USA > Illinois > Cass County > History of Cass county, Illinois > Part 31
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REV. C. R. MORRISON, M. E. minister;
Bluff Springs; was born in Seott County, Ill., Nov. 27, 1852; son of Robert and Alvira A. (Gillham) Morrison. Robert Morrison is a native of Virginia; born Dec. 12, 1811; he is a farmer by occupation, and resides in Fre- mont County, Ia .; his wife was born in what is now Scott County, Ill., in May, 1821, and was the first female white child born in that county; of their eleven children, five are de- ceased. Mr. Morrison received his primary education in the country schools; in 1871, he entered a preparatory school in Jackson- ville, Ill., and in 1873, entered the Illinois College in that place, where he graduated in 1878, being valedictorian of the graduating class. He afterward spent one year in the Theological Seminary at Evanston, Ill. He began his career as a minister of the M. E. Church, in the Waverly Circuit, Morgan County, Ill., and has ever since been a minis- ter of the gospel. In Jacksonville, Ill., Feb. 2, 1882, he married Margaret Rees, a native of Morgan County, Ill., born June 2, 1863, daughter of Dr. Edwin and Margaret Res; he, a native of Pennsylvania, born in 1810; she, born near Jacksonville, Ill., in 1828. Mrs. Morrison was a graduate of the Illinois Female College class of 1881. Mr. Morrison is a Republican.
WILLIAM H. McCORMICK, "distiller, Beardstown; was born in Indianapolis, Ind., Feb. 24, 1838, and received his education in his native city. At fourteen years of age he began working as train boy, and at other employments, and at the age of nineteen be- came conductor of a train running between Indianapolis, Ind., and Cincinnati, O., re- maining in that position, on that road, till 1873, with the exception of four years, which he spent in Tennessee. He went to that State in 1863, and was employed as conductor on the Nashville and Chattanooga, and Nash- ville and Northwestern Railroads till 1866, when he returned to Indianapolis, and was
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employed by the company he had formerly worked for as conductor, running between Cincinnati, O., and Lafayette, Ind., until 18:3. In that year he retired from railroad- ing, and devoted his attention to the livery business, in Lafayette, Ind., till 1820, when he sold out and removed to Beardstown. He then again engaged in his former occupation of conductor, on the Springfield division of the O. & M. Railroad, until the spring of 1880, when he engaged in the distilling business in Beardstown. In 1858, he married Emma A. Brown, of Indianapolis, Ind.
HENRY MENKE, retired druggist; Beardstown; was born in Bremen, Germany, Dec. 15, 1813; his father was a native of Bremen, Germany, was born Feb. 4, 1780, and died in 1854; his mother, Maria (Lamke) Menke, died in 1847; they came to America in 1834. Of their family, Henry and Mrs. Hoffman are the only survivors. Henry be- gan learning the baker's trade at the age of fourteen, and afterward spent a year and a half learning the brewing business. He came to America with his parents, and settled near Arenzville, in 1834, where his father purchased 200 acres of land, on which our subject lived for about thirteen years. He then, in compa- ny with his brother, engaged in the drug busi- ness in Beardstown, in 1847, and his brother dying in the fall of that year, he continued the business alone about two years, then sold out to the former proprietor, Dr. T. A. Hoffman, and remained in the employ of the latter ten years; then bought the business back again, and continued it until 1879, when he sold out and retired from business life. IIe became a stockholder and Director of the Illinois Insurance Company, and was its first President; the charter and name of this company, about two years later, was changed to the Cass County Bank, and Mr. Menke has acted as President of the organization, in all, about ten years. He married, Jan. 12, 1848,
Alice A. Fletcher, a native of Lancashire, England, who died in October, 18:3. She bore him three sons, two living-Henry and William Edward. In June, 1874, he married Mrs. Mary Dennis, née Osmotherly, a native of Kent, England.
