USA > Illinois > Macoupin County > History of Macoupin County, Illinois : biographical and pictorial, Volume II > Part 23
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THOMAS MARION GATES.
There are few more prosperous farmers in Macoupin county than Thomas Marion Gates whose place, on section 2, Honey Point township, is not only one of the most attractive but is one of the best managed and most profitable properties of its size in this part of the county. Mr. Gates has been connected with agriculture since his earliest recollection and applies the best known meth- ods in all departments of his business, thus securing definite and satisfactory results.
He comes of German ancestry and was born on a farm near Greenville, Muhlenberg county, Kentucky, June 12, 1852, a son of Henry and Sarah (Jen- kins) Gates. The father was born in Pennsylvania and learned the wagon maker's trade but later devoted his attention to farming. He removed to Ken- tucky and when his son Thomas was in his infancy came to Illinois and pur- chased a farm of eighty acres in Sangamon county. After cultivating this place for ten years he sold it and located on eighty acres in Shaws Point township, Macoupin county, where he continued until his death, which occurred about 1873. Mrs. Gates remained upon the home farm until after her children grew to maturity. She survived her husband twenty-two years and died about 1895. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Gates were the following children: Julian and Albert K., both of whom are deceased; Franklin W., who engaged in farming and is now living retired at Girard; Harrison H., who is a gardener and lives near Santa Rosa, California; Perry, who is a painter and carpenter by trade but is now serving as mail carrier at Litchfield; Andrew P., who is engaged in farming three miles east of Carlinville : Delila, deceased ; Thomas M .; Lee
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and Sarah Ellen, both of whom are also deceased; and Mollie E., who is the wife of S. S. Groves, a farmer of Honey Point township.
Thomas M. Gates attended the district schools of Shaws Point township and grew to manhood on his father's farm. He was married at the age of twenty-six and soon afterwards rented one hundred and seventy-five acres of Samuel Dugger, in Shaws Point township, which he cultivated to good advantage for three years. He rented land in other parts of this section for eight years and then purchased one hundred acres on section 2, upon which he has made his home for twenty-one years. He also cultivates the old homestead and for eight or ten years past has rented two hundred acres besides. His farm is all capable of cultivation and is one of the highly improved properties of the neighborhood. It is well supplied with water and possesses natural drainage-a feature which is of special importance to farmers. Mr. Gates is an extensive hog feeder and also takes a great interest in fruit-raising, a fine orchard of summer and fall apple- bearing trees being evidence of his skill along this line.
On August 23, 1874, Mr. Gates was married to Miss Mollie E. Schindler, a daughter of George and Betsy Schindler, who were formerly residents of Honey Point township. Three children were born to this union: Flossie E., who mar- ried John Gamble; Walter, who is assisting his father upon the home farm; and Essie, the wife of Herbert Roderick, who is engaged in the mercantile business at Virden and has one son, Clifford Melvin, aged two years. The mother of these children died December 3, 1880, and Mr. Gates was married October 12, 1882, to Miss Carrie L. Blackwell, a daughter of Jonathan S. and Eleanor H. (Keas) Blackwell, the former of whom was of Scotch-American descent and was born near Greenville, Ken- tucky. He learned the harness-maker's trade but engaged in farming after coming to Macoupin county, Illinois. He died in Montgomery county June 12, 1873, having reached the age of fifty-six years and two months. The mother of Mrs. Gates was of Irish-American descent and was born near Louisville, Ken- tucky. She came to Macoupin county, Illinois, with her parents when she was ten years old. After the death of her husband she remained upon the home farm for a number of years but later lived around among her children. She died July 27, 1898, at the age of seventy-seven years, three months and three days. By his second marriage Mr. Gates became the father of seven children. Ethel is the wife of Carson Besanceney, of Honey Point township, and the mother of two children, Zelma M., who is six years of age; and Reba M., aged three years. Susie, Thomas Stanley, James F., Willard G., Gladys H. and Alma B. are all living at home. Gladys and Alma are students in district school No. 100 of Honey Point township.
