USA > Illinois > Clark County > History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois > Part 102
USA > Illinois > Crawford County > History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois > Part 102
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OBLONG TOWNSHIP.
OBLONG TOWNSHIP.
CHAS. S. BEEMAN, farmer, P. O Oblong. / ents died when he was quite small, and he is an enterprising farmer, and an expe- was compelled, as a great many orphan boys are, to shift for himself when very young. When about seven years of age, he com- menced working on a farm by the month. His chances for an education was limited to subscription schools of country there. In 1863, when about sixteen years old, came to Crawford County, Ill., to Portsville, Licking Township, with J. C. Gault. with whom he worked one summer. . He continued working by the month until 1867, at which time at- tended one term of school at the Union Christian College, located at Merom, Ind., after which attended two terms of school at Westfield, Ill., in the spring and fall of 1868, where, in the winter of 1868 and 1869, taught school. He was married, December 5, 1868, to Dinah Hill. She was born in Crawford County, Ill., February 9, 1849. He farmed with his father-in-law for two or three years after marriage, and at which time removed on a farm of 240 acres, given his wife by her father, of which he has about 200 acres in cultivation, and is successfully engaged in the raising of grain principally. They have one child, namely, Alva. Subject is a mem- ber of the Grange. rienced wagon-maker of Oblong Township, in which last business he is not engaged very much, at the present. He was born in Peo- ria County, III., November 24, 1837. When ten years old, was brought by his parents to Clark County, Ill., and there they settled on a farm. His education was limited to the common schools of the country. At the age of seventeen, went to serve as an apprentice in a wagon-maker's shop in York, Clark County, Ill., under Richard Falley. He served three years, after which worked as jour- neyman in Clark and Crawford Counties for about ten years. In 1871, he erected a shop in Oblong, and after about five years success .* fully spent there. he sold out and returned to his family in Oblong Township, on a nice little farm in the eastern part of the town- ship, where he is comfortably situated, and has a nice residence, and is successfully en- gaged in farming, and works also at the car penter's trade considerably. He was married December 30, 1858, to Margaret E. Wood. She was born and reared in Crawford Coun- ty, Ill. They have nine children, namely : William F., Marion N., Joseph Lincoln, Anna Belle, Charles E., Ulysses E., Pussy, Everet P., Lura A. His father, Nelson, was a na- tive of Pennsylvania, and his mother, Lydia L. (Bostwick), was a native of Ver- mont.
J. R. BOOFTER, farmer, P. O. Robinsou, is a substantial and enterprising farmer of Oblong Township. He was born in Stewart County, Tenn., January 19, 1847. His par-
WILLIAM R. DALE, M. D., P. O. Ob- long, is a young man of superior intellectual ability, and has had good advantages afford. ed him in his chosen profession. He was born in Henry County, Tenn., July 16, 1854. He spent his early days on a farm, and at the age of eleven he was taken by his parents tu Kentucky, and he remained on the farm and industriously attended school in winter time
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until nineteen years of age, at which time engaged in teaching in Calloway County, Ky. The last school he attended was the in- stitute at the county seat. He commenced the study of medicine January 4, 1875, and successfully continued his studies until the antumn of 1875, at which time attended lect- ures at Louisville, Ky .; attended the ses- sions of 1875 and 1876, and received his de- gree. In the spring of 1877, he located in Graves County, Ky., but remained there but a short time, and removed back to Murray, Calloway County, Ky., and there was con- nected with a drug store, besides successfully engaging in his profession until the autumn of 1880, at which time came to Oblong and formed a partnership with Dr. Kibbie, and is successfully engaged in his profession. In July 9, 1879, in Henry County, Tenn., tired of living a single life, he took unto himself Miss Nannie A. McKnight. They have one child living, William Roy, and an infant girl dead. Mrs. Dale died January 6, 1883. Dr. Dale is an A., F. & A. M., Oblong Lodge, No. 644.
JAMES . EOFF, retired farmer, Oblong, is a native of Pulaski County, Ky., born May 14, 1810. He was reared there on his fa- ther's farm until the age of eighteen, at which time he went out into the world to battle for himself. At the age of twenty, in 1830, he chose Christina Leach, a native of Kentucky, as a helpmeet. After marriage, he engaged in farming in Pulaski County, until 1849, at which time came to Crawford County, Ob- long Township, and settled on a farm of wild land and engaged in farming successfully. In 1874, he concluded to remove to Oblong. and there enjoy the blessings of a ripe old age and to retire from the business bustle of the world. He and his wife are living by themselves. Of their children, six are living and married and have families of their own.
