Hillsboro Academy at the age of sixteen years, and returned to his father's home which was then at Fort Madison, Iowa. He there entered the office of Miller & Beck, and passing his examinations, received a license to practice when only seventeen years old. Returning with the family to Hillsboro, at the age of nineteen years, he formed a partner- ship with Hon. E. Y. Rice, subsequently judge of the Circuit court, and a member of congress. In the following winter he was reading clerk in the Illinois House of Representatives, and held that position when Lyman Trumbull was elected United States Senator, and occupied the same position in the session of 1860-1. when Shelby M. Cullom was speaker of the house. and Rich- ard Yates, Sr., was governor of Illinois. Al- though the Republicans nominated him for the state senate and congress, the strong Demo- cratic majority defeated him. In 1892 he was a delegate to the national convention of his party that nominated Benjamin Harrison for Presi- dent the second time.
Mr. Kitchiell was a man of parts, and spent
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HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY
a portion of his time in editorial work, editing and publishing the Montgomery Herald for a time, and also the Charleston Courier. In April, 1861, he enlisted for service during the Civil War, and was made lieutenant of Company H, Ninth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and was made adjutant of the regiment, and later commanded his company, which was enlisted for the 100 days' service. In 1862 he was about to re-enlist, but the death of his mother changed his plans. He then took charge of the Union Monitor, a paper devoted to the Union cause, and in its col- umns declared in protest against the resistance to the draft, that if he were drafted, he would go in person and not furnish a substitute. His name was one of the first drawn, and he aban- doned his business, and again enlisted in 1864 and remained until the close of the conflict. HIe ever held a warm place in his heart for his old comrades, and had erected a bronze group for the soldiers' monument in Linwood Cemetery, near Pana, in 1895. He and his wife gave Rose- mond Grove Cemetery a soldiers' monument, the granite pedestal bearing a heroic sized figure of Abraham Lincoln. As Mrs. Kitchell's maternal grandmother and some of her uncles lie in Rose- mond Cemetery, Mrs. Kitchell donated fifty acres of land as an addition to it.
Believing in the future of Pana, Mr. Kitchell invested largely in the development of two coal mines at this point, having come here in 1866, and from then on had little respite from the demands made upon him by those who felt that he could best represent them. For many years he was president of the Pana Public Li- brary, and he served the local G. A. R. Post as commander upon several occasions.
Mr. Kitchell was married February 27. 1862. to Mary Frances Little, a daughter of Robert and Charlotte Little, and she has always been in sympathy with his benefactions, continuing them now that he has gone. They bought, at a cost of $70,000, the grounds which are now the Pana Fair Grounds, and donated them to the city, and it in turn named the park after them. In order that Pana have a suitable experimental station, Capt. and Mrs. Kitchell gave the city thirty acres of land to be used for that purpose. Always interested in securing good roads and knowing how important this measure was, Capt. and Mrs. Kitchell donated the coal rights under 1,600 acres of land valued at $65,000. to be used in putting good roads in Pana Township. They also built the Robert Little Turnpike, from Pana to Rosemond at a cost of $56,000, as a memorial to Mrs. Kitchell's father, Robert Little. These of course are the gifts known to the general pub- lic, but when Mr. Kitchell died December 26, 1914, there were many who attended as mourn- ers who had received material kindnesses from him of which the world knew nothing, for he was so naturally generous and charitable that he could not see need without relieving it. A man broad-ganged in every way, he stands forth among his fellows as one of the foremost men of his county and state, as well as of his day.
KLINGLER, George J., owner of a fine 160 acre farmi on Section 18, Ricks Township, is one of the successful farmers of Christian. County, and a man widely known and universally respected. He was born in this township September 24, 1865, a son of George and Susan. (Leberman) Klingler, natives of Germany, both of whom came to Illinois in their youth. They were farming people. George J. Klingler grew up on his father's farm, attending the schools of his district, and remained at home until his mar- riage when twenty-three years old. Following that event, he and his bride moved on a portion of their present farm, which she had inherited from her father and uncle, and he later bought the remainder from the other heirs, and for twenty-six years this has continued their home.
