USA > Illinois > Fulton County > History of Fulton county, Illinois > Part 84
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836
HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.
up and were married, and were all born in this county except the two eldest, as follows: John Wm., Lemuel W., Huldah Ann, Thomas I., George W., Wm. H. H., Mary J. and Sarah E., twins, Martha J., and Emily A. The parents saw the hardships of pioneer life, including troubles with the Indians. They were once driven from their home by them, and on their return they found all their goods piled in the middle of the floor and a few Indians there, who said, "Bad Indians gone ; they were going to burn the house, but good Indians wouldn't let them." William enlisted in the 103d Ill. Inf. and was killed in action at the battle of Atlanta.
Lemuel W. Potts, son of preceding, enlisted April 29, 1861, in Co. H., 17th Ill. Inf., the first man from Liverpool tp .; was badly wounded at Fredericktown, Mo., by a shell ; was one of those who made the second charge on the enemy's works at Ft. Donelson, car- rying them at the point of the bayonet ; was in the front a great deal at the battle of Shiloh, where he was again wounded ; touched fire to the 40-barrel magazine of powder set to blow up Ft. Hill, making a very narrow escape of his own life; his regiment was the first to enter Vicksburg after the surrender; and after engaging in other hard-fought battles (47 in all, including skirmishes) and res- ponsible military duties, his regiment was mustered out at Baton Rouge, May 14, 1866. He now has 1,700 acres of land, and is an extensive stock-raiser and farmer. April 9; 1870, he married his first wife, Martha E. Patterson, who died Feb. 14, 1871; Dec. 4, 1873, he married Jennie Walworth, a native of St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., daughter of Noah and Margaret Walworth. Mr. Potts is a "stalwart " Republican, and has been School Director several years.
Thomas I. Potts, son of Amos F., above mentioned, married Sarah Livingston, Nov. 13, 1864, daughter of George Livingston, a native of Ohio, and she was born Oct. 13, 1846; their six children living are George W., born Ang. 29, 1865 ; Charley, Nov. 28, 1867 ; Lilly M., Jan. 22, 1870; Effie D., June 25, 1871 ; Chalmers, Jan. 1, 1874, and Gertrude, Jan. 22, 1878; Minnie B. was born Jan. 22, 1870, and died aged 6 months. Mr. P. is a Republican ; has a farm of 123 acres.
Edwin Preston, son of the next mentioned, was born Ang. 31, 1844, and married Sarah E. Blanchard, daughter of Ira B., of Brimfield, Peoria Co., a native of Maine, near Kingfield. He has 4 children,-Winnie V., born Sept. 28, 1867; George R. and Gertie L., twins, Dec. 4, 1870, and Roy B., June 21, 1877. Mr. P. has been in office ever since he was 21, as Town Clerk, School Di- rector, School Trustee, Road Commissioner, etc. Democrat. Is a farmer and stock-raiser on sec. 14.
Hiram Preston was born at Kingfield, Franklin Co., Me., Jan. 23, 1817, son of Peter and Mary (Winslow) Preston, natives of Martha's Vineyard, Mass., and Peter's father was James, of the" same place and of English ancestry. Mrs. Mary Preston's father was Ezekiel Winslow, a native of England, and his father's name was
837
HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.
Canelum. Mr. Hiram Preston came to Illinois in 1839, stop- ping in Peoria Co., and coming into Fulton Co. in 1840 to reside. In 1841 he married Tryphena Hathaway, a native of Kingfield, Me., and daughter of Luther and Clarissa (Hinds) Hathaway, na- tives of Mass., near Taunton. Luther's father was Gilbert, born in England. Luther Hathaway and wife came to Peoria Co. in 1836; he died in March, 1873. Mr. Hiram Preston has always been in the saw-mill and Inmber business, and in farming, owning at present 5 farms. Mr. P. is a Democrat ; has been Postmaster at Maple's Mill for nearly 20 years. His three children are Edwin, Frank and James Austin.
