History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois, Part 85

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. ; O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 948

USA > Illinois > Union County > History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois > Part 85
USA > Illinois > Pulaski County > History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois > Part 85
USA > Illinois > Alexander County > History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois > Part 85

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).

a law book before him, and thus through his own exertions he rose from the harness shop to the bar. Mr. Inscore has devoted most of his attention to the criminal law, that being his favorite department. He has filled the offices of Town Clerk, Treasurer and Police Magistrate of Anna, Ill. In 1872, he was elected by the Republican party, as Representative for the Fiftieth Senatorial District of Illinois. He was re-elected in 1874, and since then has followed his profession. Our subject has been married twice. The first time in Xenia, Ill., to Amanda J. Haskins, who died June 26, 1876, at Anna, Ill. She was the mother of four children, now living-Frances E., Stella B., Leet and Henry W. Mr. Inscore was married the second time to Miss Mary E. Brown, born April 17, 1841, in Pulaski, Ill. Subject is a member of the Hiawatha Lodge, No. 291, I. O. O. F., and in polities is identified with the Republican party.

C. KIRKPATRICK, Anna Pottery, Anna, was born in Fredericktown, Ohio, December 23, 1814, and is a son of Andrew and Anna (Lafever) Kirkpatrick. His great-grandfather was a native of Scotland; his grandfather, Al- exander Kirkpatrick, was a native of New Jersey, and his father, Andrew, was born in Washington, Penn., in 1788. He learned the trade of potter in that State, and came to Anna, Ill., with subject in 1859, where he died April 5, 1865 ; he was a soldier in the war of 1812. His wife, subject's mother, was a native of Pennsylvania, and died at Vermillionville, La Salle Co., Ill. She was a daughter of Minor Lafever, a Revolutionary soldier, also of the war of 1812, and of French descent. Subject is one of a family of thirteen children, ten boys and three girls, five of whom are now living. His education was limited to the common schools, and at twelve years of age he left home and commenced elerking in a store and keeping books, where he remained for seven years. He then returned home and learned the trade of potter with his father, remaining about one

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year, and mastering the business before the year expired. After this he went to Cincinnati, and then to New Orleans on a flat-boat, for the purpose of seeing the country, and though re- ceiving but $10 per month, felt well repaid in the strange sights which met his view. This was in February, 1837. Being taken sick on the way, he returned home to Cincinnati, and in May of the same year he went to Urbana, Ohio, and engaged in the pottery business for himself, but after two years there went back to Cincinnati, married, and built a shop at Cov- ington, Ky., where he remained for about nine years. In 1848, he sold out and removed to Point Pleasant, Ohio, where he bought the La- con Pottery and the house in which Gen. Grant was born, and two of his own children were born there. In 1853, he returned again to Cincin- nati, and in 1857 came to Illinois, locating at Mound City, in Pulaski County, where he built a pottery. In 1859, he came to Anna, and built the pottery where he is now engaged, and where he has since resided. He was married in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1839, to Miss Rebecca Vance, eldest daughter of Capt. Alex. Vance, who died in 1847, leaving two children-Sarah and Alexander-both now dead. In 1849, he again married, Miss Amy Vance. She is the mother of six children, five of whom are living, viz .: William, Cornwall, Anna, Amy and Ed- ward. Harriet is dead. Of his daughters, Amy is quite an artist. Of her talent, the Chi- cago Tribune, of March 4, 1883, says : "Miss Kirkpatrick, of the Vincennes Gallery of Fine Arts, a pupil under Messrs. Bromley & Green, has just finished a painting, a scene at Conway Meadows, with the White Mountains in the far distance, which reflects very great credit upon her ; also a farm scene, being a composition characteristic of Southern Illinois rural life, etc. These paintings possess unusual merit for one so young, and her teachers and friends are enthusiastic in predicting for her a future." Mr. Kirkpatrick has never aspired to any polit-

ical office that would materially interfere with his private business. He was a Whig in poli- tics, and afterward a Republican. He relates an incident which occurred when he lived in Covington, Ky. He was a candidate for Coun- cilman against a preacher, and defeated him by one vote. When the result was known, the de- feated parson took Mr. K. on his shoulder, and carried him through the streets in front of the polls. He is now Mayor of Anna, an office he has filled for five years previous to this term. A charter member of the Masonic and Odd Fellow Lodges of Anna; he holds the following official positions in the same ; Secretary of Anna Lodge, No. 520, A., F. & A. M .; Secretary of Anna Encampment, No. 59, I. O. O. F .; Treas- urer and Conductor of Hiawatha Lodge, No.291, I. O. O. F .; Secretary of Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois Insane Asylum ; Director of Southern Illinois Fair Association ; Chairman of Committee on Chartered Lodges in Masonic Grand Lodge of Illinois, and King of Egyptian Chapter, No 45, R. A. M.

