USA > Illinois > Williamson County > Historical souvenir of Williamson County, Illinois : being a brief review of the county from date of founding to the present > Part 20
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Mrs. Chadwell was born and bred a Methodist. Her father came from the Mt. Vernon circuit to the Frank- fort circuit, then embracing the greater part of five present counties, a work that required four weeks to visit and preach at all the appoint- ments, preaching almost every day, sometimes twice. They located at Zion church, where a two-room new log house was built for a parsonage, at the present site of Corinth. Her brother, Rev. Moses Shepherd, was pastor of Marion church in 1858, when it included Corinth. He was also Presiding Elder in 1861. and died in the harness in 1862.
S. S. VICK, SR., Pioneer.
S. S. Vick is probably the oldest living continuous resident of Ma- rion, and has been through a long life one of the most popular, active and useful of its citizens. Although nearly seventy-seven years old. he is rugged and sound, quick in action and stands straight on his legs. He reads without glasses, never lost but three teeth and has not an unsound one in his head. He is hardly ever sick and is always busy. He is cer- tainly a well-preserve specimen of the products of the Blue Grass State, of which he is a native. He was born June 23, 1827, near Nashville, Tennessee, and moved to Russell- ville, Logan County, Ky., where he married Miss Martha .I. Newton, February 6, 1848. In 1851 he moved his family, together with his father's, to Williamson County. Two years later he was elected constable and served for four years. From 1854 to 1855 he served as Deputy Sheriff. during which time he was appointed marshal of Marion. In 1868 he was appointed Master-in- Chancery and served in that capacity two terms, then was elected Justice of the Peace and served four years. In 1865 he took the third census of the County, which then showed a population of only 18.000. The County in those days was Democratic by a large majority, only three Re- publican votes being cast for a good many years. Coming from a Demo- cratic state and of a Democratic pa- rentage. he was naturally a Demo- crat, hut cast his first vote on a bet for Henry Clay for president. How- Aver. he put up his money on James K. Polk, and won. He joined the Masons in 1858, and the Odd Fel- lows in 1870. He is a tenth degree or Council Mason, and has been Mas- ter of the Blue Lodge, and Noble Grand of the Odd Fellows. For many years he was one of the di- rectors of the Williamson County Agricultural Association, and active in its affairs. He is an active mem- ber of the Methodist Church South, and served as Sunday School Super- intendent for about twenty years, from its organization, and in almost
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every other capacity except that of Pastor. He has always been a strong, influential, working friend of education, is useful and popular everywhere, and will die in the har- ness.
MRS. SALLY S. BINKLEY, Pioneer.
This venerable old lady, whose portrait appears in this book, will be 86 years old on the 22d day of November next. She is a native of Davison County, Tennessee, where she was born in 1818. Her father was Henry T. Lee, who, coming from Virginia when a boy, settled 25 miles from Nashville, Tennessee. She grew to womanhood and married in Tennessee, not reaching Marion till May, 1852. Her husband was Jacob J. Binkley, to whom she was united in April, 1839. He died October 26, 1876, leaving wife and four children,
An important and interesting in- cident of her life, indicative of the industrious character of the genera- tion to which she belongs, now rapid- ly passing away, and giving us a glimpse of the manner of life of our forefathers is related. During the darkest days of the Civil War, near its close, she and her daughter, Mrs. Sherertz, and her companions card- ed, spun and wove, entirely by hand, woolen clothes from the sheep's back and cotton from the fields, and cut and made the garments by hand also. The cotton was cleaned of the seed by the tedious work of their nimble fingers, then carded, spun and woven and made into garments, both for men and women's wear, without the aid of our modern ma- chines from the beginning to the end. Mrs. Binkley herself made sev- eral full suits of men's wear of blue and grey-mixed jeans, for which she received $2.00 a yard. The late J. H. Duncan, then sheriff, bought and wore one of her suits.
JOHN A. ENSMINGER, Pioneer.
Was born at Equality, Illinois, October 11, 1827. His father, Emanuel Ensminger, died in 1832, when John was but five years old, and the boy got very little book- learning. But in that new and vital country John did not want for teachers and the means of getting a very practical education at that. He had one of the very best and most entertaining books in the world al- ways open before him-the book af nature-and for teachers, millions of wild fowls, ducks, geese and turkeys, plenty of bear, deer and wolves. No one went hungry in those day for want of a fat turkey or a juicy steak of venison or bear. Settlers were two or three miles apart, but deer herded in packs of 25 or 30, bear could be killed any
day without the trouble of hunting for them, and will turkeys roosted on every tree and often consorted with the tame ones in the barn yard. Wolves were numerous, but not saucy, for game was plenty, and their nightly serenades were not un- pleasant to hear. Even buffalo had not yet wholly vanished beyond the setting sun, for about 1864 Watt Heard killed a young bull on the big Saline, about six miles southeast of Equality. John spent about six years in Shawneetown, but did not leave Equality for good until 1849.
