History of Macoupin County, Illinois, Part 50

Author: Brink, McDonough & Co.
Publication date: 1879
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 440

USA > Illinois > Macoupin County > History of Macoupin County, Illinois > Part 50

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His opportunities for going to school while he lived in Kentucky were not good enough to give him much of a chance to get a thorough education. After coming to Illinois, he attended school at Fayette, about two miles distant in Greene county, and subsequently, when the settlements became numerous enough, some schools were started in the neighborhood where he lived. As soon as he became twenty-one years of age, he went to farming for himself. His marriage occurred in May, 1848, to Eliza Peter. Her father's name was Simon Peter. Mrs. Metcalf was born in Louisville, Ken- tucky, and was living in Greene county, Illinois, at the time she was mar- ried. Mr. Metcalf has since been farming in Barr township, and is living on the old homestead farm where his father first settled on coming to the state. His place has been his home ever since he first came to Macoupin county. For a period of forty-four years he has lived on the same spot, a circumstance which can be said of comparatively few men in Macoupin county. He owns three hundred acres of land lying in sections 30 and 31 of Barr township. He erected in 1872 a handsome frame-dwelling, which, with its surroundings, makes one of the most attractive farm-residences in that part of the county. He has had eight children. The oldest daughter, Albina E., died when just reaching the age of womanhood. Leonora S. is now the wife of Dr. Clement of Brighton. Harriet L. married Dr. Frank

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THE STOCK FARM & RESIDINGI OF ISAAC HAVEN & R.B. HAVEN. SIC. 18. BARR IP, MACOUPIN COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

TENANT HOUSE.

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ried as his second wife Mrs. Lucy Shep- iles, and settled in Addison county, Ver-

of four children. April, 1828, he married , a native of Addison county. From 1829 out, and then emigrated to Illinois A had deprived him of his property, and lebt. He rented & farm of William P. Greenfield, and on settling down on this nd if he had disposed of all his available undred dollars of having enough to meet He went to work with industry and . He succeeded, and in 1849 he bought n Greene and partly in Macoupin county, and of which only thirty or forty acres art of his present farm. He paid every to 886 acres. His wife died August lith, energy, industrious and persevering, and Haven secured was due to her superior ion to domestic and household afairs. was the art of making an excellent quality ly sale from Jacksonville to St. Louis . William Haven, the present eliter of wife of James French of Greene county; author : and Henry, who died in infancy ing to Illinois.

on for president in 1824; was afterward e republican party became a republican. of the Methodist church. His natural bust; he has stood a great deal of labr ion of a few weeks in recent years he has irkness. He is a man who has com- ho has known him, and he has been s of his farm and residence is shown else

.. METCALF,

ince 1835, was born in Hopkins county. is the youngest of a family of nine chil- with Jones. The first fifteen years of his ather emigrated with the family to Illi- d on section 31 of township 11, rauge Is the residence of the subject of this al with clap boards had been previously m, one of the pioneer settlers of Barr purchased, and his father and mother in November, 1858, and the latter in l in a private burying ground on Mr. in of considerable industry and busines Ive hundred acres of land. .. ] while he lived in Kentucky were not chance to get a thorough education. ' school at Fayette, about two miles uently, when the settlements became started in the neighborhood where he ne years of age, he went to farming in Mar, 1848, to Eliza Peter. Her Metcalf was born in Louisville, Ken- y, Illinois, at the time she was mar- ing in Barr township, and is living father first settled on coming to the ver since he first came to Macoupia ars he has lived on the same spot, s omparatively few men in Macoupin of laud lying in sections 30 and 31 ! a handsome frame-dwelling, which, e most attractive farm-residences ia ight children. The oldest daughter, : age of womanhood. Leouora & is on. Harriet L. married Dr. Frank

THE STOCK FARM & RESIDENCE OF ISAAC HAVEN & R. B. HAVEN , SEC. 18, BARR TP., MACOUPIN COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

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HISTORY OF MACOUPIN COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

Martin of Greenfield. Edward P., the oldest son, is now carrying on the mercantile business at Greenfield. The other children, whose names are Minnie, Emma, Irene and Charles, still live at home.

