History of Mercer and Henderson Counties : together with biographical matter, statistics, etc, Part 51

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 51
USA > Illinois > Henderson County > History of Mercer and Henderson Counties : together with biographical matter, statistics, etc > Part 51

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JOHN W. DrTro, farmer and stock raiser, is the son of Andrew and Margaret (Wyland) Ditto, and was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, June 25, 1815. His father removed with his family to Shelby county, Ohio, when John was a babe, where he was reared to the age of near twenty years, when he came to Mercer county, Illinois, making the entire trip alone on horseback. He rode a thoroughbred horse and led a fine mare. He rode many miles without seeing a living soul, and the great prairies stretched out all around him like a great plain unknown except to the savage and beasts of prey. When Mr. Ditto reached Mercer county he settled in New Boston township, on govern- ment land. He settled in Abington township, in the spring of 1838, on the farm where he now lives in section 13. Mr. Ditto carried the mail two winters from Monmouth to New Boston and Rock Island. He can relate some incidents of the early settlement of the country that are both painful and amusing. Mr. Ditto has the oldest deed in Mercer county. He was married, November 17, 1842, in Knox county, Illinois, to Elizabeth, daughter of Henry and Margaret Red- man. They had ten children : Mary D., James W., Henry R., John W., Ellen A., Andrew M., Benjamin F., Samuel D., Margaret E., and Mack. Mary D., the first born, was burned to death when she was three months old. The mother tied the child in a high chair, and while she was busy outside the room, the child slipped out of the chair into the fire and was burned to death. James D., the second child, was killed in the battle of Vicksburg, Mississippi, May 23, 1863. Ellen A., the fifth child, was married to John H. Farber, and died July 11, 1878, in Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory, leaving two children : John W. and Arthur. Mrs. Ditto died March 9, 1873, and Mr. Ditto was again married, November 11, 1873, to Mrs. Olive Crook,. widow of Galen Crook. Mr. Ditto has a farm of 479 acres in Abington township, and he also owns 847 acres of cheaper pasture lands in Henderson county. He pays a great deal of attention to sheep hus- bandry, and has at present almost a thousand head of sheep. Mr. Ditto belongs to the Advent or Sabbatarian church. He formerly

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mustered with the democrats, but for several years past he has been an unflinching greenbacker.

WILLIAM M. WILLITS, farmer, son of John and Sarah (Campbell) Willits, was born December 4, 1835, in New Boston township, Mercer county, Illinois. When he was two years old his father's family settled in Abington township, where the subject of our sketch has since resided. Mr. Willits has a good farm of eighty acres in a good state of cultivation. He served as a union soldier in the 30th Reg. Ill. Inf., as a corporal. Indorsed on his discharge is the following splendid record as a soldier : "Said soldier was engaged in the follow- ing battles : Fort Donelson, Tennessee, February 15, 1862 ; Britton's Lane, Tennessee, September 1, 1862 ; Raymond, Mississippi, May 12, 1863; Champion Hill, Mississippi, May 16, 1863 ; took an active part in the siege of Vicksburg ; was in the battle of Kenesaw moun- tain, June 27, 1864 ; battle near Atlanta, Georgia, July 22, 1864, and took an active part in the Georgia campaigns, resulting in the capture of Savannah, and has done duty up to the present time ; and he is highly esteemed in his company and regiment as a gentleman and soldier. John P. Davis, capt. commanding 30th Ill. Inf." Mr. Wil- lits was married February 12, 1872, to Frances J. daughter of James and Martha (McEachron) Gilchrist. They have three children : Mary E., John E., and Lena M. Mr. Willits was formerly a democrat, but of late years has acted with the greenback party ..

MILTON M. JONES is the son of Franklin and Elizabeth (Farwell) Jones. He was born in Preemption township, Mercer county, Illi- nois, September 27, 1844. When he was ten years of age his father's family removed to Abington township. Milton spent his boyhood days on the farm and in the country school-house. In the winter of 1868-9 he graduated at the Western Business College, of Galesburg, Illinois. Soon after his college course he was engaged as a salesman in a large retail grocery store, but at the end of a year he went to farming and stock-raising. He has a good farm of 120 acres, and has paid special attention to the breeding of high-class hogs, in which business he has been very successful. He was married September 22, 1870, to Miss Sarah E. daughter of John and Sarah (Campbell) Wil- lits. They have one child, Milton Willits. Mr. Jones has held the office of town clerk two terms. He is a member of the Christian (Campbellite) church. Politically he is a republican. He served six monthis as a soldier, in the 140th reg. Ill. Vol. He received three wounds in engagements ; one severe one in the shoulder, for which he gets a small pension.

