Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Montgomery County, Volume II, Part 95

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897, ed. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913, ed. cn; Strange, Alexander T., ed
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 810

USA > Illinois > Montgomery County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Montgomery County, Volume II > Part 95

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Mrs. Miller was born at Hillsboro, Ill., Sep- tember 23, 1850. Her parents were natives of Kentucky, and the father was a judge of the Circuit court for sixteen years, and at one time a member of the lower house of Congress. When the constitution of Illinois was rewritten in 1872, he was a member of the convention that was elected for that purpose. His death oc- curred at Hillsboro in 1883. The mother sur- vived until 1909 when she died at the age of eighty-four years. They had three children, namely : Mary R., James E. Y. and one who died in infancy. The mother was twice mar- ried, her first husband having been Oliver Coudy, and by that union she had two children : Isabel, and one who died in infancy.

MILLER, Austin S., who is numbered with the most enterprising of Montgomery County agri- culturalists, is operating his fine farm on Sec- tion 15, Pitman Township. He was born in Madison County, Ill., January 26, 1847, a son of Madison and Sarah (Finley) Miller. Madison Miller was born in Tennessee and was brought to Madison County, Ill., when he was nine years

old. Until 1857 he lived in Madison County, and then came to Pitman Township, Montgom- ery County, locating on Section 15, which con- tinued his home until his death in 186S. His ·wife was born in Madison County, Ill., July 18, 1824, and was there reared. They had seven children, namely : Austin S .; Buford, who lives in Florida ; Reynolds, who lives in Chester, Neb .; Charles F., who lives at Madrid, Neb., and three who are deceased. The parents were mem- bers of the Christian Church, which the mother joined when she was eighteen years old. She died January 9, 1917.

Austin S. Miller was reared in Pitman Town- ship, and attended the local schools, leaving home when he was sixteen. and worked by the month for two years. At the end of that time, feeling it his duty to serve his country in her time of need, he enlisted in Company A, One Hundred and Forty-ninth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, for service during the Civil War, and was mustered out February 17, 1866, and he now draws a pension from the government.

On March 4, 1884 Mr. Miller was married to Celia Haynes, and they have had seven children, namely : Charles, who entered the army, died a short time afterward; Mattie, who was well educated, taught school prior to her marriage with Chester Yard; Harrison, who is a farmer of Pitman Township; Carrie B., who is at home; Reynolds, who lives at Waggoner, Ill .; Orville, who lives in Pitman Township; and Harley, who lives at Waggoner. Ill. Mr. Miller is a Republican. He owns 640 acres of land in Pit- man Township, and is a stockholder in the First National Bank of Farmersville, Ill. In addition to his Montgomery County holdings, he owns 160 acres of land in Nebraska, and 160 acres of land in Oklahoma. All that he pos- sesses Mr. Miller has made himself, showing that he is an excellent business man. and he is held as a very substantial citizen.

MILLER, George W., a prosperous farmer on Section 19, Fillmore Township, and a justice of the peace, was born about one mile northwest of his present farm, May 14, 1849, a son of G. W. and May A. (Hinton) Miller. G. W. Miller was born in Putnam County, Ind., February 14, 1818. a son of John Miller, who was born in Scotland and came to the United States and served during the American Revolution under General Wolfe, during which he was wounded. At a very early day he came to Indiana and there died, leaving two sons and three daugh- ters.

G. W. Miller was reared in Indiana, and was a boat carpenter by trade. and for some years was employed on vessels plying between St. Louis, Mo., and Vicksburg, Miss. Finally he located in Montgomery County, Ill., and lived there until 1855 when he went to Missouri, and joined the Confederate army under General Price. In 1863 he left military service and came back to Montgomery County, locating on a farm in Fillmore Township where he spent the re- mainder of his life, dying February 14, 1884. His widow survived him for some time. In

1112

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

polities he was a Democrat, and he served as a justice of the peace for many years. Of his children, five are now living, namely : George W .; David A., who is a farmer of Fillmore Township; Harry, who is an engineer at Gran- ite City, Ill .; Jefferson who lives in Oklahoma : Josephine, who is the wife of P. J. Hill, of Court Camp, Ill., and Eliza, deceased, was the wife of Henry Evans of Oklahoma.