Z. E. MAINE, farmer; P. O., Beards- town; is a native of this county; born in Beardstown Precinct, near the town of Beards- town, March 30, 1849, son of Loderick L. and Sarah (Calif ) Maine. Loderick L. Maine was born in Stafford Springs, Conn., March 24, 1786, and is still living; he was a carpenter by trade; his wife was a native of New Hamp- shire; they had had five children. Our sub- ject attended school in this precinct eleven years, and also two years in Beardstown, and engaged in farming in this precinct, where he has since pursued that occupation, with the exception of two years, 18:0-71, which he spent in Iowa. He married in this precinct, Feb. 23, 1869, Ellen Mckean, a native of Monroe Precinct, this county, born March 23, 1847, who has borne him three children: Minta (deceased), Lucas A. (deceased), and Minnie. Mrs. Maine is a daughter of John and Nancy MIcKean; he a native of Pennsylvania, born in
1806; she, a native of West Virginia. Mr. Maine is a Greenbacker, and a member of Lodge No. 23, A. F. and A. M., Beardstown.
EDMUND P. MILLER, livery; Beards- town; was born in Greenburg, Green County, Ky., March 25, 1819; son of Major William and Martha (Winlock) Miller. Major William Miller was born in Virginia in 1790; removed to Green County, Ky., when a boy, and learned the carpenter's trade, at which he worked several years; afterward kept hotel in Greenburg, Ky., in Springfield, Ill., and in Jacksonville, Ill. In 1843 he removed to this county, and died in Beardstown in 1864. He served in both campaigns of the Black Hawk War, being captain during the first, and pro- moted to the rank of Major in the second
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campaign; he was a stanch Whig. His wife, who was a native of Virginia, died in 1856, aged sixty-eight years; they have had eight children, six of whom are living: Edmund P. came with his parents to St. Louis, Mo., in 1827, then in 1829, to Jacksonville, Ill., where he resided until 1843; and in the fall of 1844 came to Beardstown, and purchased a farm four miles from the town, and engaged in farming in this precinct until 1881; he owned some of the best farms in the county, and en- gaged largely in raising grain. He purchased, at the administrator's sale of the effects of the late David Drake, his present livery stables, and does a good livery and feed business; has accommodation for fifty horses. In 1857 be married Catharine, daughter of William Wright, of Schuyler County, Ill .; they have five children living.
PHILIP MILLER, retired; Beardstown; was born in Schoenberg, Hesse-Darmstadt, May 1, 1825. At the age of sixteen he began learning the tailor's trade, in his native State, at which he served three years, then traveled as a journeyman for five years, and in 1850 came to America, and worked two and a half years in the city of New York. In October, 1852, he came to Beardstown, where he con- ducted a tailor shop for some time, then be- came cutter for Von Alstine three years, then for E. P. Chase nine years. In 1869, in partnership with William Huppers, under the firm name of Huppers & Miller, he opened a merchant tailoring and clothing house, and after changing their location, they built the business block now occupied by Huppers & Cowen, where they carried on business till February, 1881, when Mr. Miller sold out his interest in the stock and building, and retired from active business life, on account of failing health. In November, 1855, he married Sarah, daughter of Joseph Ruff, of Beards- town.
WILLIAM F. MOHLMANN; Beards-
town; was born in the village of Hafer, Prov- ince of Minden, Prussia, Dec. 12, 1836, and came to this country when thirteen years of age, with his father, who settled at Beards- town in 1849. He learned the carpenter's trade; also studied architecture. His father was a cabinet-maker, and was born in 1813, his wife being Miss Anna Teilkemeyer, and raised four children, W. F. being the oldest. The father died Jan 10, 1882. He served as alderman, and was a member of the Lutheran Church for thirty-three years. Our subject in 1875 bought the furniture factory of his father, and carried on the business there till January, 1882, when he moved into the building, which he erected in 1881, on the corner of Jeffer- son and Second Sts., where he keeps a large and well-assorted stock of furniture. He also attends to the undertaking business. In 1858 he married Miss Lydia Looman, of Beardstown, and has three sons and three daughters living.
