USA > Illinois > Macon County > History of Macon County, Illinois : with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 51
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WILLIAM VAN LEER.
THE Van Leer family on the paternal side, came from Holland. The name was originally Von Lohr. Bernhardus Von Lohr came to America in 1697. He settled in Philadelphia three years after William Penn had found the colony. The descendants from Bernhardus are not numerous. On the maternal side the great- grandmother was of the Wayne family of Chester county, Pennsyl- vania, of which General Anthony Wayne of revolutionary fame was a member. Isaac Wayne Van Leer, the father of the subject of this sketch, is a native of Chester county, Pennsylvania. He mar- ried Phobe Ann Speakman, of Chester county. She is a descendant of a long line of Quaker preachers, running back into the Wayne family. There were seven children born to Isaac W. and Phœbe A. Van Leer, three sons and four daughters. William A. is the fourth in the family. He was born in Chester county, Pennsylva- nia, April 21st, 1834.
He received a good cducation in the common schools of Chester county, and also spent four years in the academies at Fremont and New London Cross-roads in Chester county. After he attained his majority in the spring of 1855, he came west, and settled in Macon county, Illinois. In August 1862 he enlisted in Co. " D." 116th Reg. Ills. Vols. He remained in the service until 1863, when he was discharged on account ofill-health and physical disability. On the 16th of March, 1864, he was united in marriage to Miss Jo- sephine L. Colladay, a native of Philadelphia, but a resident of Macon county at the time of her marriage. Five children living have blessed this union, all of whom are yet beneath the parental roof.
Politically, Mr. Van Leer has always voted the republican ticket. At present he is supervisor of his township. He is one of the representative and leading agriculturists of the county, and enjoys the confidence and respect of all who know him.
DAVID M. ADAMS.
AMONG the prominent farmers of Friend's Creek township stands the name of the subject of this sketch. He is a native of Pennsyl- vania, and was born in Center county, November 8th, 1822. The family are of English ancestry, and are closely related to the Adams family of Massachusetts, two members of which were Presidents of the United States. Alexander, the grandfather of the present sketch, was born in Massachusetts, and was a cousin of John Quincy Adams. He emigrated to Pennsylvania a short time before the revolutionary war, and was a soldier in that memorable strug- gle for independence. He was captured at Chadd's Ford, in one of the battles in Pennsylvania. John his son, and father of D. M. Adams, was born in Center county, Pennsylvania : he remained there until his death, which occurred about the year 1868. During his life he was largely engaged in the iron business, but met with reverses by endorsing and trusting too much to the honesty of would-be friends. John Adams married Nancy Miller ; she was also a native of Pennsylvania, and died in 1843. There were ten children by this marriage-five sons and five daughters. Seven of the children have survived the parents. The subject of this sketch is the second son, and fifth in the family. His advantages for an education in his youth were limited, as it was before the era of free schools in Pennsylvania. He, however, received. the rudiments of an education, to which he has added a valuable store of information by extensive reading and close observation. During his school- days he was the companion and fellow-pupil of Andrew G. Curtin, afterwards the Governor of Pennsylvania, and yet a distinguished citizen of that state. Mr. Adams remained at home until his twenty seventh year, when he started out in life for himself. He first went to Kentucky, but soon after removed to Clinton county, Ohio, where he remained ten years. While there, he engaged in farming and trading in stock, which has been the principal busi- ness of his life since that time. In the month of November, 1862, he came west to Illinois, and settled in section 28, 18-3, Macon county, where he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land and improved it; remaining there until 1875, when he sold out and purchased land in section 26, 18-3, to which he removed, and where at present he still resides. In February, 1860, while yet a resident of Ohio, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary E. Han- kins, a native of the same state. By this union there have been six children, five of whom are living. Their names are: Ada B., William E., Mary E., Helen L., Charlotte M. Frederick, the youngest, died in the third year of his age. Both he and his estimable wife are members of the Christian Church. Politically, he was originally an old-line whig, and cast his first vote for Henry Clay in 1844. He continued a whig until the formation of the republican party, when he joined its ranks. In late years, how- ever, he has been to a certain extent independent, and a believer in the principles and theories of the greenback party. In local and state elections he votes for the best men, regardless of politics ; but in all national elections he has always voted the old-line whig or re- publican ticket. Upon the subject of temperance he is an advocate of its principles, and is a temperate man, but he is not a radical prohibitionist.
