USA > Illinois > De Witt County > History of De Witt county, Illinois. With illustrations descriptive of the scenery, and biographical sketches of some of the prominent men and pioneers > Part 46
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PHOTO. BY F. O. PEASE
D. O. Prade
FROM whose studio came many of the photographs of persons whose faces embellish these pages, was born in Redwood, Ver- mont, August 17, 1852. His parents were Rev. H. W. Pease, a Methodist Episcopal minister, and Louisa Pease, nee Macomber. The family originated in Wales. The genealogy of the Pease family is published in book form, and is traceable back to the year 511. His father, in common with most persons of his pro- fession, was without a permanent home, so that school attendance was irregular for the subject of this sketch. His best opportuni- ties were enjoyed in Freeport, in this state, and Adrian College, Mich. Mr. Pease was married to Miss Allie Hankinson in Sep-
tember, 1877, by whom he has one child, a son, named Cecil Orme, born October, 1881. In his profession Mr. Pease excels. He commenced photography in July, 1867, and has by close application united with natural aptitude for the work in all its branches, become a first-class artist. He is a pronounced, out- spoken Republicau, in politics ; in religion, an earnest Swedenbor- gian ; and an active musician. He is an enthusiastic member of the order of Knights of Pythias. He owns the property occupied by his gallery, and takes a deep interest iu everything calculated to promote the welfare of his adopted home, and to build up a trade which shall be a credit to him as well as to the county.
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PHOTO, AT F. O. PFASF.
No. B. Office.
AMONG the successful farmers of De Witt county must be placed M. B. Spicer, who after many years of toil and hardship, has retired to enjoy a merited quiet. He was born in Clark county, Indiaua, July 12, 1820; his parents were Upshur and Nancy Spicer. They came to Indiana from Delaware. Upshur combined cabinet-making with farming. His father, in turn, was Lemuel Spicer, who came to Sangamon county, Illinois, in the spring of 1833 ; his son Upshur and family followed in the fall of the same year, and located about ten miles south-east of Springfield. Minos obtained a common-school education in In- diana. He came to De Witt county in 1854. Whilst yet in Sangamon couuty he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Jane
Miller, February 13, 1851. By this marriage there have been ten children, four of whom are living. In 1874 Mr. Spicer retired from his farm in Tunbridge township, to Clinton, pri- marily to give his children,-three sons and a daughter,-a better opportunity for obtaining an education. Politically, he is a Democrat ; has never sought office, but has represented his fellow-men as supervisor, as road commissioner and as school director ; he is an active member of the Masonic Order. His wife is a member of the Christian Church. Mr. Spicer enjoys the good will of all As a citizen, he is upright, and . although possessed of considerable means, unostentatious.
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PHOTO, BY F. O. PEASE.
le Pfand Dop
WAS born in Fayette county, Kentucky, March 3d, 1827. His parents were Thomas and Malinda Ford, whose maiden name was Hackett. His father followed brickmaking for many years ; came to Illinois, locating in Jacksonville, Morgan county, in 1829. The subject of this sketch had very meagre opportunities for acquiring au education. He labored in his father's brick yard -the first manual labor he ever performed-then, on a farm and afterwards learned the saddle and harness business, which he followed for about nineteen years. He located in Clinton in 1854, where he pursued his business until the breaking out of the war for the Union. On the 27th of June, 1861, he enlisted as First Lieutenant, accepting the place of Regimental Quarter- master of the Twenty-fifth Illinois Vol. Infantry. Was pro- moted to a Lieutenant Colonelcy and subsequently to a Colonelcy
during the term of his service. After the war he collected direct taxes for the United States in Tennessee. Was appointed post- master at Clinton in 1868, which position he held for four years. He was married to Miss Mary D. Bowren, of Clark county, Kentucky, February 22d, 1849. By this union there have been boru five children, four of whom are living uamely, William D., Richard Y., Edward E., Katie M.
Col. Ford is a staunch outspoken Republican of whig antece- dents. Learned his ideas of politics of Henry Clay, who was his beau ideal of political manhood in youth. He is an excellent worker in the cause of Republicanism, one whose infinence is often sought. In mauners he is pleasing and affable ; in his friend- ships true and lasting. The Colonel has many friends in the vicinity in which he lives.
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JOHN AND MINERVA BISHOP (DECEASED).