When Mr. Metcalf first became old enough to take any part in politics, he identified himself with the old whig party. Henry Clay, the pride of every man who was born in Kentucky, received his first vote for president when the great champion of whig principles made his last unsuccessful race for the presidency against James K. Polk in 1844. He remained a whig until the dissolution of that party, and then on its organization joined the republican party, with which he has since been connected. He is not, how- ever, a man whose tastes have led him to take an active part in political work. With no ambition to occupy public office or take a conspicuous part in public affairs, he has been contented to occupy his time with the manage- ment of his farm and his own private business. He is one of the oldest set- tlers of this part of the county, and during his residence in it his course of conduct as a private citizen has been such as to command the respect of the community. In the accompanying biographical sketch of his brother, Richard J. Metcalf, may be found the particulars of the interesting history of his father and grandfather.

WILLIAM J. SLAUGHTER

WAS born in Greene county, Illinois, August 6th, 1840. His ancestors were Germans who settled in Virginia previous to the Revolutionary war, in which his great-grandfather was an officer. His grandfather served in the war of 1812, and died on the Lakes. His father, John W. Slaughter, was born in Tennessee ; settled in Greene county, Illinois, about 1830; married Susan Landiss; moved on a farm in section 32, Barr township in 1852; and is now merchandizing and farming at Stonington, Christian county. Mr. Slaughter attended school in Barr township and Jerseyville. He went into the photograph business when sixteen years of age, and fol- lowed it for a number of years in Greene county. He subsequently went to Kansas, and took part in the troubles which preceded the admission of that state into the union, and also spent four years with different Indian tribes. He returned to Illinois in the spring of 1863, and afterward enlisted in the 133d Illinois regiment, under Col. Phillips, raised for a hundred days' service, and was stationed at Rock Island, guarding rebel prisoners. He went into the photograph and jewelry business at Greenfield, and followed carpentering and house building at the same place. In 1871 he settled where he now lives in Barr township, and in addition to farming, carries on a general blacksmith and repair shop. His first wife was Caroline Dial, whom he married in Kansas, and who died in a few months afterward. December 26th, 1867, he married Mrs. Rebecca A. Wilhite. She was born in Fulton county, Illinois, February 8th, 1838. Her father, Dr. W. A. Dunn, was a Virginian, who settled in Fulton county in 1836. She mar- ried Charles Wilhite, September 4th, 1856, and settled in Barr township. Her husband enlisted in 1862, in the 91st Illinois regiment ; was captured by the rebel guerrilla, General Morgan, at Elizabethtown ; was stationed at Vicksburg, and Carrollton, Louisiana ; Brownsville, Texas, and took part in the operations against Mobile. While in the trenches before Spanish Fort, he was shot by a rebel sharpshooter April 6th, 1865; was removed to a hospital at New Orleans and died there April 28th. Mrs. Slaughter had four chil- dren by her first marriage; John William, who died in 1873; Martha Eliza- beth, who died when an infant ; Jennie L. and Charles Samuel. Mr. and Mrs. Slaughter have three children; Ada Blanche, Minnie E. and Frank Leroy. Mr. Slaughter is a republican. He possesses mechanical genius of a high order, and is master of several trades.

.ROBERT R. COOPER.

