History of Effingham county, Illinois, Part 70

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 70

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).

Condo carries a stock of about $7,000, includ-

ing everything to be found in a general store. Mr. Condo has been contracting for railroad ties to different roads, and for the last five years has handled over 100,000 ties each year, aud for the last two years has been hav-

ing the ties mostly made on his own land, but still buys. Mr. Condo made his start by sell- ing steel plows, in 1870 and 1871, selling over 300 while on the farm in the two years. He has 770 acres of land, 140 in Shelby County,

370 in Effingham County, and 260 in Fayette. Of this, 300 acres are in cultivation, 300 acres of good timber, and 170 stump land. Besides his land, he has his store building in Moccasin

and resident property in Effingham. Mr. Condo has been one of the most successful

business men in this part of the county. In 1880, Mr. Condo was one of the three delegates from this county to the Republican State Con- vention at Springfield, Ill. He has three chil-

TOWNSHIP.

dren living and four dead-Sallie, Florence and Lulu. He is a member of the Republican State Central Committee.

MOSES DOTY, farmer, P. O. Moccasin, was born in Wayne County, Ohio, 1816. He is the son of Thomas and Rosa (Sowards) Doty. His father was a native of Kentucky, and bis mother of North Carolina. They were married in Kentucky, and moved to Ohio-at an early date-while the Indians were still in the State. Both of his parents died, and are buried in Wayne County, Ohio. Mr. Doty was educated in the early schools of Ohio-a split log for a bench, a log cut out for a window, with paper stretched over it, etc. In spring of 1845, he came to Moccasin Precinct, and settled on Moccasin Creek ; lived here nearly two years, and then went back to Ohio, and lived there till fall of 1852; they returned to Effingham County, and this has been their home ever since, except one season he rented a farm in Fayette County. When first coming here, there was no flour to be had, and their way of get- ting their meal was to grind it by horse-power ; aud the first meal he got he had to go to Van- dalia for it. It was an insult to offer paper money or coppers in pay for anything. Once, while on the road, he bought a loaf of bread, and not having the exact change in silver, he offered to make the change in coppers ; but for his trouble he received a cursing. Their first voting was done in an old barn, and each one had to go up and tell the name of the one they wished to vote for, as there were no tickets. .When first coming here, there were but few per- manent settlers; most were what they called squatters. He bought a number of good year- ling steers for $1.50 per head, and kept them till they were two years old, and sold them for

229

MOCCASIN TOWNSHIP.

$3 per head ; there was no market for any- thing; good corn could be bought for S cents. Schools were an unknown thing when he first came, but the second summer they got up a little school, and kept it for three months. Old Ewington was their post office, a distance of about twelve miles. He was married, 1835, in Wayne County, to Mary Jane Cavenee. - She was born in Harrison County, Ohio, the daugh- ter of William Cavenee, a native of Pennsyl- vania. Her mother was born in New Jersey. On Mr. Doty's father's farm was an old block- house, built by the Americans in the war of 1812. Mr. Doty nsed it as a cider house for a number of years. In his family there were twelve children (nine now living); four boys and five girls living. In 1869, lie sold out bis farm on Moccasin Creek, with the intention of going West, but instead bought his present farm, which is one mile north of the old place. His farm now consists of 121 acres. He is Demo -. eratic in politics, and has been one all his life. When first moving here, there were but two Whigs in this precinct-the rest all Democrats -and the Whigs did not turn out to vote. Farming has been his business all his life. The way they made their living at first was to raise a small patch of corn, and then hunt for game ; all kinds of game was quite plentiful then ; deer would be seen in heids of from forty to fifty; turkeys and chickens were also numerous, and many wild hogs in the woods.