DUNCAN SEATON was born in Perthshire, Scotland, October, 1823.

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HISTORY OF MERCER AND HENDERSON COUNTIES.

He is the son of John and Isabel (McDonald) Seaton. He received a common school education, and came to the United States of America in 1843. He sailed on the ship Luconia, and on reaching America settled in Juniata county, Pennsylvania, where he remained about two years. From there he came to Mercer county, Illinois, and remained three years, when he took a trip to California by over- land with an ox-team. After an absence of about two years he returned to Illinois, and settled in Abington township, Mercer county, where he now resides on a beautiful farm of 230 acres. Mr. Seaton was married in 1860 to Miss Martha E., daughter of Sammel and Rebecca. (Bogle) Criswell. They have had twelve children, five of whom are deceased. The living are : Mary, David, Margaret E., Ann, Martha L., Harry, and Angus. Mr. Seaton is a member of the old school Presbyterian church. He is a greenbacker politically.

JAMES VANCE, farmer, son of William and Rachel Vance, was born in Beaver county, Pennsylvania, February 15, 1825. He removed with his father's family to Mercer county, Illinois, in 1833, and settled in Keithsburg township, where the village of Keithsburg now stands. After remaining here one year the family removed to Rock Island county, Illinois, and at the end of a twelve-month returned to Keithis- burg township, where they made farming their business. In 1847 the subject of this sketch was married to Sarah, daughter of Mark L. and Mary (Steward) Pearson. Mr. Vance removed with his wife soon after their marriage to Davis county, Iowa, where they remained six years. They then removed to New Boston township, Mercer county, Illinois, where they resided three years. From there they went to Abington township, where Mr. Vance bought the farm on which they now live. The farm contains 170 acres of excellent land, and Mr. Vance and his family of boys have devoted most of their time to tilling the soil. Mr. and Mrs. Vance have had born to them twelve children : William R., Robert L., Josiah W., Elijah A., Nerva A., John W., Marion E., Gershan H., James B., Forbes N., Mary V., and Martha E. ; the lat- ter deceased. Politically Mr. Vance is a greenbacker, and religiously he is a moralist. Of late years he has had rather poor health, and took a trip last summer to California, Oregon and some of the western territories, from which he received much benefit. Mr. Vance can relate many incidents in the early settlement of the country of much interest. He saw the distinguished Indian chief, Black Hawk, and six hundred of his dusky warriors.

JOHN J. SEATON was born in Perthshire, Scotland, February 6, 1831. He is the son of John and Christian Seaton. He came to the United States of America in 1843, going by steamship from Glasgow

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ABINGTON TOWNSHIP.

to Liverpool, and sailed from the latter place to New York in the ship Luconia. He settled in Juniata county, Pennsylvania, and remained there until 1845, when he removed to Mercer county, Illinois, and has lived here most of the time since. He received a common school edu- cation in Scotland and America. In 1854 he located in Abington township, where he now owns 350 acres of excellent agricultural land under a good state of cultivation, with good buildings and all necessary

appurtenances to a complete rural home. He was married November, 1855, to Elizabeth, daughter of Robert and May (Douglass) Seaton. They have had nine children, five of whom are dead. The living are : Margery, John H., George D., and Lizzie. Their daughter, Christie Ann, who is among the deceased, was married to Mr. George Sponsler, and died at the age of about twenty-three years, leaving one child. Mr. Seaton is a republican, and a member of the old school Presbyte- rian church.

JOHN HENRY, farmer, was born in Hunterdon county, New Jersey, May 3, 1840. He is the son of Henry A. and Catherine A. (Shurtz) Henry. His father's family removed from Hunterdon county to War- ren county, New Jersey, when John was a small boy, and in 1851 the family came to Mercer county, Illinois, and settled in Ohio Grove township where they remained four years, and then removed to Abing- ton township, In October, 1870, John was married to Martha E., daughter of John B. and Mary (May) Jameson. They have six chil- dren : Mina, Charles, Frank B., Bessie, Lois, and Byrtel Eugene. Mr. Henry has a well cultivated farm of ninety acres, and confines himself almost exclusively to grain raising. He has just entered on his fourth term as road commissioner, and has held other township offices. Mr. Henry enlisted in the union army as a private soldier, August, 1862, and served in company G, 102d Ill. Vol., until the following January, when he was discharged because of disability. Mr. Henry is a democrat.

