USA > Illinois > Hancock County > History of Hancock County, Illinois, together with an outline history of the State, and a digest of State laws > Part 63
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Reuben Craven, farmer; sec. 33; P. O., Middle Creek; was born in Pennsylvania in 1831, son of Joseph and Mary (Brown) Craven, natives also of Pennsylvania; the former was born in 1806, and the latter in 1804. The father emigrated to Illinois in 1841 and located in St. Mary's tp., on sec. 5. In this and Carthage towns he con- tinned to reside till his death in 1871. His widow is still living, at the advanced age of 76. Reuben lived at home until he arrived at his majority when he began teaching school. He has continued to teach during the winter months most of the time since, farming in the summer. He was married in 1855 to Margarette L. Ewing, who was a native of Ohio, and born in 1837. They have been blessed with 8 children; Linneus P., Mary M., Emma M., Joseph R., John E., Clara J., Jenoa G., Frank L. His children, Linneus P. and Maggie, graduated with honors at Carthage College in 1878. The former holds a professorship of mathematics at Mt. Morris, Ill., Academy. Mr. C. owns 117 acres of good land. He has held the office of Justice of the Peace for eight years, Supervisor and School Trustee. He is a Republican.
Adam Curry, who is the son of Matthew and Jane Curry, is of Irish descent, and was born in Pennsylvania in 1840. He emi- grated to this State in 1852, and first settled in Fountain Green tp., where he lived until 1854, and then settled where his mother now lives, on sec. 7, in Hancock tp. He is at present a farmer on the same section. He was married in 1867, to Louisa Long, who had one child from her former husband, whose name is William, and who is now living at home. She is also the mother of 5 children, of whom 4 are living, from her second husband, Mr. C., the sub- ject of this sketch. Their names are: James E., Mary B.,-F. and an infant child. Mr. C. owns where he lives, his share of his father's estate consisting of 290 acres, to which there are heirs. He has never held any office except Collector one term. His educa- tional advantages were only ordinary, and he is, politically, a Re- publican.
Anthony Duffy was born Ang. 20, 1811, in Cumberland county, Pa., son of John and Elizabeth (Graft) Duffy, father a native of
679
HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.
Ireland, and mother of Pennsylvania, and of German descent. He camne West in the Spring of 1836 and settled on secs. 5 and 8, Hancock tp., this county, where he bought 160 acres of land, which was then entirely wild; here on sec. S he built a log cabin 16 feet square, with half a room above; in this he lived until 1850, when he built a fine briek residence on sec. 5; in this he has lived about 28 years, when he moved into the place which he now occu- pies. Nov. 17, 1835 he married Mary Matilda Spangler, at Mt. Rock, Cumberland county, Pa. She was a daughter of Samuel and Rebecca Spangler, of German and Holland descent, and she died July 20, 1873, since which time Mr. Duffy has not kept house, but lives with his sons, William J. and Scott A., on sec. 5. All of his 8 children are living. The eldest, Samuel S., is a farmer on sec. 5, where his father first settled. Mary E. is the wife of I. N. Hobart, a farmer in this tp .; John S. is a farmer in Carthage tp .; Joseph T. is also a farmer in Nodaway county, Mo .; Rebecca Ellen is the wife of Jerome Evans, a farmer also in the last named place; Robert M. is a stock-dealer in Burnside, this county. Mr. D. has given all his property to his children except 40 or 50 acres, on secs. 5 and 9. The home farm consists of 155 acres, 115 of which are under good cultivation, being worth about $50 per acre.
Mr. Duffy is a Republican, and has been School Director and Trustee, etc., but has never aspired to office. In early days he had not the good advantages of a school education; he was compelled to go two miles to attend school in a log house long before the free- school system was inaugurated, and he came to this county when it was a complete wilderness. He is of course familiar with the Mormon history of this county, and was one of the foremost men when Governor Ford called out the Militia to arrest Jo Smith and bring him to Carthage. He had just returned home when Smith was shot, having liad pretty good authority beforehand that such a thing would be done. Mr. D. is a prominent and highly respected citizen, and we give his portrait in this work.
