Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Edgar County, Part 138

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell
Number of Pages: 876

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It is no mere idle curiosity that prompts men to wish to learn the private as well as the public lives of their fellows. Rather is it true that such desire tends to prove universal brotherhocd; and the interest in personality and biography is not confined to men of any particular caste or avocation.

The list of those to whose lot it falls to play a conspicuous part in the great drama of life is comparatively short; yet communities are made up of individuals, and the aggregate of achievements-no less than the sum total of human happiness-is made up of the deeds of those men and women whose primary aim, through life, is faithfully to perform the duty that comes nearest to hand. Individual influ- ence upon human affairs will be considered potent or insignificant according to the stand- point from which it is viewed. To him who, standing upon the seashore, notes the ebb and flow of the tides and listens to the sullen roar of the waves as they break upon the beach in seething foam, seemingly chafing at their limitations, the ocean appears so vast as to need no tributaries. Yet, without the small-

est rill that helps to swell the "Father of Waters," the mighty torrent of the Mississippi would be lessened, and the beneficent influence of the Gulf Stream diminished. Countless streams, currents and counter-currents-some- times mingling, sometimes counteracting each other-collectively combine to give motion to the accumulated mass of waters. So is it- and so must it ever be in the ocean of human action, which is formed by the blending and repulsion of currents of thought, of influence and of life, yet more numerous and more tor- tuous than those which form "the fountains of the deep."

In the foregoing pages are traced the begin- ning, growth, and maturity of a concrete thing, Edgar County. But the concrete is but the aggregate result of individual labor. The acts and characters of men, like the several faces that compose a composite picture, are wrought together into a compact or heterogeneous

condensed biography; whole. History is

"Biography is History teaching by example."

It is both interesting and instructive to rise above the generalization of history and trace. in the personality and careers of the men from whom it sprang, the principles and influences, the impulses and ambitions, the labors, strug- gles and triumphs that engrossed their lives.

In the pages that follow are gathered up, with as much detail as the limits of the work allow, the personal record of many of the men who have made Edgar County what it is. In each record may be traced some feature which influenced, or has been stamped upon, the civic life.

Here are pioneers who, "when the fullness of time had come," came from widely sepa- rated sources, some from beyond the sea, ini- pelled by diverse motives, little conscious of the import of their acts, and but dimly antici- pating the harvest which would spring from their sowing. They built their little cabins, toiling for a present subsistence while laying the foundations of private fortunes and future advancement.

Most have passed away, but not before they beheld a development of business and popula- tion surpassing the wildest dreams of fancy. A few yet remain whose years have passed the allotted three score and ten, and who love to recount, among the cherished memories of their lives, their reminiscences of early days in Edgar County.

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HISTORY OF EDGAR COUNTY.

Among these early, hardy settlers and those who followed them may be found the names of many who imparted the first impulse to the county's growth and homelikeness; the many who, through their identification with agricul- tural pursuits and varied interests, aided in her material progress; of skilled mechanics who first laid the foundations of beautiful homes and productive industries, and of the members of the learned professions-clergy- men, physicians, educators and lawyers- whose influence upon the intellectual life and development of a community it is impossible to overestimate.

Municipal institutions arise; Commerce spreads her sails and prepares the way for the magic of Science that drives the locomo- tive engine over the iron rails. Trade is organized, stretching its arms across the prai- rie to gather in and distribute the products of the soil. Church spires rise to express, in. architectural form, the faith and aspirations of the people, while schools, public and pri- vate, elevate the standards of education and of artistic taste.

Here are many of the men through whose labors, faith and thought, these magnificent results have been achieved. To them and to their co-laborers, the Edgar County of to-day stands an enduring monument, attesting their faith, their energy, their courage, and their self-sacrifice.

