History of Mercer and Henderson Counties : together with biographical matter, statistics, etc, Part 124

Author: Mercer County Historical Society (Ill.); Henderson County Historical Society (Ill.)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : H.H. Hill and Co.
Number of Pages: 1424

USA > Illinois > Mercer County > History of Mercer and Henderson Counties : together with biographical matter, statistics, etc > Part 124
USA > Illinois > Henderson County > History of Mercer and Henderson Counties : together with biographical matter, statistics, etc > Part 124

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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Terre Haute, where he wishes to spend the remainder of his days in quietude, leaving his farm of 120 acres to the care of liis son Melzar A.

Among the early settlers now gone to rest is PRICE LOVITT, the subject of this sketch. He was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, in 1822, son of John W. Sr. and Anna Lovitt; the father of Maryland, the mother of Ohio, where they were married. John and Winneford (Scott) Lovitt, the parents of John W. Lovitt Sr. emigrated from Wales to America at a very early time and located in Ohio. Price Lovitt's mother died in 1827, at the age of twenty-three years, his father in 1876, at the ripe old age of eighty-one years. John W. Lovitt Sr. was a farmer and miller. He came to Illinois in 1840 and located in McDonough county, where he died. He was a member of the Baptist church, his wife of the Methodist Episcopal church. Price Lovitt located in 1840 in township S, section 5, where he died in 1880. In 1844 was married to Mary J. Grigsby, of Vermont, born in 1825, and came to Ohio with her parents, John and Sarah Grigsby, when she was a little girl. Her parents were both natives of Virginia. Her father died in 1870, aged eighty years, her mother in 1833, aged forty years. Her father served in the war of 1812, and he was an early settler of Ohio, where he and his wife died. Price Lovitt had by this marriage ten children : Sarah (deceased), Oliver, John W., Alonzo, Clarrissa (deceased), Cordelia, Francis, Marion, Viola and Jesse. He was a man well respected in the community. His wife resides on the old homestead and is a member of the Baptist church.

JOHN W. LOVITT, Sr., son of Price Lovitt, was born in 1847, and reared on the farm. In 1869 he went to Iowa, where he remained thirteen years, then returned to the old homestead where he now resides. In 1864 he enlisted in the army in the 128th Ill. Vols., Co. G, and served one year. He was at the battles of Blakely, Spanish Fort and Mobile. In 1872 he was married to Anna Kerby, native of Henderson county, Illinois, born in 1849, daughter of Thomas and Sarah Kerby ; her father of Maryland, her mother of Virginia. The former died in 1864, aged sixty years : the latter is now living in Hen- derson county, and is fifty-eight years old. He was a member of the I.O.O.F., she of the Baptist church. John W. has by this marriage three children : Harry, Loy and Blanchie. He owns a fine farm con- sisting of 160 acres, located one mile and a quarter north of Terre Haute, and keeps a good grade of farm stock. He and wife are mem- bers of the Christian church.

WILLIAM R. LOUDEN, the subject of this history, is a native of Trimble county, Kentucky ; born in 1833, son of William and Milla (Hancock) Louden ; the father a native of Kentucky, the mother of

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Virginia. They were married in Kentucky. His father, Oliver Louden, located in Kentucky when the state was in its pioneer days. Her people emigrated to Kentucky with its early settlers. William Louden died in his native state in 1859, at the age of fifty-six years. His wife still resides on the old homestead in Kentucky, and is now sixty-nine years old. William Louden and wife from early life were members of the Free-Will Baptist church. They were by occupation farmers. He held the office of justice of the peace for several years and at one time was candidate for the legislature of the State of Ken- tucky. William R. Louden was reared on the farm. His early education consisted of such training as he could get in the pioneer log school-house of his neighborhood. He came to Illinois in 1858 and located in Hancock county, where he remained till 1879, when he moved to Henderson county, Illinois. He now resides in the south- east quarter of township S, range 5. In 1855 he was married to Samantha James, of Ohio, born in 1833, and daughter of Ivan and Lydia A. James, the father from Maryland, the mother from Pennsyl- vania. They first emigrated from Pennsylvania to Ohio. In 1853 they settled in Edgar county, Illinois, where the latter died in 1855, at the age of fifty-three years. The former came to Hancock county, where he died in 1872, at the age of sixty-eight years. They were farmers by occupation, and members of the Methodist Episcopal church. William R. Louden by this marriage has seven children : Edward, Ida M., John W., Josephine, Sydney, Lulu and Roxy. He and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. L. is a member of the I.O.O.F. lodge at Terre Haute. He has a farm of 160 acres of fine land well improved and fairly stocked with the best grades of common stock.

