USA > Illinois > McDonough County > History of McDonough County, Illinois, together with sketches of the towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent individuals, and biographies of the representative citizens > Part 46
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a neat residence for her comfort. A short time before her removal, in Oc-
age of 75 years. Four children survive her to the other shore, at the advanced tober, 1882, the hand of death removed her. Elizabeth, Louise, now the widow of Mr. R. B. Hammond; Edgar, and Margaret, wife of L. R. Colling. Mr. Bolles, Sr., now resides in Macomb, at
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the place purchased by his son, Edgar. In politics Mr. Bolles affiliates with the republicans, having held several local offices of trust, but does not aspire to office, his practice requiring his constant attention. He is also a member of the Masonic fraternity. In the career of Dr. Bolles there is an excellent lesson for young men. Inheriting not a dollar, and at the age of 21 without a penny to begin life, he worked his way for two years through a good high school, ob- taining an education to fit himself for a teacher, which profession he adopted as a temporary expedient to enable him to obtain means to pursue a course of study for the medical profession. Entering a medical college, he soon graduated with high honors, and is now recognized as one of the leading physicians in the county. To enable him to accomplish all this he spent about $2,000, every dol- lar of which he secured by hard labor. And yet there are hundreds, thousands, of young men who utterly bewail their fate, and say they can't advance. As a man he enjoys the respect of all who are acquainted with him; his social qualities commend him to all alike, and in the home circle he is kind and gentle in the extreme.
Dr. W. O. Blaisdell, one of the most prominent physicians of McDonough county, is a native of the town of Orland, Hancock county, Maryland, and was raised on a farm. In 1851, while yet a young man, he went to California and engaged in mercantile pursuits, but his affiliation for his old home in his native state at the other end of the nation, caused him to leave California five years later. After a few months spent in his
old home he again turned his steps west- ward, going to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he commenced the study of medicine. After undergoing a thorough course of study, he left Cincinnati and went to Mississippi, and also visited several other cities in the South in 1859. Dr. Blais- dell knew there was a rebellion brewing in the air, and being a strong union man he came North and located in McDon- ough county, Illinois, in 1860, and ten years later moved to Macomb, where he has since been engaged in the practice of his profession, and has met with marked success. The doctor keeps well up in his profession, and has the reputation-well deserved-of being the leading homeo- pathic physician in McDonough county. In the year 1865, Dr. W. O. Blaisdell and and Ella M. Stilson, a native of Water- ville, Maine, were united in marriage. Her death, which occurred in 1876, was mourned by the family and a large num- ber of acquaintances. She left one child, Walter S., who still lives with his father. Politically, the doctor is an ardent re- publican, but does not aspire to politi- cal preferment.
Dr. I. M. Martin, one of the promi- nent physicians of Macomb, and the present city clerk of that city, is a son of J. M. and Henrietta G. (Westfall) Mar- tin, and was born in the city of Macomb on the 9th of September, 1853. He grad- uated from the Macomb high school in the class of 1870, and the following year commenced the study of medicine, hav- ing Dr. B. R. Westfall as his preceptor. He continued reading medicine, and also taught school during the winter seasons, until 1875, in which year he entered the Hahnemann medical college, at Chicago.
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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.
The following year he went to Eyota, Minnesota, where he entered upon the practice of his chosen profession, and met with good success. Here he remain- ed for two years, then returned to his native county, and, subsequently, again attended the Hahnemann medical col- lege, from which popular institution he graduated with honors in the spring of 1881. He then returned to Macomb, and engaged in practice, and, although the youngest member of his profession in that city, Dr. Martin has a very large practice, which keeps constantly increas- ing. On the 5th day of September, 1883, Dr. I. M. Martin and Elsie Taylor, a daughter of Colonel Samuel E. Taylor, were united in the holy bonds of matri- mony. As a result of that union, they are now the parents of one son, Morris C. The doctor affiliates with the repub- lican party, and is the present city clerk, this being his third term. He has faith- fully and honestly discharged the duties of his office, and has succeeded in gain- ing for himself the encomiums of the ad- herents of both political parties. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Ancient Order of United Workingmen lodges of Macomb.
R. Harris, A. M., M. D., now a resi- dent of Macomb, is a native of Virginia, born in Charlotte county, April 6, 1812. His parents were Robert and Mary (Bailey) Harris, both of whom died when the object of this sketch was a child. In 1830 he went to Kentucky, in which state he received his classical and medical education, by personal applica- tion, supplemented by a course of in- struction at Hahneman college, Chicago, from which institution he is a graduate.
