USA > Illinois > Massac County > History of Massac County, Illinois with life sketches and portraits > Part 18
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Fraternally he is a Royal Arch Mason. In 1888 he and Miss Eddie M. White were married. Mr. Moore is influential within the councils of his party.
DAVID GORDON THOMPSON.
John Thompson and wife (nee Anderson) were native Vir- ginians and grandparents of our subject. Gordon Thompson, their son, and father of David Gordon, was born in Giles coun- ty, Va., Dec. 18, 1813, and was brought to Pope county on a visit to his widow mother, coming on horseback. Here he lo- cated a tract of government land and permanently resided there until his death in January, 1892. His wife was Miss Jane Clemens, daughter of David Clemens, of Livingstone county, Ky. The Clemens ancestry were also from Virginia. Mrs. Thompson died in 1862 and Mr. Thompson married Miss Louisa J. Williams.
David Gordon Thompson, youngest child of the first mar- riage, was born near Golconda, Pope county, Illinois, on his father's farm Oct. 21, 1853, and reared thereon until he was 20 years of age. He attended the rural schools and finished his education at the Southern Illinois Normal university, Car- bondale, through which he worked his way, graduating with honor in the class of 1878. He taught four terms, beginning at the age of 19. In 1880 he owned and published the Herald,
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a weekly republican newspaper, for two years. He filled an unexpired term of county superintendent of schools.
While teaching he pursued the study of law under the direction of, now Secretary of State, James A. Rose, and con- tinued his course until admitted to practice in 1884. Iu 1888 he was elected state's attorney and re-elected in 1892. Later he became county judge to fill a vacancy of two years occa- sioned by the resignation of Judge Crow.
He has always been an ardent republican, serving on the county central executive committee, secretary of the commit- tee, delegate to various congressional, judicial and state con- ventions, and a ready campaigner since his majority.
For ten years he has been a member of the Golconda board of education, is an elder in the Presbyterian church, and a Mason and Odd Fellow. April, 1882, he and Miss Mary E., daughter of Jared Huffman, were married. They have a pleasant home and enjoy merited social recognition.
ANTHONY WAYNE WALKER.
Anthony Wayne Walker, son of Dr. James Walker and wife (nee Glass), was born near Rose Bud, Pope county, Illi- nois, March 22, 1859. His mother died when he was 6 years old and his father was in poor circumstances. The family be- came separated but Wayne remained with his father until he was ten years old, when his father remarried and Wayne was given a home near Dixon Springs, Pope county, where he lived until he was 20 and began life on his own account.
He saved enough money while working in a saw mill to pay for one year's schooling and then began to clerk for Wil- liam King of Rose Bud, Illinois. After three years' service with Mr. King he was employed by J. W. McCoy & Son of Gol- conda, and later with J. C. Baker until 1886.
In 1886 he was defeated in the republican primary for the nomination for sheriff by only two votes. In 1894 he was
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elected assessor and treasurer and gave such satisfaction That he was elected sheriff of Pope county in 1898. He is an influential republican.
When defeated for the nomination in 1886 he opened a hardware and implement store and his enterprise and business ability soon built up one of the leading stores in southern Illi- nois. This he sold on being elected sheriff. In 1886 he mar- ried Miss Nannie E. White. They have a commodious home on a beautiful hill in Golconda where with their children they are enjoying life.
TONY R. KERR.
The parents of our subject lived in Hardin county, Ten- nessee, when the war of the rebellion began. The father was for the union and his two oldest sons enlisted in the army of the blue. He was too old to be accepted but was so outspoken that he was compelled to "lay out," as it was then called, and finally with his family fled to Pope county, Illinois, for safety. After the war they returned to their southern home.
Tony R. Kerr, the youngest of ten children, was born in Hardin county, Tennessee, Dec. 24, 1861, and was brought by his parents to Pope county during that long and bloody strug- gle. He returned to Tennessee with them at the close of the war but after the death of his mother (1880) he returned to Pope county, laboring on the farm until November 3, 1886, when he married Miss Melissa Homberg and settled in Rose Bud. Three boys and one girl have blessed this union.
In 1889 he was appointed treasurer of township 14, range 6, Pope county, and elected clerk of road district No. 6. Pope county, in 1890, and re-elected in 1893. Harrington Clanahan, circuit clerk of Pope county, was appointed his chief clerk by James A. Rose, secretary of state, in 1896, and Mr. Kerr was elected to fill the vacancy. He was re-elected in 1900, run- ning ahead of every candidate on the ticket.