George W. Miller was reared on the farm in Fillmore Township, and attended the district schools, remaining at home until he was twenty- three years old. On November S, 1871, he was married to Sylvia Emery who was born in Montgomery County, December 27. 1854, and attended its schools. Of the eleven children born of this marriage, seven now survive, namely : Essie, who is the wife of John Pyatt ; Eva, who was graduated from the Coffeeu High school, and the Domestic Science department of the University of Oregon, is now a college pro- fessor in Oregon; Isabel, who graduated from the Coffeen High school, is the wife of William O. Reubart ; Joseph, who is a graduate of the Coffeen High school. studied law at Valparaiso, Ind., and was graduated from the University at Atchison, Kas .. and is a minister of the Luth- eran Church. being now stationed at Mendon, Ill. : Vella, who is the wife of Ralph Ruebart ; Renie, who is the wife of Albert Critis; and Zola, who was graduated from the Fillmore High school in 1912. is at home. Mrs. Miller died January 10, 1906.

Mr. Miller belongs to Fillmore Lodge No. 670, A. F. & A. M., and has been master of his lodge several times, and is very active in lodge work. His father was also a Mason. In politics he is a Democrat and has served as a justice of the peace for many years. Ile was elected super- visor of Fillmore Township and held that office for one term, and during that period the new jail of Montgomery County was built. Mr. Mil- ler owns 140 aeres of fine land and looks after its operation, having succeeded in making his farming pay good profits upon his investment.

MILLER, Harry C., attorney-at-law, at Noko- inis, Ill .. and one of the leading men of his pro- fession in Montgomery County. was born in Westernport. Allegany County. Md., April 20, 1870. He is a son of William Wirt and Rebecca Ellen Miller, being one of a family of seven sons and four daughters. William Wirt Miller was born in Ohio, in 1842; and being lett fatherless when he was three years old, he was "bound out" in accordance with a custom of those days. Unfortunately the man to whom he was given was cruel and heartless, and the boy passed a very unhappy period. but he was industrious, and learned the shoemaking trade, by hard work and close application. During the Civil War the father enlisted in the defense of his country in Company G. Forty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infan- try, to which company Horace Latimer also be- longed. Upon his return after his honorable discharge, he engaged in railroading, and later. coming to Illinois, took up farming in Effingham County. Still later. he worked at his trade of

shoemaking, and is now so engaged at Effingham, 111. Rebecca Ellen Miller was born in Allegany County, Md., in 1840, on a farm near the village of Westernport. Her father, Uriah Duckworth, was especially well known throughout the entire county because he was a justice of the peace, serving as such for forty years.

In 1880 Harry C. Miller was brought to Illi- nois by his parents, and he attended the old Bluepoint school in Summit Township, Effing- ham County, for three months in each school year. At the same time he was kept busy assist- ing his father in clearing, grubbing. sprouting, and in splitting rails, making his own wooden mauls and wooden wedges with which to do the splitting : cutting cord wood, hoop poles and stove wood, hoeing corn and potatoes : piling and burning brush ; cutting saw logs; and binding in the heaviest grain, after the old MeCormick self-rake, using the old double band, and keep- ing up his "station" at the age of fourteen years. When he was about fifteen years old his father moved to Effingham, and Harry attended the Effingham schools, being graduated from the high school in 1889. Some idea of his scholar- ship may be gathered from the fact that although the year 1889 was the only one he was able to attend the full term, yet he was graduated in his nineteenth year.

Although removal from the farm to the city of Effingham changed the nature of his work. vet he was kept busy. He was employed on the steam shovel on the Vandalia Railroad during the summer of his fifteenth year, digging, haul- ing and scattering dirt along the tracks between Caseyville and East St. Louis, and received for this hard labor $1.15 per day, then a man's wages. During the summer of 1887 he lived alone on forty acres of stump ground owned by his father, west of Effingham, and worked early and late to raise a crop: but as that summer was the one of the drought, his labors were in vain. The next winter he was porter at the Pacific House, in Effingham. so continuing until September. 18SS, when he entered the Effingham High school, and returned to this work as por- ter. after his graduation. On October 1, 1889, he took charge of the Fairview school, about two miles northeast of Dexter. Ill., and received $25 per month for a five-month term. When his school was closed in March, 1890. Mr. Miller re- turned again to his porter work at the Pacific House. In April of that year, Mr. Miller experi- onced a great sorrow when his brother Nathan- iel. who was two years his senior, was mortally injured in a railroad accident at East St. Louis. Ill .. on Sunday afternoon. April 5. 1890. at about 5:30 p. m. "Nat" was a passenger brakeman on the Vandalia Railroad running between Effing- ham and East St. Louis. He was in the act of coupling the engine to his train which was about ready to start on its regular run to Effingham. when he was caught between the engine and the baggage car, and seriously injured. He died on April S. at abont two o'clock in the morning, having lived between two and three days only, after the accident. His last thoughts as ex-

1113

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

pressed in his dying and delirious words, were about his mother and his God.

