USA > Illinois > Jersey County > History of Jersey County, Illinois > Part 57
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Until he was sixteen years old, Joseph W. Newland attended school, and then he began learning telegraphy, and his first position was at New Haven, Ky., with the L. & N. Railroad, with which he remained as agent and operator until 1906, when he entered the employ of the Illinois Central Railroad at McHenry, Ill. Later he was with the C. H. & D. Railroad as division agent, at Dayton, Ohio, and in 1912 came to Grafton to assume his present position. In 1916 Mr. Newland was clected mayor of Grafton, and is giving the city an extremely good ad- ministration. It has always been his practice to cast his vote for the man best suited for office, rather than hold himself down by party lines. Fraternally he is a Mason, and the Methodist Episcopal Church holds his membership. Mr. Newland was married to Miss Maude Render, who was born at McHenry, Ky. Mr. and Mrs. Newland have two children : Virginia Belle, who was born December 11, 1911; and Joseph W., who was born July 29, 1913.
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NITSCHKE, Paul J., one of the most successful meat packers and farmers of Jersey County, has a farm that is a model of its kind in every respect. He was born in Germany, May 6, 1869, a son of Frank and Louisa (Timpner) Nitschke, natives of Germany, who died in that country.
In 1889 Paul J. Nitschke came to the United States, landing in New York City, from whence he made his way to Syracuse, N. Y., where he worked for a butcher for a year. He then went to Kansas City, Mo., working there at butchering for six months, after which he came to Jer- seyville. From February 29, 1892, until 1896 he was employed in a meat market, and then on May 21 of the latter year, he embarked in a meat business for himself, doing all of his own butchering. Since then he has increased the capacity of his plant, and has everything modern in every respect, and controls the largest trade in the country. This plant was erected by Mr. Nitschke and is one of the finest of its kind, with cold storage facilities. He feeds 100 head of cattle and the same number of hogs, and constantly buys live stock in Jersey and Greene counties, and ships principally to St. Louis markets. IIe also breeds and raises fancy chickens. His farm of twenty- two and one-half acres on the edge of Jerseyville, contains his resi- dence, slaughter houses, silos and other buildings. The silos are two fine concrete structures of modern design. In addition to his own land, he farms about fifty acres adjoining.
On April 20, 1893, Mr. Nitschke was married to Anna C. Schattgen, born at Jerseyville, a daughter of Frank and Elizabeth Schattgen, natives of Germany and New York, respectively. Mr. and Mrs. Nitsclike have the following children : Louisa, who is a public school teacher; Frank, who is serving his country in the World War; and Josephine, Catherine and Paul, who are at home. In politics, Mr. Nitschke is a Republican, and he served as a member of the city coun- cil from the Second Ward for two terms. He is a Catholic. Mr. Nitschke attributes his success to the fact that he has always kept busy, has never wasted time or money, and has always given an active, personal supervision to every department of his business.
NOBLE, George W., one of the representative residents of Jersey- ville, has been successfully engaged in farming in Jersey County all of his mature years. He was born in Otter Creek Township, in April, 1861, a son of Caleb and Ruth (Cadwalder) Noble, he born in Adams County, Miss., and she in Fulton County, Ill. The paternal grand- parents, Henry and Mary (Swayze) Noble came to Jersey County in an early day, having previously freed their slaves. The maternal grand- parents were John and Mary (Branson( Cadwalder, natives of Fulton and Sangamon counties, Ill., respectively. On April 3, 1833, Henry Noble and his wife came to Grafton, Ill., and settled on a farm he had bought, located three-quarters of a mile northwest of Otterville. Henry Noble died on this farm.
Soon after his marriage, Caleb Noble located on a farm east of
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Otterville, and continued to operate it for many years. In the fall of 1865 he was elected associate judge of Jersey County. He and his wife were spared to live together for thirty-two years, having been married in 1858, and he died in 1890. Since his demise, the wid- owed mother and two of her daughters and her son George W. Noble, have lived together. There were ten children born to Caleb Noble and his wife, namely: C. W., who lives in Otter Creek Township; George W .; Mary, who is Mrs. C. C. Calhoun, of Otter Creek Town- ship; Olivia, who is Mrs. John Lurton, of Fargo, N. D .; Addie F., who is living with her mother; F. H., who is living in California; Jay M., who lives in Otter Creek Township; Clark, who lives at Portland, Ore .; Ruth, who is living with her mother; and Lillie, who died in child- hood.