JOHN BISHOP was born at Exeter, England, and was the son of Nathaniel and Ann (Beardsley) Bishop, who had a family of nine children-five girls and four boys. In 1829 Nathaniel Bishop left England for New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and set- tled with his family on the James River. Johu, a mere youth, soon found employment in the lumber business so extensively carried on in that vicinity. In 1847, in eonjunetion with a bro- ther, he ezme to Illinois, and purchased a farm at Elgin, in which occupation he continued until 1853; when, with his bro- ther, William, he lannehed out into the grain and stock business at Freeport; but in the summer of 1855 they came to Clinton, erected an elevator and engaged in the grain and lumher busi- ness, which they successfully operated in partnership together ; and no firm stood higher at home or abroad for honesty and lib- erality in business than that of John and William Bishop.
In August, 1863, John Bishop was united in marriage with
Miss Minerva Moore, the daughter of Isaac and Philena (Blish) Moore. Miss Moore came to Cliuton about 1848, and resided with her brother, C. HI. Moore, until the date of her marriage.
In 1867 John Bishop sold out his interest in business to his brother William, and retired to the peace and quietness of pri- vate life. In an imposing building, which he had erected in the north part of the eity, he and she spent their time and money in beautifying their house, taking care of their flowers, and enter- taining their friends. None enjoyed the society of their friends and neighbors more than Mr. and Mrs. Bishop; their house was always opeu, and the closing of their doors by death was regard ed as a great calamity to all the social interests of the city ; gen- erons to all, their charities were of that quiet kind which was concealed from all but the givers and receivers. Mrs. Bishop's death occurred in 1880, some time after that of their youthful daughter and only ehild. Mr. Bishop did not long survive his wife, but died on the 10th of August, 1881.
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CARRIAGE ROOM
METROPOLITAN LIVERY STABLE MONROE ST CLINTON, ILL. H. B. TAYLOR PROPRIETOR
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CLINTON LIVERY, FEED, SALE AND EXCHANGE STABLES W. W. WEEDMAN PROPR HORSES SOLD AND BOUGHT. EAST MAIN ST. CLINTON, ILL
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HISTORY OF DE WITT COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
A. W. RAZEY,
THE genial proprietor of the Magill House, Clinton, Illinois, was born February 16th, 1850, in Perry, Pike county, Illinois. His parents were Nathan and Eliza Razey, (nee Jones). His father was by trade a carpenter. He became likewise a wagon maker, and followed this, and operated a foundry in Pike county. In 1857 he came to De Witt county, where he engaged in farming. A. W. Razey followed farming when a youth. When abont seventeen years of age he attended the Normal University at Normal, MeLean county, where he remained a year and a half. In 1868 he became clerk in the postoffice at Normal, then as a clerk he came to Clinton and worked for Humphrey & Smith. In 1870 he changed for a similar position with Magill Bros. After six month's time he thought to reap a harvest with patent lamps and operated a short time in Missouri. The reality was quite unlike his cherished dreams, so he gave up the business and engaged his services as elerk in a dry goods house in Kirksville, Mo., where he remained until 1873. His health failing him, in com- pany with others he took an extended buffalo hunt, and after three month's absence he returned to Clinton, where he engaged in handling produce. In a few months he went to Chicago in the same line of business, and in 1875 he again became a clerk for Magill Bros., this time as head salesman and book-keeper. Here he remained until 1881, when he took charge of the hotel he now occupies. He was married December 25th, 1876, to Miss Ettie Phares, at the time a highly esteemed and successful teacher in the public schools of Clinton. By this union there has been born one child, a bright little girl named Edna. Mr. Razey is an active member of the Masonic order including chapter, Odd Fellow, and Encampment and Knights of Pythias. In the order of Knights of Pythias he is District Deputy. He takes great in. terest in all manner of public improvements; is treasurer of the fire company, secretary of the literary society and otherwise engaged in numerous like enterprises. In manners, affable, and eminently social, he makes many friends, and is rapidly establish- ing a fine reputation for the house of which he is proprietor.
