History of Madison County, Illinois With biographical sketches, Part 123

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

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PRESENT BUSINESS.

Physician .- Fred. Halsey.

General Stores .- C. F. Lobbig and Ernst Greible ..

Blacksmith Shops .- Jacob Hoffer, John Ost, and Nicholas Ost.

Painter .- Simon Koeppe. Shoemaker .- Jacob Luft.

Saloons .- Ramers Bros., John G. Gregory.

Fosterburg Cemetery was originally a private burying ground. John C. Young and Thomas Eaton each donated a fraction of an acre, after which it was used by the public until 1873, when an association was organized and a charter obtained under the general law for a cemetery. The associ- ation purchased more land, added to it, and made consider- able improvements. The village has 130 inhabitants.

WOOD'S STATION,

Is located on section 29, on the line of the Chicago, Bur- lington and Quincy railroad, which passes from north to south through the western part of the township. It is a great convenience to the people in that neighborhood.

BIOGRAPHY.

WILLIAM E. HILL

WAS born in Livingstone county, Kentucky, on the 11th day of January, 1807, being the fourth child in a family of eight children, of whom five were boys and three, girls. Their father, David Hill, was a native of North Carolina, who removed to Kentucky, and settled on a farm, near the closc of the last century. W. E. Hill, when a youth, at- tended school ; but the facilities for learning were so slight that he reached the age of manhood before making much

progress in the art of reading or writing. Upon leaving school he worked upon his father's farm, and at the age of twenty-two, married Miss Martha Wilson, the daughter of a neighboring farmer. For a brief period after marriage, he remained located upon a portion of his father's farm, and then removed, with his young wife, to the State of Illi- nois, and settled on a farm in the northern part of St. Clair county, a little south of the town of Collinsville. Here Mr.

FARM RESIDENCE OF CORYDON C. BROWN, SEC. 23 T. 6 R. 9 (FOSTERBURG TR) MADISON, CO. ILL.

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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

Hill bad the misfortune to lose his wife, who died, leaving one son, named Anthony, who lived to the age of fifty. One year later, in 1831, Mr. Hill, not being satisfied with the location, removed to Madison county, and settled upon a half section of land in what is now Fosterburg township.

About the year 1835, Mr. Hill again married. The name of his second wife was Mary Brooks, daughter of Asa Brooks, of Fosterburg, and formerly of New York. By this union he has had a family of thirteen children, six of whom are now living, namely : Henry, John, George, Annie,

Martha and Charlotte. Mr. Hill has now a fine farm in a good state of cultivation, to which he has given almost his entire attention. Mr. Hill has acted as school director for a number of years, the only official position he would accept. In politics he was originally a Whig and strong Abolition- ist and staunch supporter of his intimate friend, Lovejoy. Religiously, he was inclined to the Presbyterian faith, but, as there was no church of that denomination in the neigh- borhood, he has lately become a member of the Methodist church.

NEW DOUGLAS.

HIS, one of the smallest townships, is situated in the northeast corner of the county, and is a rectangle five and a half miles long by three and three- quarter miles wide, bounded on the north by Montgomery county, on the east by Bond county, on the south by Leef and on the west by Olive town- ship. The south and west is drained by the tributaries of Silver Creek. Dry Fork Branch is in the

northeast part, where it is slightly timbered. There is some timber also on the west side. The remainder and greater part of the township is a beautiful prairie that has been settled principally within the past thirty years. The first settler was Daniel Funderburk, a native of South Carolina, born in 1786 and served through the war of 1812, under Gen. Smith. He located on section seven in the fall of 1819. For several years he was the only resident of the territory that now comprises this township. In 1823, he taught the first school in a small cabin built near his residence. The children attending lived in the adjoining township. Mr. Funderburk lived on the place that he im- proved until his death December 11, 1838. He raised a family of eleven children, six sons and five daughters, viz : Sarah, Thomas, John, Elizabeth, Martha, Henry, Daniel, Julia A., Emily, Samuel, and Edward who died in the late war. Only two of his children now live near the settle ment, Thomas and Julia, now Mrs. Kell. The latter resides in Worden, and Thomas is a prominent farmer in the south- ern edge of Macoupin county, and has served the people at various times in different positions of trust. John L. Carlock came into the township about 1831 December 14, 1833, entered the first tract of land. the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section 19, now part of the S.

