USA > Illinois > Cass County > History of Cass county, Illinois > Part 40
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DR. J. M. SWOPE, Arenzville; was born in Scott County, Ind., Dec. 13, 1854, and is a son of A. F. and Caroline T. (Sullivan) Swope; both are still living. A. F. Swope, a farmer hy occupation, was born in Kentucky; his wife is a native of Indiana; they are the parents of seven children. The doctor receiv- ed his primary education in Adams County, Ill., and, having chosen the medical profes- sion, entered the Medical University of Louis- ville, Ky., of which institution he is a gradu- ate. He began the practice of his profession in Scott County, Ill., and in the spring of 1880, moved to Arenzville, where he has since
been engaged in the duties of his profession. meeting with good success, and having a large and steadily increasing practice. In Arenzville, Dec. 7, 1880, he married Mollie J. Yeek, who was born in Arenzville, Dec. 5, 1862. They have one child, Nina Grace. (For Mrs. Swope's parents, see sketch of her brother, Edward Yeck, which appears else- where in this work.) Dr. Swope is a member of Clayton Lodge, No. 147., A. F. and A. M., and of Arenzville Lodge, No. 481, I. O. O. F .; he is a Democrat.
ALFRED M. THOMPSON, farmer; P. O. Virginia; is a native of Arenzville Precinct, this county; was born Feb. 27, 1850; son of Oswell and Elizabeth (Henderson) Thompson; natives of Ohio; he, a farmer by occupation, died Sept. 28, 1864; she, living in Virginia, this county. Alfred M., who is the seventh child of a family of eight children, received his primary education in the Union School, in this precinct, finishing at the Normal School, MeLean County, Ill. He has since followed the occupation of a farmer. He married in Virginia, this county, Sept. 10, 1872, Miranda L. Payne, a native of Cass County, Mo .; born July 25, 1854; daughter of William B. and Hannah E. Payne; her father was born in Kentucky, Aug. 24, 1824. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson are the parents of four children: Nellie (deceased), William H., David U. and Edith P. Mr. Thompson is a Democrat; he is a member of the M. E. Church; has held the office of School Director.
FERDINAND WINHOLD, farmer; P. O., Beardstown; was born in Pennsylvania, Nov. 26, 1839, and is a son of William and Barbara (Weber) Winhold; natives of Hessen, Germany. William Winhold, a farmer by occupation, still living; was born Feb. 1, 1809; came to this country in 1835, landing at Bal- timore, Md., Aug, 28, that year, and in 1841 came to this county; his wife, also living, was born in 1805; they are the parents of seven
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children-two boys and five girls. Mr. Win- hold received bis education in this county where he has always followed farming. In this county in 1866, be married Bertha Phil- ippi; born here Oct. 17, 1846; daughter of Pompeius Philippi, whose sketch appears else- where in this work. From this union nine children have been born: Rudolph F., Julius W., William P., Lena, Charles H., Eugene S., Paul, Bodo H., and Hugo B. Mr. Winhold has been School Director five years, and Road Supervisor one term, and at present holds the latter office; he is a Republican, and a mem- ber of the Union League.
EDWARD YECK, druggist, Arenzville; is a native of Arenzville, born Oct. 29, 1859, and son of Charles E. and Nancy J. (Beard) Yeck. Charles E. Yeck, who was a merchant, was born in Pennsylvania, and died Aug. 7, 1880; his wife, who is a native of Virginia, is still living; they had five children. The sub- ject of this sketch received his education principally at Quincy, and also attended school for some time at Beardstown, this coun- ty. He began the business of life as a drug- gist and hardware merchant in Arenzville, where he has since carried on business, doing a good trade. He is a Democrat.
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INDIAN CREEK PRECINCT.
