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 63

Author:
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Continental Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1150

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 63

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about 25 years he held the office of school trustee. He never changed his place of residence but three times, re- moving, as previously stated, from Ten- nessee to Missouri, and from Missouri to Illinois, settling with his parents on section 22, on which a portion of the town of Tennessee lies, and from thence

to his present place of abode on section 20, which later change occurred in De- cember, 1842. On the 26th day of De- cember, 1841, Mr. Bacon was united in marriage to Honore Durbin, who, after a companionship of 23 years, departed this life. She was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church for a number of years, and died possessing a hope of a future reward. On the 20th day of October, 1864, Mr. Bacon was again married, the lady being Mrs. Louisa, (Latimer) Meek, of Abingdon, Knox county. When Mr. Bacon began life for himself he had but little of this world's goods, receiving from the estate of his father, but about 40 acres of land; but he had the courage and the will necessary to success, which, combined with extreme caution, placed him in the front rank of the farmers of McDonough county. He was very successful in bus- iness affairs, as is evinced by the well stocked farm on which he resided at the time of his death, one of the best im- proved and carefully managed in the county. Mr. Bacon was a professor of the Christian religion from a youth up, having united with the Baptist church when about 19 years of age, with which body he retained connection until the congregation where he held membership was broken up in consequence of the re- moval of its members from the vicinity, when he united with the Methodist Episcopal church, in 1845 or 1846, after which time he held in that body the offices of trustee, class leader, and su- perintendent of the Sunday school, in which latter capacity he was very active and efficient. It was always character- istic of Mr. Bacon to seek retirement

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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.

rather than publicity, and for that reason he never occupied the public positions in life he was so well calculated to fill. On the 24th of October, 1877, Larkin C. Bacon departed this life, leaving a large family, and many friends to mourn his loss.

Jolın Lyon, deceased, was a settler of 1835. He came to this township from what is now Colchester township. He was born in Adair county, Kentucky, in 1802, and was the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Lyon. He was reared in Adair county, Kentucky, and there lived until 1835, when he decided to remove to Ill- inois, and in pursuance of this resolve he settled in McDonough county, and located on section 13, now Colchester township. He remained there until November, of that year, when he moved on section 4, Tennessee township, where he resided until the time of his death. He went back to Adair county in 1840, and on the 27th day of September, 1840, he died, and was buried near the scenes of his youth. He was married in Adair county, Kentucky, in 1825, to Margaret Mourning, who died in November, 1877. She was born in 1803, and resided with her son Robert, until the time of her death. They were the parents of seven children: Maranda, born January 23, 1826, married S. Woolley, living in Min- nesota; Sanderson, married Sarah Bu- chanan, now residing in Henry county, Iowa; Mary Jane, married John Gor- ham, now residing in Henry county, Iowa; William, married Ollie Wilson, now living in Lamoine township; Abigail, married George W. Keithley, now living in Hire township.

Robert W. Lyon, the son of John

Lyon, is a native of Adair county, Ken- tacky, and was born on the 1st of De- cember, 1829. When six years of age he removed to McDonough county, and was reared in Tennessee township, and with the exception of three years spent in Hancock county, he has since been a resident of this county. He received his schooling in the same township and district in which the family first perma- nently settled, and was married in Mc- Donough county in July, 1860, to Annie Sigars, a native of Carroll county, Indi- ana, and a daughter of Lewis and Te- litha (Knight) Sigars. Mr. and Mrs. Lyon have had seven children: John T., died in April, 1882; Albert Clay, William Sherman, Minnie May, Eva, Maggie and Myrtie. Mr. Lyon came to his present location on section 8, in Feb- ruary, 1873. He has resided here since that time, and has now 70 acres of good improved land, and divides his attention between farming and stock-raising. He is one of the trustees in the Friendship Methodist Episcopal church society, and is also a member of the board of school directors. Mr. Lyon is also a member of the Tennessee lodge No. 496, A. F. and A. M.

