USA > Illinois > Effingham County > History of Effingham county, Illinois > Part 68
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CALVIN W. SPRAGG, farmer, P. O. Wel- ton, was born on Long Island, N. Y., Novem- ber 23, 1823, to Edward and Catharine (Place) : Spragg. His father was born on Long Island, N. Y. He was a farmer, and died in 1826, aged fifty-two years. His wife, and mother of our subjeet, was born on Long Island, and died in January, 1864, aged seventy-three years; she was the mother of seven children, of whom our subject was the youngest child. His early life was spent in receiving such an education as the common schools afforded, and assisting in tilling the home farm. At fifteen years of age, he was brought to Illinois by his mother, who located in Du Page County, and in 1859 they moved to Indiana, and 1863 came to Effing- ham County, and settled near Mason, where they remained until 1870, when he came to his present residence, and bought 155 acres of land. Here he has since remained actively engaged in farming. In 1850, in Du Page County, Hl., he married Miss Catharine Taylor, a native of Germany, and was brought to Amer- ica by her father in 1847. She is the mother of five living children, viz., Sylvester, married and farming in Effingham County; Syreno, a
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doctor of Altamont, a graduate from the Rush Medical College in 1881, and is now building up a good practice; Amanda, at Altamont, clerking in Howard's store ; Charley, at home ; John Frederick, at home. He and family are of the Presbyterian Church. In politics, he is dentified with the Republican party. He commenced life a poor man, and met a failure of several hundred dollars by security debt at his first start.
WILLIAM VOELKER, farmer. P. O. Alta- mont, was born iu Prussia, Germany, March 6, 1835, to Charles and Mary (Ganscow) Voelker. They were natives of Prussia, Germany. He was a miller, and came to America with our subjeet. He died in 1877, in Effingham Coun- ty, aged seventy-nine years. His wife and mother of our subject died in 1872, aged sev- enty-five years. They were the parents of five , boys, of whom our subject was the fourth child. The five boys are all in the United States; all active business men. William was educated in Germany until he was fourteen; attended the common schools, and then entered a college. At nineteen, he enlisted in the war, and served four years. He then returned and took charge of his father's flour mill, and re- mained thus engaged until 1862, when he left Germany, from Hamburg, by steamer " Sax- onia." landing in New York June 5. 1862. be- ing fifteen days in making trip. Spent one day in New York in looking at the city, and then left for Chicago, and visited his brother (who had previously come to America). IIe then located in Effingham, on his present farm, then all unimproved wild prairie. Ile bought there 160 aeres, and has since added to it until now he is the owner of 520 acres all improved. In Germany, in 1860, he married Louisa Scholwin, a native of Prussia, Germany, born in 1838. She is the mother of eight children, seven of whom are living. viz., Anna, wife of Freder- ick Burnahl, a farmer in Effingham County ; Adolph, at home; Gustas, at home; Frank,
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Agnes, Paul, Bertha, at home; Otto, died in 1882, aged fifteen. Mr. Voelker is School Trustee; held for nine years, and is now Super- visor for three years. In politics, a Democrat, and he and family are members of the Lutheran Church.
JULIUS VOELKER, farmer, P. O. Alta- mont, was born in Prussia, Germany, March 23, 1842, to Charles and Regenal (Yauslow) Voelker. They were both natives of Prussia. He was born March 18, 1798, and died in this county in 1876 or 1877. He was a farmer. She was born February 16, 1797, and came to this county in 1873; parents of seven children, of whom subject is the youngest child. His early life was spent in receiving a common school education, and then entered a college, attending until he was fifteen years old, and then entered the mill and learned the milling business of his father until he was nineteen years of age. In 1862, he came to America, and came to Effingham County in 1862, and worked with his brother for eight or nine years, and in 1869 he bought 130 acres, and has since added to it. In Effingham County, in 1869, he married Miss Christy Wolf. They have two children, viz., Amanda and Sophia. He is a member of the German Lutheran Church. In politics, lie is a Democrat.
