History of Logan County, Illinois, Part 60

Author: Inter-State Publishing Co.
Publication date: 1886
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 989

USA > Illinois > Logan County > History of Logan County, Illinois > Part 60

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

George Layman, who is one of the prominent citizens and rep- resentative farmers of Chester Township, is the son of Henry and Elizabeth (Kretzinger) Layman, who settled in this township in 1866. The parents were natives of Virginia and of German de- scent, the father born in 1801. They were roared and married in their native State, and in 1836 removed to Union County, Ohio, where Mr. Layman cleared and improved a timbered farm, living there seven years. He then sold out and came to Illinois, locating near Palestine, but the following year he removed to Parke County, Indiana. In 1846 the family returned to Illinois, locating in Mason County, where Mr. Layman purchased an unimproved farm, which was the home of the family about twenty years. Henry Layman came to Logan County in 1866, and with his sons, Samuel and George, bought a tract of about 600 acres of land. The father made the homestead on the northeast quarter of section 15, where he lived till his death, in 1868, and where his widow still resides. Henry Layman and wife had a family of nine children, of whom five sons and two daughters are living. Two daughters are de- ceased. Samuel, the eldest son, lives near Salem, Oregon; Isaac and Lewis live in Champaign County, Illinois. George Layman, the second son, was born in Shenandoah County, Virginia, July

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26, 1835. May 30, 1861, he was married to Elizabeth Plaster who was born and reared in Illinois, the date of her birth being No- vember 5, 1843. Her parents, Thomas and Elizabeth Plaster, were early settlers of Illinois, and are now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. George Layman have three children-Mary, wife of Charles Blackburn; George Edgar, lost his sight in May, 1884; and Lewis Wolf. George Layman has a fine farm on section 14, Chester Township, containing 320 acres, where he resides. His farm shows good care and is under fine cultivation, and his residence and farm buildings are noticeably good. His land when he first located here, in 1866, was wild prairie land. Andrew, the youngest son of Henry Layman, resides on the northwest quarter of section 14. The two surviving daughters of Henry Layman are-Delilah, who lives at the homestead, and Mary, wife of William Young, living in Champaign County, Illinois.

William Matthews, of Chester Township, is one of the pioneers of Logan County. He was born in Pike County, Ohio, in 1810, a son of Thomas Matthews, who immigrated to Pike County from Pennsylvania in a very early day. William Matthews was reared in Pike County, and there married, January 13, 1836, Mary Wil- day, whose parents were also early settlers of Ohio, coming from Delaware. Our subject came to Illinois with his wife and child in 1838. They came with the family of Mr. Matthews, and what household effects they had they brought with them in a wagon drawn by three yoke of oxen. They accomplished the journey, a distance of 430 miles, in seventeen days, and on arriving here William Matthews bought a quarter-section of land on section 31, this township, paying therefor the sum of $9 per acre. About fifty acres had been broken, and a small log house had been built. He leased this place for one year, and went to Morgan County, where he rented a farm for one year. In March, 1839, he re- turned to his farm in Chester Township, on which he has lived for forty-seven years. But comparatively few who now live in Chester Township were here when Mr. Matthews came. Time, with the inevitable changes which it brings, has done its work, and soon none will be left to tell the story of the (trials and hardships of those hardy pioneers of Logan County. Mr. Matthews lost his- wife, who had been a helpmeet to him for so many years, February 23, 1880. They had eleven children born to them, of whom five are living. The children are as follows-Alonzo accidentally shot himself when in his seventeenth year; Francis Newton died, aged