George W. Noble attended the primary school founded by Dr. Silas Hamilton at Otterville. When his father died he received ninety acres of land as his share of the estate, and he conducts this farm, together with the remaining 260 acres of the homestead. Until 1914 the family lived on the farm, but that year they moved to Jersey- ville, where they have since made their home. Mr. Noble has never married. He belongs to the Otter Creek Methodist Church, which he has served as trustce and steward, and he has also taught in the Sunday school. Politically he is a Democrat, and has served Otter Creek Township for one year as supervisor.
O'DONNELL, Thomas, one of the best examples of self made men Jerscy County affords, is residing just outside the city of Grafton. He was born in Ireland, in April, 1855, and was brought by his mother to the United States when he was but a few years old. The family located first at Camden, Ark., and then spent four years at Texarcana, Ark. Still later Thomas O'Donnell went to Chicago, Ill., where he entered the dry goods business and conducted an establishment of his own, specializing on Irish linens. Subsequently he went on the road, and traveled through Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and Illinois until 1883, when he bought 140 acres of land just outside of Grafton, and conducted it until 1917, when he sold, but still occupies the residence upon the property. While the family was residing in the South, during the Civil War, Mr. O'Donnell's father served three years in the Confederate army.
On July 20, 1880, Mr. O'Donnell was married to Margaret Quinn, who was born in Illinois, November 18, 1861. Her father was a farmer and she has one brother, Anthony Quinn, who lives at Jerseyville, Ill. ; and two sisters, namely : Mrs. Archibald Ely, who lives at Jerseyville ; and Mrs. Martin Timmons, who lives at Kansas City, Mo. The Catholic Church holds Mr. O'Donnell's membership. Politically he is a Demo- crat. A man of industry and thrift he has earned all he possesses through his own unaided exertions, and at the same time firmly es- tablished himself in the respect of his associates and neighbors, by whom he is very highly regarded.
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PAGE, Joseph M., ex-mayor of Jerseyville, editor and proprietor of the Jersey County Democrat, and one of the most patriotic and representative men of this section of the state, was born at Stoughton, Mass., May 20, 1845. He was unfortunate enough to lose his father when he was but three years old, but was reared carefully by his widowed mother, who saw to it that he attended the public schools until he was sixteen years old. Although but a mere lad at the out- break of the Civil War, his patriotism was so great that he endeavored to serve his country, and tried to enlist in the Twelfth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry and then in the Thirty-fifth Massachusetts Volun- teer Infantry, but was refused by both organizations. At the age of eighteen he came west to Illinois, and obtained employment on a farm in the vicinity of Greenville, Bond County, leaving this work later on to go to St. Louis, Mo., where he engaged with a wholesale grocery establishment. Once more he offered his services to his country, and they were accepted in August, 1864, and he became a member of the Fortieth Missouri Volunteer Infantry, and remained in the army until his honorable discharge in August, 1865, after the war had ended. He was twice promoted, to corporal and sergeant.
During the spring of 1866, Mr. Page came to Jerseyville, having at that time just a quarter, "two bits," as his capital, but he im- mediately apprenticed himself to the carpenter trade. For the first six months his instructor was William Embley, who then turned his young apprentice over to N. F. (Nick) Smith, receiving from the latter $15 per week for his services, although he only paid the young man $2 per week for two and one half years. So faithful and efficient did Mr. Page prove, however, that when the apprenticeship was ended, Mr. Smith hired him at $18 per week, and made him his foreman. Until 1877 Mr. Page continued to work at his trade, but in that year he was elected city marshal because of the great labor strike filling the city of Jerseyville with foreign tramps and held that office for three years, resigning in October, 1880, upon his purchase of the Jersey County Democrat, of which he still continues owner and editor. Fur- ther political honors awaited him, for in 1887, he was elected mayor of Jerseyville, and was re-elected to that office three times, and had he followed the wishes of the people he would have continued in that office for a much longer period. While occupying the office, a City Hall was built, the waterworks and electric light system inaugurated and completed, and when he returned to private life, he organized the Jerseyville Telephone Company. In 1912 he was again elected mayor and in two years put in $100,000 of vitrified brick paving and extended the water mains one mile and the sewers two miles. At present Mr. Page is master-in-chancery of the Circuit Court, having held that office for thirty-three years, and he is otherwise identified with Jersey County enterprises. In 1897 he organized the Cold Spring Gold Mining and Tunnel Company of Denver Colo., which owns 420 acres of valuable mining land, and has a paid up capital of
HISTORY OF JERSEY COUNTY 603
$2,500,000. The mine is located in Boulder County, Colo., and he is secretary and manager of the company.
