History of Madison County, Illinois With biographical sketches, Part 118

Author: Brink, W.R. & Co
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Edwardsville, Ill. : W. R. Brink & co.
Number of Pages: 698

USA > Illinois > Madison County > History of Madison County, Illinois With biographical sketches > Part 118

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FEW of the numerous residents of the American Bottom are as widely and favorably known as Dr. T. J. Irish. He possesses a firm mental-motive temperament. He is quick, impulsive and decided in character and conclusions. He penetrates a subject at a glance, grasps its minutiæ-com- prehending almost in a single thought what many others would require a long process of reasoning to determine. He has firmness and determination that never yields to disparagement. When he will, he will, and there is no use for the elements to oppose him. He is quick, but not combative; firm, but not stubborn; set, but yet reasonable. He is of a kind, generous, sympathetic nature. In his intellectual capacity he has the general ele-

ment of success. He is a mau well calculated to win the good-will of all who are thrown in contact with him; and with his social, genial disposition he can disarm the most inveterate foe and secure his respect and good-will. Dr. T. J. Irish is a native of Livingston county, N. Y. He was born on the 28th of July, 1823, and is the first child of Ben- jamin and Sarah (Tyler) Irish, who were natives of New York. The father of Benj. Irish was a Baptist minister in Auburn, N. Y.

Benjamin Irish, the father of Dr. T. J. Irish, was born ahont the year 1798. He graduated in medicine in his native State, and in 1840 emigrated to Illinois, settling at Equality, near Shawneetown. At this point he remained

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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

about two years, and from thence removed to the American Bottom, Madison county, opposite St. Louis, where he en- gaged in the practice of medicine with great success. He rapidly rose to the front rank of his profession, and attained an enviable reputation throughout the State. In 1848, the Pope Medical College of St. Louis conferred upon him the ad eundem degree. He continued the practice of medicine until July, 1851, when he fell a victim to cholera.

Dr. T. J. Irish received his education in New York. In 1842 he came to the West, stopping for a short time at Equality, near Shawneetown, Illinois, where he engaged in teaching school. In 1844 he came to St. Louis, and engaged in the study of medicine with his father, graduating, in 1848, in the Missouri State University, of St. Louis, in the same class with the late Dr. John T. Hodgen, who became one of the ablest surgeons of the West. In the same year he gradu- ated, Dr. Irish settled in the American Bottom, on seetion 8, township 3, range 9, where he at onee engaged in the practice of medicine, which he has since followed with fine success. By the death of his father, in 1848, Dr. Irish came in possession of a very extensive practice throughout the American Bottom, and we but echo the universal sentiment of those who know him best, when we say that he is truly "a chip off the old block."

Dr. Irish was married on the 26th of October, 1848, to Miss Lucinda, daughter of Thomas Elliott, E-q., who was a native of Virginia, and who was descended from one of the more prominent families of that State. By this union Mr. and Mrs. Irish have had born to them a family of eleven children, four of whom are now living. Tyler E., now a practicing physician of Nameoki; William A., a farmer living

near by ; Terrie M., now in Texas, and Gillie E., now at home.

Dr. Irish started in life with quite limited financial means, and he states, as an incident illustrative of his early finan- cial condition, that when he first visited Shawncetown, he was walking along the street with F. M. Little, and fortu- nately picked up a dime from the sidewalk, which embraced the sum total of the young men's finances-the dime in ques. tion furnishing the cheese and crackers from which the young men made a tolerable dinner. Mr. Little afterwards became Mayor of Salt Lake City, and a man of prominence and independence in that city. He is an own nephew of Brigham Young.

As we have stated, the Doctor ranked among the more prominent in his profession, and rapidly accumulated a com- fortable competence. He now, at the meridian of life, owns upwards of nine hundred acres of the celebrated American Bottom land. His fine home place, near Nameoki Station, on the W., St. L. & P., C. A. I. & St. L. Railways, is finely improved, and replete with superior grades of stock of every description.

In politics, the Doctor is now, and has always been an admirer of the principles of the okl and historic Democratic party. His first vote was cast for Tennessee's statesman, James K. Polk, candidate for President in 1844. During the late war, Dr. Irish espoused the cause of the Union, and no man in Madison county was more earnest in his support of the government than he.

The Doctor holds a large space in the estimation of his fellow-citizens, and none know him but to honor and respect him.

GODFREY.