MR. COOPER, who has been a resident of Barr township for the last twenty-five years, was born in Christian county, Kentucky, January 22d, 1828. His father, Edward L. Cooper, was born in Virginia, and after he was grown moved to Kentucky and married Miss Mary Perry, who was also a native of Virginia. The family moved to Illinois in 1836, and settled in Greene county, eight miles north-east of Carrollton. Robert R. Cooper was

the fourth of a family of eight children. He lived in Christian county, Kentucky, till about eight years of age, attending for a short time a school, distant three miles from his father's farm. The part of Greene county to which his father came was an old settlement, and he went to school in a frame building half a mile from his father's residence. He lived at home till nearly twenty-three years of age, and then (in December, 1850) married Miss Amarine Parks, a native of Tennessee, daughter of John Parks, an old settler of Barr township. Mr. Cooper was farming in Greene county till 1855, and then settled on the farm he now owns, in section seventeen of Barr township. He is known as an enterprising and substantial farmer. His farm consists of 445 acres, lying in one body in section seventeen, with the exception of thirty-five acres in section sixteen, and on it are fine im- provements. His first wife died in June, 1869. November, 1870, he mar- ried Lizzie Ridings of Greene county, whose death occurred in February, 1872. His present wife, whom he married in August, 1872, was formerly Miss Mary Bacon, who was born in Tennessee and came to Illinois when a child. He has eight children living, three by his first marriage, one by his second, and four by his third. Their names in the order of their births are as follows : Henry E., Lucy B., Adrian E., Frank, Ella D., Freddie, Edgar and Charles. Mr. Cooper was originally a whig, but like many of the members of that party, he became a republican when the question of the extension of slavery into the territories became a conspicuous issue. He has never taken an active part in politics nor has aspired to official position or public station. For twenty-six years, he has been a member of the United Baptist church, and is now connected with Goshen church, in the east part of Barr township.

J. W. HENDERSON.

MR. HENDERSON is a native of this state, and was born in Greene county, January 6th, 1831. His ancestors were early settlers of Virginia, and for many years resided in Berkeley county. His father, David Henderson, was born in Berkeley county, Virginia, about the year 1807, and was married there to Hannah Steidley. In the year 1830, a short time after this mar- riage, he emigrated to Illinois and settled in the neighborhood of Whitehall. The family were among the pioneer settlers of that part of Greene county. In the fall of 1832 his father moved to Macoupin county and settled on sec- tion 30 of township 11, range 9. Mr. Henderson's uncle, John Henderson, came to the township at the same time and settled on section 20. These were the first two settlements made in the southwest part of Barr township. His father and mother lived where they settled nearly forty years and then moved to Greenfield and afterward to Montgomery county, where they now reside. Mr. Henderson was less than two years old when he came to Ma- coupin county. His education was obtained in the schools in the neighbor- hood of his home. When he was twenty-one years of age he began farming on his own account. In November, 1855, he married Sarah J. Kidd, daughter of Benjamin Kidd. Mrs. Henderson was born in Peoria county, Illinois, and moved from there to Barr township.

After his marriage Mr. Henderson purchased land in section 16 where he lived about five years, and in 1860 moved to his present residence, in section 29. In 1864, during the late war, he served between five and six months in the 133d Illinois regiment, and was stationed at Rock Island guarding rebel prisoners. His brother, John H. Henderson, served throughout the war ; enlisted as sergeant of company D. of the 14th Illinois regiment, and was taken prisoner near Atlanta, Georgia, while on detached service, guarding a bridge outside the lines ; he died while in a rebel prison at Columbia, South Carolina. At the time of his capture he was first lieutenant, com- manding his company, and was commissioned as captain while in prison. Mr. Henderson was one of the early members of the republican party in Macou- pin county. When the agitation concerning slavery arose on the question of the admission of Kansas and Nebraska into the Union he was one of those who opposed the southern schemes for the extension of slavery into the ter- ritories, and one of the seven men in Barr township, who, in 1856, voted for Gen. Fremont as the republican candidate for president. He and his wife are members of the Methodist church.

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BRUSHY MOUND TOWNSHIP.

HIS township is bounded on the north by Carlinville, east by Honey Point, south by Gillespie and west by Polk township. It derived its name from the large Mound situated near the . center of the township, from the summit of which, a fine view may be obtained of the surrounding country for miles of prairie, forest, field and stream.

