History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois, Part 88

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 88
USA > Illinois > Crawford County > History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois > Part 88

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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oner at Holly Springs, and paroled on the ground and sent to Benton Barracks, Mo., where they were exchanged. Was discharged at Little Rock, Ark., March 15, 1866, after a service of four years and three months. He was elected Captain of Company D, Seven- teenth Battalion Illinois National Guards. Also served on Col. Smith's staff as inspector of rifle practice with the rank of Captain. He is a member of the Masonic and Odd Fel- lows fraternities. His children are Clifford, Leola H., Iona Lee and Ralph H.

E. BRUBAKER, of the firm of Wiseman & Brubaker, proprietors of the Robinson planing mills, was born February 10, 1842, in Lawrence County, Ohio. In 1856, came to Illinois and engaged in farming, afterward in carpentering in Terre Haute. In August, 1862, enlisted in the war, Company E, Eighty- fifth Indiana. Was assigned to the army of the Cumberland; was in Sherman's march to the sea, and participated in that cam- paign. Was discharged in June, 1865. He was married, December 27, 1866, to Miss Mary M. Batey, and has three children- Charles Clifford, William Arthur and Kate Alma. He is a member of the Knights of Honor, also of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The father of our subject was John Brubaker, a native of Pennsylvania, born in 1818, and died in 1845. His mother's maiden name was Mary E. Arthur, born in 1822, and still living.

EDWIN F. BULL, merchant, Robinson. The subject of this sketch was born in 1817. in Lexington, Ky., the metropolis of the world-renowned Blue Grass Region, where he lived untit he was eighteen years of age, He then entered the Texan war, serving the Texan Government about two years, after which he went on board a vessel as assistant supercargo. He followed the sea some six years, and then went to Iowa and engaged ' line, he had found the bottom of his pocket,

in the mercantile business at Wapello, where he remained until 1863. when he sold out and came to Charleston, Ill., and bought a farm in Coles County, which he operated several years. He sold his farm and en- gaged in the boot and shoe business, which he afterward sold and went to coopering, but was burnt out in 1873; he then came to Robinson and bought out Francis Lucas' dry goods, boots, shoes, etc., which business he is still engaged in, with an extensive trade, selling from $15,000 to $20,000 worth of goods annually. Mr. Bull was married, in 1846. to Miss Nancy McKenny, and has four children living, viz .: Emma, Theodore, John and James. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity.

HON. ETHELBERT CALLAHAN, law- yer, Robinson. Mr. Callahan, whose portrait appears in this work, was born in Licking County, Ohio, December 17, 1829. His an- cestors, contemporaries of Daniel O'Connell. left " Old Ireland " to find a home free from oppression in the new world, and engaged in the primitive pursuit of tilling the soil, Mr. Callahan followed in the footsteps of his father, and spent the first twenty years of his life in farming. During this time, he enjoyed the advantages of a common school education. At the age of twenty, he resolved to leave the parental home and push his fort- une in the then great West. Accordingly, he arrived in Crawford County in the spring of 1849. When Mr. Callahan left the parental roof, he had but a few dollars in his pocket, and he started out with his little pack con- taining all his worldly possessions, taking his course on the National road running centrally through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois to St. Louis. Over this route he could pick up many chance rides when his means ran too low to travel by stage coach. Soon after crossing the Ohio

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and stopping at one of the many country hotels, which abounded along that then great national thoroughfare, which occupied almost as great a niche in the history of the coun- try in connection with immigration as the Pacific Railroad does at the present. On ask- ing for a night's lodging and telling his financial condition, he was offered work through harvest, which was then just on hand. This he gladly accepted, and by it he raised sufficient funds to enable him to reach Crawford County by a careful husbanding of his means. He was possessed of fine physical health, and a determination and will to succeed. He immediately cast about him for something to do, and as he had improved his opportunities both in and out of school, he was specially qualified for teaching, a po- sition which was lacking at that time in first class qualifications in this county. He ac- cepted a position as teacher of a country school the wages at that time being merely nomi- nal with that paid at present. This he fol- lowed, alternately working on the farm for three years, when he took a position as a clerk in the store of Preston Bros., where he remained for a time, when he purchased the Hutsonville Journal printing office, and took charge of the paper and commenced his pol- itical career, taking strong grounds in favor of free territories and free States. He con- tinued in the newspaper business about a year. His vigorous intellect, under a proper course of reading and study, had been ex- panding, and then he entered the memorable campaign of 1856, with a mind well stored with facts and fancy, and acquitted himself with honor as a campaign speaker. In 1857, he was elected a Justice of the Peace, and commenced the study of law. In 1859, he was admitted to the bar, and almost at once took rank among the oldest and best lawyers at the bar of the county. He continued to