A. Isaacs place. Carloek improved a forty aere farm, and moved from here to Adams county, and subsequently went to Missouri. The Methodists held their early meetings at his residence. Cornelius Wood, a brother-in-law, located on a place southwest of Carlock's in section 19, about the same time. Ile improved a small farm here, and filled the office of Justice of the Peace for some time. He afterward moved to Bond county where he died. Robert Greening came in 1830, and located on the same section, south of Wood's, now the Fred Rinner place, where he continued to reside uutil his death. He was a strict member of the Baptist church, and meetings were conducted at his house regularly for many years. Jackson Allen, a native of Virginia, came to the county in 1837, and settled in the township on section 17, in the spring of that year. His location was some dis- tance out in the prairie, where he improved a good farm and continued to reside until he lost his wife in 1862. Ile then lived principally at his daughter's near by until his death in 1870. He raised a family of seven children, six boys and one girl, viz .: Andrew, George, Abraham, Isaac, David, Thomas, and Mary who married Andrew Jackson. Abraham who lives in the village of New Douglas, is the only one of the family now iu the county. John P. Lindsey settled the H. Manshott place in section 20, in 1840. He was the second to settle out on the prairie.

The second school house, a log building put up about 1839, stood on the west part of section 18. Nelson Sparks was the first teacher. John Funderburk, son of Daniel and Mary Funderburk, was the first born, Septem- ber 3, 1822. The first death that of Mary, wife of Daniel Funderburk, occurred August 7, 1838. To the first mar- riage, the contracting parties were Aaron Voyles and Sarah Funderburk, in 1834.

Alonzo Foster came to the county in 1819 with his father,

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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

Oliver Foster, who settled in Salu and afterward at Foster- burg, where he died. Mr. A. Foster came to New Douglas township in 1857. He was born in Maine, and was three years of age when his father settled in Madison county. When he located on section 16, in 1857, all the region about him was an open prairie. IIe laid out the town of New Douglas, September 5, 1860, on the west part of the southwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section 16. The original towu contained twenty acres. Foster and Owen laid out an addition afterward on the west side of the road, and other additions have since been laid out. The corporate limits now include the whole of section 16. The T. C. and St. Louis extends through the township, intersecting the southern corporate limit of New Douglas. In 1860, Costen Sawyer put up the first business house, in which he opened a small stock of goods. The same year he built a black- smith shop and employed John Trype to work in it; Trype afterward conducted a shop on his own account. The second store was started by Dr. William F. Rubottom in 1863. He got a post-office established the same year, with mails twice a week from Staunton. The town has now a daily mail from the same place. Dr. Rubottom was the first physician. He came in 1860, and continued to practice about five years and then went west. The first regular hotel was built in 1876, by Rodo Latowsky, the present owner and proprietor. The public school building was re- built after the cyclone on a larger plan. It is a two story frame building with three rooms, where three teachers are employed. The flouring mill, with two run of hurrs, was built by Martin B. Day on a cheap plan. After about five years it was improved by R. P. Finney. Subsequently it was improved hy Foster & Dee. In 1879, Murdock & Fletcher became the owners and improved the machinery. They sold it to Mrs. Anna Easton, and the mill is now run by Amos Eastou. No town in the county, in proportion to its size has so many churches, there being six. The Metho- dist South was erected in 1867. It was destroyed in the cyclone of 1876, and rebuilt in 1880, ou a plan somewhat less than the original. The Baptist church, 30x44 feet, was built in 1869.