Politically Mr. Gates gives his support to the democratic party and. although he has never sought public office, he has for eight years past served as a member of the school board of his district and also filled the office of pathmaster of Honey Point township for two years. He is a member of the lodge of Modern Woodmen of America at Barnett, in which he served as worthy adviser for four years. He and his wife and his daughter Flossie are actively identified with the Baptist church of Shaws Point township, while Ethel, Susie, Thomas Stan- ley, Willard and Gladys are members of the New Hope Baptist church of Mont-
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gomery county. Essie is connected with the Christian church of Virden and is one of its active workers. Notwithstanding the exacting demands of his busi- ness Mr. Gates may always be depended upon to perform his part in advancing movements which aim to promote the welfare of this region. He has many friends who admire him for his business ability, his useful life and also be- cause he is known to be one who under all circumstances aims to be just and fair.
LEONARD KETCHUM.
A worthy representative of one of Macoupin county's pioneer families is to be found in the person of Leonard Ketchum, who is cultivating the farm on which he was born on the 21st of April, 1842. His parents were Ira and Phoebe (Fitzgerald) Ketchum, the father of English and the mother of Irish extraction. Ira Ketchum was a native of Vermont, his birth having occurred about 1816, and he is a son of Ira and Rebecca (Palmer) Ketchum, his father having been born and reared in the vicinity of Waltham, Vermont. When a youth of six- teen years he came with his mother and her brother, William Palmer, to Illinois, locating on what is now known as Palmer's Prairie in Jersey county, Illinois. There he lived with his uncle William until about 1837, when he took possession of eighty acres of land preempted for him by his uncle in Macoupin county. He subsequently purchased another eighty acres adjoining his tract, making the aggregate of his possessions one hundred and sixty acres. It was all raw prairie, never having been broken or improved in any way. He erected a log cabin and such other buildings as were necessary to shelter his stock and began breaking the land, placing it under cultivation as rapidly as he was able. The operation of his home farm continued to engage his attention until his demisê on the 5th of May, 1853. The mother of our subject was a native of New Jersey, her birth having occurred about 1816 also. In 1833 she came with her parents to Illinois, the family locating near Palmer's Prairie in Jersey county, and there Mr. and Mrs. Fitzgerald died about 1854.
To Mr. and Mrs. Ira Ketchum eleven children were born: Alfred is living in the vicinity of Pasadena, California ; Daniel, who was a member of Company F, Thirty-second Illinois Volunteer Infantry, during the Civil war, and was with his brother when wounded at the battle of Shiloh, is now living near Pat- tensburg, Davis county, Missouri; Leonard is the next of the family; David, a member of Company F, Thirty-second Illinois Volunteer Infantry, died in the army from the effects of wounds sustained at Shiloh ; Edmund H., also deceased, was a member of the One Hundred and Twenty-second Illinois Volunteer In- fantry; Franklin is residing in the vicinity of Jerseyville, Illinois; Rebecca is the wife of James Chism, of Medora; Charles is living in Alton, Illinois; Ira is a resident of Macoupin county. The two youngest members of the family died in infancy. After the death of her first husband Mrs. Ketchum married Henry Cooper, by whom she had one son, Eli, who is living in Pasadena, California.
LEONARD KETCHUM
MRS. LEONARD KETCHUM
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In general the early life of Leonard Ketchum did not differ from those of other lads of the pioneer period. Upon him early devolved many chores about the home, these being increased with the development of his strength, while his education was pursued in the district schools near by. He remained at home until he was seventeen years of age and then worked by the month as a farm hand until the breaking out of the Civil war. When Lincoln's second call came for troops, the patriotic spirit of the youth was deeply stirred and he responded by going to Springfield, where he enlisted in October, 1861. His brothers Daniel and David had gone to the front in the preceding August, and the younger brother, Edmund H., joined near the close of the war, four members of the family hav- ing been in the army. He became a member of Company F, Twelfth Illinois Cavalry, his regiment being sent to the Shenandoah valley, Virginia, joining General Buford's command. His first experience on the battlefield was at Sharpsburg, where his command had a severe engagement with Ashby's Black Horse Cavalry, this being the first sabre charge of the Civil war. He was cap- tured at the surrender of Harper's Ferry by Stonewall Jackson's command and held under parole about six months and was then exchanged. He rejoined his regiment at Dumfries, Virginia, being assigned to do skirmishing and scouting duty throughout the state. His most notable battle was probably that of Gettys- burg, in which he participated for two days, and then returned with his regiment to Brandy Station, where they wintered. He did skirmishing in Virginia until mustered out in October, 1863, for reenlistment in the same company and regi- ment and was sent to New Orleans. He was assigned to duty along the Missis- sippi river and was in the Red River expedition under General Banks, and was at Memphis at the time of Lee's surrender. His regiment was held in service until 1866, being sent to Texas on scout duty, and they received their discharge at Springfield, Illinois. Among the most valued possessions of Mr. Ketchum are the sabre and carbine he carried during the entire period of his service in the army.