P. H. CORCORAN, farmer; P. O. Meredo- sia, Morgan County; was born in County Kil- kenny, Ireland, in 1834; came to the United States at the age of fifteen years, and landed in Chicago about Dec. 1, 1849, where he worked three months for. a railroad company, receiv- ing fifteen cents per hour. From Chicago he came to Meredosia, Morgan County, where he worked for Thompson Bros., pork packers, three months; then hired to a farmer named John Dampey ; worked for him three years, and lost $360 of his wages by the failure of his employer. He went North in the fall of 1853, worked six months in the pineries of Wisconsin and Michigan; returned to Morgan County in 1854, and hired by the month at farm work for the next three years. In April, 1857, he married Miss Laurinah Graham, daughter of L. D. Graham, his employer ; from this marriage seven children were born, three of whom are living, viz .: Martha E., married to Robert McAllister, of this county; Mary L. and George E. at home. He owns 350 acres in town seventeen, in this county, all with exception of twenty acres under good cultivation. He is a Democrat, and cast his first vote for James Buchanan. Thomas Cor- coran, our subject's father, was born, and is still living in, County Kilkenny, Ireland, in advanced age; his wife died at the old home, in Ireland, in 1877. Mrs. Corcoran was born in Ross County, O., Aug. 15, 1828; her father, L. D. Graham, is a native of Ohio, and came to Morgan County, Ill., at an early day.
ISAAC DRINKWATER, deceased ; was born Feb. 17, 1817, in Indiana, and when quite young, came to Cass County, Ill. In December, 1847, he was married to Miss Sa- rah Hardy, of North Carolina, born in Ber-
tie County, in December, 1822, and came to Cass County when ten years of age. This union resulted in four children, two of whom are living; they are Henry, born July 14, 1860, and Joseph, born July, 27, 1856; both are unmarried, and live with their mother. Mr. Drinkwater died March 12, 1873, and Mrs. Drinkwater now owns the farm, con- sisting of 280 acres, valued at $5,500, where she has lived since 1847, she being the oldest settler of the precinct, with the exception of Mr. A. S. Wagner. Mrs. Drinkwater is a member of the Union Baptist Church.
J. F. HOLTMANN, farmer; P. O. Meredo- sia, Morgan County. The subject of this sketch was born in Hanover, Germany, Nov. 14, 1841. At the age of twenty, he began learning the carpenter's trade, working at it three years. In the spring of 1864 he was married to Miss Johanna Steinsbimkt, of Hanover, Germany; born in 1844, died in this county in 1866. Our subject emigrated to the United States in company with his father's family in 1866; landed at New York city; thence by rail to Naples, Ill .; thence to Indian Creek Precinct, this county, and in 1870 bought the farm on which they are now living, consisting of 197 acres, of which 125 are under cultivation. In the fall of 1881, our subject married Miss Henrietta E. Sollman, who was born in Hanover, Germany, in 1862, and came to the United States with her parents in the fall of 1881. Mr. Holtmann is the second of a family of six children, all of whom, except the oldest, reside in Illinois. He has one child, by his first marriage, viz .; Julia H., born in Germany, in August, 1866. John Henry Holtmann, our subject's father, is a native of Hanover; born in 1815. At
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the age of twenty he entered the regular army, and served twenty years. His wife, also a native of Hanover, was born in 1813. Both are living with our subject. Our sub- ject and his father are both Republicans.
G. H. JOST, farmer; P. O., Meredosia, Morgan Co .; was born in Hanover, Germany, in February, 1817. When eighteen years old he enlisted as a soldier in the Infantry of the national army, and served five years, receiving his discharge in 1840. In 1845 he sold his farm and emigrated to the United States, coming by way of New Orleans to Beards- town in November, 1845. He settled on a farm of 120 acres, on Indian Creek, where he lived eleven years ; then sold out, and bought a half section of land, where he now lives. He married a daughter of Henry Deackmeyer, of Hanover, Germany ; she was born in 1823, and died in this county in 1877, having borne him ten children, six of whom are living, and five married. The follow- ing are the names of those living in order of birth: A. H., born in Germany, 1842; Louisa, born in this county in 1846; John, born 1849; Caroline, born 1852; Annie, born 1856; Har- mon, born 1866. The average annual yield of Mr. Jost's farm in corn is 3,000 bushels; wheat 1,500 bushels; the farm is valued at $12,000. He is a Republican and has filled several offices of trust in his precinct.