Pleasant C. Gillinwater, farmer; P. O., Middle Creek; was born in East Tennessee, Hawkins county, in 1812; his parents were also natives of Tennessee; his father, David, was born in 1789, and his mother, Cisire, nee Willson, was born in 1790.
The subject of this sketch is the eldest of 15 children. Pleasant C. resided in Schuyler county 18 years., and in 1856 he located in Hancock county, St. Mary's tp .; was there 8 years, then moved to his present farm in Hancock tp. in 1864, where he now resides, owning 40 acres of land, valued at $1,000. In 1839 he took unto himself a partner in the person of Martha Huff, also a native of Tennessee, and born in 1819; they have 8 children: James E., Louis W., David E., May F., Joseph C. (dec.), Henry K., Seals J., Amanda A. and John T. They raised also Lester M. Mitchell who still lives with them. Louis W., farmer, married his first wife, May E. Worthington, in Indiana. One child, Edith, was born to
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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.
them. He married his second wife in Dec., 1878. L. W. was in the late war, in the 57th Ill. Inft., three years ; was in battles of Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Corinth, and with Gen. Sherman on his march to the sea.
Charles Harder, an intelligent farmer of his community, of Ger- man descent, is a son of Peter and Mary Harder, and was born in New York in 1830. Coming to Hancock county in 1869, he set- tled where he now lives, on sec. 4 of Hancock tp. He was married at the age of 28, to Jennie Kingsley, who is the mother of 5 chil- dren, all of whom are living; namely, Hattie, Albert, William, Anna and Robert. Mr. H. owns a farm of 105 acres, where he lives, all of which is pretty well improved; has on it a neat little house, and makes for himself and family a convenient and pleasant home. Politically he is a Republican, and although his educational ad- vantages were not the best, yet he is an enterprising man and takes an interest in home affairs, and everything of a literary nature. Mrs. H. is a member of the Presbyterian Church; also her eldest daughter.
Isaac N. Hobert, farmer, sec. 6; P. O., Carthage; is the eldest son of Norman Hobert, who was born in Essex, N. Y., Dec. 29, 1810; came to Illinois in 1833, and located at Rushville, where he was married in 1834, to Miss Ura Holladay; after marriage he came to this county and settled in Fountain Green tp. He helped to make the first track that crossed the county, and was an active participant in the early settlement of the county. He was a house carpenter by occupation, and erected many buildings in Carthage. Prior to his removal to this city, he erected and carried on milling on Crooked creek, which he afterward moved to Carthage, and continued in that business 13 years. His demise, which occurred Dec. 13, 1878, was a bereavement to a large circle of friends and relatives. He was for many years a local preacher, and one of the sincerest Christian men that ever honored the principles of true religion. The milling interests he willed to his sons, who are now engaged near Hamilton. The esteemed widow and mother who survives, is a daughter of Moses and Celia (Skirvin) Holladay, who settled in Lexington, Ky., before the Revolutionary war. They were the parents of 14 children, but 3 of whom are living. Isaac N., our subject, was born in this county, and was married June 21, 1861, to Miss Mary E. Duffy, a native of this county, and they have had 10 children, all of whom are living,-Mary E., Carrie L., Joseph N., Dennis W., Eva E., Lillie E., Matilda E., Ura A., Isaac N., Jr. and Blanche. Sidney L., the next child, married Elizabeth Pickens; have one child, not christened. Maria, the last named of his living children. The subject of this sketch resides at his stock farm in Hancock tp., consisting of 235 acres. Healso owns the homestead of 135 acres, in Carthage tp. The family is of the earliest settlers of the county.
John Martin, deceased, was born in Ky., in 1812; resided in that State until 1861, during which time he was engaged in farm -
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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.
ing and manufacturing. Since coming to Illinois and locating on the farm, where he always resided, he has been engaged in farming and milling; in these vocations he has been quite successful. He left to mourn his loss a wife and 2 children. "He was married in 1845, to Mildreth S. Vincent, of Ky., and born in 1824. The farm left his family consists of 280 acres of improved land. Mr. M. held the office of School Trustee, and was also an Elder in the Presby- terian Church.