CHARLES J. NORBURY, merchant and salesman, Beardstown; was born in Philadel- phia, Pa., May 22, 1812, and at seventeen years of age entered a commission house in that city, and was afterward in a wholesale dry goods house there till 1836. In April of that year he came to Beardstown, where for four years he managed the receiving and shipping business for Mr. Bassett, who did an extensive forwarding and commission bus- iness, chiefly in pork, lard and grain. In 1840, Mr. Norbury bought a wharf boat, and engaged in the receiving and shipping busi- ness, on his own account, for several years; then carried on a boat store, supplying pack- ets with provisions, etc., for three or four years. About the year 1855 he became a member of the firm of George Plahn & Co., with which he was connected in the general merchandising business, for fourteen years. He then engaged in the same business on his own account, till 1874, and for the past five
-
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years has been employed as salesman for Rearick & Beatty. In January, 1839, he married Elizabeth, daughter of Rev. Thomas Spence; they have had thirteen children, two of whom are deceased.
WILLIAM C. NOLTE, grain merchant, Bluff Springs; was born in Beardstown, Nov. 15, 1844; only child of Louis H. and Mary (Boldt) Nolte, natives of Germany. Louis H. Nolte, who was a carpenter by trade, died in October, 1846; his widow, who is still liv- ing, was born in October, 1807. Mr. Nolte attended school in Beardstown till he was fourteen years of age, and then began life as a farmer; afterward he learned the cooper's trade, and worked on the C. B. & Q. and the O. & M. Railroads, for some time. During the late war he served ten months in Co. A., 65th III. Vols., under Captain Mcclellan. He married, Oct. 4, 1866, Mary M. Jaques, born Jan. 13, 1849, who has borne him five children: Ellen E., Louis W., Harry F., Carrie A. and Maud M. Mrs. Nolte is a daughter of William C. and Elizabeth A. Jaques, natives of Pennsylvania; he, born April 25, 1822; she, born Jan, 19, 1830. Mr. Nolte is a men- ber of Lodge No. 97, Grand Army of the Republic, in Beardstown; he is a Republi- can.
J. W. NEWBURNE, farmer and gardener; was born in Glassboro, N. J., June 10, 1846; only surviving child of a family of nine, born to John and Lydia (Simmerman) New- burne, natives of New Jersey. John New- burne, subject's father, was born in 1816, and engaged in the manufacture of glass, and also in farming, and at present resides in Glass- boro, N. J., retired from active life; his wife was born in 1820. J. W. resided in his native town till he was twelve years of age, when he removed to Clayton, N. J., then called Fislertown, where he attended school until 1864, then taught school until he was twenty-two years of age. In 1868 he married
Rebecca, daughter of John and Martha Flem- ing, of Paulsboro, N. J., and in 1869 settled near Beardstown, this county, where, seven years after, Mrs. Newburne died, leaving two children-twins. In 1875 he returned to New Jersey, where he married Elizabeth, daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth Zane, of Glassboro, N. J., and returned to this county the same year. He makes a specialty of raising melons and sweet potatoes, and has met with good success. He shipped the first forty barrels of sweet potatoes by boat to Chicago, and afterward the first car-load shipped from this county to that city. He has one child living, Harry Walter, the other, Emily Luella, haring died when one year old. Mrs. Newburn's father was born in Philadelphia, Penn., in 1812, and for many years followed the trade of glass-blowing, but of late years has engaged in farming.
PEOPLE'S BANK was organized in April, 1877, as a private banking institution. Its first Board of Directors were John H. Harris, John H. Hagener, William Jockisch, J. A. Arenz, S. L. Calif. The capital stock was $10,000, originally, and in less than five years returned in dividends seventy per cent of its capital stock, besides a reserve of $1,50). Feb. 1, 1882, the capital stock was increased to $15,000, at the same time establishing a a branch bank at Arenzville. John H. Harris and T. R. Condit are, and have been since its organization, President and Cashier, respect- ively, of the institution. The present Direct- ors are Harris, Hagener, Schultz, Jockisch, and Saylor. A. J. Saylor is President, and C. H. Condit, Cashier, of the branch at Arenz- ville. Mr. Thomas H. Condit was born in Winchester, Scott County, Ill., on Feb. 11, 1856, and at the age of seventeen commenced as book-keeper in First National Bank, at Winchester. In 1874 he came to Beards- town, and took the position of cashier of a private bank; in 1877 was elected cashier of
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the People's Bank, and still holds that posi- tion. He married, in February, 1877, Miss Hattie Dutch, daughter of John R. Dutch, of Beardstown.
