History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois, Part 97

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 97
USA > Illinois > Pulaski County > History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois > Part 97
USA > Illinois > Alexander County > History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois > Part 97

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).

N. B. WALKER, farmer, P. O. Makanda, was born in Jackson County, Ill., May 18, 1828, to Nathan D. and Nancy (Collins) Walker. The father was a native of Kentucky, but was brought to this State with his parents when he was quite young, settling near Grand Tower. The Walkers were originally from North Car- olina, and were among the early settlers of Jackson County. His wife was a sister of N. B. Collins, of Alto Pass Precinct. She was the mother of four children-Benjamin C., N. B., Mark M. and Polly, of whom our subject is the only one now living. The father died in Jack- son County, while his children were all small, but his widow lived until they were grown. Our subject was mostly raised in this county by his uncle, Mr. N. B. Collins. He was mar- ried, May 16, 1852, to Leah Hagler, a daugh- ter of Paul and Elizabeth (Clutts) Hagler, na- tives of North Carolina. She died October 3, 1862, leaving four children, viz .: Nancy Eliza- beth, Nathan B. D., Mary Emaline and an in- fant ; the latter lived but a short time. Octo- ber 8, 1863, he was married a second time to Miss A. A. Sill. She was born in Washington County, Ind., to Commodore Perry and Sarah (Beard) Sill ; he died in Marion County, Ill., and she is still living in this county. By his second wife, Mr. Walker has seven children liv- ing-Sarah D., Lavina Lucinda, Alice Cathe- rine, Polly Isabella, Huldah Ellen, John Logan and Etta Araminta, and three dead. Mr. W. has lived on his present farm about twenty-five

years, and raises grain and hay mostly; he and his wife are members of Shiloh Baptist Church.

E. B. WING, farmer, P. O. Cobden, was born in Missisquoi County, Canada, April 29, 1836, to Turner and Julia Ann (Barnes) Wing. They were both born in Canada, but the parents of each had emigrated from the United States to Canada. In 1847, he moved to De Kalb County, Ill., and continued to follow his occu- pation of farmer. About 1863, he moved to the vicinity of Dubuque, Iowa, and still makes that his home. She died in Iowa March, 1883. They were the parents of six sons and one daughter ; two sons and the daughter are all that are now living. Four sons entered the army, and our subject is the only one who came out. He enlisted three days after the firing on Fort Sumter, in Company E, Second Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, as a private; was afterward promoted to Sergeant's position. He served till the battle of Antietam and was there wounded and discharged on account of disability. He was in the two battles of Bull Run, at South Mountain, and then at the bat- tle of Antietam under Gen. Hooker, on the right. After he was wounded, he remained at Keedysville for about two weeks ; then was taken to the hospital at Baltimore, and there remained until discharged November, 1862. When our subject was about eighteen years old, he had left his home in Geneva, Ill., and had gone to Oshkosh, Wis., and it was from there that he entered the army, and there he returned when coming home. He remained in Oshkosh till 1868, engaged in lumbering. In 1868, he came to this county and settled on his present farm, which contains 140 acres, about sixty being in cultivation; when first buying it, there were but three or four acres cleared. Grain and stock raising receive most of his at- tention, but he also raises some fruits in con- nection with his other farming. July 4, 1860,

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he was married in Oshkosh, Wis., to Sarah Burn- side. She was born in Erie County, Penn., August 2, 1837, to John J. and Matilda (Miles) Burnside. He is still living in Erie County, Penn. Mr. and Mrs. Wing have no children of their own, but have adopted one little girl, Donna Inez. Mrs. W. is a member of the Presbyterian Church of Cobden. He is Demo- cratic in politics, and since his discharge from the army has been receiving a pension of $4 per month.

C. C. WRIGHT, farmer and fruit-grower, Cobden, was born in Rome, N. Y., in 1815. to John and Miriam (Reymond) Wright. They were both born in Connecticut, he in 1772, she in 1780. He moved into New York about 1790, and it was there his family was born. In 1836, he moved to Kendall County, Ill., with his family, and he and his wife both died there, in 1851 and 1857 respectively. They were the parents of eight children ; three sons and two daughters are now living. His occu- pation was mostly that of farming. Our sub- ject was educated in New York, and came West with his parents. Chicago was their only market, and that was sixty miles distant, and after hauling wheat there they would get from 25 to 75 cents per bushel, and from $1 to $3 per hundred for dressed pork. When the canal was completed. they had a market within twelve miles of their home. In 1853, he moved to Winnebago County, Ill., and opened a farm, but sold it in 1862 and came to Cobden. He went into the woods and opened up the farm now owned by Amas Poole. He sold that in 1864, and then began to make his present farm, which had but little improvement at the time. His farm contains seventy acres, all im- proved. When first settling on it, he began the raising of peaches, apples and strawberries. In later years, he has abandoned the peaches and apples, and gives his attention more to strawberries, cherries, vegetables and hay.