Pioneer settlers .*- About the year 1828, Theodorus Davis, jun., settled in the Macoupin bottom, on the line of the present Carlinville and Alton road, and was the first settler in the township. Mr. Davis was then a young man just starting in life, having recently married a daughter of Joseph Hodge, of Hodge's creek.

In July, 1829, came John Moore, and settled with his family, consisting of his wife and three children. He located on a piece of land some three miles south-west of Carlinville. He has been dead some years. His widow still survives in the person of Mrs. Ann Hall. In the fall of 1830, David Gimlin settled on land, near where Harrison Hall's farm now is, some three miles south-west from Carlinville. Mr. Gimlin was also a Baptist preacher, and preached the first sermon in the township. Probably, the first parties married in Brushy Mound, were William Flinan and Edith Gimlin, at the residence of David Gimlin, the bride's father, on the 17th of January, 1833, which occasion was marked by the usual pioneer festivities and hospitality.

In the spring of 1831 there were several settlements made in different parts of the township. About this time came the Weatherfords, Jefferson Hardin and others, and located in what was for many years known as Weatherford's prairie, in the north-east corner of the township. Soon after, came Elijah Mitchell, and Thomas Hughes, with their families, and settled on Brushy Mound prairie. About the same time came Henry and Thomas Beauford, Willis and William Whitworths, and their families.

In 1832 William Kettner and family located on Spanish Needle prairie. The most notable characteristic of the early settlers was a fondness for hunting and fishing, hospitality, sociability, economy and poverty.

Early Mills and Carding Factories .- In 1833 or '34 Jefferson Weather- ford built an ox mill on Weatherford's prairie, on the line of the Carlin- ville and Hillsborough road. This mill was a great convenience in its time for the neighborhood.

In 1837 Haskins Trabue built a carding factory in Spanish Needle prairie, some five miles south of Carlinville, on the Alton road. This fac- tory, for a number of years, supplied the settlers with woolen yarn, from which their wives and daughters manufactured the family clothing.

In the spring of 1851 Thomas Corr and Elijah Mitchell built a grist- mill on Honey creek, and in 1853, B. F. Clark and J. R. Mitchell built a mill in Spanish Needle prairie. And some time after, was erected Braley's mill, on Honey creek, and Borough's mill at Borough station. The milling interest, however, was allowed to languish, and at the present writing there is no mill operated in Brushy Mound.

First birth .- The first child born was Theodorus, the son of John and Ann Moore, on the 16th of September, 1830. At the early age of seven- teen this patriotic youth enlisted as a volunteer soldier in the war with Mexico, and fell a victim to yellow fever at Tampico, Mexico, September 30th, 1847.

Early Churches and Schools .- In the year 1839 the first church-house was * For much information of the pioneers we are indebted to Levi Mitchell, Aunt Ann Hall and others.

built by the Honey creek Baptist denomination, and located in the north- east part of the township, on section 12. It was a very unpretending struc- ture, 20 feet by 30 feet, built of hewn logs, covered with oak shingles, and floored with oak boards without dressing or jointing. Neither were the spaces between the logs chinked or pointed. This rude structure served as a place of worship during the summer months for many years, until it was superseded about the year 1852, by a good substantial frame building, which was located on the south side of Honey creek timber. In 1873 a new building was erected to take the place of the old one, and was located on the north-east corner of Gillespie township, along the line of section 36 Brushy Mound.

Schools .- The first school district was organized in 1834, and a log-build- ing erected ; Thomas P. Low was the first teacher ; he is spoken of by several of the old settlers as having been a most excellent teacher. At that period the school districts were not defined by any regular boundary lines as now, but embraced a territory as large as the children were able to traverse. There was no classification of school books. Each pupil was furnished with such books as the family happened to have. The school readers in those days were Testaments, English readers, old Geographies, the lives of Washington, Marion, Jackson and Legal form books, Univer- sal vocabularies, etc.