Jordon Prichard, deceased, was a native of Washington Co., Pa., and came to this county as early as 1836 and located on see. 16, Liverpool tp. His wife was Artemisia Shaw, of Licking Co., O., where they were married. Eight children were born to them : Mary J .; Robert ; Alexander, who died of cholera in 1849; James, who has been Steward of county farm since 1869; Elizabeth, Bert, Sarah, Ella, and Rebecca, who also died of cholera in 1849. Jordon Prichard was a farmer by occupation and a prominent man. He (lied of cholera after one day's sickness JJuly 13, 1849, being the second victim, Robert Summers being the first. Mrs. P. was taken sick on the 15th and died the same day. Then followed Alexander and Rebecca. Singular it is, but on rising that morning Mrs. P. remarked that she dreamed the past night that she, with 2 of her children, were to die with the cholera. She ate breakfast as well as usual and by 11 o'clock a. m. was dead. The father of Mr. P. was Benjamin Prichard, a soldier of the war of 1812. Mrs. P.'s father, Alexander Shaw, was a Revolutionary soldier.
Joseph G. Putman was born Jan. 31, 1830, in Lewis Co., Ky., near Maysville, and is a son of Daniel K. and Anna (Grover), the former of Culpepper Co., Va., and the latter of Maryland, near Baltimore. Joseph G. came to Fulton Co. in 1854, locating on section 14, and stopping here two years; in 1864 he bought the farm on which he now resides,-160 acres on sec. 30. He married, in this county, Christina, daughter of Peter Bordner. Charles W. is their only child. Daniel K. Putman was a teacher and Methodist preacher for nearly 50 years. He died, aged 77 years.
James S. Raker was born Jan. 18, 1847, son of Nelson Raker ; Dec. 3, 1871, married Mary Leonard, a native of Carter Co., Tenn., born April 4, 1851, and daughter of Obadiah and Esther (Lacy) Leonard, both of Tennessee ; their children are : Hetty, born June 22, 1872; William, Dec. 31, 1874, and died May 25, 1875; James D., April 11, 1876 ; and Frankie, Aug. 12, 1879.
Nelson Raker was born in Sept., 1812, in Clark county, Ky., son of David M. and Susan E. (Chaney) Raker, natives of N. C., the former of German ancestry and the latter of English. Nelson was married in Clark county, Ky., Feb. 9, 1835, to Martha Ann Mullens, who was born in Kentucky ; they came to Fulton county
838
HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.
in Nov., 1855, bringing 9 children. Three were born in Fulton Co. : Amanda J., Franklin (dec. in infancy), and Nelson. Mr. Raker first lived on see. 7, 5 east, 2 years, then near Slabtown 1 year, then in Warsaw one winter, then on his present farm on sec. 5, 5 east. Mrs. R. is a member of the Christian Church.
Geo. W. Ray was born July 24, 1843, son of Wm. Ray, in Ash Co., N. C .; came to this county in 1865; June 24, 1866, married Mrs. Anna Adeline Vail, daughter of Elijah Willcoxen, and they now live on sec. 9; she was born Dec. 10, 1825, in Estill Co., Ky., and May 30, 1850, married Joseph Appleton Vail, a native of Middleton, O., who died May 19, 1852, leaving one son, Joseph C. Mr. Ray served in the 6th N. C. Cav., Confederate army, for 3 years.
Benjamin Scholes emigrated from Yorkshire, Eng., to the U. S. in 1820. Soon afterwards he volunteered as a soldier in the Seminole or Florida war. He afterwards located in St. Louis and was engaged in steam-boating on the Mississippi and Illinois rivers until about 1840, when he located in Liverpool. Here he carried on a general merchandising business for many years, and in '73 moved upon his farm on see. 2. His wife's maiden name was Lneinda J. Deaver, a native of Md. They have a family of 8 children out of 10 born to to them. Mr. S. died March 6, 1876.
Amos Shaw enlisted in the 17th Ill. Inf., and served about 3 years in the war of the Rebellion, died at Brownsville, Miss., of lung fever, March 21, 1863. One of his children is still living in this county, James B., on sec. 8, Liverpool tp. He married Mary E. Eveland in Oct., 1877.
Peter Shaw is a native of Licking Co., O., where he was born Oct. 17, 1837 ; parents were Amos and Angeline (Bordner) Shaw. Mrs. S. was a daughter of Peter Bordner, an early settler of this county. Amos Shaw moved with his family to Iowa, where he died. His widow married W. W. Brown and now lives in Lewistown tp. Peter S. married Dec. 5, 1862, Sarah E. Potts, daughter of Amos F. Potts, who is now living with them on sec. 30. They have had 10 children, only 2 of whom are living, Orville P. and Sarah M. They have an adopted child by name of Martha.