In 1874, the Lutherans built a neat frame church that was destroyed in the cyclone and was immediately rebuilt about its former size. The Catholics, who have the largest congregation, erected their church in 1870. The Methodist church, a neat brick edifice, was built in 1877. The Christ- ian church was erected in 1878.

PRESENT BUSINESS.

Physicians .- W. W. Sharp, B. H. Mckinney, A. F. Dusenberry.

Postmaster .- J. W. Lord.

General Store .- Long & Epstine, Marney & Foster, Robert Alsop.

Groceries and Confectionery .- Greening & McMullen. Groceries .- J. B. Bishop. Drugs .- Lord & Livery.

Hardware .- I. A. Olive.

Butcher .- Robert Page, Jr.

Hurness and Saddlers .- Latowsky & Douglas.

Millinery and Dressmaking .- Mrs. Rosie Huber, Mrs. Ehard, Mrs. Eisenbach.

Barber .- W. E. McDaniel.

Undertaker, Furniture und Agricultural Implements .- Watson & Son.

Agricultural Implements and Buggies .- E. F. Wait.

Blacksmith Shops .- William Long, John Hinc, B. W. Stepp. Wagon Shop .- John F. Smith.

Shoe Makers .- Fred. Balweg, Jacob Melheim, Paul Douglas.

Hotel .-- Rodo Latowsky. Livery .- N. B. Jernigan.

SOCIETIES.

Madison Lodge, No. 560, A. F. and A. M, was chartered October 1, 1867, with the following charter members : John J. Wilber, Master ; M. A. Cline, John L. Steward, Francis Reeding, G. W. Bently, J. A. Whiteside, H. C. Young, William Denney, B. J. Vallentine, Willis McGilvary, A. J. Fleming. Present membership thirty-three.

New Douglas Lodge, No. 547, I. O. O. F., instituted April 30th, 1874. Charter members: J. W. Nicodemus, N. G .; James R. Prickett, V. G .; Allen H. Newliu, John C. Long, and Albert Camlet. Present membership, twenty- three.

The 27th of February, 1876, a very violent cyclone passed through the township, entering at section 30, travel- ing in a due northeast direction taking its exit in section 3, on the south side of Dry Fork Branch. It passed directly through the western part of the village of New Douglas, entirely demolishing eleven dwellings, two churches, school- house and Masonic hall. It damaged a great many other buildings, by removing them from their foundations, un- roofing, etc. The cyclone struck the M. E. Church South while an afternoon meeting was heing conducted. About forty persons were in the building at the time. Henry C. Young, a local minister and resident of the town, was killed. The church, a frame, 30 by 40 feet, was torn to atoms and seut whirling through the air. A great many were seriously injured, The German Lutheran church iu the line of the storm was also made a total wreck. The five persons that were in Masonic Hall at the time it was destroyed all received more or less injury. The most seriously injured was Robert Alsop, who was taken out from the broken timbers with a crushed limb In the edge of the village farther north, although not in the exact line of destruction, some friends were performing the last sad rites of the dead, when the storm came upon them spreading devastation and horror on every side. Wagons were over- turned, the beds crushed to splinters and carried away. Several women seeing the storm approaching ran to a house near by for refuge. No sooner had they gained the inside than the building was picked up, whirled round and dashed to the ground a mass of broken timbers mingled with mangled humanity ; oue lady had a babe killed in her arms,

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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

another had an ankle broken, another an arm, and every one that took refuge in the house was more or less injured.

The names of those who have represented the township in the Board of Supervisors appear below : Andrew Jack-

son was elected in 1876 and held office one term ; Abram Alleu was Supervisor in 1878-79; Martin Jones, elected iu 1879, served one term ; J. F. Long was first cliosen in 1880, and has since held the office, being the present incumbent.

HAMEL.

