USA > Illinois > Greene County > History of Greene and Jersey Counties, Illinois : together with sketches of the towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military, and political history; portraits of prominent individuals, and biographies of representative men, History of Illinois > Part 105
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John T. Foster, deceased husband of Mrs. Vienna Woodward, was a native of Kentucky, born in 1827, and is a son of David Foster, who settled in this county in 1835. He was killed by a tree falling on and crushing him. John T. was married Feb. 22, 1855, to Vienna Hockensmith, a native of Kentucky, born May 9, 1835. She came with her parents to Morgan county, Ill., then re- moving to Macoupin county, where she lived until her marriage. She is the daughter of Andrew J., and Mary (Parks) Hockensmith, natives of Ken- tucky, her father being born in 1802, her mother in 1808. Her father died Aug. 20, 1872, and her mother is still living, making her home with her
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daughter, Mrs. Woodward. Mr. and Mrs. Foster were the parents of two children-Everett E. and Ettie G. Mr. Foster died Ang. 10, 1860. He was a member of the M. E., church and bad edneated himself for the ministry, but owing to failing health, was obliged to give it up. He received his education at the college in Jacksonville, and at McKendree College, where he graduated. He was licensed to preach in 1849, and in 1850 was admitted, on trial, in the Illinois Conference; and was sent to the Jacksonville circuit. In 1851 he was appointed to Marshall City, but during that year his health failed, and in 1852, having been ordained deacon, he was, on account of a diseased throat, compelled to ask to be discontinued. In 1860 he was ordained elder, but was called to the other world before the expiration of that year. Mrs. Foster was again mar- ried Sept. 9, 1866, to Henry Woodward, a native of England, born Oct. 4, 1827. He had been left an orphan when quite young, and came with friends to Chi- cago, and from there to Greene county. He has been engaged in clerking a good share of his life, and has also worked at the agricultural pursuits. Mr. and Mrs. Woodward are the parents of three children -Virginia E., H. Albert and Don M. Hle and his wife are members of the M. E. church.
Peter Stewart, a native of Scotland,
was born in the year 1824, and is a son of William and Jane (Todd) Stewart, natives of that country. They are true Scotch, from the south of Scotland. Peter immigrated to America, and came to Illinois in 1854, settling four miles west of Greenfield, where he lived one winter. He then moved six miles cast of Carrollton, where he resided three years, and then moved northwest of Greenfield. He is now living on sec- tion 8, in Rubieon township. In 1846, he was married to Margaret Rutledge, a native of Scotland. By that union, there were three children-William, now in Utah, engaged as a locomotive engineer; Thomas, who died in 1876, and Andrew, who also died in 1854. Mr. Stewart was again married, in 1856, to Minerva Brannan, a native of Illi- nois. By this union, they were the parents of eight children- John M., died in 1858; Mary Ann, died in 1881; Peter C., living near Wrightsville; Geo. J., at home: Olive C., at home; Sarah J .; died in 1883; Alexander, at home, and James M. Ilis second wife died in the year 1882, and Mr. Stewart was again married to Susanna (Baldwin) Williams, widow of John Williamis, of Jefferson county, HI. Mr. Stewart has always followed the occupation of farm- ing. He is a member of the Baptist church, and is an industrious, well re- spected citizen of this community.
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
CHAPTER XIX.
ROCKBRIDGE TOWNSHIP.
The civil sub-division of the county of Greene, which bears the name of Rockbridge, lies in the southeast corner of the county, and comprises all of con- gressional T. 10, R. 10, Secs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and the north half of Secs. 16, 17 and 18, and the northwest quarter of Sec. 3, T. 9, R. 10, together with Secs. 1, 2, 11, 12, and the north half of Secs. 13 and 14, T. 9. R. 11. It therefore contains 51 sections. It is one of the best townships of land in the county, having some of the finest natural advan- tages. Nearly one-half of it is finely timbered land, the balance being fine, undulating prairie of the best descrip- tion. It is watered by Hodges' and Taylor's creek, with their tributaries. No finer improvements are to be found in the county than are found here, and the inhabitants are, as a class, thrifty and prosperous.
The St. Louis division of the C., B. & Q. railroad passes through the entire township from north to south, and there are two stations of this road located in this part of the county, viz: Greenfield, on section 4, and Rockbridge, on section 34. Besides these towns, there is one smaller one in the township, Fayette, on the eastern border, on sections 12 and 13.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
John and Ambrose Taylor and Benja- min Allen settled in this township in
1819, and were the pioneers of this part of the county. They lived here for many years. Taylor's Prairie and Tay- lor's creek, the latter a small tributary of the Macoupin, derived their names from these parties.