Michael Lawyer is among the living early settlers of Tennessee township. He is a son of Jacob and Mary E. (Kline) Lawyer, and was born September 16, 1798, in Frederick county, Virginia. When in his seventh year he removed with his parents to Fayette county, Ohio, where he grew to manhood. Jacob Lawyer died in Ohio in 1821, aged 64. In 1837 Michael accompanied his mother and her family to McDonough county and rented a farm on section 34, Tennes-

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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.

see township, which, the following year, he purchased. His mother died here in 1842. Michael was married in Fayette county, Ohio, December 12, 1824, to Sarah Parker, a native of Virginia, and daughter of Absalom and Mary Parker. Mr. and Mrs. Lawyer have liad 11 child- ren, 10 of whom are living: Mary E., who was married to Wesley Waddill, now deceased; John, married to Rebecca Jane Jackson, and living in Tennessee township; Elizabeth, wife of George W. Gibson, of Newton county, Missouri; Martha, wife of Samuel Morrow, of Tennessee township; Rebecca, wife of Isaac Smith, of Brooks county, Kansas; Eliza Jane, wife of Thomas Monk, of Bethel township; Nancy, wife of Charles Waddill, of Tennessee township; Mar- garet, wife of Benjamin Waddill, also of Tennessee township; William, mar- ried to Minerva T. Waddill, and Thomas Benton. The last named son was born' in Tennessee township, July 17, 1844, and was married April 2, 1867, to'Helen Weir, a native of this county, and daughter of John Weir, of Lamoine township. They have one child, Wil- liam S. Thomas B. Lawyer owns 150 acres of land, and is engaged in stock- raising and farming. Jacob Lawyer (son of Michael) died September 13, 1861, aged 27 years. Mr. Lawyer had, originally, 200 acres of land, but has now divided a portion of it among his sons.

John Lawyer was born in Fayette county, Ohio, September 17, 1827, his parents being Michael and Sarah (Par- ker) Lawyer. When John was a boy, the family concluded to remove farther west, and in pursuance of that purpose,

came to McDonough county in 1837, locating on section 34, where his father still resides and where John received his education and grew to manhood. He was married on the 10th of Novem- ber, 1850, to Rebecca J. Jackson, daugh- ter of William and Almira (Hills ) Jack- son, who located in Lamoine township, in 1843. Mr. Jackson died in 1842, be- fore the family came to this county, and Mrs. Jackson now makes her home with her daughter, Mrs. Lawyer. Mr. and Mrs. Lawyer have four children-Wil- liam B., Sarah A., Amos M. and Sind.

Lewis B. Mourning came to McDon- ongli county with his parents in the spring of 1837, locating on section 8, Tennessee township, although the family spent the first summer north of the town of Colchester. In 1870 Mr. Mourn- ing came to his present location, on section 16. Lewis B. Mourning, the sub- ject of this sketch, is the son of William and Elizabeth (Lyon) Mourning, and was born in Adair county, Kentucky, July 17, 1830. Came to this county with his parents in the spring of 1837, and settled on section 8, in Tennesse town- ship, where he worked on the farm a good deal in the summer, and attended school a little in winter, taking turn chopping wood and making fires in the school room, with rather poor teachers, and poorer accommodations, it is little wonder that the children of the early settlers got but a limited education. In the fall of 1850, he visited the place of his birth, Adair county, Kentucky; good enough place to be born, but a poor place to make a living in. Attended a select school the following winter and the next summer taught the first school

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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.

ever taught under the free school laws of Kentucky, in that district. Return- ing to Illinois in the fall of 1851, at- tended school for two winters, afterwards taught school for two terms. On the 7th day of June, 1853, he was married to Lucinda Keithly, daughter of Jacob and Sarah (Roberts) Keithly. They had three children born, two are still living-John L., born May 30, 1854; James A., born February 8, 1856, died at eight months old; Ammi Ellmer, born April 22, 1867. They also raised a niece, Ida Ellen Mourning (daughter of John M. Mourning), who is now the wife of James M. Waddill. He now owns a farm of 110 acres, situated on sections 16, 20 and 21, Tennessee township. He was a republican from 1854 until 1872, has since that voted for Peter Cooper in 1876, for James B. Weaver in 1880, and John P. St. Jolın in 1884. Has never regret- ted any vote he ever gave for any presi- dential candidate, and is especially proud of having voted for John C. Freemont and John P. St. John. He and wife are both members of the M. E. church; has been a member of several secret orders -Sons of Temperance, Good Templars, . the Grange, and is now a member of the Masonic fraternity, Tennessee Lodge, No. 496. He is of Irish decent on the fathers side ; the grandfather, John Mourning, was born on the Green Isle, in 1774, but emigrated with his parents when quite young, to America, settling · in Virginia, moving from there to Ken- tucky, where the father of Lewis B., was born, April 3, 1805, and died April 18, 1870, on the same quarter of land he settled on in 1837. Mr. Mourning has passed through many of the hardships.

and privations of the early settler, but is glad to live to see the grand improve- ments in our fair country. The sulky plow has taken the place of the old wooden mold-board, the binder that of the land sickle, the separator that of the flail, and hopes to yet see universal sobriety and good order take the place of whisky, beer and the saloon.

