USA > Illinois > Mercer County > History of Mercer and Henderson Counties : together with biographical matter, statistics, etc > Part 11
USA > Illinois > Henderson County > History of Mercer and Henderson Counties : together with biographical matter, statistics, etc > Part 11
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NEW BOSTON TOWNSHIP'.
was initiated into the Housatonic Lodge, No. 6. I.O.O.F., at Bir- mingham, and in September, 1846, he withdrew from that lodge in order to organize one in Humphreysville, his place of residence, and accordingly was a charter member of Mechanics Lodge, No. 73, and was the second N.G. of that lodge. In 1848 he purchased an inter- est in the manufactory where he had been employed since 1836. In 1850 he bought the whole establishment, which he carried on very suc- cessfully for a number of years. In 1852 he was elected representa- tive to the state legislature, which office he filled with credit to himself and satisfaction to his constituents. In 1854, having met with a con- siderable loss by indorsing for others, he sold out and came west, landing in New Boston November 8th of that year, where he purchased the N. W. ¿ of Sec. 29, T. 14, R. 5, which he commenced improving the following spring. Soon after his settlement in New Boston. J. L. Hartson, Mark J. O'Brien, J. C. Bell, C. H. Bell, D. Hines and others, became charter members of the New Boston Lodge, I.O.O.F., which was the first organized in the county. Mr. Hartson was the first N.G. and the first representative to the state Grand Lodge from this town and county. He remained on his farm about four years, when he bought a drug store in' New Boston, which he carried on a little over two years ; during that time his wife Mary died. On Jan- uary 8, 1860, he was married to his present wife, who was Mrs. Fanny M. Campbell, nee Mead. In April of 1863, having sold his town property, he returned to his farm, where he is still enjoying the quiet of rural life in his home, surrounded by a few congenial friends who know him best and love him most.
WILLIAM LEWIS was born in Wayne county, Indiana, April 25, 1832. His parents were formerly from Greene county, Virginia. He received a common school education, and in 1854 came to Mercer county and settled in New Boston township, where he has since resided. IIe was married October 30, 1856, to Sarah Jane, daughter of Pettis and Maria J. Finch. They have one child : Levi. Mr. Lewis is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and has been since 1862. He is an extensive farmer, owning 620 acres of land. He has very fine buildings on his farm, and is engaged largely in stock raising and shipping. Politic- ally he is a republican.
WILLIAM T. MURRAY was born in Frederick county, Maryland, April 16, 1820. He is the oldest son of William and Susan (Jackson) Murray. William T. left his native state in 1840, and after traveling over the states of Indiana and Ohio, he settled in Wayne county, In- diana, where he lived several years. In 1856 he came to Mercer county, Illinois, where he has resided ever since. During his early life he was
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HISTORY OF MERCER AND HENDERSON COUNTIES.
engaged in the butchering business. Since coming to Mercer county he has been chiefly engaged in farming and stock raising. In 1877 he again engaged in the butchering business in New Boston. Politically he has been a republican since 1860, but previous to that time he was a democrat. He has been a member of the Methodist church since 1854, and has always advocated the temperance cause. In August, 1843, he was married to Miss Mary Jackson, daughter of Amor and Debby Jackson, of Wayne county, Indiana. Although her maiden name is the same as his mother's, they are not related. They have reared three children : William H., who is married to Miss Amna Essley ; Alice, married to Thomas Murphey ; and Gertrude, who remains at home with her parents.
JACOB LOOZER, farmer, was born March 10, 1834, in Switzerland, and emigrated to this country in 1854, and after working one year in Michigan came to Mercer county, where he has since resided. Mr. Loozer came, hearty and industrious, and with nothing to aid himself in this distant land but a willing pair of hands. Although he did not come until much later than some, he ranks among the wealthiest men in the county. After he came to the county he labored for four years on the farm for William Drury. Living very economically, at the end of four years he found he had money enough to purchase eighty acres of land, which he did. He has added to it at different times, until he has at present 640 acres. He was married March 10, 1859, to Miss Barbary Sloan. They have four children, all of whom are living. Mr. Loozer was the first man in the county to put up a wind pump. He is also agent for the Halladay's wind-mill, which is one of the best mills manu- factured. He has always been an active republican. Mr. Loozer farms on a very large scale. He generally puts in 250 acres of corn.