RIOR to township organization, Hamel con- tained a part of Edwardsville, Worden, and Omph-Ghent precincts. It now com- prises the whole of town five, range seven, bounded on the north hy Omph-Ghent, east by Alhambra, south by Pin Oak, and west by Fort Russell. It is drained by Cahokia and Silver creek and their tributaries. The former flows through the northwest part in a southerly direction, and the latter in the same direction through two sections in the southeast part. Along the Cahokia a considerable quantity of timber is found, and the land is somewhat broken. The larger part of the township is a beautiful prairie, well adapted to agri- culture. The Wabash railroad extends through it, entering at section nineteen and passing out at seetion two. Carpen- ter is the shipping point. To the papers of Hon. Robert Aldrich we are largely indebted for much of the data in this chapter. Mr. Aldrich was born in Worcester county, Mass., January 4th, 1794. In the fall of 1816, he, in com- pany with his brother Anson, started on foot for the Illinois Territory. On their way westward, in the vicinity of Xenia, Ohio, they met some Massachusetts friends who had pre- ceeded them, with whom they remained and worked until the following fall, when they resumed their journey. At Cincinnati they fell in with Henry and George Keley, bro- thers, who with the family of Henry Keley were on their way to Edwardsville, Illinois. The Rileys had what was called a family boat, and the Aldrich brothers decided to go with them. The party floated down the Ohio until they reached Shawneetown. This was in October 1817. Here the Keleys decided to follow the river no farther and disembarked. They had brought three horses and a wagon on the boat. Here the little haud decided to go first to Kaskaskia. The horses were hitched to the wagon, the women, children and household effects placed in it, and the journey commenced overland, through a country devoid of bridges. Oftentimes the wagon box had to be utilized as a ferry boat. Swim- ming the horses over was an easy task, but the danger

of getting the family aeross swollen streams with floating timbers, in this frail craft, was perilous. The party consisted of the two Keleys, Mrs. Ann Young, her two grandchildren, viz: Henry T. Bartling and Harriet Bartling, Mrs. Henry Keley and Robert and Anson Ald- rich." After arriving at Kaskaskia and resting the horses a few days, Henry Keley and the Aldriches mounted and rode up to Edwardsville, leaving George Keley with the women and children. They arrived at Edwardsville in the early part of November, and put up at the publie house of Col. John T. Lusk. They secured the services of George Coventry who was acquainted with the country to show them around. After inspecting the settlement for a time, Mr. Keley decid- ed to locate in section twenty-nine of this township, the north line of which was the limit of the government surveys that had been made up to this time. On this section Henry Keley, assisted by the Aldriches, built a cabin, and on the 4th of January, 1818, his family having arrived from Kaskaskia, they began their cabin life, the Aldriches boarding with them. With the exception of a small improvement made in the year 1811, and abandoned at the commencement of the war of 1812, by a man named Ferguson on section seven, just below the crossing of Cahokia creek by the Alton and Greenville road, this house of Capt. Keley's was the first dwelling erected in the township. The Kaskaskia and Peoria Trace, an old track made before the commencement of this century, passing along the center of Ridge Prairie (called by the French Praire Du Long) through this town- ship, and a "trail " made by rangers from Wood river to Bond county, were the only roads in 1818.

Thomas Barnet, a native of Gibson county, Tennessee, in 1817, started to emigrate to Missouri and arrived at Edwardsville late in the fall of that year. Ile was a mar- ried man at that time and had one child, Juliet. She is now Mrs. William H. High, a widow, and lives in St. Joseph, Missouri. The winter coming on, Mr. Barnet concluded to remain at Edwardsville until spring, when he would con- tinue his journey. He rented a small cabin of John T. Lusk, that stood near the old fair grounds, isto which he