Game .- The early settlers of this township were surrounded with an abundance of game, such as deer, wolves, prairie fowl, quail, rabbits, rac- coons and opossums, &c., and in the spring and fall of the year, immense flocks of migratory birds came, among which were geese, ducks, brants, cranes, &c. The streams abounded with fish, and furnished sport for the angler's skill.

First entries of Government land .- On the 19th of October, 1829, Travis Moore entered 80 acres in section 5, and David Gimlin entered 80 acres in the same section October 8th, 1830. The next entry was made by Harding Weatherford, of 80 acres in section 12, on the 16th of October, 1830, after which time land entries were quite frequent.

Below will be found the township officers since township organization.

Township Supervisors .- Levi Mitchell, elected in 1871 ; F. Trabue, elected in 1872, and re-elected in 1873; George Cowell, elected in 1874; Geo. Cowell, jr., elected in 1875; Geo. Cowell, re-elected in 1876 ; D. P. Dead- rick, elected in 1877; Joseph F. Clark, elected in 1878; Wm. Perrine, elected in 1879.

Town Clerks .- J. F. Merrick, elected in 1871, and re-elected in 1872; Geo. Cowell, elected in 1873; S. C. Stoddard, elected in 1874, re-elected in 1875; R. Drury, elected in 1876; Geo. Cowell, elected in 1877; D. Cameron, elected in 1878 and re-elected in 1879.

Assessors .- C. Wheeler, elected in 1871 and served by re-election until 1876; V. Moore, elected in 1876, re-elected in 1877; P. B. Fishback, elected in 1878 : L. Peebles, elected in 1879.

Collectors .- J. Meers, elected in 1871; W. E. Taylor, 1872; J. W. Kelley, elected in 1873; C. Wells, elected in 1874; G. Dooley, in 1875; W. H. Stoddard, in 1876; G. Dooley, elected in 1877; W. H. Stoddard, in 1878, and C. W. Clark, in 1879.

The following are the Justices of the Peace since Township organization . M. B. Robinson and Stephen White, elected in 1871; S. White and A. Hacke, elected in 1873; Stephen White and A. Hacke, elected in 1877 ; R. Drury, elected in 1878, and re-elected in 1879.

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STOCK FARM , & RESIDINGE OF JOSEPH F CLARK . SIC 36. BRUSHY -MOUND IP. MACOUPIN CO , ILL

STOCK FARM & RESIDENCE OF C. WHEELER , SEC. 33. BRUSHY MOUND TP. MACOUPIN CO., ILL.

STOCK FARM , & RESIDENCE OF JOSEPH F. CLARK . SEC.36. BRUSHY-MOUND TP. MACOUPIN CO., ILL.

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HISTORY OF MACOUPIN COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

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Constables .- J. W. Kelly and Patrick Bloomfield, elected in 1871; N. Brown and P. Bloomfield, elected in 1873; R. White and N. Brown, elected in 1877 ; L. Peebles and A. Pembroke, elected in 1878; J. Trabue and Nat. Brown, elected in 1879.

Commissioners of Highways .- 1871, Harrison Hall, F. Knoetzer, John Salyers; 1872, F. Knoetzer; 1873, F. Knoetzer, D. P. Deadrick ; 1874, Joseph F. Clark ; 1875, Wm. E. Taylor; 1876, Thomas Miller; 1877, Adams Rothmyer ; 1878, James Lewis; 1879, Henry Ramey.