HE extreme northwestern township of Madison county was given its name iu honor of Captain Benjamin Godfrey, one of the earliest and most distinguished citizens, and the founder of the Monti- cello Female Seminary. He was born at Chatham, Massachusetts, May 20, 1794. His early life was mostly spent on. the sea. It is said that he began the life of a sailor when only nine years old. He had time, however, to acquire a good practical education, and some knowledge of navigation. He spent some months when a boy in Ire- 68

land ; he was connected with the mercantile service during the war of 1812, and afterward became commander of a merchant vessel, and made voyages to Italy, Spain and other parts of the old world, and from Baltimore to New Orleans and the West Indies. On his last voyage he was shipwrecked near Brazos Santiago, and lost nearly all his property, and almost his life. This misfortune left him, literally, stranded in Mexico, with little means; but his quick business tact enabled him to take advantage of the opportunities for trade which then existed with the inhabitants of that country, and he was soon at the head of a mercantile house at Mata- moras, then on Mexican soil, and there laid the foundation

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- HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

of his fortune After making large accumulations he re- moved to New Orleans, and in that city carried on the mercantile business in partnership with Winthrop S Gilman. In the year 1832, the firm of Godfrey, Gilmau & Co. began operations in Alton, and for some time transacted a larger business than any other firm in the state. Captain Godfrey first became a resident of Godfrey township in 1834; he purchased a stone residence built by Calvin Riley, a mile north of the present village of Godfrey, to which he sub- scquently added a wing on the north, building it also a half- story higher, thus completing it as it stands at present. With the exception of one or two years, during which his family lived at Alton, this was Captain Godfrey's residence till his death, which occurred on the 13th of August, 1862.

He was a large owner of real estate, at one time being the possessor of ten thousand acres, a great part of which lay in Godfrey township, and owned more than four thousand acres in Madison county at the time of his death. He built, as sole contractor, under great difficulties, the railroad from Alton to Springfield, now a part of the line of the Chicago & Alton road. His name, however, will be chiefly remem- bered as the founder of the Monticello Female Seminary, one of the most successful institutions of the kind in the west. The idea of founding such a school was first im- pressed upon his mind about the year 1833. In com- pany with Mr. Gilman he came to the house of Nathan Scarritt in 1834, in search of an appropriate site for its location. Mr. Scarritt accompanied them, and a place was first selected about three-quarters of a mile from the spot where the seminary was afterward built. The erection of the original building was begun in the year 1836. Captain Godfrey gave, in all, to the institution, upward of one hun- dred and twenty-five thousand dollars. His widow and three children are still living; his son, Benjamin Godfrey, lives at the old residence north of Godfrey; a daughter, Catharine, is the wife of John M. Pearson, representative from Madison in the state legislature ; and the remaining daughter, Emily, is the wife of Joseph R. Palmer, and resides at New Brunswick, New Jersey.

THE EARLIEST SETTLEMENTS

In the township were made in the year 1826. Nathan Scarritt seems to have broken the first ground for cultivation, but the first cabin was built and occupied by Joseph Rey- nolds. Nathan Scarritt was a native of New Hampshire; he was a man of marked piety, who left a religious impress on the community which existed for many years after his death. With his wife and four children he emigrated from the town of Lyman, on the Connecticut river, New Hamp- shire, and reached Edwardsville in the month of November, 1820. Ten weeks and four days were occupied in making this journey, though the weather was favorable, and they were able to travel every week day except one. On the Sabbath they always rested. On his arrival at Edwards- ville he had difficulty in getting a house for his family, and finally moved into a log house, with a stick chimney and hearth, and puncheon floor. With one or two exceptions all the buildings in Edwardsville at that time were log. The

members of the family had no chairs to sit on, but their worst privation was the want of pure water; but Mr. Scarritt discovered that the insufficient depth of the wells and their lack of walls was the cause, and this matter was remedied. During the winter of 1820-'21, he built at Edwardsville a house of clap-boards, which Mrs. Scarritt helped to raise, " carrying up my corner," as she was accustomed to remark,

" while the men carried up theirs," into which the family moved, in March, 1821. After a residence in Edwardsville of five years, Mr. Scarritt made his home in Godfrey town- ship. He settled on the prairie, and the farm which he made, now the property of L-vi Springer, adjoined the present village of Godfrey. From the circumstance of his settling here the prairie was called Scarritt's prairie. His farm was the first improvement on the prairie. He died in the year 1848 ; his widow was living till recent years; he was a member of the Methodist church, and the first religious services in the township were held in his house. The first school was taught in his barn, which stood a short distance north of his residence, where Mr. Springer now has a garden. His daughter was the teacher of this school, and the pupils, gathered from the families who had moved to this part of the county, were about sixteen in number. The first Sun- day-school in the township was also taught in this barn. Mr. Scarritt made brick and built the first brick house in the township. This was a large and substantial structure for that day, and still remains in good condition. Mr. Scarritt took no part in public affairs ; he had several sons who became useful citizens.