James Martin, miller; P. O., Joetta; is a son of John Martin, born in 1845. He has lived at home assisting his parents all his life. He is now running the mill which his father controlled. He was married in 1873, to Susan F. Kelley, a native of Illinois, and was born in 1849. They have 2 children to make home happy. James E. and Margaretta. Mr. M. has held the office of Town Clerk and Postmaster since his father's death.
William Long, an aged and respectable man and a very old set- tler of Hancock county. the son of John and Mary Long, who were of German descent, was born in 1807, in Penn. Coming to Illinois in 1835, he settled in Bear Creek township, where he re- sided ten years; then came to the place on which he now lives on sec. S. He was married in 1830 to Mary Yetter, who lived, only about five years after their marriage. He was married the second time in 1839, to Mary Giphart, who died in 1872. Mr. L. had, by his first wife, 2 children, of whom one is living, whose name is Levi, and who is now living with his father, on his farm. Mr. L. owns the land on which he is living, consisting of 160 acres, of which 100 acres are pretty well improved; 60 acres are brush. He has also 40 acres of timber on sec. 17 of same township. He is an honest and upright citizen, a devoted member of the Lutheran Church, and had poor advantages for obtaining an education when young. He was, at one time, Collector for five or six years; was Assessor one year; Justice of the Peace for four years, and was Township Trus- tee for 15 years. Mr. L., although he is, in fact, politically a Demo- crat, is very liberal in his political views concerning home affairs.
Thomas B. Mc Cubbin. son of Joseph and Ellen McC., was born in 1839 on sec. 32, in Hancock township, Hancock county, Ill., and is of Irish descent. Here he spent his boyhood days and was mar- ried in 1860 to Martha Camren. His wife is the mother of 6 children, of whom 3 are living. Their names are John, Rue and Dove. Mr. McCubbin is 41 years of age, is a prominent man in his community, and by hard work and by the " sweat of his brow " has succeeded in accumulating considerable wealth. He is now living on sec. 29 of Hancock township, where he owns a good farm, consisting of 160 acres, of which 150 are under cultivation. His land is worth about $35 per acre, and is well-improved. Has a good two-story frame house, size 28x32, which he built in 1871. Has also a substantial barn, 28x30, which he built in 1877. He owns, besides the tract of land on which he lives, 100 acres of timber on section 29, 80 acres of timber and 40 acres of prairie
682
HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.
on section 20 of same township. Mr. McCubbin has been a farm- er all his life, and has labored hard to sustain the reputation of men of that profession without meddling with political affairs. He has been Assessor once, and is at present School Director. Polit- ically he is Independent. His educational advantages when young were quite limited, being compelled to attend school in a log school-house. He and his wife, Martha, are both earnest members of the Christian Church. Joseph McCubbin, who is quite an aged man, is living with his son Thomas, the subject of this sketch. He is at present 84 years old, and is quite feeble, being confined to his room most of the time, and is also almost entirely deaf.
J. L. Miller was born in Ohio in 1824; is the son of Leonard and Mary Miller, and is of German descent. He emigrated to Illi- nois in 1856, and first settled on section 6, where he lived for nine years; thence he removed to where he now resides, also on sec. 6, of Hancock tp. He was married in 1852 to Nancy Meyers, who is now 45 years old, and who is the mother of ten children, all of whom are living. Their names, beginning with the oldest, are as follows: Mary, Ellen, Alfred, Matilda, Jennie, Walter, Charles, John, Manda and Alice. Mr. M. owns a large farm where he lives, consisting of 182 acres; and has besides 108 acres on sec. 17, 20 acres on sec. 9, 20 acres on sec. 2, all in same township. The farm- ing land is all very well improved, and is worth about $50 per acre. He is in politics a Republican, but is not at all radical in township and county affairs. His educational advantages when young were only ordinary.