Charles B. Gilchrist, deceased, was a settler of 1837. He was born in Wal- pole, New Hampshire, on the 27th day of May, 1802, his parents being Samuel and Betsy (Allen) Gilchrist. She was a niece of Colonel Ethan Allen, a de- scendant of William Holton, who was one of the celebrated Pilgrim fathers. Charles A. Gilchrist worked in the vicin- ity of Cambridge, Massachusetts, when a boy, and when 21 years of age he went to Westminster, Vermont, where he re- mained until 1836. In 1837 he came to McDonough county, Illinois, and at first rented land in Tennessee township, near the Lamoine line, but the next year, 1838, he bought land on section 32, and there made permanent improvements. About the year 1858 he bought the place of the old homestead on section 29, and there built a home, and by the earnest work for which he was well known, he soon had his family surrounded with many comforts. He died on the 30th day of June, 1882. On the 31st day of Decem- ber, 1829, he was married to Minerva H. Holton, who was a descendant of Ed- ward Winslow, who was also one of the Puritan fathers. Mr. and Mrs. Gilchrist were the parents of five children: Helen, married L. F. Ferris, of Fountain Green; Charles A., married Lucy E. Walker, now residing in Carthage. Charles was

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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.

a general in the late civil war, having en- listed in the 10th Missouri infantry, com- pany I; Van B .; Erastus H., was killed by a horse in October, 1851; Edward M., married Mary Bolls, who is now dead; and Edward, now a resident of Keokuk, Iowa.

Van B. Gilchrist was born on the 11th day of April 1836, in Westminster, Ver- mont. He came to McDonough county with his parents, and now resides in Ten- nessee township. He was married on the 4th day of December, 1862, to Miss Sarah A. Robinson, a native of Green county, Ohio, and a daughter of Henson and Sarah Ann (Reed) Robinson. They have had six children: Helen, Erastus, now dead, having been kicked by a horse; Charles; William, died in 1875; and Cornelia. Mr. Gilchrist is a member of Tennessee' lodge, No. 496, A. F. and A. M.

James Jenkins, now of Tennessee township, ranks among the very early settlers, his parents having settled in Lamoine township as early as 1832. James was born in St. Clair county, Illi- nois, February 12, 1829, being the son of David and Nancy (Boring) Jenkins, the former having come from the state of Tennessee to St. Clair county, Illinois, at an early day. Both of James' parents' families were old Tennessee stock. In the fall of 1832 the family came to Mc- Donough county, and settled south of Hill's Grove, on land now belonging to the Waddill heirs. David Jenkins made some improvements on this land, but four or five years afterwards entered land in what is now Lamoine town- ship, the land now belonging to the Griffith estate. There our subject was reared, having to go about five

miles to Hill's Grove to attend school. He was married in Tennessee township, on the 24th of November, 1859, to Elizabeth Horrell, daughter of Elijah T. and Lucy (Bragg) Horrell. Mr. Horrell is a native of Kentucky, be- ing born May 4, 1804, and came to this county from Adair county, that state, in 1835. Mr. and Mrs. Horrell were blessed with six children-Elizabeth, Martha, Frances, John N., Nancy and Eliza Ma- tilda. The first four were born in Ken- tucky, and the latter two in this county. Mr. and Mrs. James Jenkins have four children-Nannie E., John F, James H. and Ida Lee. Mr. Jenkins came to his present location, on section 21, Tennes- see township, in 1863, having bought the land about 1857. His farm consists of 190 acres of good land, nearly all improved. He raises cattle, horses and hogs, and has one full-blooded Durham, besides other good cattle. Mr. Jenkins is a mem- ber of the Masonic lodge, No. 496, at Tennessee, was worshipful master one year, and i's the present treasurer, which office he has held almost continuously since its organization. He has also been senior and junior warden. Mr. Jenkins' father is now living in Kansas, at the . advanced age of 81 years, but his mother died in October, 1832, when James was a mere child. He was the first tax col- lector in Lamoine township, when the county assumed township organization. He served two terms there, and one in Tennessee township. In 1868 he con- nected himself with the Methodist church and is now one of the trustees of the church in Tennessee. His wife and two daughters are also members of the same church. Mr. Jenkins has been class-

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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.

leader, steward, Sunday school superin- tendent and teacher.

HILL'S GROVE.

The settlement bearing this name lies - in the southwestern part of Tennessee township, and was so named by Isaac Holton, at an early day, in honor of a relative by the name of Hill. Many items of interest in the history of the county had their scene in this vicinity, and Hill's Grove will be found mentioned in more than one of the chapters of this work. Here was located the Holton school, a notice of which appears here- after.