His business through life has been that of a farmer and stock-raiser, except the younger part of his life, when he was an assistant of his father in the same business ; but since his resi- dence in the west he has been identified with the agricultural inter- ests of the county.
He started in life unaided, except that he had strong hands and an abundance of energy, and, with the assistance of his excellent wife, he has succeeded in gaining a comfortable competency.
HISTORY OF MACON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
199
*MENTUL
m. Every
Sarah. F. Every
THE Evey family, on both sides, are of German ancestry. Michael Evey, his father, was a native of Maryland. He was a distiller in early life, but subsequently abandoned the business and engaged in farming. He removed to Pennsylvania and remained there until 1854, when he came west to Illinois and settled in Woodford county. He remained there until 1859, after which he made his home with his son, the subject of this sketch. He died on the 23d of April, 1875, while on a visit to his children in Woodford county. He married Lydia Myers. She was also a native of Maryland. She at present resides with her son Michael. There were ten children born to Michael and Lydia Evey, seven of whom are still living-three sons and four daughters. The subject of this sketch, is the fourth in the family. He was born in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, February 19, 1831. He spent his boyhood days in the common schools and at work upon his father's farm. At the age of nineteen years he was indentured as an apprentice to the trade of millwright under James F. Callahan. He served two and a half years, or until he attained his majority. He then worked as a journeyman and continued at his trade in Pennsylva- nia until he came West in the spring of 1855. He first visited his parents in Woodford county ; then went to Springfield, and spent four months working at his trade ; then went to Decatur, and there made his home until after his marriage. In 1856 he purchased land in Hickory Point township and improved it. He remained there until the spring of 1864, when he moved to Decatur town- ship, where he had purchased a saw mill, and operated it until 1867, when he returned to Sec. 32, T. 18, R. 2 E., where he had purchased land some years before. He stayed there until 1870,
when he removed to Salt Creek, and one year later removed to Forsythe and from there to Maroa township, then came to Friend's Creek township to Sec. 8, T. 18, R. 4 E., where he still continues to reside. Farming has not been his sole business since his residence in the West. He worked at his trade until 1865, and since that time at different intervals. On the 27th of April, 1857, he was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Peddecord. She is a native of Ohio. Her parents came to Illinois in 1854, and settled in Clinton, in De Witt county. Mrs. Evey was a resident of the latter place at the time of her marriage. By this union there have been twelve children, nine sons and three daughters; nine of the children are still living. The names of the children are-Lydia Frances, wife of Theodore Ivans; Roxanna, Douglass, Frank P., McClelland, Ella, Charles, Samuel and Ernst Evey. All are yet beneath the parental roof, except Lydia F. Mrs. Evey is a member of the M. E. church.
Politically Mr. Evey is a member of the democratic party. He has never swerved from his allegiance to that political organization since 1852, when he cast his first presidential vote for the nominee of his party, Franklin Pierce. He has been one of the successful men of Macon county. He started poor, but by industry, economy and prudent investments, has succeeded in placing himself and family in comfortable circumstances. He is in his home the most hospitable of men, as the writer of this sketch can and does most heartily testify. Of a pleasant and agreeable address, possessed of a good fund of practical information, he is a man who improves upon long acquaintance, and who bears about him the impress of sincerity, modesty and honesty.