Armstead Mosely, sec. 31; P. O., Middle Creek; was born in Kentucky in 1796. Forty years ago Hancock county received one of her many excellent and influential pioneers in the person of this sketch. Previous to his locating in this county in 1839, he lived in Texas, Kentucky, and Indiana. For 29 years Mr. M. has lived upon his present farm of 207 acres, which is now valued at about $7,000. Mr. M. was married in 1831 to Miss Nancy Driskill, of Kentucky, who was born in 1815, and they have a family of 10 children living; namely, Mary E., Martha J., William V., Winston R., Simeon A., Samuel F., Sarah F., John F., Nancy A., Amanda E. Simeon and Winston enlisted in the 42nd Ill. Inf., in 1864; were in the battles of Franklin, Spring Hill, Nashville. Were dis- charged at Port Lavacca, Texas, in 1865. Mr. M. is a Democrat, He and his wife are members of the Christian Church.
James Samons, farmer, sec. 24; P. O., Joetta; was born May 24, 1835. He is a son of Edward and Anna M. (Hays) Samons, the former a native of Virginia, and born in 1800; the latter a native of Rutherford Co., Tenn., was born in 1818. Edward came to Illinois in 1831, and lived in Morgan county until 1847, when he moved into St. Mary's town, and was there eight years. He finally moved to the State of Missouri, and lived there until his death in 1857. At the age of 20 James located in McDonough county and there remained four years, and then moved to Hancock county, and
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IIISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.
has since resided on his present farm of 267 acres, valued at $30 per acre. Mr. S. was married in 1855 to Sarah E. Way, native of Illinois, and was born in 1840. They have been blessed with 7 children; viz., Mary J., Edmond, Chas. W., Ruth E., Louisa, Stephen A., Ida May. Mr. S. enlisted in Co. A, 118th Reg., under Capt. Campbell, in 1862; was in battles of Thompkins Hill, and Baker Creek; discharged at Port Hudson, Louisana, in 1864. He is a Republican.
Robert Sample, who has been a resident of Hancock tp., Hancock county, Ill., for about 30 years, was born in Pennsylvania in 1803. He is the son of John and Ann Sample, and is of Irish descent. He came west in 1849 and first settled in Fulton county, where he remained for 18 months, when he came to Hancock county and settled on sec. 4, of Hancock tp., thence he removed to sec. 6, where he has lived for 11 years. He was married in 1826 to Jane Hawthorne, who died in 1868. She was the mother of 13 child- ren of whom only 7 are living, and whose names are as follows: James, John, Frank, Calvin, Anna, Jane and Sarah.
Mr. S. owns 80 acres of land on sec. 4, 40 acres on sec. 16, and 20 acres on sec. 9. However, he is now living with his daughter, Jane, a widow woman, on sec. 6. The value of his land per acre is about $25. He is, politically, a Republican, and a devoted mem- ber of the Presbyterian Church; has held the office of Highway Commissioner two terms; Township Trustee two terms; and School Director a number of years. Mr. S. had, for securing an education, only the opportunities and advantages that were afforded to all children of Pennsylvania before the free-school system was adopted. He is, however, an intelligent, upright, and revered old gentleman in his community; he is pretty badly crippled with rheumatism, but is making the best of his last days, and is trying to take life easy by being an earnest Christian man, before the last summer's sun shall have set upon his silvered locks and gone down behind the horizon of time and eternity forever.
Philipp Siepel was born in Germany in 1819, a son of Milton Siepel, also a native of Germany, born in 1785. When Philipp was 14 years old he was apprenticed to the cooper trade; when 34 years of age he emigrated to America and located in Shenandoah county, Virginia, where he remained until 1854, when he moved to his present farm in Hancock county, Ill., where he still lives, owning a nice farm of 330 acres, which he has secured by his own honesty and economy. He was married in 1848 to Liza A. Fivever, a native of Virginia, born in 1823. Their living children are, Handley, John, Eleanor, Nathaniel, George W. and Lavina F. Mr. Siepel and his estimable wife are members of the Christian Church.
