History of Effingham county, Illinois, Part 59

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, O. L. Baskin & co.
Number of Pages: 650

USA > Illinois > Effingham County > History of Effingham county, Illinois > Part 59

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).

JOSEPH DONALDSON, cooper, Mason, son of Andrew Donaldson, was born in Boone County, Ky., July 19, 1831. He was raised in the town of Petersburg. During the gold excitement Mr. Donaldson spent six years in California and British America, in the min- ing business. Subject was married in Carroll County, Ky., in 1861, to Miss Elizabeth Bowl-

ing, daughter of William Bowling. He located in Carrollton in pursuit of his trade, cooper- ing, which continned there till 1863, when he removed to Effingham County ; returned the following year to Kentucky and enlisted in the United States Army. Company C, One Hun- dred and Fifty Indiana Volunteers. He served in the First Brigade and First Division of Han- cock's army corps. He was in many hard marches and skirmishes. He was discharged August 5, 1865. In March, 1868, he removed with his family to Mason, Ill. He soon after- ward engaged in farming and stock-dealing in Union Township. In 1875, he sold his farm and moved to Mason, where he resided since in pursuit of his trade, coopering, at which he is an expert. Few men can turn out more barrels per day than Joseph Donaldson. He is a mem- ber of the Masonic fraternity. Politically, he is a stanch Democrat, and zealous worker in the interest of his party. Mr. Donaldson has one child living, Jennie, born March 8, 1864, and two deceased. Andrew J. died (when very young) 1862, and Catharine W. died in 1880, aged eighteen years and nine months.

JUDGE JOHN C. FAULK, deceased, born in January, 1799, in Albany County, N. Y. He was educated at the Greenville Academy, in Albany, N. Y., a renowned institution under the principalship of Prof. Parker, father of Judge Amasa J. Parker, of Albany. Among the classmates of Mr. Faulk in this academy, were Hon. Amasa J. Parker, Hon. Hiram Gard- ner and Hon. Mitchell Sandford. After graduat- ing, Mr. Faulk entered the law office of Hon. John Adams, of Catskill, after serving as a student seven years, was at the city of Utica, at the age of twenty-two, admitted to practice, and after practicing in his profession for many years in Broome County, N. Y., he was married in Bainbridge, N. Y., February 21, 1837, to Miss Fannie A. Nichols; removed to Edgewood, III., in 1869, where he remained till his death, which occurred March 25, 1876. He died in

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the hope of a glorious immortality, surrounded by his family, consisting of his wife and three sons and one daughter. Thus peacefully has passed away another of our old citizens. He in carly life chose law for his profession. With a landable ambition to excel, with a retentive memory and an indomitable energy, he rapidly rose in his profession, and stood a peer among the galaxy of legal lights that graced the bar of New York a quarter of a century ago. No case was so simple but he gave it his attention. No case so intricate, but he unraveled it. With a knowledge of almost all the decisions of the higher courts of our country, and even ability to elucidate any point necessary to success, made him a safe counselor and a successful lawyer. He was affectionate and kind as a husband and father, genial in social relations with his neighbors, and ever a gentleman and friend among his associates.

JAY N. FAULK, liveryman, Edgewood, son of John C. Faulk, was born April 4, 1840, in Chenango County, N. Y., and had the chances- of a common school education. lic came to Illinois in 1857, and located at Edge- wood; engaged in clerking in a store; followed that till 1861. In 1863, he engaged in merchan- dising in Edgewood; followed that to great ex- tent off and on probably fifteen years, in con- nection with trading land and horses, and kept livery stable business. At present owns a livery stable and dwelling and property in Edgewood, as well as several pieces of land Subject is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and is a Republican. Subject was married in Tecumseh, Mich., March 30, 1864, to Miss Sofronia A. Miller, daughter of George W. Miller, of Effingham; has one child-W. J. Faulk.