Mr. Paul Wright, the brother of our subject, had much the same experience in early life, but he was educated for the law, and he prac- ticed in Elgin for some time, and for some years previous to coming to this county had been Circuit Clerk of Kane County. On ac- count of ill-health, he came to this county in the spring of 1862, and began in the fruit bus- iness, being one among the first from the North to go into fruit-raising. Enjoying the beauti- ful, he took pains to make his home attractive, and so improved the present farm of Mr. E. D. Lawrence. The last year in this county, he practiced law at Jonesboro, in partnership with Jackson Frick. In 1875, he again made a move on account of ill-health, going to Santa Barbara, Cal., where he has since built up a good practice in the law. In 1843, our subject was married in Winnebago County, Ill., to Harriet M. Talcott. She was also born in Rome, N. Y. Her father, William Talcott, came to Illinois about the same time as Mr. Wright, and settled at Rockton, on the Rock River. Mr. and Mrs. Wright have three chil- dren, only two of whom are still living-Henry T. and Mary (Harriet A. died 1864). By pro- fession, Henry is a lawyer, and practiced for six years at Carbondale, Ill .; then taught school near Chicago for some time, when health failed, and he went to railroading. He is now located at Minneapolis, and is Paymas- ter on the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad. Mr. Wright in religious belief is Congregation- alist, and was a member of that church until the organization was let fall in Cobden, and as he did not take out any letters he now has no connection with any church. By nature, our subject is opposed to oppression in any form, and at an early date he took the side of anti- slavery, although it was the unpopular party at the time. From 1844 till Lincoln's election, he had never voted with the popular parties. When the call for men came, he offered his

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services, but had to stand back and allow the younger and more robust to answer the call.

But he did all he could at home toward the support of the Government.

ALTO PASS, OR RIDGE PRECINCT.

W. R. ABERNATHIE, farmer, P. O. Alto Pass, was born in this county April 17, 1841, to James and Mary (Tweedy) Aber- nathie. They were both natives of South Carolina, but came here when both were young, their families being among the first settlers in the county. He died in this county when our subject was about two years old, and she in 1876. They were the parents of fifteen children, of whom our subject is the youngest. Of the fifteen, only three are now living-Mr. Abernathie and two sisters. Our subject's whole life has been spent on the farm. He was educated in the common schools of the county. Mr. Abernathie has resided on his present farm for about eight- een years, and most of the time has been en- gaged in fruit-growing. In orchards he has about sixty-five acres, forty being in apples and the remainder in peaches. March 17, 1864, he was married in this county to Miss Mary Croull, who was also born in this county, daughter of Louisa and John Croull, also of the earliest settlers in the county. Mr. and Mrs. Abernathie have seven children -Mary Elizabeth, Emma Bell, Hattie Josephine, Cora Ellen, John Howard, Will- iam Bertie and Robert Artie, twins. Mr. Abernathie has always been an active mem- ber of the Democratic party.

HON. HOLLY R. BUCKINGHAM, Alto

Pass, was born in Clermont County, Ohio, January 12, 1850, to Mark and Margaret (Hawn) Buckingham. They were both born in Ohio, she in Milford, Clermont County, and he just across the line, in Hamilton County, December 5, 1808. His parents had moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio in 1790, so the Buckingham family is one of the oldest in the State, and also one of the larg- est. The first residence after coming to the State was a large, hollow tree, where Cincin- nati now stands. Mrs. Margaret Buckingham was born August 11, 1826, also of an old family of the State, her grandfather, Peter Bell, being the first Associate Judge in Cin- cinnati. So the ancestors of our subject have long been identified with the interests of the State of Ohio, and with very few ex- ceptions have been the strictest Democrats, grandfather, father and son (our subject) hav- ing ever voted the Democratic ticket. Mr. Mark Buckingham was a successful business man, at one time having a wholesale pork- packing business, besides a large flouring mill and distillery, also several farms in Ohio and Illinois, and was well known on 'Change in Cincinnati. He died in Hamilton County, Ill., in November, 1878, but was buried in the old burying-ground in his native State. Mrs. Mark Buckingham is still living on the old homestead in Ohio. Of their family, four