While at Shawneetown he made six or seven trips to New Orleans on flat boats, freighting corn, tobacco and pork. The goo's were not un- frequently all sold to the planters and their negroes on the way, ped- dled out at the river towns, the blacks, with the consent of their masters, buying as freely as the whites, according to their means.
In April, 1849, he first landed in Marion and went to work for an older brother, buying tobacco, and it is an indication of the flourishing state of the industry that soon after coming here his brother, M. S. En- sminger shipped 1,100 hogsheads of cured tobacco to New Orleans in a single season. All this was bought almost exclusively in this and the nearby counties of the state, Wil- liamson, Gallatin, Saline, White, Hamilton and Franklin Counties. With the exception of one year at old Fort Winnebago, about 25 miles from Madison, Wisconsin, Mr. En- sminger has lived in Marion since 1849. He was raised a Democrat and
always voted the Democratic ticket until the roar of the cannon in the battle of Ft. Sumpter, when he changed his politics and enlisted in the "Bloody" 128th Ill., in Aug- ust, 1862. It is a matter of history that that ill-starred organization "vaporized" and disappeared with- out ever fighting a battle. It is suf- ficient evidence, however, of the pa- triotism of Mr. Ensminger that he holds an honorable discharge and draws a pension to this day for rheu- matism and chronic diarrhoea, con- tracted at Cairo. His discharge is dated at Cairo, April 5th, 1863. His efficiency as an officer is shown by the fact that he has served as Con- stahle of Williamson County 27 years and as Deputy Sheriff five, four years under John H. Burnett and one under T. L. Dowell.
Mr. Ensminger keeps as a relic an old iron pot, used by his mother in 1808, nearly a hundred years ago. It was the first pot of her own she ever hung over the fire. The reso- lution of those old people is shown by the fact that the Father Emanuel walked 100 miles and back, to Vin- cennes, Ind., for a license to marry, which he secured and the couple were united at Shawneetown. John was married October 7, 1860, to
Miss Martha J. Pulley, who died March 29, 1890, leaving only one living child out of eight she bore. This is Hannah, the wife of Mr. U. T. Simmons.
MRS. NANNIE HENDRICKSON, Pioneer.
This lady has the distinction of being the first girl born in Marion, where she has ever since resided. She was born October 6, 1843, and has been twice a widow. She mar- ried J. M. Goddard January 6, 1863, by whom she had three children, Mrs. H. C. Purdy, Mrs. D. F. Kiser and Mrs. D. G. Fitzgerald. He died June 27, 1870. Her second mar- riage took place March 6, 1873, to Hartwell Hendrickson, who died
December 29, 1899. By him she had four children, Mrs. W. B. La- master, Willis H. Hendrickson, Stella, who died in childhood, and Mrs. George Nance, wife of the grocer on North Market St.
R. W. GRIMES, Pioneer.
Was born July 28, 1830, in Rob- inson County, Tennesse, and came ta this County in January, 1849, settling on a quarter section which he deeded from the government. He has always been a farmer, but was an expert horse doctor as well. He has lived in this County since 1849, except two short periods of six months each, and has held several minor offices in the County. He was Justice of the Peace for one year by appointment to fill a vacancy. Dep- uty Sheriff six months and Constable for seven years.
He has been three times a bene- dict. He married his first wife, with whom he lived 47 years, June 16, 1862. Her name was Rachael M. Maxey and she died July 24, 1879, after having borne eleven children, six of whom are dead. His second marriage occurred September 15, 1899, to Mary Williams, the widow of Rolla Williams. She died Decem- ber 13, 1902, and on the 10th of the following June, 1903, he again chose a partner in the person of the widow of M. C. Hall, with whom it is to be hoped he may yet spend many peaceful and happy years.
He is a Democrat in politics and a member of the Hillright church, which is a branch of the Christian church.
WM. AIKMAN, Deceased. Pioneer.