On September 25, 18SS, Mr. Klingler was mar- ried to Theresa Schmeh, born at Virden, Ill., one of five children born to her parents, two of whom survive. Her people were also engaged in farming. Mr. and Mrs. Klingler became the parents of seven children, as follows: Nettie, who was born April 18, 1890, married Harry Hanahan, a merchant of Alton, Ill .; Josephine, who was born November 21, 1891, was married to William Doerr, a farmer, and they have one daughter, Evelyn ; John, who was born October S. 1894, was married to Blanche Mefers, of Morrisonville, and they have one daughter, Lucille ; Marie, who was born September 3, 1898 ; Florence, who was born April 22. 1900: Velma, who was born June 11, 1902; and Eunice, who was born October 28, 1904. All these children have been given excellent educational advan- tages. Mr. Klingler specializes in breeding and raising fine stock on his farm. The Preshy- terian Church holds his membership. Frater- nally he belongs to the Old Fellows and to the Morrisonville Camp, No. 30, M. W. A. For fifteen years he has served as township com- missioner, and for twenty-five years has been on the school board. In addition to his farming interests he has stock in the First National Bank of Morrisonville, and is on its board of directors.
KOHL, Herbert J., a practical farmer and one of the reliable men of Christian County, is en- gaged in cultivating 140 acres of land on Section 32. Mt. Auburn Township. He was born in Sangamon County, Ill., July 25, 1881, a son of John and Amelia (Hahn) Kohl. He came to Christian County, Ill., March 14, 1905, and located on his present farm. In addition to his Christian County holdings, Mr. Kohl owns 160 acres of land in Canada. His educational train- ing was obtained in the public schools of San- gamon County.
On March 14, 1906. Mr. Kohl was married, in Christian County, to Anna Younker, born in this county, May 4, 1886. They have had seven chil- dren, namely : Mildred A., Margaret I. and Har- lan O., all of whom are attending school; Irvin HI .. Howard W., Erma L. and Earlene L. How- ard W. died at the age of one month. Erma L.
EDWARD O. SMITH, SR.
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HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY
died December 24, 1916, of membraneous cramp at the age of two years five months and twenty- four days, and was buried in Grove City Ceme- tery beside her little brother.
Mr. Kohl belongs to the Odd Fellows and Modern Woodmen of America. A man oť in- telligence, Mr. Kohl prefers to study the prob- lems of the day, and vote according to his own judgment, rather than tie himself down by party lines.
KRETSINGER, Jerome B., now deceased, was for many years one of the substantial and re- liable farmers of Johnston Township, where he spent the latter part of his useful life. He was born near Canal Dover, Ohio, October 1, 1872, a son of Joseph Kretsinger. In 1894 Mr. Kret- singer came to Christian County and for a time was engaged in operating a very large farm that comprised nearly a section, and was lo- cated in Johnson Township. Later he bought 172 acres of land in Taylorville Township, and was here engaged in farming and stock feeding, specializing on the latter, until his death, which occurred March 24, 1914, when he was still in the very prime of life. On March 24, 1890, Mr. Kretsinger was married to Emma Resler of Owaneco, Ill., a daughter of John W. and Mary (Dappert) Resler. Mrs. Resler died when her daughter was six years old. Mr. and Mrs. Kret- singer became the parents of four children, namely : Irl, who is engaged in farming soutli of Taylorville; Vera, who was married to Earl Redfern, lives north of Taylorville; John W .; and Rodelle. After the death of Mr. Kretsinger, his widow and children moved to Taylorville, where they are now residing, enjoying the com- forts of urban life. In religious faith Mr. Kret- singer was a Methodist, while his political views made him a Republican. Although he was not spared for a long life, his years were filled with kindly deeds, and he achieved a fair measure of success, and left an unblemished name and reputation to his family that are priceless as a heritage. The farm is still owned by Mrs. Kretsinger.
KRIEGER, Augustus Frederick, a retired farmer of Section 17, Stonington Township, was for years one of the successful agriculturalists of Christian County. He was born at Greenville, Darke County, Ohio, June 26, 1849, a son of Augustus Simeon and Amelia (Meyers) Krieger, natives of Germany, who came to the United States in 1848, and established themselves in Darke County, Ohio. There they lived until 1864 when they moved to Logan County, Ill., and there the father died in 1869. The mother came to Christian County where she died in July, 1881.
Augustus Frederick Krieger received but a limited education, and worked for his father until he was twenty years old, when he rented 400 acres of land which he operated for a year, and then moved to the farm he now owns in Stonington Township, becoming the owner of the property at the death of his mother in 1881.
He has been very successful as a general farmer and breeder of fine Percheron horses, and his farm is equipped with the latest and most ap- proved farm machinery.
On September 10, 1872, Mr. Krieger was married at Springfield, Ill., to Eunice D. Hurd, and they became the parents of seven children as follows : Emma Mable, Grace Augusta, Arthur Lewis, Allen Trumbull, Minnie L., Augustus Earl and Clara. Mrs. Krieger died April 10, 1903. On January 7, 1908, Mr. Krieger was married (sec- ond) to Mrs. Inez Gibson, who died Oct. 1, 1916. In 1915, he retired and built a residence at Stonington, but still retains his 193-acre farm on section 17, Stonington Township. In politics he is a Democrat, and served as assessor of Stonington Township for three years, and on the school board for fifteen years. The Pres- byterian Church holds his membership. A man of solid character, he has made his own way in the world, and his success is well merited.