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sons and one daughter are now living. Our subject's early life was spent in assisting his father with his business, but his higher edu- cation was not neglected. He prepared him- self for college in the Woodward High School of Cincinnati, and then completed a classical course in the Miami University, of Oxford, Ohio, where he took the degree of B. A. in 1873. He then came to one of his father's farms in Hamilton County, Ill., where he remained for about eighteen months, during which time he taught one term of school. After studying law with Judge Crouch, of McLainsboro, for about one year and a half, he went to Ann Arbor, Mich., and studied law for a year; then he returned to Illinois, and was admitted to the bar at Mount Vernon in June, 1875. In Au- gust, 1875, he was married, in this county, to Miss Florence Tarleton, who was born on the Teche, near New Orleans, La., to Leo and G. Augusta (Hawkins) Tarleton. Mrs. Tarleton's first husband was George Wash- ington, a grand-nephew of the President; she is still living, at the age of seventy- three years. Mr. Buckingham has remained in this county since 1875, and has been en- gaged in fruit-farming during the time. On his present farm he has about seventy acres in orchards, but also has a number of acres in small fruits and vegetables. Mr. and Mrs. B. have two little girls-Florence and Ada. Mr. Buckingham has always taken an active part in politics, but has never been an office- seeker; however, in 1880 he was elected a member of the State Legislature, and served through his term with credit to himself and to his constituency.

N. B. COLLINS, farmer, and Justice of the Peace, P. O. Aito Pass, was born about the year 1813 in Tennessee, and came to

this county with his parents when but a very small child. Soon after coming here his parents both died, leaving no record of his birth or of their history. After the death of his parents, he was taken by strangers and raised on a farm in this county, and with the exception of three years he has lived in the county ever since. Two years of the three he lived in Louisiana, the other in Kentucky. His only chances for an educa- tion were to attend a subscription school when he could not work at anything else. July 20, 1836, he was married, on his present homestead, to Miss Keziah Parmley. She was born on their present homestead October 22, 1819, to Giles and Elizabeth (Craft) Parmley. They came from Kentucky to this State, but he was a native of Virginia, his father being an old Revolutionary soldier. When Mr. Parmley first came to this county, he settled in the Mississippi River bottom, but got afraid of the Indians, and moved back to Kentucky, where he remained for a year or so, and then returned to this county, bringing a number of friends with him. He then settled on the present. homestead of Mr. and Mrs. Collins in about 1813. He died January 8, 1849, but she survived him many years, and died at the age of eighty-four. When Mr. and Mrs. Parmley first settled in this county, there were scarcely any white settlers at all. When they went to mill at all they had to cross the river to Whitewater, Mo. Mr. Parmley was a cooper by trade, and made barrels to pay for the first land he entered. Mr. and Mrs. Collins have raised a family of nine children, but four daughters and one son died after having families of their own. The living children are Sarah E., Lucinda E., Bell and John. The daughters are all married. Mr. and Mrs. Collins have twenty-three motherless grand-

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children. In the fall of 1850, they moved to their present farm, which consists of 360 acres, with 200 of it improved; also another farm of 160 acres, 100 being in cultivation. Mr. Collins has large orchards, having ap- ples, peaches and pears. When Mr. Collins completes his present term of office, he will have served thirty-eight years as Justice of the Peace, for four years being Associate Justice of the Peace of the county. He also served two years as Constable.

WILLIAM H. FINCH, farmer, P. O. Cobden, was born in this county July 28, 1840, to Richard M. and Sarah (Smith) Finch. He was from the West Indies, of French descent, and she from North Caro- lina, of German descent. They both died in this county, he September 16, 1863, she March 3, 1875. They were the parents of seven children, four of whom are now living, our subject being the oldest. From the time our subject was eleven years of age till he was twenty-one, he worked on the farm in summer, and winter in his father's cooper shop. When starting for himself, however, he gave his attention to farming, and has continued to make that his occupation to the present. He has a farm of 252 acres, and makes corn and stock his dependence. When starting in life for himself, he had one horse, and nothing else. August 20, 1862, he was married to Melissa Catharine Cauble, who died May 29, 1863, leaving one child, which also died, July 8, 1863. March 2, 1865, he was married to Mary Lindsey. She was born in Jackson County, Ill., but mostly raised in Union County. She is the daughter of Reuben and Sarah (Coleman) Lindsey. He was born in Kentucky May 24, 1823, and came to this State in 1829, and lived in Jackson County till he was about grown. She was born and raised in Jackson County,

and died August 23, 1882. He is still liv- ing, and is engaged in farming. Mr. and Mrs. Finch have two children living, aud one dead-John Albert, born January 2, 1862, died December 1, 1882; Sarah Isabella and Mary Ellen. Mr. and Mrs. Finch are mem- bers of the Free-Will Baptist Church. He is Democratic in politics.