George Sowers, who is an old settler in Hancock county, was born in Pennsylvania in 1830. He is of German descent, the son of Samuel and Sarah Sowers. Came to this State in 1854 and first settled in Fountain Green tp., where he lived 13 years, and after-
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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.
ward settled where he now is on sec. 6 in 1871. He was married in 1856 to Willimina McGhecan, who is the mother of 10 children of whom all are living except one. Their names are: William, Samuel, Maggie, Charles, John, Delia, James, Belle and Nellie. Mr. S. is now living on the place owned by his son, consisting of 98 acres. The land is tolerably well improved, and is worth about $20 per acre. Mr. S. had very poor advantages for securing an education; is a man who is independent in politics and has never held any offices except School Director. Mrs. S. is a member of the Presbyterian Church.
Joseph T. Spangler is one of the oldest settlers of Hancock tp., and is the son of Samuel and Rebecca Spangler, natives of Penn- sylvania. He was born in 1817, and is of German descent on his father's side, and French and Welsh on his mother's side. He came to this State in 1838 and settled on sec. 5, of Hancock tp., where he still resides. He was married in 1851 to Anna Mary Sample, who is now 52 years of age and is the mother of 7 chil- dren, of whom 5 are living. Their names, beginning with the oldest, are as follows: Jane R., Sarah V., Mary E., Joseph T. and Samuel E. Mr. Spangler owns 320 acres of land where he lives and has, besides, 80 acres in another tract, all of which is well improved. He has a very good house and barn on the home place, and values the land at about $30 per aere. His educational advantages were only such as were afforded to all children of that day before the free-school system was established. His family are members of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. S. has held the office of Supervisor a number of years, and now holds the office of School Treasurer, which he has held 32 years.
By being independent in politics and always looking to the best interests of his country at home, Mr. S. has, for some time, been taking life easy in his aged years, regarding necessity as a virtue, and is thus honest and upright, and a man of considerable local repute.
Peter E. Weakley, merchant, was born near Carlisle, Cumber- land county, Pa., July 31, 1823, and is a son of W. L. and Martha W. (Ege) Weakley, of German and English descent. His advan- tages for early education were of course far inferior to those of the present day. In 1846 he married Miss Harriet M. Black, a daughter of Thomas W. and Catharine (Slentz) Black, all natives of Penn- sylvania, Mr. Black of Irish ancestry, and Mr. Slentz of German. Mrs. W. was born in Adams county, Pa., Oct. 8, 1825. She is a member of the Presbyterian Church. In 1849 Mr. Weakley came West and first settled in Morgan county, Ill., and the next year he located on sec. 2, Hancock tp., this county, where he lived 20 years, when he sold his farm and entered mercantile business at Union- town, sec. 11, where he has carried a general stock of goods ever since, sales averaging $15,000 to $20,000 a year. He is very care- ful in making his purchases, so that he is enabled to sell a good
685
HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.
quality of goods very cheap. He has, therefore, a very good run of trade, doing a lively local business. In politics he is a Republi- can, but is very liberal in local affairs; is now serving his fifth term as Supervisor, and has been School Director. He is one of the most enterprising and substantial citizens of the county, a man of fine manners, well known and highly respected. We give in this volume Mr. Weakley's portrait, made from a photograph taken at the age of about 45 years.
S. A. Wright, the son of Hickerson and Cynthia Wright, is another of the many very old settlers of Hancock county, and was born Oct. 9, 1825, in Tenn. He is of Scotch and Irish descent; came to this State in 1833 and settled in Fountain Green tp., where he lived until 9 years ago, when he settled in Hancock tp. He was first married in 1849 to Susan Bond, who lived until about 4 years ago; was married the second time in 1877, to Elizabeth Murray. He is the father of 4 children, of whom only 2, Minnie S. and Mintie L., are now living. Mr. W. owns 523 acres of land where he lives, on sec. 3; has in another place 60 acres of timber; also 100 acres of good land in Fountain Green tp. The average estimate of his land per acre is about $40; all the farming land is well improv- ed and he has a fine, substantial house on the home place. Politi- cally he is a Democrat and is an upright, well-to-do farmer.