Among the present business men of Terre Haute is STEPHEN H. BRUEN. He is a native of Morris county, New Jersey, and was born in 1836. His parents were Isaac H. and Mary A. Bruen, both of New Jersey. They were born, reared, and raised their family in the same neighborhood. His mother died in 1862, at the good old age of sixty years, without ever having moved from the place of her childhood. In 1868 his father came to Illinois and located with his son Stephen at Terre Haute, where he now remains. Isaac H. Bruen is a cooper by trade. He is now eighty-four years old. His wife was a member of the Presbyterian church. The history of the Bruen family in America was begun by three brothers coming over from England, if not previous to the revolution, very shortly after. Stephen, H. received only a com- mon school education. When sixteen years of age he went to learn the mercantile business, which he has pursued constantly with the

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exception of four years he was in the service and ten years he spent in farming in this county. He enlisted in the service of his country in 1861, in the 7th New Jersey Vols., Co. K, and served till 1865, the close of the war. He was with the army of the Potomac. He entered the service as a private and was promoted to the office of first lieuten- ant and quartermaster, which position he held at the time he was dis- charged. He was in the adjutant's department previous to his promo- tion to the lieutenancy. During his first month of service he was in almost a continuous battle. He was in the seven days' fight in the Wilderness, second battle at Bull Run. He was married in 1869 to Mary Magie, a native of New Jersey, born in 1851, and daughter of William H. and Unas Magie. They were both natives of New Jersey, and came to Illinois about 1856, and located in Henderson county, where they remained seven years. They then moved to Chicago and returned to Henderson county in 1869, then returned to New Jersey in 1874, and came again to Henderson in 1875, then removed to Craw- ford county, Kansas, where they now live. They are farmers. S. H. Bruen, by this marriage, has three children : Bertie, William H. and Royal C. For the past three years he has been engaged in general merchandise in Terre Haute, and has a live trade. He is present post- master, and a member of the I.O.O.F. lodge of that place.

The Sloan family, now residents of this township, consists of the families of FRISBY, THOMAS W. and WORKMAN SLOAN. The last-named is deceased. They are the sons of Robert and Ruth (Frisby) Sloan. The father was a native of Ireland and came to America about 1790 with his father, John Sloan, and located in Allegheny county, Penn- sylvania, where the last-named (John Sloan) died. Ruth Frisby Sloan was born in Pennsylvania, and emigrated to Ohio, where she was married to Mr. Sloan, who died in 1839 at the age of about fifty-nine years. His wife is now living with her son, Thomas W., and is a member of the Free-Will Baptist church ; she is now eighty-three years old. Frisby Sloan was born in 1820, in Muskingum county, Ohio, and came to Illinois in 1852, and located in Hancock county, where he remained but a short time, when he moved to Oquawka. There he resided twenty-nine years, and now lives in this township. He is a stonemason by trade, which vocation he has followed most of his life. In 1847 he was married to Phobe Spangler, of Muskingum county, Ohio, born in 1825, daughter of Mathias and Sarah (Wells) Spangler ; the father of Maryland, the latter of Pennsylvania. They were married in Ohio, and emigrated to Illinois in 1851. The father was born in 1793 and died in 1864; the mother was born in 1791 and died in 1854. They were members of the Baptist church. He served in

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the war of 1812. Frisby Sloan has by this marriage six children : Ann Eliza, William C., Louis E., Judson, Emma and Laura. Work- man Sloan was born in 1825, in Ohio. He came to Illinois at the age of twenty-two years, and located in Hancock county, where he resided four or five years, when he came to Henderson county and located where his widow now lives. He was married in 1853 to Pere Roberts, of Pennsylvania, born in 1831, daughter of James and Lucretia (Morris) Roberts ; the father born in 1785, the mother in Pennsyl- vania in 1787, and died in 1867. In 1851 they came to Illinois and located in Hancock county, where they lived the remainder of their days. They were farmers and lived near La Harpe. . He was in belief a Quaker; she a member of the Methodist Episcopal church in Penn- sylvania. They raised a family of thirteen children. Workman Sloan had by this union five children : James R., Frisby (deceased), Rhien- hart M., Pleasant J. and Nancy E. (deceased). Ile and wife were members of the Baptist church. His oldest child joined the church when thirteen years old ; his second when only ten years old. Rhien- hart M. remains at home with his mother. Mr. Sloan left his family in good circumstances. His farm consisted of 135 acres, located in the northwest corner of the township. Thomas W. Sloan was born in 1824 in Ohio. He was reared on the farm. In 1850 he came to Illinois and located in McDonough county, where he remained three years, when he moved to Henderson county, where he now resides. He has a farm of 120 acres and keeps a good grade of farm stock. His aged mother lives with him. He has remained a bachelor. He is a member of the Free-Will Baptist church at Terre Haute.