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about twenty-three years; Jeremiah and Josiah (twins), the former living in Mount Pulaski and the latter deceased; Arvilla and Pru- cilla (twins), the former married William Boggs, and died several years ago, and the latter is the wife of Dr. Thomas Primm, of Lincoln; Allen G. Thurman died in his twenty-first year; Jerusha, wife of Edmund Linch, of Lincoln; Mary Ann and an infant, de- ceased (twins), the former the wife of Thomas B. Piatt, is living with her husband on the homestead; William L., born December 4, 1853, is at home. Mr. Matthews and wife became connected with the Christian church early in life, and have always been con- sistent members of that denomination. Mr. Matthews' father died in Ohio, and his mother came with an elder brother, Thomas Matthews, to Illinois in 1839. The latter was a deaf mute. A married daughter, Mrs. Jane Matthews, wife of Thomas D. Mat- thews, also came with her mother. The latter lived but a short time after coming to Illinois, dying in the spring of 1840. Thomas B. Piatt, mentioned as the husband of Mary Ann Matthews, was born in 1852 in Champaign County, Ohio. He was reared a farmer, but began teaching school at the age of twenty years, and has since followed that profession during most of the winter terms. He was married in 1876, and he and his wife have two children-Olletha and Nellie M. Mr. Piatt's parents, John and Mary Piatt, immi- grated to De Witt County in 1854, where they still reside.

John Maurer has been a resident of Chester Township, Logan County, since 1869, when he located on his present farm on section 21. He was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, in 1830, a son of Christain Maurer, who died in 1881. His mother died in April, 1868. He learned the trade of a stone-mason and architect in Ger- many, and in 1848, when but eighteen years of age, he came to America. He first located in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, where he worked on a farm by the month for about one year, after which he worked land on shares, remaining in Ohio till 1858. He then came to Mason County, Illinois, and bought a partially improved farm containing 160 acres, living there till he came to Logan County in 1869. Here he bought 320 acres on section 21, to which he has recently added till his farm consists of 570 acres. Mr. Maurer came to this country a poor boy, but in all his undertak- ings he has been successful, and all he possesses he has acquired by his own exertions. He is one of the largest and most successful farmers of Chester Township. He was married in Ohio to Kath- erine Seklen, a native of Wurtemberg, Germany, and they have a

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family of five children-Christian, married and living in this town- ship; George, also married and living in this township; Fred, Jacob and Henry, living at home. Of our subject's father's family he and his sister Christena are the only survivors. The latter is living in Germany. Mr. Maurer has charge of the Chestervale station, near his residence, and is also engaged in buying and shipping grain at this point. In national politics he affiliates with the Democratic party, but in local politics he votes for the best man, regardless of party ties. He is at present serving his fourth term as highway commissioner, and is also school treasurer of his township, which position he has held several years.

James Primm, deceased, was born in St. Clair County, Illinois, in 1809. His father was Thomas Primm, and his grandfather, a native of the State of Virginia, was one of the pioneers of Illinois. James Primm came to Logan County in 1835, and was married in 1839 to Miss Maria Russell, born in Londoun County, Virginia, in 1818. Her parents, William and Nancy Russell, came at a very early day to what is now Logan County, but then was a part of Sanga- mon County. Mr. Russell afterward settled near Lincoln, where he died in 1858. He was born in 1784. His wife, born in 1791, died in 1861. Mr. and Mrs. Russell had eight children, of whom only two are living-John Russell and Mrs. Primm. Mr. Primm kept the first store at Postville, and was well known as one of the prominent early settlers of Logan County. In 1865 he settled on a farm in Chester Township, which he inade a beautiful place. Here he resided till his death, which occurred in 1872. His wife still owns and occupies the homestead. Mr. and Mrs. Primm had nine children, four of whom are living-Edward J., born at Post- ville in 1846, lives on the homestead; John, born in 1848; William R., born in 1850, and Ruth, born in 1853. The deceased children are-James M., Robert M., Thomas F., Mary E. and Nancy.