The early settlements were made around, and on Scarritt's prairie, which was then three miles, or three and a half in length, with an average width of about two miles. Joseph Reynolds, who has been mentioned as having built the first cabin in the township, sold his improvement to Samnel Dela- plain. Among the early settlers on the east side of Scar- ritt's prairie, were Henry P. Rundle, Simon Peter, James Dodsen, Hail Mason, Joel Finch, Zebedee Chapman, Ezra Gilman and Rowland and Oscar Ingham. Later came John Peter, George Smith, John Mason, Zebedee Brown, James Meldrum, Richard Blackburn, Henry Waggoner, Samuel Waggoner, David Rood and Joseph Whyers, all settling ou the east side of the prairie.

Henry P. Rundle occupied a cabin on the site of the pres- ent residence of Jeremiah Still. He was a tailor by trade, and carried on business for some time in upper Alton. His wife was the daughter of Samuel, and the sister of Benja- min Delaplain. Simon Peter came from Kentucky. He became a resident of the township about the year 1833. He was a leading member of the Methodist church, a local min- ister, and preached frequently. John Peter was his brother.

Hail Mason became a resident of the county as early as December, 1817, at which date he arrived in Edwardsville, in company with his brothers, James and Paris Mason, Row- land P. Allen, Theophilus W. Smith, and a number of others. He lived in Edwardsville for a number of years, and filled the office of justice of the peace. He was anxious for the suppression of disorder, and while serving as justice of the peace at Edwardsville, issued a warrant for the arrest of one

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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

Mike Dodd, from Wood river, who was accustomed to come to Edwardsville, and, while in the state of intoxication, dis- turb the peace. Dodd and his friends resisted arrest, and the constable called on the populace for assistance. Mason, who, though wearing judicial robes, considered himself one of the populace assisted in Dodd's arrest. Dodd brought suit against him, but Mason, whom some of the best lawyers of the circuit offered voluntarily to defend, was acquitted. From Edwardsville he moved to Clifton, and after a resi- dence there of a year or two he came to Scarritt's prairie. His house was a short distance northeast of the town of Godfrey. He served as justice of the peace after moving to this part of the county, and filled other public offices. He was born at Grafton, New Hampshire, in the year 1794, and died in 1842. His second wife was the daughter of Joel Finch. None of his descendants now live in the township.

John Mason, brother of Hail Mason, was also an early resident of the township. He was born at Grafton, New Hampshire, in the year 1780, and lived in his native state till 1837, in October of which year he came to Illinois, and settled on the farm, a short distance northeast of Godfrey, where the widow of his son, John Mason, now resides. He died in 1867. His two sons, Aaron P. Mason and John Mason, were residents of the township for many years. The former died in 1880. His widow still lives in Godfrey. The widow of John Mason junior, lives on the farm in section twenty-three, on which John Mason, senior, settled in 1837.

Joel Finch was a man of considerable intelligence. He settled the place a short distance northeast of Godfrey, now owned by J. R. Isett. He died in 1846, at the age of seven- ty-two. Richard Blackburn settled the place on which Charles Wenzel now lives ; and David Davis, that which Thomas Still now occupies. George Waggoner, one of the early settlers of the township, was a native of Maryland, emigrated from that state to Tennessee, and thence to Cape Girardeau, Missouri. He became a resident of Godfrey township in 1838. Four of his sons, Henry B. Waggoner, Samuel H. Waggoner, William W. Waggoner and Wesley F. Waggoner, still remain there.

James Meldrum settled the place on the Brighton road, now owned by the Rev. J. W. Caldwell, who married his youngest daughter. Another daughter became the wife of the Rev. Jotham Scarritt, like the Rev. Mr. Caldwell, a Methodist minister. Ezra Gilman, one of the early residents of the township, was raised in the family of Nathan Scarritt. Rowland and Oscar Ingham came to Illinois from the state of New York. The former died in this part of the county, and the latter went to California.

