History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois, Part 105

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 826

USA > Illinois > Clark County > History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois > Part 105
USA > Illinois > Crawford County > History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois > Part 105

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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for about eight years in Martin Township, and as Town Clerk one term. He is a mem- ber of the A., F. & A. M., Hardinsville Lodge, No. 756.

HARRISON MARTIN, farmer, P. O. Har- dinsville, born in Crawford County, near Palestine, June 22, 1829. His father (John) was a native of Georgia, born in the year 1784 and died here October 15, 1858. Our subject's mother (Margaret) was a native of South Carolina, born in 1791 and died here in 1854. Our subject was raised here on a farm and received the benefits of a common school education. When about twenty-two years of age, he engaged in agricultural pur- suits for himself. On October 5, 1850, he married Catharine Lemon, and they have six children living-Emily, John A., William E., James, Mary L, and Rosa. In 1863, he traded his farm near Palestine for land in Martin Township, and moved thereon, De- cember 20, of same year. He has over 200 acres, of which 160 are in cultivation, and he is engaged in the raising of grain and stock. Mr. Martin takes some part in political mat- ters. He has always been a Democrat and has served in various township offices, first as Justice of the Peace, which office he held for eight years in succession. He has served as Collector of the township five terms, and as Assessor four terms.

C. J. PRICE, physician, Hardinsville. although a young man, has had such ad- vantages in his chosen profession as are offered to few. He was born in Crawford County, Ill., May 14, 1851. He is a grad- uate of the American Medical College of St. Louis. He graduated there in the spring of 1878. He was reared in Crawford County, and received the benefits of a common educa- tion until seventeen years of age, at which time he attended Normal school at Robinson one year. He also attended college at Merom,

Ind., for two years. He then engaged in school teaching; he taught two terms. In 1877, commenced the study of medicine un- der Dr. Connett, at New Hebron, Crawford Co., Ill. He attended his first course of lect- ures in the M. E. Institute, located at Cin- cinnati. In 1878, he located at Hardinsville, where he has quite an extensive practice. He was married in Crawford County, September 23, 1874, to Miss Sarah Goodwin, a native of Palestine, Ill. He is a member of the Ma sonic order, A., F. & A. Masons, Hardins- ville Lodge, No. 756. Princ or Prest2

ALFRED PRIER, farmer, P. O. Hardins- ville. He was born in Clark County, III., April 3, 1829, and was brought by his parents to Crawford County in 1831, when two years of age. They purchased raw land in Martin Township. There was but one family living on a piece of land in Martin Town- ship at that time, and that was Daniel Martin. Our subject was reared on a farm and his chances for education were very limited. There were no schools in exist- ence here at that time, and the first school he attended he was sixteen years of age, at which time he attended subscription school twenty days. When at about the age of eighteen, he attended about three months of school. At about the age of twenty-one he bought timbered land in Martin Township from the Government at $1.25 per acre. He built a house on the land and commenced im- proving it, and since then has added forty acres. He has about fifty-five acres in cul- tivation, and his main productions are grain and grass. He was married, August 1, 1850, to Matilda Flinn, a native of White County, Tenn. They have four children, namely: Mary, Charles, Emily and John. Mr. Prier has always been a Democrat, and uas served as Commissioner of Highways for three suc- cessive terms.

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MARTIN AND SOUTHWEST TOWNSHIPS.

D. W. RICHART, farmer, P. O Hardins- ville. He was born in Owen County, Ind. December 28, 1844. In 1850. when six years of age, he was brought by his parents to Crawford County, Ill. Our subject was reared here on a farm, and received the ben- efits of a common school until sixteen years of age. In 1861, September 14, when not seventeen years of age, he enlisted in Com- pany F, Fifth Illinois Cavalry, and served until the close of the war. He was in the battles of Mechanicsburg, Miss., and in the siege of Vicksburg, besides several skir- mishes, and was mustered out at Springfield on the 27th day of October, 1865, at which time he came back to his father in Crawford County, Martin Township; and the next year. in the spring of 1866, commenced farming for himself on land deeded him by his father, which was 120 acres, and since has added forty acres, and is successfully engaged in the raising of grain, principally wheat. He was married on the 22d day of August, 1875, to Mary A. Padgett. a native of Crawford County. They have three children, namely : Lucy, John and Alice. Our subject's father was a native of Kentucky. His mother, Lu- cy A. (Ogden), a native of Ohio.