DR. J. GLASCO, physician and surgeon, Alto Pass. The subject of this sketch was born in Union County, Ill., February 14, 1840, to William and Rhoda (Strawmat) Glasco. They were both of North Carolina, but came to this county before marriage She died in 1843; he is still living in this county, and with his third wife. By the three wives he has nine children now living, four sons and five daughters. At the time of the Doctor's birth, his parents were living on a farm where the city of Anna now stands. Our subject was raised on a farm, and re- ceived his education in this county, and, with the exception of the time spent in the army, and about six months in Kansas, he has re- sided here during his life. In 1861, he en- tered the State Militia for thirty days; then was taken into the army, Company I, Eight- eenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, Capt. S. B. Marks. He served for three years and then re-enlisted, and served till the close of the war, being one of the last discharged. While in the service, he passed through some of the severest engagements, being in the battles of Ft. Donelson, Shiloh, the taking of Vicksburg, Little Rock, etc., in all being about sixteen different engagements. At Fort Donelson he was severely wounded, being shot through the right lung, and was captured at the time, but remained a captive only till the Fort was taken. He first en- listed as a private, but was afterward pro- moted to Sergeant, in which capacity he

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served most of the time. However, for two years previous to receiving his discharge, he was Hospital Surgeon, and for six months be- fore that had been Hospital Dispensing Clerk. For two years previous to going into the army, the Doctor had studied medicine un- der Dr. A. B. Agnew, and during the time he was in the service he studied all his spare time, and especially while in the hospital, under Dr. H. T. Garnett. While in the hos- pital, he had a great deal of practice also, as Assistant Surgeon. The Doctor now makes a specialty of lung and female diseases. On returning from the army, he began the prac- tice of medicine, at the store of Cyrus Har- rold. just across the line in Jackson County. He remained there for about one year, and then moved to Saratoga, Ill., where he prac- ticed for about seventeen years, except six months he was practicing in Topeka, Kan. In the spring of 1880, he quit the practice and bought his present saw and grist mill in Alto Pass. He gave his entire attention to the mill till the spring of 1883, when he re- sumed the practice of his profession, but still conducts the mill. December 19, 1866, in this county, he was married to Miss Sarah E. Stevenson, who was born in Marion, Will- iamson Co., IlI., daughter of James W. and Catharine Stevenson, both of whom are now dead. They came from Indiana to Illniois. Dr. and Mrs. Glasco have five children liv- ing and one dead-Emma C., James W., George S. (deceased), Jesse, Eva Ellen and Amos Monroe. In politics the Doctor is Repub- lican, and for three years was Postmaster at Saratoga. His wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

JOHN C. GREGORY, farmer, P. O. Cob- den, was born in Union County, Ill., on his present farm, September 11, 1836, to John and Sarah (Leonard) Gregory. They were

natives of North Carolina, but came here in 1819, and settled in the woods on what is now our subject's farm. They were the parents of twelve children, eleven of whom lived to have families of their own, the other dying when small. He died February 24, 1866, and was some months over seventy-five years of age; Mrs. Gregory, however,' lived till December 16, 1882, and died at the age of about eighty three years. When they first came to the county, their neighbors were so few that they had to neighbor with all for six or seven miles around, going that dis- tance to help a neighbor when he needed it. Our subject received his education in the schools of the county, and his occupation has always been that of farming on the old homestead, which he now owns. In August, 1862, he enlisted in Company E, Eighty- first Illinois Volunteer Infantry, Col. James Dollins, and served till June, 1865, when he received his discharge. Soon after his en- listment, he was taken with a severe spell of sickness, and after being in the hospital for several months he partially recovered, but not so as to continue with his regiment, so he was transferred to the Invalid Corps, and served his last fifteen months around Wash- ington City. June 15, 1859, he was married to Miss Elizabeth L. Anderson. She was also born and raised in this county, daughter of Cornelius and Susan (Morris) Anderson. She died in the county; he, however, is still living. Mr. and Mrs. Gregory have three children-Andrew J., Emma F. and Willis T. His farm consists of 160 acres, about 100 being in cultivation, on which he raises mostly corn, wheat and stock; however, he gives some attention to berry-raising. In politics he is a Republican. He is now filling his first term as Justice of the Peace. He and wife are members of the Christian Church.