Hon. ROBERT J. CABEEN, son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Wright) Cabeen, was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, April 25, 1822. Ile removed with his father's family from Ohio to Mercer county, Illinois, in 1836. The family settled in Olio Grove township, and in 1850 Robert went to California, where he remained two years and then returned to Mercer county. He was married April 22, 1859, to Miss Mary E., daughter of Joseph and Violet (Scott) Pinkerton. After his marriage, Mr. Cabeen settled in Abington township, where he now resides. He has a farm of 575 acres of magnificent land in one body and ninety- five acres in another piece. His home place is under a high state of cul- tivation and his residence is one of the largest and most costly in the

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HISTORY OF MERCER AND HENDERSON COUNTIES.

county, which is furnished in a complete style, making a country home of a most charming character. Mr. Cabeen is an extensive stock raiser, and ships a great many cattle to Chicago. He held the office of town- ship supervisor for ten years and served as a member of the State Board of eqalization one term. Mr. and Mrs. Cabeen have had eight children. Samuel (deceased), Joseph, McClellan, Mary, Violet, Hattie E., Robert J. (centennial son), and Edith May. Politically Mr. Cabeen was formerly a democrat, but for a good many years he has been an active member of the greenback party. Religiously he is a liberal or freethinker.

W. A. WINCHESTER, farmer, was born in Genesee county, New York, January 2, 1824. His father's family removed to Geauga county, Ohio, when the subject of our sketch was seven years old. In 1849, Mr. Winchester settled in Adams county, Illinois, where he followed teaching school and farming for fourteen years, when he removed to Mercer county, Illinois, and settled in Abington township, on the farm where he now resides, which embraces 300 acres of excellent land. Mr. Winchester has fine buildings on his farm, and raises a great deal of stock. . He is a model farmer, and while he is very retiring in his nature, his popularity among his neighbors has forced him to serve them in the capacity of supervisor for four terms in succession. May 29, 1866, he was married to Miss Elizabeth, daughter of William and Eliza Musser, of Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania. They have no children. Religiously Mr. Winchester is a freethinker. Politically he is a greenbacker.

THOMAS WHITEHALL was born in North Carolina, July 31, 1828. He is the son of A. L. and Elizabeth Whitehall. His father removed with his family to Fountain county, Indiana, in 1832. In 1850 Mr. Whitehall was married to Nancy, daughter of William and Sarah Stephens. He removed to Mercer county, Illinois, in 1856, and set- tled in Abington township. In 1865 he removed with his family to Fountain county, Indiana, and remained there until 1871, when they returned to Illinois and located in Mercer county again. Their home is now in Abington township and consists of a pretty farm of 160 acres, with most all the appurtances necessary to a desirable country home. Mr. and Mrs. Whitehall have had nine children, all living but Alice ()., their youngest, who departed this life when quite young. Their living are : Alva A., Phebe E., William L., Mary E. and Sarah E. (twins), James M., Newton, Fruzy U., and Martha A. Mr. White- hall is a greenbacher politically, and is what might be termed an inde- pendent thinker on almost every subject. He has his own peculiar notions on the subjects of medicine, religion, science, etc.

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LEWIS F. OGLE is the son of James C. and Elizabeth (Smith) Ogle. He was born in Fountain county, Indiana, in 1849. His father's family removed from Indiana to Illinois about 1853. They settled in Mercer county, and gave their attention to farming. When Lewis F., or "Frank," as he is familiarly called, grew to manhood, he continued to make agricultural pursuits his chief business, and he now owns a good farm of 182 acres within four miles of Keithsburg. He was married November 2, 1879, to Miss Izziedora, daughter of Levi and Mary J. (James) Hall. They have had but one child, Eddie, whom they had the misfortune to lose by death while he was yet a babe. Mr. Ogle is republican, politically, and is independent in his religious views.

LEWIS WALDO BREWER, is the son of Gilbert and Elizabeth (Mills) Brewer. He was born August 28, 1834, in Wayne county, Indiana. When our subject was two years old his father moved with his family to Mercer county, Illinois. He received a common school education, and then learned the milling business, and has been engaged in the work for twenty-eight years. He owns a half interest in Pope mill, situated on Pope creek, five miles northeast of Keithsburg, where he resides and conducts the business of custom milling almost exclusively. Mr. Brewer was married in 1857 to Miss Mary Huff. One child was born to them. Mrs. Brewer died in 1860. The child is also deceased. Mr. Brewer was again married May 23, 1866, to Rosetta, daughter of Homer and Lucia Beemer. They have had seven children, three of whom are deceased. The living are : Amanda, Fred and Ida (twins), and Walter. Mr. Brewer belongs to the masonic order, and he and his wife both belong to the Eastern Star chapter. Politically Mr. Brewer is a republican. His views on religious matters are of the liberal type. It would make no difference what views he might enter- tain ; all who know him would be quick to admit the fact that "Wall " Brewer is strictly conscientious, both in his religion and his politics.