On March 26, 1871, Mr. Page was married to Miss Sadie M. Remer, a daughter of Abram Remer of Jerseyville. Mr. and Mrs. Page have one son, Theodore H., who is a physician and surgeon in active prac- tice in Peoria, Ill., and now a captain in the U. S. Medical Reserve Corps, at Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. Mr. Page was secretary of the Illinois Press Association, for twenty-four years and afterwards president and corresponding secretary of the National Editorial Association for fifteen years. He is now a member of the State Highway Advisory Board of five, that will control the $60,000,000 bond issue; county chairman of the State Council of Defense and County Food Adminis- trator, these offices being honorary without salary.
PEARCE, Gilbert Ray, who is a general farmer and dairyman of Jersey Township, owns eighty acres, and farms it and additional land. He was born in Fidelity Township, May 19, 1897, a son of Gilbert Drew and Hattie S. (Miller) Pearce, natives of England and Macoupin County, Ill., respectively. Gilbert Drew Pearce came to Jersey County when he was eighteen years old and began farming. After his marriage, he located on a farm in Fidelity Township, which he conducted for several years and then bought eighty acres in Jersey Township, living upon it until 1908, when he moved to Jerseyville, where he lived in re- tirement until his death, which occurred in February, 1911. His widow survives and makes her home at Jerseyville. Their children were as follows: Grover P., who lives in Fidelity Township; Gilbert Ray ; Wylmot S., who lives with his mother ; and Marion D., who is also living with his mother.
After attending the grammar and high schools of his locality, Gilbert Ray Pearce, at the age of twenty years, went into a butchering busi- ness at Shipman, Ill., but a year later went to Oakland, Cal., and worked there and at Los Angeles for a year at lumbering. Still later, he returned to Shipman, Ill., and for the subsequent two years was en- gaged in a real estate business, and then took possession of the eighty- acre farm in Jersey Township, owned by his father, and since then has carried on general farming and dairying.
On October 9, 1912, Mr. Pearce was married to Hattie Irene Boswell, born in Hillyard Township, Macoupin County, Ill., February 26, 1888, a daughter of John M. and Hannah M. (Smith) Boswell, natives of England and Bunker Hill, Ill., respectively. Mr. and Mrs. Pearce have two daughters, namely : Pauline Margaret, who was born May 17, 1914 ; and Harriet Vivian, who was born March 28, 1916. Mrs. Pearce is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics Mr. Pearce is a Republican. Fraternally he is a Mason, being connected with the lodge at Shipman, Ill. He is a man of enterprise and experience, and is making a success of his present undertakings.
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PIGGOTT, Andrew Begole, now deceased, was for a number of years prominently identified with the agricultural interests of Jer- sey County, owning and operating a valuable farm in Jersey Town- ship of 160 acres. He was born in St. Clair County, Ill., July 6, 1856, a son of Levi and Mary (Begole) Piggott. Andrew B. Piggott attended the district schools of his native locality, and came to Jersey County in young manhood, to join his parents who had bought a farm in Fidelity Township, remaining with them, until he was married, May 15, 1889, to Elizabeth J. McCollister, born in Fidelity Township, May 9, 1862, a daughter of Isaac and Sylvia (North) Mc- Collister, he born in Lewis County, N. Y., and she on Apple Creek Prairie, near White Hall, Ill. Mrs. Piggott's grandparents were John and Mary (Fay) McCollister, and Asahel and Prudence (Swallow) North, who were all early settlers of Greene County, Ill. Mr. and Mrs. McCollister, parents of Mrs. Piggott, were married near White Hall, Ill., and settled in Rugle Township, Greene County, from whence ten years later they moved to Fidelity Township, where they bought a farm. She died there March 6, 1880, and he died December 4, 1900.
After his own marriage, Mr. Piggott rented the Piggott homestead in Fidelity Township until 1891, when he moved to 120 acres of im- proved land in Jersey Township, part of Isaac McCollister's estate. Here he made many improvements, including the erection of a resi- dence and barns, and developed a very valuable property. After his death, June 15, 1905, his widow and the children moved to Jer- seyville, renting the farm, but in the spring of 1917 they returned to it and the sons are operating it, doing general farming and stock- raising. Mr. and Mrs. Piggott had the following children born to them: Homer C., born June 16, 1891, who died at the age of twenty- four years; Mary, born November 17, 1892; Charles, born June 27, 1894; Leslie, born November 4, 1895, who are all at home; Mabel, who died in infancy, December 25, 1899; and Raymond, who is also at home, was born November 20, 1902. Mary, Charles and Leslie were all graduated from the Jerseyville High school, and were given a business training as well. Mrs. Piggott attended the public schools and went to the high school for one year. She is a member of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church, but her husband belonged to the Baptist Church. In politics he was a Republican and he belonged to the Grange.