JOHN L. FAULK, liveryman, Edgewood, son of Jolm C. Faulk; was born on October 15, 1814, in Chenango County, N. Y. Left there at the age of fifteen, and went to Penn- sylvania ; remained clerking in a store for

four years; ran a harness shop for two years. In 1865, he came to Edgewood, Ill .; clerked in a store for his brother for some time, and pur- chased an interest in the store, which he fol- lowed with farming, also livery business for the past seven years, and has also bought and shipped horses.

JOSEPH FENDER, farmer, P. O. Edge- wood, son of John Fender, was born in 1842, in Clay County, Ill. He was raised on a farm. Hle engaged in the occupation of farming. Was married in 1876 to Miss Nancy Baker, dangh- ter of James Baker, and settled on a farm in the southern part of Effingham County, Ill. In 1881, he sold his farm of 180 acres in Effing- ham, and moved into Clay County, Ill. Sub- jeet is a member of the Masonic fraternity, Edgewood Lodge, No. 486, Subject has a family of four children-Joseph H., Louis, Daisy, John B. Subject's father John Fender was born Jan. 7, 1817, in North Carolina, Left that State at the age of twelve with his parents, and re- moved to Lawrence County, Ind. He was mar- ried May 18, 1836, in Lawrence County, Ind. to Miss Matilda Shecks. Ile engaged in farm- ing and trading in stock until 1850, when he removed to Effingham County, IN. Laid a war- rant for 160 acres, which he laid on Section 34, Mason Township. To this he added probably as much as 700 acres of land in Effingham and Clay Counties. Remained in this county until his death, which occurred November 16, 1866. Of a family of nine children, five are living- Melinda C. Brown, born February 15, 1837 ; Isaac, born December 24, 1838 ; Daniel, born in September, 1842 ; Joseph ; Henry D., born September 16, 1862.

ROBERT G. GIBSON, merchant, Mason, was born in Ohio County, End., May 10, 1841. lle learned the cooper's trade, but never fol- lowed it. In 1861, he came to Mason, Ill., where he began quarrying rock, and worked until he enlisted August 12, 1861, in the Thir- ty-Eighth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, serving

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until the close of the war. He was in many bloody battles, and at Chickamauga he was captured, September 19, 1863, and was held until May 6, 1865, when he was paroled. He was held at Richmond two months, Danville, Va., five months, and lay in Andersonville four and one-half months, then in Charleston, S. C., thirty days, then at Florence, N. C., balance of time. He was reduced to a skeleton, and suffered more than words can tell. He was mustered out in Springfield, Ill., in May, 1865, and came back to Mason, where he engaged in the milling business, bnying a third interest in the firm of D. W. Sisson & Co. Ran Mason Mills twelve months, when he traded for a farm, which he conducted in the fall of 1867, when he bought a stock of goods of Isaac Baker, and has conducted a general merchan- dise business ever since, with good success. In addition to the store interests, he buys and ships grain and hoop poles and ties, employ- ing in all departments from twelve to fifteen hands ; and he also conducts three farms. His parents died when he was nine years old. and he had to shift for himself. He was mar- ried in Mason, Ill., in 1866, to Miss Ellen White, a native of Massachusetts, and has four children living.

WILLIAM O. GINTER, carpenter, Mason, was born May 2, 1835, in Bath County, Ky. At the age of seventeen he took up the car- · penter's trade, at which he served an appren- ticeship of three years at Owingsville, Ky. He came to Effingham County, Ill., in 1855, and began carpentering. Mr. Ginter was mar- ried February 27, 1846, to Mrs. Julia Morphew. In 1868, he purchased a farm about two miles north of Mason and moved on it. He farmed a short time during the summer and worked the remainder of the year at his trade. In 1881, he removed to Mason. Subject has a family of three children living-Nanna M., Zuanna and Ursula ; and two dead-John H., died October 1877, age eleven years ; Samuel

L., died October 18, 1869, age about one year. Subject, politically, is a Democrat.