R. W. RUBERTS, the subject of this sketch, is a native of Morgan county, Illinois, born in 1834, and son of Milton B. and Ann (Mathews) Ruberts, both of Kentucky. The father lived in his native state till he was seventeen years old, when he came to Illinois. In 1827 he was called out by the governor to defend the lead mines in the north part of the state at Galena against the Indians. On his way back in 1832 he marked his claim by sticking up a spoon in North Henderson. He made three campaigns during the years 1827, 1831 and 1832. He was at Rock Island when Black Hawk was taken prisoner. He is by occupation a farmer. He now lives in McDonough county. He was twice married. His first wife, Ann (Mathews), died in 1842. He now lives with his second wife, Sarah A. Terry. R. W. was reared on the farm. He has always followed farming. In 1866 he married Mary J. Connor, of Ohio, born in 1841, daughter of James and Nancy Connor, the former of Virginia, the latter of Maryland, and went to Ohio when young with her parents. She was a member

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of the Christian church. R. W. Ruberts has by this marriage four children : Emma L., Edward H., Bessie R., and Jennie O. He moved to La Salle county with his parents in 1835, and remained there till 1854 or 1855, then in 1858 to near Raritan, Henderson county, where he remained till the breaking out of the war in 1861, when he enlisted in Capt. Dallom's company, raised at Oquawka. The captain was promoted to the office of major of the 10th Ill., and the company lost its place in that regiment. Then a part went to Earl, La Salle county, and was recruited by Capt. Hudson and made a part of the 53d Ill. Vols., in which Mr. Ruberts was first corporal. He recruited his company four times from this and adjoining counties. He was in the following battles : Shiloh, Corinth. He then marched to Memphis and Inca, where he was wounded in the hip. He was taken prisoner at Holly Spring, where he was in the hospital and paroled, and was exchanged ; then in the siege of Vicksburg, then at Jackson, and was wounded in the hand, and came home on veteran furlough. He returned and was under Gen. Blair and joined Sherman at Altoona, and continued with the army till Sherman reached Savannah, when his time expired and he returned home. He was 28 miles from camp with a party of 800 men when they were attacked by 14,000 rebels, and made their way back to camp in about seven hours, fighting all the time. He was present when McPherson was killed at Atlanta, where they had to defend themselves on both sides of the breastworks, having been surrounded. He was detailed after the battle of Shiloh with a company of nine men to bury dead rebels, and to collect their wounded, and worked three days and nights without rest.

Among the energetic business men of this township 'is CLARENCE R. GITTINGS. Ile was born in 1848 in Hancock county, a short dis- tance from the south line of Henderson, where he was reared on the farm of his father. His parents, James and Mrs. Susan Thompson (Dague) Gittings, were among the pioneers of this section of the country. The father is a native of Jefferson county, Virginia, born in 1801, and the oldest of his father's family of eleven children. His parents were Ason and Elizabeth Gittings. James Gittings, when four years old, moved with his parents from his native state to Belmont county, Ohio, and afterward to Muskingum county. Here he remained till 1836. He worked at the carpenter's trade, then engaged in the tobacco trade with success, then shipped flour from Janesville to New Orleans, and made but few trips before he owned the craft that carried his produce to market. In 1836 he came west in search of a home. After viewing Chicago, with its few dilapidated buildings, he came to Ilancock county, where he now resides, and opened a farm in the then

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wilderness, where he has proved himself a successful business man and a good citizen. Almost from his first settling here he has been interested in this township. He was twice married : first in 1832 to Jane Van Horn, of Ohio, by whom he had four sons and two daugh- ters ; his second marriage was with Susan (Thompson) Dague, in 1844, widow of the late Frederick Dagne, of Wheeling, Virginia, with whom he is now living. By this last marriage he has three children, two sons and a daughter. Clarence R. received a fair common school education and three years' training in college. He was married in 1871 to Mary Witherspoon, of Mineville, New York, daughter of Robert and Margaret Witherspoon, the father of Ireland, now living in New York, and is sixty-eight years old. The mother died when their daughter Mary was two years old, aged about thirty years. C. R. Gittings has by this marriage two children, Robert F. and Charles S. He and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is a member of the I.O.O.F. and holds the office of justice of the peace in T. S, R. 5. He has a farm of 280 acres one mile south of Terre Haute. He keeps a good grade of stock. He is a member of the firm of Lovitt, Gittings & Co., which deals in all kinds of agricultural implements and buys and ships grain. The firm does business at Disco, Lomax and Terre Haute.