Was the fourth son of Samuel and Henrietta Aikman, who were natives of North Carolina and came to Ma- rion in 1837 with a family of six boys and three girls. They settled on the west side before the town was platted or built, while this County was still a part of Franklin.
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and entered a strip of land from the government, half a mile wide and a mile and a half long, lying along where the C. & E. I. Ry. now runs. This tract is one of the finest in the County and formed the original foundation for the prosperity of the family.
William was born April 2, 1825. He
married Mary Elizabeth Cox March 3d, 1847. They began life on a little farm of 40 acres, where William Hendrickson now lives, and where he continued to live until his death, which occurred June 12, 1890.
He was a man of unusual power, both of mind and body, and of in- exhaustible vitality and unwearied activity. He owned and run a large farm, built two saw-mills and a
planing mill, manufactured brick, built and run the steam roller mills, now known as the Marion Flouring Mills, owned and run by W. W. Whittington & Co. He was enter- prising and progressive and always foremost in all measures looking towards improvement. He always bought the best of everything. He bought and used up-to-date ma- chinery and improved stock of all kinds. He kept no scrub horses, cows or hogs, but was always on the look- out for something better. He bought the first steam thresher ever used in the County.
He was a man of energy and of strong will and steadfastness of pur- pose. Whatever he undertook he completed, whatever the obstacles might be. He kept many men in his employ and was of a generous and kindly nature, giving freely and lib- erally for all good purposes.
When he began housekeeping he erected a family altar, and he and his faithful wife had family worship morning and evening for the 43 years and six months of their mar- ried life. They were members of the Presbyterian Church, of which Rev. N. A. Hunt was the pastor, and with their children were regular at- tendants while it stood When the commotions attendant on the Civil War reduced and finally brought the little church to an end. they joined the Methodist Episcopal church that they might have a religious home and center. He continued in full fellowship with that organization until his death and his wife stands connected with it until the present time.
MRS. MARY ELIZABETH AIKMAN, Caswell County.
Was born in North Carolina. March 17, 1827. Her father's name was Thomas Cox. She was a worthy helpmate of such a man as William Aikman, and kept her house and reared and educated her children in the same thorough, systematic and workmanlike manner which char- acterized all that he did. The home
was the abode of peace and love, and the benediction of heaven rested up- on the household. She was the mother of nine children, of whom three are now living. Their names were: John Newton, who died at the age of 20; Rosa Lee, now the wife of William Hendrickson (they bought the old homestead and built a new house, where they now reside) ; Thomas Samuel, who died in in- fancy; Sarah C., the wife of George Ingram; Louisa Mitchell, who died in May 18SS, whose only son, George, was murdered by a drunken wretch at West End, Ill .; George Jerome Aikman, with whom she makes her home; Theodore Aikman, who died at the age of 25; Francis Kimball, who married Dan Kimball and died in 1885, at the age of 23.
Mrs. Aikman is now in her 78th year, and wonderfully well pre- served for one at her age.
JAMES HUDSPETH, Pioneer.
The subject of this sketch is one of the race of hardy pioneers of Ten- nessee whose lives of humble virtue and practical good endear them to all lovers of their kind, regardless of the minor questions of politics or of religion. He was born in Murray County, Middle Tennessee, February 11, 1821. His education was limited but he made good use of what he got, and lived and worked in Ten- nessee until 18 years of age, when he came to Johnson County in 1860. Four years later, July 2, 1864, he moved to Williamson County, where he has lived ever since.
He began life as a farmer, but as he grew older took up carpenter work and house painting, and finally learned the cabinet makers trade, at which he worked steadily for 21 years.
He was converted to Christ in 1837 and served the M E. church South as class leader for some years.
In the fall of 1870, six years af- ter coming to Marion. he was li- censed to preach, and for about 30 vears, and until incapacitated by his increasing infirmities, he supported himself by laboring with his hands and preached the gospel in all the surrounding towns and villages of Williamson County.
On December 9th, 1839, he was married to Miss Sarah Page, a na- tive of Georgia. Of her eight chil- dren were born, only two now living. She died February 28, 1888. Mr. Hudspeth, although now past 83 years old, is still strong and vigor- ous in mind, but growing feeble in body, and will soon be with us only as a memory. May his faith and works find the reward of the faithful.