MRS. SARAI G. WILLITS, generally known as "Aunt Sally Willits," was born in Pennsylvania, in September, 1810. She is the daughter of John and Polly (Blue) Campbell. Her parents died when she was quite young, and she went with a sister to Wayne county, Indiana, from Lebanon, Ohio, about 1825, having gone to the latter place when six years of age. She was married in 1830 to John Willits, and they removed to Mercer county, Illinois, about 1834, and settled in Abing- ton towhship. Mrs. Willits received but a limited education, and when she went to school the principal text-books were the spelling-book and the New Testament. Her husband was quite an extensive land- owner and stock-breeder and dealer. He died in 1864. They had

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HISTORY OF MERCER AND HENDERSON COUNTIES.

nine children : Josiah G., Eliza E., James W., and Martha G., are deceased. The living are : Mary J., William N., Linnaeus H., Thomas W. and Sarah E. Thomas W., who occupies the mother's part of the estate, and with whom she makes her home a majority of the time, was born in Abington township, April 7, 1847, where he still resides. His youth was spent on the farm with his parents, and he could only avail himself of a common school education. Like the sons and daughters of most pioneers, he learned more of hard, physical toil than of science and art; he was more familiar with the field and the wild prairies than with school-houses and art galleries. Mr. Wil- lits was united in marriage February 13, 1873, to Miss Alice Main. They had one child, Carrie E. Mr. W. is a greenbacker, politically.

JASPER OGLE was born in Adams county, Ohio, January 12, 1834. He is a son of James C. and Elizabeth Ogle. The family removed from Ohio to Fountain county, Indiana, when Jasper was six months old. In 1853 the family removed to Mercer county, Illinois. Our subject was married February 22, 1855, to Miss Angeline, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Allison. They had seven children, all of whom are living. They are: Lena L., James E., Van, Mary E., Allie, Emma E. and Clarence E. Mr. Ogle removed to California in 1860, and remained there until 1870. While in the "golden state " he followed farming. He returned to Illinois only to continue his chosen occupation. He owns nearly 500 acres of land and has a very fine rural home. Mr. Ogle had the misfortune to lose his wife January 31,' 1879. Politically Mr. Ogle is a republican, and religiously he is an Adventist or Sabbatarian. . He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd-Fellows. He has traveled over the entire length of the great Union Pacific railroad five times.

JOSEPH D. OGLE, farmer, is the son of James C. and Elizabeth Ogle, and was born in Fountain county, Indiana, November 28, 1850. · When Joseph was but three years old the family came to Mercer county, Illinois. He was married December 23, 1875, to Miss Kate C., daughter of Jacob and Catharine Elrick. They have two children : Van L. and Lela Fay. Mr. Ogle devotes his time wholly to agricul- ture. He owns a beautiful farm of 216 acres, on which are good buildings. Politically he is a pronounced republican, and thinks some remarkable change will have to come over the spirit of his dream if he is ever anything else in the way of politics.

WARREN B. MCCLURE was born in Meigs county, Ohio, November 5, 1848. He is the son of James and Jane (Ogle) McClure. He received a common school education, and on March 27, 1864, enlisted as a private soldier in the 13th Ohio cavalry, and served until the close

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of the war. He was in several engagements and came out of them all unscathed. At the close of the war he returned to his home in Ohio where he remained until 1868, when he went to Clarke county, Missouri. He came from Missouri to Mercer county, Illinois, in 1871, and settled in Abington township, where he now lives, in 1876. He was married September 29, 1875, to Miss Leanna, daughter of Solomon and Evaline (Marlatt) Wolfe. Mr. and Mrs. McClure have three chil- dren : Clyde, Lula B., and Rose. Mr. McClure was formerly a repub- liean, but has been for a number of years an aggressive greenbacker. He is at present township assessor, being on his second term, and has served one term as township collector. He has an excellent farm and gives most of his attention to agriculture, just mixing enough in polities to give farm life a respectable seasoning.