Mr. Kerr is a model officer, kind, affable and competent. He and Mrs. Kerr are communicants of the Baptist church and have many friends.
,
DR .J. D YOUNG. (See page 287).
ANTHONY W. WALKER (See page 267).
MITCHELL PELL. (See page 291).
WILLIAM PELL. (See page 292).
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JOHN H. HODGE.
George Hodge, the grandfather, was born in North Caro- lina and removed to Illinois in an early day. William S. Hodge, son of the above, was born in Illinois and his wife, Miss Harriet Taylor, was born in Indiana.
The father, William S. Hodge, was a leading farmer, served through the Mexican and civil wars, was corporal in the Mexican war and was with the detachment that cap- tured Santa Anna. During the civil war he was captain of company E, 120th Illinois infantry. He was severely wound- ed and also spent six months in Libby prison, the Confederate "hell-hole." Returning to his home in Pope county he was twice elected assessor and treasurer and sev- eral times sheriff. January 8, 1884, he died on his farm, hon- ored by his neighbors.
John H. Hodge, son of William Hodge, was born on his father's farm December 18, 1861, labored thereon, attended the rural schools and the city schools of Golconda. In 1889 he attended the State normal university at Carbondale, Illi- nois, one term, returned to begin teaching, which profession he has continuously followed with marked success, gradually and surely rising until in 1898 he was nominated and elected County Superintendent of Public Instruction by the Republi- can party of which he has always been a zealous supporter and valuable member. He is quietly and efficiently adminis- tering the duties of his office with marked ability and effect.
March 30, 1886, Mr. Hodge and Miss Melissa Steagall were married. She was born in Tennessee September 29, 1862, and came with her parents to Pope county. They are both com- inunicants of the Presbyterian church and Mr. Hodge is fra- ternally a Mason. They live in Golconda, Illinois.
In November, 1900, he was elected president of the Teach- ers' Association, which embraces four contiguous counties.
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JOSEPH LAY.
Joseph Lay was born in Johnson county, Illinois, Jan. 1, 1862. Being the son of Moses and Mahala E. Lay, who came to this state from Tennessee in the first settling up of Illinois and entered land from the government known as the Bit Act. Moses Lay, father of Joseph, died at the old homestead in 1870 and left surviving him his widow and six minor children, Joseph being the third child, 9 years old at his father's death.
Being reared by his mother at the old homestead, he tilled the soil during the summer and attended the free schools during the winter until he obtained a fair common school edu- cation. After reaching his majority not being satisfied with a common school education and desiring to acquire a com- mercial education, he entered Ewing college in the spring of 1883 and after a thorough course in said institution he was awarded a diploma, conferring a degree of Master of Ac- counts. Returning home in the fall of 1883, not being satis- fied with his knowledge of bookkeeping, he entered Bryant & Stratton Commercial School at Evansville, Ind .; after a thor- ough course in said institution he was examined and awarded a diploma conferring upon him the degree of Master of Ac- counts by said institution. On returning home he accepted a position as bookkeeper and clerk with the firm of Caldwell & Son, of New Burnsides, Ills. He gave them entire satis- faction and remained until said firm was sold out and retired from business. After this time he returned home and occupied the old homestead, continued farming until the spring of 1885. On March 28, 1885, he was married to Rilda B. Chester, daugh. ter of N. L. Chester of Johnson county, after which he pur- chased a farm of 170 acres in Pope county known as the "Sampson Robinson farm," situated in township 11, range 5 East, and has continued farming ever since, making a fair suc- cess at the business.
The home of Joseph and Rilda B. Lay has been blessed with seven children, five boys and two girls, Harry, born Feb. 12, 1887; Lula, born Feb. 5, 1889; Coy, born Jan. 29, 1891; Mol-
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lie, born Jan. 2, 1893; Chester, born Feb. 8, 1895; Ewell, born Feb. 2, 1897, and Joe, born April 17, 1899, all of whom are still living, except Lula, who died at the age of 2 years.
In the spring of 1898, being desirous of seeking a new field, he came to the conclusion that he would like to be coun- ty clerk of Pope county, and decided to make the race on the republican ticket, of which he is a true-blue. After a hard fight for the place he was nominated by 60 majority over his opponent and was elected in November, 1898, to the office to which he aspired. He took charge of said office Dec. 5, 1898, for a term of four years, and is managing the office with ability and success.