POGUE, Harrison Warren. Jersey County not only has some very distinguished men at present living within its confines, but the list of those who have assisted in making its history, shows that there have been equally prominent ones in the past, among whom must be num- bered the late Judge Harrison Warren Pogue. Mr. Pogue was born in 1861, a son of William H. and Mary A. (Warren) Pogue. Attending the Jerseyville schools, he was graduated from its high school in 1882. Deciding upon a legal career, he began reading law in the office of Warren & Pogue in the fall of 1882, and having passed the neces-
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sary examinations, he was admitted to the bar at the May term of the Supreme court in 1886. Immediately thereafter he entered upon a general practice, which extended over Jersey and surrounding counties. His offices were in the same building his grandfather, Judge George E. Warren and his father, Judge William H. Pogue occupicd, and he lived up to the high standards set by these distinguished attorneys.
Judge Harrison Warren Pogue early displayed those qualities which later so eminently fitted him for the discharge of public duties, and recognition of his ability was shown in his election to the office of state's attorney at a special election held in 1887, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of A. A. Goodrich upon his election to the office of county judge upon the death of William H. Pogue, September 21, 1887, who was then the county judge. So ably did Judge Pogue serve in this capacity, that he was re-elected twice, going out of office in December, 1896. In 1910 he was elected county judge of Jersey County, and held that office until 1916. His death occurred November 21, 1916.
Judge Pogue was married in 1892 to Maude Knapp, and they be- came the parents of one daughter, Elenor Pogue.
POHLMAN, William J., manager of the telephone system of Graf- ton, and one of the reliable men of Jersey County, is held in high es- teem by all who know him. He was born in Calhoun County, Ill., March 27, 1885, a son of Barney and Ida (Seiferman) Pohlman, the latter of whom was born in Calhonn County. These parents had the following children : Katie. Rosc, Herman, Mary, Frank, Joseph, Stanis- laus and William J. The family belongs to St. Mary's Catholic Church, and the father is a Democrat. He is engaged in operating his farm in Calhoun County.
Until he was thirteen years old, William J. Pohlman attended St. Joseph's Catholic School, and then commenced farming. Ile married Miss Mary Fortschnieder, who was born in Calhoun County, and they had the following children born to them: Gertrude, Bernhard, and George William, the latter being deceased. After his marriage, Mr. Pohlman was engaged in the retail liquor business at Brussels. Ill., closing it out to go on the police force, where he continued for two ycars. Leaving Brussels, he came to Grafton and assumed charge of the telephone system. He has 145 subscribers, and handles long dis- tance and country calls, and has both the Bell and Kinlock systems. In politics Mr. Pohlman is a Democrat, and was elected to the council from the First Ward in 1916. The Catholic Church holds his mem- bership. A man of progressive ideas, he has forged ahead, and is giv- ing the people of Grafton and vicinity a very effective service, and his valuc to his community is unquestioned.
POST, Caleb Alanson, now deceased, was for many years a capable agriculturist of Jersey County, and during his latter days a resident of Jerseyville. He was born in Jersey County, Ill., November 24, 1834,
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a son of James and Ardelia (Whitford) Post, natives of Vermont, who came to Jersey County in 1833, settling on the farm where their son Caleb A. grew to manhood.
During his boyhood Caleb A. Post attended the district schools, and he made himself useful assisting his father. Later he attended an east- ern college. Marrying early, he located on a farm in Jersey County, but some years later traded it for 180 aeres of land in Macoupin Coun- ty. In four years he returned to Jersey County. At one time he owned 650 aeres in Nebraska, and 280 acres three miles northeast of Jersey- ville, but in 1903 he sold the latter farm and bought three acres of land in the northeastern part of Jerseyville, where he resided until death claimed him October 15, 1908.