NICHOLAS T. WHARTON, farmer, P. O. Welton, is a native of Spottsylvania County, Old Virginia, and was born June 25, 1828. His father, Benjamin Wharton, was born in Old Vir- ginia in 1790, emigrated with his family to Ohio in 1837, and settled in Guernsey County. In 1854, he came to Effingham County, Ill .. where he died in October, 1855. His occupation was that of a farmer. He served in the war of 1812. His wife, the mother of our subject, was Lucy Chandler. She was born in Old Virginia in 1794, and is now residing with her children in Ohio, enjoying good health in her eighty-eighth year. She is the mother of eight children, of whom six are now living, viz., Martha, widow
of Joseph Sperry, living in Muskingum Coun- ty, Ohio ; George, a Baptist preacher at Lin- coln, Ill .; William A., a farmer in Hocking County, Ohio; Nicholas T., our subject; Doctor, a Baptist preacher of Guernsey County, Ohio, and Lawrence B., Baptist preacher of Pawnee City, Neb. Nicholas T. Wharton was educated from the common schools of Old Virginia, and was raised on a farm. At the age of twenty- two, he left his home, and embarked on life's rugged pathway as a farm laborer, working by the month. In December, 1853, he came to Effingham County, III., and spent three years in teaching school, and working at the carpen- ter's trade. In 1855, he removed to his present residence in Section 12, and began farming, and is still actively engaged. His farm con- sists of 208 acres of good land. In 1855, on the 30th of March, he married Miss Rebecca Jane Kagay, a native of Fairfield County, Ohio, a daughter of Christian and Nancy Ann (Laney) Kagay, natives of Fairfield County. Mr. and Mrs. Wharton have been blessed with the following children, viz., Mary, Richard and Nancy (twins), Laura, John, Elma, Emma, Edwin, George, Benjamin and Walter. Mr. Wharton has served the county as Supervisor for three terms, and is now holding the office of School Treasurer, which office be has held for eight years. He and wife are members of the Baptist Church. He is an active member of the order A., F. & A. M. He is a Democrat.
HERMAN A. WINKLER, farmer, P. O. Edgewood, was born in Prussia, Germany, May 13, 1832, to Karl and Johanna (Koppe) Winkler. He attended the common schools of his native country until he was fourteen years of age, and then entered the Goettingen Col- lege, where he remained only six months. He then enlisted as a soldier, and the third day was wounded, being hit on one limb below the knee with a bombshell, and shot through his left limb. Ilis wounds kept him confined for about sixteen months. He then returned home
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and served seven years at learning the trade of a horticulturist, and in 1857 emigrated to America for the purpose of acquiring a position in the world that he considered was beyond his reach while in the "Fatherland." Coming to Illinois, he passed six months at Chicago, and worked at all kinds work he could find to clo. He could not get a situation at his trade, as he was unable to speak the English language. In 1858, he went to Michigan, and worked at market gardening for fifteen months, and then returned to Illinois, and worked on a farm in Whiteside County. In 1861, he became a resident of West Township, Effingham County, where he has since remained engaged in ag- ricultural pursuits. His industrious habits, coupled with tis business integrity, has given him a competency, and here has, as it were, realized the dreams of his youth. He was married in Effingham County, November 2, 1862, to Miss Charlotte Quade. She was born in Germany, August 25, 1846. Their happy and prosperous union has been blessed with nine children, of whom seven are now living, viz., Louisa, Anna, Carl, JJohanna, Augusta, Hulda and Amelia. Mr. Winckler and family are members of the Evangelical Association. He is a Republican.
AUGUST WOLF, farmer, P. O. Altamont,
was born in Prussia, Germany, September 10, 1823, to Frederick and Charlotte (Walk) Wolf, bothi natives of Prussia, Germany. He died in 1829, aged thirty-three years ; was a tailor by trade. She is now residing in Mound Town- ship. enjoying good health in her eighty-third year. They were married in Germany, and had four children, subject the oldest child. IIe was educated from the common schools of Germany ; was brought to America by his parents in a sailing vessel from Hamburg, land- ing in New York January 3, 1844, and went to Buffalo, N. Y., and worked at the trade of a tailor, which he had learned in the old country. In 18-19, he removed to the country, and has run a general merchandise store for about fit- teen years. In 1865, he came to Illinois and settled on his present farm. He bought 120 acres in 1860. In New York, in 1846, he mar- ried llenrietta Hoepfner, a native of Prussia, Germany. She is the mother of four children -George F. A. (a Lutheran preacher in La Grange, Miss.), Augusta (wife of Julius Oelker, farmer in township), August (at home), Bertha (single). The family are members of the Lutheran Church. Held the office of Jus- tice of the Peace for seven years ; Commis- sioner for several years ; Supervisor for one year.
WATSON TOWNSHIP.