Hezekiah Shenfelta, sec. 7, son of John and Susan (Swigart) S., natives of Pa. and of German descent. The former is dead and the latter is living in Marion Co. Mr. S. came to this county in 1867; married Sarah J. Flaherty, a native of Va. She died, and he mar- ried Mary Cooper. His children, dead and living, are, Victoria, deceased, Mary E., Elizabeth L., Abraham, deceased, Charles A., Edward F. and Margaret, deceased.
William Shields. Andrew Jackson Shields came to this county about the year 1834 and located on a farm near Canton ; worked at blacksmithing occasionally. His father was Robert Shields. His wife's maiden name was Margaret Red. They were married in Indiana and had a family of seven children, all now living except
839
HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.
Mary E. A. J. Shields, sr., died in 1848. Wm. Shields was born in 1836, and March 14, 1861, he married Nancy M. Willcoxen, daughter of Maj. Elijah W., and is now living on sec. 10. He has 4 children,- Prudence Luella, Andrew L., deceased, Elijah Cal- loway, Anna C. and George Lec.
Robert Summers, with a small family, settled at Waterford soon after the Black Hawk war. He was a Kentuckian by birth and education, but his wife was from Vermont. This family soon moved to Lewistown, and after a few months moved again to the vicinity of Liverpool, where they changed residence occasionally. Mr. S. undertook, about 1840, to build a bridge across the overflowed land north of Liverpool, and after a mile of it was nearly done, a flood carried it away, and he was consequently involved in debt from which he never recovered. In 1841 or '42 he settled on the place now occupied by Hiram Preston, where he remained (except in 1844 he had charge of the Farris mill at Milton, three miles northwest of Lewistown) until he ended his earthly career in the great calamity detailed in the chapter of horrors elsewhere in this volume. He died July 10, 1849, three children died on the 13th, and his wife died on the 16th,-five out of a family of nine in six days! Three of the remaining children still live,-Ewing at Galesburg, Ill., Robert in Mississippi, and Mary ( now Mrs. Stockton ) in Colorado. " Esquire " Summers was generally elected a Justice of the Peace (in Liverpool township ), although he was a Whig and all his neigh- bors Democrats. He taught music and a public school occasionally, and was always held in high esteem.
Abraham M. Wearer was born in Madison Co., Va., June 7, 1835. He married Sarah Shaw March 5, 1857. She is a daughter of Robert and Catharine (Bordner) Shaw. Mr. W. has lived on sec. 7, 5 N., 5 W., for 12 years, and has improved most of the place. His parents are Alfred and Louisa (Kirtley) Weaver; Alfred and wife came to this county in the fall of 1836, bringing 2 children, Abraham and Elizabeth. They lived the first winter at Lewistown. He now lives at Maple's Mill. A. M. W. has 7 children living : Christina, Frank, S. Kossuth, Walter N., Fanny, A. G., Aman- da and Win. C.
George W. Wheelbarger was born in Augusta Co., Va., Nov. 9, 1821, son of Cyrus W., a native of Rockingham Co., Va., and whose father was a native of Germany. Cyrus married Sarah Ehr- man, whose parents were of Germany. Geo. W. came to Fulton county, Sept. 12, 1855, and worked at a saw-mill for J. C. Will- coxen for 3 years, then bought a farm of 130 acres on sec. 6, Liv- erpool tp., and resided here ever since. Aug. 31, 1855, in Va., he married Eliza Drumeller. They have 6 children, namely : Addic, Granville K., Estie, Vintie F., Franklin G. and Atha C., all living at home.
John Whitehead was born in Saddleworth, Eng., June 4, 1807, son of John and Betty W. Our subject came to America in 1845,
840
HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.
to Fulton Co., April 26, same year. He was a skilled manufacturer of woolen, silk and cotton goods in Eng. He early engaged in the saw-mill business here. He also ran a steamboat named " Liver- pool " between La Salle and Beardstown. Since 1863 has been en- gaged in farming, on sec. 14, 5 N., 4 W. He bought this farm for the timber on it, but now has 100 acres under cultivation. He married Nancy Savill, who is a native of Eng. They brought a family of 7 children when they came to the tp., and have 3 born here. Mrs. W. died in April, 1857; he married in 1858 Wini- fred F. Wood. John Whitehead, jr., served in the Union army for 3 years ; was a sharpshooter. Mr. W. says when he first came here it was reported and believed that the first white child born in the tp. was Mason Eveland, on the S. W. } of see. 14.