WILLIAM BOOTH,
THE present efficient Prosecuting Attorney for De Witt county, was born in Greene county, Ohio, on the 24th of April, 1849. His father, Johu by name, was a farmer, who brought his family to this county in 1857, locating in Waynesville township. Wil- liam Booth attended the common district school until 1864, when, full of patriotic fervor-although both too young and too small to carry a musket,-he slipped away from home and be- came a drummer-boy with Co. I, 145th Regiment, Illinois Vol- unteers. It is related that both himself and an associate got into the breeches he drew when he first became a " soger hoy." He was with the command about five months. Upon his return home he applied himself to his books with renewed zeal, attend- ing a select school in Waynesville, taught by Prof. Turner, then the Wesleyan University at Bloomington, where he graduated in 1873. To him belonged the honor of being valedictorian in a class of nine. Returning home, he accepted the Principalship of the Waynesville Public Schools, in which position he contin- ued for three years. He next entered the law office of Rowell & Hamilton, in Bloomington, as a student ; then went to Spring- field, where he continued reading under the guidance of Oren- dortf & Creighton. In January, 1879, he was admitted to prac- tice at the bar, and at once located in Clinton, where he was elected Prosecuting Attorney. He was dependent upou his own exertions largely in securing an education. At college he re- fused to join other students in many pastimes engaged in from sheer necessity. At Springfield his last five dollar bill went for hoard just before his admittance to the bar. The firm with whom he studied loaned him money with which to pay for his li- cense. Possessed of plenty of pluck and energy, he is acquiring a fine practice in his chosen profession, and is making many friends. In politics he is a straightforward and outspoken Re- publican, one who is proud of having cast his first ballot for Gen. U. S. Grant for President. He is a member of the Order of the Knights of Pythias, in whose workings he takes a lively in- terest.
SANTA ANNA TOWNSHIP.
0
HIS is a rhomboidal-shaped precinct, its northern and southern boundary lines being parallel, whilst its eastern are not, the eastern being an angle of 50 degrees, with a meridiau liue. It is bounded on the north by McLean county, on the east by Piatt, on the south by Piatt county and De Witt township, and on the west by De Witt and Rutledge townships. It con- tains 27 square miles, or more accurately 17,- 297 acres. It is well drained by Salt creek and its affluents. Salt creek enters the township from McLean county, passing in its general south-westerly course through sections 14, 23, 27, 28, 33, 32, 31 and 6. Its minor affluents take their rise in springs chiefly within the boundaries of the township. It is well tim- bered, in parts heavily so. The soil is rich and fertile, and is adapted to all cereals raised in the latitude. The scenery pre- seuted to the eye of the observer is varied and inviting. Not alone are the water courses followed by strips of timber, but here and there are fine natural groves adorning the landscape.
In the spring of 1830, Tilmon Lane, Sr., Matthew K. Martin, William Lane, Benjamin L. Lisenby and J. J. McGraw, desiring to spy out the country, followed up Salt creek to its head waters, and found a family occupying a deserted Indian wigwam on sec- tion 33. just south of the present site of Farmer City. John Donner was the bold pioneer who had pushed his way beyond the settlements aod taken up his abode in the solitude of an un- broken wilderness. His visitors stanchioned their horses, built a fire against some logs and slept on their blankets, except when disturbed by the howling of wolves and hooting of owls, which they declared they had never found so plentiful as here. The restless spirit of the adventurer always characterized Donner. As soon as other immigrants came in he left, and in 1846, to- gether with quite a band, he perished in the Rocky Mountains en route for California. This visit resulted in giving the name of one of the party to a small tributary of Salt creek, and which name it yet bears, being popularly called Martin's Branch. Another pioneer named Bridges had located and remained within the line of this precinct simultaneously with Donner. His brief stay was passed in hunting, and content with heaven as a canopy, and furs as a bed, he erected no rude cabin to blaze the march of civilization.
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To Dennis Hurley belongs the credit of being the first perma nent settler in this precinct. His humble cabin was erected in the fall of 1830, in what is called Hurley's Grove, a short dis- tance south-west of Farmer City. With him came a brother-in- law, Richard Kirby, who followed with the second cabin. Den- nis Hurley was the father of twelve children, two of whom died. in Ohio. Catharine Hurley, now the wife of George Swigart, 214
was the first person born in the precinct. She was born July 16th, 1832. Soon after getting his cabin comfortably fixed Den- nis Hurley had the misfortune to cripple his right hand in an effort to load his gun. He struck the ramrod with such a force as to cause it to penetrate the hand, carrying into the wound a bit of his coat. In chopping wood and shooting game, the left hand, as a sole dependence, added to the hardships incident to pioneer life.
The rangers, on their way to participate in the Black Hawk war, camped near Hurley's cabin, in the grove which yet bears his name, and thrilled with their accounts of the atrocities prac- ticed upon the whites by the Iudians, he promptly offered his services and took up his line of march for the north-west.
Richard Kirby was the father of fifteen children. He origi- nally came from Ohio, a poor man, in search of a home. Here he fo ind it and lived respected by his fellows until 1870, when his death was caused by falling from a wagon loaded with wood.
In the spring of 1832 a band of Kickapoo Indians whose cus- tom it had been to make sugar along the creek returned for the last time, cut to pieces their sugar troughs and destroyed every thing the whites could utilize iu its manufacture. These Indians had a tradition that eighty years before any whites came to this country there was a snow-fall of seven feet which destroyed all the game in this section. This tradition the early settlers thought somewhat corroborated by the fact that they found piles of buffalo bones bleaching on the prairies as if the animals had perished in herds.