CHARLES H. ADAMS, farmer, Buck Town- ship, Edgar County, Ill., was born in Edgar County, August 31, 1876, son of T. J. and Isa- belle (Scroggs) 'Adams, natives respectively of Edgar County and Ohio. He has been engaged in farming in Buck Township all his life, and on Feb. 14, 1900, was married to Miss M. Estella Curl, daughter of Charles W. and Mary . E. (Coughanown) Curl, who were among the early settlers of Edgar County. Three chil- dren have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Adams, Elsie May, Allyn J. and Esther Evadue. In pol- itics Mr. Adams is a Democrat, and is now (1904) serving as School Director and Path- master of his District. He is a member of the Christian Church.

HENRY A. ADAMS, the owner of an 80-acre farm in Brouilett Creek Township since attain- ing his majority, was born near where he now lives, April 6, 1840, a son of Andrew and Mary

Adams. Left fatherless at the age of four years, Mr. Adams was reared by his mother on the home farm, attending the public schools during the leisure of the winter months. March 30, 1862, he married Melissa, daughter of Elijah and Hannah Harper, of Vermilion County, Ind., and immediately located on his present farm, one of the best improved in his neighborhood. Mr. and Mrs. Adams are the parents of the fol- lowing children: Bell, Lucretia (deceased), Ella ( deceased), and Nettie. Mr. Adams is a Prohibitionist in politics, and in religion is a member of the Methodist Protestant Church.

HARVY H. ADAMS, one of the prosperous and prominent farmers and stock-raisers of Scott Land, Edgar County, Ill., was born Feb. 15, 1841, in Verango County, Pa., a son of James and Letitia Adams. The mother of Mr. Adams died in 1851, and in 1854 he accompanied his father overland to Edgar County, Ill., settling in Ross Township, where the older man died in 1858, having, in the meantime, lived for a short time in Edgar Township. In 1860 Mr. Adams moved to Brouilett Creek Township, and in 1868 purchased sixty acres of land, to which success enabled him to add from time to time, until he now owns 635 acres, devoted to general farming and stock-raising. For some time he has made his home in Scott Land, where he spends his time looking after his various in- terests, having retired from active farming in 1903. October 5, 1863, he married Lydia J. daughter of Sanders A. and Elsie Osborne, of Ohio, and to them have been born eleven chil- dren :. Jessie, deceased; William, deceased; James, deceased; Charles P., Lilly, Elsie and five, who died in infancy. As a Democrat Mr. Adams has served one year as Supervisor, and two years as Collector of his township. Frater- nally he is connected with the Modern Wood- men of America, and in religion is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Eighteen years following 1868 Mr. Adams spent in mer- chandising, eight years in and near Logan, Ed- gar County, and ten years in Scott Land.

. GEN. MILTON K. ALEXANDER (deceased ) was born in Elbert County, Ga., Jan. 23, 1796, son of John B. and Barbara (King) Alexander, natives respectively of North Carolina and Scotland. The subject of this sketch came to Edgar County, Ill., in November, 1823, and in the following year located on the present site of

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HISTORY OF EDGAR COUNTY.

Paris, where he opened a store, the first mer- cantile house established in that city. In the same year he was appointed Postmaster of Paris, and served in that capacity twenty-four years and eight months. He was a soldier in the War of 1812, his term of service being

11. K. Alexander

twelve months. In 1830 he served on the Gov- ernor's staff of Illinois, and in 1832 was made Adjutant-General of the Illinois troops. On December 20, 1819, he was married in Giles County, Tenn., to Mary Shields, a native of Elbert County, Ga., and to them eight children were born, two of whom are now living. Gen- eral Alexander died July 7, 1856; his wife sur- viving until Jan. 1, 1866. In politics he was a Democrat, and in religious convictions a Pres- byterian.