He came to this county in October, 1849, and engaged in the ministry, taking charge of McDonough college, of which school he was principal a number of years. He was subsequently pastor of the Presbyterian church for a time. In 1855 he removed to Missouri, and re- turned to this county in 1861. In 1862 he went into the service as chaplain of the 84th Illinois volunteer infantry, but in consequence of poor health, came home. During his stay in Missouri he met with an accident which crippled him for life and was unable to endure the life inci- dent to the army. In 1864 he practiced medicine at Warsaw, Hancock county, Illinois, and subsequently at Pittsfield, Mt. Sterling and other places. He re- turned to this county in 1878, locating first at Colchester. He is now by reason of age and infirmity unable to practice to any extent. He was first married to Martha P. Hughs who died shortly after- ward leaving one child-Ella A., now living in Macomb. He was again mar- ried to Mary P. Wilson, May 31, 1837. By the second marriage there were ten children-James H., living in Macomb; William T., living in Iowa; Martha P., living at home; Ralph E., living in Ma- comb; John G., (deceased), Mary E., living in Iowa; Charles S., living in Prairie City; Sarah C., living at Mt. Sterling; and Dollie B., at home.
William F. Bayne, M. D., the oldest practising physician in Macomb, located there in 1854, and engaged in the prac- tice of his profession. In 1861, he went to St. Louis, Missouri, and assisted in raising company B, 10th Missouri in- fantry, and was mustered into service as captain of said company. He partici-
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pated in the battles of Iuka, Corinth, Jackson, Champion Hill, and the siege of Vicksburg, besides numerous skir- mishes. He served nearly two years when lie resigned on account of impaired health. Returning to Macomb, he went from there to the Rocky Mountain region where he staid several months for the benefit of his health. In the fall of 1864 he resumed his practice at Macomb and still continues the same. He was born in Shelby county, Kentucky, January 2, 1827, his parents being William and Barbara (Blankenbaker) Bayne. His fa- ther was a native of Kentucky, she being a daughter of Nicholas Blankenbaker, a soldier of the revolutionary war. The family came to Illinois in 1831, and set- tled in Adams county, and followed farming. Mr. Bayne spent his early life on his father's farm and attended such schools as the county afforded. At the age of 21 years he left home, and for two years worked at the carpenter's trade, then commenced the study of medicine, and also pursued his trade during the summer seasons. In 1853, he entered the Eclectic medical insti- tute at Cincinnati, Ohio, where he took one course of lectures, after which he practiced at Macomb. In 1869 he at- tended a course of lectures at the Electic medical college of Pennsylvania, from which college he graduated. Dr. Bayne has been married twice. In June 1851, to Martha A. Herndon, who died in March 1852, leaving one child which died soon after; and in October, 1854, to Lydia J. Fream, a native of Pennsylva- nia. By this marriage seven children have been born, two of whom are now living-George G., and Nellie. He is a
republican in politics, and has held sev- eral local offices, and is also a mem- ber of the I. O. O. F. and A. O. U. W. orders.
Dr. Benjamin Irvin Dunn, one of Macomb's prominent and successful physicians, is a native of Madison county, Kentucky, and was born July 21, 1822. His father, Nathaniel A. Dunn, was also a native of Kentucky; by trade a tanner, but his principal occupation was farming. The doctor's mother was formerly Sophia W. Irvin, a native of Rockingham county, Virginia, and the daughter of a Presbyterian minister. In the fall of 1825 his parents removed from Kentucky to Crawfordville, In- diana, then a small brush town with In- dians all around, where they lived many years and died. Ten children were born unto them, seven of whom still survive (1885), two sons and five daugh- ters. The doctor was reared on a farm and attended such schools as the country afforded at that early day. Subsequently he attended Wabash college, from which he graduated in 1845. Upon leaving college, his health being somewhat im- paired, he returned to his native state and engaged in teaching school for a time. Though offered strong induce- ments by his friends to remain with them, being conscientiously opposed to living where the people claimed the right to hold their fellowmen in bond- age, he returned to his home in Indiana and commenced the study of medicine in 1848, with Dr. James G. McMechan as his preceptor. In 1850 he entered Rush medical college at Chicago, from which institution he subsequently graduated and entered upon his life work with his
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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.