G. H. KREMS, farmer; P. O., Meredosia, Morgan County; was born in the kingdom of Ilanover, Germany, Dec. 18, 1829. At the age of fifteen he came to the United States with his parents, landing at Beardstown, this county, on Jan. 18, 1845. In the spring of 1847 his father purchased a farm in Indian Creek Precinct. Our subject, when twenty- six years of age, was married to Miss Mary Schroeder, daughter of Fred. Schroeder, of Germany; she was born in Hanover, Germany, in 1834, and caine to the United States with the family of Mr. Krems. From this union
five children were born, two of whom are living, viz: Frederick, born in 1857, and Mary, in 1859. His first wife having died in 186I, in the spring of 1863 Mr. Krems again married, this time to Mrs. Catharine Bloom, widow of Henry Bloom. She was a native of Prussia; born in 1822, and died at the present residence of Mr. Krems in February, 1874. From this union there were born three children, of whom two are living, viz: Lizzie, born April 6, 1864, and Hermon H., born Aug. 25, 1867. Mr. Krems owns 489 acres of land, 300 of which are under cultivation, and engages in farming and stoek-raising; his estate is valued at $15,000. He is a Repub- lican, and a member of the Lutheran Church.
J. KNIPPENBERG, farmer; P. O. Mere- dosia, Morgan Co .; was born in 1837, in the Kingdom of Hanover, Germany, where he received a common school education. He came to the United States in the fall of 1860; landed at New York city, thence by rail to Beardstown, this county. He worked on a farm by the month for ten years. In 1870, he was married to Mrs. Mary Schroeder, widow of Henry Schroeder; she was born in Germany, in 1837; came to this country in 1846; from this union three children have been born, viz .: John H., born in Septem- ber, 1869; John Ernst, born April 7, 1871; Harmon, born in 1874, died in September, 1876. By her first marriage Mrs. Knippen- berg has three children: Annie M., married; W. H., and Emma. Mr. Knippenberg owns ninety acres of land valued at $30 per acre. He is a Republican, and has served three terms as School Director of his district. A. J. Knippenberg, father of our subject, was a native of Hanover, Germany, where he spent his life, and died at a very advanced age.
CHARLES MAYES, farmer; P. O. Arenz- ville; was born in England, Nov. 5, 1836, and on attaining his majority, embarked for the United States in the fall of 1857,
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and after a three months' voyage, landed in New Orleans, La. Thence he went to Meredosia, Morgan County, Ill., and remained in that county seven years, engaged in farm- ing on a rented farm. In 1867 be purchased a tract of land in Indian Creek Precinct, this county, where he has since pursued farming. The farm consists of eighty acres of prairie and ten of timber land, and is valued at forty dollars per acre. He married March 9, 1859, Mary, daughter of William Sims, of Rut- land, England, where she was born Nov. 23, 1838. By this union they have been blessed with seven children: Charles, born Sept. 2, 1859, died in infancy; Anna E., July 26, 1861; Eliza Jane, July 17, 1864; Richard William, Sept. 4, 1865, died Sept. 10, 1866; Charles William, Oct. 17, 1867, died March 27, 1869; George M., Dec. 16, 1869, and James F., June 25, 1877. In Angust, 1861, Mr. Mayes enlisted in Company I, One Hundred and Fifteenth Illinois Volunteers, and served un- til April, 1862, when he was discharged on account of injuries received at Louisville, Ky. Mr. and Mrs. Mayes are members of McKendree M. E. Church, which is situated one and a half miles southwest of their resi- dence; he is a Democrat.