W. W. KIRKPATRICK, Anna Pottery, Anna, was born at Urbana, Ohio, September 23, 1828, and is a younger brother of C. Kirk- patrick, whose sketch appears in this volume. He was the twelfth in a family of thirteen children. When nine years of age, his parents removed to Illinois, in 1837, and settled at Vemillionville, in La Salle County. Here his father carried on a pottery, and subject re- ceived a limited education in the common schools. When he was twenty years of age, he went to Point Pleasant, Ohio, and learned the trade of potter with his brother, remaining with him about two years, and about the year 1850 went to California, where he engaged in mining for some two years, and then returned to Cincinnati, working in a pottery for a year. He then removed to La Salle County, Ill., where he carried on a pottery for himself. Two years later, he removed to Mound City, Ill., and was engaged as the General Supervisor

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of the Mound City Building Company on all out-door work. He remained there two years, and in 1859 came to Anna, Ill., where he has since remained, in partnership with his brother in the Anna Pottery. He was married, in 1854, to Miss Martha Vance, of Cincinnati. A fam- ily of seven children have been born to them, of whom one is living, Wallace, born in 1865. Politically, Mr. K. is a Republican. He is a member of the Masonic and Odd Fellows fraternities ; is Warden of the I. O. O. F. Lodge and Encampment.

C. E. KIRKPATRICK, photographer and Amercian Express agent, is a native of Point Pleasant, Ohio, born January 15, 1852, to C. and Amy (Vance) Kirkpatrick, whose history appears in another part of this volume. Our subject was educated in the common schools ; he came to Anna with his parents in 1859 ; he worked with his father in the pottery until he was eighteen years of age, when he appren- ticed himself to Mr. McGahey, of Anna, and learned the photographer's trade. In 1876, he engaged in the drug business at Anna, on his own account, and continued the same until 1878, when he sold his business and took the agency of the American Express Company, at Anna, a position he still holds. In 1883, he opened a photograph gallery, which he controls, in connection with the duties of the Express Com- pany. He is also agent for eight different fire insurance companies. He was married at Pana, in 1878, to Miss Frances Hubbard, a native of Indiana ; she has borne him three children, viz .: Harlow B., Olive M. and Harriet V. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. and K. of H., and is a Republican in politics.

WILLIAM KRATZINGER, employe of the Illinois Central Railroad and farmer, P. O. Anna, born December 17, 1832, in Darmstadt, Germany. His father, Johann H. Kratzinger. was born in 1797 in Germany; he died in 1849 in Chicago, Ill. He married Elizabeth Dietrich, born in Germany, where she died in

1845. She was the mother of William and Eva. Our subject was educated in Germany, and in 1847, he came to the United States with his father and sister, and settled in Chi- cago. In 1848, he went to Michigan City, where he clerked in a general store till 1851, when he returned to Chicago, where he com- menced to work for the Illinois Central Rail- road Company, as messenger, till the road was completed in 1855 ; then he was appointed conductor on the Southern Division, running till 1863, when he quit the road and went to farming in this county, near Anna. He also runs the steam pump on the Illinois Central Railroad. He has 125 acres of land on which he has a dairy. His residence is close to the noted Cave Spring. Mr. Kratzinger was mar- ried in 1855, in Jonesboro, to Mary C. Condon, of Jonesboro, she died in 1873, on Cave Spring farm. She was the mother of four children now living, viz .: Augusta, Harry, Richard and Mamic. Our subject was married a second time, August 28, 1878, in Hinckley, Ohio, to Mrs. Kate Griffin, born October 13, 1846, in Hinckley, Ohio. She was a daughter of William and Louisa (Marquette) Finch. She is the mother of Bert Griffin. Mrs. Kratzinger is a member of the M. E. Church. Mr. Krat- zinger is a Knight of Honor and member of I. O. O. F. In politics, he is identified with the Democratic party.

