USA > Illinois > Henderson County > History of Mercer County : together with biographical matter, statistics, etc., gathered from mattter furnished by the Mercer County Historical Society, interviews with old settlers, county, township and other records, and extracts from files of papers, pamphlets, and such other sources as have been available : containing also a short history of Henderson County > Part 24
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Among the citizens and soldiers now resident of Millersburg town- ship is GEORGE BOONE, native of Ohio, born in Medina county in 1837. Ifis parents were Hezekiah and Sarah A. (Greene) Boone, the former of Pennsylvania, a great-nephew of Daniel Boone, the Kentucky hunter, the latter also of Pennsylvania. They emigrated to Medina county with its early settlers with their parents, and were married there. They came to Mercer county in 1851. The latter, George's mother. died in 1857, aged thirty-eight years. Her remains repose in the Millersburg cemetery. The former is a tailor by trade and now lives at Fort Dodge, Nebraska, and is a member of the Lutheran church. His wife was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. George Boone came to Mercer county with his parents and located in this township, then went to Perryton township, where he resided for a time, and also for a while in Aledo. His early education was that of the common school. He first enlisted in Company I, 17th Ill. Vol., served two years and was discharged because of ill health. In 1864 he, in com- pany with R. S. Osborne, raised a company for the 140th Ill. Vol. Osborne was captain of the company, and George held the office of first lieutenant. The company was out seven months. Hle was in the battle of Fort Donelson and a part of the two days' fight at Shiloh. During his second term of service the company was detailed to fight the guerrillas. He was married in 1865 to Mrs. Nancy J. Fullerton. daughter of Robert and Eliza Shearer. By this marriage George Boone has one child, Ella F. His wife by her former husband has one
JAMES VERNON.
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daughter. Mary A. Fullerton. Ile has a nicely improved farm of eighty acres, and a good grade of farm stock.
JAMES K. MORROW was born in 1852, on the farm where he now resides. His parents, David and Elizabeth (Kiddoo) Morrow, were both natives of Pennsylvania. The latter was the daughter of James Kiddoo. David Morrow came to Mercer county with his family in 1847 and located in Millersburg township, where he resided till his death, which occurred in 1854, in his thirty-seventh year. His wife, mother of James K., died in 1872. They were married in 1846 and raised a family of four children, two sons and two daughters. They were quiet farmers and good citizens and members of the Presbyterian church. They left their children in good circumstances. Their son, James K., occupies the old homestead of 120 acres. He pursues thie vocation of his father. He keeps a good grade of farm stock. He has imbibed the republican spirit of his neighborhood. His early educational training was that of the common school.
DR. JOSEPH P. BOYD, deceased, was born in Wayne county, Indiana, in 1826. His parents were James and Hester Boyd, both members of the Christian church. Dr. Boyd early exhibited a fondness for books, and at the age of sixteen entered the profession of school teaching, which he followed till he began reading medicine with Dr. James Ruby at Abington, Indiana. He began the practice of his chosen profession at Bentonville, Indiana, then went to Randolph county, where he remained two years, and then came to Millersburg in 1852, where he had a large practice. He began life for himself with limited means, but died in 1878, leaving his family in easy circumstances. He was married to Ellen Commons, daughter of William and Sarah Commons, who emigrated from England to America. The Commons family in England were members of the aristocracy. The offspring of this marriage were three children : William C., Sarah H., and Omer. He was a member of the masonic order at Aledo, and the Mercer County Medical Society. The community mourned his death as a great loss. He was a man respected for his ability and thorough going business ability.
THOMAS LANDRETHI is a native of Owen county, Indiana, where he was born in 1842. His parents, Zacharia and Elonder (Fender), both natives of Virginia, settled in Owen county, Indiana, about 1825, where the subject of our sketch was reared and educated on the farm. In 1852 they came to Mercer county and located in Perryton township, where the former died in 1872. aged sixty years ; the latter in 1875, . aged sixty years. They were quiet, good farmers and earnest sup- porters of good society, and were members of the Missionary Baptist
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HISTORY OF MERCER AND HENDERSON COUNTIES.
church. Our subject came to Mercer county when a small boy with his parents. He had two brothers, Crisby and Andrew, in the army in the late war. The former belonged to the 126th Ill. Vol., and died at La Grange, Tennessee, but a few months after his enlistment ; the latter died two days later at the same place. Mr. Landreth is a member of the I.O.O.F. at Millersburg. He was married in 1865, to Rachael Reed, a native of Mercer county, born in 1843, and a daugh- ter of Harper and Louisa (Drury) Reed, early settlers in Mercer county. They have three children : Lillie M., William R., and Nola L. He has a farm of ninety acres well suited to stock raising. He keeps a good article of farm stock. He and wife are members of the Mission- ary Baptist church. In politics he is a Greenbacker.