JOHN SEASTONE, wagonmaker and blacksmith, was born in Sweden, August 3, 1834. He came to this country in 1858, landing at Quebec August 21. From Quebec he went to Minnesota, where he stayed until 1859, when he came on to New Boston township, where he has lived ever since. He worked at the blacksmith trade about four years at the "brick yard," which is five miles northeast of New Boston. From this point he removed to New Boston, where he has been largely engaged in wagonmaking, blacksmithing, and selling machinery of all kinds. He does a very large business, especially in the way of selling machinery. May 23, 1860, he was married to Miss Eva S. Hilmore. They have had seven children : Mary, Dora, Kate, Jolın E., Charles V., Emma, Charlotte. They are all single, and live at home with their parents. Mr. Seastone is a member of the Swedish Lutheran church, at Swedona, Mercer county, Illinois. He is also a
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NEW BOSTON TOWNSHIP.
member of the order of Masons, at New Boston. Politically he is a republican.
T. H. DOUGHTY, police magistrate and book-keeper, was born in Centerville, Wayne county, Indiana, in 1831, and was the fourth child in a family of eleven children by Thomas L. and . Mary J. (Kibbey) Doughty. In 1842 he emigrated to New Boston with his parents. He was a pupil of Simeon P. Smith, and under his tuition obtained a useful education. When a boy he worked in his father's shop and learned the saddler's trade ; but most of the time since he became of age he has been a book-keeper. He was married in 1856 to Miss Hattie M. Doughty, by whom he has had seven children : Willie (dead), Kate (now Mrs. P. E. Tovey), Harry (dead), Josie (dead), Jim E., Sue, and an unnamed infant. Mr. Doughty has been active among his townsmen in promoting temperance work, and the interests of the republican organization. He is a member of the Independent Order of Mutual Aid, and has held several local offices. He was the first mayor of New Boston, and is at present town clerk and police magistrate.
GIDEON IVES, merchant, was born in Wallingford, Connecticut, in 1825, and was the youngest son of Gideon and Charlotte (Hall) Ives. He received an academie education in his native town, and in 1843 came west and settled in New Boston, where he at once began clerking for the firm of Denison & Ives. As early as 1846 he embarked in general merchandising in partnership with Elmer J. Denison, and kept up this connection until about 1865. At that date Mr. Ives withdrew from the firm and was out of trade till 1881, when he formed a partnership with Frank Ives (his son) and C. H. Ballard (his son-in-law), under the style of Ives, Ballard & Co. Mr. Ives was originally a whig, and voted first for president for Gen. Taylor in 1848. He has been a steadfast republican since his party came into existence. He has always been squarely identified with the temperance work. In 1853 he was united in marriage with Miss Rachel, daughter of John Drury, by whom he has had seven children, as follows: Frank, who married Miss Lizzie Moll ; Jennie, wife of C. H. Ballard; Flora, Fred, Nellie (died in infancy), Hattie and Paul.
CHARLES W. BRAS, lawyer and collector, was born in Lake county, Ohio, May 16, 1828, and is the fourth child of Thomas and Ann (Norton) Bras. He came west with his parents in 1837, settling in Louisa county, Iowa, where he worked with his father until of age. He then learned the mason's trade and was engaged in this until 1850, when he went overland to California, enduring all the hardships con- nected with an overland trip across hundreds of miles of a wilderness,
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HISTORY OF MERCER AND HENDERSON COUNTIES.
where rain never falls, and vegetation does not exist. After arriving in California he clerked in a store one year, after which he was engaged in mining and running a pack-train. He returned to Lonisa county, Iowa, in 1853, and was in business there until 1868, when he came to New Boston, where he opened up a law office, and has been in business. ever since. During the late rebellion he enlisted in the 45th reg. Iowa Vol., and served six months, and was discharged. He received a common school education, and being a close student he has acquired a good education. In September, 1853, he was married to Miss Hannah M. Dennott. They have four children : Clarence C., Harry L., Ralph . C., Charlotte E., all of whom are living. He has served eleven years as justice of the peace, and has been a Mason over sixteen years. In politics he is a republican.