MARTIN V. DOWTY, farmer, P. O. Moc- casin, was born in Rush County, Ind., 1841, March 12, to Thomas and Deborah (Wood) Dowty. He was born in Pennsylvania, and she in Buffalo, N. Y. They were married in Ohio, and settled in Indiana, 1835. He died in Rush County, and she in Jasper County. Our subject was educated in Rush County, Ind., in common school. Ile was raised on a farm and has followed that business all his life, except for five years he was quarrying stone in Decatur County, Ind. March, 1879,

he came to Effingham County, and bought his present farm of 104 acres, all but six of which is prairie land. He was married in Indiana, 1863, to Emma Mason, she was born in Deca- tur County, Ind., to John and Sarah Mason. They have six children-Clara Lizzie, Theo- dore, Edith, Katie and Arthur. Mr. Dowty entered Company B, Eleventh Indiana In- fantry, Col. Hacelman ; for four months he was in the Eleventh, and then eight months in the Sixteenth. He and wife are Methodists in religion. He is Republican in polities; is also a member of the Masonic fraternity.

ANTHONY GRANT, deceased, was born in Harrison County, Ohio, near Athens, on Stillwater River, February 10, 1825, to An- thony Grant and Rebecca (Sloan) Grant. In 1849, he was married in Knox County, Ohio, to Margaret Lybarger; she was born in Knox Connty, 1826, March 7, to Daniel and Nancy Ann (Gary) Lybarger. In 1851, Mr. and Mrs. Grant moved from Ohio to Effingham County, and settled on the present farm in 1852, and have remained here since. Mr. Grant was raised on a farm, and followed that for his oe- eupation till his death, April 26, 1875. When first coming, he entered 160 acres of timber land, and at the time of his death bad about 460 acres. They have six children living- Maranda, Francis Marion, Charles Anderson, Sophronia, Emma and George Ulysses. Mrs. Grant is member of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Pleasant Grove. Mr. Grant was a member of the Masonic fraternity, and was Democratie in politics, and held different town- ship offices, Commissioner, etc. In moving from Knox County, Mr. Grant and family came in company with his brother, James Grant, who is now in Mound Township, and Robert Stewart, who settled in Fayette County. When they settled here, this was a wild country. There were no settlers on the prairies at all, and but few along the timber near here. Their trading point when first coming was old Free-

230

BIOGRAPHICAL:

manton, and their milling was done in horse mills, but finally they got tired of that kind of flour and so went to Shelbyville. The first season here, Mr. Grant farmed with his brother in Fayette County, and would go away from home Monday morning, and stay most of the week without getting to come home ; so Mrs. Grant and her one little girl would stay at home all alone, and frequently not see any one from the time he left till his return. In fall of 1853, he bought out a squatter who was living on the present homestead, giving him $100 for the claim ; he then entered the land. When first moving here, there were a good many threats made that they would run them out, but they had come to make a home here, so they held their own; and after a time the old settlers here became reconciled to have Ohio- ans remain. Mr. Grant's life was quite a suc- cess, but he was generous almost to a fault, ready to help when he knew there was no chance for a return, when he saw any one in a difficulty, especially the poor or to the widows. Mr. Grant's father was born in New Jersey; came to Pennsylvania at an early date, then to Harrison County, Ohio, about 1825, and in 1826 to Knox County, where he remained ac- tively engaged in farming till the time of his death January, 1866, aged eighty-three years. Subject's mother was born in New Jersey, and died in Knox County, Ohio, 1869, aged eighty- six years.

J. W. IIOTZ, SR., farmer and grain buyer, P. O. Moccasin, was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, 1823, June 1; came to Pennsylvania in 1839, and then to Washington County, and there learned his trade of blacksmithing, and followed his trade for thirty-one years in dif- ferent places. From Pennsylvania, he came in 1845 to Wayne County, Ohio, and lived there for fourteen years. While there, he was mar- ried, on October 6, 1851, to Miss Lovina Jane Knox. She was born in Pennsylvania Janu- ary 19, 1835. She died March 11, 1878. They

have seven children-Mary Ellen, Florence R., William H., Theresa A., Albert H., Charles E. and George F. Since coming to Illinois, he has carried on a farm and blacksmith shop. He quit the shop in 1870, but still carries on the farm, and for the last six years has been buying grain in Moccasin for Jennings & Minor, of Effingham. His farm consists of 200 acres, 160 on the prairie and 40 in timber. and besides has town property. He has always been Democratic in politics. He has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for forty-four years, and has filled the place of Steward and leader ever since joining the church. The first year he came to this county, he helped to build the Methodist Epis- copal Church, and helped wear it out, so they built another church on the same site in 1881. Mr. Iloltz is a strict temperance man, and for the future temperance will enter in his polities.