CARY DRYDEN is a native of Ohio, born in 1840, and is a son of J. M. and Elizabeth (Ellis) Dryden, the former of Ohio, the latter of Virginia. She came to Ohio with her parents when eleven years old. J. M. and Elizabeth Dryden came to Illinois in 1851, and located in Peoria county, where they remained till 1853, when they came to Mer- cer county. In 1855 they went to Iowa, but returned to Mercer county in 1864, where the former died in 1872, aged sixty-eight years; the latter is living in Keithsburg, this county, and is seventy-four years old. Cary Dryden accompanied his parents, first to Peoria county, then to Mercer county and to Iowa, and returned in 1858 to Mercer county, where he has since lived. He has pursued the occupation of farming all his life, except three years and one month he served in the army. He enlisted in 1861 in company G. 27th Ill. Vol. He was a non-com- missioned officer all the time of his service, and was in the battle of Belmont, siege of Island No. 10, the numerous skirmishes around Cor- inth, battle of Stone River, Chickamauga, siege of Knoxville, Res- aca, Georgia, and Kenesaw Mountain, where he was wounded and taken to the hospital, where he remained till after his term of enlist- ment expired. In 1867 he was married to Catharine Wolfe, native of Illinois and daughter of Solomon and Evaline (Marlatt) Wolfe, both of Indiana, and came to Mercer county with its early settlers. Mr. Dry- den by this marriage has four children: Eva (deceased), Mary, Fred- erick, Nellie L. He and his wife are members of the Seventh Day Advent church, at the Marsh school-house. He has a farm of 160 acres of fine land, well improved. located near the south line of the township, upon which he keeps a good grade of all kinds of farm stock.
JOHN BELL is a son of John and Mary (Clifford) Bell, both of Ire- land. He was born in Ohio in 1848, and came with his parents to Illinois in 1862. Ile was reared on the farm. His early education
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was such as he could get in the district school. Ile was married in 1881 to Florence S. Adams, native of Illinois, born in 1858, and daugh- ter of Samuel and Mary Adams, of Kentucky. They came to Rock Island county, Illinois, with its early settlers, and now reside in Eliza township, Mercer county. The former is a member of the Latter Day Saints church. Mr. Bell has by this marriage one child, Harry Earl. He is a member of the Masonic lodge at Aledo; his wife is a member of the Latter Day Saints church. He has a farm of 160 acres of fine land fairly stocked. Politically he is a democrat.
The subject of this sketch, WILLIAM A. MARSH, is by birth a native of New York, born in 1833, son of M. L. and Eliza Marsh, both of New York. They came to Mercer county in 1853, and are now resi- .dents of Aledo, where the former is justice of the peace. M. L. Marsh is by vocation a farmer. He first settled in Illinois, in Millersburg township, where he now owns a farm of 150 acres. He and wife first moved to New York city, where their son, William A., was born; then to Buffalo, New York; from there to Lieking county, Ohio; then to Illinois, where they have since resided. William A.'s early education was that of the common school and two years as a student in a graded school. He accompanied his parents in all their removals till they . located in Mercer county, and then he located on the farm where he has since resided. While he has pursued the vocation of farming for a livelihood, he has by no means given all his time and thought to making the farm pay, but is one of the most active members of the Mercer County Historical and Scientific Society, the truth of which his large collection of well-arranged specimens of shells, woods, grasses and Indian implements demonstrate without further question. No one, we have good reason to believe, has added more to the conchology and botany of Mercer county than Mr. Marsh. So large is his collection in these two sciences, and that of Indian implements, that one who has any taste in either of these directions could spend months in his cabinet with both pleasure and profit. The proficiency Mr. Marsh has acquired in these branches of science clearly shows that success depends upon the amount of labor we give to one thing, and not to the num- ber of branches we take up. Mr. Marsh was married in 1855 to Mary J. Patterson, of Licking county, Ohio, born in 1837, daughter of Wilson and Isa Patterson, both of Pennsylvania. They emigrated in 1835 to Mercer county, where they are both living. They are members of the predestinarian Baptist church, and farmers by occu- pation. Mr. Marsh has nine children : Philip. Eliza, Francis L. (deceased), Mary J., Isa R .. William A .. Frederick A .. Wilson, and Estella E. Mr. Marsh has a good farm of 240 acres, well improved
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and fairly stocked with a good grade of farm stock. In politics he votes for the man, not for the party.