KRIEGER, William Herman, for many years was a substantial retired farmer of Taylorville, after rounding out a useful career as a cultivator of the soil. On March 5, 1852, William Herman Krieger was born at Greenville, Ohio, a son of Augustus and Amelia Krieger, natives of Ger- many. They had fifteen children, two of whom were born before the parents came to the United States, and one of these died on the voyage. After some years spent in Ohio, the parents came to Illinois, in the early sixties, and for a time lived in Logan County. There the father died, but the mother and the children continned on the farm in Logan County until 1880, when removal was made to Christian County.
After attending school near Elkhart, Logan County, William H. Krieger began farming near Stonington, and afterward spent some time at Springfield, Ill. In 1878 he bought a small farm northwest of Stonington, to which he kept on adding until at the time of his death he owned 160 acres of land, all in one tract. This con- tinned his home for thirty years, and he made many improvements upon it, setting out trees and beautifying the grounds. When he retired, he bought a comfortable residence at Taylorville, and there died October 29, 1915.
On August 30, 1878, Mr. Krieger was married to Mary Reimer, a daughter of Isaac Reimer, born near Allentown, Pa. He was a carriage- maker until he came to Illinois in 1865, when he engaged in farming, so continuing until he re- tired. He died April 8, 1916, but the mother of Mrs. Krieger died in 1897. Mr. and Mrs. Krieger became the parents of the following children: Etta May, who is Mrs. Peabody, lives near Owaneco, Ill .; Ida, who is at home; Ricka, who is at home; Raymond S., who is on the home farm; and Esther, who is the wife of Ferdinand Hachat, of East Palestine, Ohio. Mr. Krieger was reared a Lutheran, but later connected him- self with the Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics he was a Democrat. Fraternally he be- longed to the Modern Woodmen of America and the Loyal Americans. In addition to his widow
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HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY
and children, Mr. Krieger was survived by the following brothers and sisters: Augustus Jr. and Mrs. Fred Weiser, of Stonington, Ill .; Mrs. IIenry Becker, of Springfield, Ill .; Mrs. Henry Ostermeier, of Buckhart; Mrs. Lizzie Bnergy, of Denver, Col .; and Mrs. Charlotte Lloyd, of Chicago, Ill. A man of high principles and ster- ling integrity, he was respected during life and missed in death.
LACHARITE, David, president of the Illinois State Bank, of Assumption, and president of the Lacharite Grain Elevator Company, is one of the leading business men and financiers of As- sumption, and a man widely and favorably known throughout Christian County. Mr. Lacha- rite was born at Maskinonge, Quebec, Canada. November 28, 1839, a son of Henry and Agatha (Mason) Lacharite, natives of the same place as their son. Until 1863 the family remained in Canada, where the father was a farmer, but in that year came to the United States, locating at Lowell, Mass., where he lived in retirement until his death in 1892, when eighty-five years old. The mother died at Lowell in the same year and at the same age as her husband.
Growing up in his native place, David Lacha- rite was there educated in the French tongue. Coming to the United States on October 5. 1856, he located at St. Paul, Minn .. and worked in a sawmill and in the woods at lumbering until he picked up a working knowledge of the English language. In 185S he moved to a French settle- ment in the parish of Tearboone, La., a portion of his trip being made on a lumber raft down the Mississippi River, and as at times the current was very swift, he had some narrow escapes. Leaving the river, he completed his trip by rail and team. While living in this little settlement lie worked at the carpenter trade, and taught French in the public schools for a time, leaving there in 1863 for Assumption, Ill., making the trip by way of New Orleans and Cnba to New York City, and thence to his destination. In 1869 he became a partner with A. Cazalet, in a general mercan- tile business, and also worked at his trade, but in the year 1872 honght out his associate, and continued alone until 1877, when he sold out to Joseph Lambert and resumed his connection with Mr. Cazalet, the store being continned by the two until 1880. In that year Mr. Lacharite bought ont Mr. Cazalet, and the firm became Lacharite and Lambert, and this continned nntil 1908, when Mr. Lambert became the sole pro- prietor, and Mr. Lacharite took charge of the elevator company he had owned since 1902, the business having developed so as to require his attention, as did the banking business which he had assisted in organizing, and of which he has been president since 1899. his son Arthur being assistant cashier. Among his other holdings in Assumption are a one-fifth interest in the As- sumption Coal & Mining Company, of which he has been a director and the treasurer since it was organized in 1892. being the only original director now living ; and stock in the Assumption
City Electric and Manufacturing Company, of which he is a director. He owns 1,360 acres of fine Illinois farm land. In politics he is a Dem- ocrat, and has been supervisor of Assumption Township ; for ten years has been commissioner of highways, and for twenty-two years he has been treasurer of the school board. When he came to the county there were no buildings at Assump- tion but the depot, one store and a few frame residences. The surrounding country was wild, full of sloughs. and the prairie grass was above the back of the oxen when they were driven at the plow. There was abundant wild game, now about all exterminated, and pioneer conditions prevailed generally.