J. W. CRENSHAW is a native of Henderson county, born in 1844, and son of Isaac and Mary Crenshaw. His father was a native of Georgia, his mother of Kentucky. They came with the early settlers and located in T. 8, R. +, where Isaac Crenshaw died in 1880 at the age of seventy-six years. His wife, Mary Crenshaw, is yet living on the old homestead farm. They both are old soldiers of the cross in the Methodist Episcopal church. J. W. was reared on the farm where he was born. He was educated in the common schools of his neigh- borhood. In 1872 he married Alice E. Duncan, of Henderson county. She was born in 1860, and is the daughter of Thomas and Martha Duncan. Her father is a native of Tennessee, her mother of McDon- ough county, Illinois. They are farmers. Mr. Crenshaw has by this marriage four children : Millie E., Mabel M., Asa F. and Ethel. He owns a fine farm of 160 acres near the south line of the township and is a successful farmer. He and wife are members of the Christian church.

Of the citizens now resident of T. S, R. 5, is JOHN MILLS, subject of this sketch. He is a native of New York, born in 1830. His parents were Isaac and Joanna Mills, both of whom were reared, mar- ried, raised a family, and died in their native state, New York. He was a grocer. He and wife were members of the Presbyterian church.

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He served in the war of 1812. The Mills family emigrated to America from England in the early days of American history, and located in New York. Mr. John Mills was reared to farm, the business of his father. His early educational training was received in Morris county, New York, the home of his boyhood. In 1869 he emigrated to Hen- derson county with his family, and located one half mile east of Terre Haute, where he has since resided. In 1851 he was married to Henrietta Bruen, daughter of Isaac and Mary A. Brnen. Her native home was near Madison, New York. In 1869 her parents came to Henderson county, Illinois. Her mother is deceased ; her father now resides in Terre Haute, and is eighty-four years old. The Brnen family emigrated to America from Germany at a very early time. Isaac Bruen was by trade a cooper, but by occupation a farmer. His wife was a member of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Mills has by this marriage two children, George E. and Adellaid. He is a member of masonic lodge at Morristown, New York, and is a member of the . I.O.O.F. lodge at Terre Haute. He has a farm of 160 acres of fine land, and keeps a good grade of farm stock. He is present assessor of his township.

JAMES MATHEWS is a native of Ireland, born in 1831. His parents emigrated to America the year of his birth, and located in Hicks county, New York, where he was reared and educated. His immediate an- cestors were James and Betsy Mathews, both native of Ireland, where they died. His father died in 1881, aged sixty-seven years ; his mother in 1880, aged seventy-seven years. They were farmers, and members of the Close Communion Baptist, of which church they were members almost fifty years. In 1865 James Mathews Sr. emigrated from New York to Henderson, Illinois, with his family, and located in T. 8, R. 5, where he has since resided. In 1853 he was married to Sarah L. Twaits, of New York, born in 1833, daughter of William and Sarah (Nayes) Twaits. Her father was of England, her mother of New Hampshire. Her father was a soldier in the war of 1812, and died in 1879, at the age of seventy-five years ; her mother died about 1841, at the early age of thirty years; both were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. James Mathews Jr., by this marriage, has nine children : Edward, James (deceased), Isabell, Netta, George, Hattie, Henry, Ida and Ella. He and wife are members of the Free-Will Baptist church at Terre Haute. Ile has a well improved farm of eighty acres.

Rev. P. S. GARRETSON is a native of New Jersey, born in 1840, and is son of John and Alletta (Christopher) Garretson, both of New York. His father died in New York State in 1857, at the age of forty-eight