EDUCATIONAL.

In educational matters, Tennessee oc- cupies the same territory as it did pre- vious to the time Colchester township was organized. Although separate townships, Colchester and Tennessee are recognized as one and the same, with reference to school matters, etc. From an examination of the last annual report of the county superintendent, for the school year ending June 30, 1884, it is learned that Tennessee has 949 children between the school age of six and 21 years, 700 of whom are enrolled in the schools. There are 11 school buildings in the township, three of which are brick, the balance frame structures, and in in which there is an average of seven and one-eleventh months of school taught per year. The highest wages paid any male teacher per month is $65, and the lowest $38;the highest wages paid female teachers is $35, and the lowest $18, per month. The estimated value of school property amounts to $17,875, while the

tax levy for the support of the educa- tional institutions of this township amounts to $4,225. Tennessee has a bonded school debt of $100. Two, of the schools in this township are graded. Two of the districts are numbered, "No. 2," while there is notany "No. 7." Dis- tricts 2, 6 and 8, are union districts, being partly in Colchester, and partly in Tennessee townships. District 11 is a union district with Lamoine township.

In 1835, Isaac Holton, a graduate of Brown university, removed with his fam- ily to this county, locating in Tennessee township. He here established what the settlers knew as "Hill's Grove semin- ary," in a log cabin, on section 29. He erected the building himself, maintain- ing the idea that thus away from town, he could rear his family in a better and more satisfactory manner, and at the same time, secure to the neighborhood educational facilities, which would tend to build up and develop the same. The rude log structure was about 20x24 feet- in dimensions, and one and a half stories high. It contained but a loft overhead, in which, it is said, negroes were hidden away from their pursuers, during the days of slavery. The building is now used by Asa Fulkerson, a nephew of Thomas, as a stable. Mr. Holton con- ducted a school, in which all the col- legiate branches were taught, and no one's education in this section of the county was considered finished, who had not attended the "seminary." He con- tinued the school for about 15 years, when he went to Carthage, and taught the high school there for one year. He then returned to Hill's Grove, with the intention of resuming teaching there,

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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.

but his death occurred shortly after- ward, at his home, in the vicinity of the school. He left a wife and five chil- dren. His wife is still living, and re- sides with a brother-in-law, Hiram G. Ferris, a prominent banker of Carthage.

Isaac Holton, the teacher of the old Hill's Grove school, was born on the 13th day of March, 1790, and died, June 26, 1850. He was married, June 6, 1827, to Phebe Arnold, daughter of Seth and Esther (Ramsey ) Arnold. She was born in 1798, and is yet living, being at present, with her son-in-law, Hiram Ferris, of Carthage. She is in the en- joyment of excellent health. Isaac Hol- ton graduated in 1814, at the university of Vermont, located in the city of Bur- lington. He had become fitted for col- lege at Deerfield academy, in Massachu- setts. After graduating, he read law with his brother, John, in Springfield, Massachusetts, and subsequently, with Hon. W. C. Bradley, of Westminister, Vermont. After a brief law practice, he abandoned that profession, and engaged in teaching, commencing that work as principal of Chester academy, in Ver- mont. He was eminently successful, and afterwards filled the same position at the acadamies of South Berwick and Limerick, in Maine, and at Bellows Falls, Vermont, until about 1835, when he removed to Hill's Grove, Illinois. He traded a pew in a church, at Bangor, Maine, for the southwest quarter of sec- tion 29, Tennessee township, McDon- ough county, Illinois, and here laid out the town of Hill's Grove, which is now a village, containing two stores, a black- smith shop, postoffice, etc. Soon after his arrival here, he opened a school, in

which he taught the higher branches and classics. He spent the remainder of his life here engaged in teaching and farming. His children were: Seth Arnold, married to Margaret (Farley) Shedd, and in the treasury deparment, at Washington, D. C .; Rebecca Ranney, who was married to Rev. Joseph Mason, and died in 1871; Dr. John Ambrose, who was a practicing dentist in Arkan- sas, now deceased; Rev. Charles Augus- tus, a minister of the United Brethren, in Peoria county; Julia Esther, wife of Hiram G. Ferris, the leading banker, of Carthage; Anna Phebe, who died Sep- tember 30, 1849, aged 10 years, and Joel Alexander, who died, April 25, 1860, aged 20 years.

An early school in Tennessee was taught by Alexander Ladlock in the summer of 1834, on the land now owned by James McClure on section 9. Chil- dren attended from distances of four or five miles.