H. M. BASSINGER, Pioneer.
Is a native of Green County, East Tennessee, born and raised among
the mountains of his native state, in that Highland atmosphere fatal to slavery, whether in Scotland, Nor- way, Switzerland or America. He was born December 6, 1827, and came to Marion in 1852. He was raised on a farm among the moun- tains and has always followed farm- ing and fruit raising. He got as
much an education as his parents could afford to pay for in those early days, finishing off with a term at the Academy in Tennessee. Although he came to Illinois before the Civil War made the issne a sharp one, he was always an Abolitionist and Republican, and voted for Abraham Lincoln. He is a man of intelli- gence, of great resolution and inde- pendence of character, and was a convert to the Free Silver theories of Bryan. At present he might he called a Bryan Republican.
When he first came here, with a wife and two children, he landed on a farm at Pulley's Mills with three dollars in his pocket, but he went at once to raising and dealing in to- bacco, and was very successful from the start. His last shipment to New York netted $30,000, but he was caught in the failure of Sam Thomp- son and Co. and 'Squires Taylor and Co., who were tobacco dealers and bankrupted all this part of Illinois. But the tobacco industry declining in this region he never recovered his loss, but has been content with a hare living.
His first wife was Eliza Swatzell, to whom he was married March 22, 1848. She bore him two children in Tennessee and died in 1882. On the 11th of the following May he took for his second wife Gracia La- tham, a Keutucky lady, from whom five children were born, but three now living.
He is a member of the Hillright Church, which is a branch of the Christian Church, having an organi- zation and a building at Pulley's Mills.
GEO. A. FRANKLIN, Pioneer.
This old gentleman passed the 68th milestone the 20th day of last March, and is still of exceptional vigor and activity. He was born in Williamson County in 1836. His father was Edward Franklin, and his mother Julia A. Bradley, who had six children and died while they were all young.
George was raised by Thomas Pul- ley, who came from Virginia. Mr. Pulley took him when he was 13 years old and he remained with him eight years. He was raised a farm- er and has always followed it.
May 3, 1866, he married Delia Elizabeth Huffman, who bore him 13 children and died November 22, 1900. Eight of the 13 children are living in Marion. In the fall of 1862 he had the misfortune to enlist in
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the 128th Ill., was taken sick at Cairo and went home when the regi- ment broke up. He has been a member of the Christian Church six years.
MRS. MARGARET SHERERTZ, Pioneer.
This lady is one of the few re- maining pioneers of the County and only four months and nineteen days younger than Mrs. Sallie Binkley, herself next in age to the oldest liv- ing woman in the County. She is also a native of Tennessee, where she was born April 11, 1819. Her parents were Jacob and Elizabeth Miller, old residents of Tennessee. Her husband was Daniel Sherertz, who was born January 11th, 1808, and died at Marion about 1884. They were married February 231, 1843, and had seven children, all Tennesseeans by birth.
Sarah Catharine was born Janu- ary 6, 1844; Elizabeth Jane, horn June 4th, 1846. James Samuel, born August 30, 1851, and Matinda Ann., born March 24, 1854. About the close of the war, in 1865, the family came to Marion, bringing Jacob Miller with them, his wife, Elizabeth, having died some time be- fore. After the trouble was over, however, Jacob returned to Tennes- see and died there.
Mrs. Sherertz was a member of the Lutheran church while in Ten- nessee, but is now connected with the M. E. Church South.
JOHN C. LEE, Pioneer.
Was born in Davison County, Ten- nessee, March 31, 1830. His father was born in 1806 in Gouchland Co., Virginia. He settled in Franklin County, Illinois, in December, 1838, and died September 19, 1869. His wife's name was Jane Sanders, who was born in Robinson County, Ten- nessee, and died nine days before her husband, in 1869. Mr. Lee has never married, but has kept Bachelor's Hall for the greater por- tion of 65 years. He has lived in the country. He landed here Feb- ruary 10th, 1839, and has lived the quiet life of a farmer ever since.
His brother, Francis Marion Lee, died the 15th day of last March, his half-sister, Mrs. Sallie S. Binkley, however, still survives. He is not a church member nor a member of any Fraternal Order, but always votes the Democratic ticket.
THOMAS STONE, Pioneer.
Was horn in Wayne County, Ky., in 1822, and came to Johnson Co., Illinois, in 1839. He first settled in Marion in 1889, where he has re- sided ever since. His father was Reuben Stone, who was a hatter by
trade. His wife was Esther May, who was born 1822 and died about 1892. They had nine children, sev- en of whom still survive. Mr. Stone seems to have been a universal me- chanical genius. He was chief en- gineer of the iron furnace at Tower Hill, having a daily output of 60 tons. He also built mills and run hrick plants. He is an Adventist in faith.