SAVILLA D. SHIPMAN, farmer, P. O. Hardinsville, was born in Jackson County, Ind., October 6, 1824. His father, Ste- phen) and his mother Eleanor (Gifford), were natives of Kentucky. Our subject, while but a small boy, too small to recollect, was taken by his parents to Monroe County, Ind., and remained there for some time, when came to Crawford County, Ill. They settled on Big Creek in the timber, and remained there three years, during which time had two grists of corn ground. They subsisted on corn bread and wild meat. The meal was obtained by beating it in what was called a mortar, and sifted by a sieve made from a

piece of raw-hide stretched over a hoop, and holes punched in by hot irons. Our subject's father, while on Big Creek, built a water- mill. He did all the work, cut out the stones and shaped the irons, and on leaving there they returned to Monroe County and engaged in farming and milling, and re. mained there two or three years, at which time, in the fall of 1887, came back to Craw- ford County, Martin Township, and entered land in Section 3. Our subject's chances for an education was rather limited, there being no schools in existence when he first came here, and not until he was nearly grown. The first school he attended was in Harrods- burg, Ind., at which time attended about one month. His father was running a mill in Greene County, Ind., for some time, and while they were there our subject attended school about two months, and this was all the schooling he ever obtained. He remained at home and worked for his father until twenty- two years of age, at which time engaged in farming for himself. He entered forty acres of timber land in Section 10, and commenced clearing it up. On the 13th day of April, A. D. 1848, he was married to Mary Doyl, a native of Crawford County, Ill., at which time removed on his land.

PHILIP SILER, P. O. Grandglade, was born in Berkeley County, Va., in the year 1793. At the ag f seventeen (in 1810), he removed with his parents to Licking County, Ohio. He was reared on a farm, and re- ceived the benefits of a common school edu- cation. He attended school about three months in the year until seventeen years of age. His father died before our subject was twenty-one, and he had to take the place of a father in supporting the family. He has worked in nearly every branch of business. In 1822, he engaged in "hatting" in Mar- tinsburg, Knox County, Ohio, and since then

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he has followed different occupations. If a house or barn were to be built, he could build it, or if any of his family needed a pair of shoes, he would sit down and make them, or 'even a hat-he would make it. He was en- gaged in framing locks, bridges and culverts on the Ohio Canal. Although his main oc- cupation was farming, but branched into oth- er work. He had gathered together 340 acres of land in Licking County, Ohio, of which he gave a part to his sons and sold the re- mainder, in 1563 or 1864, and since then he has been living with his children in different places in Missouri, Ohio and Illinois. He was married in Ohio in 1815 or 1816 to Lav-

ina Channell, a native of Virginia. They reared eight children, four boys and four girls, namely : Lucinda, John, J. W., Adam S., Sarah Ann, Almira, Rebecca and Jere- miah. Mr. Siler took part in with the cause of defending our liberties, and is an old Jef- fersonian Democrat. His father was a sol- dier in the Revolutionary war. Our subject is a strong Calvinistical Presbyterian, and has taken as much part in the cause as in Democracy. He has been a professor of re ligion for over sixty years. His wife was a Methodist, and they lived together in differ- ent church relationship until six years before her death, at which time she joined in with him. She died in Licking County in 1855.

J. W. SILER, farmer, P. O. Grandglade Township. Martin was born in Licking County, Ohio, November 12, 1818. He was reared there on a farm, and received the ben- etits of a common school education. When twenty-one years of age, he commenced work- ing out by the month on a farm. He worked about ten months, at which time he engaged in the sale of Goodrich's Pictorial History of the United States; he worked at that for some time, and he next engaged in soliciting or- ders for school books, Bibles, etc. He next

engaged in the sale of patent medicine for three years. He traveled over the eastern and central part of Illinois, and on leaving this State returned to Ohio, and attended two terms of select school at Fredonia, at which time he purchased a small library of law books and read law for two years, at which time he was out of money. Fortu- nately his uncles were contractors of the build- ing of the Ohio & Pittsburgh Railroad. They gave him a position as overseer of a part of the work, at which business he continued one year. August 18, 1853, he married, in Lick- ing County, to Susan Snider, a native of Perry County, Ohio, at which time he engaged in farming. In March, 1855, he came to Crawford County, and engaged in farming, in Oblong Township, with his brother, Adam S., and in the winter taught school. He taught three terms of school in winter and in the summer he would farm. Since he has been engaged in farming. He purchased forty acres of raw land in Martin Township, at first purchase; since then he has added eighty acres, and has eighty-five acres in cul- tivation, and is engaged in the raising of grain and stock. He has been engaged in the raising of sheep quite extensively. He has two children, namely: Demetrius Frank- lin and Newton Wellington. Mr. Siler bas always been a Democrat, and has served in various township offices, namely, as Justice of the Peace, two terms, and as Supervisor, one term. He was reared by Christian people, and at the age of twenty-four he joined the Methodist Episcopal Church.