In the fall of 1882 came Nathan Clearwater, making the fourth family to settle ou head waters of Salt creek. These four neigh- bors were ten miles distant from any other settlement. At this time Bloomington was their nearest trading point and even there was only a small store kept by a man named Haines. The wants, however, of these sturdy pioneers were few. An annual trip sufficed to supply them, and this was oftener extended to Peoria or Pekin than to Bloomington. Thus far the staking off of a claim was sufficient evidence of ownership. But on the first day of February, 1833, Nathan Clearwater entered the first tract of land entered in this precinct, it being the N. E. } of the N. W. } of section 33, township 21, range 5 E. After this land entries were made as follows :
IN TOWNSHIP NO. 21, RANGE 5 EAST.
Feb. 18, 1833, William Y McCord entered W. }. S. W. }, Sec. 32, 80 acres. Oct. 10, 1833, Reuben Clearwater W. 3, N. E. }, " 33, 80 “ Mar. 17, 1834, James W. McCord S. E. Į, S. W. }," 32, 40 “
Feb. 5, 1834, P. Webb 33] acres, 33.
June 2, 1834, Reuben Clearwater = S. E. }, N. W. }," 33,40 4
Nov. 1, 1834, Jobn Danner = N. E. Į, N. E. 4,“ 32, 40 4
Nov. 19, 1834, John E. French = N.W.}, N. E. }, " 32, 40
Aug. 27, 1835, E. Covey
W. }, N. W. }, " 34, 80 “
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HISTORY OF DE WITT COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
IN TOWNSHIP NO. 20, RANGE 5 EAST.
June 10. 1834, John Hurley entered N. E. Į, S E. , Sec. 6, 40 acres. Nov. 20, 1534, Dennis Hurley N. g, S. W. } 6. 80
These lands are all comprised in the timber belt following the meanderings of Salt creek. The idea that the rolling prairies, stretching away for miles, Inxnriant in their tall grass and bright flowers, would ever be even habitable was undreamed of by those who sought the friendly shelter of the forests. Uncle Nathan Clearwater as he is known and his estimable wife yet live on the land entered by the wife's father, John Danner, in 1834. The quaint and cosy old homestead is a most valned relic of the past, and hrings with it the crude ideas of those earlier days of pioneer life, characterized as they were by genuine fellowship and good feeling, Among other things that mark it as a homestead coming from a past generation is the grove of stately black loensts near the house set out by the owner nearly fifty years ago. Uncle Nathan and Annt Pully are known and loved by all. They have passed their golden wed ling, and are now the only two left who were among the heads of the first four pioneer families. About the same time with Nathan Clearwater came J. Washing- ton McCord, who lived for a year or two in this settlement and moved to what is now Harp township. He had passed through here as early as 1828 when on a tonr of home hunting. He affirmed to his Tennessee friends that the time would come when the prairie land, then entirely neglected and unsonght, would be considered more valnable than timber tracts His friends were incredulous. Some of them declared they wouldn't accept twenty thousand acres of such land as a gift and pay taxes on them, that they would always remain hunting grounds where deer congre- gate. The wife of J. W. McCord, living when he first came to Illinois, was a most devoted and earnest Christian woman ; a member of the Methodist Episcopal faith.
Jno. Weedman, Sr., in passing through here in 1832, looking after stock found a man named George Hand living in the hol- low of a tree, which at the time was certainly the largest in De Witt county. His sojourn here was temporary.
Henry Huddleston, an Indianian, was the next person to unite his destinies with those of the little band. Then came Richard D. Webb from Shelby connty, Kentneky, reaching here Nov. 16th, 1833. He purchased the claim of John Danner, who had left for other parts, so there were but the five families in close proximity, although to the west, in the adjoining township, lived Washington McCord.
The first religions meeting was held in the house of Richard Kirby, and in this house, a cabin 12x16 feet in size, their meet- ings continned some months. The first class formed numbered seven persons ; Richard Kirby and wife, Dennis Hurley and wife, Nathan Clearwater and wife and Mrs. Julia McCord, first wife of Washington McCord. They met together in praise and prayer and their zeal was strengthened by an occasional visit made by a preaching brother. The first circuit rider was a man named Hall. His circuit required at least a hundred miles travel in making a single round, hence his appointments for the same place were a month apart.
The first death in the community was that of William Smith Clearwater, a son of Nathan Clearwater, and occurred November 13th, 1834. His remains were placed in a rudely constructed coffin, the workmanship of Richard D. Webb, and lowered to their last resting place where so many have since been laid away to sleep the sleep of death.