old preceptor at Crawfordsville. In 1852 he concluded to look up a new location, and with horse, buggy and medicine, shingle, etc., he faced westward ready to settle at such place as might offer suc- cess in business. Stopping a few days in Macomb, his attention was called to Middletown (now Fandon), where he commenced business. The result proved the wisdom of his choice, as his prac- tice increased rapidly. In March, 1854, he removed to Macomb and engaged in the drug business with J. D. Yeiser un- til the 17th of May, when he was united in marriage with Lucy J. Craig, of Dan- ville, Kentucky, who was here on a visit with her sister Mrs. Mary V. Yeiser. In the fall of 1854 he, in partnership with Isaac P. Monfort, bought the drug store of J. D. Yeiser and continued the busi- ness for the next four years in connec- tion with his practice; then, selling his interest in the drug business to Dr. David Rice, continued his practice until May, 1864, when he enlisted as a soldier in the service of his country in company C, 137th Illinois infantry, and served as hospital steward and as assistant surgeon at Memphis, Tennessee, where, August 21, he was captured by rebel General Forrest, and being left in charge of the rebel sick and wounded, was released and permitted to return to his regiment. At the expiration of enlistment (October 30), he returned home with his health greatly impaired, but resumed practice as soon as able, which he still continues as health permits. The doctor is zeal- ously interested in the Holstein breed of cattle, being the first to introduce the stock into McDonough county. The doctor is also a strong advocate of tem-
perance, as was also his father and all of the family. He considers his temper- ance work with as great satisfaction as any other effort of his life. The doctor is also a staunch republican in politics. He is an earnest comrade of the Grand Army of the Republic, post 103, Ma- comb, Illinois. He was from infancy carefully taught in the Presbyterian faith, with which church he and his household are connected. They have had ten children born to them, seven of whom are now living (1885), Charles A .. Carrie C., Anna M., Eddie I., Effie L., Mabel V. and Lucy H.
Dr. P. F. Garrettson is a native of Ill- inois, and was born in 1847. He com- menced reading medicine under Dr. John L. White, after attending college in Alton, this state. He afterwards at- tended the St. Louis medical college, and graduated therefrom in 1869. In April of that year, he located at Macomb, where he has since followed his profes- sion. Elizabeth Van Pelt became his wife in 1869. He is a Royal Arch Ma- son, a member of the I, O. O. F., K. P., and A. O. U. W.
PHYSICIANS OF COLCHESTER.
Lewis Jeffries was the first physician to locate at Colchester. He came from Bethel township to this place, in 1857. His father was an old settler of the county. Mr. Jeffries remained here un- til 1867, when he removed to Macomb. The present members of this honored profession are Drs. W. H. Weir, B. F. Johnson, Chas. Howell and C. W. Fugate.
Dr. W. H. Weir, is one of the pres- ent members of the general assembly. and is treated of in that connection.
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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.
Dr. B. F. Johnson, of Colchester, was born in Morgan county, Illinois. In 1865 his parents removed to McDon- ough county, settling near Colchester. The doctor begau the study of medicine in 1873, under Dr. W. R. Pitner, of Ten- nessee, this county. He attended Keo- kuk medical college two terms, graduat- ing there. He began practicing in Col- chester in October, 1879. He was mar- ried in June, 1875, to Mary F. Irwin.
The firm of Fugate & Howell, M. D's of Colchester, was formed March 24, 1884. Charles Howell, of the firm, was born in Scott county, Illinois, August 10. 1851. During 1881 and 1882, he at- tended the Keokuk college of physi- cians and surgeons. March 12, 1884, he graduated from the college of physicians and surgeons at Chicago, and a few days later became a member of the above firm. He is married to Hattie Young, of this county, and has one child.
C. W. Fugate, the other member of the firm, was born in Pike county, Illi- nois, August 27, 1840. He graduated from Rush medical college, Chicago, in 1864. He began practice in Mt. Pleas- ant, Illinois, but only remained there six months. He came to Colchester, Mc- Donough county, in 1877, and, in 1884, formed his present partnership, and has a very good practice. July 12, 1865, he was married to Rebecca Baker, of Adams county, this state. They have two chil- dren, Lena E., and Ada S.
PHYSICIANS OF BUSHNELL.
The first medical practitioner to locate in the city of Bushnell, was Dr. George Scroggs, who came here in 1855. He re-
mained for many years, and enjoyed a large and lucrative practice. He is now living in Missouri.