WILLIAM H. PASCHALL, farmer; P. O. Beardstown; was born in Hancock County, Ill., May 4, 1840; and is a son of Coleman and Sarah (Street) Paschall, natives of Ten- nessee, and parents of eleven children; he, a farmer by occupation, born in 1809, died in April, 1852; she, born in 1810, died in 1863. Mr. Paschall received a fair education, and has always been a farmer in this county, where, Dec. 24, 1863, he married Emeline Dunn, daughter of John Dunn, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work; she was born in this county June 30, 1845, and died Sept. 2, 1872; from this marriage four children were born: Harriet E., William Robert (deceased), John Albert, and Mary A. Mr. Paschall married in December, 1873, Mary A. Dunn, sister of his first wife, born in this county March 13, 1843; from this marriage there has been born one child, Myrtle. He is a member of the M. E. Church, and a Re- publican.
HERMAN PHILIPPI, farmer; Beards- town; was born in this county, April 23, 1844; son of Pompeius Philippi, whose biography appears elsewhere in this work. Mr. Philippi received his education chiefly 'in Arenzville, and has always been a farmer in this county. He married April 9, 1870, Mary Weinhold, a native of this county; born March 2, 1847, daughter of William and Barbara Weinhold; to this union five children have been born: Lena, born May 14, 1871; Emma and Emil (twins), born May 14, 1874; Lula, born Dec. 23, 1878; and Laura, born Sept. 12, 1879. Emil died Sept. 3, 1874. Mr. Philippi is a supporter of the Republican party.
STARK H. PHELPS, farmer; P. O. Beardstown; is a native of Bertie County, N. C., born Nov. 2, 1847; son of William H.
and Martha (Measels) Phelps; parents of seven children. William H. Phelps was born in North Carolina, Feb. 2, 1817, and is still living; he is a cooper by trade. Stark H. received his education in this county, and began life as a farmer, which occupation he still pursues. In this precinct, Jan. 30, 1878, he married Clara M. Hager; born Dec. 10, 1861, daughter of Lyman and Cornelia (Spald- ing) Ilager; he, a native of New Hampshire, born Aug. 30, 1828; she, a native of Indiana, born Jan. 15, 1838, died Dec. 23, 1878. Mr. and Mrs. Phelps have had three children: Herbert E. (died Nov. 10, 1878), Charles E. and Olive M. Mr. Phelps is a Republican; he is a member of Lodge No. 16, I. O. O. F. in Beardstown, and is connected with the M. E. Church.
C. E. PARKER, Physician, Beardstown; was born in Amherst, Hillsboro Co., N. H., Oct. 4, 1813. He entered Dartmouth Col- lege in 1830, and graduated in 1834. He then entered upon a course of medical study: first in Dartmouth, then Harvard, and graduated from Yale Medical Department in 1837. He located at the Insane Asylum, at Pepperell, Mass., where he remained until 1855, himself and uncle being proprietors of the establish- ment; also engaged in general practice. In 1855, he came to Beardstown, and with the ex- ception of six or seven years in the drug bus- iness in Springfield, has practiced in Beards- town. The Doctor is a member of the Illinois Medical Society, and is known and recognized as one of the oldest practitioners of his pro- fession in the State.