A. GRANGER, farmer, P. O. Edgewood, Mason Township, son of John Granger, was born in 1819, in Wayne County, N. Y., where he was married June 7, 1842, to Miss Sarah Cass. Removed to Lake County, Ill., bought a farm and engaged in farming, which he con- tinued till 1862, when he sold his farm and moved to Effingham County, and engaged in farming in West Township, where he purchased a farm of 160 acres. In 1875, he removed to Edgewood, Ill. In April, 1882, Mr. Granger's wife died. leaving the following children, viz., James C., Lucy H., Mary (wife of W. E. Wisner), J. M., Clarence, Elmer E., Imogen. Edwin, Elizabeth. In 1852, Mr. Granger was elected Sheriff of Lake County, Ill., and filled the position of Deputy Surveyor one term.

SOLOMON HAINES, farmer, Mason P. O., Mason Township, son of Richard Haines, was born April 20, 1826, in Orange County, Ind. He grew to manhood in that county. Had fair opportunity for education; subscrip- tion schools. Subject was married January 11, 1848, to Miss Elizabeth Martin, who died in 1860, leaving three children, John A., Sarah Ann, Hattie. In 1866, he was married in Ef- fingham County, Ill., to Mary McCulley. Re- moved to Effingham County in 1850, and re- engaged in farmiug, on a farm of fifty acres, Section 13, to which he added forty acres of river bottom. In 1865, he enlisted in the war, Company H, One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Illinois. Was sent to Nashville, Tenn .; rc- mained in service till the close of the war, a term of eight months. By his second marriage has one child, viz., Eva D.

DR. JOSEPH HALL, Postmaster, physi- cian and druggist, Edgewood, is a son of Dr. Joseph Hall, was born July 14, 1840, in Ontario County, N. Y., whence he came to Edgewood in the year 1859, and remained a short time. Studied medicine under his

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father, who was at Bloomfield, N. Y. Our sub- ject was married to Miss Laura O. Tourge, February 4, 1864, in Wayne County, Mich. Settled in Edgewood. Ill., in spring of 1864, where he has since practiced medicine with success, and run a drug store. He is a man of sterling worth to the community in which he lives. He is politically a Republican. Was appointed Postmaster in 1870, and resigned in 1873, and was re-appointed Postmaster in 1881, which office he continues to fill. He has two children-Seachens L., born September 11, 1868, and Lawrence L., born July 17, 1871. Subject's father, Dr. Joseph Hall, was born September 12, 1805, in Westchester County, N. Y. Studied medicine under Dr. Beech and Dr. Smith, of New York City. He was also an ordained minister of Christian conviction. Mr. Hall practiced medicine in State of New York several years, till 1859, when he immigrated to Effingham County, Ill., settling in West Town- ship. He died February 14, 1861, at his resi- dence in West Township. He had a family of four children, three sons and one daughter- Edwin, Sarah M., Joseph and Asa H.

CHRISTIAN HANSON, railroad man, son of H. P. Hanson, was born in Denmark February 22, 1843, where he remained till 1862. when came to America. He landed at New York City, pushed westward to Chicago, and secured a situation in the employ of Illinois Central Railway. He was placed in charge of the railroad tank two miles north of Mason, which position he has filled since. In connec- tion with this for the last few years, he has also run a tank near Neoga on the same road. He is a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity. He has held all of the offices of his lodge from the lowest to the highest, and is also a member of the R. A. Chapter. Mr. Hanson was married in this county in 1865, to Miss Caroline Johanson, daughter of Peter Johanson, a highly respected citizen of the county. They have a family of four

children, namely, Charles, John, Willie and Henry.

