History of Bureau County, Illinois, Part 83

Author: Bradsby, Henry C., [from old catalog] ed
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Chicago, World publishing company
Number of Pages: 776

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was born August 2, 1868; he is yet living. His father died October 4, 1836; his mother is now the wife of William Dunlap. Thomas B. Mason served as a soldier in our late war in Company B of the Ninety-third Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He was taken prisoner at the battle of Lookout Mountain, and died at Andersonville prison, May 3, 1864, aged twenty-four years. Mrs. Mason and her daughter Dorcas removed to Prince- ton in 1877, where they have resided ever since She yet owns the old home place, which she has managed with great success since her husband's death.

JOHN MASTERS, Leepertown. Rich- ard C. Masters, father of the above-named gentleman, was born in New York State, where he spent his youth. He was married in Virginia to Agnes Cochran, a native of that State. About four years later, in 1810, they removed to Kentucky, where they resid- ed until 1826, when they came to Illinois and settled at Springfield. In 1833 he came to Bureau County and built a house, and the following year brought his family, settling three miles north of Dover. By trade he was a wagon-maker, and had followed that until he came to Bureau County, when he invested in land, and afterward gave his attention to farming. He resided here until a short time before his death, when he went to live with his son Robert, in Minnesota, and died there in 1872, at the age of eighty-seven years. His wife died in this county about three years previous, at the age of seventy-two years. They were the parents of five sons and one daughter: Robert C., of Northfield, Minn .; John, of Bureau County; Elvina, wife of Thomas Cole, died in 1882; James, of Nebraska City, Neb .; A. Campbell, died in 1878 in this county, and William, of Fort Scott, Kan. John Masters was born May 1, 1811, in Warren County, Ky., near Bowling Green, coming with his parents to this county in 1834. His occupation has been that of farming and milling. In 1839 he built a saw-mill, and for the last twenty years has been in the grist-mill business, most of the time on the present site, which was first built upon by James Peters in 1833, lo- cated on Big Bureau, Section 18. He was married March 4, 1841, to Maria Belknap,

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HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY.

born in New York State, August 19, 1822. She came to this county from Ohio, and died April 26, 1878. She was the mother of five sons and one daughter, viz .: Arzy, Miles, both at the Red Mill; Edgar and Oren, at Farming- ton, Iowa; Parker, of Council Bluffs, Iowa; Lillie, wife of Charles Averill, of Leepertown Township. All of the sons are millers. Miles Masters, born December 4, 1846, in Dover Township, was married February 6, 1868, to Lana A. Rhodes. She was born in Pennsyl- vania, July 12, 1849. They have five children, viz .: Lewis G., born November 23, 1868; Nettie M., September 12, 1870; Alford P., May 9, 1874; Ora D., October 5, 1876; Lil- lia M .. July 13, 1881. He was in the service in Company A, One Hundred and Forty- eighth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, for about five months at the close of the war.

C. H. MASTERS, Princeton, was born in Bureau County, Ill., February 4, 1843. His early life was spent in this county till 1S52, when he went to Missouri and Kansas with his father, and resided in different places till 1861, when he enlisted in Company B, Tenth Kansas Volunteer Infantry, and served in the army till September 30, 1865, when he received his discharge. His service was ren- dered mostly on the frontier. In 1861 he was in Gen. Lane's famous brigade, but most of the time was under the command of Gen. Blunt, but was under Gen. Thomas at the bat- tle of Nashville, December 15, 1864, at which battle he was wounded, and was confined to the hospital for six months, but returned to his regiment as soon as able, and served till its discharge. During his service he did provost duty in St. Louis for nine months, while Gen. Rosecrans was commander of the department. In 1866 Mr. Masters came again to Princeton, and began learning pho- tography with his uncle, W. H. Masters. In 1869 he started a gallery for himself, and with the exception of a short intermission has continued in the business ever since, and has met with the success he so evidently deserves. In politics he is identified with the Repub- lican party. He is a member of the Ferris Post, No. 309, G. A. R. He was married, in Princeton, Ill., September 3, 1867, to Miss Mary Mathews, a native of Vermont, and a daughter of Henry Mathews, deceased. Our

subject's father, A. C. Masters, was one of the early settlers of Bureau County. (See sketch of his brother, John Masters.) By trade he was a cabinet-maker, but most of his life in this county was spent on the farm. He died in Buda, about 1878.