Willcoxen Family .- Jeremiah F. Willcoxen was born Feb., 1833, on see. 5, Liverpool tp. ; father's name was Elijah Willcoxen, who came to this tp. Nov., 1830; J. F. lives on the old homestead that his father settled on in 1830; principal business has been farming and stock-raising, with the exception of serving two years as Sheriff, being elected to that office in 1863; has held nearly all the offices in his tp., and is the present Supervisor, which office he has held for the past 5 terms. He is a member of the Christian Chruch ; married Feb., 1867 to Lorinda Riner of Peoria Co. ; have a family of three children,-Mary Adell, Frank B. and Chas. L.
Capt. Elijah Willcoxen was born in Ash Co., N. C., in 1789. He was a volunteer in the war of 1812; also served two years in the Black Hawk war, first as Lieut. and then as Captain. He was a grand nephew of Daniel Boone. He first settled in Liverpool tp., Nov., 1830. At the time of his death, which occurred July 3, 1860, his 12 grown children were at his funeral, and his posterity num- bered 114. He was a pillar in the Regular Baptist Church; was Justice of the Peace for many years and served in nearly all the offices of the township. His wife's name before marriage was Charlotte Calloway, who was born in Ash Co., N. C. She was a daughter of Col. Elijah Calloway, for years a prominent member of the N. C. Legislature. They were married in 1811, soon afterwards moving to Kentucky, where they lived a frontier life for 15 years, when they moved to Fulton Co. and settled on the farm now occu- pied by the youngest son, ex-Sheriff J. F. Willcoxen. Mrs. Char- lotte W. departed this life June 18, 1874; was the mother of 14 children,-7 boys and 7 girls, 12 of whom lived to have families. At her decease her posterity numbered 204.
Six of the boys lived on and owned farms adjoining the old home- stead at the time of their father's death. The Willcoxen family at this time own land north and south for 3 miles on each side of the road. The children are : Jesse B., E. Calloway, Andrew Jackson, Marshall Ney, James Calvin, and Jeremiah F.
Major E. Calloway Willcoxen was a farmer ; also carried on the mill business ; he was an enterprising and influential man in the county,
841
HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.
taking an interest in matters of publie importance; was elected to many offices in the township; was supervisor for several years and held other township offices; was a staunch Democrat in polities. He was born in Estill county, Ky., March 12, 1817. He met with an accident by which his thigh was broken and died from the effects Jan. 22, 1872. Like his father, he came to be considered a sort of patriarch in the neighborhood, and was respected and beloved by all ; he left a widow and a large family of children ; she still lives on the homstead on sec. 8. She was Prudence Putman, daughter of Redding Putman, an early settler of Putman tp.
Jesse B. Willcoxen, the eldest son of Elijah Willcoxen, lived on sec. 8; was born Sept. 14, 1813 ; his farms lay on secs. 8, 16 and 17; he was an extensive farmer and owned nearly or quite a section of land. He was married twice ; his first wife was Priscilla Stufflebeam, by whom there were 8 children born. She died, and Mr. W. mar- ried a second time. Margaret Smith; by the last union there were 6 children. He was a member of the Regular Baptist Church. He died the 17th of Oct., 1872, very suddenly. He left a widow and 12 children and 200 relatives. His widow still resides at the old homestead on sec. 8. He served with his father in the Black Hawk war.
Andrew Jackson Willeoxen, born Dec. 7, 1818; opened a large farm in Liverpool tp. on which he built a fine brick house, with other improvements ; sold out and moved to California, remained a few years, when he returned to this county and again sold out and moved to Arizona, where he is now living engaged in farming, stock-raising, etc. He married Mary J. Grigsby.
James Calvin Willcoxen, after improving a large farm in Liver- pool tp. on which he built a large brick residence, he moved to Lewistown, where he now lives. He has been extensively engaged in the lumber business, also merchandise, flouring mills, woolen mill, hotel, and at present is extensively engaged in farming, own- ing about 5,000 aeres ; has this year some 1,200 acres of corn ; also engaged in grading the Fulton County Narrow-Gauge Railroad from Havana to Fairview, for which he has taken a contract.