JOHN HURDELBRINK, farmer, P. O. Moccasin, was born in St. Clair County, Ill., September 13, 1849, to Diedrich and Mary A. (Bossa) Hurdelbrink, both born in Hanover, Germany; came to America in 1842; settled in Buffalo, N. Y., afterward moved to St. Clair County, Ill., and he died there of the cholera, aged about fifty-four. By trade he was a blacksmith. She is now Mrs. Henry Niehoff. Our subject was educated in St. Clair County in an English school. He has always followed farming. In 1865, he came to this county with his mother and step-father, and has been here ever since. He was married in this county in 1877 to Hannah Huelskoetter. She was born in St. Louis in 1855 to Henry and Mary A. (Piel) Huelskoetter, both now living in this county. They were both born in Prussia. He and wife are both members of the German Lutheran Church. He is Repub- lican in politics. Ilis farm consists of 80 acres, all prairie.

J. S. JONES, physician, Moccasin, was born in Harrison County, Ohio, in 1827.

231

MOCCASIN TOWNSHIP.

He was educated in Ohio and attended lectures in Cincinnati at the American Medical Col- lege. He began his practice in 1854, commenc- ing practice in Millersburg, Iowa, remaining there till 1858, and then returned to Ohio and practiced at Bladensburg, Knox County, for six years, and then came to Effingham County, in 1865. and has been here ever since, with the exception of two years be was in Missouri, go- ing for his wife's health. Dr. Jones belongs to the eclectic school. He was married in Holmes County, Ohio, to Elizabeth Johnston, in 1850. His wife died in January, 1873. He was married in Effingham County, Ill., in 1876, to Tena Piper. He had seven children by his first wife (five are now living) and has one child by bis present wife. He has always been Republican in his politics. He is a mem- ber of the Masonic fraternity. He is the son of Wilham Jones, a native of Pennsylvania, who died in 1850. Dr. Jones' mother died about 1840.

JOHN H. LUHRMAN, farmer, P. O. Blue Point, was born in Hanover, Germany, April 19, 1820. He is the son of Herman H. and Mary (Myers) Lubrman. His father was born in Han- over, Germany, 1790, and emigrated to America, 1844, and settled in Cincinnati, Ohio, where be remained till his death, about 1855. He followed his trade of shoe-maker. The mother of our subject was also born in Hanover, Ger- many, and died in Cincinnati, 1877, at forty- eight years of age. They were the parents of seven children, of whom John H. was the old- est. Ile received his education in the common schools of his native country. When he was twenty-three years old, he left home and emi- grated to America, coming on a sailing vessel from Bremen to New Orleans, and landed there December 19, 1843. On account of the ice in the river, he could not make St. Louis, the point of his destination, till January, 1844. For fifteen years he remained in St. Louis, working the first nine years for George l'. Plant,