J. C. SPILLMAN, farmer, P. O. Chaun- cey, was born in Gibson County, Ind., De- cember 13, 1834. His father, John, was a native of Kentucky, and emigrated to Indiana, in 1811. Our subject's mother, Eliza Mont- gomery, was a native of Kentucky also. Subject was raised in Indiana on a farm, and

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MARTIN AND SOUTHWEST TOWNSHIPS.

received the benefits of a common school ed- ucation; he would attend school about three months in the year. His father dying before he was born, he was reared by his uncle, and when twenty-one years of age engaged in farming for himself. In 1860, he married Miss Amanda Finch, a native of Vanderburg County, Ind. They have five children, namely: Sarah A., Alcy E., George F'., John C. and James. In 1863, he came to Craw- ford County, Ill., and bought 100 acres of improved land in Southwest Township, and is successfully engaged in the raising of grain principally. Mr. Spillman takes some part in political matters. The first vote he cast for President was for Lincoln. He was elected first Collector of Southwest Township, and served two terms; he was next elected as Supervisor and served two terms; next elected Commissioner of Highways, and is at present Supervisor of the township, having served three terms in succession.

ISAAC WEIRICK, farmer, P. O. Hardins- ville, was born in Lebanon County, Penn., February 4, 1826. When he was about five years of age, he was taken by his parents to Wayne County, Ohio, and there they pur- chased a small farm. Our subject was reared on a farm and his chances for an education was rather limited. His father being a poor man, he was compelled to remain at home and work when there was anything to do, and when there was no urgent work to do he would attend school in a country log school- house, within were puncheon seats and desks. He attended school about two months in the year until fifteen years of age, at which time he remained at home and helped his father until between eighteen and nineteen years of age, at which time he went to serve as an ap- prentice as shoe-maker under his brother, Jacob, in West Lebanon, Wayne County, Ohio. After two year's work, he learned the

trade and continued work in the same shop for six months, at which time he set up a shop in his father's wagon-shop, near West Leba- non. October 5, 1848, he was married to Eliza Reinchl, a native of Lancaster County, Penn. She was born December 1, 1830. After marriage he removed to Stark County, Ohio, and after working successfully at his trade there for one and one-half years he re- moved, in the fall of 1850, to De Kalb County. Ind., and purchased forty acres of timber land. He commenced improving his land and worked there on his farm and at his trade for over four years, when, in the spring of 1855, he came to Crawford County, and bought 100 acres of brush land. He remained on his farm but one year, when he leased it and bought an interest in a steam saw-mill at New Hebron. After about one year's work in the mill, they sold out, and our subject worked there at his trade for about two years, at which time, in the spring of 1861, he came back to his farm, and on August 12 he en- listed in Company D, Thirtieth Illinois Vol- unteer Infantry and served three years. He was mustered out at Chattanooga, Tenn., in August, 1864. When he first enlisted he was appointed Forage Master of the regimental train, and after worked as harness maker of the regimental division train. He was in one battle, namely, Belmont, Mo. When he was discharged, he came back to his family in Crawford County, and since has been suc- cessfully engaged in farming, and has in- creased his farm to 230 acres, of which 200 acres is in cultivation. His main pro- dnetions are grain. He has had six chil- dren born to him-Lucinda, Simon, John Henry, Mary Alice, Laura Belle and Emma Elizabeth.

J. P. WILLSON, farmer, P. O. Hardins- ville, born in Guernsey County, Ohio, Octo- ber 11, 1833. His father was a native of

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Ohio also, born November 30, 1809 He emigrated to Richland County, Ill., in 1839, and entered wild land and remained there until his death, which occurred August 31, 1843. Our subject's mother, Rachael (Pow- ell), was born in Pennsylvania February 1, 1810, and after the death of her husband she and our subject came to Crawford County in 1844, and is now living with our subject. His chances for an education was very limit- ed owing to the death of his father, which oc- curred as above stated in 1843, and at that time which you can see, our subject was but eleven years of age. In 1845, when but twelve years of age, he was compelled to go to working out by the mouth to help support himself and his mother's family. Mr. Willson has been married twice. First, in January, 1861, to Nancy J. Garrard, a native of Crawford. Her death occurring in July, 1863; he married his main productions are grains.