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years. His father and mother were members of the Dutch Reformed church. His mother, in 1868, located at Galesburg, Illinois, where she resided seven years. She then went to Philadelphia, where she died in 1876, at the age of seventy-four years. Her daughter, Elsa M., went to China as a missionary worker in 1880. Rev. Garretson was reared on the farm at Bound Brook, New York. He began his educa- tion in Pennington College, New York. In 1865 he came to Illinois and entered Hedding College, at Abington, where he remained two years, when he entered the ministry, which profession he has since ful- filled. In 1868 joined Central Illinois conference. Since that time he has been located at the following places as pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church : Orian, Viola, Colana, Henry county ; Port Byron, Rock Island county ; Millersburg, Mercer county ; Bardolph and Terre Haute. At the latter place he has been stationed for the past three years. In 1862 he enlisted in the army, Co. K, 30th N. Y. Vols., and served eighteen months. He was in the engagements at Fredericks- burg, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, but was discharged before the. engagement at the last named place was begun. In 1865 he enlisted a second time in the service of his country in the 150th N. Y. Vols., and was stationed on Hart Island to do guard duty. In 1871 he was mar- ried to Mary M. Pratt, a native of Illinois, born in 1844, and daughter of William M. and Margaret S. (Whitaker) Pratt. Her father was of Vermont, her mother of Ohio. They located in Sangamon county, Illinois, with the pioneer settlers. Her father died in 1878, aged seventy-six years ; her mother in 1881, at the age of seventy-five. They were ardent christians and members of the Methodist Episcopal church. In 1837 they moved to Hancock county, and remained five years, during which time their daughter, Mary M., was born ; then they moved to Stark county in 1860, and lastly they moved to Knox county, where they both died. Mrs. Mary M. Garretson graduated at Hedding College with the class of '69, after which she taught school for a time. Rev. P. S. Garretson by this marriage has five children : Garret R., Allie M., Eddy, Elsa (deceased), and Garfield.

Dr. B. F. HAMILTON, present practicing physician of Terre Haute, is a native of Ohio, born in 1837. His parents were Robert and Lavina (Sallee) Hamilton. His father was a native of Ohio, his mother of Kentucky. His father is now seventy-two years old and makes his home with his children. His mother died in 1881, at the age of sev- enty-two years. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, as is also her husband, Robert Hamilton. They emigrated, in 1852, to Missouri. By occupation they were farmers. Dr. Hamilton was reared on the farm. At the age of eighteen he left the farm and began

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teaching school, which he followed a part of the time for a few years. He then attended college at Quincy, Illinois. He read medicine with Drs. Samuel Henry and G. Black, at Clayton, Illinois. He graduated in the Ohio Medical College, Cincinnati, with the class of '67. In 1867 he began the practice of medicine at Camp Point. In 1870 he came to Terre Haute, where he has since resided with the exception of two years, where he was located at Dallas, Hancock county. In 1867 he was married to Sarah F. Reaugh, of Illinois, daughter of Samuel and Mahala (Pound) Reaugh. They were both natives of Kentucky. Her father died in 1881, at the age of sixty-seven years. Her mother is now living and is sixty-three years old. They were farmers and members of the Christian church. They came to Illinois when young and located near Quincy. Dr. Hamilton has by this marriage six children : Oweenee, Mary, Leander, Orville, Jessie and Lavina M. He owns a nice town property of nine acres, besides other buildings and lots in Terre Haute, and has a good practice. He and his wife are members of the Christian church at Bedford, in Hancock county.

M. L. RODERICK, the subject of this sketch, is a native of Hender- son county, born and reared on the farm where he now resides. His father, David F. Rodrick, was a native of Ohio, and came to Hender- son county when a young man, with its early settlers, and located in T. S, R. 5, where his son, M. L., now resides. In 1861 he enlisted in the army, and died in the service. He married Mahala Magnes, of Ohio, by whom he had two children : Mathew L., and Charley F. He farmed all his life. His widow married Captain James Fritzs, and now lives in Kansas. In 1875 Mathew L. was married to Jennie Mills, born in 1856 in Hancock county, and daughter of John and Elizabeth (Scott) Mills. Her father was born in Morgan county, Illi- nois ; her mother was born in Hancock county, Illinois. They now reside in Hancock county. By this marriage M. L. Rodrick has three children : Wesley S., Frederick E., and an infant not named. He is now twenty-eight years old. He has a well improved farm of 160 acres, fairly stocked with good grades of farm stock.

JACOB RETZER, a native of Pennsylvania, was born in 1844. His parents were George and Catherine Retzer, the former a native of Maryland, coming to Pennsylvania when young, the latter a native of Pennsylvania. They came to Illinois in 1855, and located in Hender- son county, where the former died in December, 1881, aged seventy- three; the latter in March, 1882, aged sixty-seven. The subject of this memoir was eleven years old when he came with his parents to Henderson county, which has since been his home. He was reared on the farm, receiving a common school education. He volunteered

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History of Mercer and Henderson Counties : together with biographical matter, statistics, etc, Part 124

Author: Mercer County Historical Society (Ill.); Henderson County Historical Society (Ill.) Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Chicago : H.H. Hill and Co. Number of Pages: 1424

Author: Mercer County Historical Society (Ill.); Henderson County Historical Society (Ill.)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : H.H. Hill and Co.
Number of Pages: 1424