Andrew Kineaid was the first to lo- cate at what was long known as Kin- caid's Point, in 1821. This point was an angle of timber land which projected into the prairie.
William T. Kincaid a son of Andrew, came to Greene county, in 1821, and located in Rockbridge township. He was born in Pennsylvania, in 1786, but was reared in Kentucky. In the latter state he was united in marriage with Elizabeth Mace, and moved with his wife to East St. Louis, in 1817. In 1820 he came here, and settled upon the northeast quarter of section 7, where he made his home until his death. This latter event took place in 1876. Ilis wife died in 1836, leaving nine children. He was appointed justice of the peace prior to the organization of the county, which office he held for eight years.
Martin Burt came to this part of the country, in 1821, and erected a cabin, where he dwelt for some time.
John Finley, better known as "Fight- ing Jack," and his son, Thomas, came to what is now Rockbridge township, in 1821. Shortly after settling, John Fin- ley erected a horse-mill a short distance
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
south of the site of Greenfield. Al- though very loosely constructed, it was a great convenience for the dwellers for many miles around. Men and boys visited this mill from beyond Carroll- ton, riding on their sacks of corn and leading horses enough to turn the mill. Strange as it may seem, this mill was supplied with neither wheel nor cog. At an elevation of six feet from the ground, a number of arms were passed horizontally through the driving shaft. They were of equal length, and their outer ends were deeply notched for the reception of a rawhide band twisted like a rope. This was passed around the end of the arms or spokes, resting in the notches, and thence to the "trun- dle," being crossed, however, between the latter and the driving wheel to pre- vent slipping. To the same shaft that carried the arms was attached a long lever, to which the horse or horses were fastened. This was all the gearing be- longing to the mill, and from its great simplicity it was easily repaired when out of order. A few hickory withes usually secured any part that needed at- tention. John Finley and his son, Thomas, afterward entered the site of the Rockbridge mills. The old gentle- man settled on the bluff south of the creek, and his son made a home on Taylor's Prairie, just north of Rock- bridge.
Two men, in 1822, came into this neighborhood, looking for land. They were Archibald Lee and an uncle. The former had been born in Rome county, Tenn., but at the time mentioned above was a resident of Hamilton county, this state. In the fall of the same year they returned to the latter county, where,
on the 19th of March, 1823, Archibald Lee and Jane Upton were united in marriage. The young couple then came to Greene county, and first occu- pied land on Cook's Prairie, on section 24, in what is now this township. Find- ing that some one had entered the land he moved to another place and from there to section 28, where he lived some six years. He afterward was engaged in the mercantile business, in Green- field, and later in Fayette.
Norman C. Woolley might be classed among the early settlers of this county, coming here when but two years old, in 1822. He was born at Hartford, N. Y., July 20, 1820. The family came to Greene county, in 1822, and located in Bluffdale township, where N. C. lived until 1845, when he removed to Green- field. He was married Jan. 27, 1818, to Sarah Speaks, who was the daughter of one of the old settlers, and was born here, Aug. 21, 1822. They have two children living.
James Kincaid, another son of An- drew Kincaid, came from Kentucky to Greene county in 1824. He was quite conspicuous in those early days, as he was the captain of a militia company, and afterward commanded a company in the Black Hawk war. Old settlers still tell of his dress-"a blue hunting shirt fringed with red, a belt about him from which he depended a sword, and a tall hat and feather."
John N. Whitlock, a native of Ten- nessee, came to this county in 1826, and made a settlement in this township, where he lived until he was called on to cross the river and join the great major- ity. He was quite prominent in early days in this part of the county.
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
Andrew Hamilton, a native of Great Britain, but a citizen of Kentucky, came to this township and made a settlement near where the town of Greenfield now stands, in 1827. He was a resident of the county until his death.
During the year 1828, William Mason came to Roekbridge township and lo- cated on 120 acres of land there, where he lived for about 20 years. He then moved away from the county. In about 1856, he returned, settling in Kane township. He afterward removed to Jersey county, where he subsequently died.
William Grimes made a settlement in this township during the year 1828.
Alexander and Benoni Banning, two brothers, were pioneers of the year 1828, making a settlement and building their cabins in this township.