STEPHEN HARDIN, farmer, P. O. Mason, son of John and Ellen (Colclasure) llardin, was born in Washington County, Ind., Septem- ber 18, 1818, and was raised on farin with advan- tages for an education limited to a few terms of winter school. Ile came to Clay County, Ill., in 1843, having been married, in 1841, to Miss Mary Staleup, of Orange County, Ind., by whom he had five sons and three daughters, who grew up : Elizabeth E., wife of Andrew Nelson, of Mason; John S., died in army at Pilot Knob, Mo., in October, 1861, aged eight- een years ; Jane Adeline, nnmarried; l'eter B., farmer in Mason; Leander Madison, of Mason Township; Sarah Evaline, wife of John C. Martin, of this town; Levi C., of this town- ship, farmer; John S. (No. 2), on the old home- stead. Our subject came by team to what is now Georgetown, Ill., settling at the edge of timber skirting a tributary of Little Muddy Creek, on unimproved land, when he opened a farm of eighty acres, part prairie and part tim- ber; building a cabin, he went to work, and added from his carnings several other tracts, working on it for ten years. In November, 1850, he was elected Sheriff of Clay County, and serve a term of two years, and in 1853 he en- gaged in merchandising at Georgetown, Ill., continuing there two years. Mr. Hardin and his partner, William McCraeken, divided the stock of goods, and subject with a portion of the stock, came to Mason in 1855, and in 1856 moved his family here, and has resided here ever since. Ile closed out his stock in the spring of 1858, and in November, of that year, he was elected Representative from the coun- ties of Fayette and Effingham by the Dem- ocracy. He served in the session of 1858-59, and during this time he introduced the bill which provided for the removal of the county seat from Ewington to Effingham. During 1860-61, he again engaged in mer-

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chandising at Mason, with a branch store at Winterrowd. He has since devoted his entire attention to farming and stock-raising, and almost every year since coming here has bonght and shipped stock, principally hogs and cattle. His farm, with the exception of a small lot and cabin, has been made by his own labors, and it consists of seventy -five aeres in this tract, and sixteen acres were platted by him, and is known as Hardin's Addition to Mason. He has various other bodies of farm- ing lands. Ilis father was born in North Car- olina, July, 1795, and came to Washington County, Ind., when about twenty years old, and farmed there until 1864, when he came to this county, and is now living with subject, aged eighty-seven years. He married a lady of German parentage, and raised a family of eleven children, all of whom became heads of families. The mother died here about 1871.

HENRY C. HENRY, Postmaster, Mason, son of Joseph Henry, was born in Effingham County, III., December 15, 1847. Here he re- mained till 1861, when he enlisted in the war, Company B, Thirty-eighth Illinois. His com- mand was first forwarded to Missouri, after- ward to Corinth, Miss., and was in that siege, battle of Chaplain Hills, Ky. He was wounded at Stone River; a ball passed through his chest and lungs. He was discharged March 2, 1863, and he returned home. He re-enlisted in May. 1864, Company F, One Hundred and Forty- third Illinois; this time in the one-hundred-day service. Was sent to Helena, Ark., in the cyprus swamps, and his command was disabled for duty by malaria, so prevalent in that section. Subject was married, August 17, 1868, in Cass County, Mich., to Miss Mattie L. Wheeler, daughter of S. H. Wheeler. He engaged in nursery business in Mason. Has for many years served as Government Detective. He is a member of the Odd Fellows fraternity, and is a Republican. In 1882, was appointed Post- master at Mason, Ill. Has one child-Willie.

ANDREW J. HOBBS, farmer, P. O. Mason, was born February 10, 1828, in Franklin Coun- ty, Ind. Removed with his parents to Mis- souri at the age of nine years. Remained there till he was eighteen years old, when he when to Kentucky. He was married in Boone Coun- ty, Ky., May 8, 1851, to Miss Caroline Donald- son, daughter of Andrew Donaldson. He re- moved soon after to Switzerland County, Ind. He learned the distiller's business, which, at that time, was very paying and which he followed with great success till 1860, when he engaged in the mercantile business in Patriot, Ind., for six years; then sold his store and moved onto his farm. In 1868, he sold his farm and emi- grated to Effingham County, Ill., and located on an improved farm of seventy aeres in Sec- tion 33, Mason Township, which he afterward purchased, on which he has made his home sinec. Mr. Hobbs is a member of the Masonie fraternity, Mason Lodge, No. 217. He and his wife are members of the M. E. Church. He has ever clung to the principles of the Demo- cratic party, and rejoiceth hugely over the vic- tories of 1882. Mr. Hobbs is a genial, accom- modating old gentleman, who never loses an opportunity to assist a neighbor or friend; has won many warm friends in Mason and vicinity. He has been repeatedly elected to the office of Township Assessor. Of a family of nine chil- dren, six are living-Emery Hobbs, Andrew J. Hobbs, Ida M. Hobbs, Minerva Hobbs, Anna Hobbs and Grace Hobbs; and three dead-Rob. ert S., died March 23, 1881, aged nineteen years eleven months and twenty-five days; Mrs. Ella Hinkle was born October 26, 1856, and died July 19, 1881; Alexander D., was born March 25, 1870, died October 8, 1871.