W. M. ABRAHAM, merchant, Watson, was born July 26, 1842, in Clermont County, Ohio, son of John and Martha (Barkley) Abraham, who were married in 1836, and unto them were born three children, of which the subject is the eldest. His mother came to Effingham County in 1860, Mr. Abraham following shortly after- ward. His education was begun in the common schools of Ohio, when he entered the Clermont Academy at the age of sixteen, after which he
came to Illinois and began business. In 1861, he entered the army with Company K, Twenty- first Regiment Illinois Volunteers, of which Grant was Colonel. He was in the march from Springfield to Quincy, thence into Missouri, win- tering at Ironton, where he was promoted to Orderly Sergeant of his company. At Stone River, December 31, 1862, he received a wound in an engagement, and his mother went to Mur- freesboro to care for her wounded son, and
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herself took siek and died. After eight months in the hospital, it was decided that he was per- manently disabled, when he received an honor- able discharge in August, 1863. Then coming home, after partial recovery, he began mer- chandising, in which business he has been eminently successful and still continues. In 1879, he was elected to the Legislature on the minority Republican ticket, serving one term. In November, 1865, he married Miss Eliza R. Wayne, at Shelbyville, Ky .; they have three children living-Ida, Arthur and Eva. When he settled at Watson, the country was wild, with few residents, and all kinds of game were abundant. The family was reared in the Baptist religion. In 1865, he was initiated in- to the mysteries of Freemasonry, and since has several times been elected and presided as Master of Lodge No. 602. He is an extensive land-owner, holding over 2,000 acres, mostly under good cultivation. Mr. Abraham was appointed Postmaster at Watson in 1881, in which capacity he still acts.
PROF. W. R. AVERY, commercial instruc- tor, P. O. Palmyra, Mo., was born in Harrison County, Ind., January 2, 1858. Moved with his father to this county when abont fourteen years old. Lived on a farm most of his life. Entered a commercial college at Keokuk, Iowa, October 10, 1880. Pursued a regular course in book-keeping, and all the other commercial branches, including plain and ornamental pen- manship, graduating September 10, 1881. Traveled and taught penmanship up to Sep- tember 1, 1882, when he organized a commer- cial college in Palmyra, known as Avery's Commercial School. Mr. Avery's father, By- ram B. Avery, was born in Harrison County, Ind., February 25, 1832, where he was married in 1857, to Miss Martha Bullington. Settled on a farm of eighty acres, of which he afterward became the owner. In 1871, he removed to Effingham County and purchased a farm of eighty acres near Watson, and resumed farm-
ing. He has a family of three children-Will- iam R. (subjeet of this sketch), James A. and Melinda J.
JOHN BRITTON, Watson Township, was born July 2, 1821, in Devonshire, Eng- land, near the sea-shore. He was raised by his grandmother, on a small farm. Hearing of the wonderful land beyond the blue sea, he embarked for America the 9th day of April, 1851, and on the 14th day of May of the same year arrived in Mt. Vernon, Knox ,Co., Ohio. The first two years of his life spent in Amer- ien, he was employed at such jobs as the eoun- try then afforded. The 1st of March, 1854, he was united in marriage to Miss Harriet Beeny living a few miles west of Mt Vernon. The seven years immediately following his marriage, he farmed near Mt. Vernon. In the spring of 1862, he moved to Illinois, and settled in Ef- fingliam County, Jackson Township, where, by industry and economy, he accumulated suffi- cient means to purchase a small farm, but just in the moment when his labors would have been crowned with success, he was unfortu- nately thrown from a horse and crippled for the remainder of lite. He has since lived in Mason Township, and wherever known, his honesty and integrity are never questioned by any one. Though his education was exeeed- ingly limited, yet his mind is stored with many useful facts. He is ever ready to lend a help- ing hand wherever an opportunity is presented. The following are the dates of births of his chil- dren: Sarah C., born October 27, 1857; Will- iam H., born October 27, 1857; Ida S., born October 17, 1859; Edward G., born January 5, 1862; Charles L., born March 11, 1864; Richmond L., born July 26, 1866; Benson I., born Jannary 9, 1870; William H., died April 10, 1876. Mrs. Britton was born Sept. 23, 1827.