On February 21, 1865, Mr. Lacharite was mar- ried to Miss Eleonore Lambert, a daughter of Benjamin Lambert, a native of Canada, where he was married, later coming to the United States, and to Assumption, Ill., in 1857, where he en- gaged in farming until his death in 1859. The mother of Mrs. Lacharite survived until 1891. Mr. and Mrs. Lacharite became the parents of the fol- lowing children: Mary M., Clara M., J. Arthur, Henry B., Eleonore, Herman C., and Leah. The remarkable success which has attended Mr. La- charite is the result of natural capacities intelli- gently directed in legitimate channels, and while he has won material prosperity he has also gained the confidence and friendship of all with whom he has been associated.
LADD, John C., a very substantial farmer of Pana Township, and a man widely and favor- ably known in this county, was born August 14, 1869, in Pana Township, a son of Azro A. and Emily L. (Cowgill) Ladd. The Ladd family is of French origin, and the name John C. has been handed down in history 332 times. Four brothers came from France to this country when there were bnt the original thirteen states in the Union and since then different members of this family have scattered all over the country. Azro Ladd was born in Vermont in 1839, and his wife was born in Ohio, but came to Illi- nois in 1854. The father came to this state in 1860, and when the Civil War broke out he enlisted for service in the Thirty-fifth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and after three years was discharged for disability, having participated in the engagements at Lookout Mountain, Chatta- nooga. Pea Ridge, and other Important battles of the western campaign. After his discharge, he paid a short visit to Vermont, and then re- turned to Illinois, and located on the farm in Pana Township, where he died June 6, 1915, aged seventy-five years. When he came to Pana Township there were not more than half a dozen families in the present city of Pana. On October 15, 1867, Mr. Ladd was married to Emma L. Cowgill and he and his wife had the following children: John C .; William A. who was born March 31, 1873, married Nora Rayhill, and they have one child,-William Allen ; Flora O. who was born December 15. 1874, married Frank Flowers, and they live in Decatur, Ill.,
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HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY
having one child. The parents were consistent members of the Methodist Church. The mother died October 14, 1912, aged seventy-two years.
For the past forty-four years, John C. Ladd and his brother, have been on their present farm of one-half a section of land in Pana Township, and they specialize in horses, some of their product being very fine specimens of horse flesh. John C. Ladd belongs to the Metho- dist Church. In politics he is a Republican. His fraternal relations are with the Odd Fellows, he belonging to Pana Lodge No. 334.
LADD, John Pitts William, owner of the Queen Queer Stock Farm, now engaged in farm- ing on section 33, Buckhart Township, is one of the leading agriculturalists of Christian County, and a native son of his township, for he was born near his present farm Jannary 25, 1855, a son of Noyes and Phebe (Williams) Ladd. Noyes Ladd was born in Connecticut, March 31, 1822, and came to Illinois in 1848, huying 240 acres of land on section 33, Buckhart Township, Christian County, and here was engaged in farming and dairying for many years. In the spring of 1866 he moved on the farm now owned by his son, John P. W. Ladd, of 160 acres which he had previously bought from a Mr. Wilson and this remained his home for some years more. when he rented it. and bought another farm of 110 acres three miles west of it, and remained on it until his death May 8, 1897. when he was seventy-five years old, the mother dying in the old log house on Mr. Ladd's present farm, May 22. 1866, she being then fifty-five years old, hav- ing been born January 29, 1818. When the father came to Buckhart Township, this part of the county was a wilderness. He built a log house, later replacing it with a frame one. At first there was no railroad, and when the Illinois Central was built, the engines were fired with wood. The nearest market was Springfield, and all of the plowing was done with oxen. There was plenty of wild game and hunting was a favorite pas- time, and although there was much work to be done the early settlers spent many days in the woods with their guns in order to get fresh meat for their families. The Williams family is an old and honored one in the history of this country, the grandfather of Mr. Ladd's mother, William Williams, having been one of the sign- ers of the Declaration of Independence.
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