PHILLIP H. KROH. Much of the real history of a new country is generally con- tained in the accounts of a few families that became members of the young society and whose force of character impresses itself upon the development of the community, and directs and shapes the destiny of affairs about them. Often a close study of such men is necessary in order to comprehend the commanding forces they have exercised, and while the individual may pass away, the effects of which he has been the cause may go on perpetually. And often such men may not gain great local noto-

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riety. The individual may not be self-assert- ing, the best thoughts of the best men are generally retiring, and yet they will give the world the benefits that may come of strong and active minds. It is impossible to estimate in money value the worth of such men to a com- munity, and there is but one way that a people who reap the benefits of their lives can mani- fest their appreciation of such men, and that is by gratefully cherishing their memories, and passing them to posterity as a legacy to be guarded, loved and admired, and placed before their children as models for their guidance and control. History, some time in the future, will consist of the biographies of good men, the true soldiers in the cause of civilization and morality, whose lives have tended to ad- vance mankind and beat back ignorance, pro- mote the happiness of their fellow-men, and ameliorate the pains and penalties of ignorance and vice. In other words, it will cause to be known some time that the best history consists of the best biographies of the best men and that here the coming generations may find those lessons that constitute the highest and best type of knowledge. The world's history cannot now be written because the biographies of the true men who have humbly toiled, and thought, and worked, and died, sometimes of want in a garret, and then again of fire and fagot at the stake, has not been preserved, and it is only a modern conception that begins to place the writers of true biographies among the ablest and best of all interpreters of philosophy. The study of the human mind is the source of the best possible education, and the study of the better minds the world has produced is the fountain of the highest wisdom that is given to man to have. All else called history is generally mere chro- nology, a skeleton of dates and important events that have been most temporary in their effects, and that bear no lesson in their story of which can come the ripened fruit of civili- zation. In local histories, then, the real eras

that are eventful to the young communities are the coming of certain families, who thus cast their fortune among the few simple pioneer settlers in a new country and aid and assist them in developing and building up the blessing of a good government and a, ripened and just public and moral sentiment. Rev. Phillip H. Kroh was born in Fred- erick County, Va., February 10, 1824, and in company with his parents, Henry and Mary (Stough) Kroh, came to Union County in Feb- ruary, 1842, and settled one and one-half miles south of Jonesboro. The father, Henry Kroh, was a minister of the German Reformed Church; had studied theology in Mercersburg College, Penn., and was engaged in the active service of the church during his life. In 1832, he came with his family to Wabash County, Ill., and ten years thereafter, as stated above, came to Union County. In the year 1847, he removed to Cincinnati, and in 1849 he joined the Argo- nauts in their overland search for the Golden Fleece in California. Something of the character and intellectual force of the man may be gleaned from the circumstances on this trip. He stopped to rest awhile in Salt Lake City, and while there, at the request of Brigham Young, preached to the Mormons from the text, " Behold, I bring you glad tidings of good things." The sermon came like a revelation indeed to the benighted followers of Joe Smith. While this man of God told the story of the true God and His only begotten Son in his simple, touching and elo- quent way, the vast audience became entranced, and when the discourse was ended the people were so deeply moved that tears and sighs per- vaded the entire congregation, and Brigham Young had become so impatient that he could hardly restrain himself until Mr. Kroh had taken his seat, after which he commenced an excited harangue against the President of the United States and the constitution and laws of the land. The cunning old fox saw the mar- velous effect the true word of God had pro-

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duced among his people, and he knew he could not directly oppose the fervid eloquence and the sublime simplicity with which the truth had been presented, and so he commenced by complimenting Mr, Kroh very highly upon his great sermon, and the moment he had done this and thus gained the close attention of the audience he commenced to launch his fierce epithets at the United States Government, and thus destroy the effects the word might other- wise produce upon the people. Rev. Henry Kroh died in Stockton, Cal., in 1877, his widow having died in that city in the year 1876. He was the son of Simon Kroh, of Virginia, and his wife was a native of Berks County, Penn., born in 1802. She was of German descent, and the daughter of Conrad Stough, a native of Wittenburg, Germany, who came to America and took an active part in the American Revo- lution. After the war, he was for many years the cashier of the bank of Wormendorf, Penn., They had nine children, of whom eight are now living, as follows : Elizabeth, wife of Clark Flagler, of Evansville, Ind .; Phillip H. Kroh, the subject of this sketch ; Matilda, who mar- ried William Trembly, of California, both of whom died in the latter State; she was for some years principal of the high school in Stockton ; Jane, wife of William Knight, the efficient agent of the Adams Express in Oak- land, Cal .; Sarah, wife of William Harrold, a prominent merchant of California ; Margaret, wife of Engineer Alivison, of San Francisco ; George, who is at present a mechanic in Stockton ; Loretto, wife of Mr. Zimmerman, a farmer near Stockton, and Olevianus, who is at the present time a farmer and cattle-dealer of California. Phillip H. Kroh has spent more than an average life-time among the people of Union County. In farming, preaching and in active political life, he has been a leader among men, he has been a conspicuous figure in the coun- ty's history for many years. His life has been a busy and useful one, and his versatility of tal-