WILLIAM H. ALLEN, Postmaster of Broc- ton, was born December 17, 1855, in Grant County, Ky., a son of Henry and Sarah ( Black- burn) Allen, natives of Kentucky, who located in Edgar County in 1867. He has followed farming all his life, in which occupation he has been very successful. On July 11, 1902, he was appointed Postmaster of Brocton, which office he still holds. On December 21, 1876, he was

united in marriage to Miss Lettie A., daughter of James and Elizabeth Lay, natives of Ken- tucky, but at present residents of Edgar County. Thirteen children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Allen, ten of whom are living, as follows: Lorena B., Orris, Arthur E., Bertha A., Nora G., Ivan W., Lizzie P., Glenn, Everett and Eutha. Arthur served two years in the Philippine Is- lands as a private in the Thirty-second Missouri Regulars. Mr. Allen is a Republican and for five years has served as Constable and Assessor of Embarras Township. He has also been a member of the Brocton Board of Education for twelve years. He belongs to Brocton Lodge No. 297, I. O. O. F.

ROBERT R. APPLEBY, farmer, Brocton, Ed- gar County, Ill., was born in Garrett County, Ky., March 28, 1838, the son of Philip and Su- san (Dancey) Appleby, natives respectively of Virginia and Kentucky, who came to Edgar County, Ill., in the early '50s. In July, 1861, Robert R. Appleby enlisted in Company E, Twelfth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and served three and a half years. Since the close of the war he has been engaged in farming and engi- neering, and owns a pleasant home in Brocton. He was married July 29, 1866, and has five chil- dren: James E., Ida, Emma, Amelia V. and Lulu B. In political views Mr. Appleby is a Republican, and with his wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

MRS. AIMEE ARCHER, Paris, Ill., was born in Edgar County, Ill., daughter of Solomon and Sarah Jane (Hunter), Trogdon, natives respectively of North Carolina and Edgar County, Ill. In 1840 Solomon Trogdon located in Edgar County, where he entered 3,000 acres of land from the government. For many years he was one of the leading men and one of the' inost extensive land owners in Edgar County. On January 21, 1880, the subject of this sketch was united in marriage with Norbin Samuel Archer, a live-stock commission merchant of Pittsburg, Penn., and of this union four chil- dren were born, two of whom-May A. (Mrs. H. C. Lowther) and Howard H .- are living. Mr. and Mrs. Archer are members of the Chris- tian Church.

JOHN A. ASHBY, farmer of the vicinity of Chrisman, Brouilett Creek Township, Edgar County, Ill., was born in Martinsville, Clark

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HISTORY OF EDGAR COUNTY.

County, Ill., Oct. 19, 1861, the son of Bailey and Elizabeth (Cloe) Ashby. Leaving the parental roof at the age of 18 years, Mr. Ashby started out on his own responsibility, being backed by a strong constitution, a common school educa- tion, and an abundance of grit and determina- tion. To a small farm he has added, as oppor- tunity offered, and now owns 218 acres of land located in Prairie and Brouilett Creek Town- ships, and devotes his attention to general farming and stock-raising. On Oct. 8, 1884, Mr. Ashby was married to Diantha Betson, daugh- ter of Henry and Mary (Johnson) Betson. Mr. and Mrs. Ashby are giving a home to Miss Maud Betson, a niece of Mrs. Ashby, and daugh- ter of Amos and Louise (Rubotton) Betson, residents of Missouri. Mr. Ashby votes the Democratic ticket, and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

FREDERICK R. AUGUSTUS. living in retirement on Jefferson street, Paris, since 1875. is included among the earliest surviving pion- eers of Edgar County. Born in Jefferson County, Ky., March 15, 1828, he was three years of age when he came to Edgar County in 1831 with his parents, Jacob and Carmelia (Owen) Augustus, and he was thereafter reared on the paternal farm. attending the early subscription schools, and the Paris Academy, eventually becoming a land owner in his own right, and purchasing the farm of 475 acres in Buck Town- ship, which still nets him a comfortable income. In 1870 he was united in marriage to Ida Smith, daughter of Dr. T. M. Smith, of Grand View Township, and who died Feb. 12, 1875, leaving one son, Willis O., a graduate of the Paris high school, of the Wabash University of Indiana. and the Indianapolis Law School. The present Mrs. Augustus was formerly Lida Foulke, daughter of Levi Foulke, of Paris, Ill. Industry and frugality have brought a com- petence to Mr. Augustus, and fair dealing and unswerving integrity have enshrined him in the good will and esteem of his fellow men.