On the 9th day of April, 1835, one of those cold and bluster-
ing days, not uncommon in Illinois, a man named Ryan was frozen to death in this vicinity. A cold north wind blew all that day ; pelting snow alternating with rain fell fast. Three immigrant wagons, westward honnd, had been trying all day to push their way against the beating, driving storm, when on at- tempting to cross a slongh east of Farmer city the wagons and teams mired down. The men fixed their families comfortably in the wagons for the night, then unhitched their teams and started for the Salt creek timber, where they expected to get food and shelter for their stock. Mr. Ryan's was an ox team. He started a little earlier than his companions, riding the near ox, a thing very common in those days. when he reached the slough south of Salt creek he found it so swollen with the rains that he dared not attempt crossing. He started back to the wagons ; on the way he fell from his ox stiffened with cold and died. The next morning his body was found, and decent burial given it in a coffin made by Richard Webb and his neighbors. This was the first burial of an adult in the old grave-yard. Na- than Clearwater cared for the bereaved widow and orphaned children nntil more propituous weather enabled them to pass on to their western destination in Knox county.
Paxton Cumming moved here in the spring of 1835, after the sad occurrence just related, from North Carolina. He was a most excellent man, a devoted Christian and minister in the M. E. church. His piety, meekoess aud purity of character, combined with a heart reaching ont in love and tenderness for the suffer- ing, made an impression upon the generation in which he lived, that the wasting, corroding influences of time can never efface. The memory of his noble deeds is still fresh and green in the minds of the early settlers, and affords a theme as sweet as the fragrance of holy, precious incense Mr. Cumming was for two or three years actively engaged in proclaiming the word, travel- ing a circnit of over one hundred miles. He brought with him the first kit of blacksmithing tools ever brought to the township, and supplemented his preaching labors by doing the work of a smithy. He died in the month of September, 1839, being the first person buried in the second cemetery located in the pre- cinct. His death occurred the first day of the first camp meeting held in Santa Anna, and quite appropriately his remains were laid away to rest on the camp ground which was located on sec- tion 31.
Settlers now began to come in more freely, and in 1837 there were in the grove, as the old settlers call the Salt creek valley adjacent to Farmer city, nineteen families, most of whom are yet represented in the population in this vicinity. They were Henry Huddleston, Nathan Clearwater, John Danner, J. W. Badley, Jas. W. McCord, John Weedman, Asa Weedman, R. M. Pat- terson, Richard Kirby, Paxton Cumming, Edward Corey, Byron Corey, Noah Grant, Richard D. Webb, Thomas Blalach, James Webb, Mrs. Watson, Matthew Johnson, and Dennis Hurley The village of Mount Pleasant had been laid off by Nathan Clearwater, John W. Badley, and Robt. M Patterson, Jannary the 28th, 1837. Squire Hiram Buck, of McLean county, sur- veyed the plat. The first honse erected on the town site was by Nathan Clearwater. The first stock of goods and groceries brought to the place was by Wm H. McFall, in the fall of 1837. The next house in order of building, was a small frame-building by John Smith, occupied as a hotel. Old settlers remember the sign, on which was painted the word "Hotel," swung ont from the building, which was hardly large enough to afford accom- modation for a single household. The honses throughout the entire settlement were provided with stick and mnd chimneys,
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HISTORY OF DE WITT COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
affording a large and open fire-place, from four to six feet across, and having a hearth of mother earth, except that built by Clear- water, which put on metropolitain airs, by having a brick chim- ney made of the first brick manufactured here. In 1839 the first voting precinct was laid off, and Richard D Webb, John Danner and Dennis Ilurley were appointed judges of election. At the first election held, William H. MeFall was elected Justice of the Peace, and Thomas Blalach, constable. There were in all twenty-four votes polled. During the same year, the first mail facilities were afforded citizens by the establishment of a mail route extending from Danville to Bloomington, by way of Urbana, Le Roy, Mt. Pleasant, Middletown, and Sidney. James MeKillop obtained the first contract for carrying this mail. Citizens around Mt. Pleasant were some time in securing an office after the establishment of the route, owing to the fact that each name selected, proved to have been already given an office in the State. John Smith at last proposed the name of Santa Anna. and it was chosen, and he was installed first postmaster. The mail was carried once a week. In 1840 the mail facilities were increased, a semi-weekly being provided for, a ad a regular two-horse hack being put on the route. Asahel Brewer, of Ur- bana, carried the mail from Danville to Mt. Pleasant. The hacks met here, and John Smith's hotel hecame a place of more business.
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