West of Scarritt's prairie, in the northern part of the township, one of the earliest settlers was George Debaun. He was born of French descent at Harrodsburg, Mercer county, Kentucky. He emigrated to Illinois, reaching the vicinity of Collinsville, on the 20th of October, 1816. After a residence of two or three years in that part of the county, he moved to the neighborhood of Upper Alton, where he lived on a farm till 1829, when he entered land in section nine and moved to Godfrey township. William Scarritt had, previous to this, built a cabin on a piece of land ad-

joining, and into this Mr. Debaun moved with his family, while he was building a double log cabin on his own land. His daughter, Elizabeth Debaun, still living, says that on first coming to that place the family had no neighbors ex- cept at a distance of two or three miles. Three miles to the north, in Jersey county, lived John Wilkins. Nathan Scarritt had settled near the present town of Godfrey. Mrs. Lurton, the widow of Jacob Lurton, a Methodist minister, lived to the west, on the Piasa, on the farm which is now the residence of McKinley Ward. Mrs. Lurton had three daughters living at home. The sons had married and moved away. One of the sons, Nelson R. Lurton, kept the first house of public entertainment ever opened at Delhi. About a half a mile further down the Piasa, lived the Cum- mings family. There were two sons, James and Thomas Cummings, and one daughter, Maria, who became the wife of Richard Simmons, of Jersey county. Mr. Dehaun had eight children, and the year of his arrival he employed Miss Abigail Scarritt, a niece of Nathan Scarritt, to teach them, as there were no schools in the neighborhood. The families living nearest took advantage of this and attended Miss Scarritt's school, two of Nathan Scarritt's children, three of Mrs. Lurton and two of John Wilkins, seven in all, beside the Debaun children. The school created so much noise and confusion at Mr. Debaun's house, that the next year, 1830, it was removed to the old log cabin, built by William Scarritt, a quarter of a mile distant. Elizabeth Peter, a niece of Simon Peter, taught the school in this cabin in 1830. The next year while Miss Scarritt was teacher, the old log cabin caught fire and burned to the ground. George Debaun, resided at the place till the year 1849, and then moved with his family to St. Louis. In the days of the gold mining excitement in California, he started on a venture to the Paci- fic coast, and died in the far west, about the year 1852 Two of his daughters reside in Godfrey township, Elizabeth De- baun, and Jane, the wife of Isaac G. Howell.

In the year 1833 Judge James Webb became a resident of the township, and settled the place north of Godfrey, where James Martin now lives. He came to this state from Syracuse, New York. He held the office of county commis- sioner of Madison county. Of his three daughters, one be- came the wife of George T. M. Davis, a lawyer then-engaged in practice in Alton, and now a resident of New York city. Another resides in the east, and a third, who married Judge William Martin, of Alton, is now living in the township. Judge Webb died in Alton, at the residence of his son-in-law, Judge Martin.

The first improvement on the place, which afterward be- came the residence of Captain Benjamin Godfrey, was made by Calvin Riley, who accompanied Judge Webb to Illinois from the State of New York. He was the brother of the Captain Riley who endured a captivity in Africa, and pub- lished a book widely read in those days, known as " Riley's Narrative," and from this connection was himself known as Captain Riley. He built a stone house, which was pur- chased by Capt. Godfrey, and which, with the additions made by the latter, became the beautiful residence of Capt. Godfrey, in which his widow and son still live. One of

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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

Capt. Riley's daughters became the wife of Amasa Barry, of Alton. Another (Mrs. Drennan), is living at Roodhouse, and another at Boston, Mass. After disposing of his prop- crty to Capt. Godfrey, Riley engaged in the mercantile busi- ness iu Alton but with little success. He also resided one year at Edwardsville, and then returned to this township, and improved a farm on section eight. He met his death in Michigan, while on a fishing excursion. The boat in which he was with two comrades, capsized, and, not knowing how to swim, he was drowned. The first house south of the Godfrey place on the Jerseyville road was built by Captain Riley, and in it George T. M. Davis lived for a time. It was afterward occupied by James Hamilton, who kept it as a hotel. Hamilton was one of the workmen who came fron the east to help build the seminary.

A man namzed Larry Davis lived some years in the north- western part of the township, but made no improvements of importance. Captain Edward Fisher settled about the year 1834 on the place where John Ward now lives. In early life he had been a sailor-the captain of a vessel-and thus acquired the title by which he was known. He was an Englishman, boru at Battle, in Sussex, in the year 1793, and died in 1843. His youngest son, William H. Fisher, was born in England in 1826. He enlisted in the Second Illinois Regiment, for service in the war with Mexico, and died at Saltillo, Mexico, in 1847, of wounds received at the battle of Buena Vista.