JUDGE W. A. WHITESIDE.
William Arthur Whiteside is a native of Pope county. His father was James A. Whiteside, a native of Illinois, and his mother's maiden name was Malissa E. Andrews. She was born in Pope county, where she married the father of our sub- ject, who was born Feb. 4, 1871, and attended the common schools while laboring on the farm.
At the age of 18 he taught one term of school, but did not like the profession. Returning to the farm he tilled the soil until March, 1892, when he attended a seven weeks' law. school taught by Attorneys Crow and Morris in Golconda. He returned to the farm but continued reading and in 1893 entered the senior class of the law department of the Wes- leyan university, Bloomington, Ills., graduating June 14, 1894, with the degree of LL. B., and was admitted to practice May 17, 1894.
He then came home and clerked for his father until March, 1895, to repay him for aid rendered in securing an education, and then opened an office in Golconda as a regular practitioner. In May a primary was held to nominate a republican candi- date to fill the unexpired term of county judge occasioned by the resignation of Judge Crow, but he was defeated by only 13 votes. In the primary to nominate a candidate for the full term in 1898 he received a handsome majority and in the
18
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fall election was given the biggest majority any candidate ever received in a county election up to that time.
Judge Whiteside has a charming family and enjoys the home circle. He is making a good record as county judge and honors await him.
HON. JOSEPH W. KING.
Captain Joseph W. King was born in Pope county, Illinois, Dec. 29, 1838. He was educated in the common schools of that day and early evinced an aptness at trading. His early life was uneventful, but when the war broke out he readily answered his country's call, enlisting July, 1861, in company F of the twenty-ninth Illinois Infantry, under the command of Colonel James A. Reardin and General John A. McClern- and, and fought in many bloody battles.
After the battle of Shiloh he was discharged and imme- diately raised a company known as company E, 120th Illinois Infantry, of which he was commissioned captain, serving un- til the close of the war.
He returned to Pope county and was appointed deputy sheriff. During President Harrison's administration he was superintendent of the pension building under General Green B. Raum, then commissioner of pensions, and was "written up" in the daily papers for storing a great number of bushels of potatoes and selling them when the market was high.
Captain King was elected by the republicans to the for- tieth General Assembly of Illinois from the Fifty-first Senator- ial district and served with ability. Twice since he has re- ceived the instructions of his home and other counties for the same office, but political fortune favored other counties in conventions. During the forty-first General Assembly he was superintendent of ventilation, a responsible position in the house. He took a boat load of chickens to Cuba in 1876 and merchandised extensively between Galconda and New Or- leans. Fraternally the captain is a Mason and member of the Grand Army of the Republic. He has a happy home, com-
JUDGE W. A. WHITESIDE.
.
1
JOSEPH W. KING,
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posed of a devoted wife and ten children -- five kings and five queens, and his big heart is known throughout the realm.
CHARLES DURFEE.
Charles Durfee was born in Stonefort precinet, Saline Co., Illinois, Nov. 21, 1863. Dr. W. F. Durfee was his father and Mrs. Lucretia Moore Durfee his mother. Both parents died leaving young Durfee a peuniless orphan at an early age.
He worked hard on the farm, improved his spare moments in hard study, attended the common school at times and en- gaged in the profession of teaching in which he was a marked success.
Politics has always enticed him and though not an office holder or office seeker he was elected surveyor of Saline coun- ty in 1892 and has always taken a great interest in each cam- paign. He is a republican and a stalwart.
Under the direction of Judge Crow he read law and was admitted to the bar and formed a partnership with Judge W. A. Whiteside of Golconda, where they do a general legal business. Mr. Durfee has been twice married and lives with luis family in Golconda, surrounded by many warm friends and well wishers.
HARMON L. SEDBERRY.
Harmon L. Sedberry, attorney at law, Golconda, Ill., was born in Smithland, Kentucky, July 6, 1878, and graduated at the Smithland high school in June, 1898.
During the campaign for governor between Governors Taylor and Goebel he spoke in 76 of the 119 counties of the state. He was a delegate from Livingstone county to the re- publican state convention that nominated Governor Taylor and was the member of the committee on resolutions in that convention from the First Congressional distriet.
In the campaign of 1900 he spoke many times in his adopted county of Pope, and from Oct. 25th he spent the re- mainder of the time in Kentucky. It will be readily seen that his services are in demand in campaigning.