E. M. MATSON, Dover. Peter Matson, father of the gentleman whose name heads this sketch, was born in Virginia in 1802. He was married when about nineteen years of age to Jane Dawson, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1800. Both had removed with their parents to Ohio when children, and there grew to maturity. In 1845, with their ten children, they came to Illinois, and landed at Hennepin, after having come down the Ohio and up the Mississippi and Illinois Riv- ers, spending their first night in the ware- house by the river. They then settled in Dover Township, and it was here that Mr. Matson died in 1854; his wife, however, sur- vived him many years. Our subject, E. M. Matson, is the oldest of the family of ten children, and was born October 28, 1822. One son, John, was shot on the battle-field at Missionary Ridge during the Civil war. The remainder of the family except one daughter still survive. Mr. Matson has lived in this county since 1845. When they landed here he had the only $5 the family possessed, and that he gave to his mother and went to work by the month, but soon began farming for himself. He pre-empted a farm of eighty acres, traded for a log-cabin which he moved to his land, and then began its improvement. He has since continued adding to his farm, until he now owns 557 acres. Most of his attention has been given to stock-raising, and he is now, one of the largest growers of hogs in the county. When twenty-four years old he was married to Nancy Clark, a sister of George Clark, of Dover Township. Eleven years after their marriage his wife died, leav- ing two sons-Milton and George C., both living in Ohio Township. In 185S Mr. Mat- son was married to Helen Westbrook, daugh- ter of Thomas Westbrook, a native of Penn- sylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Matson have seven children, all at home, viz .: Leroy, Marion, Charles, Oscar, Cora B., Ida and Effie. In politics Mr. Matson has been identified with the Republican party since its organization.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

He and his wife are members of the Meth- odist Protestant Church of Limerick.

NEHEMIAH MATSON (deceased) was born July 19, 1816, in Belmont County, Ohio. He was a son of Enos Matson, who was a native of Pennsylvania; born April 19, 1784. N. Matson spent his early life on a farm. His opportunities for gaining an education were somewhat limited, but he made some advance in the sciences, especially mathematics. In the spring of 1836 he came to Bureau County with his parents and worked on his father's farm until his marriage to Electa Mead, in 1841. She is a daughter of Sam- uel and Polly (Potter) Mead, natives of Mas- sachusetts. The father was born November 13, 1793. His occupation has been that of farming, and for twenty years was Justice of the Peace. He came to Bureau County in 1851, and is now living in New York, at an advanced age. His wife, Polly Mead, was born August 13, 1793, and died here in May, 1857. She was the mother of eight chil- dren, three of whom are now living, viz., Mrs. Electa Matson, Mrs. Dorcas Fish and Mrs. Lorinda Filkins. After his marriage Mr. Matson settled on his own farm, five miles north of Princeton, on the old Dixon road. In later years he resided in Prince- ton, and gave his attention to his business interests. He was a diligent writer, and al- though he labored under great disadvan- tages, much credit is due to him for the work he accomplished. He was one of the pioneers of the county, and took an active interest in all that pertained to the settle- ment not only of the county but of the State, also. As a result of his research in this di- rection we have his "Reminiscenses of Bu- reau County," from which many quotations will be found in the general history; also "The Pioneers of Illinois," "French and In- dians of the Illinois River," and "Memories of Shaubena." Besides these, he also pub- lished a map, an atlas and sketches of Bu- reau County. "Beyond the Atlantic" is a description, in his own peculiar way, of what he observed while on a visit to the Old World. He also wrote a novel entitled "Ra- conter." Mr. Matson was a successful busi- ness man, and at his death, which occurred October 3, 1883, he left quite a large fund

for establishing a public library in Prince- ton. A magnificent granite monument is erected to his memory in Oakland Cemetery, at Princeton.