J. P. HOLMES, insurance agent, Mason, was born in Carlisle, Cumberland Co., Penn., 1816; soon after moved with his parents to Chambers- burg, where he was raised. Had liberal chances for education. Attended Dickinson College, located at Carlisle, two years, gaining

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a first-class, practical business course, aiming at the same time to study medicine; made con- siderable research into the languages. lle has done for himself since the age of seventeen. Subject was married in Franklin County, Penn., to Lucetta Douglass, daughter of William Douglass. Engaged in teaching school till 1845, when he enlisted as a private in Company A, First Pennsylvania Cavalry, and entered the Mexican war. He was selected as Major of the regiment. At the battle of Buena Vista, he was wounded in the calf of his right leg, and taken to the hospital; from the effect of this he is still a cripple; 1817, he moved his family, consisting of wife and three children, to Wells County, Ind. Soon after, moved to Wabash County, Ind .; bought a farm of 106 acres and followed farming and teaching till 1855, when hie immigrated to Tazewell County, Ill. After farming four years in Tazewell County, he then removed to Eureka, Woodford County; re- mained at business of farming three years. In 1860, in Tazewell County, he sold 1,200 bushels of corn at 11 cents per bushel, when he could have sold it for $1 per bushel the next year. In 1864, he moved to El Paso, Woodford Conn- ty, and engaged in the insurance business, which he followed till 1866. He was Police Magistrate of the city several terms of four years each. In 1874, moved to Decatur, thence, the same year, to Effingham County, where his wife died in the spring of 1875. In 1876, lo- cated at Mason, in the insurance business, at which business he still continues. He served one term as Police Magistrate of Mason. Mr. Ilolmes was married in December, 1875, to Mrs. Eva K. MeCracken.

C. P. LEATHERMAN, manufacturer, Ma- son, son of John Leatherman, was born July 10, 1814, in Ohio. When he was four years old his parents moved to Indiana. He was married in 1836, to Miss Elizabeth Krutz- inger, danghter of Jacob Krutzinger, of Orange County, Ind. He served an appren-

ticeship at blacksmithing, under a brother, David L., and pursued that business in Orange County till 1853; he then moved to Clay County, Ill., and in 1869 to Mason, Effingham Co., Ill., following his trade in the two last places. He is a plow-maker also, and turns out quite a number each year, for which he finds ready sale. Thousands of pounds of iron has he wrought into implements of utility, year after year has he toiled at his trade, that of hard toil, over the furnance and forge. It is the many hard and repeated blows over the anvil that sends the blood rushing through the veins, and makes life long and healthful. Labor and honesty go hand in hand, and Mr. Leath- erman is honest and one of the first citizens of our county. Subject has a family as follows: Miss Sarah Cornwell, William, a resident of Vandalia; JJacob, Miss Mollie Hale, James, George, Mrs. Alliee Goodnight, Harvey.

ISAAC LOWRY LEITH, farmer, P. O. Mason, was born in Perry County, Ohio, De- cember 16, 1814. He removed to Fairfield County with his parents when about lifteen months old, and he grew upon a farm near Pleasantville, Ohio, until seventeen years old, when he struck out for himself, going North he found a home among the Wyandot Indians on the Sandusky River, in what is now Wyandot County, Ohio, in seach of adventure; he traded with the tribe in horses, and remained with them three years, and went to Hebron, Lick- ing Co., Ohio, and for three years supplied the hotels for twenty-six miles along the Na- tional road with beef, driving wagon himself. and hired the butchering done. In the spring of 1840, he came on horseback, a single man, arriving at Mason April 26, 18.10. He entered land in 1840-42, in Section 12, 13 and 11, and added thereto until he had 400 acres. He feneed and broke the first field in the prairie. which was afterward known as the Leith Prai- rie. He was married in 1844, to Miss Brown, and settled north of Ewington, on what is known K