OFFICERS
Of Hancock township who have served, or are now in office:
SUPERVISORS.
J. T. Spangler.
1856
Joseph T. Spangler. 1874
Peter E. Weakley
1861
Reuben Cravens. . 1875
William Booz.
1863
Wm. Booz ... 1876
J. H. Folts.
1868
George Brewster. 1877
Peter E. Weakley.
1869
J. T. Spangler .. 1878
Wm. Booz.
1870
Peter E. Weakley 1879
CLERKS.
John Denison
1856
Joel T. Booz. 1874
F. E. Belknap
1863
Albert S. Bear 1875
John J. Grohegan.
1864
John Martindale. 1876
George W. Jones
1865
Levi J. Rhea 1877
Thomas MeAvoy
1867
Jerome B. Jones.
1878
Wm. M. Anderson 1868
John Campbell. 1879
Jerome B. Jones. .
1871
James L. Martin. 1880
Wm. M. Anderson.
1873
ASSESSORS.
A. G. Botts.
1856
Levi Smith. 1868
William Booz
1858
John H. Parker 1869
Jefferson Perkins.
1860
Levi Smith. . 1870
J. H. Parker.
1863
"James G. Smith. 1871
Levi Smith ..
1864
Thos. B. MeCubbin 1874
William Long.
1865
James G. Smith.
1875
Thomas Cambron
1866
J. T. Spangler. 1879
Wm. Long.
1867
Geo. W. Green.
1880
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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.
COLLECTORS.
William Long.
1856
John W. Huston. 1869
Emanuel Jones
1858
James G. Smith.
1870
William Long.
1860
John Martindale.
1871
Wm. Spangler
1861
Monroe Riggins.
1872
William Long.
1863
Samuel Duffy.
1874
John H. Parker
1864
Stephen A. Kelly.
1875
William Long.
1866
Albert S. Bear.
1877
Levi Smith ..
1867
C. L. Rhea.
1878
Calloway L. Rhea
1868
Joel T. Booz
1879-1880
CARTHAGE TOWNSHIP
Received its name from the county seat on its west line. It is numbered 5-6; is principally prairie land, but has bodies of timber on Middle, Prairie, Long and Rock creeks, tributaries of Crooked creek. Certain portions of this township are level and prairie, and consequently better suited to meadow and stock-raising than to grain. Large quantities of corn are grown, however, in all direc- tions. This township has many finely improved farms and sub- stantial and neat residences, owned by independent farmers.
Carthage, being in the midst of an extensive prairie, was not settled as early as the western and eastern portions of the county; and had it not been for the fact that the county-seat was located in it, its settlement would have advanced no faster, perhaps, than those of Harmony, Prairie and Pilot Grove adjoining. We are not advised that it had an inhabitant within its limits (other than Elder Thomas H. Owen, who came in 1831), when in March, 1833, William Gillham and Scott Riggs located the county-seat on sec. 19. That event of course gave an impetus to settlement; and we find that on April 2 of the same year a special term of the County Commissioners' Court was held there, at the house of Thomas Brewer, which, if not there before, must have been a tempo- rary building hastily put up. At that meeting Thomas H. Owen was appointed to build a court-house, and it was to be finished before Aug. 25th! for the use of the Circuit Court soon to be held. Ex-Secretary O. H. Browning, then a young lawyer on the Circuit, attended that Court, as he had others before at Venus. Here is his account of that event, and description of Carthage at that time. We quote from his address delivered before the "Hancock County Pioneers' Association," in the court-house, June 15, 1869: "He said he remembered attending the first Court held at Carthage. The Temple of Justice at that day was a log cabin of limited dimen- sions, roofed with clapboards. The Bench and Bar boarded with a family near the timber, and near the subsequent residence of Mr. Baldwin. The 'hotel' of Carthage was a sort of rail-pen, 12 feet square, the provisions and whisky being dealt out through the cracks to the outsiders. The site of the present court-house was a frog-pond; and yet this unpromising beginning had culminated in the present town of Carthage, one of the neatest and prettiest villages he had ever visited."
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