J. Harvey Weisner, familiarly known as Uncle Harvey, a native of Surry county, N. C., born Jan. 10, 1803, eame to this county in 1829. He was the son of John and Margaret Weisner, natives of North Carolina, of German and Irish descent. During his 14th year, the family moved to Smith county, Tenn. He was united in marriage Feb. 20, 1827, with Martha Evans, by whom he had 12 children, six of whom, in after years, entered the United States army during the war, and but three of whom returned. When Mr. Weisner first came here he worked at anything he could find to do, often going many miles in the morning to do it, and re- turning in the evening to his family. By hard work and rigid economy, he accumulated enough money to buy a barshare plow, and having a yoke of oxen which he brought from Tennessee,
he rented a small patch of ground, and commeneed farming. He afterward be -. came a resident of Greenfield, and re- tired from active business life, in the enjoyment of an easy competence, where he resided until his death, in the fall of 1883.
James Cannedy came to this township in 1829, locating where the town of Greenfield now stands, but in a short time moved south of this place. He died in the township in 1872.
James Cannedy, deceased, who was among the early settlers of Greene county, was a native of Darlington, S. C., was born March 18, 1790, and was a son of John Cannedy, also an early set- tler of this county. John Cannedy was of Irish descent, and his wife was of Scoteh ancestry. James removed with his parents to Tennessee in 1807, where he was united in marriage, in 1816, with Eliza Grizzle, who departed this life Aug. 16, 1867, aged 69 years. Mr. Can- nedy served in the capacity of captain of the militia of Warren county, Tenn., for many years, as did he also as justice of the peace. He was a volunteer of the war of 1812, and served as a ser- geant under Gen. Jackson. He partiei- pated in the battle of Horse Shoe, on the the Tallapoosa river. In 1829 he immi- grated to Greene county, Ill., and set- tled where the town of Greenfield now stands, where he finished the first house built on the site of Greenfield. Two years later he bought land three miles south of that place, where he settled and remained up to the time of his death, Jan. 19, 1872. Upon coming to the county he journeyed in an ox eart, had very little money and a large family. Through the deep snow in 1830-1, and
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
many years thereafter, he labored hard in making rails, the proceeds of which went to support his family. Notwith- standing his severe trials, he was always cheerful, and looked forward for better times, which finally came, and he secured a competeney, which he enjoyed in his declining years. He was elected justice of the peace, which office he held for many years. He was county com- missioner three years and held other smaller offices. He was the father of 12 children, all of whom were respected and honored citizens of this county.
William H. Cannedy, a son of the above, was born in Warren county, now DeKalb county, Tenn., on the 16th of July, 1817. With his parents he came to Greene county, 111., in 1829, and has been an honored citizen of the county ever since. He was united in marriage, March 6, 1845, with Mahala Allen, a native of Kentucky. They are the pa- rents of nine children, three boys and six girls, as follows-Louisa J., wife of E. Reno, of this county; Mary A., wife of F. M. Clampett, of Garnett, Kan .; Martha E., wife of L. Reno, of Jersey county; Malinda C., wife of J. Burger, of Rockbridge; Sarah M., wife of S. R. Clampett, of Medora; Thomas J., John W., and Cora I. Mr. and Mrs. Cannedy and all of their children are consistent members of the Baptist church. Mr. ('annedy has served 20 years as justice af the peace, and now officiates in that capacity. He is also a notary public and the treasurer of the school town- ship. He participated in the Mormon war, and took part in the battle of Nau- VOO.
George W. Cannedy, a son of James Cannedy, one of the early settlers of
Greene county, was born in Tennessee in 1818, and came to this county with his parents in 1829, settling on the site of the town of Greenfield, his father hay- ing finished the first house built in that town. Here they resided until 1833, when they returned to Tennessee, and again came to the county in 1834, set- tling on section 21, Rockbridge town- ship, where George W. still resides. In the month of Nov., 1840, he was united in marriage with Miriam Witt, a native of Indiana. By that union they had two children-Eliza E., widow of John Hand, of Macoupin county, and James H., who farms in Kansas. Mrs. Cannedy departed this life Sept. 12, 1844, aged 22 years. Mr. Cannedy was again mar- ried, Feb. 20, 1845, to Eliza Gilland, a native of Illinois. She died March 23, 1850. They were the parents of three children - Martha E., wife of Elisha Jackson; William F., of this township, and David G., of Greenfield. Mr. Can- nedy was again married, in 1850, to Aley Dowdall, a native of the state of Indiana. They have been blessed with 11 chil- dren, only four of whom are now living -George L., of Kansas; Ada, wife of B. F. Taylor; Love and Myron, living at home. Of those deceased, Sarah A., died in Sept., 1852, aged one year and six months; John W., died Aug, 6, 1859, aged two years and six months; Mary D., died Nov. 26, 1859, aged 14 days; A. S., died Oct. 13, 1864; Luey O., died Jan. 16, 1878; aged 17 years; Julia A., who married W. S. Beason,- died Feb. 27, 1878; Bessie L., died Jan. 6, 1878, aged five years and one month. Mr. and Mrs. Cannedy are consistent mem- bers of the Baptist church. He has held the offices of constable, school director
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
and road supervisor. He has always followed agricultural pursuits, and is now the owner of 57 acres of well im- proved land on section 21, Rockbridge township.