200
HISTORY OF MACON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
ALEXANDER GREENFIELD
WAS born in Ross county, Ohio, December 15th, 1830. His father, James Greenfield, was a native of Maryland. He was taken with his father's family to Ohio while yet in his infancy. He there grew to manhood and remained until 1843, when he moved to Illinois. He made the journey with a four-horse team, carrying his family and household goods. Alexander was then a youth of thirteen years of age. He walked the entire distance and drove the cattle. Mr. Greenfield settled in Macon couuty, at a point known as Mt. Zion. He therc entered forty acres of land, and afterwards pur- chased forty more. There he remained until his death in 1862. He was a miller by trade, but followed the cultivation of the soil after he came to Illinois. He married Sarah Crawford. She was born in Ohio. Her parents were among the early settlers of that state. She died in August, 1861. By this marriage there were eight children, four of whom are still living. The subject of this sketch is the youngest son, and sixth in the family. He remained at home till his twenty-fifth year, when he married. He then bought eighty acres of land in Mt. Zion township and commenced its improvement. Iu October. 1855, he moved to section seven in Friend's Creek township, where he purchased eighty-four acres of partially improved land, and there he has remained till the present time. On the first of January, 1862, he enlisted for three years as a private in Co. "L," 10th Illinois cavalry, Col. Wickersham commanding. He was mustered out and honorably discharged in 1865, when the time of his enlistment had expired. The regiment to which he belonged was attached to Blount's division under Gen. Fremont, and afterward was a part of Gen. Curtis' command Mr Greenfield went through the war without any serious mishaps or wounds, except at the battle of Yellville, in Arkansas, where in the charge he had two ribs broken by being thrown from his horse. At the close of his army life he returned home and re-engaged in farming. On the fourteenth of February, 1851, he was united in marriage to Miss Eliza Butz, youngest daughter of Jacob and Mary Butz. She was born in Northampton county, Pennsylvania. Her father died while she was in her infancy. Her mother removed her family to Ohio in 1846, and in 1849 came to Illinois and settled in Mt. Zion township, Macon county. She died in 1852. There have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Greenfield eight children, six of whom are living. Their names are James, Jesse, Orphia, Charles, Martha, Mary, and Bertha Greenfield. Politically Mr. Greenfield is a democrat. His first vote was cast for Franklin Pierce, in 1852. From that time to the present he has not wavered nor departed from the principles as euunciated iu the platforms of his party. He may be regarded as one of the old settlers of the state. He has been a resident of the county for nearly forty years, and has seen the state grow from a comparative wilderness to the position of the third in the Union. Mr. Greenfield is a mau who, like the larger portion of the old settlers of the state, is very sociable and hospita- ble. He bears a most excellent reputation among his neighbors and friends
SAMUEL SWINEHART.
THE Swinehart family is of German ancestry. Jacob Swinehart, father of Samuel, was born in Pennsylvania, but removed with his father's family to Ohio, at an early age, and was among the first settlers of that state. He is still living in Licking county. He was in his youth and manhood a man of great physical strength and powers of endurance; and surpassed most men in feats of strengtlı. His principal business in life was leasing timber land and clearing it up. That occupation called for vigorous health,
activity, and great industry. It eventually broke him down, and shattered his powerful constitution. He married Lucinda Vulga- mott. She was born in Ohio, where she still lives. Her parents were of German descent, and were natives of Pennsylvania There were ten children in the family, nine of whom are still living ; four boys and five girls. The subject of this sketch is the eldest in the family ; and was born on the ninth of March, 1833. He remained at home assisting his father until he was in his twenty-fourth year. His chances for obtaining an education were limited, as his father demanded all his time. On the twelfth of February, 1856, he came west and stopped iu Sangamon county, Illinois, five miles west of Springfield, and worked on a farm; remaining there until November 18, 1858, when he started for California. It had been the dream of his youth to go to the " golden state," and there make his fortune. The time had now come to put this resolve into execution. He went to New York and embarked on board a ves- sel, and went to Cuba, from there to the Isthmus and then to Cali- fornia. From San Francisco he went to Sacramento, and up the valley to Yreka, where he went into the mines, and stayed three years. From there he went to the Salmon river mines; six months later he went to Boise city in Idaho territory, and remained five years, engaged principally in miniug. On the twenty-seventh of June, 1866, he left the western country, and returned home, coming by the way of Des Moines, Iowa. He went to Philadelphia and got his gold-dust coined; then returned to Iowa. got his team and went to Toulon, Ilinois; then he returned home to Ohio. After spending the winter at home he came to Illinois in April, the fol- lowing year, and after looking the country over with a view of loca. ting permanently, he came to Macon county, and purchased one hun- dred and sixteen acres of land in section 36, T. 18, R. 3 E., where he has remained till the present time. On the first of March, 1868, he was united into marriage to Miss Minerva Kelsey, daughter of Henry and Sophia Kelsey. She was born in Booue county, Illi- nois. By this marriage there have been seven children, five of whom are at present living, four sons and one daughter. Their names are Jacob, Arminda, Samuel, Rufus, and Edward Swinehart, Mr. Swinehart is a member of the democratic party. He cast his · first presidential vote for Stephen A. Douglas in 1860. He has seen no occasion to change his political sentiments since that time. In life, Mr. Swinchart has been more than ordinarily successful.