R. S. CRAMER, farmer, was born in Clermont county, Ohio, Sep- tember 5, 1825, being the first child of William and Sarah (Shute) Cramer. William was the first son of Adam Cramer, an early settler of Kentucky, being a near neighbor of the noted Daniel Boone of early Kentucky fame. R. S. was married to Mrs. Charlotte B. Harris in the fall of 1847 ; she was born in Miami county, Ohio, in the year of 1831. They emigrated to Knox county in the fall of 1855. His wife was feeble at the time, and died in July, 1856. Two children were born of this union, but they both died while quite young. Mr. Cramer came to this county in the fall of 1856 to make this his permanent- home. He remembers of passing along the Air Line railroad (surveyed) over the site where 'now stands Aledo. It was then (1855) nothing but a bleak prairie, relieved only by the stakes for the railroad. He made his home with James M. Manon, of Eliza township (afterward elected sheriff and circuit clerk of this county, and who was, during the late war, colonel of the 102d Ill. Vol.), until he married the Widow Cole in February, 1857. She was a sister of the colonel and dangher of Aaron Manon of the same township. The Widow Cole (his present wife) was. born in Wayne county, Indiana, in 1820, and emigrated to this county with her father's family in 1836, and settled in Eliza township. There has been no children by this marriage. Immediately after his marriage he settled two and a half miles north of New Boston, where he has lived for more than twenty-five years. Mr. Cramer was brought up in a neighborhood where almost everybody belonged to the Methodist Episcopal church. He joined at fifteen years of age and remained a .. member of the same some fifteen years. He always indulged in much reading and reflection. The result was he became heterodox in his theological opinions, and to-day is well known as a spiritualist. In politics he early became convinced of the great wrongs inflicted upon
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NEW BOSTON TOWNSHIP.
the slaves. He gave his first vote for Salmon P. Chase for governor of Ohio, because of his anti-slavery proclivities. From that time till the formation of the republican party he gave his votes where he thought they would promote the anti-slavery interest. He voted for Fremont. in 1856 and continued to act with the republican party until Grant was. candidate for president the second time ; and although he was a great. admirer of Greeley he refrained from voting at all until Peter Cooper run on the greenback ticket for president. From that time to the present he has been an ardent greenbacker and anti-monopolist. He is serving at this time (1882) as chairman of the central committee for the greenback labor party of this county. Mr. Cramer was a very enthusiastic supporter of the late war, having full confidence that it would result in the freedom of the slaves. He wrote the first articles (published in the "New Boston Herald" and the "Aledo Record") that were ever published in this county advocating the policy as well as the justice of giving the negro the right to vote.
We think it proper to mention here the name of STEPHEN RANDALL as one of the well to do farmers of New Boston township. He came to the northeastern part of the township, where he has resided ever since, having accumulated considerable property. He was born in Rensselaer county, New York, November 8, 1813. He is the oldest child of Stephen and Nancy (Cutler) Randall. He came with his parents to Mercer county in the year 1843. He was married February 13, 1844, to Miss Rachel Trumbull of Rensselaer county, New York. She was born September 29th, 1827, and is the sixth child of William and Pauley Trumbull. They have had eleven children (three of whom are dead): Nancy A., married to Joseph Tomelson ; William M., to Lucinda Uterback ; Lucy M., to Calvin C. Wyatt; Pauley E., to John Fulerton ; Celia M., to James W. Scott; Stephen, Cilvia and Aaron are dead; Minnie, Alonzo and Theron are at home with their parents. Rachel, his wife, died November 15, 1864. He was married again June 14, 1875, to Mrs. M. J. Jones. She was born June 29, . 1833, in Rensselaer county, New York, and is a daughter of Jacob and Catherine (Brooks) Bradt. Mr. Randall received only a common school education. In politics he is a republican. He has at present 434 acres of land in section 10 of New Boston township, and also 160 acres in Iowa.
The subject of this sketch, O. C. LUTZ, was born in Mercer county, Illinois, March 14, 1845, and is next to the youngest child of Isaac and Lydia (Light) Lutz. His father came to Mercer county in 1836 and settled in New Boston township, where he resided until his death, which took place in October, 1879. His mother died September, 1879,
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HISTORY OF MERCER AND HENDERSON COUNTIES.
at the age of seventy-four. His father was seventy-eight years of age at his death. O. C.'s father built the first grist mill in the county about 1838. In 1858 he built a large and commodious mill near the site of the old one. O. C. Lutz started out in life with limited means. He has gradually worked his way up until he now owns considerable property. The first real estate he owned was eighty acres in Eliza township. This he sold in 1873 and went to York county, Nebraska, where he became the owner of 480 acres of land, which yields him an annual income of $700. In March, 1881, he bought the mill estate of his father's in Mercer county, Illinois, and returned in October of the same year, and has refitted the mill and is now prepared to compete with any other mill in the country. November 1, 1871, he was married to Miss Permelia, daughter of Henry and Permelia Hempton. She was born October 12, 1854. They have had two children. In connection with his mill property he owns 167 acres of land. Mr. Lutz is a republican and cast his first vote for Lincoln.