reside at Hutsonville until 1861, when he removed to Robinson in order to be at the headquarters of the court. He had in his two years' practice made such a reputation as a lawyer and a pleader, that there was not a case in our court of the least importance upon which he was not engaged on one side or the other, and when a law suit was about to come up it was a race between the liti- gants as to which should see Callahan first. His reputation was not confined to the county alone, but in the neighboring counties of the circuit he was employed in important cases, both civil and criminal, and he enjoys a large practice in the Circuit, Appellate, Su- preme and United States Courts at Spring- field. In his extensive practice, he has been almost universally successful, frequently gain- ing cases in jury trials that when he took charge of them looked almost hopeless. He is conscientious, however, in his practice, being careful to ascertain that the cause is a just one-that his client has a case-before taking charge of it. In politics, Mr. Calla- han was originally a Whig, with Free-Soil an- tecedents, and has been a Republican since the Republican party was first organized. Although he has taken an earnest stand for his party, and given much of his time and labored hard for its success, he has not en- joyed much of the emoluments of its tri- umphs. It has been his misfortune, if he had political aspirations, to live in a section of the State where his party has been largely in the minority. When the war broke out, he took his stand boldly in favor of the prosecution of the war for the preservation of the Union, and contributed much by his speaking, working and influence to raising soldiers and recruiting depleted ranks. His pocket-book was always open to the wants of a crippled or needy soldier, or to the fam- ilies of those who were at the front. In

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1864, he was nominated by his party for Congress, and made the race against Judge S. S. Marshall, in the face of a hopeless op- position. He made a gallant and noble fight for the principles of his party, polling a larger vote than had been anticipated, and by his clear, logical arguments adding to the future good of his party. When the State Board of Equalization was organized under our new constitution, he was appointed by the Governor the first member of the Board for this district, and took a prominent part in its proceed ings. In 1872, he was a can- didate for nomination, by the Republican State Convention to the office of Attorney General, and would have received the nomi- nation had it not been that he was too con- scientious to resort to the trading and in- trigues too common in such places. As it was he was beaten by less than a dozen votes. In 1874, he was elected as the minority mem- ber of the State Legislature from this dis- trict. He took an active and prominent part in the workings of the session, and came out of it with a much better reputation than many others of more experience-the session of which he was a member being known gen- erally as " Hoyne's Circus." In the Repub- lican State Convention of 1880 Mr. Callahan was selected as one of the Presidential elect- ors for the State at large, and made a num- ber of speeches throughout different parts of the State, contributing largely by his able and clear presentation of the principles of his party to the 40,000 majority given by the State to the lamented James A. Garfield. Mr. Callahan has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church from his boy- hood, and, as with everything else, in his re. ligious views he has been no idler, but an earnest believer and worker. He has been either superintendent or a teacher in the Sunday schools most of his life. Through

his earnest works the Methodist Episcopal Church at Robinson, which is a credit to the town and county, was erected, he paying more towards its erection than any other three or four members. He was a lay dele- gate from this State to the National Confer- ence of the church which met in New York in 1872, and took an active part in the pro- ceedings of that body, being on some of its most important committees. In 1855, he was married to Mrs. Mary Jones, of Hutson- ville, who had a young son, now one of the Circuit Judges of the Fourth District, who re- sides at Robinson. Since their marriage two children have been born, a son who died quite young, and a daughter, Miss Mary, who graduated, in 1879, at the Illinois Female College, at Jacksonville, and was for a short time a teacher in the Institution for the Feeble Minded at Lincoln. This not being to her tastes, she gave up her position, and having given her attention somewhat to painting and drawing while at school, has recently been a student in an art school at Chicago, and is now devoting her attention and talents to that of art.