in a flouring mill. He then worked six years for Joseph Powell, also in a flouring mill. In 1859, he located in Wennide, Ill., where, in com- pany with J. F. Brocksmith, he built a large flour- ing mill at a cost of $40,000. A few years after this, his daughter was killed in the mill, and that caused him to sell out his interest, and re- move to a farm. His daughter had gone into the mill to call the miller to dinner, and in pass- ing up stairs to where he was, her dress caught in an upright shaft that was making sixty revo- lutions per minute. She was immediately killed. After selling the mill, he bonght a farm of 160 acres near Wennide, and remained there till 1869, when he sold out and came to Effing- ham County, and bought 320 acres in Moccasin Township, and has added to it till now he has a farm of above 500 acres of well-improved land, except forty, which is timber land. Jan- mary 6, 1845, in St. Louis, he married Mary Foldenfeld, a native of Hanover, Germany. They have four children living, Louisa (wife of W. F. Lange), Charles, William and August (at home). He and family are members of the German Lutheran Church-bis son, William, being organist. He is Democratic in politics. While farming in Washington County, he was appointed Postmaster at Lively Grove, and held that till he left the county. July, 1871, while driving a reaper, the seat broke and he was thrown down in front of the knives and bad his right hand cut so badly that he lost the use of it. His head was also badly bruised.

W. B. METHAM, farmer, P. O. Altamont, was born in Coshocton County, Ohio, 1825. He remained in Ohio till 1855 ; he came to Illi- nois, and the first winter stayed in Fayette County, and in the spring of 1856 came back into Effingham County, and has made this his home ever since. He is the son of Pren Met- ham, who was born in England. In his youth. he was a sailor, but came to America before he was married. Eliza (Boman) Metham, Mr. W. B.'s mother, was the second wife of Pren Met-

232

BIOGRAPHICAL.

ham, and was born in Pennsylvania, and was of the Pennsylvania-Dutch origin. His father was one of the early settlers in that part of Ohio. His place was thirty miles from Zanesville, and as they had no roads at first, everything had to be done on horseback. His parents both died in Coshocton County, Ohio. When Mr. Met- ham came to Effingham County in 1856, he bought his present farm of Pricket Doty, pay- ing $10 per acre for what he bought of Doty, and is now one of the best improved and most valuable farms in this part of the township. His farm consists of about 600 acres, mostly lying along Big Moccasin Creek. Mr. Metham has always voted the Republican ticket, voting first for Fremont, and has never missed an election since his first vote, and has been one of the leading Republicans in Moccasin Township. When Mr. Metham came to his present farm, there was not a settler out in the prairie ; it was allgrown up to prairie grass. John H. C. Smith put up the second house in the prairie, and Peter Campbell the first, but soon after the Germans came in and began settling it. Mr. Metham was married in Coshocton County, Ohio, 1851, to Rebecca Anderson. She was born in Ireland. She is the daughter of John and Mary Anderson. Her father died in the old country, but her mother came to Coshoc- ton County, Ohio. They have two children living and six dead-Mary E., Artincy, Al- vira, Anderson, Clara, Alice, and an infant, all dead ; Adda and Laura are the only two liv- ing. Mr. Metham is a member of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church.

WILLIAM OWENS, farmer, P. O. Alta- mont, was born in Wayne County, Ohio, 1819. From Wayne County he moved to Knox Coun- ty, Ohio, about 1844. He remained in Knox County till about 1858, when he came to his present farm in Effingham County, III. He is the son of John and Phoebe (Spake) Owens. His father was a native of New Jersey, and his mother of Pennsylvania. His father died and

left six children, four boys and two girls. Mr. Owens is the oldest of the sons ; the daughters are both dead, but the boys living. He was only a small boy when his father died, and his mother being fooled out of what property was left to the family, the four oldest children were bound out, and the result was, their chances for an education were very limited. Ile was married in Wayne County, Ohio, 1842, to Cath- arine Stahl. She was born in Ohio, Wayne County, but her parents had come from Penn- sylvania. She died in Knox County in 1846 or 1847. By this wife he had four children, all living. About 1848, he was again married, to Rebecca Jane Grant, born in Harrison County, Ohio. Her parents were from Vir- ginia. By this wife he has five children, three boys and two girls. His children are Elizabeth, Frederick, Salome, Catharine, An- thony, Rebecca, John, Sarah and William. Mr. Owens' occupation has been that of farm- ing most all of his life, but he started with nothing. His farm now consists of 460 acres. He has always been Democratic in politics.