LARZ A. AUGUSTUS .- Among the retired farmers and stock-raisers of Edgar County, mention is due to Larz A. Augustus, a resident of West Court Street, Paris, since 1884, and a member of one of the earliest and most suc- cessful pioneer families of Edgar County. At the time of his birth in this county, July 5, 1833, his father, Jacob A. Augustus, had

scarcely made a start at farming, having arrived in 1831, and devoted his time as yet to clearing his land, which retained its primeval wildness. The elder Augustus was born in Virginia, 1794, and in young manhood removed to Kentucky, where he married Carmelia Owen, a native of Kentucky, and with her accom- plished the long overland journey to Illinois. A man of energy and resource, he succeeded in spite of many obstacles, in accumulating an estate of 2,100 acres, and becoming one of the largest land owners in the county. He was the parent of twelve children, of whom the following survive: Frederick R., Larz A., Henry W. and Mary E. Espousing the whig cause, he filled many positions of trust in the early days, including that of county commis- sioner, and his counsel and opinion were eagerly sought and followed in all matters of county import. He passed to his reward in 1864. He was survived by his wife, until 1884, both dying firm in the faith of the Christian Church, of which they had been members since childhood. Previous to establishing his home in Paris in 1884, Larz A. Augustus followed farming and stock-raising most successfully. He is a genial, kindly disposed man, has many friends in town and county, and is entitled to the esteem and good will of the people among whom his long life has been passed.

ORA H. AULT, editor "Kansas Journal," Kansas, Ill., was born in Kansas Township. Edgar County, Ill., Feb. 6, 1864, son of John and Duannah ( Hanks) Ault; graduated from the Northwestern Normal School, Ada, Ohio, and for two years thereafter was engaged as a teacher in the public schools of Wayne County, Iowa. Returning to Illinois, he was engaged as principal of intermediate departments of the Indianola public schools for four years, and on Sept. 1, 1889, purchased the "Kansas Journal," which he still publishes. On Nov. 21, 1894, he was married to Grace Bell, daughter of William A. and Grace (Turner) Bell, of Kansas. In politics Mr. Ault is a Republican, and in relig- ious faith a Methodist. Fraternally he is a member of the order of Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias.

ADIN BABER, during life one of the sub- stantial and very successful farmers and land owners of Edgar County, Ill., was born Nov. 17, 1834, in Kansas Township, this county,

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HISTORY OF EDGAR COUNTY.

where he resided until his death, a son of George and Margaret ( Hunter) Baber, pioneers of this section. People of moderate means, and

ADIN BABER.

having little upon which to depend when start- ing upon his independent life, Mr. Baber turned his opportunities to good account, and through good management and indefatigable industry, accumulated an extensive property. He was long known as one of the leading farmers and stock-raisers of Kansas Township; was a direc- tor in the First Bank, Paris; also largely inter- ested in and the senior partner of the commis- sion firm of A. Baber & Company, of Indianap- olis, Ind. On Sept. 12, 1860, Mr. Baber married Mary E., daughter of William and Mary Hanks, pioneers of Edgar County, and of this union four children were born: Ora E .; Callie, deceased; Dexter D. and Margaret M. Mr. Baber was a Republican in politics, but at no time of his career harbored official aspirations. His death occurred Feb. 10, 1902, and he was buried from his home near Kansas, Ill., under the auspices of the Christian Church. Honor- able in all of his dealings, large minded, public spirited and generous, Mr. Baber left behind him an impression of strength and reliability, of kindness and geniality, serving as an inspir- ing example of the self-made men of earlier days.