again, April 2, 1876, Emma Hudson, a native of Indiana. He enlisted in Company K, One Hundred and Twenty-third Illinois Volunteer Infantry, in August, 1862, and was in several battles, namely: Perryville, Ky., Milton, Tenn., Lavergne, Tulahoma, McMinnville, Chickamauga, Hoover's Gap and Farmingtou, and several other battles and skirmishes not named. But the last battle he was in was at Farmington, as above named, and there was shot in the knee of the right leg. He was taken to a hospital at Shelbyville, Tenn., and there, October 11, 1863, had his leg amputat- ed. He remained in a hospital until Feb- ruary, 1864, at which time he was discharged and came back to Crawford County; since, he has been engaged in agricultural pursuits. He has sixty acres of land in Section 1, of which, thirty-five acres, is in cultivation, and

HONEY CREEK TOWNSHIP.

C. E. HIGHSMITH, farmer and black- smith, of Honey Creek, Crawford Co., Ill., was born in Crawford County January 17, 1851. He is the son of Ewing and Harriet (Wallace) Highsmith, the former, born in Crawford County, and the latter in Ohio. He was twice married, first to Elizabeth Wal- lace, a sister of the former, and born in the same State. By the first marriage, they had four children, viz .: Sarah Ann, Catharine, George R. and Rachel J. By the second, eleven, as follows: Joseph A., Cornelius E., Mary E., Martha A., Stephen D., Margaret M., Charles M., Julia A., Nancy Lavina, Ar- dilla and Frank. Our subject was married in this county March 22, 1870, to Miss Mar- tha Harris. of the same county, though born in Pennsylvania, and moved to this State when a small child. Our subject has three

children living and one dead-Ira F. Those living are Ruben, Walter and one not named. Mr. Highsmith was educated in this county, and was reared a farmer, which he followed until recently. He is now engaged in the blacksmith business. He is favorably known in the neighborhood where he lives. He was elected to the office of Justice of the Peace in Honey Creek Township in 1881. He is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church. The Highsmiths are of English extraction. Their grandfather, Richard Highsmith, came to this country in an early day, and from him originated the name of Highsmith in this country. His advent to this country was probably before the Revolution. Mr. High- smith's grandsire on his mother's side was Benjamin Wallace, and, on his father's side, Richard Highsmith. He was one of the first

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to assist in the construction of the fort at Russellville, and one of the first to occupy it with one who afterward became his wife.

A. W. JONES, an enterprising physician and surgeon of Flat Rock, Crawford Co., Ill., was born in the same place September 15, 1847. He is the son of John M. and Mrs. Elizabeth Ford Jones, the former was born in Butler County, Ohio, December 25, 1815. His occupation through life has been that of a farmer; he came to Crawford County as early as 1832, at which time the country was a vast wilderness. His brother, Asa, was the first to enter land east of the range road leading from Mt. Carmel to Chicago. His wife, for- merly Mrs. Elizabeth Ford, was born in Ken- tucky in 1813, and died in this county Sep- tember 22, 1881. Her remains are reposing in Flat Rock Cemetery. Dr. Jones' father was descended from Welsh and English par- ents, where many of the same name and relationship, have attained positions of trust and great personal influence. His grand- father on his father's side came from Wales, and on his mother's side from England. The latter came to America long before the Revolution, and it is supposed that they settled in Virginia. He was a wagoner dur- ing the war of the Revolution. The marriage of Dr. Jones' parents occurred December 19, 1837, and by the union resulted the births of six children, as follows, named in the order of their births: J. William, Sarah Ann, Cynthia Ann, A. W., A. H.and H. F. Sarah Ann and Cyntha Ann are deceased. In early life, Dr. Jones spent his youth on his father's farm, or, more properly speaking, in assist- ing his father in opening and improving a farm. In this occupation, the subject of this sketch spent his youth, only alternating the labors incident thereto with such brief terms as neighborhood schools afforded chances for gaining a little rudimentary learning. Dur-