Marshall Ney Willcoren was born in Estill Co., Ky., Sept. 5, '27, son of Elijah Willcoxen, now living on part of his father's estate, see. 4; has been engaged in milling and Inmbering. May 4, 1854. he married Harriet Laswell, daughter of Andrew and Barbara (Baughman) Laswell, early settlers of Putman tp. She was born March 26, 1836. Of their 12 children 9 are living, viz : Calvin L., E. Amelia (now wife of John Byers, near Bryant), Jeremiah C., Marshall Ney, jr., Charlotte A., Nellie Florence, Margaret E., Mary Inez, and George Ray. He is a Baptist and Mrs. W. is a member of the Christian Church.
842
HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.
TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS.
The following is a list of the township officials serving since the organization of the township, together with the years of serving :
SUPERVISORS.
Jacob Maus .. 1850-51
Franklin Farwell 1866
Thomas HI. Hand
1852
Jacob Mans
1867-68
C. Willcoxen
1853
Robert Prichard
1869
Jacob Maus ...
1854-58
J. F. Willcoxen.
1870-72
E. C. Willcoxen
1859-60
Jacob Maus.
1873
D. U. Boyington
1861
Benj. F. Scholes
1874
Robert Prichard
1862-63
Jacob Maus
1875
Jacob Maus
1864-65
J. F. Willcoxen.
1878-79
TOWN CLERKS.
A. G. Poe
1859-60
James D. Pntman 1868
Hiram Preston.
1861-63
Hiram Preston
1 869
S. R. Quigley
1866
Edwin Preston
1870
Hiram Preston
1867
Hiram Preston
1871-79
ASSESSORS.
Elijah Jennings.
1859
E. Jennings 1871
Robert Prichard.
1860
R. W. Morton.
1872
James Prichard.
1861-62
E. E. Saunders
1873
E. Jennings.
1866-67
E. Jennings
1874
James Prichard
1869
R. W. Morton
1875-77
R. W. Morton
1870
Elijah Jennings.
1878-79
COLLECTORS.
R. W. Morton.
1859
Jesse B. Willcoxen 1869
J. B. Willcoxen
1860-61
Wm. Shields.
1870
J. F. Willcoxen.
1862
J. B. Willcoxen.
1871
M. N. Willcoxen.
1863
E. Jennings.
1872-73
W'm. MeCracken.
1864
Hugh Flemming 1874
Robert Prichard.
1865
S. T. Denny
1875-76
F. M. Harrison
1866
Frank Preston
1877
Robert Shaw
1867
Elwin Preston
1877
James Prichard
1868
Joseph C. Vail.
187 .- 79
.
ORION TOWNSHIP.
Mr. John Wolf and family came to this township in 1828, and settled upon sec. 18. John Orendorff and Wm. Ulmer came into this neighborhood about the same time. Of this family we speak in the personal sketches. Sarah Motsinger was the first child born in the township. The first school was taught by Patsey Brown upon sec. 18. The first school-house erected was in 1833, and Esquire S. N. Breed, now of Canton, taught the first school in it. The first preaching done was in Mr. Wolf's house. Ozias Hale was the first resident preacher. He had charge of the Duck Creek Baptist Church, which is now the First Baptist Church of Canton. John Orendorff erected the first frame house and burned the first kiln of brick. The first saw and grist-mill was erected apon the west branch of Copperas creek by Gabriel Walling.
The township is mostly covered with timber land bordering upon the three branches of Copperas creek with their various little tribu- taries. At the north line of section 35 Copperas creek divides, and what is known as the East Branch of Copperas creek flows east and north through the township, and what is known as the Middle Branch flows southeasterly. Near the southwest corner section 26, what is known as the West Branch of Copperas creek enters the Middle Fork.
There are 9,931 aeres of improved land in the township, and 13,- 529 acres of land which is not in cultivation. This is not ex- ceeded by any other township in the county except by Liverpool, which has a much larger area.
Rawalt Station was laid out by Jonas Rawalt, upon his land on seetion 30. It is on the line of the T., P. & W. Ry., and only a few miles from Canton.
Breed's Station is another little place upon the line of the Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw Ry. in this township. It is upon the southwest quarter of section 27, and laid off by C. G. Breed.
PERSONAL SKETCHES.
Lewis L. Jones, coal-miner, was born in South Wales in 1827; began working at mining when he was 10 years of age ; came to the United States in 1848 and spent a year in St. Louis, then went to St. Clair county, Ill., commenced mining in Caseyville, and in 1867 came to Canton and worked on the first shaft ever sunk there. His present mine on sec. 30, Orion tp., he opened in the
844
HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.
spring of 1871. The coal is of first quality, and the working is 4 ft. 8 in. Mr. Jones married Elizabeth Morgan, a native of Wales. They have had 8 children, 6 of whom are now living,-William, Lewis, Elizabeth, Thomas, Margaret and Hannah.