ASA J. BABER, president First National Bank, Paris, Ill., was born in Edgar County, Ill., Feb. 2, 1832, the son of George and Mar- garet Baber. The father was a prominent pioneer and native of Virginia, who came to the county in 1832 and located in what is now Kansas Township, where he was engaged in agricultural pursuits until his death in 1864. The subject of this sketch was reared on his father's farm, but in 1854 entered into the employment of J. K. and W. F. Boyer, mer- chants, Kansas, Ill., where he remained until 1859, when he was elected County Treasurer

ASA J. BABER.

of Edgar County. In 1865 he assisted in organ- izing the First National Bank of Paris, Ill., of which he was appointed cashier, remaining in that position until 1870, when he became its president, a position which he to this date (1904) retains. Mr. Baber was married in 1862 to Miss Sibby N., daughter of Michael and Lucretia O'Hair, and to them three children were born, viz .: Edward (deceased), Blanche and Fred Baber.

DEXTER D. BABER, farmer and trader of Dudley, Edgar County, Ill., was born June 14, 1867, and is a son of Adin and Mary E. (Hanks) Baber. At the outset of his career Mr. Baber had the advantage of prosperous surroundings,

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HISTORY OF EDGAR COUNTY.

and of agricultural and business training under a successful and sagacious father and mother. In addition to the public schools, he attended the Danville Normal School, taking the civil

DEXTER D. BABER.

engineering course, and for thirteen years was occupied as general manager of the large farm- ing concern of Baber, Eads & Baber. At pres- ent he is the only surviving member of the Baber Commission Company, one of the oldest commission houses of Indianapolis, Ind. He is the owner of 1,700 acres of land, has exten- sive stock interests, and has established a grain business of large proportions. Oct. 21, 1891, he married Eva, daughter of Dr. M. G. and Frances (Thrift) Parker, and of this union two children have been born, Adin and Tedford. Mr. Baber is a Republican. He is a hard-working, shrewd and painstaking business man, representing the substantial, reliable and public-spirited element of the community.

GEORGE W. BABER, postmaster, Paris, Ill., was born in Kansas Township, Edgar County, Ill., May 16, 1840, son of George and Nancy (Wilson) Baber. George Baber, the father, was born in Buckingham County, Va., in 1787, and in the '30s removed from Green County, Ind., to Edgar County, Ill., where he served as a Justice of the Peace for many years and

became an extensive land owner. He and his wife, Nancy (Wilson) Baber, were the parents of the following named children: Ira (died Dec. 1, 1851), Asa J., Amos (died in February, 1865), Adin (deceased), Alfred, George W., William, and Lizzie (widow of Rhodes Epper- son ). George W. Baber remained on his father's farm until thirty-three years of age, and obtained his education in the district schools. In November, 1873, he was elected County Clerk of Edgar County, holding office until 1882, and has sub- sequently served three years as Deputy County Clerk. He was appointed postmaster of Paris,

GEORGE W. BABER.

Ill., in 1898, and is the present incumbent of that office. On April 11, 1872, he was married to Miss Flora McCullum, daughter of Nelson and Jane ( Hathaway) McCullum, who came to Edgar County from Washington County, Penn., in 1864. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Baber: Nelson, assistant post- master at Paris, and Charles, who died in infancy.

ENOCH BAKER, farmer, Shiloh Township, Edgar County, Ill., was born in Kentucky, July 18, 1865, the son of Hiram and Anna (Lane) Baker, who were also natives of the Blue Grass State, and located in Edgar County in 1852.

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HISTORY OF EDGAR COUNTY.

The parents are both now deceased. The sub- ject of this sketch was reared on a farm, and has always followed that occupation. He owns 164 acres of land in Shiloh Township, and devotes his attention to general farming and stock-raising. On August 30, 1892, he was mar- ried to Elizabeth Taylor, daughter of Francis M. and Amanda (Applegate) Taylor, natives of Ohio and Indiana respectively, who located in Edgar County at an early day and are now liv- ing at Brocton, Ill. Mr. and Mrs. Baker have three sons and one daughter: Viola J., Scott A., Glen H. and Robert E. In political views Mr. Baker is a Republican, and is serving his second term as School Director. He and his wife are members of the Court of Honor. Mrs. Baker is a member of the Christian Church, which Mr. Baker also attends.