BENJAMIN V. CAREY, lumber dealer and Adams express agent, Robinson, a mem- ber of the. firm of Midkiff & Carey, in the lumber business, was born July 15, 1838, in Highland County. Ohio. He attended the common schools of his county, and taught during the year of 1857-58; he served an apprenticeship at carpentering during his boyhood. In 1855, he came to Meredosia, Morgan Co., Ill. June 1, 1861, he enlisted in the war in Company I, Twenty-fourth Ohio. His command was first assigned to armies of West Virginia, afterward the Army of the Cumberland. Was in the following battles: Green Brier, Bowling Green, Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Stone River, Chickamauga. He was made a prisoner at Athens, Ala.

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Upon being shown some open graves he very willingly took the oath of allegiance. Soon after was discharged. August 15, 1862, he enlisted in Company E, One Hundred and Twenty-second Illinois Volunteers, and was elected First Lieutenant. His command was placed on guard of the Mobile & Ohio Rail- road. The railroad and 300 of his regiment were captured and paroled on the ground and escorted to the union lines of Gen. Forrest's army. Was sent to Benton Barracks, where he became disabled for service and remained on the sick list for some time. When the war closed, he returned to his home in Ma- coupin County, Ill., where he followed the saw mill business. In 1872, he moved to Christian County, Ill., and engaged in car- pentering. In 1876, he removed to Robin- son, Ill .; has been in the lumber business since, except two years spent in Indiana. He was married in Macoupin County, III., Oeto- ber 2, 1862, to Miss Harriet Nixon, by whom he has one son, Gen. U. S. Carey, born February 2, 1864.

JOHN COLLINS, Junction Mills, Robin- son, is a native of Pennsylvania and was born June 13, 1830. When but eight years of age, he removed with his parents to Ohio, where he grew to manhood. He engaged in teaming for a time, and afterward in farm- ing. In 1863, he removed to Crawford County, Ill., and located on a farm in Robin- son Township. In 1878, he engaged in the milling and grain business, and is a member of the firm of Collins & Kirk, in the Junc- tion Flouring Mills of Robinson. They turn out about twenty-five barrels of flour per day, and have recently doubled the capacity of the mills. They do a large business in grain, and for the four months of August, Septem- ber, October and November shipped 213 car- loads of wheat and forty car loads of corn. Mr. Collins is a member of the Masonic fra-

ternity. He has been three times married- all but his last wife being dead. He has a family of seven children living. P. S .- Since the above sketch was written, the Junc- tion Mills have been destroyed by fire. to- gether with several thousand bushels of wheat, involving a loss to Collins & Kirk of $12,000 to $15,000. But with characteristic energy they are preparing to rebuild their mills.

J. W. COOPER, butcher and grocer, Rob- inson, was born October 28, 1826, in Scott County, Ind. He engaged in farming in Shelby County, Ind., in 1844, where he remained till March, 1856. when he removed to Clark County, Ill. ; settled on a farm. In 1872, he exchanged farms with a neighbor, and crossed over into Crawford County. February 1, ISS2, he removed to Robinson and joined his son, F. J. Cooper, in the butchering and gro- cery business. Mr. Cooper has been twice married. First, September 14, 1847, to Miss Susanna Robertson; again, December 4, 1854, to Priscilla Wheeler. Has two chil- dren living by his first wife, and eight by his second, as follows: F. J. Cooper and I. N. Cooper by first marriage; J. W., Mary S., Emma, Nancy J., Arzela, Leonetta, Rachel and Eddie.

F. J. COOPER, butcher and grocer, Rob- inson, was born Jnne 8, 1848, in Shelby County, Ind. Removed with his parents in 1858, to Annapolis, Crawford. Co., III. In 1872, he removed to Robinson and engaged in his present business of butcher and grocer. He was married April 8, 1875, in Hntson- ville, to Miss Emma Voorhies. They have two children-Frank and Harry. He is a member of the Masonic and Odd Fellows fraternities.

JOHN THOMAS COX, circuit clerk, Rob- inson, one of the largest, stontest and hand- somest men in Crawford County, is the good-