THOMAS WILLITT, farmer, was born August 22, 1846, in Mercer county, Illinois. His parents were Kentuckians. He was married September 18, 1871. His wife was the daughter of David and Nancy Brought. She was born in Hancock county, Ohio, December 9, 1848. In 1862 Mr. Willitt enlisted in the 30th reg. Ill. Vol. He served his country until the close of the war, and then returned to his home and engaged in agriculture. He received a common school education. He makes a living for himself and family by honest toil.
LYMAN H. SCUDDER was born in Cattaraugus county, New York, October 29, 1829. In the year 1847 he came to New Boston, where he resided until the spring of 1852, when he started with an ox team for California, and arrived in Placerville in September of that year. He was engaged in mining and farming until the summer of 1855, when he returned to New Boston. He then engaged in the livery business, which he followed until the summer of 1862. In July of that year he enlisted, and on the tenth day of September he was mustered into the service of the United States as captain of company G, 124th reg. Ill. Vol. Inf. His regiment became a part of the third Division of the 17th Army Corps, which was then engaged in preparing for the capture ef Vicksburg, Miss. He participated in several skirmishes and battles, in one of which (Champion Hills, Miss.) he was wounded, and in July, 1864, owing to ill health, he resigned his commission and returned to his home. He has been a resident of New Boston ever since. The subject of this sketch has been twice married. May 13, 1861, he was married to Miss Fanny E. Ives, of Oquawka, Illinois, who died in May, 1865, leaving one son. February 11, 1866, he was
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NEW BOSTON TOWNSHIP.
married to Miss Helen L. Moore, daughter of George and Jemima Moore, of New Boston. She was born in Eliza township, four miles from her present residence, on May 10, 1837. She has a just claim to be called one of the early settlers. In politics Captain Scudder is republican, having voted and advocated the principles of that party ever since its organization. For the past sixteen years he has resided on a farm three miles north of New Boston and has taken considerable interest in apiarian pursuits.
The subject of the following sketch is not identified with the his- tory of Mercer county for so long a period as some others, as he did not come until 1848. Mr. ISOM JACKSON was born in Hancock county, Indiana, April 4, 1839, and consequently was nine years of age when he came to this county with his parents. He is the youngest child of Dempsy and Mary Jackson. His parents are still living at the age of seventy-five each. As a tiller of the soil Mr. Jackson has worked at it all his life. By grasping the few advantages afforded in early times lie obtained a common school education. He was married May 29, 1864, to Miss Salinda, daughter of John and Rachel Fisher. Mr. Jackson was always a democrat until 1876, when he joined the green- back party, of which he has been a member ever since. They have had six children, all of whom are living: they are Ed., John, Homer, Thomas, Bert and Edney. Mr. Jackson has been very successful in accumulating property. At present he has 240 acres of land, 200 of which is in New Boston township and 40 in Eliza. In response to his country's call he enlisted in the 124th regiment, and after serving eleven months, was wounded in the left hand and right arm, from which he has been a cripple ever since.
Among the well-to-do farmers of New Boston township may be mentioned THOMAS J. JACKSON, who was born in Hancock county, Indiana, July 24, 1837. He is next to the youngest child of Demsy and Mary Jackson. When eleven years of age he came with his parents to Mercer county, Illinois, settling in New Boston township, where he has resided ever since. His parents are still living at the age of seventy-five each, and in good health. Mr. Jackson worked with his father until twenty-one years of age, when he commenced farming for himself, in which business he has been engaged ever since with the exception of two years spent in California, where he went in 1862, staying two years. He went by the way of New York, down the Atlantic, across the Isthmus of Panama, and up the Pacific ocean to San Francisco, and returned in 1864. Received a common school education. He was married to Miss Samantha Drew, daughter of Harrison and Eliza Drew, March, 1860. They had one child, which
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HISTORY OF MERCER AND HENDERSON COUNTIES.
died April, 1862. His wife died March, 1863. He was married again August 12, 1868, to Miss Louisa, danghter of David and Eliza Honey- man. They had one child: Gid, who was born April 23, 1875. Mr. Jackson owns the northeast quarter of section 8, in New Boston town- ship, 80 acres of which he bought in 1873 and 80 in 1875.