After he was mustered out he returned to Macoupin county and rented land, which he cultivated for five years. At the expiration of that period he removed to the old family homestead, a small portion of this being his heritage, while the remainder he purchased from the other heirs. This consists of one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 18, Chesterfield township. He has wrought many changes in the place since he settled here, all of the buildings now standing having been erected during the period of his occupancy. It is one of the most attractive and valuable properties of Chesterfield township, being well improved and under a high state of cultivation. Mr. Ketchum calls his place Corn Land Farm, and here he devotes much attention to stock feeding, making a specialty of raising Poland China hogs and fine horses.
On the 14th of December, 1863, Mr. Ketchum was united in marriage to Miss Jane Hayward, a daughter of Cyrus Tolman and Elizabeth (Olmstead) Hayward. Her father was a representative of one of America's oldest families. his ancestors having been Thomas and Susanna Hayward. natives of Kent county, England. They came to America on the ship Hercules in 1635, landing at Plymouth, and were members of the Plymouth colony that settled at Dux- bury, Massachusetts. They were also among the original settlers of Bridge- Vol. II-12
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water, Massachusetts, and there they died about 1681. Unto them were born five sons and two daughters, all of the former having been born in Eng- land. In order of birth they were as follows: Thomas, Nathaniel, John, Joseph, Elisha, Mary and Martha. The two last named were natives of Duxbury, Massachusetts. Mrs. Ketchum traces her descent directly to the fourth son, Joseph, who was two years of age when his parents brought him to America. He married Hannah Mitchell about 1682, and they had nine children. Their son Edward, born in 1689, married Keziah, the widow of Edward White, and to them were born four children. Joseph, their. son, was born on the 17th of July, 1753, and married Lydia Barrows, who bore him fourteen children. Their son Joseph, whose birth occurred on the 10th of October, 1784, married Esther Ripley and had a family of eight children. George Adoniram, who was born of this union, married Henrietta Tarbox, who bore him one son, Ansel, who took for his wife Lucinda Tolman, a daughter of Daniel Tolman, of Bridge- water, Massachusetts. They became the parents of eight children, one of whom was Cyrus Tolman Hayward, the father of Mrs. Ketchum. He was born in Massachusetts on the 4th of June, 1819, and there spent the first nineteen years of his life. In 1838, Anson Hayward sold his farm and came to Macoupin county, Illinois, with his family, settling on a farm on section 18, Chesterfield township. He was a cabinet-maker by trade, having followed that occupation in connection with farming in his native state. He retired from active farming during the latter years of his life and devoted his energies to clock repairing until his death, which occurred on the 30th of November, 1863. He was a veteran of the war of 1812. Cyrus Tolman Hayward lived at home until he attained his majority, assisting his father with the work of the farm. On Christmas day, 1840, he was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Maria Olm- stead, and unto them were born eight children: Cyrus W., who is living at Parsons, Kansas; Caroline Matilda, the wife of Frank Silsby ; Jane, now Mrs. Ketchum; William Oscar, also living at Parsons, Kansas; Lucinda Cornelia, the deceased wife of Melvin Loper, of Chesterfield township; Eva Josephine, the deceased wife of Emmons Loper, of Chesterfield township; Eldon O .. who died at the age of three years; and Eldon Augustus, who died in infancy. The mother of these children passed away on the 8th of July, 1856. On the 21st of September, 1859. Mr. Hayward was married the second time, his choice on this occasion being Mrs. Mary Ann Johnson, a widow. They became the parents of five children : Lillian O., a merchant at Medora, Illinois; Herbert M., who is living on the old home place in Chesterfield township: Mary E., the wife of William Simpson, of Marion, Indiana ; Horace L., who is a resident of Chicago, Illinois : and Ida R., who died in infancy. Mrs. Hayward passed away on the 22d of August, 1898. Cyrus T. Hayward learned the cabinet-maker's trade in his early youth, following that in connection with farming for many years. About 1846 he bought eighty acres of land on section 20, Chesterfield township, upon which he settled with his family. He extended the boundaries of his farm in 1858 by the purchase of another eighty-acre tract. continuing to make that his home until his death on the IIth of June, 1904.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Ketchum there were born ten children, in order of birth as follows : Louis E., deceased, who was a real-estate dealer of Stuttgart.