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as the Blakely farm. living there for one and a half years. He then settled on his farm in Section 12, where he lived five years, engaged largely in buying and driving stock. He bought and fed cattle and hogs principally. He brought a drove of sheep from Fairfield County, Ohio, in 1843, and sold them to the farmers. As early as 1837, while in Wyandot County, Ohio, he drove herd of horses to South- ern Virginia and North Carolina, a distance of 650 miles. Mr. Leith was actively engaged in buying stock for twenty-five years, spending a large portion of his time in saddle, buying for most part in this and neighboring counties, driving to St. Louis and Ohio, until the build- ing of the Central 'Railroad, when he shipped to Cincinnati, Ohio, and Chicago. From 1853 to 1855, he aided in the building of the I. C. R. R., being foreman of a gang of men, and had a contract for hauling stone; superintended forty ox teams. In 1855, he moved to his pres- ent place, selling his old homestead, now owned by Mr. Dallis, of Piatt County, Ill. He bought a tract of wild prairie land here, with the ex- ception of a small patch fenced and a log cabin. Mr. Leith has put about 280 acres of land in cultivation, and fenced 120 acres of timber. He produced wheat largely, raising some years 3,000 bushels per year. During past ten years, has not handled much stock, but has raised grain. Politically, Mr. Leith was a Democrat until the issues of the war came on; he voted for Mr. Lincoln, and in 1861 was elected to the Constitutional Convention which met in 1862. He was nominated by the Douglas Democrats, and received a large Republican vote. He was appointed on a committee with Mr. John F. Waschefort and Mr. McCann, to learn what the people wished in regard to township organiza- tion, and visited every township in the county, and served in various offices in the township. He has the following children: Leslie W., of this county, in mail service on Narrow Guage road; Mary Elizabeth, wife of Dr. Will Wade,

of Salem, Oregon; Fanny Ann, wife of D. W. Matthers, druggist of Salem, Oregon; Amanda Crooker, wife of E. Hobbs, farmer of this town- ship; Edmund T., farmer of this township; Alice B., wife of Dr. D. F. Lane, of St. Elmo, Ill .; Sarah L., also in Salem, Oregon, wife of H. H. Ragan, merchant; Cora D .; Enola May, in school at present. Our subject's father, Samuel Leith, was a son of John Leith, born on the Pedee River in North Carolina; was of Scotch parents, who were members of a numer- ous clan, located near the city and river of that name. His parents died when he was young, and he was put under a guardian, and not lik- ing to learn a trade ran away at the age of thirteen years, and went up to Little York, Penn., through the wilderness. He remained at Little York four years, when he went to Ft. DuQuesne, now Pittsburgh.

DAVID LEITH, deceased, whose portrait appears in this work, was born in Fairfield County. Ohio, in 1817, son of Samuel and Amanda (De Long) Leith, he born in the Northwestern Territory, and died in 1822, at the age of fifty-five years ; she, born in Pennsylvania, and died in 1844, at the age of sixty-three years. They were the parents of nine children, six sons and three daughters. Our subject received a common-school education, and started in life as a farmer. He was mar- ried in Fairfield, Ohio, in September, 1842, to Amanda Wilson, a native of Virginia, born in 1808. They had the following children : John C., Kate, Hattie, George, Thomas, Emina, Lau- ra, Fannie and Homer, named in the order of their births. Our subject's father, Samuel Leith, in his early days was captured and for a long time held by the Delaware Indians, and during the time of his captivity, the girl that afterward became his wife was also a captive in the hands of the Cuyahoga tribe. The two met under these circumstances, formed an ac- quaintance, and were afterward united in mar- riage. Our subject was a Supervisor at the

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History of Effingham county, Illinois, Part 59

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Chicago, O. L. Baskin & co. Number of Pages: 650

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, O. L. Baskin & co.
Number of Pages: 650