MARSHALL FLEMING, farmer, was born in Henry county, Indiana, September 8, 1831, and is the oldest child of John W. and Angeline (Cellars) Fleming. He came with his parents to Mercer county, Illi- nois, in the year of 1849. Two years later he commenced farming for himself. His father was born in Fairmont county, West Virginia, April 20, 1809, and departed this life February 26, 1854. His remains rest in the New Boston cemetery. His mother was born in 1812, in Brown county, Ohio, and is still living at the age of seventy years. Marshall was married to Miss Nancy Rader August 20, 1853. She is the daughter of Abraham G. and Catharine Rader. Her parents were among the early settlers of the county, coming in the year 1838. She was born September 27, 1836, in Henry county, Indiana. The young couple started out in life with nothing but a two-year-old colt. For their household goods and one horse they went in debt. This horse and his two-year-old colt made his team. Thus he went on adding a little each year to his capital, until he has acquired a good, well- improved farm, having twice taken the first premium. His farm is sitnated two miles northeast of New Boston. He and his wife have been members of the Methodist church since 1872. In politics he is a republican. They have had two children : Josephine, born November 27, 1858; Elsie, born January 29, 1862, and died October 8, 1863.
G. W. BRIDGER, farmer, was born Jannary 13, 1858, in Mercer county, Illinois, and is the oldest son of Charles H. and Martha F. Bridger. He was married February 3, 1881, to Miss Josephine Flem- ing, daughter of Marshall and Nancy Fleming. He lived with his father and worked on the farm until nineteen years of age, when he determined to have at least a common school education: Working in summer he earned enough to send him to the village school of Viola during the fall and winter. This he followed up for three years, work- ing summers and attending school fall and winter. He then taught. school for a number of terms. At present he is engaged in farming.
JAMES P. POWLEY, farmer, was born in Hancock county, Indiana, September 4, 1832. IIe came to Mercer county, Illinois, in 1849. He was married February 22, 1854, to Sarah J., danghter of Andrew and Jane Malady. He has been in Mason since 1861. He owns a. farm of 140 acres, well improved. Mr. and Mrs. Powley have had born to them two children.
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NEW BOSTON TOWNSHIP.
GEORGE H. SIGNOR, grocer, was born in New York in 1835. He was the oldest son. His parents, John and Araminta C. (Lawrence) Signor, had eleven children, and in 1839 they removed with them to Ross county, Ohio. In 1845 the family emigrated still farther west, settling in Columbus City, Lonisa county, Iowa. Living there a year, they next came to Oquawka, where his father shortly after died, aged abont forty-six years. In 1853 Mr. Signor settled in New Boston, where he was married and has since had his home. His mother is still living at the age of seventy-three. It is a curious fact that the ages of her nine living brothers and sisters average her own age. His mar- riage on January 1, 1857, was with Miss Maria Alyea, of New Boston, danghter of Joseph Alyea, one of the first settlers and business men in the place. Mr. Signor was employed by him as a clerk when he first came. Both he and his wife are communicants in the Methodist. church, of New Boston, of which he is steward. He takes a lively interest in the temperance canse, and has always taken a leading part in organizations of that nature. He has filled the highest position in three Good Templar lodges and is an Odd-Fellow of twenty-five years" standing. Raised a whig, he voted first for Fremont, and has since trained strictly with the republicans. In 1880 he started in the grocery trade.
GEORGE GORE, banker, was born in Maryland in 1837, and was. the only son of Philip and Susannah (Baughman) Gore. He had six sisters. In 1841 his parents moved west and settled in Columbus City, Louisa county, Iowa, where his mother died the next year at the age of forty-two. In 1846 his father married again, this time Mrs. Margaret Alexander, and in 1854 moved with his family to Keiths- burg, where he engaged in merchandising. He had been previously selling goods in Columbus City. Mr. Gore remained with his father at Keithsburg until 1864, when he went to Montana for the benefit of his health. Being restored, he returned at the end of nine months and settled in New Boston, and during the succeeding eight years was in the service of Wells Willits as book-keeper. In 1873 he embarked in trade on his own account, and was in partnership the first two years with C. H. Bell. Impaired health caused him to sell out in 1880, and with his family he went to Florida, spending seven months there. Returning somewhat improved, he engaged in banking in the autumn of 1881. Mr. Gore has been a Mason since 1874, and has held the office of alderman and mayor. He was mayor of New Boston in 1879, and as a firm supporter of the temperance programme and princi- ples was chosen to that place to further the interests of the community from that standpoint. Always a democrat in politics, he stood
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