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Arkansas, and was married and had three children; Lawrence C., a farmer of Shipman township, who is married and has four children; Evelina, the wife of A. L. Carter, of Medora, and the mother of one son; Nellie May, the wife of Edward Barnes, a farmer of Jersey county ; Elizabeth, the wife of Cary Haynes, of Chesterfield township, and the mother of two daughters; James Wastler, operating the home place, who is married and has one son; Jane S., the wife of John Shields, a retired farmer of Jerseyville, and the mother of two children ; and three who died in infancy.
Mr. Ketchum loyally supports the men and measures of the republican party and although often urged to enter public life has never held any office save that of school director. He maintains relations with his comrades of the Civil war through the medium of his membership in the Grand Army of the Republic, in which he has always taken an active interest. Mr. Ketchum is one of the highly regarded citizens of Chesterfield township; intelligent and progressive in his ideas, and he takes a deep interest in community affairs, always giving his sup- port to every movement that promises to serve the best interests of the majority.
GEORGE ROWLAND WAGGONER.
A native of Brighton township and widely known as a successful farmer and fine stock-raiser, George Rowland Waggoner was born October 29, 1857. He is a son of James E. Waggoner, who was born at Knoxville, Tennessee, in Septem- ber, 1828. The family were among the pioneers of Maryland and George Wag- goner, the grandfather on the paternal side, was born in that state about 1784. He emigrated to Tennessee and about 1834 came with his family to Illinois and engaged in farming near Alton. In the '5os he took up his residence at Brighton, Macoupin county, where he continued until his death, which occurred in 1877. There were thirteen children in his family, one of whom died in infancy. The others are all deceased except Mary, who is the wife of Robert Halloway, of Piasa. Those deceased are : Henry, of Godfrey ; John, of Knoxville, Tennessee ; Samuel, who also resided at Godfrey ; Margaret, who married Benjamin Akard, of Jerseyville, Illinois ; Melinda, who was the wife of John Camp, of Brighton ; William of Godfrey ; Ellen, who married James Reading, of Lawrence, Kansas ; George Washington, of Upper Alton, Illinois; Jane, who was the wife of Joseph Andrews, of Brighton; and Wesley and James E., twins, the former of whom lived at Godfrey.
James E. Waggoner, the father of our subject, was brought to Illinois by his parents when five years old and was reared in the paternal home. He learned the carpenter's trade, at which he worked until 1856, when he purchased eighty acres of land northeast of Brighton, in Shipman township, which he cultivated until 1874. He then moved to Brighton, where he lived until he retired from active labor in 1900. In 1856 he married Miss Almira Mundy, who was born in St. Louis, December 2, 1837, a daughter of Rowland and Asenith (Kellogg) Mundy. The father came west from New York and after spending some years
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in Missouri removed to White Hall, Greene county, Illinois, finally settling on a farm in Macoupin county. He died at Brighton. Mr. Waggoner died in 1905, leaving five children, the eldest of whom is the subject of this review. The others are : Louada, who is the wife of Monroe Forwood, of Piasa ; Almira Ellen, who married Charles Mason, of Fort Morgan, Colorado; James E., who lives near Piasa ; and Homer O., whose home is in Alhambra, California.
In the public schools George Rowland Waggoner received his preliminary edu- cation. Later he attended the Brighton Academy at Brighton and also took a course at the Jacksonville Business college at Jacksonville, Illinois. Under his father he became thoroughly acquainted with farming and stock-raising, and after arriving at maturity he rented his father's farm, which he cultivated to good advantage until he was thirty-five years of age. He was then married and rented another farm belonging to his father, upon which he lived until 1898. He then moved to the place which he now occupies on section 19, Shipman township, which was inherited by his wife from her father. For three years, from 1889 to 1891 inclusive, he traveled extensively in the employ of the Walter A. Wood company, manufacturers of farm machinery, covering a very extensive territory, from Texas to North Dakota. In the course of his travels he made many obser- vations, which have been of great practical benefit to him in his work, and his farm is one of the most attractive properties in this part of the county. He is a lover of fine stock and maintains a valuable herd of registered Shropshire sheep and also a noted thoroughbred herd of Holstein cattle.