Dr. Albert S. Clark, at one time a prac- ticing physician of Bushnell, came to that place in 1856, when it was a strag- gling village, where he run a drug store in connection with his practice. He is a native of Northampton county, Pennsyl- vania, born July 31st, 1823. In 1844, he began the study of medicine with Dr. R. Boyington, of Belvidere, New Jersey. He then attended the medical depart- ment of the university of New York, from which he is a graduate. He came to Bushnell, as above, being the second doctor in the town, and where he still re- sides, although he has to a great extent given up practice.
Dr. L. M. Markham was the next, com- ing to Bushnell during the winter of 1856-7. He also remained in practice here some time, dying while a resident of this place.
He was closely followed by Dr. F. S. Secor, who made his appearance here in 1857. He soon made quite a practice, and resided here until 1865, when he re- moved from the place, dying at Odin, in this state, at a later date.
Dr. D. T. Morgan was the next to la- bor in this profession, which he most successfully did until overtaken by death himself while a citizen of Bushnell.
Bushnell can now boast of a fine array of medical talent, prominent among whom are the following gentlemen: Doctors W. T. Beadles, James Kay, W. E. Haines, George Cowgill, H. M. Har- rison and E. K. Westfall. The lat- ter named gentleman having been elected and served as a member of the state leg-
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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.
islature, has been treated of in that con- nection.
William T. Beadles, one of the leading physicians of McDonough county, began practice in Bushnell, in March, 1866, where he has since practiced his profes- sion. He is a native of Fulton county, Illinois, and was born January 23, 1836, his parents being Joel and Thely (Mc- Gee) Beadles, the former of whom was a native of Danville, Kentucky, and the latter of Harrodsburg, same state. Joel Beadles' death occurred during the year 1843, and his wife died in 1852. Dr. Beadles was reared in Fulton and neigh- boring counties, and, from 1857 to 1859, attended the Michigan university at Ann Arbor, the latter year of which time was spent in the medical department of that institution A part of the above time he returned to Lewistown, Illinois, and read medicine under Dr. R. R. McDowell, of that city, for some eighteen months. But during that time he also attended Mc- Dowell's medical college at St. Louis, from which popular institution he grad- uated on the 29th of February, 1860. He then began practice in Fulton county, Illinois, and 18 months later, in the spring of 1862, entered the service of the United States as assistant surgeon 4th regiment,Illinois cavalry. After remain- ing with that regiment eighteen months, he was assigned as assistant surgeon of 1st battalion of 4th Illinois cavalry, which battalion was detailed as an escort for General Grant. After the fall of Vicksburg, the doctor was commissioned as surgeon, and during the latter part of his service was surgeon in chief of cav- alry forces of the district of West Ten- nessee, with headquarters at Memphis.
He was honorably discharged January 26th, 1866. In the month of March, fol- lowing, he located at Bushnell, as before stated. At present he is one of the sur- geons for the Wabash railway company, his territory extending from Canton to La Harpe, and for the past 18 years has served as a United States pension sur- geon. The doctor held the office of mayor of Bushnell during 1877, and has also been a member of the board of ed- ucation. In the performance of the du- ties of the various offices to which he has been called, he gave entire satisfac- tion to the people he represented. On the 26th of August, 1865, Dr. W. T. Beadles and Tabitha Leeper, a native of Kentucky, were united in marriage. They are the parents of two children- Charles H. and Luana E. His wife died March 28th, 1885.
Dr. James Kay, of Bushnell, is a graduate of the medical department of the Ann Arbor, Michigan university. He located at Bushnell, in November, 1865, where he has since been engaged in practice. He is a native Kentuckian, and was born in August, 1829. His marriage with Nettie B. Bane, a native of Ohio, was solemnized in August, 1856. He is at present the president of the school board, and is a deacon of the Baptist church.
William E. Haines, M. D., located in Bushnell as a practitioner in April, 1880, and has succeeded in building up a very good practice. He is a native of Penn- sylvania, and was born July 2, 1839. In the spring of 1861, he came to Vermont, Illinois, and enlisted the following Octo- ber in company I, 11th Illinois cavalry. His discharge dates July 14, 1865. In
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1867 and 1868, he attended the medi- cal department of the Pennsylvania university, graduating thereform in March, 1868. He then returned to Ful- ton county, where he practiced until 1880, then removing to Bushnell. Mary A. Starr, of Pennsylvania, became his wife in March, 1868. They have two children-Mary E. and Jennie.