JOHN F. PAPPMEIER, jeweler, Beards- town; was born in Hanover, Germany, Jan. 13, 1830, and came to this country with his parents when four years of age, settling in the fall of 1833, on a farm near Beardstown where, three years later, Peter Pappmeier, the father, died. Mrs. Pappmeier afterward mar- ried John F. Heinkel, who raised our subject,
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and who worked on the farm till twenty-one years of age, when he came to Beardstown and served three years at the jewelry trade, but his sight failing, he went back to the farm. In the meantime his stepfather and his mother had both died. In 1856, he commenced re- pairing watches, and keeping a small stock of jewelry, and although located six blocks from the business center, such has been the quality of his work, that he has been exceedingly successful. In 1876, he built a fine brick store and residence; keeps constantly employed three persons, and carrying a large stock of cloeks, watches, jewelry, silverware, etc. In 1851 he married Miss Eliza, daughter of Clamor Tiemeyer, of Beardstown Precinct, and he has two sons and two daughters: John A., H. Lewis, Katie E., wife of John H. Hag- ener; and Eida. One son and two daughters are dead. He owns two fine farms, and is al- so interested in the culture of bees, having an apiary containing 130 swarms.
NORMAN PARSONS, postmaster, Beards- town; was born in Enfield, Hartford County, Ct., November 6, 1811, and went to Ohio with his father in 1815. At the age of six- teen he was apprenticed to the tanuery trade, and followed that occupation for many years, at Chardon, O., running a tannery of his own until 1854; also conducting a store, a farın, and operating in the real estate business. He was a Colonel of Militia, and a Justice of the Peace, and was Vice-President of the first Anti-Slavery Society of Geauga County, and which was organized by Joshua Giddings and Theodore W. Wells, in 1848. In 1854, Mr. Parsons came to Beardstown, where he was engaged in the wagon-making and black- smithing business for several years; he also opened a farm and improved it. In 1861, he enlisted in the Third Illinois cavalry, and served until the close of the war; was with Fremont and Curtis until after the fall of Vicksburg; was mustered out as Orderly,
having been Sergeant, Commissary Sergeant, ete .; was in the campaign in front of Richmond; was in the battles of Pea Ridge, First Vicksburg, Walnut Hill, Ar- kansas Post, Nashville, and many minor engagements; also, on recruiting service. Exposure incidental to life in the army in- jured Mr. Parsons to such extent as to disable him for active labor since. In 1869, he was appointed Postmaster at Beardstown, which position he yet ably and acceptably fills. In 1836 he married Miss Fannie A. King, of Ohio, and two sons were born to them: Mel- bourne N. and William E. Mrs. Parsons died in 1850; and in 1856 Mr. Parsons married Mrs. Sarah C. Saunders, of Beardstown. Both his sons, and a step-son served in the late war. Has been a Congregationalist and Methodist for over fifty years.
MELBOURNE N. PARSONS, assistant postmaster, Beardstown; was born in Char- don, Geauga County, O., April 30, 1841, and when thirteen years old, came to Beardstown, and apprenticed to the jeweler's trade, with John Putinan, with whom he worked for four years and three months; then engaged in farming. On Ang. 19, 1862, he enlisted in Co. C, 72d Ill. Vol. Infantry, for three years, his company forming a part of the 1st Board of Trade Regiment, raised by postmaster Scripps, of Chicago, and participated in a number of important engagements during his term of service, and after being confined by sickness to the Nashville hospital, from No- vember, 1864, to May, 1865, he was dis- charged. On his return from the army he be- gan working at the painter's trade, which he had learned when a boy, and followed paint- ing until 1874, when he became assistant postmaster, under his father. On March 21, 1861, he married Emma F. Ward, of Athens, Ill., who died Nov. 18, 1880. By this marriage four children were born, two of whom are living, viz .: Jennie and Willie. April 10,
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1882, he married Mrs. Loretta H. Robinson, of Augusta, Ill. William E. Parsons was born in Chardon, Ohio, in November, 1813; enlisted in April, 1861, in the 14th Ill. In- fantry, in the three months' service, and at the end of that time re-enlisted in Co. A, of the same regiment, for three years. He was poisoned at Rolla, Mo., in 1862, and came home, and at the end of three months, joined his regiment, participated in several impor- tant engagements, and after being confined to the Memphis hospital about six months, was discharged in 1864, and after returning home, died March 17, 1864.