Resources of Brushy Mound as shown by the assessor's books, 1879 :

Acres improved lands, 12,531, value $88,361; acres unimproved lands, 10,598, value $24,494; total value of lands, $111,858. Of horses there are 528, valued at $8,202; cattle, 1,309, valued at $10,265 ; mules, 110, value $1,841 ; sheep, 438, value $508; hogs, 1,199, value $1,016; 2 steam engines, value $185; 157 carriages and wagons, value $2,031; 104 watches and clocks ; 47 sewing machines, 16 organs. Total value of personal property $13,960. The wealth and productions are mainly agricultural, and its rich soil responds to the labors of the husbandman in abundant harvests of corn, wheat, oats, hay, potatoes, fruits, etc., and considerable attention is given to the raising of cattle, horses, mules, sheep, hogs, poultry, etc.

Drainage, Timber, etc .- This township is well drained by the Macou- pin and its affluents, the principle one of which is Honey creek. Along the streams there is a heavy growth of timber, affording plenty of fuel, fencing and lumber.

The C. & A. R. R., crosses Brushy Mound in the north-west corner of the township, entering it in section 5, and leaving it in section 7. There are at present four good school-houses with well sustained public schools. Also two substantal church buildings. Baptist church located on section 30, and M. E. church on section 34. The early settlers of this township, were mainly of the poorer classes from the states of Kentucky and Tennessee. They were a hardy and vigorous race ; prudent, industrious and honest.

Among the older residents of the county, now living in this township, may be mentioned the name of John Burleson, who came here in 1827 with his half brother, Seth Hodge, and Rev. D. P. Deadrick, who was born in the county in 1828. Levi Mitchell and R. W. Huddleston became citizens here in 1831, Henderson Gimlin and Giles M. Adams in 1830; Joseph F. Clark in 1832, and F. M. Mitchell in 1833; John C. Ramey and C. Wheeler in 1835, and J. M. Wilson in 1834; William E. Taylor in 1837, and Elihu Hall in 1836.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

JOSEPH F. CLARK.

THE father of our subject was Samuel B. Clark, a native of Virginia. His mother's maiden name was Elizabeth Floyd, of Pennsylvania. They were both born in the year 1792. Samuel Clark came to Illinois in 1828. At the outbreak of the Black Hawk war he took an active part as a soldier. He moved to Macoupin county in 1836, where he remained until his death, which occurred in 1840.

Joseph F. Clark was born in 1825, and was united in marriage to Miss Malinda Huddleston, March 4th, 1850. She was born in Macoupin county, February 28th, 1832. Her father, John Huddleston, died December 3d, 1836. Her mother, Nancy Huddleston, survived her husband a number of years, and died in 1879. Mr. and Mrs. Clark are the parents of nine children, all of whom are now living.

Mr. Clark served for a time in the Mexican war. Since his return he has given his attention to farming. He has a farm of 460 acres. He is a man of good mind and social standing, a reputable citizen, and one who enjoys the competency his prudence and foresight has brought him. A fine view of his home appears elsewhere in this work.

SAMUEL HUDDLESTON.

AMONG the most successful agriculturalists of this township is Samuel Huddleston, who was born October 24th, 1823, in Hardin county, Kentucky. His father, John Huddleston, was also a native of Kentucky. He emi- grated to Illinois from Indiana in 1825, and to Macoupin county, Illinois, in 1831, being among the early settlers of the county ; he had a family of seven children, six of whom are now living, as follows, Samuel, Melvina, Robert W., Melinda, Mary Ellen, and Lydia ; Elizabeth is dead. Samuel's mother's name was Nancy Huddleston. She was born in Kentucky, Jan. 2d, 1808, and died in 1879. Samuel Huddleston married Miss Elizabeth Buck, July 7th, 1842, who died March 18th, 1862; by this union he had six children. By his second marriage he had four children. His life has been a successful one, starting in life as he did with a bare pittance, scarcely more than $100. His first tax was 30 cents. He has by his force of character and determination risen to an enviable position among his fellow farmer's. He has now over 1000 acres of land, and is one of the most progressive farmers in the township.

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History of Macoupin County, Illinois, Part 50

Author: Brink, McDonough & Co. Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Number of Pages: 440

Author: Brink, McDonough & Co.
Publication date: 1879
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 440