It was their misfortune to lose five of their dear ones, namely: Polly Jane, wife of Stephen Gooch, living in Oblong; William Davis, is living in Oregon; Amelia. wife of Samuel R. Mock, living in Crawford County, Oblong Township; Minerva Aun, George and Martha Susan are deceased; John James Eoff, living in Robinson, Crawford County, Ill .; Cynthia Ellen, wife of John James, liv- ing in Oblong Township; Phœbe Alice, wife of Joseph Barker, living iu Obloug Township; Alfred and Louisa Ann, are deceased. Sub- ject's father, John Eoff, was a native of Mad- ison County, Ky, and engaged in farming, in Pulaski County, Ky. Subject's mother, Jane (Higgins), was also a native of Kentucky, Lincoln County. Their children are, namely, Minervia, deceased wife of Bryant Brown; Sarah, wife of Isaac Taylor, deceased, she re- sides in Kentucky, Pulaski County; George, is farming in Oregon, and also John Leonard and Fleming; Louisa Ann, deceased wife of Newton Perril, deceased; Elizabeth, deceased Subject has 160 acres of prairie land in Ob- long Township, and when he lived thereon Le raised stock to some extent, besides grain. He owns, in Oblong, four lots and two dwell- ing houses; the one in which he lives is a very nice and comfortable one. May peace and happiness crown them during the re- mainder of their lives, and when done with the trials and cares of this life, find a home beyond the skies, where all is joy and peace and love, and where nature never dies.
JAMES W. GOOD, Grand Glade, was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, March 22, 1832, son of Jacob and Margaret A. (Mont- gomery) Good; he born in Virginia February 12, 1804, and dying December 4, 1850; she born in Maryland May 28, 1803, and dying January 8, 1876. Our subject was married in Ohio, March 31, 1859, to Rebecca Belt, born in Fairfield County, Ohio, January 22,
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OBLONG TOWNSHIP.
1833, daughter of Benjamin and Ann J. (Parrish) Belt; he was born February 10, 1801, in Maryland, and dying November 13, 1863; she, also, a native of Maryland, born March 6, 1804. Nine children have been born to Mr. Good-David L., Benjamin D., Jacob W., Rosanna L., Thaddeus O., Lilly R .. Mary L. A., Margaret A. J. and Charles E. A.
D. F. HALE, farmer, P. O. Eaton, is an old pioneer of Crawford County, born in Genesee County, N. Y., July 19, 1809. When four years old, in 1813, he was taken by his parents to Jackson County, Ind., and there they settled on wild beech wood land, and remained there until 1821, at which time they came to Crawford County, and landed, November 2, near Palestine. At that time, there were but three or four good buildings there, and about nine or ten cabins, which constituted the town. They wintered about one-half of a mile from Palestine, and in the spring of 1822, removed to Palestine. After twoyears of successful farming near town, with which they were furnished seed and land and gave half of their productions, they removed onto a piece of wild raw prairie land owned by subject's uncle; built a cabin and farmed there until 1830. In December, 1829, he was mar- ried to Catharine Walters. She was born in Dearborn County, Ind., November 17, 1811. After which, subject built a house on a piece of the land given him by his father, and re- moved thereon in the spring of 1830. He procured an ox team and went to plowing; after successfully engaging in his pursuits of farming until 1834, he sold out and re- moved to Robinson Township and purchased a piece of land 160 acres, of which forty acres was in cultivation. In 1839, he sold out again and purchased 200 acres of raw land now in Oblong Township. He went to clear- ing it up and removed thereon and remained
there about six years, when he sold out and purchased eighty acres, on which place he now resides. In Crawford County, Ill., December 3, 1829, he married Catharine Walters, a native of Pennsylvania, and daughter of Isaac Walters. His children are, namely, Mary E. and Isaac Newton, are dead; George P., liv- ing; Ethan Allen, deceased; Samuel L., de- ceased; Sarah E., living; Jacob W., deceased, killed in the battle at Port Gibson, Miss .; Lydia M., deceased; Winfield Scott, deceased; Alva D., living; John W., living; William R., living. He has always been a Repub- lican, and has served as Justice of the Peace at different times in Oblong Township, amounting in all to six years.