MRS. ELIZABETH STURMAR, farmer; P. O. Mcredosia, Morgan Co .; widow of Kas- per Sturmar, who was born in Germany in 1827. He served as a soldier in the German army, and in 1851 came to the United States; remained in Beardstown, this county, some time, and worked by the month on the farm of Mr. Skinner for three years. He married in 1856, Miss Elizabeth Kahlman (the sub- ject of this sketch), who was born in Hano- ver, Germany, in March, 1824; was educated in her native land, and emigrated to the United States in 1855. They had no children of their own, but they raised and educated two
adopted children, viz .: Henry Schleter, born in Beardstown, this county, in April, 1870; and Samuel Kahlman, born in August, 1873, in Indian Creek Precinct, this county. Since the death of her husband, who died in March, 1871, Mrs. Sturmar has managed the farm, which consists of 200 acres, about half of which is under cultivation, the remainder be- ing timber land. Mrs. Sturmar is a member of the Lutheran church.
A. S. WAGNER, farmer; P. O. Mere- dosia, Morgan Co .; was born in Greene Coun- ty, III., March 22, 1825. His father moved from Greene County, and settled on the farm now owned by our subject, in Indian Creek Precinct; he was a native of Pennsylvania, born in 1802; served as a soldier in the Black Hawk War, and afterward assisted in the survey of this county, acting as cook for the company, when it required great courage to guard their encampment against the prowling Indians. Our subject remained with his father till the time of his death, which occurred in 1862. In December, 1862, he was married to Miss Mary J. Houston, danghter of Nicholas Honston, of Arenzville Precinct; she was born in this county, March 10, 1831; they have had no children of their own, but have assisted in the rearing and educating of six children who were in need of homes. At the death of his father, Mr. Wagner bought the interest of William S. Wagner, joint beir to the homestead farm, and now controls the whole, consisting of 160 acres, 120 of which is under cultivation. Mr. Wagner is a Demo- crat. He had two brothers in the late war, one of whom died in the army; the other died in this county in 1868. Mrs. Wagner's father came to this county previous to the settlement of Beardstown, and lived here until his death, which occurred in 1872; he raised a family of thirteen children, six of whom are still living.
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PRINCETON PRECINCT.
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ALBERT J. COONS, station agent, Little Indian, born in Morgan County, Ill., Feb. 14, 1852. Received a common school education principally in Sangamon County. At the age of twenty-two years left home and commenced railroading at Berlin, Ill. Oct. 2, 1876, he took charge of the station at Little Indian, since which time he has been in the employ of the Wabash R. R. He was married in Cass County Oct. 14, 1880, to Miss Laura, daughter of John and Nancy Epler. (See history.) She was born Sept. 18, 1858. George M. Coons, the father of Albert, was born at Lexington, Ky., Sept. 3, 1816. Came to Morgan County in 1825; is a farmer by occupation, and still living; his wife, Mary J. Sturges, was born near Arcadia Morgan County, Nov. 11, 1828, and died Sept. 28, 1861. She was the mother of ten children of whom Albert was the fifth child. He is highly esteemed in the community where he resides, and is considered a thorough business inan. Politically he is a Republican.
REV. G. GARNER, Methodist Cler- gyman, Little Indian; was born in Clarke County, Ind., March 11, 1816. When 14 years of age he was removed by his parents to Cass County, Ill., near where he now re- sides. His educational privileges were not of the best, but he eventually fitted himself for the ministry. In 1841 he was licensed to preach, and spent the following four years as a local minister. He became attached to the Illinois Conference of Jacksonville, in 1847; his first charge was at Waterloo, Monroe County, where he remained one year. He preached in different localities until 1877, when he returned to this county, and has since had charge of the Zion M. E. Church. His term of thirty-five years in the Illinois
Conference has been one of continuous labor. At Hebron March 31, 1836, he was married to Miss Mary J. Rebman, who was born in Greene County Ill., Nov. 18, 1821. They are the parents of ten children, three of whom are deceased; those living are: Hannah E., wife of Rev. George B. Wolf, of Jacksonville, Ill .; Charles W., residing in Oregon Town- ship, this county; Isaac C., in Ashland; Mary, wife of J. C. Bagby, of Chicago; Har- riet E., wife of Ross Iler, of Pike County; George, living at home, and Minnie Lee, liv- ing in Chicago with her sister, Mrs. Bagby. Mrs. Garner is a daughter of James and Mary (Bowen) Rebman, natives of Kentucky, both of whom died of cholera in 1832. James Gar- ner, the father of our subject, was a native of North Carolina; came to Illinois in about 1830, and was one of the early settlers of Cass County. He was formerly a minister, but after his arrival in Illinois, followed the occu- pation of farmer until the time of his death, which occurred in 1861. Elizabeth Robert- son, his wife, was a native of Kentucky. She died in 1865, aged about sixty-nine years. She was the mother of nine children, of whom six are still living, and of whom Mr. Garner is the oldest now living. He was originally an old line Whig, but he is now a Repub- lican. He was at one time a member of the I. O. O. F., and is now an active member of the order of A. F. & A. M., in which frater- nity he has attained the Royal Arch Degree.