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CYRUS HARRELD, farmer and mer- chant, P. O. Alto Pass, was born in Jackson County, Ill., March 29, 1830. He is the son of James Harreld, who came to Jackson County in 1817 and entered land there, and was engaged in trading, buying and selling land, goods, etc., and died in 1844, while building the steamboat Convoy, on Big Muddy River. His ancestors were in the Revolutionary war, and five of his great- uncles were killed at King's Mountain. Mr. James Harreld was First Lieutenant in Capt. Jenkins' company of mounted volunteers in Black Hawk war, 1832. Our subject is the only son in a family of five children. His opportunities for an education were very limited-the windowless schoolhouse and other things in accordance. Their noons were the time for them to cut and carry in the wood for the big fire-place. When our subject was twenty one years of age, he en- gaged in business for himself, and since that time he has closely followed in the footsteps of his father-farming, buying and selling land, in mercantile business, buying notes, lending money, etc. He has lived on the old homestead, just across the line in Jack- son County, most all his life. In 1851, he started into the mercantile business, having a store on the old homestead. Here he con- tinued until 1860. He went to Carbondale, and for eighteen months was in the mercan- tile business there, but again returned to the old stand, and for some time was selling goods there: then sold the stock of goods, but did not remain long out of the store. In the same place, in 1872, he again engaged in business, and continued for six years, and then again sold out the stock, and avoided mercantile life till May 1, 1883, he bought his present store at Alto Pass. Here he car- ries a general stock of goods, of about $5,000 value. Besides store and other property, Mr.

Harreld has about 2,000 acres of land in the two counties of Union and Jackson. His life has been one of success, but his own energy has been his best capital. His school education, being such as he could obtain in the subscription schools of the day, was very limited, but he has continued to read and study, and in his studying he has not neg- lected the reading of law. He was married, in Carbondale, Ill., in 1857, to Miss Amelia Tuttle, daughter of Nathan Tuttle, and was born in Pennsylvania July, 1838. Mr. and Mrs. Harreld have three children living- James, William and Cora. In politics, he has always been Democratic, but will not vote for a man until he considers him worthy. Prohibition is his main standard.

J. E. HENDERSON, groceries and no- tions, Alto Pass, was born in North Carolina November 3, 1823, to Davidson and Caroline (Gray) Henderson. They were both born and raised in the same county as our subject (Mecklenburg County, N. C.). They were the parents of six children, of whom our sub- ject is the oldest and only son, so his chances for an education were very limited, as he had to do all he could toward supporting the family. Mr. H. and one sister are all who are left of the family. His father died in Missouri, where they moved when our sub- ject was but seven years old; his mother, however, died jin Preston, this county. In 1846, Mr. Henderson left Missouri, and went to Mississippi, where he remained till 1851. He then came to this county, and has re- mained here since. Up till 1866, he had always followed farming, but since that time he has been engaged in merchandising, either as proprietor or clerk. In 1866, he was in partnership, at Preston, with Samuel Spring, but after about two years they closed out, and Spring went into partnership with his brother at Cobden. Soon after this, bow-

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ever, the Spring Bros. engaged in the grain and merchandise business at Preston, and left their families at Cobden They then engaged Mr. Henderson to conduct their business at Preston for them. This con- tinued for about two years, when the Spring Bros. dissolved partnership, and Samuel Spring continued alone at Cobden. Mr. Hen- derson then clerked for him about eight years, when he commenced business for him- self at Alto Pass, in September, 1880, and now carries a stock of about $900 of groceries and notions. He is a Democrat.

C. B. HOLCOMB, farmer, P. O. Alto Pass, was born in Lockport, Will Co., Ill., January 13, 1855, to C. D. Holcomb and Ann Jeannet (Butler) Holcomb. He was born in St. Lawrence County, N. Y., but he made various changes in life, living in Canada, Vermont, Ohio, etc., till, about 1850, he settled in Lockport, Ill., where he worked for some time at his trade of printer, when he and a friend bought out the paper and continued the publication of it for some years, and then discontinued it. During Lincoln's administration, he was Postmaster at Lockport. In 1866, he came to this county, and has resided here since. Our subject was educated in the schools of Lock- port, and resided with his father till 1879, when he came to his present home, where he has been engaged in general farming since. He was married, in Cobden, December 15, 1880, to Miss Mary E. Kean, who was born in Carlyle, Clinton Co., Ill., to James and Mary Ann (Ross) Kean, both of `whom were born in Pennsylvania. He died in Nashville, Ill., she in Richview, Ill., April 10, 1872. Mr. and Mrs. Holcomb have one little son- Charlie Ross Holcomb. Mrs. Holcomb is a member of the Presbyterian Church of Cob. den. Mr. Holcomb is a member of the I. O. O. F., and is a Republican in politics.

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History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois, Part 97

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