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natured clerk of the Circuit Court whose name stands at the head of this sketch. He was born in this county April 29, 1843. His educational facilities were such as the times afforded, being principally confined to the log school houses, now things of the past. His education was finished up with a term at the public school in Hutsonville. At the age of eighteen, he entered the ministry, which he followed about eight years as a preacher of the Christian Church, and during his minis- try he proved himself an able exponent of the doctrines of the renowned Alexander Campbell and Barton W. Stone. But after serving his church some eight years as a minister, he returned to his farm (says he re- formed) near Hutsonville. He continued on his farm until 1876, when he was elected Cir cuit Clerk of Crawford County, and in 1880, he was re-elected to the same office, which he fills satisfactorily to the people. During his political canvass he wholly refrained from the pernicious practice of frequenting saloons, and the soliciting of votes through the influ- ence of whisky. Mr. Cox owns an excellent farm near Hutsonville of 220 acres, in a fine state of cultivation. He was married January 16. 1868, to Miss Lucinda J. Buckner, of Clark County, Ill. They have three chil- dren, viz .: Hattie L., born November 3, 1868; Estelle E., born July 6, 1870, Manford E., born March 20, 1880.

S. B. CROWLEY, carpenter, Robinson, was born April 26, 1820, in Coshocton County, Ohio. He followed his trade a short time, then enlisted in the Mexican war, Company B, Third Ohio Volunteers; served his time and returned home in 1847. He was elected Sheriff of Coshocton County for a term of four years. In 1858, he re- moved to Jasper County, Ill. He located near the Embarass River, and spent his time in deer hunting till the war broke out. He

enlisted in Company K, Thirty-second Illi- nois, was elected Captain of the company, which position he filled for fifteen months. He resigned this position at Grange, Tenn., and returned home. Was in the battles of Shiloh, Forts Henry and Donelson, Corinth. He farmed till 1868, when he was elected Sheriff of Jasper County; was re-elected in 1870. In 1871, he resigned that position and removed to Robinson, Ill. He was married Angust 3, 1847, in Coshocton County, Ohio, to Miss Elizabeth Williams. Has a family of five children living, namely: Mrs. Julia A. Parker, Joseph B., a member of the law firm of Parker & Crowley, Mrs. Marga- ret Talbot, Charles W. and Emma. He is a Royal Arch Mason and member of the Odd Fellows and a Democrat.

DR. C. C. DAVIS, physician, Robinson, was born January 23, 1830, and is a son of the Hon. John Wesley Davis. The latter was born April 16, 1799, in New Holland, Lan- caster Co., Penn., where most of his time was spent on his father's farm, until he was seven- teen years of age. He graduated at the Uni- versity of Maryland, in Baltimore, April 2, 1821, and after several unsuccessful attempts to practice medicine in different towns in Maryland, he, in 1823, came to Carlisle, Ind. Here he soon gained his share of practice. His political career dates from 1829, when he was elected Sergeant-at Arms of the Indi- ana State Senate. From this time until his death in 1859, he was one of the prominent men of Indiana. He was a judge of the court, often a legislator, repeatedly a Con- gressman. In 1846, he was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives; he was sev- eral times Speaker of the House in the State Legislature. In 1847, he was appointed by President Polk Minister to China: in the fol- lowing year asked permission of his Govern- ment to be relieved, and accordingly returned

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home, visiting Egypt, England and France on his way. Again he served in the Legis- lature, and was appointed by the President Governor of Oregon Territory, which posi- tion he resigned after one year's service. In June, 1852, he was chairman of the Na- tional Democratic convention at Baltimore, which nominated Gen. Franklin Pierce for President, and in the convention cancus he ; came within one vote of being selected as the choice of the convention instead of Pierce- receiving sixteen votes to Pierce's seventeen votes. This is only a brief statistical state- ment of this great man's crowded and event- ful public career. He was married in Penn- sylvania in 1823, to Miss Ann Hoover, and raised a family of ten children, six of whom still survive -- John L. Davis, who has been Commodore in the United States Navy for two years, entering the navy forty years ago as midshipman, and resides in Washington City; Mrs. Aiken, of Evansville, Ind., Dr. C. C., the subject, Caroline W., wife of James C. Denny, ex-Attorney-General of the State of Indiana; and two twins-William J., resides near Sullivan, Ind., aud Henry B., a resident of Indianapolis. Dr. Davis, the subject, at- tended Asbury University three years, and then the Ohio Medical College at Cincinnati, from which he graduated in 1853. He soon after located in Robinson, where he has since practiced his profession. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, also of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is a Democrat in pol- itics. He was married in October, 1853, in this county, to Miss Lucretia J. Payue, who died in 1864. She was the mother of four children, only two of whom now survive, viz .: Charles E., born in April, 1856, and James, born in January, 1863. He was again married in the fall of 1864, to Sarah A. Showers. She is the mother of two chil- dren, one of whom is living-Mary J., born in November. 1868.