NEAL McARTHUR, Wyanet, was born in Argyleshire, Campbelltown, Scotland, in 1820. He is a son of Daniel and Flora McArthur. His father died in Scotland, but his mother, two brothers and three sisters came to this country. One brother, James, lives in Kan- sas, the other, David, in Missouri; the sisters reside in this county. Neal McArthur, our subject, came to America in 1839. For about one year he lived at Ottawa, Ill., then came to Bureau County and has since made his home here. When he first started in this county he had nothing, but through his own industry he now owns the farm on which he resides, consisting of 326} acres, lying in Wyanet and Princeton Townships. He was married December 18, 1846, to Ruth Galer, a sister of A. T. Galer (see sketch). She was the mother of seven children, five of whom are living: David, born January 17, 1848; Amzy, born December 17, 1850; Adam, born November 6, 1853; Daniel, born November 18, 1855; Agnes, born May 6, 1858. Mr. McArthur having lost his first wife, was married again May 6, 1862, to Eva Mary Wertz. She has one child living, Laura, born March 11, 1870. In politics Mr. Mc- Arthur is a Republican. He is a member of the Protestant Methodist Church of Prince- ton. Of his family David lives in Griswold, Cass Co., Iowa, and all the others live at home on the old farm. All the sons are married. Amzy McArthur was married Oc- tober 16, 1879, to Celia A. Thompson, born in Morgan County, Ohio, August 27, 1860. She is a daughter of John and Sarah (Mc- Daniels) Thompson. The mother is dead, but the father is still a resident of this county. Amzy was reared on the farm, and attended the schools in the country and also at Prince- ton. He is a Republican in politics.

ALEXANDER MCCALL, Princeton, was born in Belmont County, Ohio, April 28, 1818. He is the son of Matthew and Nancy (Sharp) McCall. The father was a native of Scotland and the mother of Ireland. They were among the early settlers of Belmont County, Ohio, where they were married, and

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HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY.

cleared a farm in the woods, on which they lived till their deaths. Our subject was reared on the farm, and educated in the log schoolhouse of his native county. When twenty-two years of age he went to Greene County, Ohio, but six years later returned to Belmont County, where he remained until 1853, when he came to Bureau County, Ill., and settled on his farm in Sections 10 and 11, in Dover Township, where he continued to reside until March, 1880, when he came to Princeton. He still retains part of his farm, which lies in Section 11, Dover Town- ship. His occupation has always been that of farming. He was married in Greene County, Ohio, October 9, 1845, to Mary Vickrey, who was born in Greene County, Ohio, June 26, 1825. She is the daughter of Christopher and Mary (Arey) Vickrey. The mother was of German descent, and was reared in Green- briar County, Va. The father, who was of Irish descent, was a native of North Carolina, where he lived until he was eighteen years of age and then went to Greene County, Ohio, where he engaged in farming until his fami- ly was grown, and then came to Bureau County. Both died in Dover Township. Mr. and Mrs. McCall have six children living and four dead, viz .: John, born July 13, 1848, of Dover Township; Mary J., born April 9, 1850, wife of Samuel Lawrence of Antelope County, Neb .; Agnes, born October 23, 1857, wife of Louis Archer of Cherry County, Neb .; Martha, born January 10, 1858, of Arlington; Joseph, born October 23, 1860, of Dover Township; Margaret, born March 16, 1864, of Malden; Thomas, born August 1, 1846, died May 23, 1872; Matthew, born January 10, 1854, died Sep- tember 3, 1855; Maggie, born April 28, 1856, died May 19, 1856; Amanda A., born Angust 16, 1862, died July 30, 1881. In politics Mr. McCall has always been a Democrat.