A. A. SHIERER, the subject of this history, is a native of Pennsyl- vania, Lawrence county, born in 1839. His parents were Robert and Eliza Sherer, both of Pennsylvania. The latter died in 1841; the former was married a second time in 1843, and came to Mercer county in 1853, where he died in 1861, aged fifty-six years. His business was that of stock dealing. At the time of his death he owned 600 acres of land. He was a devoted Christian and member of the Presbyterian church, as was also both his wives. His second wife now lives in Joy. Robert Sherer did much to improve the stock of horses in the county. No one carried off more first premiums from the county fairs than he. A. A. Sherer came to Mercer county with his father. His early educa- tion was limited to the district school. He was reared to the business of the farm, which he has always followed. He was married in 1861 to HIannah Church, native of Illinois, born in 1841, daughter of Thomas and Rachel Church, both of Indiana, and early settlers of New Boston township. They were prominent farmers and respected citizens of the community where they resided. The former died, 1859, aged forty-eight years; the latter in 1871, aged seventy-three years. Mr. Sherer has by this marriage seven children : Ella M., Willie T. (deceased), Robert C., Jane E., Adda P. (deceased), Rachel C., and Frank E. He and wife are members of the Presbyterian faith and hold their membership with the congregation at the Peniel church ; and also his two eldest children have embraced christianity in the same church. Mr. Sherer has a fine stock farm three miles south of Millers- burg, which consists of 420 acres. He deals in both stock and fat cattle. His herd of sheep is of the Leicester stock; hogs, Poland China. He follows in the footsteps of his father as to class of stock he keeps.
The Wilitts family came from Pennsylvania to Mercer county among its early settlers ; but at the present writing but few of the once large family resident remain. THOMAS WILITTS was born in Columbia county, Tennessee, in 1804. His parents, Nathaniel and Sarah Wilitts, were natives of Pennsylvania, where they lived out their lives. His. mother lived to the ripe old age of 60; his father died ten years younger. His vocation was that of a shoemaker. Thomas came to Mercer county in 1854 and settled in Duncan township, where he now owns a farm, and lived there till the winter of 1881-2, when he retired from active farm life and took up his abode in Millersburg. In 1828 he was married to Margaret Taylor, of his native state. She was born in 1810, and is a daughter of Christopher Kahler, a native of Germany.
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They had twelve children. eight of whom are now living: William, Townsend. practicing physician in Philadelphia ; Horace, Charles, Norman. Thomas, Maggie, and Chester. His four sons. Norman, Chester, Charles, and Horace, were soldiers in the late war. The first served as quartermaster; the second, in the 102d reg. Ill. Vol. Inf .. was out three years, and was with Sherman on his march to the sea ; the third served eight months in the 9th Ill. cavalry : the fourth served six months in the 27th reg. Ill. Vol. Inf. He and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church in Millersburg. In politics he is a straight out republican.
S. H. RIDDELL is a native of Clinton county. Ohio, born in 1840, and came to Mercer county with his parents. Humphrey and Mary (Morl) Riddell, in 1855. His father was a native of Maryland. his mother of Pennsylvania. The former emigrated from his native state to Pennsylvania, where he was married. and emigrated to Ohio in 1836, where he remained till he came to Mercer county. He died in 1871. at the ripe age of seventy years. His wife now resides in Aledo and is sixty-four years old. He was by trade a shoemaker, by vocation a farmer, and superintended the county farm for ten years. He and wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. The early literary training of S. H. Riddell was that of the common school. He began a collegiate course at Delaware, Ohio. but owing to his ill health it had to be abandoned. From the age of twelve he was reared on the farm. which business he followed for himself only three years. In 1861 he was married to Sarah F. Vernon. born in 1843. daughter of James and Eliza Vernon, whose history will appear elsewhere. Mr. Riddell by this union has five children : Jennett, James (deceased), Frank A., Milo A., and Thomas V. In 1865 he engaged in the mercantile business in Millersburg, which he carried on till 1871. Since that time he has been employed as clerk, and is now engaged by . W. W. Egbert. He now holds the offices of notary public and super- visor, and has filled most of the township offices. He and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is a member of the I.O.O.F. lodge.