532

HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

moved his family. He eing an active man, and desiring some occupation for the coming winter, entered the south- west quarter of section 32, October 23, 1817, and built a cabin and made other improvements, such as splitting rails, etc. This was the third entry in the township. John Edgar made the first, April 29th, 1815, entering five tracts in sec- tions eighteen and thirty. Joseph Smith made the second, October 21st, 1817, entering two hundred and forty acres in section twenty-five. Mr. Barnet was the first to improve entered land. He erected his cabin where the house of his son K. T. Barnet now stands. He worked diligently on the place all winter and, in the following March, moved the family out from Edwardsville in order to be near his work, but with the firm intention of selling out during the summer and continuing his journey to his intended destination, as soon as the roads would permit. But after becoming settled he concluded perhaps this was as good a country as he could find on the west side of the Mississippi. So he remained and died here, April 2d, 1852, aged seventy-three years. His wife died June 25th, 1846. They had eight children born to them in this county, viz: Nancy B., Ruth, Samuel P., Thomas J., Kimbrough Tinsley O , Sarah M., Rufus C., and Alfred P. The four brothers live in the settlement and are farmers. Thomas J., the oldest of the brothers, was born Sep- tember 10th, 1824, on the old place, and is now the oldest native born citizen of the township. Bennet Jones occupied a cabin on section three, during the early part of 1818. Allen and Keltner made small improvements on section five, the same year, but sold out directly and left. Archi- bald Lamb commenced his improvement in 1818, in section three, where he made a good farm on which he lived until his death. In 1818, Samuel Walker built a cabin on section thirty, where B. Bange now lives. He lived a few years and then moved away. William Mize settled the Col. Thomas Judy place. Francis Roach born in Fairfax coun- ty, Virginia, a Revolutionary soldier, and Indian fighter in Kentucky, came into the Illinois Territory, in 1807, and into this township twenty years later and located on section three, where he lived until his death, in the year 1845, at the ad- vanced age of one hundred and six years. He was a man of very small stature, and of wonderful activity. When quite advanced in life he delighted to go out with the boys and " lay patterns," as he called it, for them to jump to. He would jump up and strike his heels twice together before coming down, and then laugh heartily to see the youth of the neighborhood try it again and again without success. His son, David, also died near the old place. His daughter married John Armstrong, who was the first settler in the northern part of Shelby county, Illinois. James Wilder settled the George McCune place in an early day. Robert Aldrich settled on the east side of section twenty-nine. The cabins of Capt. Keley, Wilder and Aldrich stood in a row extending east and west on the same section. Keley and Wilder afterward moved away, and none of their descendants now live in the county. Aldrich improved a good farm here, married, reared a family, and became one of the prominent citizens of the county. He represented the county in the state legislature of 1842. His death occurred on the old

homestead. His brother Anson died many years ago, and was buried near where they first settled.

" Wheat that was sown in the fall of 1818, proved to be a good crop. It was the first harvested in the township. Many of the wheat fields, in 1820, were affected with what was termed ' sick wheat.' Persons who ate bread made from it would sicken and proceed to vomit, but instinct taught the brute creation to reject it. A dog might snatch a piece of bread thrown to him but would immdiately drop it. Neither cattle nor swine would eat it, and some farmers burned their stacks, deeming it utterly worthless." About 1820, Henry Keley built on section twenty-nine, what was called a “ band- mill," in which rawhide bands were extensively used instead of cogs It contained a good bolting cloth and chest, but was operated for a short time only as it did not pay. In Mr. Aldrich's reminiscences he says : "There was not an apple, pear, peach, or cherry tree or any thing of the sort, except such as were in the wild state, in the township when I reach- ed it in 1817. It was a wilderness. In 181., Henry Keley and Anson Aldrich went to Griffith's nursery at Portage, Des Sioux, in St. Charles county, Missouri, and got apple grafts. They wrapped deerskins around the middle of their packages, so they could be placed before them on their horses, and thus they were brought to our settlement. That was the start of my old orchard, fifty-six years ago which bore fruit last year, 1874. Not far from the same period Archi- bald Lamb and Thomas Barnet set out apple ( rchards." Of the early settlers of Madison county, none are more widely known than the Judys. Col. Thomas Judy was a son of Col. Samuel Judy. He was born December 19th, 1804, at the old Judy homestead iu the Goshen settlement. He was three times married. His first wife was Lavisa Snyder, daughter of Jacob Snyder, one of the early settlers of Madi- son county, whom he married March 23d, 1826 The chil- dren of this union all died young, excepting Margaret, who became the wife of James L McCorkell.