McCONIHE FAMILY. The earliest au- thentic account of the family of McConihe, McConchy or Maconochie, and otherwise spelled, in Scotland, reaches back to the year 1349. The account taken in 1850 from the diploma (of the coat armorial) and papers in the Scottish office of the Lord Lion, King- at-Arms, now in the Charter chest of the family, is furnished by Lord Meadowbank,

residing at Kirknewton, near Edinburgh. Lord Meadowbank's name became famous by being the first to proclaim to the world the real author of the Waverly novels. An account of this promulgation can be found in Scott's Chronicles of the Canongate, in the Introduction. In the year 1349 Sir Neil Campbell, of Lockawe, Argyleshire, Scotland, who was the Chief of the powerful clan of Campbell, married for his first wife a sister of Robert Bruce, and from them the Camp- bells of Argyleshire sprang. By his second wife, a daughter of Sir John Cameron, he had a son, Duncan, who was the father of Dongal, so called from the mother's family. Duncan, the son of Dougal, received, accord- ing to the Celtic custom, the patronymic McDowill Vic Conachie, which, shortened into McConachie, came to be applied to each succeeding chieftain of the Inverawe family, while the cadets bore the name of Campbell. The present representative of the line is Alexander Maconochie, before mentioned, who succeeded to the title of Lord Meadow- bank on the death of his father, Allan Macon- ochie, a Judge of ability and attainments. The Meadowbank seat was purchased by the Chief of the clan immediately after the En- glish revolution of 1688, with the money paid by the Government in lieu of a former estate. He had been second in command of the Duke of Argyles' army in the struggle of the Cove. nanters with the Royalists, and his estate had been forfeited to the crown on the resto- ration of Charles II. The different branches of the family, some of which had still further shortened the name into McConachy and McConihe, suffered during that reign. When the law against conventicles was enacted un- der the administration of Lauderdale, the progenitor of the house of McConihe in America was a Presbyterian, of Argyleshire. The measure proving ineffectual, Lauderdale took advantage of an expression in the statute in which conventicles were designated as seminaries of rebellion. The western coun- ties abounded in conventicles, and in 1678, in a time of profound peace, these counties were declared in rebellion and troops were quartered upon the people. Rapine and out- rage ensued. Among those who crossed the channel for conscience's sake were John

585

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

McConihe and Samuel Campbell, the pater- nal and maternal ancestors of the present McConihes in America. They took up their abode in Londonderry, Ireland. John McConihe was born in Argyleshire, Scotland, December 22, 1669, and removed at the age of nine years with his parents to London- derry. But they were disappointed in their expectations, as they found that the laws against dissenters and in favor of Church and State were continually growing more and more oppressive. Nothing could make them yield their adherence to the Presbyterian Church, and they suffered extremely from persecution, as did all the Protestants dur- ing the reigns of Charles I and James II. In addition to this they had to pay tithes, being one-tenth of their increase, for the support of the Established Church, and they could only hold their lands by lease, and not ,

as proprietors of the soil. Ardently desiring the full enjoyment of civil aud religious lib- erty, they looked to America, and in the sum- mer of 1718 a large number, with their fam

ilies and four Presbyterian ministers, em- barked in five ships and arrived at Boston the 4th of August. On landing they united in solemn acts of devotion and sang the 137th Psalm. John McConihe with fifteen others and their families formed a company and established a settlement called Nutfield, afterward Londonderry, N. H. Dur-

ing their first season they cultivated a field

Field, on the bank of West Running Brook, in common, known to this day as Common

which field was afterward allotted to John McConihe, who was the oldest of the com-

pany. The original deed recorded February

9, 1722, per John Goffe, Town Clerk, is still in the possession of the family. John

McConihe moved to Bedford, N. H., in 1751.