John B. Kelly was born in Cortland Co., N. Y., in 1820; moved to Trivoli township, Peoria Co., Ill., in 1838, and 4 years afterwards to his present farm, see. 11, Orion tp., where he owns 320 aeres. He was married to Miss Rachel, daughter of Joseph Proctor, of Orion tp., and a native of Hamilton Co., Ill. They have had 14 children born to them, 10 of whom are living,-Elizabeth, Nelson, Alonzo, deceased, William, Jane, Hannah, deceased, Ransom, Alice, Stephen A., John, Orin, deceased, Casie, Emy, deceased, and War- ren. Nelson and Alonzo both enlisted in the army. The latter joined the 12th Ill. Cav., which went.with Gen. Banks on the Red River expedition, where he contracted disease, which terminated fatally at Baton Rouge.
Josiah Ketcham, farmer, was born in Warren Co., N. J., in 1838, brought by his parents in emigration to Canton, Ill., in 1853, fol- lowed farming 3 miles east of Canton until 1862, when he entered the 103d Ill. Inf., and participated in the battles of Vicksburg, Jackson, Mission Ridge, etc., and on the Atlantic, and "on to Richmond." In 1866 he married Mary E. Addis, a native of Ful- Co., and they now have 4 children,-Jennie, Richard, Eva and Sherman. Josiah's father, George Keteham, was also a native of New Jersey, married Jane Bannatta, of the same place, and had 10 children. He came to Canton in 1853, and after farming 3 miles east of Canton until 1868, he sold the farm, moved into town, and has since followed wagon-making.
Wm. H. Lowe, farmer, was born in this tp. Aug. 7, 1842. His father, John Lowe, was a native of Virginia, came to Fulton Co. in 1837, and settled on sec. 31, Orion tp., where Wm. H. was born ; married Isabelle Riley, a native of Ohio ; they were both members of the M. E. Church. In 1868 he moved to MeDonough Co., where he died in 1877, and where Mrs. L. is still living. They had 6 children. Wm. H. married Ann E. Breed, a native of this tp., and they have had 5 children,-Mary, Charles, John, Anna and Blanche. Mr. L. enlisted in the 55th Ill., was in the principal en- gagements in the Southwest, was also in the 15th Army Corps, with Gen. Sherman in his march to the sea, and during the war he was wounded in the neck by a bullet.
Thomas Manuel was born in Wales in 1802, son of Thomas and Catherine (JJenkins) Manuel; obtained his education in Sunday- school in his native country ; emigrated to America in 1854, and to Fulton Co. in 1865; by occupation he is a miner, but for 16 years he kept hotel, the Kingston House 14 years of this time ; at present he is a farmer on sec. 27, Orion tp. In 1854 he married Elizabeth Jones. They have adopted a son named William. Latter-Day Saints.
845
HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.
John Orendorff, farmer, was born in Wilks Co., Ga., passed much of his early life in several of the Southern States, came to Illinois in 1818, and in 1820 married Margaret Sale, related to the family of Gen. Geo. Washington, and born in Wilks Co., N. C .; April 16, 1825, he became a resident of this tp., taking a farm which he oc- cupied for 49 years. He died Jan. 28, 1876, his wife having died July 19, 1867. He was Justice of the Peace many years, and sol- emnized the first marriage in the county ; he also creeted the first saw-mill in the tp., and made the first brick ; he erected the first frame dwelling in Orion tp. He was a strong, industrious, honest, social and philanthropie man. At a camp-meeting held by Peter Cartwright near Canton in 1832, he and his wife were converted and joined the M. E. Church, and remained consistent members of the same until death. Their house was a home for the itinerant. They had 5 sons and 2 daughters : one son died young, and all the other children still live in this county, except the younger daughter, who is married and lives in Fort Wayne, Ind. The elder daughter is the wife of Wm. Parlin, of Canton. Wm. J., the second son, is one of the firm of Parlin & Orendorff. John W. is a farmer in Banner tp. Henry H. is a dealer in agricultural implements at Canton. Wash- ington S.'s sketch is next given. We give Mr. John Orendorff's portrait in connection with that of his son, Wm. J.
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