James Curnutt came here in 1829. He was born in Virginia, in 1777. He was reared on a farm in the Old Dominion, where he married Rachel Wright, a native of the same state. She dying, he was united in marriage with Mary Rankin. In 1827, he moved to Ten- nessee, but in the fall of the following year came to Madison county, Ill., and in 1829 came to this county, landing here in March, and located near where the village of Rockbridge now stands. After moving around this county for a few years, he finally settled on the farni on which Rivesville is now located, where he remained until his death, in 1851. He served in the war of 1812.
James H. Weisner, Herod and Joel Grizzle, came to Greene county in 1829, and locating in this township com- menced some improvements.
Ichabod Valentine and Howard Fin- ley settled in the northern part of this township, in 1829.
Solomon Dixon, a native of North Carolina, born in 1798, moved to Ten- nessee, where he was married, coming to Greene county a few years after that event, in 1830. He settled near where the town of Rockbridge now stands, where he lived until 1870, when he re- moved to Kansas, where he died a few months after reaching that state. His wife was Sarah Burger. They had eight children. Mrs. Dixon died here in 1844.
Moses J. Wilder, a native of Nash county, N. C., horn in 1751, came to
Greene county in 1830, locating on the present site of Greenfield, in this town- ship. He had been a soldier in the Revolution, and was with Gen. Greene in all his campaigns, and witnessed the fall of Baron DeKalb. He removed to Tennessee in 1818, where he remained until he came to this county. He was married some three times. In 1832, he removed back to the more genial clime of Tennessee, and died there in 1839.
Langston Moore, made a permanent settlement in this township in 1831, and resided here until the fall of 1869, when he sold out, removing to Nilwood, Ma- coupin county, where he died October 6, 1882. He was born in North Caro- lina, in 1811, but was reared in Tennes- see, where he married Sarah Melton, by whom he had 13 children.
James Rives came to this township in 1834, and made a settlement on the west half of section 24, where he resided until he moved to Greenfield, where he died July 12, 1866. He was a native of North Carolina, but about 1826, moved to Kentucky. His wife was formerly Elizabeth Hood. She died in 1851, on the farm where he first located.
Robert Mitchell and his family came to Rockbridge township, and settled on Sec. 26, T. 10, R. 10, in the fall of 1835. He was a Virginian, but was reared and married in Kentucky, from which state he came here. He lived here until his death in June, 1837. The wife died in March, 1847. They had a family of nine children, only three of whom are now living. Andrew K. Mitchell is a son.
Andrew K. Mitchell, one of the old settlers of Rubicon township, was born in Bath county, Ky., June 26, 1811.
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
Ile was raised on his father's farm, and received such education as the old log school house of that day afforded. He engaged in farming for himself, after be- coming of age, and afterward moved to Greene county. Sept. 10, 1840, he was married to Sally Kincaid, a daughter of William T. and Elizabeth (Mace) Kin- caid, her mother a native of Kentucky. Her parents removed to St. Clair county, Ill., in 1817, and in 1821 they came, in company with the Kincaids, to Greene county, Ill. Mrs. Mitchell was born, Aug. 22, 1819, in St. Clair county, Ill. Their marriage was blessed with 12 children, eight of whom are still liv- ing-Thomas, deceased; Joseph; James, living at home; Mary E., deceased; Jo- hanna, wife of Frank Witt; Robert, liv- ing at home; Luther, married and liv- ing in this township; Martha, wife of Hugh Clarity, a resident of this town- ship; Rachel, wife of Joseph Cress, liv- in this county; Nancy, deceased; Ellen and Margaret, at home. Mr. Mitchell has met with decided success in his bus- iness undertakings, and has acquired about 500 acres of land, well improved and with pleasant surroundings. His father was also in good circumstances. The family are members of the Cumber- land Presbyterian church. Mr. Mitchell is a highly esteemed citizen.
David Foster settled in this part of the county in 1835. He was killed by a ; first is now a resident of Colorado. The
tree falling on him, at a later date. He was the father of John T. Foster, long and favorably known in this county, but now dead.