M. Jones settled on the Piasa ; and his son, Merriwether Jones, is now living on part of his father's old farm.

Another early resident of the township was Samuel Dela- plain, who lived on the place east of Godfrey, now owned by H. A. Somers. He was born in France, and accompa- nied his father to this country at a very early date. He lived for some years in Macon county, Kentucky, and came to Illinois in 1807. For a time, he was a resident of St. Louis, and then settled near Upper Alton. The settlers were obliged to take refuge in the forts near Edwardsville at the beginning of the Indian hostilities, which lasted during the war of 1812-14. His son, Benjamin Delaplain, who was born in Kentucky in the year 1805, was accustomed to re- late how, when the family reached the fort, he was so alarmed at the preparations which the settlers hurriedly made for defence, and the talk of an anticipated Indian attack, that he crept into a flour barrel for safety, and remained there for some hours. Samuel Delaplain moved to Godfrey town- ship from Upper Alton. At the latter place, Benjamin Delaplain was raised. He learned the trade of a carpenter. For a number of years he kept the Alton House in Alton. Hle moved to the farm in Godfrey township, where his widow now lives, in 1861, and died there in 1876. He had owned this farm many years previous to his settlement on it. Mrs Delaplain, who still resides on the farm, is now one of the old residents of the county. Her maiden name was Elizabeth Reed, and she became the wife of Benjamin De- laplain in 1834. Her father, James C. Reed, was a Virginian by birth. While living at Washington, Rhea county, Tennes- sce, he was asked by John Ross, chief of the Cherokee Na- tion, then on a reservation in Georgia, to become a resident

of the Indian country. He lived with his family among the Indians for five years, and assisted in building them a mill, and instructing them in agriculture. In 1821 he left the Cherokees to come to Illinois. Mrs. Delaplain was then a girl of tender age. At first he was a resident of Edwardsville. In company with a number of young men from Madison county, he went to Galena to work in the lead regions, but was taken seriously ill and returned to Edwardsville. He afterward removed to Brown county, where he lived about twenty years. He died at Brighton. Mrs. Delaplain was living with her sister, the wife of Andrew Miller, in Alton, at the time of her marriage. Andrew Miller became a resi- dent of Lower Alton when there were only two houses there.

Josiah Randle settled in the township about the year 1834, and improved the place where George Lindley now lives. He was born in 1800. His father having died, the mother moved with the children, of whom there were eight sons and one daughter, from Stewart county, Tennessee, to this State, in the year 1814, and settled a short distance southeast of Edwardsville. Josiah Randle lived some years in Edwardsville and vicinity. In 1823 he became the owner of an old mill, built by his uncle, Josias Randle, at Edwards- ville in 1818, and operated it for some time. After coming to Godfrey township, Mr. Randle was one of its best citi- zens. He was a zealous member of the Methodist Church. He died at Brighton in 1857, his death resulting from an accident in a coal shaft which he was visiting.

One of the pioneer citizens of the county, Don Alonzo Spaulding, is still a resident of Godfrey township, which has been his home since the year 1832. He was born in Rutland county, Vermont, in 1797. He acquired a good education in the common schools and in a private academy, and taught school. While his time was divided between farm work and teaching, he studied surveying. With the object of finding employment in surveying the public lands, he left home in May, 1818, and with a pack on his back which contained his clothes and a compass, he journeyed on foot to Olean, New York, a distance of three hundred and seventy miles. Here he met four other young men and joined with them in purchasing a flat boat, for which five dollars was paid. In this they floated and paddled down the river to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, making the distance of three hundred and fifty miles in twenty-one days. Here his companions left him, and he fell in with a family going down the Ohio who had a better boat, and with them made arrangements to board and travel. He landed at Massac. His first service as a surveyor was surveying a twenty-one acre tract of land for the county seat of Johnson county. This work took him six days, and for it he received twenty- five dollars. He made his way ou foot by way of Kaskas- kia, to Edwardsville, where he arrived in July 1818. He knew Hail Mason, then a resident of Edwardsville, and also brought a letter to Dr. Caldwell. He says there was not a good house in the place at that time. During the winter of 1818-19 he was employed in surveying a tract of land thirty miles north of Alton. During the two months in which he was so engaged he did not see a single white man, except the members of his party, and only four Indians.

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History of Madison County, Illinois With biographical sketches, Part 118

Author: Brink, W.R. & Co Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Edwardsville, Ill. : W. R. Brink & co. Number of Pages: 698

Author: Brink, W.R. & Co
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Edwardsville, Ill. : W. R. Brink & co.
Number of Pages: 698