Mr. Post was four times married. His first wife died within six weeks of her marriage, and he later was married to Mary Norris and they had seven children, five of whom survive. After her death, he was married to Mrs. Maggie (Murray) Murphy, and they had five children, four of whom survive. The third Mrs. Post dying, Mr. Post was married on September 9, 1894, to Mrs. Mattie A. (Springate) (Benson) Young. She was born in Jersey County, Ill., a daughter of Arthur M. and Caroline (Davis) Springate, natives of Jersey County. Mrs. Post was first married to Robert A. Benson and they had two children, namely: Clara E., who is Mrs. Fred L. Brooks, of Jersey Township; and Robert A., who lives with his mother. After the death of Mr. Benson, Mrs. Benson was married to James A. Young, but they had no issue. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Post spent many happy years together, and she greatly misses the companionship of the kindly man taken from her by death. He was a Mason, a Baptist and a Republican.
POWELL, John, one of the respeeted retired residents of Jersey- ville, has borne an important part in the life of the county. He was born in Hamilton County, Ohio, February 15, 1836, a son of John J. and Doreas (Rigney) Powell, natives of Berkley County, Va., and Barnesville, Md., respectively. During the War of 1812, John J. Powell served his eountry as a soldier, and was at Washington at the time it was partially destroyed by fire by the enemy. In 1828 John J. Powell was married to Hattie Clark, who bore him five children. She died in Virginia, and he later moved to the present site of Miami, Ohio, where he was married (seeond) to Doreas Rigney In the spring of 1836 he moved to Jersey County, Ill., where he bought land north of Fieldon and there he ereeted a grist-mill. His death occurred February 18, 1864, he having been born in 1771. The mother died at Los Angeles, Cal., in 1898.
In 1852 John Powell moved to what is now Fort Buford, Mont., going in a train of 380 wagons. He was engaged in teaming in Mon- tana for two seasons, and then returned to Jersey County by ox-teams, arriving December 23, 1854. For a time he was engaged in farming and then went to steamboating on the Mississippi, thence to Missouri
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and back to Illinois, studying river navigation. In November, 1861, he enlisted in Company G, Sixty-first Illinois Volunteer Infantry under General Prentiss for service during the Civil War, and participated in the battles of Shiloh, Corinth, Davis Bridge and luka, and was at Vicksburg during the siege of that city. Following the capitulation of Vicksburg, he was transferred to General Steele's division, and as- sisted in capturing Little Rock, Ark. ; was in the engagement at Arka- delphia, Ark. where the division built a pontoon bridge across Cow's Horn Bend. Returning to Little Rock, his regiment was sent thence to Clairington, Ark., where they had an engagement and a gunboat was burned, and the command returned to Little Rock, and was then sent to Cairo, Ill. Going on to St. Louis, the command was sent to Alton, Ill., and thence to Nashville, Tenn., and then to Murpheysboro and Franklin. During this period Mr. Powell received his commission as second lieutenant, and with forty men was sent to Overall Creek, where he captured some of the enemy, but was wounded by a gunshot in the right arm. On September 8, 1865, he received his honorable discharge at Nashville, Tenn., and was mustered out of the service at Springfield, Ill., September 8, 1865. Returning to Fieldon, he worked as a carpenter for a time and also at coopering, his employers in the latter being John and Henry Belt. Leaving Jersey County, he went on a 280 acre farm in Greene County, where his first wife died in 1870. Mr. Powell in 1872 went to New Orleans, La., to help build the Great Northern Railroad to run through Texas and Old Mexico, but in 1884 he returned to Jerseyville, and later went to Pasadena, Cal., where he built a hotel, when once more he returned to Jerseyville where he lias since lived.
On September 28, 1857, Mr. Powell was married to Harriet Varble, born in Greene County, Ill., a daughter of William and Matilda Varble, natives of Kentucky. Mr. and Mrs. Powell had the following children : John J., who is deceased; William, who lives at Marked Tree, Ark .; Jerome B., who died in infancy ; and George and Asa, who are also de- ceased. Mr. Powell was married (second) to Anna E. Patterson Snow, widow of Samuel Snow. For four years Mr. Powell served Jerseyville as constable, and he was city marshal for four years and alderman for one term, being elected to all these offices on the Democratic ticket. In 1870 he joined Kane Lodge No. 192, A. F. & A. M., and he also be- longs to the Grand Army Post.
POWEL, Joseph Samuel, now deceased, formerly of Jerseyville, was successfully engaged in agricultural operations in Jersey County for a number of years. He was born in Hawkins County, Tenn., August 27, 1847, a son of Oliver Perry and Sarah E. (Russell) Powel, natives of Tennessee. In 1848 they started with teams to Jersey County, the grandparents, Samuel and Margaret Powel and Joseph and Margaret Russell, coming along. The men rode on horseback, and the women and children were in the wagons. Upon their arrival they took up government land in Jersey County and grandfather Russell also en-
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