JOHN FARAN came to Millersburg in 1855, where he has since resided. He is by trade a plasterer, which trade he followed till 1879. when he engaged in the grocery business. In 1882 he bought the store of J. D. Strattan, and now is engaged in general merchandise. In connection with his store he keeps the postoffice. Mr. Faran is a native of Dearborn county. Indiana. born in 1832. son of John and Stinche Faran. The former was a native of Ireland. He first located in Cincinnati, where he was married, and then came to Indiana and
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settled in Dearborn county, where his son John was born. The wite of the latter was a native of Ohio. Both were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. The former died in 1835. at the age of thirty-eight years. The latter then moved to Topeka, Kansas, where she died in 1867. Mr. Faran was married in 1857 to Harriet Riddell, daughter of Humphrey and Mary Riddell, whose history will appear in the sketch of S. II. Riddell. By this marriage he has three children : Jeneva J., Ida. and Howard. Mr. Faran is one of the men now living in Millers- burg who was instrumental in driving the saloons from the village and stopping the whisky traffic. He now has a good business, with an increasing trade.
HENRY HUFFMAN, farmer and stock-raiser, Aledo, was born in Pennsylvania in 1824, and is the son of Henry and Charity (Feazel) Huffman, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania, and resided in Washington county. The former died in 1827, aged forty-five years, and the latter in 1845, aged fifty-two years. They were farmers and members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and were quiet, well-to-do and highly-respected people in their community. Henry Huffman came to Mercer County in the fall of 1854, and located in Keithsburg. where he resided till the following spring, when he located on section 25,
Millersburg township, where he has since lived. He was married in 1854 to Mary Witherspoon, a native of Pennsylvania, born in 1831, daughter of John and Margaret (Kennedy) Witherspoon. They were members of the Presbyterian church, known as Seceders. They were peaceable farmers and highly respected citizens. Mr. Huffman has six children : John (deceased), Maison B., Samuel I., Willie E. and Dora A. (twins), and George W. He and wife are members of the United Pres- byterian church. He has a farm of 208 acres of fine farming land. located one-half mile from the east line of Millersburg township and four miles from the county seat. He keeps a good grade of all kinds of farm stock.
Among the business men of Millersburg is J. D. STRATTAN, native of Clinton county, Ohio, born in 1839. His parents were David and Harriet (Hinman) Strattan ; the former of Lynchburg county, Virginia, the latter of Connecticut, near New Salem. They came to Mercer county and located at Millersburg in 1855, then emigrated to West Liberty, Iowa, where the former died in 1867, aged seventy-four years. The latter then moved to Mt. Vernon. Illinois, where she died in 1SS0, at the age of seventy-three years. David Strattan was by profession a merchant and did business in Cincinnati as early as 1812-13. He sold goods both at Millersburg and West Liberty, Iowa, where he resided at the time of his death. David Strattan and wife were members of the
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Hicksite Friends. J. D.'s literary education was that of the common school. HIe learned the business of merchandise with his father. Ile began business for himself as a merchant in 1863, in Millersburg,. at which he continued till 1882, with the exception of one and a half years, during which time he engaged in farming. In 1881 he and Lunn established in Millersburg a creamery, to which he now gives all his time and attention. He was married in 1862 to Fanny E. Merrimar, native of Maine, born in 1843, daughter of Thomas and Mary E. Merri- man, who came to Illinois about 1844. By this marriage he had six children, three of whom are living: Ora A .. Frank P., and George C. The mother of these died in 1880. He was married a second time to Adella V. Turner, native of Illinois, daughter of John H. and Mary J. Turner. He and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is a member of the I.O.O.F. lodge at Millersburg.
WILLIAM VALENTINE is the son of Absalom and Susan Valentine, the former a native of Pennsylvania, and came to Ohio when a child, with his parents. The latter is a native of Ohio. They emigrated to Mercer county in 1855, having spent the winter of 1854-5 in Lawrence county, Illinois. They located in Mercer county, where Absalom Valentine died, in 1864, aged sixty-two years. His wife is now living with her son William, and is seventy-four years old. She is an old sol- dier of the cross in the Methodist Episcopal church. and holds her membership at Joy. William Valentine received but a meager literary education such as he was able to obtain during the winter months. in the district school of his neighborhood. He was reared to the vocation of farming, which he has followed. He was born in Ohio in 1837, and came with his parents to Mercer county in 1855, where he has since resided. He enlisted in the service of his country in 1862, in company K. 102d Ill. Vol., and served till the close of the war, and was mustered out June 6, 1865. He was in the battles of Resaca, Georgia, at the siege of Atlanta, and with Sherman, on his march to the sea, at Goldsborongh, and Savannah, and from there to Richmond, and Washington. He was married in 1869 to Easter Bell, daughter of John and Margaret Bell. By this marriage he has one child, Ben- jamin II. He has a farm of 120 acres of fine land, and keeps a good grade of farm stock.