The life of JOHN V. BULLOCK reminds us that people are prone to look upon stately mansions as the abodes of happiness because such homes indicate wealth and luxury. But alas! how often is contention, discontent and unhappiness found within those stately walls. On the other hand happiness supreme often reigns in the cabin and in the cottage. A snug cottage, nestled among evergreens, maples and beau- tiful flowers is an inviting rural retreat, where the happy birds make melody sweet, and the new-made hay perfumes the air like an incense ; where the green corn rustles in the breeze like the whisper of fairies, and the crystal dewdrops glisten in the sun like costly pearls, is a home *to be envied by the tired, over-tasked millionaire. Such an inviting place as this is the home of Mr. and Mrs. John V. Bullock. Mr. Bul- lock was born in Crawford county, Indiana, November 17, 1840, and came to Mercer county, Illinois, as early as 1852, with his father's family. He was married December 29, 1868. Mr. and Mrs. Bullock have three children. Their names are : William C., Guy B., and Earl R. This makes a complete picture in the mind of every one who, in the great race of life believes in the pursuit of legitimate happiness. A lovely country home, a devoted wife, and three promising children ! What more could be desired.

DR. JACOB RUSSELL BAKER, of Keithsburg, to whom we are indebted for notes on Abington township, and other valuable information, was born in Hancock county, Ohio, March 19, 1840, and is the son of Henry D. and Eve (Switzer) Baker. IIe removed to Kosciusko county, Indiana, in 1857, and studied medicine with Dr. T. Davenport, of Warsaw, Indiana. He practiced ten years, but, disliking the profess- ion, and the exposure necessary in its practice disagreeing with his health, he abandoned it. He was born and reared a Methodist and for several years was a member of that denomination and was a class-

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HISTORY OF MERCER AND HENDERSON COUNTIES.

leader of the society. He contemplated entering the ministry of that denomination ; but some of the tenets of orthodoxy seeming unreason- able, after careful thought and study on the question, he became a Universalist and entered the ministry of that denomination. He preached one year at Kirksville, Missouri, and two years in Clarinda, Iowa. The more he investigated the subject the more skeptical he became, and, at the end of his three years as a Universalist preacher, became a pronounced freethinker and left the pulpit forever. He believes all religions man-made, and that of humanity the only true religion. Since leaving the pulpit he has often lectured on the free- thought platform. He was married March 26, 1865, to Barbara Nolin, of Leesburg, Indiana. His wife died September 24, 1872. He had no children by his first wife. He was married again January, 1874, to Ella L. Lawton, of South Whitley, Indiana. They have three chil- dren : Bessie S., Estelle R., and Ralph Ingersoll. He is an enthusiastic apiarist, and devotes much of his time to agriculture. He writes regn- larly for several papers and magazines on different rural topics, es- pecially on bees and fine poultry, and pet stock fancy ; also on religious topics. He is a political stump speaker; in politics a greenbacker, and takes active part on the "stump" in every political campaign. Dr. Baker has gained considerable reputation as an orator in this county where he has resided for the past six years. From an oration delivered at Keithsburg on the death of General Garfield, we have room for but a few extracts. He said : "The humblest individual in " our conntry has the same indispntable right to call to account a public servant, or a candidate for the post of duty and honor, or to apply a critical test to questions of right and wrong, as has the most favored and exalted citizen of our republic. The American people well under- stand that a liberty less great than this would be an infringement upon a fundamental principle of popular government. Our motto is : Let truth and falsehood grapple ; let error and right contend, for we do injustice to right and truth if we doubt their ability to cope with their enemies."

In closing he said: "To say that Gen. Garfield possessed no faults, that he committed no errors, would be to say that he was more than human. But whatever his faults may have been in life, we will bury them with his body in death. Whatever errors he may have committed in his busy life, as a citizen, a soldier and a statesman, we freely forgive and forget ; and with bowed head and aching hearts, consign his mortal remains to their narrow house in the city of the dead. And while all that is mortal of the distinguished soldier and statesman will crumble back to dust, his noble deeds as a son, a hus- band, a father, a teacher, a warrior and a statesman will live forever.

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And now, that life's flitting dream is gone forever from our honored president, we will write his name in golden characters, as indelible as the fixed stars in the blue canopy above us, by the side of that of the immortal Washington, the great Jefferson, the hero Jackson, the martyr Lincoln, the patriot Douglass, the philanthropist Greeley, and the noble, scholarly Sumner: And when the people of the American republic shall so far forget the principles of justice and republican gov- ernment as to cease to love and reverence these illustrious dead, let the sun hide his burning face; the pale moon cease to kiss the earth with her soft, golden beams; the stars fall from their places, and all the elements clash to one common center."

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History of Mercer and Henderson Counties : together with biographical matter, statistics, etc, Part 51

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