JOHN E. PUTMAN, jeweler, Beardstown; was born near Rushville, Schuyler Co., IN., April 20, 1846; son of W. B. G. and Martha (Elkins) Putman, he, a native of New York State, she, of Vermont. John E. received his education in Rushville, and in January, 1866, went to Racine, Wis., where he apprenticed to the jeweler's trade, with his uncle, John Elkins, and served three years, and Feb. 25, 1869, came to Beardstown, and bought the jewelry store of H. Christianer, and remained in business till August, 1875; then sold out, and dealt in land for a time ; bought a hard- ware store in Beardstown, in exchange for land, and conducted the business for some time, under the firm name of J. E. Putman & Co. He then secured a patent for an im- provement on seat guards for harvesters, which has proved remunerative, and he is still interested in the introduction of his in- vention in different States and territories. March 1, 1882, he opened a jewelry store in Beardstown, and is doing a good trade. He owns about 1,000 acres of land in this county, some in Schuyler County, and some in Ne- braska. Ile married Emma, eldest daughter of Dr. F. Ehrhardt (deceased), April 20, 1871, and as issue of this union there were born four sons, two of whom are living : George, aged eight, and Ralph, aged five years. Mr.
Putman was elected Alderman of second ward, Beardstown, in 1879, and served one year; elected Mayor in 1880, and served one · year in that capacity. He is a Republican.
CHRISTIAN PILGER, of Pilger & Huge, merchant tailors and clothiers, Beards. town; was born in Waldeck, Prussia, in April, 1836, and at the age of fourteen ap- prenticed to the tailor's trade. at which he served two and one-half years. He then traveled for some time as a journeyman, and in June, 1855, came to this country and lo- cated at Beardstown, where he worked on a farm a short time, then worked at his trade in St. Louis two years; returned to Beards- town in 1857, and worked at his trade till 1873, with the exception of three years, during which he served as a soldier in the late war. In August, 1862, he enlisted in Co. A, 114th Ills. Vol. Infantry, which joined the Army of the Tennessee at Memphis, under General Logan, and remained in active ser- vice till August, 1865, when he was mustered out at Vicksburg, Miss .; during his term of service he participated in the engagements round Memphis, Messenger's Ford, Jackson, Miss., and Brandon; and in the pursuit of General Price. In 1873, he became a partner in the firm of Garm & Pilger, in Beardstown, and carried on a merchant tailoring and cloth- ing business under that name till 1875, when he became sole proprietor and carried on the business alone till Feb. 1, 1882, when he took in his present partner, W. F. Huge, the busi- ness being since conducted under the firm name of Pilger & Huge. Mr. Pilger married in 1858, Margaret, daughter of Jacob Schuman.
ANTON RINK, brewer, Beardstown; was born in Bavaria, Germany, August 9, 1838, and in 1850 came to this country with his parents, who settled on a farm in Perry County, Mo. Anton remained on the farm about eight years, when his father died,
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and he went to St. Louis, Mo., where he began learning the brewing business with Kunz & Hoffmeister, with whom he worked till 1860, then worked in a brewery in Peoria, Ill., till 1864. In August of that year he came to Beardstown, and with a partner bought a small brewery on La Fay- ette street, which they ran under the firm name of A. Rink & Co., till 1867, then built the present three story brick building, 42x142 feet, at a cost of $20,000, and continued busi- ness until February, 1874, when the partner- ship was dissolved, Mr. Rink becoming sole proprietor, and he has since conducted the business with good success. The establish- ment, which has a capacity of fifty barrels per day, employs from six to ten men; about 18:7, Mr. Rink established bottling works; he also manages a retail liquor store on Park Row; his ice houses have a capacity of 2,000 tons. In 1865 Mr. Rink married Margaretha Schultz, of Beardstown; they have five chil- dren living.
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