J. M. EAGLETON, tavern keeper, Robin- son, was born in this county February 8, 1832. His father, James Eagleton, was a na- tive of Blount County, Tenn., born in the year 1795. Here he grew to manhood, and at the age of twenty-four. in 1856, he came to Craw- ford County, Ill., and settled on a farm. He married shortly after he came here to Miss Margaret Montgomery, a daughter of James Montgomery, at which time he purchased a farm near Palestine and engaged in the bus- iness of farming. In 1841, he sold his farm and purchased another near New Hebron. Here he made his home until his death, which occurred in 1877. He raised a family of eleven children, six of whom are living, four in this county, namely, William, David, George and our subject. Their mother died in 1874. Subject of our sketch was married in this county February 16, 1854, to Miss Nancy Banguess, at which time he engaged in farming in the southern part of this county. In the fall of 1869, he removed to Southwest, Missouri, but remained there about two years, when he returned to this county and engaged in the marble busi- ness in Robinson, but shortly after built a house near the Wabash Railroad, and en- gaged in his present avocation, where he has good property. He has a family of two children living, namely: George and John Cornelius. He and his wife are church mem- bers, they belong to the church called the Church of God. Politically he is a Repub- lican.

DR. I. L. FIREBAUGH, physician and surgeon, Robinson, a son of David Fire- baugh, and whose portrait appears in this volume, was born July 14, 1847, in Crawford County, Ohio. At the age of eight years, he removed with his parents to Crawford County, Ill., and settled on a farm four miles west of Robinson, where he grew to manhood, en-

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gaged from the age of nine in running a steam engine in his father's saw-mill. His educational facilities during his boy- hood were limited, and confined to the common schools of the county. In 1867, when twenty years or age, he entered the State University of Indiana, which he at- tended for nearly four years. He then taught school two winters and operated a saw-mill two summers, after which he began the study of medicine under Dr. Meserve, remaining with him six months, and then entered the Miami Medical College, Ohio. He attended lectures two winters and one summer, study- ing in the meantime under Dr. J. C. McKen- zie, a professor in the college. He passed a competitive examination, and was placed on the staff of resident physicians of the Cincin- nati City Hospital. He remained in this in- stitution one year, and then received a di- ploma from the Miami Medical College. His studies completed, he now came to Robinson, and commenced the practice of his chosen profession. He was married, October 20, 1881, to Miss Mary. daughter of Thomas J. Sims. They have one son-William Charles, born September 15, 1882. The Doctor's father, David, was born November 22, 1812, in Harrison County, Ohio. He is a son of Philip, a blacksmith by trade, who died at Indianapolis, Ind., and Barbara Vangundy, a native of Pennsylvania, who died in Illi- nois. They were the parents of eight child- ren, viz .: David, Jacob, Martha, Rebecca, Barbara, Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph. David had but little chance of education. He worked with his father in the shop during his younger days. He was married, 1836, to Mary Ludwig, born July 2, 1818, in Berks County, Penn. She was a daughter of Sam- uel and Elizabeth (Redca) Ludwig, natives of Pennsylvania. The result of this union has been nine children, viz .: Samuel L .; Will-

iam H., wholesale hardware merchant, Texas, was in the Commissary Department in the late war; David was killed February 13, 1877, on account of having refused a drunken man a drink; H. C., attorney in San Fran- cisco, Cal .; I. L .; Charles W., is a part- ner with William H .; Joseph, is Assist- ant Cashier of the Robinson Bank; Mary J .; Chester, attorney at Robinson. The par- ents reside in Robinson. Mary, the wife of our subject, was born April 28, 1858, in Crawford County, Ill. She is a daughter of Thomas J. and Arminta M. (Ellege) Sims; the former a native of Edgar County, Ill., born 1830, and the latter of Kentucky, born 1828. They came to Crawford County, April 15, 1853, where the father engaged in black- sınithing for some time, and then, in partner- ship with N. S. Brown, he built the brick mill now owned by John Newton, in which he engaged until 1878, when he withdrew on account of ill health. He died April 27. 1878. Was a member of the I. O. O. F. His consort is still living, and blessed him with eleven children, five of whom survive; viz .: Mary, John T., Stella, Roy and Cloyd. The parents were members of the Christian Church.

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History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois, Part 88

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