LEVI HENRY, farmer, P. O. Oblong. He was born in Perry County, Ohio, September 20, 1832. His father, George, was a native of Ohio also, and his mother, Anna (Rarick), was a native of Ohio. Mr. Henry is an esti- mable farmer of Oblong Township, and was reared on a farm. He had a pretty good chance for obtaining an education. In 1848. at the age of sixteen, his father and family came to Crawford County, Oblong Township, and settled on raw land, and he (subject) re- mained with his father and helped improve their land until thirty-one years of age, at which time engaged in farming for himself. At the death of his father, he inherited 160 acres of land. Since then, he has added 250 acres. He raises grain and stock. He was married in Crawford County, February 16. 1860, to Catharine Dennis, born in Ohio De- cember 28, 1838. They have six children. namely: Anna C., Laura J., Marion Silas, Harlan Preston, George Edward and Estella. Mr. Henry has always been a Democrat, and served two years as Highway Commissioner of Oblong Township.
SAMUEL HENRY, farmer, P. O. Oblong. is an industrious and enterprising farmer of T
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&
Oblong Township. He was born in Perry County, Ohio, January 21, 1837. At the age of twelve years, in 1849, he was taken by his parents through the northern part of this State and into Iowa, but they finally settled here in Crawford County in 1849, and settled in Oblong Township. They bought a little farm at first, but his father entered land af- terward. He (subject) was married at the age of twenty-one to Hila Dorcas Manhart. She was born in Jennings County, Ind., 1839. After marriage, he engaged in farming. In 1865, his father gave him 200 acres of land, since that he has added ninety-six acres. Mr. Henry has a well-improved farm, and raises some stock, but his main productions are grain, wheat, corn and oats. He enlisted on February 18, 1865, in Company C, One Hundred and Fifty-fifth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and was mustered out at Spring- field September 20, 1865, at which time he came back to Oblong Township. He has seven children, namely: William Frederic, George W., Eliza Jane, Thomas W., Charles Everet, Sarah Rosella, Clara May. Mr. Henry has always been a Democrat, and has taken some part in political matters. He has never asked for any offices, but was elected Com- missioner of Highways in the spring of 1882.
PETER HENRY, farmer. P. O. Oblong. He is an honorable and industrious farmer of Oblong Township. He was born in Perry County, Ohio, February 24, 1839. He was brought by his parents to Crawford County in the fall of 1849, when ten years old. They bought land in Watts Precinct, now Oblong Township, and his father at one time owned 1,000 acres, which he divided up among his children. His chances for an ed- ucation were quite limited. The school- houses were very scattering, and in order to attend school was compelled to go quite a distance. He attended school about two
months in the year until twenty-one years of age. He remained and worked with his father until twenty-seven years of age, and on April 18. 1867, was married to Sarah Jane Kirk, a native of Licking County, Ohio, born June 28, 1843. He then built on the farm of 200 acres given him by his father. Since that he has added 160 acres, and has it all in cultivation, and raises grain and stock. They have five children, namely: Frances, William, Emma C., Herbert G. and Maud. Mr. Henry has always been a Democrat and has taken some little part in political matters. He served in various town- ship offices.
JAMES HOPPER, harness maker. Oblong, was born in Wayne County, Ind., September 21, 1821. His parents were natives of Vir- ginia. His father, John Hopper, was born in the year 1787 and died in 1823, when our subject was but two years old. Our subject's mother, Sarah (Shortridge), was born in the year 1788 and died in 1852. The early part of our subject's life was spent in Wayne County, the place of his birth. When, in 1833, at twelve years of age, he and his mother and family emigrated to Hancock County, Ind., and there he devoted most of his time to farming, although he spent his spare time in a blacksmith shop. In 1846. he emigrated to Jasper County, Ill., and pur- chased a farm, and successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits for twelve years, at which time, in 1858, he removed to Willow Hill, of the same county, and engaged in blacksmithing. When after about four years of success in that line of business, in 1862 he enlisted in Company D, Ninety-eighth Illinois Volunteers, and was engaged in sev- eral battles, namely: Frankfort, Ky., Mur- freesboro, were the principle ones, besides quite a number of skirmishes. He was dis- charged at Chicago on account of disability.
OBLONG TOWNSHIP.
February 12, 1864, at which time he came back to his farm in Jasper County, and en- gaged in the raising of grain and stock until the fall of 187S, at which time he came to Oblong and engaged in harness-making. His stock invoices at about $600. Mr Hopper has been married twice, the first time in Han- cock County, Ind., November 9, 1843, to Verlinda Walker, a native of Carolina. They had five children, namely: George, John H. (deceased), Sarah Ann, Mary Jane and Susan Louisa. His wife died December 11, 1869. He married again June 29, 1871, to Rebecca Pearce.