WILSON P. ZENTMIRE's parents, David and Dianna (Minick) Zent- mire, emigrated from their native state, Ohio, where their son. Wilson P., was born, to Illinois, in 1855, and located in Abington township, Mer- cer county, where they resided nine years. They then moved to Millersburg township, where the former died in 1870. aged sixty years, the latter in 1869, aged forty-nine years. He was a carpenter and
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HISTORY OF MERCER AND HENDERSON COUNTIES.
farmer. The Zentmires family emigrated to America from Germany at an early time. Wilson P. came to Mercer county with his parents. when eight years old. His early education was such as the common schools of that time could furnish. He has given his entire time to farming. He was married in 1868. to Miss Nancy Kiddoo. daughter of Richard and Eliza (Vannatta) Kiddoo, whose sketch will appear in the work. They have five children : Harry. Hattie, Ray (deceased). Velly (deceased), and Tuse. He owns a fine stock farm of 160 acres. and keeps a good grade of farm stock. In 1881 he had his house on section 33. burned, loss $2.200. $1.300 of which was covered by insur- ance. Politically he is a republican.
WILLIAM M. MILLER, farmer and teacher. is one of the early teachers in Millersburg. He is a native of Pennsylvania. born in 1829. His early educational training was that of the common school of his home, and ten months at an academy. Five years previous to his coming to Illinois, which was in 1855. he began teaching in his native state. when he was in his nineteenth year, and has taught school eighteen years in Millersburg township. lodging at the same house all this time, making twenty-three years he has spent in the profession. His parents, James and Mary (McCreary) Miller. were natives of the Quaker state. The former died in 1881, aged seventy-seven years. the latter is vet living and is in her seventy-third year. His parents were well-to-do farmers, and members of the Westfield Presbyterian church. His father came from Ireland; his mother's family, the McCrearys. em- igrated to Pennsylvania in its early settlement. Mr. Miller was mar- ried in 1856 to Miss Elizabeth Galaway, native of Ohio. She came with her parents to Mercer county in 1854 and located in Millersburg township. Her parents were natives of Ohio. They had previously emigrated to Kansas. There the father died in 1874. aged sixty-three years. The mother is still living. Mr. Miller by this marriage has a family of eight children : Mary J., Laura B., Eva S .. Granville S., Jessie S., John G .. Mattie R .. and Lizzie L. He and family, except the three youngest. are members of the Presbyterian faith. His present occupation is that of farming. He has a fine farm of eighty acres, on which he keeps a good grade of farm stock. In politics he is a
republican.
AARON P. SHAFER is a native of New York state, born in 1811, son of Adam and Hellena Shafer, both of New York. He was by occupa- tion a farmer. For a number of years he held the office of colonel of the state militia. Both were members of the Baptist church. They were reared. educated and spent their lives without emigrating from their native state. Their son. Aaron P., was reared on the farm with
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such educational advantages as the pioneer schools of his boyhood could furnish. which were limited. He lived on the farm till he arrived at the age of twenty-three. He was then engaged for a time as clerk in a store. then began in the mercantile business in New York for himself, which he followed for a time when he sold out his business and bought a farm which he sold and came to Illinois in 1856, and located in Millersburg. where he has since resided. Here he learned the wagonmaker's trade and has carried on a shop since 1856. He was married in 1841 to Eliza Davis, of New York, born in 1818. daughter of John S. and Elizabeth Davis, both of New York. They were well- to-do farmers. Mr. Shafer has by this marriage two children : Elizabeth. now Mrs. Felton. and Annie A. Their mother died in 1846. He has since remained unmarried. He is a member of the Baptist church. and a republican in politics.
WILLIAM C. BOYD, farmer and stock raiser. was born in Indiana in 1847, and is the son of Dr. Joseph P. and Ellen (Commons) Boyd. whose history will appear in the sketches of Millersburg township. William C. came to Mercer county with his father when a mere boy. His educational training was that of the village school at Millersburg. During his boyhood his father was engaged more or less in stock raising, for which William C. formed a liking and has chosen for a livelihood. He lives one inile west of Millersburg, near the line between Millersburg and Duncan townships. on a part of the farm owned by his father, which consists of 640 acres, and is yet undivided between his three children. William C. Boyd was married in 1873 to Emma Longshore. native of Indiana. born in 1853, and came to Mercer county with her parents. J. H. and Sally (Hadley) Longshore. Mr. Boyd has by this marriage two children : Archie L. and Edna. His wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church at Millersburg. In politics he is a republican.
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