RICHARD H. PARK
Is the eldest son of David and Esther A. (Rogers) Park. He was born iu Madison county, Kentucky, November 11th, 1833. His father aud grandfather, Richard Park, were also natives of the same state. The family is of English ancestry, aud came to America prior to the revolutionary war, and took part in that memorable struggle. David Park moved from Kentucky to Johnson county, Indiana, where he remained until his death, which occurred in 1849. He was a farmer by occupation, and was also skilful in all ordiuary mechanism.
He married Esther A. Rogers, a native also of Madison county, Kentucky. She is still living on the old homestead in Johnson county, Indiana, where the family settled iu 1835.
There were seven children in the family-four sons and three daughters-five of whom are still living. The subject of this sketch in youth attended the schools of Indiana, and received a fair education. This has been improved by extensive reading and a close observation of men and things, and he is to-day as well posted in general literature and knowledge of events as those who often make far larger pretensions.
STOCK AND GRAIN FARM OF WH TAYLOR , SEC. 28, T. 18, R.3, ( FRIENDS CREEK TP.) MACON CO. ILL .
201
HISTORY OF MACON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
He remained at home until his twenty-second year, when he commenced farming for himself, and continued thus engaged until the spring of 1861, when he removed to Illinois, and settled in Maroa township, Macon county, where he still engaged in farming. After the war broke out, he purchased grain and live-stock, in addi- tion to carrying on his work upon the farm.
In 1870 he purchased land in section twenty-one, Friend's Crcek township, and moved on to it, and since that time it has been liis permanent home.
On the 16th of October, 1855, he was united in marriage to Miss Mildred Gillaspy, who was born in Indiana Three children have been the fruits of this union, one of whom is living-Gilbert, now in his twenty-first year.
In politics, Mr. Park is a democrat, having cast his first presi- dential vote for James Buchanan in 1856. In 1860, and through the war, he belonged to the Douglas wing of the democratic party. In 1873 he espoused the farmers' movement, and acted with the independents, and in 1876 voted for Peter Cooper for president. As will be seen, he does not yield blind obedience to any party, but advocates and votes for men and measures, such as will, in his judg- ment, administer the laws most faithfully, and provide measures that will be for the benefit of the largest number
He is now a democrat, and takes an active part and is an ener- getic worker in that political organization. In 1873 his services and zeal in his party received suitable recognition, and he was elected to the honorable position of county treasurer, an office he filled acceptably, and to the entire satisfaction of his constituents. He represented also his township, for several terms, in the board of supervisors, and while a member, was active in looking after the best interests of the county.
He is a respected member of the order of freemasonry and of odd fellowship.
Upon the subject of temperance he is not radical, although tem- perate in his habits. He prefers to educate the masses to favor temperance, rather than attempt to legislate intemperance out of the land.
WILLIAM A. MCKINNEY
WAS born in Orange county, Indiana, January 6th, 1821. His father, Alexander McKinney, was a native of Virginia, and was born in 1792. He removed with his father, whose name was also Alexander, to Kentucky when he was yet in his boyhood. The family remained in Kentucky until about 1814, when they removed to Indiana, and settled in Washington county. They afterwards moved to Orange county, and in 1831 moved back to Wash- ington county.
In 1853 Alexander McKinney came to Illinois, and settled in Cerro Gordo, Piatt county, where he died in 1874. He married Mary Orchard, who, born in 1793, was raised near Paris, Kentucky. She died at the residence of her son, the subject of this sketch, in December, 1879. There were nine children born to them, four of whom have survived their parents. William A. is the third in the family. He received a limited education in the common schools, going there for a few months in the winter seasons. He remained at home until his marriage, then commenced farming for himself.