JOHN IKEMIER, farmer, P. O. Eaton. He was born in Ohio July 3. 183S. His father, Andrew, was a native of Pennsylva- nia, born in the year 1795, and died March. 1880. His mother, Catharine (Snyder), was born in Pennsylvania in the year 1798, and died in the year 1870. Subject was reared on a farm in Ohio until fifteen years of age, at which time he came with his parents to Crawford County and settled on a farm in Oblong Township, on the farm now occupied by subject. His chances for education were rather limited. In Ohio, the schools were far apart, and consequently he did not at- tend school very much. He remained at home and worked for his father until about twenty-eight years of age, at which time he engaged in farming for himself. He owns a nice farm of 120 acres, of which about all is in cultivation, and raises grain, principally wheat, corn and oats. He was married in Crawford County, at the age of twenty-two, to Laura Stephens, a native of Licking County, Ohio. They have one child-John.
ELISHA KENDALL, farmer, P. O. Grand Glade, is an enterprising farmer. He was born in Shelby County, Ind. He was reared there, and his chances for an education was limited to subscription schools, would attend
about four months in the year until nineteen years of age, at which time commenced work- ing out by the month in Davis County, Towa; worked there one year. During this time, his father removed to Lucas County, Iowa, and he (subject) as soon as his father came. joined him and farmed with him one year, at which time he (subject) came back to Shelby County, Ind., and worked by the month one year. On July 7, 1853, he was married to Mary B. Elkins, daughter of Judge Elkins. She was a native of Randolph County, Ind. In the same year, 1833, they removed to Lu- cas County, Iowa, and engaged in farming on a piece of land of 120 acres given him (subject) by his father, and after four years of successful farming, went back to Shelby County, Ind., in the fall of 1857. In the meantime, he had traded his farm in Iowa for land in Crawford County, Ill., Oblong Township. They remained in Indiana one year. when, in the fall of 1858, came to Craw- ford County and built a house on his land and commenced improving the land. He has forty acres in cultivation and eighty acres of timber land, and has ever since been success- fully engaged in the raising of grain and stock, with exception of the time he was serving in defense of our country's liberties. He enlisted August 9, 1862, in Company D, Ninety-eighth Illinois Volunteer Infantry. but was mounted after two or three months' service. He was in several battles, namely: Hoover's Gap, Chickamauga, Shelbyville. Buzzard Roost, Mission Ridge. Selma, be sides several other skirmishes. During the time he was in the army, his wife was at home on a farm almost in a wilderness, with three little children. They have had five children, namely: Sarah M., who died in Iowa from the bite of a rattlesnake, which, in her play, she had picked up on the ground; The- odore P., is a well-educated man and a profes-
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sional school teacher, has had seven years' ex- perience in teaching; Victoria, deceased, died in 1859; William E., is a superior, talented young man, he commenced teaching school when sixteen years old; Mary Annette, de- ceased, died October 25, 1862. Our subject has never taken much part in political mat- ters. but his wife was a great politician, and a favorite of the Republican party.
HAMILTON C. KIBBIE, M. D., Oblong. Although a young man, Dr. Kibbie has had such advantages for advancement in his chosen profession as are afforded to few. He is a graduate of the Medical Department of the University of Michi- gan, and of the Chemical Department of the same institution. He also was con- nected, as Assistant Surgeon, with mili- tary services during the war; and be- sides having been the private pupil of sev- eral of the most eminent American pro- fessors, he has had the additional advan- tages derived from some four years' residence in Europe, and study and training under the most celebrated savans in London, Berlin and Paris. Being conversant with both the French and German languages, he was enabled to study with advantage under the instructions of the renowned medical men of those countries. He attended the lectures of the celebrated Von Neimeyer, of Fiebin- gen, South Germany, and of the lectures of professors of the Ecole-de-Medicin, Paris, France, and of the University of Berlin, Germany; also attended the clinics of Pro- fessors Von Graafe, of Berlin, Nelaton, of Hospital Hotel Dieu, Paris, and Neidhart, of Stuttgart, Germany. No man could have made more out of the advantages afforded him than has Dr. Kibbie. He is a man of very great energy and "push," working with all his might on whatever matter he may have in hand. He was born in Somers,
Tolland County, Conn., September 25, 1844. He was reared there in the town, and re- ceived the benefit of the common schools there. At the age of thirteen he attended high school, and afterward received instruc- tions at Edward Hall's family boarding school for five years, at which time went to Saratoga Springs, N. Y., and served as an apprentice there, working on the Saratoga Press. As early as 1861, he commenced the study of medicine under Joel & Warren, and attended his first course of lectures at Berkshire Medical College, Pittsfield, Mass. He went from there to the University of Michigan, situated at Ann Arbor, and con- tinned there one year, at which time he en- tered the United States service as Medical Cadet, United States Army. After a few months' service, he appeared before the United States Medical Examining Board, passed the examination, and received the ap- pointment as Assistant Surgeon United States Army; detailed to duty, and afterward trans- ferred, and served as an executive officer at St. Mary's United States Army General Hos- pital. At the close of the war, he returned to the University of Michigan, and graduated from the Medical Department, and took up an optional course in the Scientific Depart- ment, and graduated from the Department of Medicine and the Department of Chem- istry, in the class of 1866. On leaving the University, he went to Europe, spending the winter of 1867 at the clinics at Berlin, Prussia. He traveled through Prussia, Aus- tria and Switzerland the next summer, and attended the University of Tubingen. At- tended there about three months, at which time he went to Paris, and spent nine months in walking the hospital wards of Paris, at which time he returned home to Hartford, Conn., by way of London and Edinburgh. In 1870, he located at. Roscoe, Mo., for the
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OBLONG TOWNSHIP.