In September, 1890, Mr. Miller entered St. Joseph's College, at Teutopolis. The summer of 1891 was spent in the harvest field, where he earned a few dollars to buy books and clothes for the coming year. In the fall of 1891, he entered Austin College, at Effingham, which was the first year of this institution, and he spent the next year in it, also, and Was graduated from this institution in June, 1893, with the degree of A. B. The summer of 1893 was once more spent in the harvest field in the endeavor to secure a few dollars with which to keep "body and soul together ;" and in the fall of that year he was made Principal of the Effingham High school. He felt that this appointment was a high compliment paid to him by the people of his own home city ; and he taught so successfully that he was re-appointed for another year, at an increased salary, However, about this time he received an offer from the board of educa- tion at Kinmundy, Ill., as Superintendent of the schools of that place, and he accepted it, and went to Kinmundy in the fall of 1894, holding the position for three years. During the sum- mer months he taught in the Marion County Teachers' Institute with marked success. In

1897 Mr. Miller left Kinmundy to take another year's work at Austin College, and in the fall of 1898 he moved to Shelbyville. Ill., to take charge of its high school. holding that position until 1000. when he assumed the duties of Superin- tendent of the city schools at Nokomis. Ill., which he held for five years, and then embarked in real estate and insurance work. While he was engaged in teaching. Mr. Miller took the state examinations for both the five-year and the perpetual or life, state certificates, and was successful in passing them the first time. Also while teaching at Nokomis. he was admitted to the post-graduate school of the University of Illinois, and spent three consecutive summers. 1902-3-4, at the University of Illinois, doing post- graduate work.

On December 26, 1894. Mr. Miller was married to Florence G. Condo, a daughter of Hon. J. P. Condo. of Effingham County. one of the leading Republicans of his county for thirty years. and serving two terms in the state legislature of Illinois. He was a very intimate friend of Sen- ator Cullom, and is a warm personal friend of Senator Sherman and "Uncle Joe" Cannon. He had the honor of introducing Senator Beveridge to liis audience when the senator made his maiden political speech. Mr. Miller has five daughters, namely : Alta Marie, Agnes Rebecca, Vinita Louise. Florence Condo and Harryet C. The latter is called "Harry C" by most people as a sort of consolation to her father, for they know that one son was much to be desired under the circumstances. and when it became known that "Harry C." was a Harryet C., the friends of Mr. Miller were very generous in extending expressions of sympathy and so forth. Hence the name "Harry C."-a little consolation.

Mr. Miller has always enjoyed athletics, his

favorite sport being baseball. He was a very fine amateur baseball player when he was younger, and he has played on some of the very best teams, his position being that of pitcher. He still enjoys getting out and pitching a game for the Nokomis team, and all who know him and have seen him work say it would be very difficult to find one of his age that could excel him in either pitching or in playing the all- round parts of the game. Being a ventriloquist, Mr. Miller has furnished a great deal of amuse- ment for his team mates while on baseball trips. His former team mates will not only remember him as the school teacher baseball player that wore glasses like Lee Meadows. of the Cardi- nals, but also as the ventriloquist and funmaker. In addition to being a Woodman and Royal Neighbor, Mr. Miller is a Thirty-second degree Mason. He belongs to Nokomis Lodge No. 456, A. F. & A. M .. being a past master of the same. His Chapter membership is with Pana Chapter No. 115. R. A. M .. and his commandery is God- frey De Bouillon No. 44. Mattoon, Ill .; is a member of the Decatur Council No. 16, R. & S. M .: of Springfield Consistory. S. P. R. S., and belongs to Ainaid Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of East St. Louis. Ill.

Harry Miller was admitted to the bar in 1912, having completed his studies under his intimate friend, Attorney D. H. Zepp, now deceased, who is so kindly remembered by. his many friends in this community. To speak in common terms, Mr. Miller never saw the inside of a law school. On the contrary he read out his law course while conducting a real estate and insurance business and making a living for a large family. His experience in the real estate business runs through a period of about six years immediately prior to the time he took up the practice of law in 1912. Mr. Miller is a good, reliable citizen of the community in which he lives, and is always found on the right side of moral questions. He was President of the Nokomis Board of Educa- tion four years, and is now President of the Nokomis Chautauqua Association and Superin- tendent of the Methodist Episcopal Sunday school. He is a careful and conscientious law- yer. always willing to give his very best efforts to the work placed in his care, and. what per- haps means even more than these things is this. that he lias always taken a great pride in his home. and his family. and has provided most liberally and lovingly for them.