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For three years he was county examiner of Livingstone county and was admitted to the bar at Smithland, Ky., Sept. 6th, 1899. April 12, 1900, he came to Golconda, Pope county, and formed a co-partnership with Attorney W. S. Morris, which partnership exists today.
MAYOR FRANK ADAMS.
He is the son of Lewis and Hannah Adams, of Hutson- ville, Crawford county, Illinois, was born Dec. 17, 1865, in Gal- veston, Indiana, and educated in the public schools.
At Hutsonville he learned telegraphy and gradually rose in positions of responsibility in the railroad service. Ile was agent at Metropolis, Princeton, Ky., and Paducah, Ky At the latter place he was not only agent but was made cashier of the freight department. His railroad service covered 14 years.
In 1895 he went into the furniture and undertaking bus- iness in Metropolis. In 1897 he was elected mayor and re- elected in 1899 by an increased majority. As mayor the water and light bonded indebtedness has been reduced $4,000.00. The old levee bonds refunded at a saving of $780 interest an- mually, a public library established, and Franklin park, so beautified that it is a popular resort for the best citizens; Washington park has also been reclaimed, while several miles of graveled streets, blocks of granitoid walks and an improved water and light plant unexcelled by any similar city stand as evidences of his administration.
HON. WILLIAM H. GREEN.
Willis Green, the grandfather, was one of the earliest set- tlers of Kentucky, first delegate from the district of Kentucky to the Virginia legislature, clerk of the first district court, and registrar of the Kentucky land office.His ancestry came or- iginally (1630) from the province of Leinster, Ireland, and settled in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. Dr. Duff Green
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was his son, a thoroughly educated and practical physician, who married Lucy, niece of Simon Kenton, the noted frontiers- man, of Scotch descent.
William Henry Green, son of Dr. and Mrs. Duff Green, was born Dec. 8, 1830, in Boyle county, Ky. He secured a classical education at Centre college, Danville, Ky., of which institution his learned uncle, Rev. Lewis W. Green, D. D., was president. In 1847 the family moved to Mount Vernon, Ill., where Dr. Green practiced his profession until his death, 1857.
When 17 young William Henry began life on his own ac- count, taught school in Benton, Franklin county, Illinois, and for three years in St. Louis county, Mo. During this time he read law under Judge Walter B. Scates, the first judge as- signed to the bench of Massac county, and chief justice of the supreme court of Illinois. In 1852 he was admitted to the bar and practiced about a year in Jefferson county, when he re- moved to Metropolis, Ill., enjoying a lucrative practice for ten years and purchased large tracts of land, among them "Old Ft. Massac."
In 1858 as a democrat he was elected a member of the House in the twenty-first General Assembly from the Second Senatorial district. Speaker William R. Morrison appointed him chairman of the committee on judiciary and he became a leader of his party and an admirer of Stephen A. Douglas, who was elected United States Senator. In 1860 he was re- turned but his party was in the minority of which side he be- came the leader. In 1863 he was elected to the Senate and was his party's leader in that body on committees and on the floor of the Senate. In 1865 he was elected circuit judge in the third judicial circuit and served three years. Excepting this interval he has been district attorney for the Illinois Central railroad.
He was a delegate to the national conventions of his party during 1860, '64 and '68 and a member of the state central committee for years. Since 1861 he has been appointed and re-appointed a member of the State Board of Education. He is a strong believer in the principles of the christian religion
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and a vigorous defender of the same. In 1854 he married Miss Ann L. Hughes, daughter of James R. Hughes, of Morganfield, Ky., who is the mother of two sons, Duff and Reed, named in honor of ancestors. Mrs. Green died in 1865 and Mr. Green in 1868 was united in marriage to Miss Louise Hughes, sister of his former wife.
In manner Judge Green is a polished gentleman and his conversation is sprightly, terse, instructive and entertaining, flowing as it does from a well filled fountain of intelligence and seasoned with the wisdom of over a half century of wide experience. He is kind, considerate and modest. In the forum he is logical, resourceful and ornate. At the bar he is an able, judicious and fearless advocate, ranking among the best lawyers of the state.
HON. GEORGE E. MARTIN.
George E. Martin, Mound City, was born in Osage, Frank- lin county, Illinois, July 7, 1865, attended the rural schools finished his education at the Southern Illinois Normal univer- sity, and taught school a number of years.