He died there the last of October, 1760, and was buried by the side of his wife, Mary, in

the old burying ground. While in Ireland, he (with two of his brothers, who were slain,)

was engaged with the Protestants in the

Quartermaster in dealing out provisions. He famous siege of Londonderry, and acted as

had four brothers and three sisters. He was

married in Ireland and had two sons-John and Samuel-and three daughters. John McConihe, second, was born in Londonderry

October 10, 1740, and removed with his par- ents in 1751 to Bedford (now Merrimack), where he died April 18, 1815. He took active part in the old French war for several years. He married, in 1773, Sarah Campbell, oldest daughter of Deacon Samuel Campbell, who was ruling Elder in the Presbyterian Church at Windham, N. H., for thirty-four years. She was born July 24, 1745, and was a member of the aforesaid church for the remarkable period of seventy-one years. She died No- vember 28, 1836. John and Sarah McConihe had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. Of those who lived to maturity were: Mary Ann, born February 2, 1777, married David Washburn, and settled in Lebanon, N. Y .; Samuel, born September 16, 1778, died June 14, 1853, (five children, two of whom died in infancy); Sarah, born September 15, 1783, married James Campbell, of Livermore, Me .; Isaac, born August 22, 1787, died November 1, 1817, (twelve chil- dren, four died in infancy); John McConihe, third, born in Merrimack, October 10, 1785, and died September 14, 1840. His death was occasioned by a fall from the great beam in his barn. He was married to Ruth Noyes, In Atkinson, by Rev. Stephen Peabody, April 30, 1812. Ruth Noyes, daughter of James Noyes, was born in Atkinson, N. H., August 6, 1786, and died in Manchester, N. H., An- gust 16, 1860. The children of John and Ruth McConihe are: Hannah Noyes, born February 8, 1813, married John Brown, May 27, 1832, settled in Buda, Ill., (seven chil- dren); Mary Ann, born October 10, 1814. died December 31, 1817; Perkins Woodbury, born June 2, 1816, died December 29, 1817; Mary Ann, born January 30, 1818, died No- vember 6, 1881, married Horace Johnson, settled in Manchester, N. H. (four children);

Lurena, born November 18, 1819, married Justus Stevens, settled in Princeton, Ill., (eight children); Mandana, born April 14, 1822, married James Thomson, settled in Princeton, Il]. (two daughters); Eliza Jane,

born January 7, 1824, married Rev. Lucien

Farnham, who was the first Congregational minister at Princeton. Settled in Newark,

Ill., where he died July, 1874 (one daughter).

LUCIEN HARPER McCONIHE was born at Merrimack, N. H., October 10, 1825. He

586

HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY.

was educated at Francestown Academy, and at Appleton Academy, New Ipswich, N. H .; came to Princeton in September 18, 1845; was engaged in the mercantile business for several years in partnership with his brother Massillon and Justus Stevens, after which they carried on extensive farming in the townships of Bureau and Walnut. In the spring of 1880 he went to Wyoming Terri- tory, where he remained for about three years. He now resides in Osage, Iowa, where he is engaged in farming with his son. He was married in Princeton, May 6, 1851, to Mrs. Isabella Bubach Wilson, who was born in Lancaster, Penn. They had two daughters-Ruthelia Bolle and Elizabeth Harper-and one son. Ruthelia Belle was married to Harry Cooper, of Aurora, Ill., May 18, 1876; died March 10, 1880. She left one daughter. The son, Lucien Forrest Mc- Conihe, was born March 5, 1858, and is the last and only male representative in this generation of John McConihe, third.