Charles Richey was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, about 1830. His parents, James and Ann Richey, were also born in the same county, where they resided until their death. There were eight children in the family, all of whom are deceased except Charles and James, who is still in Ireland. Two brothers, John and Da- vid, came to this country, and died in Pike County, Illinois. At the age of eighteen years Charles Richey came to America, set- tling in Pike County, Illinois, June 23, 1853, where his brothers were living. Here he lived three years, coming to Chester Township in 1856, where he has ever since resided, with the exception of one

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year spent in Ætna Township. He purchased his present farm in 1873 from William Taylor. The first improvements on the place were made by Baker Pegram, all except twenty-five acres being broken when purchased by Mr. Richey. In 1882 be built a fine residence, at a cost of $2,500. His buildings are all good, and he has tiled such portions of his farm as required it. He also owns an improved farm of 240 acres in AEtna Township, on which, in 1884, he expended for tiling and labor for laying the same about $800. In September, 1861, Mr. Richey was married to Mary Babcock, born in Orange County, New York. Her par- ents, George and Jane Babcock, were natives of the State of New York, and resided there until their death. Mr. Richey has re- sided in Logan County since August 20, 1859. Of the nine chil- dren born to Mr. and Mrs. Richey seven are now living-Annie May, James Harrison, Hattie Luella, Junietta, Eugene Homer, Minnie Maud, and Beulah Elizabeth. Two sons, Charles and William, died in infancy. Both Mr. and Mrs. Richey are members of the Methodist Episcopal church of Chester Township. Politi- cally Mr. Richey is a Republican.

Martin Spitly, one of the early settlers of Postville and Lin- coln, is a native of Bavaria, Germany, born in 1818. When he was twelve years old his father, Johannes Spitly, died, leaving his mother with eleven children-two sons and nine daughters. Martin was the eldest of the two boys, and on him devolved the responsibility of the care of the family, a duty which he faithfully performed. He lived at home until thirty years of age, when, the family having grown to maturity, he resolved to start in life for himself. He accordingly, in 1850, started for America, and in April of that year landed in New York. He at once came to Mil- waukee, Wisconsin, and engaged to work on the steamer May- flower. In the fall of the same year he came to Logan County, where he worked on a farm near Middletown, receiving $10 per month. In the fall of 1851 he located in Postville, where he car- ried on the hotel and livery business, and at Lincoln for the fol- lowing seventeen years, with the exception of two-years residence at Mt. Pulaski. In 1858 he rebuilt the Foster House at Lincoln, changing its name to the Spitly House, which name it still bears. In 1877 Mr. Spitly exchanged his hotel property in Lincoln for 3.000 acres of land in Colfax County, Nebraska, on which he laid out a town which was called Spitly. It is now a railroad station, situated on the Union Pacific Railway. Mr. Spitly has a pleasant

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home on section 5, Chester Township, Logan County, adjoining the agricultural fair grounds, where he has resided since 1878. He has long been one of the prominent citizens of Lincoln, and was one of the organizers of the Logan County Agricultural So- ciety, with which he has been connected as a stockholder since its organization. Mr. Spitly was married at St. Louis in 1854 to Bur- bena Frank, a native of Bavaria, Germany. They have three children-Louis, in Los Angeles, California; Charles, married to Jane Blick, and Mary, now Mrs. Resch, of Springfield, Illinois.

Richard H. Templeman was born near Fredericksburg, Vir- ginia, April 20, 1833. He was left an orphan at the early age of nine years and received only such education as was afforded by the district school. In 1842 he went to Baltimore and in 1844 to Pickaway County, Ohio, coming to Logan County, Illinois, in 1853. In March, 1859, he went to Pike's Peak, but being able to earn only fair wages at gulch mining, he returned to Illinois the following October, having when he reached home only 25 cents with which to begin anew the battle of life. The following winter he taught school in the Laughrey district, two miles north of Mt. Pulaski, and the next year began farming, which he has since followed. He is now one of the most prosperous farmers in the county, owning nearly 300 acres of finely improved land, a fine brick dwelling, and substantial farm buildings. Since 1884 he has devoted his attention to stock-raising and has sowed his farin all to grass (a new departure in Logan County), and is meet- ing with good success in his new enterprise. Mr. Templeman has been a member of the Board of Supervisors eight years, and in 1882 was elected to the Legislature and re-elected in 1884, serving with much credit and to the greatest satisfaction of his constitu- ents. He is a liberal, benevolent citizen, dispensing his charity unostentatiously, but freely. His home is the abode of hospital- ity, and friends receive a hearty welcome, and the stranger who chances to tarry there is made to feel at home. He in an honora- ble, upright man in every sense of the word, and never betrayed a trust nor was ever illured from the path of strictest integrity to advance his own personal gain or ambition. In politics he is an uncompromising Democrat. Mr. Templeman was married Novem- ber 26, 1857, to Mary Shoup, a native of Pickaway County, Ohio, born January 16, 1835. Six children have been born to them- Etha Ellen, born August 5, 1858; Flora C., July 17, 1860; John Milton, August 25, 1862; Emma Alice, September 8, 1864; Mary