ents are well illustrated by his various occupa- tions and his triumphsin them all. In the pul- pit to-day, telling the pathetic and sublime story of the Cross and calling sinners to repent- ance ; in the political rostrum the next day, exposing shams and holding up to the scorn of the people the frauds and demagogues who would cheat and rob the people of their birthright; on his farm the next day, directing, commanding, and with his own hands doing deftly the work of the trained laborer ; then in the school room, the lyceum, the debating club, or last and best of all, in his family circle, and everywhere aiding, counsel- ing and directing to the pleasure and weal of all, is the work of no laggard, but constitutes one of those true soldiers of life that make of this a pleasant and wholesome world. Amid all these many self-imposed labors, he has found time to pursue a large and varied course of literary and scientific reading that has kept his growth of knowledge on an even pace with the great thinkers who have in the past quarter of a century fairly startled a slumberous world with their bold and brilliant thoughts and inves- tigations. A mind thus trained and cultivated will produce a liberal, broad and generous relig- ion, a pure and elevating political sentiment, and a warm, generous and noble social life, whose genial effects will remain in the world long after their author has gone to sleep with his fathers. Judge Kroh was educated in Wood College, Indiana, and at the Theological College of Co- lumbus, Ohio, graduating at the latter in the class of 1850. He returned to Union County and had ministerial charge of the Reform Church of Jonesboro, and filled this position until 1854, when he went to California, where he dug for gold and preached for God until 1858, when he returned to his old home in Un- ion County, and resumed the pastorate of his church, at this time making his home in Anna. In 1862, he accepted the chaplaincy of the One Hundred and Ninth Regiment of Illinois

ANNA PRECINCT.

Volunteers, and continued in this position for eighteen months, when, receiving a serious in- jury at Bolivar, Tenn., he resigned and returned home. In 1879, he was elected Superintendent of Schools of Union County, and for four years discharged the difficult duties of this position to the entire satisfaction of the people. When he retired from the position, he gave his en- tire time, except when forced out to stump the district in the interest of some candidate who "couldn't speak," to raising improved stock and farming. He was elected Police Magis- trate for the city of Anna, at the last city elec- tion, and his friends are well satisfied that for the next four years, he will continue to hold aloft the scales of justice with the same signal ability and integrity that has marked all his past life. In 1851, he married Miss Diana Bowman Perry, of Pulaski County, Ill., a daughter of Capt. Ellery Perry, the popular commander of the steamer Diana, of the Ohio and Mississippi River trade. Of this marriage are four children-Nellie, Jennie, Frank and Lulu.

JESSE E. LENTZ, agricultural implements, Anna, was born in North Carolina in 1831, to Charles and Susan (Simmons) Lentz. He was raised on a farm in North Carolina, and educated in the subscription schools of the period. He died in 1855; was of German descent. She was born in North Carolina and died in Georgia, where the family had removed. They had twelve children, of whom nine are now living, our subject was brought up on the farm, and early learned the trade of blacksmith. He came to Anna in 1851, then scarcely twenty years of age, and when he arrived had but 25 cents and the clothes he wore. He worked with Adam Cruse, of Jonesboro, for two years, and in 1854 went to California. In 1855, he re- turned to Union County, and resumed his trade and opened a shop of his own, in which he continued until 1879, when he engaged in the agricultural implement business. He is the

owner of 126 acres of land. He has been in- strumental in building up the town, having erected a number of the fine brick buildings. He was married, in December, 1859, to Miss Sarah Braiznell, a native of England. They have no children. Politically, Mr. Lentz is a Democrat.