MILLER, Mrs. Mary E., the widow of Frederick Miller, and a daughter of Albert and Anna E. (Bareinger) Livingston. is one of the highly respected residents of Irving Township. She was born in Fillmore Township, this county. December 14. 1846. Her father was born at Amsterdam, N. Y .. April 16, 1821, and there he was reared. working with his father in a tan- nery until he attained his majority. At that time he and his father came west to Illinois, and the father helped him to secure a farm in Fillmore Township, Montgomery County. From time to time he bought more land until he owned 350 acres, and became a very prosperous man.

1114

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

He and his wife had nine children, seven ot whom survive, namely : Mary E. Miller; Ada- line, who is the widow of August Feaser ; Timo- thy, who is a farmer of Fillmore Township; Elvira, who is the wife of Joseph Ivy ; Charles C., who lives in Texas; Georgc, who is a farmer of Fillmore; Alfred, who is a farmer of Fill- more. One child died in infancy, and Julia Herren died in 1912.

Mary E. Livingston was reared on her father's homestead farm in Fillmore Township, and lived there until her marriage, which took place March 16, 1870, to Frederick Miller, the cere- mony being performed at her father's home. Mr. Miller was born in Germany, February 2, 1836, and came to the United States when he was fifteen years old, locating first at Fort Wayne, Ind., where he secured employment, at small wages. with the Wabash Railroad. After three years he met with an injury in a gravel pit caused by the earth caving in upon him, and he was forced to abandon railroad work, and so went on a farm in Adams County, Ind., where he remained until he was twenty-one years old. At that time he came to Illinois and settled in Montgomery County, and there he met and was married to Mary E. Livingston. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Miller located on a farm in Rountree Township, on which they lived for twenty-one years. In 1891 they moved to Irving. Ill., and there Mr. Miller died October 13, 1898. Mrs. Miller owns 440 acres of land in Rountree Township, 100 acres of land in Fill- more Township, as well as her residence and another house at Irving. She belongs to the Lutheran Church, and is a member of the Royal Neighbors. Mr. Miller was a Republican, and served as a justice of the peace for two years. Although she rents her farms, Mrs. Miller over- sees every detail of her business, and is a very competent person and one who enjoys the high- est respect throughout Montgomery County where she has spent her entire life.

MILLER, Samuel M., a heavy landowner and large shipper of livestock, lives on a tarm adjoining the village of Raymond, and in this neighborhood is held in the highest esteem because of his many admirable qualities. IIe was born on a farm in Washington County, Tenn., two and one-halt miles southeast of Jonesboro, March 12, 1857, a son of John Miller. His father was a farmer in Washington County, Tenn. and was born, reared and educated there.

Samuel M. Miller is one of a large family and is a fine instance of a self made man. His educational advantages were not many in his boyhood and he did not go to school three monthis all told. When he began buying stock at Raymond, Ill., his lack of knowledge of busi- ness forms was so evident that a friend had to show him how to make out his checks. although even then his name was good for large amounts of money. He left the parental roof when he was twenty years old to come to Illinois, reach- ing Montgomery County in February. 187S. For the subsequent five years he worked by the day or month, and then went to Kansas, where he

was engaged in farming for about two years. On returning to Montgomery County he began trading, his initial stock being an old pony, and his money not exceeding $100. From then on he traded in all kinds of stock, including hogs, sheep, cattle, mules and horses. Mr. Miller's good judgment proved to be almost un- failing, and he soon was able to broaden and operate upon a large scale, and today he is one of the leading stock dealers shipping into St. Louis. Ile has invested much of his money in land and owns 840 aeres in Raymond Town- ship; 480 aeres in South Dakota, and 285 acres in Pike County, Ohio. Not only is Mr. Miller well known among the farmers in this region. but he has their entire confidence, and his word is accepted as another's bond.