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Etta, October 8, 1868 ; Edith, June 15, 1875. Three have been taken from their homes to the home above-Etha Ellen, September 8, 1860; Edith, June 15, 1879, and Flora C., June 15, 1885.

David C. Turley, residing on section 13, Chester Township, is a son of Charles Turley, formerly a resident of Logan County, but now of Sangamon County, Illinois. Charles Turley was born in Montgomery County, Kentucky, December 11, 1822, and in 1823 his father, Charles Turley, immigrated with his family to Logan County, and settled in Elkhart Township, they being among the earliest pioneer families in this part of Illinois. Charles Turley, Jr., was reared to manhood in Elkhart Township, and in 1842 married Louisa England, who was born in Sangamon County. They had a family of eleven children of whom five sons and four daughters are living-Sanford, residing at Belle Plain, Sumner County, Kansas, is engaged in farming and the music trade; Mrs. Maggie Maxwell lives in Lincoln; David C., our subject; Amanda, wife of John B. Taylor, of Williamsville, Sangamon County ; Susan, wife of Doctor Mcclellan, of Williamsville ; James P., a farmer of Sangamon County; Marshall, engaged in farming in the same county ; General Mead, named after the noted Union leader of that name, resides near Belle Plains, Kansas, and Ina May, at home. Josephine and an infant daughter unnamed are deceased. Charles Turley, Jr., removed to Sangamon County about 1855, and is now living near Williamsville. David C. Turley, whose name stands at the head of this sketch, is a native of Elkhart Township, Logan County, born June 16, 1850, and is the only son of Charles Turley now living in this county. He was married November 26, 1873, to Elva L. Oltz, born December 25, 1855, in Tompkins County, New York, a daughter of Solomon and Maria Oltz, her father dying when she was but four years of age. In 1864 she came with her mother to Logan County, Illinois, and settled in Lincoln where Mrs. Oltz married William Horton and subse- quently removed to Fresno County, California. Mrs. Turley has an elder sister, Celia, who married in New York State, Myron Lynde, and came to Logan County several years after her mother. Mr. Lynde died in Clinton, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. David C. Tur- ley have two children both deceased-Maud Inez, died aged eleven months, and Charles LeRoy, died aged six weeks.

Joseph C. Webster, deceased, was born in Miami County, Ohio, and was, in a great measure, a self-educated man and in his younger life was a very successful teacher for many years. He came to Logan

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County, Illinois, in 1851, and was the first mayor of Lincoln. He was clerk of the Circuit Court for two terms, master in chancery a number of years, and for four or five years editor of the Herald in Lincoln. He was an active member of the Masonic and Odd Fellows fraternities of Lincoln, and of the Baptist church. He died on his farm in Chester Township in March, 1873. His first wife, Mary Ayres, daughter of Darius Ayres, died leaving fonr children-John D., Sarah J., Hiram W. (deceased), and Mary E. By his second marriage, with Christine C. Warner, who survives him, there were five children-Elmer L., Estelle M., Alice L., Hat- tie E. (deceased), and Joseph C. Mr. Webster is one of the distin- guished men of the county, whose memory is cherished by a loving family and the many friends who knew him.