ABRAHAM KELLEY.
Abraham Kelley, son of Joseph Kelley and Malinda ( Shadowin) Kel- ley, was born where Marion now stands February 27, 1832. The eller Kelley came here in 1830 and died 10 years later. The widow sur- vived until April 18, 1879, dying at the age of 66 years, 10 months and 27 days.
Abraham was married March 13, 1852, to Miss Elizabeth Hartwell, the sister of the late Joseph Hart- well and Dow Hartwell, the present States Attorney. They had eleven children, all of whom lived to have families of their own except one, which died in infancy. The young chickens having flown the nest, the old birds sit brooding alone once more.
Mr. Kelley enlisted during the war, but like all the rest of the members of the famous 128th Ill., had but a short military experience. In his case, however, we find him in the hospital at Mound City after fourteen months' experience in camp, from which he received an honor- able discharge and is still drawing a pension. He is a Master Mason, a Democrat in politics and has been a member of the Missionary Baptist church for 35 years.
WILLIS AIKMAN, Farmer and Stockman.
Was born near Washington, Da- vies Co., Indiana, March 14, 1833. He is a son of Samuel Aikman and came with his parents to Edgar Co., Ill., in 1835. and to Marion in 1837. His father invested his money in Ma- rion real estate until he owned a strip one-half mile wide by a mile and a half long, lying along the pres- ent line of the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad, which he bought of the Government at $1.25 an acre.
The discovery of gold in Cali- fornia was the foundation of his for- tune, as of thousands of others. The story is an old one, but loses nothing of interest in the telling. Old Gen. Sutter, at that time a resident of Sacramento Valley, California, em- ployed James W. Marshall, a mill- right from New Jersey, to build a saw mill for him on the south fork of the Sacramento, up in the moun- tains of Eldorado County, about 45 miles from Sacramento, where the
city of Coloma now stands. They dug a ditch for the tail race and turned in the water to flush it, but not having water enough, afterwards shut it off to dig it deeper. On lo- ing so they found the bottom cov- ered with gold. Marshall had a lot of Mexicans helping him, and their exclamations of "Ora!" "Ora!" soon gave him to understand the char- acter of the yellow pebbles and sand covering the bottom of the trench. They gathered up their pockets full and Marshall hastened back to Gen. Sutter with information which put an end to their mill-building, but soon transformed the whole country as if by magic. Marshall brought to St. Louis and put into the bank there $200,000 very shortly after, and not less than 200 gold-hunters went from this county alone. This was in 1849, but Aikman did not go until 1854. He and James M. Mc- Coy went together by way of New Orleans and the Isthmus of Panama and began operations about six miles from the Oregon line.
He was very successful from the start and returned with his "pile" in 1858, and settled down on his share of the old homestead.
He was married February 24, 1859, to Miss Elizabeth R. Wood- ward, and in 1872, thirteen years later, built the brick house where he still resides. The bricks were made on his own land and were moulded hy Shannon Holland. now president of the First National bank of Ma- rion. They made and burned 200,- 000, used 100,000 and sold the rest for $8.00 a thousand.
This was among the first of his building operations, but since then he has been interested in the erec- tion of a good many buildings. He seems to have had a natural pen- chant for building, and helped carry brick and mortar to build the first brick building put up in Marion. It was the Western Exchange Hotel, and stood where the Denison block now stands. The workmen got 75 cents a day for this work and gave Willis 25 cents a day occasionally to help. He was then but a boy, and 25 cents was a fortune. Possibly those good old days of hard work and low wages were happier than the present, when the same sort of work commands three or four dol- lars a day, but it will be a job to persuade the union brick-layers of the fact or get them to return to the paradise they have forsaken.
Mr. Aikman's natural tendency to "thrift," as the New Englander ex- presses it, may he illustrated by his success as a laborer on the Illinois Central Railway, just below Car- hondale. In 1853 he got employ- ment on the new line then being built, paid his board by keeping the books for the contractor evenings, loaned small sums of money to the
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workmen occasionally and in various extra jobs added to his earnings, and from the first of April till about Christmas saved up $700, with which he paid his way to California.
Mr. Aikman is the father of eight children, four of whom are living. They are two sons, Dudley and Sam- uel, who reside at Marion, Lizzie, an unmarried daughter living with her parents, and Annie, who is a com- panion of the daughter of John D. Rockefeller, and resides at Beverly Farm, Massachusetts.
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