PHILIP PETZING, P. O. Moccasin, was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, December 24, 1823, to Peter and Kathrina (Machemer) Pet- zing ; both were born in the same place as our subject. In 1853, they came to America, taking passage at Havre, France, making the trip to New York in a sailing vessel in twenty-seven days. They settled in Buffalo, N. Y., and his father lived there till his death, in 1863. In the old country he was a farmer, but after coming to America he invested his money in city property, and lived on the rents. Mrs. Petzing, the mother of onr subjeet, died when he was only four years old, in the old country. Our subject was educated in the common schools of his native country. In 1847, he first came to America, and settled in Buffalo, where he remained for seven years, and where he fol- lowed ship-carpentering. He learned his trade after coming to Buffalo. Before coming to

253

MOCCASIN TOWNSHIP.

America, he had been at work on the farm with his father. In 1852, he returned to Germany, and came back in 1853, as his father was com- ing. In 1854, he left Buffalo, and came to Chicago, where he remained till 1863. During the nine years at Chicago, he followed various kinds of business ; first working at his trade awhile, then went into a brewery, but sold that out after three years, and then went into the I. C. R. R. car shops for some time, but on account of sore eyes he quit the shops and went into a butcher shop, and the last two years while there he was farming southwest of Chi- eago, in Cook County, but in 1863 he came to Effingham County, and has been farming here ever since. When first coming here, he bought railroad land, buying 220 aeres at first, but has since added to it till now he has 620 acres, all but 80 of which are in the prairie. In 1861, he was married, at Chicago, to Mine Henning. She was born in Prussia, in 183-4, to William and Caroline Henning. Mrs. Petzing came to America in 1854, but her parents did not come till 1858. Her father is dead, but her mother is still living. Mr. Petzing has seven chil- dren-William, Philip, Julia. Hermon, Anna, Edward and Ida. He and family belong to the Lutheran Church. He is Democratic in politics. He has held varions township offices, being Justice of the Peace, School Trustec, and now is Road Commissioner, and also has been Supervisor for two terins.

DAVID RUDY, farmer, P. O. Moccasin, was born near Harrisburg, Penn., 1846. His parents moved from Pennsylvania, when he was small, to Indiana, where they remained for seven years, and then came to Illinois, settling in Shelby County. His father, William A. Rudy, is still living in Shelby County, but his mother died February, 1878. He received his education in Shelby County, and was mar- ried in Fayette County, Ill., 1870, to Harriet A. Musser. She was born in Ohio, Knox County. Her father, William Musser, is now

living in Shelby County. February, 1874, they moved to Effingham County, to their present place, and improved it. It was all timber and thickets when moving here. His farm consists of forty acres here and eighty acres in Fayette County. Mr. Rudy and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is Demo- cratic in politics. Most of his life he has fol- lowed farming, and has run a threshing machine for a number of years, and when a young man was engineer in a saw-mill for quite a time.

J. H. C. SMITH, farmer, P. O. Altamont, was born in Franklin County, Ind., April 26, 1831, to Summers G. and Sally (Bulkley) Smith. He was born in Kentucky. He was a cooper by trade, and moved to Cincinnati at an early date, and was one of the first coopers that ever made a barrel in Cincinnati. He died in Effingham County, 1872, at the age of eighty- four. He was for over fifty years a citizen of Indiana. She was a native of Connecticut. She died in 1876, at the age of sixty-four. Our subjeet was educated in Franklin County, Ind., in the common schools. He was raised on a farm, and that has been his occupation through life, although he has done consider- able work at the carpenter trade. In 1853, he came to Effingham County. Ill., settling in Summit Township first. In spring of 1862, he came to Moccasin Township, and bought a farm of eighty acres, but has since added to it till he has 216 acres -all but ten acres under fence. In 1854, he was married, in this county, to Mary Ann Devore. She was born in Ohio, in 1832, to James and Elizabeth Devore. Both her parents are dead. He was Judge of the County Court of Effingham County for some time, and was one of the first Method- ist preachers in this part of the country. Mr. Smith has four children, all living - William H., Elizabeth R., Nathan A., and David M. Hle and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Dexter. Mr. Smith has

234

BIOGRAPHICAL:

been class-leader for about twenty-five years. He is Republican in politics, and has been since the party started ; is a member of the A. O. U. W. He has held different township offices.