Fred Wilmert was born in Waldach, Germany, in 1837, a son of Peter and Kate Wilmert. He was reared in his native country, and at the age of twenty years he came to America. An elder brother, Jacob Wilmert, had preceded him and was then living in Mason County, but later settled in East Lincoln Township, Logan County, where he died in October, 1884. Our subject worked for his brother in Mason County about one year and a half, when he began working on his own account. He commenced life a poor boy but, owing to his industry and economy, combined with good management, he is to-day classed among the successful farmers of Chester Township. He has been a resident of Logan County since 1864, and since 1871 he has lived on his present farm in this town- ship. His residence is on section 19, and his tine farm, which con- tains about 477 acres, is situated on sections 19 and 20. Mr. Wilmert was married in Lincoln County, Illinois, to Elizabeth Ambrust, a native of Bavaria, Germany. They are the parents of eight children-Christina, Molly, Katie, Rosa, Lizzie, Lonisa, Fred and Jacob. In 1882 our subject's father, with another son, came to America, where he died four months after landing at New York. Mrs. Peter Wilmert died in Germany many years after our subject came to America. All their children live in America except one daughter, who still lives in Germany.

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CHAPTER XXI.

CORWIN TOWNSHIP.

GEOGRAPHY .- LIST OF TOWNSHIP OFFICERS .-- STATISTICS .- POLITI- CAL .- MIDDLETOWN .- EARLY HISTORY .- BUSINESS .- ODD FELLOWS ORDER .- CHURCHES .- BIOGRAPHICAL.

- Corwin is bounded on the north by Sheridan Township, on the east by Broadwell, on the south by Hurlbut Township and Menard County, and on the west by Menard and Mason counties. It is the only township in Logan County not touched by a railroad. In size it lacks three sections of being a full congressional township. Salt Creek and its tributaries drain the township, through the middle of which the Salt flows.

LIST OF TOWNSHIP OFFICERS.

Corwin was first organized under the name of Middletown, which name was dropped a year or two later. The officers who have been elected each year since 1867, the date of Middletown's organiza- tion, with the exception of 1868 and 1871, have been as follows:

1867-Supervisor, Daniel G. Evans; Clerk, Joshua A. Gauer; Assessor, John T. Bryan; Collector, William C. McMasters; High- way Commissioners, John Stollard, Jacob Isonhart and Alfred S. Jackson; Justices, J. W. Barnard and G. G. Louke; Constables, Randolph Davis and William Tupperman.

1869-Supervisor, Joseph N. Jenkins; Clerk, James A. Glenn; Assessor, John T. Bryan; Collector, John Isonhart; Highway Commissioner, William Squires; Justice, J. O. Gaver; Constables, John P. Bucknard and Randolph Davis.

1870-Supervisor, Uriah Warren; Clerk, Thomas M. Reed; Assessor, John T. Bryan; Collector, Abel Mecay; Highway Com- missioner, George D. Glenn; Justices, R. A. Rayburn and William B. Brown; Constables, Randolph A. Davis and James R. Flem- ming.

1872-Supervisor, Uriah Warren; Clerk, Thornton Parker; As- sessor, E. Bowman; Collector, J. N. Jenkins; Highway Commis- (645)

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sioner, W. B. Williams; Justice, E. Bowman; Constable, William M. Weaver.

1873-Supervisor, W. B. Williams; Clerk, C. M. Rayburn; Assessor, D. T. Barnett; Collector, J. N. Jenkins; Highway Com- missioner, William Brown; Justices, R. A. Rayburn and Ezekiel Bowman; Constables, Jesse Brown and Joseph Lucas.

1874-Supervisor, W. B. Williams; Clerk, C. M. Rayburn; As- sessor, D. F. Barnett; Collector, Cyrus Snyder; Highway Com- missioner, J. C. Martin; Justice, A. Simmons; Constable, Joseph Flemmings.