In 1884 Mr. Miller was married to Katie Crawford, who was born and reared in Litch- field and Raymond townships. She attended the public schools in this county. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have the following children : Charles, who is a stock buyer in Montana; Frank, who is a stock buyer of Raymond Township. John, who is in a western state; George, who is a student in the Raymond High school: Fred; Madge, who married Ralph Lowis of Assump- tion. Ill .: Esther, who is the wife of Walter Weigraffe, of Zanesville Township; and Ruth, who is the wife of Lawrence Brubaker, of Waggoner, Ill .. who is cashier of the Waggoner Bank. The daughters are all graduates of the Raymond High school. Mr. Miller has sought to give his children educational advantages that were denied him in youth.

MILLER, Shuey, one of the progressive mer- chants of Farmersville, whose energy and good judgment are recognized by the leading business men of Montgomery County, has been useful and prominent in civic affairs in this city. He was born in Pennsylvania, February 23, 1862. a son of William and Rebecca (Slmey) Miller, natives of Pennsylvania. They were reared and married in their native state, coming to Flora. ('lay County, Ill. in 1875, where they bought a farm, and lived on it for two years. when William Miller died and his widow moved to Xenia. Clay County. Ill., where she remained until her family was grown. She died at Modesto, Ill. There were thirteen children born to her and her husband, seven of whom survive, namely: Sarah, who is the wife of Elias Hetrick; Mary, who is the widow of Jacob Burns; Elizabeth, who is the wife of Joseph Wood; Rebecca, who is the wife of Henry ('alklasure: Alice M., who is the wife of Joseph Bart; Robert B., who lives at Peoria: and Shuey.

Shuey Miller was reared on a farm and attended the public schools, following which lie learned telegraphy at Xenia, Ill., and after- ward was located at Thomasville, on the St. Louis & Chicago Railroad. remaning there as agent until November, 18SS, when he came to Farmersville and was agent for the road until 1907. He was then made chief clerk of the

1115

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Farmersville Coal Mining Company, remaining with this concern until financial difficulties occurred and a receiver was appointed. Mr. Miller in 190S established himself in business as a merchant, with his brother-in-law, and has continued building up a fine trade and in 1914 he bought his brother-in-law's interest and is sole proprietor.

On December 28, 1SS9, Mr. Miller was married to Catherine Street, and they have one son, Raymond S., who was born December 28, 1890. He is a graduate of the Farmersville High school, and of Brown's Business College, Spring- field, Ill. At present he is manager of his father's store, and is a very efficient and promis- ing young man. Mr. Miller is a member of the Baptist Church and Mrs. Miller of the Christian Church. Fraternally he is a Modern Woodman, while his political ideas make him a Republican. For twenty-two years he was secretary of the school board, and has been alderman and city clerk and has held other offices in the gift of the people. Mrs. Miller is a member of the Royal Neighbors.

MILLER, William C .- In a history of the rep- presentative men of Montgomery County, ex- tended mention must be made of so forceful a character and so marked a personality as the late William C. Miller, of Hillsboro. Few men of his day of activity so thoroughly identified themselves with the development of solid enter- prises at Hillsboro, and as long as he lived he unselfishly rejoiced in every step of progress the city made, even if his most cherished ambitions had not been realized.

William C. Miller was born in Lawrence County, Ill., January 25, 1833, and passed away at Hillsboro, December 29, 1910, aged seventy- seven years eleven months and four days. He came to Montgomery County in 1855 and for several years afterward was engaged in farm- ing and then moved to Hillsboro, where his sub- sequent life was spent, his old homestead being known as the Wyman place, one of the historical residences of Hillsboro. While Mr. Miller was mainly interested in the mercantile business during his most active years, he had additional interests and was known as one of the city's representative business men. About 1905 he retired from trade and afterward occupied him- self with the supervision of his property inter- ests in Montgomery and Lawrence counties. In addition to his city property he owned a farm lying east of the city and a large body of agri- cultural and oil lands in Lawrence County, sev- eral wells on his oil land having proven exceed- ingly profitable.

Mr. Miller was married January 29, 1855, to Miss Mary Kitchell, who was born at Palestine, Ill., January 30, 1832. She was the youngest daughter of Wickliff and Elizabeth (Ross) Kit- chell. To Mr. and Mrs. Miller the following children were born: Charles W. and Nellie, both of whom reside at Hillsboro; and Mrs. Ida K. Blackwelder, who was a resident of St. Louis, Mo., died in that city April 2, 1906; Mrs. Irene

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Montgomery County, Volume II, Part 95

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897, ed. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913, ed. cn; Strange, Alexander T., ed Publication date: 1918 Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 810

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897, ed. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913, ed. cn; Strange, Alexander T., ed
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 810