HENRY SOLTWEDEL, Blue Point, was born in Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Germany, March 20, 1848, to Christian and Louisa (Bruhn) Solt- wedel. He was born February 5, 1805, in the same place as his son. He was a cow-herder in the old country, being main overseer of the herd of cattle on one of the ranches of the Dobberton circuit. In 1856, they came to America, settling first to make a permanent home in Effingham County, Ill., in Bishop Township. The three years previous to this settlement, they had lived at different places, first at Buffalo, N. Y., then in Indiana, in La Porte County, where they lived for a time, but this county was their first permanent settle- ment. August 28, 1882, Mr. Soltwedel's mother died here, and his father is still living with him. Mr. Soltwedel received most of his edu- cation in this county ; was raised on a farm, and that has always been his occupation. He is the only son living, but has two sisters living. He was married in this county, 1876, to Louisa Ziegler. She was born in Baden, Germany, 1849, to Jacob and Christina Ziegler. He is living, but she died May 26, 1876. Mr. and Mrs. Soltwedel have three children living - Louis, William and Emma. He and family are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, St. Paul congregation. The principles of the Democratic party are his. He has held different township offices - Township Clerk, Constable, and now is serving second term as Assessor. His farm consists of eighty acres, all in prairie. March 28, 1873, he moved to this place, but had purchased the farm in 1871.

W. H. ST. CLAIR, M. D., Moccasin, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, May 23, 1828, in the Governor's mansion. He is the son of Jolin St. Clair and Ann (Crooker) St. Clair. John

St. Clair was born in Cincinnati, and died in Peoria, Ill. Mrs. John St. Clair died in this county. She was a woman well versed in his- tory, that being her main study. The house in which Dr. St. Clair was born is said to be the first brick house built west of the Alleghany Mountains. The glass for it was carried in pack-saddles across the mountains. It is now part of the Methodist Book Concern. Dr. St. Clair and family, and Mrs. Dr. Charles Pad- dock, of Richmond, Ind., are the only descend- ants of Gen. Arthur St. Clair, who was appointed Governor of the Northwest Territory by Gen. Washington. Dr. St. Clair, the great-grandson of Gen. Arthur St. Clair, still has a letter writ- ten by George Washington, 1798, to " His Ex- cellency, Gov. St. Clair," soliciting his influence in behalf of Edward Tiffin, who was afterward Governor of Ohio. In 1856, the Cincinnati papers stated that there were, including inter- est at six per cent from date, $3,000,000 dne the St. Clair family from the Government of the United States for money loaned to it by Arthur St. Clair during the Revolutionary war, but they never have received a cent. In 1839, Dr. St. Clair moved to Effingham County, with his parents, located at Ewington. His life till he was nineteen was spent in Effingham County. In 1847-48, he attended the Asbury University, at Greencastle, Ind., taking the scientific course. In 1849, he joined the Methodist Episcopal Church. In May, 1850, he was married to Mary Jane Jackson, daughter of Mrs. T. J. Gillenwa- ters, of Effingham. The only child by this mar- riage is now Mrs. W. T. Pope. August, 1856, his wife died. In 1857, he was married to Eliza Ann Jackson. By this marriage he had four sons and four daughters; two sons are dead. For eight years he traveled in the Southern Illinois Confer- ence, beginning in 1851, and six years he trav- eled in the Minnesota Conference. In Richland County, Ill., he commenced the practice of medi- cine in 1864. In 1865, he located at Effingham, and practiced till April, 1871, and then came to

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Effingham county, Illinois, Part 70

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