JAMES D. BARR, Bank Cashier, Paris, Ill., was born in Edgar County, Ill., Sept. 8, 1861, the son of Andrew J. and Maria R. (Thomas) Barr, natives of Edgar County, the former born March 25, 1839, and the latter on November 19th of the same year. Andrew J. Barr and Maria R. Thomas were married October 2, 1859. During his career Andrew J. Barr was a prom- inent citizen of Edgar County, and served as County Treasurer from 1877 to 1882. He died Dec. 23, 1885. The paternal great-grandfather of James D. Barr was Hugh Barr, born in Ireland in 1758, and married a Miss Chumley, a native of Wales. He served as a patriot sol- dier in the Revolutionary War, and died April 24, 1842. The paternal grandparents were Michael and Nancy (Johnson) Barr, natives of Bourbon County, Ky., the former born Dec. 6, 1800, and the latter in February, 1801. They came to Edgar County, Ill., where Mr. Barr died March 17, 1873, his wife having passed away Feb. 25, 1864. The subject of this sketch re- ceived his educational training in the public schools of Paris, Ill. In political sentiment he is a Democrat, and in religious faith a Metho- dist. On March 15, 1883, he was married to Miss Hattie D. Wilson, born in Edgar County, April 25, 1864, and of this union there are two children, Karl J. and Edna E.

ZACHARY T. BAUM, physician and surgeon and Mayor of the city of Paris, Ill., was born in White County, Ind., Dec. 15, 1847, son of Henry and Harriet (Cross) Baum. Daniel Baum, grandfather of Z. T., settled near Chilli-

cothe, Ohio, in the early part of the nineteenth century and later removed to Indiana. The subject of this sketch was the youngest of eight children; was reared on a farm in his

ZACHARY T. BAUM.

native state, and attended the common schools. In 1861 he removed to Carroll County, Ind., with his mother's family, his father having died in 1855, but the mother still survives at the venerable age of ninety years. In 1863 he enlisted in Company E, One Hundred and Six- teenth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, was in Knoxville, Tenn., during the siege, and after seven months' service in Kentucky and Tennes- see was discharged and enlisted in the One Hundred and Thirty-fifth Indiana, with which he served until Sept. 26, 1864, when he was honorably discharged. In February, 1865, he enlisted in Company E, One Hundred and Fif- tieth Indiana Infantry, and was finally dis- charged Aug. 5, 1865. After the close of the war he attended school and worked on the farm, and later engaged in teaching. In 1867 he began the study of medicine under Dr. J. L. Morrow, of Pittsburg, Ind., and later took a course of medical training at Rush Medical College (Chicago) and Miami Medical College (Cincinnati, Ohio), graduating from the latter institution in 1870, when he began practice at Transetville, Ind., where he remained three

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HISTORY OF EDGAR COUNTY.

years. In 1873 he located in Paris, Ill., where for the past thirty years he has been one of the leading practitioners of Edgar County. The Doctor is a member of the Illinois State Medical Society, Aesculapian Society of Wabash Valley, Edgar County Medical Society, and was Examin- ing Surgeon for Pensions in the city of Paris fifteen years. Fraternally he is a member of the Masonic Order, Knights of Pythias, M. W. A., and G. A. R. Driskell Post No. 209. On Dec. 12, 1878, Dr. Baum was married to Eliza E. McCord, daughter of William and Nancy (Stout) McCord, and of this union there is one son, Ralph A. In politics the Doctor is a Republican, and served several terms as alder- man; was elected Mayor of Paris in 1885, 1899, 1901 and 1903, being at the present time (1904) an incumbent of that office; served as super- visor of Paris Township from 1881 to 1886. Mrs. Baum's parents came to Edgar County in 1822. Her maternal grandfather, Adriel Stout, was the first. superintendent of Sunday Schools of the county, and in 1824 assisted in organizing the first Presbyterian Church within its borders.

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Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Edgar County, Part 138

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn Publication date: 1905 Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Number of Pages: 876

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell
Number of Pages: 876