SAMUEL MARTIN, farmer, P. O. Anna, is a native of Jackson County, Ala., and was born August 31, 1824. His father, Urias Martin, was born in Clinton County, Ky., in 1796, and was there raised on a farm, and on account of its being a new settled country was deprived of the opportunity of receiving an education. In 1818, he married and engaged ' in farming, an occupation he followed during his life. In 1828, he removed from Kentucky to Jackson County, Ala., and thence to Ten- nessee, and after two years came to Union County, Ill., and settled in ' Anna Precinct. In 1835, he removed to Greene County, Ill., and subsequently to Texas, where he died in 1856. He was of Irish descent. Keziah (Will- iams) Martin, subject's mother, was born in Clinton County, Ky., in 1800, and died in Texas in 1879. She was of Welsh descent, and the daughter of Hardin Williams, an old-time Baptist Preacher. She was the mother of ten children of whom nine are now living-James H., Urias, Benjamin F., Elizabeth, Jane, Mal- vina, Lucinda, Joseph, and our subject, who was the third child born. He was brought to Union County by his parents when he was six years of age, and was raised on a farm, and educated in the subscription schools. At twenty-one years of age, he left home and en- gaged in farming on his own account, and con- tinued the same for one year, when he enlisted in the Second Regiment of the Mexican war, and served under Col. William H. Bissel. His brother, Joseph Martin, also served in the same regiment and company. In 1847, our subject returned home to Union County and resumed the occupation of farming, and has since con-

BIOGRAPHICAL:

tinned the same on his farm of 145 acres. In 1849, he married Miss Matilda McElhany, a native of the county, born near Jonesboro in 1828. She is the mother of the following children-Sidney C., M. D., Franklin P., Samuel, Hannibal H. and Anna H. Politically, Mr. M. is a Democrat ; he served as Assessor and Treasurer of the county from 1871 to 1875.

MARIA JANE MCKINNEY, proprietress of St. Nicholas Hotel, Anna, is a native of Union County, Ill., born November 5, 1844. Her father, James Hanners, was born in Rowan County, N. C .; he was brought to Union County, Ill., by his parents in about 1823 ; here he was reared and educated ; arriving at his majority, he engaged in farming, an occupation he followed during life. He died in 1872 ; his wife, Elizabeth Davis, was a native of Mont- gomery County, N. C., and the mother of two children, viz .: William S. Hanners, ex-County Clerk of Union County, and Mrs. Mckinney, our subject, who has been twice married, and the mother of the following children : Ida Mc- Lain, Albert McLain and W. Frank MeLain. Mrs. McKinney is the proprietress of the St. Nicholas Hotel at Anna, and has been thus en- gaged for the past three years.

ARCHIBALD McNAUGHTON, merchant tailor, Anna. Among the energetic, active and highly respected business men of Anna, who have carved out a successful career in life by their indomitable will and enterprise, is Mr. Archibald McNaughton, whose name stands at the head of this sketch. He is a native of Scotland, and was born May 6, 1849. He was educated in the schools of his native country, and when but twelve years of age, was appren- ticed to learn the trade of tailor. He came to America with his father and settled in Wash- ington County, Ohio, where he remained until 1871, when he removed to Anna, and engaged in work at his trade as a journeyman. In 1873, he opened a tailor shop on his own ac- count, and subsequently added a stock of

clothing, etc., as his means would allow. By dint of close application to business, his uni- form courtesy and affability toward bis cus- tomers, and strict economy, he has won a well- merited success, and has now the largest and best selected stock of goods of his line in the town. He carries a full and complete stock of clothing, hats, caps and gents' furnishing goods, and by his honor and business integrity has the confidence of all who deal with him. Mr. McNaughton's father was born in 1795, and died in Union County, Ill., January 14, 1883. His wife, Euphemia McNaughton (sub- ject's mother), was a native of Scotland, and died in that country ; she was the mother of eleven children, of whom only two are now living, viz .: William, a farmer in Washington County, Ohio, and our subject. The latter was married in Anna, in 1874, to Miss Anna Craver, a native of this county, and a daughter of Levi Craver. Mr. and Mrs. McNaughton have three children, two of whom are living- Elizabeth and Euphemia. They are connected with the M. E. Church, and he is a member of the Knights and Ladies of Honor, and a Re- publican in politics.

JOHN B. MILLER, Postmaster, Anna, is a native of this county, and was born September 3, 1829. He is a son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Biggs) Miller, the former born in North Caro- lina, March 5, 1802, and the latter born in South Carolina, May 8, 1795, and died in Ar- kansas, August 24, 1864 ; she was a daughter of John Biggs, a native of South Carolina, but a resident many years of Tennessee. The elder Miller was raised on a farm and educated in the common schools of the country. In 1825, he emigrated with his wife to Illinois, and settled in Union County, north of Cobden, where he engaged in farming. His father, Joseph Miller, came with him and entered land, but left it soon after. In 1839, Mr. Miller re- turned to Tennessee, where he died June 5, 1845. Our subject was the third child in a

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History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois, Part 85

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. ; O.L. Baskin & Co. Number of Pages: 948

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. ; O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 948