practice of medicine. He edited the first Democratic newspaper in St. Clair County after the war. He advocated the election of B. Gratz Brown, and the re-enfran- chisment of the white citizens of the country. After the success of the liberal movement, he removed the office to the county seat of St. Clair County-Osceola; lived there seven years, and held an interest in the paper, but practiced medicine to a con- siderable extent. Afterward, he was the ex- amining physician for a medical infirmary, and traveled throughout the Gulf States, and also traveled for same institution one year in the Northwest. He removed from Osceola to Oblong, Crawford County, Ill., in 1878, built a residence in the town, and engaged in the practice of medicine. He was mar- ried in Germany, in 1868, to Ida F. Gerdes, a native of South Germany. They have three children living, namely: Kenton V., Carlos E., Robert Cushman. Our sub- ject is a lineal descendant of Robert Cush- man, the first Puritan minister that came over in the Mayflower. His father, Charles E., is a native of Connecticut, born in Somers County, in the year 1818, and is living in Hartford, Conn. His mother, Elizabeth (Jennings), was a native of Beckett, Berk- shire County, Mass., and died at subject's birth. He is a Royal Arch Mason, and a member of the Philadelphia Society. He is the author and composer of the medical case notes and case records-Kibbie's Case Notes, and Kibbie's Case Records.
D. P. KIRTLAND, miller, Oblong, was born in York State, Ontario County, in the year 1849, and was reared there on his fa- ther's farm, and remained thereon until twen- ty-two years of age. He is a man of superior business qualities. When twenty-two years of age, in 1871, he emigrated to Kansas, and engaged in farming and stock-dealing, and
also spent some of his time in a grist-mill there. He continued there ten years to a day. In 1881, he came to Crawford County, Oblong Township, and finished or rebuilt the mill there with machinery, and is doing quite an extensive business in buying grain and milling. The firm name is Kirtland Bros. They handle about 22,000 bushels of grain in a year. He was married in Sep- tember, 1882, to Almira Hawkins, a native of Crawford County.
ORLANDO B. KIRTLAND, miller, Ob- long, was born in York State June 20, 1853. His education was limited to the common and graded schools of that State. In 1877, he emigrated to Kansas, and engaged in farm- ing and stock-dealing, and remained there until 1879, at which time he went back o York State. In 1881, he came to Crawford County and engaged in the mill at Oblong, with his brother, which business they are still engaged in.
RICHARD LACKEY, farmer, P. O. Ob- long, was born in Clark County, Ky., No- vember 13, 1814, and is one of the pioneers of Crawford County. At about the age of fifteen, in 1829, he came with his parents to Crawford County, and they settled near Pal- estine. About four miles north of Palestine they bought and entered land also. His chances for an education were limited. The nearest school for some time was at Pales- tine, a distance of four miles. At about twenty-one years of age, he engaged in farm- ing for himself. In 1839, he came into Ob- long Township and entered 200 acres of land in Section 2, mostly timber land. He has about seventy acres in cultivation. He was married, February, 1837, to Rachael Wood. She was born in Crawford County, Ill., Jan- uary 19, 1818. They have six children, namely: William T., Mary, Joseph, Nancy Ann, Caroline and Margaret. Mr. Lackey
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was raised an Old-Line Whig, and now is a member of the Republican party. His fa- ther (John) was a native of Virginia, and his mother (Nancy Wilson) was also a native of Virginia.
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