.1875-Supervisor, W. B. Williams; Clerk, J. W. D. Hill; Asses- sor, Robert Dunlap; Collector, Cyrus Snyder; Highway Commis- sioner, W. N. Bock; Constable, Daniel Wolf.

1876-Supervisor, Robert Dunlap; Clerk, James W. D. Hill; Assessor, Henry McBride; Collector, Cyrus Snyder; Highway Commissioner, Jerry McMullen; Constable, John Treakle.

1877-Supervisor, W. C. Maull; Clerk, James W. D. Hill; As- sessor, Cyrus Snyder; Collector, James R. Saxton; Highway Com- missioner. Henry McBride; Justices, R. A. Rayburn and Albert Simmons; Constables, Jesse Brown and Washington Wolf.

1878-Supervisor, W. C. Maull; Clerk, C. M. Rayburn; Asses- sor, W. B. Brown; Collector, Robert Dunlap; Highway Commis- sioner, Thomas Davy.

1879-Supervisor, W. C. Manll; Clerk, C. M. Rayburn; Assessor, W. B. Brown; Collector, R. Dunlap; ,Highway Commissioner, Isaac Brown.

1880-Supervisor, W. C. Maull; Clerk, C. M. Rayburn, Assessor, W. B. Brown; Collector, J. R. Saxton; Highway Commissioner, Labon Yader.

1881-Supervisor, James T. Galford; Clerk, C. M. Rayburn; Assessor, W. B. Brown; Collector, J. R. Saxton; Highway Com- missioners, George Warren and H. P. Gaines; Justices, R. A. Rayburn and T. M. Reed; Constables, M. L. Gibbs and James Tarner.

1882 -- Supervisor, James T. Galford; Clerk, John Isonhart; As- sessor, Robert Whiteman; Collector, H. A. Binns; Highway Com- missioner, F. Fulcher.

1883-Supervisor, James T. Galford; Clerk, N. S. Mecay; As- sessor, Robert Whiteman; Collector, Hugh Binns; Highway Com- missioners, William Squires and Scott Stollard.

1884-Supervisor, George H. Warren; Clerk, N. S. Mecsy;

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Assessor, R. S. Whiteman; Collector, Berryman Baughan; High- way Commissioner, August Knecht.

1885-Supervisor, George H. Warren; Clerk, N. S. Mecay; Assessor, Robert S. Whiteman; Collector, William Davey; High- way Commissioner, Ferdinand Fulcher; Justices, Dennis Barrick and John C. Martin; Constables, Lafayette Boyer and Barnett Tyman.

STATISTICS.

Corwin is just holding its own in population, removals to the Western States and Territories being about as numerous as the arrivals and natural increase. In 1870 there were 1,069 inhabit- ants; in 1880, 1,024; in 1885, perhaps 1,050.

The valuation and taxation of property in 1875 are here given for comparison with the figures of 1885, which follow:

1875 .- Equalized valnation, $592,149; State tax, $1,776.44; county tax, $1,184.30; no town tax; school tax, $3,132.09; district road tax, $70.62; road and bridge tax,$829.01; sinking fund tax, $592.15; county bond tax, $769.79; back tax, $46.46; total taxes, $8,400.86.

1885 .- Equalized valuation, $343,051; State tax, $1,249.88; county tax, $2,321.23; road and bridge tax, $2,142.63; county bond interest tax, $464.23; district school tax, $2,670.32; dog tax, $153; back tax, $277.46; total taxes, $9,278.75.

POLITICAL.

The people of Corwin are very evenly divided politically. At first Republican, the township is now Democratic, although the majority is very small. The plurality at each of the last two Pres- idential elections has been but two, out of a total of 230 and 242 votes respectively. Following is the vote for President, 1868-'84:

1868-Ulysses S. Grant .. .120

1880-Winfield S. Hancock.

.116

Horatio Seymour. .103

James A. Garfield.

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History of Logan County, Illinois, Part 60

Author: Inter-State Publishing Co. Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Number of Pages: 989

Author: Inter-State Publishing Co.
Publication date: 1886
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 989