JOHN M. MONTGOMERY, farmer; P. O., Little Indian, was born in Lexington, Rock- bridge County, Va., July 2, 1815; he is the oldest of a family of ten children. His ed- ucational privileges were limited to the com- mon schools of Kentucky, where he lived
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with his parents thirteen years previous to their removal to Illinois, which occurred in 1829. He still remains upon the homestead farm, which has been his home for fifty-two years; he has never made a specialty on his farm, but grows all the usual farm crops. Re- ligiously he has been connected with the Presbyterian Church for a period of forty- seven years. Politically, he is a Republican, and socially, enjoys the highest esteem of the entire community. His father, Samuel Mont- gomery, was also a native of Virginia; born Ost. 1, 1791; was a cabinet maker by trade; he died July 25, 1861; Mary Bailey, his wife, was also born in Virginia, March 20, 1791, and died Feb. 5, 1839.
CHARLES W. PRICE, merchant, Little Indian; was born in Knox County, Ill., Oct. 12, 1845. At the age of twelve years he en- gaged as a farm hand, which occupation he followed four years, when he began clerking in a drug store. June 30, 1862, he enlisted in Co. E, 71st Ill. Vol. Inft., for the one hun- dred days' service; four months later, he re- enlisted in Co. A, 77th Ill. Vol. Inft., with Capt. G. G. Stearns, under command of Col. D. P. Grier; was mustered in as 2d Lieuten- ant, Sept. 15, 1864; served until Ang. 10, 1867, when he was mustered out as a captain. He was married at Versailles, Ill., April 18, 1872, to Miss Mary Hambaugh, who was born at Versailles, Dec. 27, 1843. They have one boy Frank; born Dec. 29, 1873. Mrs. Price is a niece of Gov. Ford, of Illinois, and a daugh- ter of Stephen D. and Elmina (Stone) Ham- baugh. He, born in Nelson County, Ky., Oct. 23, 1802; came west in 1825, and engaged in farming; was a member of the Legislature in 1842. His death occurred Nov. 3, 1867. His wife, Elmina, was born in Franklin County, Vt., July 2, 1813, and is still living. James Price, the father of Charles, was born in Scott County, Ky., April 2, 1818; came West when twelve years of age, and is now engaged in
harness making at Toulon, Ill. Lucy C. Ham- lin, his wife, was born in Addison County, Vt., April 5, 1822, and is still living. She is the mother of six boys, of whom Charles is the second child. He came to Cass County Nov. 1, 1878, since which time he has been engaged in general merchandising at Little Indian; was appointed Postmaster, soon after, which office he still holds. He is a member of the fraternity of A. F. & A. M., and politically is a Democrat.