OTHER PROMINENT PEOPLE.
James H. Van Arsdale was born in Mercer county, Ky., June 28, 1816. He
came with his parents, who were of Holland Dutch descent, to this state, in 1836, arriving at Carrollton, Oct. 6, the same year. He received a fair common school education in his native state, and the home training and associations were such as ever guided and controlled his future course, in the active duties of life. His father, Peter VanArsdale, was a blacksmith by trade, and in connection with that business, owned and cultivated a good farm of 230 acres, upon which his son J. H. grew up to manhood. His father was a close student of books, and a reader of the newspapers of that day, and kept himself well posted upon all the important events of the times, both from a moral and political standpoint. In politics, he was decidedly democratic, until towards the latter part of Jack- son's administration, when, from moral principles, he zealously espoused the anti-slavery cause, and was known as a conscientious, intelligent voting abolitionist until his death, which oc- curred in 1857. He was also, from early manhood, a strong advocate of the tem- perance cause, and taught his children to think for themselves, and ever dare to do right. J. H. V., his only son, was married Dec. 9, 1839, to Susan De- maree, of Park county, Ind. She de- parted this life, April 8, 1854, leaving two sons-Alfred D. and James M. The
second lost his life in the service of his country, at the age of 21 years and six months. May 9, 1855, Mr. VanArsdale was united in marriage, with Mrs. Sarah S. Batchelder, of Chesterfield, Ill., and by this union there were five children, three daughters and two sons. They are all living, and qualified, by educa-
1
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
tion and association, to aet well their part in the drama of life, if they choose thus to do. He has been, from early boyhood, an earnest advocate of teetotal temperanee principles, and now, in the 70th year of his age, never has received, or given, a treat of intoxicating liquor to any person. He has been a resident of this county, since Oct., 1836, and has lived at his present place of resi- dence, on Sec. 30, T. 10, R. 10, since the spring of 1845. In religious belief and practice, Mr. and Mrs. VanArsdale are Presbyterian, and most of their family are of the same faith. They have ever done what they could to advance the educational, and all other elevating in- terests, tending to the elevation of the community where they reside. Mr. Van Arsdale's first vote for president, was east for Van Buren, in 1836; for Harrison, in 1840; James G. Binney, 1844; Martin Van Buren, in 1848; John P. Hale, 1852; Col. J. C. Fremont, 1856; Abraham Lincoln, 1860; and for every nominee of the Republican party, since. Hle has held some public offices of trust and honor. He was elected justice of the peace, in 1849, and held the office continuously until Sept., 1862, when he resigned, to accept the office of assist- ant assessor of this county, which he held until Oct., 1866. He was, by an ap- pointment of Governor R. J. Oglesby, a member of the State Board of Equali- zation, for the term of 1867-68. He was appointed marshal, in 1870, to take the national census, for the east half of this county. He was brought up on a farm, and the principal business of his life, has been in agricultural pursuits.
Samuel T. Smith, a native of Knox county, Tenn., was born in that state in
1844, he being a son of John T. and Naney (Goldstein) Smith, both of whom were natives of Tennessee. They came to Greene county in 1864, and settled in Linder township, where they resided two years, and then removed to Rock- bridge township, both dying there, the former in Sept., 1866, and the latter in Feb., 1868. Samuel T. Smith preceded his parents in coming to Greene county, having come in Feb., 1862, resided in Linder township, six years, and then removed to section 2, Rockbridge town- ship, where he now resides, and is the owner of 120 acres of fine land. In Nov., 1864, he enlisted in the 144th Ill. Inf., and was honorably discharged one year later. Samuel T. Smith and Patty Deins, a native of Leeds, Eng., were united in marriage in the year 1869. Their union has been blessed with three children-Nellie, Ralph and Maria. Mr. Smith is a member of the G. A. R., while his wife is a member of the Presbyterian church.
Joseph Minch, a son of George and Mary A. (Baker) Minch, is a native of Floyd county, Ind., having been born there, in the year 1843. George Minch. and his wife were both natives of Penn- sylvania, the former having died in 1858, and the latter in 1869, both in Kentucky. Jos. Minch attended school and worked on a farm until attaining his 14th year, when he went to New Albany and learned the trade of a car- penter. He served a three years' ap- ! prenticeship, and then went to Ken- tucky, where he followed steamboat carpentering three years. He then re- ceived a warrant as carpenter in the United States navy, and was detailed for duty on the Mosquito fleet. In 1865
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