In 1838, Mrs. Hoyt taught school in the Lower neighborhood, in an old log cabin erected by a man by the name of Durand and who afterward died there. Benches extended the entire width of the building and were con- structed of logs upon four legs, which served as seats.

The present board of township direc- tors, for the several districts, consists of the following named gentlemen: Thomas Fulkerson, F. F. Myer, and M. L. Mor- row, No. 1; William Boyd and G. W. Carson, No. 2; R. G. Powell and H. A. Hendricks, No. 2; S. W. Hunt, Joseph D. Moon and James McClure, No. 3; R. W. Lyon, A. J. Martin and W. H. Mourning, 'No. 4; William Mckenzie,

HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY. -

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John Farrenkopf and Edgar Hill, No. 5; J. D. Trew and D. W. Campbell, No. 6; John L. Smith and R. P. Smith, No. 8; Joseph Morgan and George Cuba, No. 9; J. L. Meyers and A. E. Welch, No. 10; . T. B. Lawyer and J. R. Stookey, No 11.

The first school house in district No. 5, originally known as the Prentiss school house, was erected on the north- west corner of section 5, where the Friendship church now stands, in the spring of 1838. It was a frame struct- ure 16x20 feet, constructed of oak lum- ber, which was sawed at Ayer's mill, in Tennessee township, on Crooked creek. An orphan girl, Mary Long, who came to the township with her uncle, 'Squire Nott, taught the first term of school in the building during the following sum- mer, before there was any flooring, lath- ing or plastering. The teacher would board at the homes of the scholars, gen- erally a week at a place, the schools being kept up almost entirely by sub- scription. The building was used until a new one was erected in the center of southwest quarter of section 5, in 1855. This structure outlivedits usefulness and was sold to George H. Mourning for $5, who utilized it for kindling fires, etc. The present building of this district was erected in the fall of 1878, at a cost of $502, including furniture, and is located on the site of the predecessor, being 20x28 feet in dimensions. The first teacher in this building was Carrie Head, while Minnie Douglas teaches the school at present.

POSTOFFICE.

In 1850, a postoffice was established . at the residence of George Welch, and

was continued there for a number of years. The office was previously kept by John Carroll, in Hire township and when Mr. Carroll gave it up, Mr. Welch was appointed. It was then called the Pleasant Valley Mills postoffice, but afterward changed to Argyle.

RELIGIOUS.

In 1835, religious services were held in a public place for the first time, at the school house of Isaac Holton. The ser- vices were of a Congregational order. The Methodists also held services there, and for fifteen years these two denominations continued to hold meetings at that place. Valentine Wilson preached the first ser- mon in this house.

In the spring of 1832, Valentine Wil- son, a Methodist preacher from Hancock county, delivered the first sermon to the people of Tennessee, at the house of James Fulkerson, which was just after the arrival of the Fulkersons in McDon- ough county. Shortly after this he held appointments at the house of Joshua Hunt, and missions were then held at these two places.

CEMETERY.

The cemetery on the northwest quar- ter of section 5 was laid out by the Friend- ship organization 'and is connected with the church at this point, part the ground being deeded in 1874, by John B. Eakel, the balance by Dodson Siebolds, at an early day. The first burial occurred in July, 1839, and was the wife of John Mourning, who came from Kentucky the preceding May. The second body in- tered was that of an itinerant peddler, who was taken sick at the house ef Geo.

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HISTORY OF MCDONOUGH COUNTY.

Derritt, a renter, where he died, during the winter of 1839-40. Another early burial occurred during the year 1840, and was the body of David Brown, a young man, and son of David Brown, Sr.

SAW MILL.

The first steam saw mill in the north- ern part of Tennessee township, was built in the spring of 1857, on section 6, on Cedar creek, by O. A. Young. He brought the boiler with him from Fulton county, but purchased the engine and other necessary machinery for the mill at St. Louis, Missouri, the saw first used being an upright one. In 1877 he re- moved the machinery to its present loca- tion, on section 7. The engine is a 20- horse power, and a circular saw is now. used.

HISTORIC EVENTS.

The first marriage which occurred within the present territory of Tennes- see township was that of Permenio Jones and Ann Dickinson. The ceremony oc- curred at the residence of Charles Dick- inson, the father of the bride, on section 18, in the spring of 1836, and was prob- ably performed by an old Methodist minister, James King. Mr. Jones has since died, and she is now the wife of R. Underhill, a resident of this township.

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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 63

Author: Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Continental Historical Co. Number of Pages: 1150

Author:
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Continental Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1150