WILLIAM STEVENSON, farmer, stock- breeder and dealer; P. O., Little Indian; is a descendant of good old Virginia-Kentucky stock, and a son of James and Mary (Elliott) Stevenson, both natives of Virginia; the for- mer born about the year 1777, and emigrated with his parents to Kentucky in an early day, when that country was, indeed and in truth, the " dark and bloody ground," and the home of numerous tribes of hostile savages. It was then the custom, after rising in the morning, before opening the door, to take a close ob- servation of the surroundings of the cabin, from some convenient loop-hole made for the purpose, in order to discover any prowling In- dian that might be lurking around. Upon their emigration to Kentucky, the Stevenson family settled in what is now Scott County, one of the most beautiful spots of the famous blue grass region, where they remained until the removal of James Stevenson to Illinois, in 1829. He settled in that part of Morgan County now included in Cass, where he bought 160 acres of land, and entered enough to make a section. He followed farming, and died in 1851, at the age of 74 years; his wife died in July, 1829, a short time before the family moved to Illinois, and sleeps in the little graveyard, near the old Kentucky home. They raised a family of nine children-five sons and four daughters. Mr. and Mrs. Stev- enson were both members of the Presbyterian Church. William, our subject, was born in
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Scott County, Ky., Dec. 25, 1813, and came with his parents to Illinois in 1829. He now lives upon the land entered by his father, and owns a fine farm, highly improved and well cultivated, of about 560 acres, lying on the P. P. & J. Railroad, a short distance south of Virginia, the county seat of Cass. Mr. Stev- enson makes a specialty of rearing fine stock, consisting of Short Horn cattle, Cots- wold and Southdown sheep, and Berkshire hogs. His herd of Short Horns are, perhaps, unsurpassed by any herd ever reared in the far famed blue grass region-a region that is known the world over for its fine stock. But a full and complete sketch of the herd of Mr. Stevenson will be found in the chapter de- voted to the agriculture of the county, in another part of this volume. Mr. Stevenson has never been an aspirant for office, but has given his time principally to the improvement of his farm, and the cure and breeding of fine stock. He took an active part in getting the railroad, and since its completion has been
its agent at the station near his residence. He was married Feb. 11, 1836, to Frances Berry, a daughter of William S. and Rachel (Row) Berry, natives of Virginia; the former born in Stafford County, and the latter in Orange County. They emigrated to Cass County (then Morgan) in 1833; he died at an advanced age, and she died at the age of seventy-two years. Mrs. Stevenson was born June 4, 1812, in Orange County, Va., before her parents moved to Illinois. She and Mr. Stevenson have had seven children born to them, of whom four are living, viz .: Robert, Cornelia (wife of Jolin Bergen), Joseph and Charles; and deceased, Mary, Thomas, and Rachel Ann, wife of William Martin. Mrs. Stevenson is a member of the Presbyterian Church; Mr. Stevenson is a liberal supporter of the Church, but not a member of any de- nomination. He was an old Whig in politics, and since the organization of the Republican party, has cast his vote for its standard bearers.
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RICHMOND PRECINCT.
LEVI DICK, farmer; P. O., Chandlerville; was born in Kentucky, Feb. 17, 1815, and is a son of Peter and Christiana (Shutt) Diek. Mr. Peter Dick was born in North Carolina, and emigrated to Sangamon County, Ill., with his family, as early as 1829, and in the following year settled in Cass County, upon the dreaded bottoms of the Sangamon; for in an early day the bottom lands were consid- ered the most sickly, pestilential, and ague- shaking of all the country in this section of the State. The subject of our sketch re- mained with his parents until he was twenty- three years of age; for he was a dutiful and obedient son, and did not desert his home and parents for two years after he arrived at his majority; he then left home to engage in business for himself, for he always cherished an inborn desire to do and to make for him- self that which might be called his own, and by a rigid system of economy and untiring industry, he accumulated a handsome prop- erty, and has an enviable reputation as a farmer and a man of business integrity. He now has a comfortable home and a finely im- proved farm of 380 acres. In 1839 he mar- ried Miss Emmatere Leeper, who was born in 1815, and died in 1853, leaving three children as the result of their union, viz .: Amos, Robert and Martha. In 1854 he was a second time married, to Ann Morgan, a native of Cass County, and born in 1830; she is the mother of two children, Cordelia and George. Mr. Diek, politically, holds to the principles of the Democratic party. He has never as- pired to official promotions, believing it to be more becoming and consistent to attend to the duties of his farm and family, than to enter the political ring and elamor for office.
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