George J. Cowgill, M. D., of Bush- nell, came to McDonough county, Illi- nois, in 1854, and located at Bardolph, where he practiced until 1866, then re- moving to Bushnell. He is a native of Orange county, Virginia, and was born in 1805. In 1840 and 1841, he attended the Columbus, Ohio, medical college, from which institution he graduated in the last named year. He was ordained a minister of the M. E. church, in 1842. In May, 1827, Anna Gray became his wife, and they now have two children- Hannah and John F. Mr. Cowgill has been a member of the Masonic order since 1838.
Dr. H. M. Harrison, of Bushnell, is a native of Licking county, Ohio, and was born July 26, 1852. In 1854, his par- ents removed to Fulton county, Illinois, and two years later returned to Ohio. They again removed to Fulton county, in 1856, where the doctor was reared. He began reading medicine when 15 years of age, and graduated from the St. Louis medical college, in 1872, locating at Bushnell some years later, where he has since followed his profession.
PHYSICIANS OF BLANDINSVILLE.
Among the early medical men of this town, none stand out as prominently as Drs. W. A. Huston and John Hardesty.
The former of these afterwards removed to Macomb, and is treated of in that con- nection.
Dr. John Hardesty was born in Vir- ginia, May 13, 1793. His mother's maiden name was Nancy Fowler, her family being one of the oldest in this state and having a number of represent- atives now living in this county. Dur- ing the early life of John he lived and worked with his parents on a farm and in the common or subscription schools of his time laid the foundation of an ed- ucation secured in after years by self- application.
When war with Great Britain was proclaimed in 1812, the patriotic feeling inherited from his sire caused him to en- roll his name among his country's de- fenders, and, although young in years, he went forth, and during the entire campaign bore himself as become a hero. In May, 1811, Mr. Hardesty was united in marriage with Elizabeth Hungate, daughter of Colonel John Hungate, of Kentucky, by whom he had nine sons and three daughters. In 1818, he, with his family, left his Kentucky home for Illinois, and for six years resided in Hamilton county, removing from thence to Adams county, where he remained four years, when he came to McDon- ough county, arriving here on the 3d day of April, 1830, and securing for a home the southwest quarter of section 9, in what is now Blandinsville township in the neighborhood of the well-known "Job's settlement." With the excep- tion of some three years spent in Mis- souri. he lived in this neighborhood un- til death called him away. Mr. Hard- esty came to this county before it was
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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.
.
organized, and at the first election was one of three elected to fill the office of county commissioner, to which office he was several times re-elected. As one of the county commissioners, he assisted in laying off the town of Macomb. While a citizen of Missouri, Mr. Hard- esty studied medicine with Dr. Johnson, of Savannah, in that state, and during his residence there, built up a large practice. On returning to McDonough county he continued to practice for some years. In this field of usefulness he achieved some success, bringing to bear upon the discharge of the duties of his profession rare common sense in the dis- cernment of disease. Dr. Hardesty was called to his long home on the 3d day of September, 1875, and was buried near Hillsborough church, of which body he had long been a member. Elder J. H. Delano, of Blandinsville, delivered the furneral sermon, and his body was laid away to await the summons on the res- urection morn.
The medical fraternity is represented at present by Doctors J. H. Emery, W. M. Huston, J. M. Duncan, S. Thomp- son, and J. R. Gamble, sketches of whom are here appended.
J. H. Emery, M. D., was born Feb- ruary 5, 1834, in Richland county, Ohio. He is the second son of Henry and Olive (Jacobs) Emery, who moved from Ohio to this state in an early day and settled in Fulton county, Illinois. J. H. Emery lived on a farm with his father until he was of age, then he began teaching school and followed that profession for six years, giving good success as a teacher. He came to McDonough couny in 1861, taught school six months near
Bushnell, then six months at Good Hope, where he became acquainted with Dr. Duncan. Studied medicine with him one year. He then attended medical lectures at Keokuk, Iowa, and came to Blandinsville in 1863, where he has since resided, engaged in the practice of med- icine. In the year 1864, he opened a drug store, and still carries on that bus- iness in connection with his practice. He has, also, engaged in farming and stock-raising to a considerable extent, and has a good farm admirably adapted to the latter, located three and a half miles west and south of Blandinsville, and contains 220 acres. He has several head of thoroughbred short-horn, grades, and other stock cattle on his farm. Dr. Emery was married in 1865 to Rhoda Hardesty, a native of McDonough county, and has by this union seven children. Olin P., James H., Otto, Roscoe D., Lois E., Daisy R., and Mamie. Dr. Emery has been successful both as a medical practitioner, druggist and as a stock raiser. Politically he is a sup- porter of the democratic party, as a cit- izen, he is popular and highly reputed.
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