In October, 1851, he came to Illinois, and had entered 80 acres of land in 1849 in Sec. 28, T. 18, 4 E. He rented land for two years, and in 1854 moved to his land, and commenced its improvement. Upon this original eighty acres he has lived up to the present time.
On the twenty-seventh of August, 1847, he was united in mar- 26
riage to Miss Caroline M. Child, who was born and raised in Wash- ington county, Indiana. By this marriage there have been twelve children born, seven of whom are living, three sons and four daughters. Their names are Elizabeth, Henry, Minerva (wife of Albert Glenn, now of Decatur, Illinois), Annie B., Elmer Ells- worth, Ida D., John E. Mckinney. Samuel died at the age of fifteen, Newton at sixteen, Luella F. at twenty-one, Willie at seven, and Lyman in his infancy.
Both Mr. MeKinney and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Mckinney was formerly a member of the Presbyterian church, but lately, owing to there being no church organization of that denomination near, he and his family became members of the M. E. church.
Politically, he was originally a member of the old-line whig party, and was opposed to slavery as it then existed in this country. When the whig party suffered defeat, and was disbanded, lie joined the republican party, and from that time to the present has been regarded as one of its firmest and staunchest supporters.
Upon the temperance question he has always, since attaining manhood, been an advocate of the principles of total abstinence. He regards intemperance as a vice that can only be driven out of the country by the act of prohibition.
In his neighborhood and among the people who have known Mr. Mckinney for many years, he is regarded as a plain, honest man.
DR. ROBERT F. CARR
Is the eldest in a family of six children. He was born in Sussex county, New Jersey, May 13th, 1832. The Carr family are of English ancestry on the paternal side, and Irish on the maternal. David Carr, the father, was also a native of the same state, and lived and died upon the place where he was born and raised. He was a farmer by occupation. He died in 1865. He married Elizabeth Ferrier. She was born in Orange county, New York. She died in 1879. By a former marriage, Mr. Carr had two children. There were born to Daniel and Elizabeth Carr six children, three sons and three daughters, all of whom have sur- vived the parents.
The subject of this sketch, while yet in his youth, met with an accident which had the effect of rendering him a cripple for life. Not being able to perform physical labor, owing to his crippled con- dition, he was forced to adopt some profession. He chose that of medicine. While at school he received sufficient education to fit him for teaching, and with money earned in this way, he managed to enter the academy at Goshen, New York, and there improved his education. While there he also read the standard text books on medicine, and in 1853, he entered the Albany Medical College, at Albany, New York, and took three courses, and graduated from that institution in 1855, with the degree of M. D. In the spring of 1856, he came West to Illinois, and commenced the practice of his profession in Friend's Creek township, Macon county, and con- tinued here with great success until 1866, when he removed to Decatur, the county seat. He remained there in the practice for three years, when he returned to Friend's Creek, where he has con- tinued to the present. After his return here the second time, he added a stock of drugs, and a general line of goods. Dr. Carr belongs to the regular school of medicine, and is progressive, and keeps fully abreast with the times and new discoveries in the heal- ing art.
On the 8th of April, 1858, he was united in marriage to Miss Emily Smyck. She is a native of Macon county, Illinois. Her
ZUZ
HISTORY OF MACON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
parents were originally from Kentucky. Seven children have been the fruits of this union -- four boys and three girls-all of them yet beneath the parental roof. Politically the Doctor is a member of the democratic party. His first presidential vote was cast for Stephen A. Douglas, in 1860. He has been an ardent supporter of the party ever since. He is not a member of any church organization, nor does he subscribe to any of its formil- lated creeds, but believes in doing to others as he would have others do unto him, and believes that in that is contained the genuineness of true religion. The life of the subject of this sketch presents another evidence of the value of pluck and will-power. He started in life under adverse circumstances, with no money or influential friends to help him up and over the rugged places in the race of life; handicapped with physical infirmities, and dis- tressed with financial troubles, owing money for his medical tuition. Under these circumstances he came West, and started in the busi- ness of his life. He has been successful, not in the accumulation of great riches, but in obtaining sufficient of this world's goods to ren- der him comfortable in his declining years. His success is duc to his industry, economy, and indomitable will-power. Among his neighbors and friends who have known him for a quarter of a century, all accord him the reputation of a good physician and an upright citizen.
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