J. W. BRITTON, teacher, Watson. In the month of January, 1855, there was born in the city of Mt. Vernon, Knox Co., Ohio, a little hoy, whose life yet but just begun, is a bright ex-
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ample to us all. He lived in the city of his birth seven years, when he removed with his parents to Etlingham County, Ill., settling in Jackson Township. Here he attended school in an old log schoolhouse during three winters, and worked on the farm through the summer. In 1868, he moved with his parents to a farm west of Mason, and a few years afterward moved north of Mason, where he attended two terms of school at North Union Schoolhouse. Ilis teacher at this place was Mr. Dunn, and it was through his teaching that Mr. Britton at- tributes much of the success and character of his life. In the summer of 1874, he attended a normal term of school of four weeks at Ma- son, and the next winter he attended public school at that place, and clerked in a drug store. In the fall of 1875, he attended a ses- sion of normal school south of Edgewood, after which term of school he songht and ob- tained a teacher's certificate to teach school, and the next winter he taught his first school at Gilmore, at $25 per month. During 1875, he united with the Methodist Episcopal Church of West Union at a basket meeting in a grove at Wabash. During the summer and winter of 1876, he taught school at Brieker Distriet in Jackson Township. During the summer of 1877, he worked on a farm in Christian Coun- ty at $20 per month, and the next winter at- tended a three months' term of school at Knox College, Galesburg, Ill. In the summer of 1878, he worked on a farm and taught school in Mason Township. In the spring of this year, his oldest brother, William, died, and the greater part of the farm work devolved on him, his father being crippled. In the winter of 1879, he taught school in Union Township, at the Woody Schoolhouse. lle afterward taught two other terms at this place. In the winter of 1880, he taught school at the Loy Schoolhouse, Watson Township. In 1881, he went to Lebanon, Ohio, where he attended two terms at the Lebanon State Normal University.
He also taught a winter term of school while in Ohio. He came back to Effingham County, Ill., in the spring of 1882. lle is teaching school at Elliottstown at the present time, 1882. Mr. Britton, besides his work as a teacher, has been engaged for several years as a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, yet he has never taken any circuit. In 1879, he was licensed as exhorter by Rev. Ransom, of Mason, and at the Quarterly Conference at Ma- son, in 1881, he was recommended to preach. Mr. Britton is truly a self-made man, and has worked his own way to his present commend- able position. Reared on the farm and being compelled to work for his living, Mr. Britton had but few opportunities for obtaining an ed- ueation, but those opportunities he did not let pass unimproved. He would often carry his books into the field and study them while his horse was resting in the plow, and while teach- ing school he would study on the way to and from place of teaching. It was by pursuing this studious course and improving all his time that he has succeeded in educating him- self.
HERMAN GILLESPIE, farmer, P. O. Wat- son, was born in Wood County, Va., April 10. 1810. His father, John B. Gillespie, was mar- ried to Esther James in 1803, and sixteen chil- dren were born of this union, of whom the subject is the only one supposed to be living. Mr. Gillespie married Martha Adams ; unto them were born six children, of whom four are living, but this wife dying, he married Margaret Field, who was born in Bracken County, Ky., December 4, 1823. They were married No- vember 22, 1854, and from this union four children were born. of whom Ambrose Gilles- pie is the only survivor. This son married Alice Loy. They have two children-Catha- rine and Charles Edwin. The family have been, and are now affiliated with the Baptist and Christian Churches. Herman Gillespie, while a young man, was at Upper Sandusky,
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Ohio, and was for some time in the employ of the Indian traders. His grandfather, John James, had an interest in Blennerhasset's Island in an early day, and when he sold his interest the mother of Herman would not sign the deed. The subject remembers when the family was driven by the Indians from their home to the block-house on the Island for pro- teetion and safety. He came to Illinois, settling in Elliottstown, Effingham County, in 1855, then moving to Watson Township in 1865, where he has ever since lived on a farm of 120 acres under good cultivation, and a fine orchard. In early life, he made over 1,000,000 briek on his farm. In those days, the country around him was thinly settled, and neighbors few and far between. He is a Republican in politics, and has frequently been elected Road Commis- sioner and School Trustee for his township. Mr. Gillespie, when the second call for 300,000 men was issued in 1861, volunteered, and was a member of Company B, Thirty-eighth Illinois Volunteers ; was mustered in at Camp Butler, Springfield, Ill., and ordered to Pilot Knob, Mo. ; was in the engagement at Fredericksburg, Mo., where he was wounded, permanently dis- abled, and in due time honorably discharged. He draws a pension for services rendered his country. He was mustered out of the service March 8, 1863, when he returned to his farm. In the fall of 1829, he was employed to guard and pilot the Miami and Mississineway tribes of Indians from their reservation near Fort Wayne, Ind., to Chicago, then known as Fort Dearborn, after the Government had purchased their lands. All there was of Chicago in those days was a few French trading posts. He was quite familiar with the Indians, and they under- standing some English, and he a little of their language, was the cause of his being selected to escort them to Fort Dearborn. Mr. Gilles- pie claims that he is the first one in Illinois that made the molds from which slap sand briek was made ; the old method was by roll-
ing in sand ; his plan was sanding the molds.