ing his years of minority, however, his brain was not idle, and his hard toil by no means exhausted his energies or blighted his ambi- tion. Actuated by a desire for knowledge, and the purpose to be and do something for his fellow-men, he chose for his life work the medical profession, and, accordingly, entered the Otterbein University, of Ohio, and, later, the Michigan University. He also took a scientific course and graduated, receiving the degree of B. A. After his graduation, he lo- cated and began the practice of his profession at LaGrange County in 1878, where he re- mained but a short time, and removed to Flat Rock in August of the same year. He was married in Logan County, Ill., in 1872, to Miss Mary E. Ambrose, formerly from Ohio. She was born April 3, 1851. Three children was the result of this union, as follows: Wen- dall Ambrose, Hanby R., and Eva N., who died while young. Her parents are Lewis D. and Nancy Leib (Ambrose), both of whom were born in Ohio. Dr. Jones is a man of pleasant manners and fine personal appear- ance, a fluent speaker and conversationalist, using correct language. In politics, he is well-informed, and possessed of decided opin- ions, which he does not seek to conceal. He is a Republican, while not loud or preten- tious. He is interested in the spread of re- ligion, morality and educational interests of the neighborhood in which he lives.

JOHN P. WEGER, farmer and stock- dealer, of Honey Creek Township, Crawford County, was born in Lawrence County, Ill., April 7, 1839. William Weger, his father, a hale old man of many winters, is residing near his son's farm, in the same township. He was born in the east part of Tennessee, the date of which has been made obscure by the loss of the records of the family, but is supposed to have been abont 1808. He came to Crawford County, in company with his

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parents, in 1828, at which time he was but a child. By his marriage with Miss Elizabeth Highsmith, January 8, 1832, they had ten children born to them, amongst whom was John W., the subject of this sketch. The rest of the children of the family were Ma- lisse, Matilda, Mary E., Margaret, Joseph, George R., Eliza A. and James William. Two not named died in infancy. She was a native of Kentucky, and died in Crawford County, Ill., November 15, 1853. After her death he married as second wife, Miss Nancy Lackey. They had four children born to them, as follows: William Jasper, Jesse N., Sarah Ann, Charles S. Adam Lackey, father of Mrs. Weger, was born in Tennessee, and fought under Gen. Marion during the Revolu- tion. Her name was Catharine Lester. She was born in Tennessee, and was the mother of eighteen children. She died about the year 1856. Mr. Weger was reared a farmer, and his early life was necessarily accompa- nied by hardships and privations incident to pioneer life. He, however, acquired a fair edu- cation in the neighborhood school. Though poor, yet possessed with the riches of hardi- hood and the industrious characteristics of his father, he soon made a start in life, and at the present time is one of the principal farmers and stock-dealers of the county. He was married in Crawford County, Ill., April 2, 1868, to Miss Lavina Jones, daughter of Lewis and Polly Jones. Both were born in Pennsylvania, the former, August 6, 1801, and the latter, 1807. Mr. Weger has five children, as follows: Mary Elizabeth, Jose- phine, John O., Carl Carson and Louisa. He and wife are both members of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church. He is also a mem- ber of the Masonic fraternity, in which he officiated as Worthy Master for ten years.

GEORGE PARKER, farmer, of Honey Creek, Crawford County, Ill., was born near

Four Mile Creek, which runs through Butler County, Ohio, in 1812. His father was Samuel Parker, a native of Kentucky, in which State he was born in 1782. He removed from that State to Ohio in an early day, and to Illinois in 1819. During his residence in Kentucky, he was married to Miss Sarah New- man, who was in that State at a point where the Rolling Forks and Beech Forks join, about 1783. They reared a family of ten children, five boys and five girls. Their names are as follows: Merinty, John, George, William, Julia, Rachel, James and Annie, and two others not named. Mr. Parker came with his parents to Russelville, Ill., in 1816, at which time the country was wild and unset- tled, and the Indians were running wild all over the land. His father was amongst the first few white settlers who first entered land in this county, and our subject's early life was devoted to assisting his father in improv- ing and making a farm. In the meanwhile, he attended the neighborhood school, and as often as permitted, and thus succeeded in ob- taining a fair practical education. Early in life he joined the Missionary Baptist Church, and for many years after preached at various places throughout the county. He has been twice married-first to Miss Pattie Henry, and again to Mrs. Jane Monroe, formerly wife of Powell Conover. By the first union he reared a family of ten children, as follows: Annie, William, Eliza J., John, Henry, Julia, Sarah A., Washington, La Fayette and Barbara A. Mr. Parker is of Dutch-English origin. His maternal grandparents were Dutch, while on his mother's side they were English. John Parker, a brother of the subject of this sketch is a resident of the county, and was a soldier in the Black Hawk war.

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History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois, Part 105

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co. Number of Pages: 826

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 826