Col Judy married Nancy Hayes in 1833. She died eleven years later. His third wife was Mrs. Demaris Barns- back, widow of George Barnsback. He lived in the Amer- ican Bottom until 1849, where he improved a large and val- uable farm. In 1850 he came to this township. He was a very successful farmer and an extensive land owner. In 1852 and '53 he represented his county in the Legislature. His death occurred October 4th, 1880, at a good old age. His widow survives him, and lives at the place where he spent the last thirty years of his life. He reared a large family, now mostly deceased. His sons, Thomas and Wil- liam, are prominent farmers of the county and live on parts of the old homestead, the former in Pin Oak township, and the latter in Hamel. John and Jefferson Fruit were among the first to improve farms in the prairie in the southern part of the township. A more extended notice of this family will be found in the Pin Oak chapter. Among the promi- nent early settlers was Judge H. K. Eaton, a native of Adams county, Mississippi. He was born April 4th, 1811, but spent his early manhood in the state of Kentucky, where he married Miss Elizabeth Pomeroy. In 1836 he moved to Illinois, and located in Edwardsville, his first residence being

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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

the house now occupied by F. A. Wolf. He was a cabinet maker by trade, and for many years followed his trade in the city of Edwardsville. By his probity aud uprightness in business matters, he gained the full confidence of the people. His good qualities soon pointed him out as one to be trusted with public matters, and he was chosen to the of- fice of county commissioner, and probate judge, the duties of which he discharged with remarkable ability and fidelity Although he was no lawyer by profession, his excellent judg- ment and sound common sense, peculiarly fitted him for either the Bench or Bar. After serving the people of the county so faithfully and well he withdrew from public life and retired to his farm in what is now Hamel township. It was here that he died, the 1st of April, 1881, being nearly three-score and ten years of age. His son, W. P. Eaton, now resides on the homestead.

The first death in the township was that of Mrs Harber, while she with her husband was on a visit to an old acquain- tance in the vicinity of Archibald Lamb's place.

The Omph-Ghent post office is kept at the residence of John Weaver in the extreme northwest part of the town- ship. Hamel's corner was started by Frederick Wolf in 1865. He built a large brick building and opened a general stock of goods. He also built a feed stable and en- tertained travelers. Before the railroad was built through the township there was a considerable amount of travel on the St. Louis and Hillsboro and the Alton and Greenville roads, which passed the corners. He did quite a thriving business until 1874, when he rented his establishment to his brothers, Ernest and William. The former has since pur- chased the building and bought his brother William's inter- est, and is now conducting a good paying business. In 1867 Christian Traub started a blacksmith shop and continued the business until he died three years ago. The same year, after the blacksmith shop was started, G. A. Engelmann built a wagon shop and has continued in the business to present time. In 1869 A. J. Hamel, John Handshy & Sparks built a flouring-mill with two run of burrs. About four years after it was moved away. The upper story was cut off and converted into a blacksmith shop, now the pro- perty of William Wendlandt. In 1868 Hamel built a frame store building and opened a general store. He sold out afterward and the firm changed several times. The building and most of the stock of goods were consumed by fire in the spring of 1830. Hamel sold to George H. Eugelmann in 1871, who had a post office established the following year For a time the mail was carried from Worden in a common two-bushel wheat sack by a private carrier, paid by the citi-

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History of Madison County, Illinois With biographical sketches, Part 123

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