JAMES B. GILLESPIE, farmer, P. O. Watson, is a son of Joseph Gillespie, and was born in this county June 3, 1830. He was married, March 3, 1859, to Miss Cynthia Ann Wilson, daughter of Theophilus Wilson, and settled on a farm of eighty-six aeres in Section 21, Watson Township, on which he has made his home and followed the avocation of farm- ing. He is a member of the Masonic and Odd Fellows fraternities. He has a family of six children-Clinton (a well and favorably known teacher of this county), Franklin P., James Alfred, Oliver T., Samuel B. and Ida Bell. Mr. Gillespie's father came to this county in 1828, and settled in Ewington. He filled the office of County Clerk, and was a prominent man of the county. We are not able to give the dates of his birth, marriage, etc.
ISAAC B. HUMES, wagon-maker, Wat- son, was born October 17, 1818, at Reading, Hamilton County, Ohio. His father, John Humes, was married twice, and by the first wife he had three children-Elizabeth, Jane and John. His second marriage was to Maria Voor- hees, by whom he had several children, our subject, Isaac B. Humes, and Bridget LaRene, are the only survivors. The father was a Cap- tain of a company in the war of 1812, in which he was permanently disabled, and helpless for twelve years prior to his death. He built the first frame house erected in Cincinnati, Ohio. Isaac, at the age of eight years, began to at- tend the common school at Reading, the place of his birth, which he continued until his four- teenth year, his father dying in 1829, leaving his mother with seven children. He was then hired by his mother to a farmer for the period of nine months, at $50 for full time. During the time, Albert Courtelow, the farmer, pur- chased a summer hat for Isaac costing 25 cents. He had not drawn any part of his pay. When the time was up, the farmer was feeding some hogs, which he intended to dress for the Cin-
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cinnati market. Isaac volunteered to go with him and drive one team, which took two days. When the farmer returned to Reading, he paid Isaac's mother the $50, and remarked to her, " When you pay me 25 cents for Ike's hat we will be square," which his mother did. The boy, while holding in high respect the general character of the farmer, has never forgotten this singular act of generosity. His mother soon after this bound him out to Thomas Will- mington, of Warren County, Ohio, for a period of four years and eight months, to learn the trade of wagon and plow making, which period he served in full, his mother clothing him, and he to receive $36 per year while learning the trade. He then returned to Reading and es- tablished a shop of his own, which he carried on for three years. He then sold out and went to Xenia, Ohio, and started a livery stable, re- maining there three years. Then he sold out and went to Dayton, Ohio, where he became road agent for J. & P. Voorhees' stage com- pany, remaining with them until railroads su- perseded stage coaches in Ohio, in 1850, when he came to Effingham County, and engaged in railroading with John F. Barnard, con- tractor, on the division of the Illinois Central Railroad, Chicago branch of the Central, from five miles south of Mattoon, extending seventy- two miles, to junction with the main line. The contractors' headquarters were at Ewing- ton, then the county seat of Effingham County. All the supplies and material for living and construction of the railroad had to be hauled by teams from St. Louis, Mo., and Terre Haute, Ind., at great labor and expense, over bad roads, and with much exposure. For two years Mr. Humes was stationed at Terre Haute, spe- cially employed in purchasing and forwarding supplies to the contractors and men. He then came to Ewington, and took charge of the con- tractors' store at Ewington until 1855, about the time of the completion of the railroad, when he went to farming and trading until 1861,
when he was nominated on the Democratic ticket for Sheriff, and was elected, serving two years, attending to his farm jointly with the duties of his office. Mr. IIumes was in full fel- lowship with the Whig party until it was dis- banded in 1856, when he joined the Demo- cratic party, with which he has since acted. September 1, 1874, Mr. Humes was married to Hattie A. Hoff, who was the widow of John Irwin. She was born in Montgomery County, Va. Her father. William Hoff, and mother, Artemisia Fergerson, were born in Virginia and there married, and unto them were born four children, of which Mrs. Ilumes is the only sur- vivor. Mr. Humes' family was reared in the Presbyterian Church, and Mrs. Humes in the Methodist. Since their settlement in Etting- ham County, they have witnessed many changes in the growth of the country, and various vi- cissitudes in the lives of the early settlers. Mr. Humes, after a long period of bachelor- hood, claims that he was at last captured, but is contented and happy in his personal and public relations.
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