JOHN MASSILLON McCONIHE was born at Merrimack, N. H., September 21, 1827; was educated at Amherst, N. H., and at Francestown Academy; came to Princeton in September, 1848; was engaged extensively in mercantile business and farming with his brother and Justus Stevens. During Bu- chanan's administration he was appointed Postmaster of Princeton. In politics the McConihes have always acted with the Democratic party. Mr. McConihe is now Chairman of the County Democratic Central Committee and is a member of the State Democratic Central Committee, and was a delegate to the National Democratic Conven- tion at Chicago in 1884. He was elected Marshal of Princeton in 1879, and held that office till 1884. June 30, 1853, he married Miss Caroline L. Moseley, who was born in Princeton, and is the daughter of Roland Moseley, who came from Westfield, Mass., in 1831.

MORRIS McDONALD, Westfield, was born May 28, 1833, near Albany, N. Y. His par- ents, Morris and Johanna (Manning) Mc- Donald, were natives of County Kerry, Ire- land. They came to the United States in 1831, and lived near Albany, N. Y., about five years, and then removed to Fall River,

Mass., where they resided nearly fourteen years. In 1849 Morris McDonald, Sr., came to Bureau County, Ill., and bought 120 acres of land. The family came the follow- ing year. The parents died on their home- stead in Westfield Township. They had ten children, of whom seven came to Bureau County, Ill., but only two of them are now living here, viz .: Mrs. Hannanora Coughlin and Morris McDonald, Jr., our subject. Morris McDonald was reared here and has made farming his occupation, in which he has been successful. He has now a farm of 120 acres. Religiously he is a member of the Catholic Church, and politically is con- nected with the Democratic party.

W. McFARLAND, Neponset, was born De- cember 29, 1823, in Berkeley County, Va. He is a son of John McFarland, who was born De- cember 3, 1793, in Loudoun County, Va. He died April, 1857, in Sheffield, to which he came in 1856. He was a shoe maker by oc- cupation. The grandfather of our subject, William McFarland, Sr., was a native of Scotland. He came to America with Lord Dunmore, the Governor of Virginia, as a British soldier. He was an excellent swords- man, and fought with Gen. Wolfe in the French and Indian war, and was also at the battle of Quebec. He was one of a family of twelve children, and after the war settled in Virginia, where he died. His wife, Nancy Kingore, was born in the United States. Her parents were natives of Ireland, but of Scotch descent. She was the mother of six children, viz. : Robert, William. Landers, John, Nancy and Katie The mother of our subject, Elizabeth (Bailey) McFarland, was born, 1787 in Berkeley County, Va. She died, 1854, in Miami County, Ind. Her father, John Bailey, was of English descent. She had seven children, viz .: Landreth, John B., Robert, Jeremiah, William, Hannah and James. Mr. McFarland was educated in Ohio. At the age of sixteen he went to Miami County, Ind., where he taught school for ten years. In 1856 he came to Sheffield, Bureau Co., Ill., where he taught school. In 1860 he went to Atchison County, Kan., where he also taught school. In August, 1862, he en- listed in Company K, of the Thirteenth Kan- sas Volunteer Infantry. He served till the

587

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

close of the war, and was mustered ont June 26, 1865. He participated in the engage- ments of Cane Hill, Prairie Grove and Web- er Falls, and draws a pension. After the war our subject rejoined his family, who had returned to Bureau County in the fall of 1862. Here he taught school for eleven years. He was married in Indiana to Anna V. Donaldson, born 1832 in Ohio. Her father, William H. Donaldson, was formerly a resi- dent of Bureau County. She is the mother of four children, who are all married, viz .. Sarah E., Mary J., Elizabeth A. and Anna. Mr. McFarland is a member of the William S. Bryan Post, No. 284. G. A. R. Politi- cally he is a Democrat. He is an able corre- spondent of the Bureau County Tribune, and under the nom de plume of " Wayside," is known and appreciated far and wide.

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History of Bureau County, Illinois, Part 83

Author: Bradsby, Henry C., [from old catalog] ed Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Chicago, World publishing company Number of Pages: 776

Author: Bradsby, Henry C., [from old catalog] ed
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Chicago, World publishing company
Number of Pages: 776