On the 27th of October, 1892, Mr. Waggoner was married to Miss Elizabeth Lowis, a daughter of John Lowis and a sister of John Lowis, Jr., a record of whom appears elsewhere in this work. To this union five children have been born, Ruth, Alice, George, Ralph and Carrie, all of whom are living at home. Fraternally Mr. Waggoner is a valued member of the Odd Fellows, and religiously he is identified with the Methodist church, being president of the board of trustees and superintendent of the Sunday school of Mount Pleasant church of Piasa. He gives his support to the republican party and has served as township collector of Brighton township, and for seven years past has discharged the duties of director of the school board. He is an intelligent man, who has made practical use of the advantages presented in this great state for those who have the ability to discover and develop them. He has a beautiful home, a bright and promising family, and may justly be regarded as one of the fortunate citizens of Macoupin county.
SAMUEL A. RICE.
Samuel A. Rice, a veteran photographer and ex-soldier of the Civil war and for fifteen years past a resident of Carlinville, was born at Strausburg, D. C., September 13, 1839. He is a son of Joel and Margaret (Clifford) Rice, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania, and is the eldest in a large family of chil- dren, the others being: Frank, who was a soldier at the time of the Rebellion and died at the close of the war; John; Henry, who is now living in New York city;
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Edward, who makes his home in San Francisco, California; James, deceased ; Hudson; Elizabeth; May; and several daughters who died when young.
Joel Rice, the father of our subject, learned the cabinetmaker's trade which he followed in Philadelphia for a number of years. He came west about 1849 and settled at Sterling, Illinois. In 1852, yielding to the gold excitement, he joined a caravan and crossed the plains with an ox team and wagon in search of the yellow metal. He mined in California for several years and in 1856 returned to Illinois where he continued until just before the war, when he took up his resi- dence at Louisiana, Missouri. He served as captain of a company of artillery in the Missouri state troops and for many years was an honored citizen of Louisiana. He died in 1907, at the advanced age of about ninety-two years, his wife preceding him two years at the age of about eighty years. They were both members of the Baptist church. The paternal grandfather of our subject was also a native of Pennsylvania. He was a soldier of the Revolutionary war and again donned the uniform of his country in 1812. He and his wife both died in the Keystone state. Of their children the names of Joel and Samuel have been preserved. The grandfather on the maternal side was a Pennsylvanian and the maiden name of his wife was Marguerite Clifford. They spent their entire lives in their native state.
At ten years of age Samuel A. Rice came west to Sterling, Illinois, with his parents. He attended the public schools and later moved with his family to Louisiana, Missouri, which he made his headquarters until several years after the close of the Civil war. He began learning the photographer's business at the age of eighteen and was in charge of a photograph gallery at Louisiana for about twenty years. He also owned galleries at Mexico and Paris, Missouri, devoting a portion of his time to each of his places of business. He was at Mexico at the time of the massacre by Will Anderson, the noted guerrilla. In 1870 he moved to Carrollton, Illinois, and conducted a business there for four years. He then opened a gallery at Jerseyville and after five years moved to Roodhouse where he continued until 1896, since which time he has made his home at Carlinville. He has been engaged in the photograph business for fifty-four years and being gifted with artistic taste and perception, he has scored a success. In 1862 he enlisted in Company I, Fifth Missouri Artillery, and served for six months, which was his term of enlistment. He participated in several skirmishes and was fifth sergeant, being later detailed as musician in the regimental band. He had two brothers in the Civil war, Frank and John Rice, both of whom died from disease contracted in the army.
On the 23d of May, 1876, Mr. Rice was married to Miss Mary B. Hovey, of Perry, Pike county, Illinois, a daughter of Sylvester L. and Prudence L. (Lucas) Hovey. Two sons were born to this union: Elbert L., who assists his father in the photograph business; and Ray Logan, who has mechanical talent and is employed in a machine shop at Springfield. The father of Mrs. Rice was born near Rochester, New York, and her mother near Spartanburg, South Carolina. The mother's parents moved to Tennessee and the family took up its residence near Nashville where the mother lived until she was fifteen years of age. She then came to Illinois with her parents and in 1902 became a resident of Carlin- ville. She died three years later, in the eighty-first year of her age. Her husband
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