In 1893 he was admitted to the bar after having finished his legal education at the Wesleyan University, Bloomington, Ill., and located in Mound City. He was elected a representa- tive in the forty-first General Assembly of Illinois from the Fifty-first Senatorial district, and in 1900 was elected state's attorney of Pulaski county on the republican ticket. He also did acceptable campaign work.
December 24, 1895, he married Miss Ada L. Read, of Mound city, and they have a happy home in her native city.
REV. W. T. MORRIS.
Jesse Morris, great grandfather, was a Virginian whose English ancestry early came to America. His son, James R., was born in Virginia and moved to West Tennessee, entered land, was a slave holder, and died there. His son, Milton D.,
HON. GEORGE E. MARTIN.
REV. W. T, MORRIS.
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was born in Weakley county, Tennessee, Dec. 31, 1828, was reared on a farm and was also a teacher of vocal music. In 1865 he moved to McCracken county, Ky., near Paducah, thence to Illinois, near Hillerman, Massac county, in about 1890, where he resided until his death May 1, 1897.
Nancy C. Grimes, who became the wife of M. D. Morris, was the daughter of Robert Grimes, a native of North Caro- lina; he emigrated to middle Tennessee, thence to Kentucky, . later Metropolis, 1868 or '69, and died on his farm near the Powers church, 1883. She is still living.
William Thomas Morris, son of Milton D. and Nancy C. Morris, was born in Weakley county, Tenn., July 24, 1853, at- tended subscription schools until he came to his Grandfather Grimes in 1874, when he completed the common school course in our city schools. He aspired to the law but ill health changed his course and in 1879 he purchased and operated a threshing machine for three months, during which time 40,000 bushels were threshed at 5 cents a bushel.
He had been a local preacher a year and on the day he quit threshing a call was sent to him by Presiding Elder Wal- lar to take charge of the McLeansboro circuit. He could not go, but in February, 1880, took charge of the Liberty circuit, Enfield, Ill.
In the fall of 1880 he entered the Southern Illinois Acad- emy at Enfield and completed his academic education and joined the Southern Illinois annual conference in September, 1883, and has continuously grown in influence as a pastor and minister of ability, and high character, holding not only the circuits but such stations as St. Elmo, three years; Fairfield, three years, and now in his second year in Metropolis. During his labors here the church has materially advanced along all lines and the indebtedness of the congregation for their hand- some building shown elsewhere is being rapidly and surely paid.
In McLeansboro he married Miss Nettie L. Summers, who died at Fairfield, May 12, 1897, and on September 22, 1898, he was united in marriage to Mrs. Anna B. Goldburgh, of Fair- field.
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BROOKLYN PRECINCT.
When Elijah McCormick, Sr., came to Illinois in 1819 there was a lone log cabin situated on the present site of Brooklyn, occupied by a colored family. The state of Illinois had been admitted one year. In the fifties the land was owned by Captain Davis, an early river man, and while in his pos- session was laid out as a town in 1850 and chartered by a spe- cial act of the legislature in 1855, twelve years after Massac became a county. The point was then known as the Davis Landing.
The early history of Brooklyn is quite interesting. Along in the fifties parties could lay out a town, place a value upon the land, deposit a plat of said town with the auditor of state, establish a private, free, or wild-cat bank, and issue paper money to the value of said lots. Men living in Massac county accordingly "laid off" the village, drew a map of the same, which also showed the railroad survey upon which they claim- ed a road was "sure to be built immediately," valued the lots at $400.00 an acre and issued their wild-cat money thereon from their bank, offices of which were opened in Metropolis and Brooklyn. Then it was that men carried what was called a detector with which to compare the thousands of dollars of fiat money, to determine the genuine. Then it was that a creditor dodged the debtor and locked his door at night for fear of being paid on account in currency that the next hour might prove worthless.
Soon after this Brooklyn went down and did not revive until the war, when a slight "boom" struck the town and it increased in population but again started down hill until the coming of the railroad in 1888. Along with the railroad came the "boot-legger," who promiscuously sold whiskey to man and boy until the good citizens proposed to stop lawlessness which made the nights hideous.
Accordingly Dr. J. D. Young and others re-organized un- der the special charter in 1888 and instituted a municipal gov-
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ernment for self-protection. In 1890 the organization was changed to that of a village under the general statute and has been so conducted since. Dr. J. D. Young became the first mayor and served a number of terms; William Pell succeeded him for several terms, who was followed by Dr. C. A. Mozeley, he, by O. H. Margrave, and Mr. Pell is mayor at present.
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