USA > Illinois > Piatt County > History of Piatt County; together with a brief history of Illinois from the discovery of the upper Mississippi to the present time > Part 26
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MR. MERRITT M. DICKERSON, grocer, Monticello, was born in McLean county, Illinois, in 1845. His father was also a native of McLean county. From McLean county Mr. Dickerson moved to Arkansas,. where he lived about three years, and then came to Piatt county about the first of May, 1873. At this time he opened a grocery store in the old court-house, then standing on the west side of the square and owned by Mr. Kaiser. This building burned down, and the grocery was then opened on the southeast side of the square. After remaining in partnership with Mr. Kaiser about two years, Mr. Dickerson bought him out, and since that time has been in business for himself. In Sep- tember, 1881, Mr. Dickerson moved into the brick store building lately built by Mr. J. N. Dighton on the southwest side of the square. He says he can have no reason to complain of the trade, as it has been on a constant increase ever since he came to town. He owns a house and two lots in Monticello. Mr. Dickerson was married August 27, 1867, to Martha Gilmore, of Arkansas, and has had four children, two of whom, Clarence M. and Roy E., are living. He went to the army from McLean county in 1863, in Co. G of the 68th Ill. reg .; he next went into the 94th Ill., and was mustered out from Co. G of the 37th Ill. reg. During the last six months of service he was detailed as clerk at the headquarters at Galveston post. We chanced to see his discharge, and we were pleased to note that the lieutenant-colonel in charge of the post said some very good things about him. Upon our asking Mr. Dickerson to relate some of his narrow escapes in the army, he spoke of being detailed to take orders to the ambulance corps in the rear. While standing by a wagon talking to the wagon master, a solid shell, sixty pounds weight, struck and killed three mules which stood at his side. After recovering sufficiently from the shock, he,
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with several men, dug the ball from the ground where it struck twenty feet from the mules.
MR. D. W. DEARDURFF, grocer, Monticello, is a native of Ohio. He moved from there in 1857 to Piatt county, and located in Monti- cello. After farming for a time he went into the grocery business. He owns a residence and one block in Monticello. He was married in 1877, to Nannie M. Davis, and has two children, Lavina M. and William F. Mr. Deardurff went to the army in 1862, in Co. E of the 107th Ill., and was also in Co. F of the 2d Ill. Cav. He was in the battle at Fort Blakely, besides several skirmishes. He returned from the army in 1866. In Monticello he has been a member of the I.O.O.F. for seven or eight years, and also belongs to the Knights of Honor.
MR. GEORGE R. DAWSON, stock dealer, Monticello, is a native of Pickaway county, Ohio, and came to Piatt county about 1856. He has remained in the county ever since, and for the last three years has been engaged in the stock business for himself. On the 19tlı of April, 1861, he was the seventh man to enlist in the army from Piatt county. He went out in Co. C of the 21st Ill., and was corporal. He was discharged in December, 1861, on account of disability. Mr. Dawson is now a member of the Odd-Fellows lodge of Monticello.
MR. JOIN R. DOVE, hardware merchant, Monticello, is a native of Clark county, Ohio. He moved to Logan county, Illinois, in 1845, and in 1853 came to Piatt county from Indiana. His father, George W. Dove, and family moved into this county and was living here at the time of his death. Mr. John Dove moved into Monticello in 1870, and now owns a residence and a part of a lot in the place. In 1879 he went into the hardware business with Mr. Lumsden. He went to the army from Piatt county, April 19, 1861, and returned in August 1864. He was in Co. C of the 21st Ill. Vols., and engaged in the following principal battles : Perrysville, Stone River, Chickamauga and Resaca. Mr. Dove was married in 1866, to Catharine Williams, a native of Ohio, and lias seven children : Lillie, Willie, Edward, Addie, John, Alice, and an infant.
MR. C. P. DAVIS, deputy United States marshal, Monticello, was born March 7, 1835, in Indiana. He moved from his native state to Piatt county in 1866, and opened a merchandise store in Monticello, where he has since resided. He has been in the house of represen- tatives two sessions and in the senate four years. In January, 1880, he was appointed to his present position. He and Miss Hettie M.
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Close were united in marriage March 20, 1856. Three of their five children are living: Nannie J., now wife of Prof. M. A. Scovell, is a resident of Champaign; Marietta, Monticello's sweetest singer, and Jeptha are still at home. Prof. Scovell, as well as all of Mr. Davis' children, are graduates of the State University and belonged to the following classes respectively, 1875, 1878, 1881 and 1882. When the war broke out Mr. Davis was commissioned first lieutenant of the Indiana state militia, and the company was organized the next day after the fall of Fort Sumter. In August, 1862, this same company formed part of Co. F of the 66th Ind. Inf. Vol. Mr. Davis remained with the 16th Army Corps until the fall of Atlanta, when he was transferred to the 15th Army Corps. He was in every fight of the regiment, the principal of which were Richmond, Corinth, those of the Atlanta campaign, Resaca and Dallas. The regiment was veter- anized in 1863, and Mr. Davis was elected captain of the veteran company.
MR. M. R. DAVIDSON, lawyer, Monticello, is a native of Macon county, who, after first locating in Moultrie county, moved in 1878 to Monticello, where he now owns a residence and two lots. He was married March 5, 1874, to Emma M. Reeme, a native of Pennsyl- vania. They have three children, Myrtle F., Mable R. and Cloyd. Mr. Davidson read law with Nelson & Roby, of Decatur, and in 1876 was admitted to the bar.
MR. JOHN DRESBACK, farmer, Monticello, is a native of Ohio, fromn which state he moved to Illinois in 1855. He improved a place of 160 acres, which is now in his sons' possession. He was married in Ohio to Mary Wensel, who is still living. They have had eight children, three of whom are living. Ephraim married Samantha Brady, and has six children, Willie, Cora, Charles, Frank, Jennie and Mary. Mary Dresback became the wife of George Brady, and has nine children, Luther, Frank, Meda, Iona, George, James, John, Lona and Charles. Edward married Bessie Kimber and has two children, Mamie and Luther.
MR. JEREMIAH DUVALL, a fariner in Monticello township and a native of Pickaway county, Ohio, came to Piatt county in 1852, and in 1865 married Miss Rose Althia Jolinson, a native of Illinois. They have had six children, George F., Benjamin E., Francis E., William Nelson, Olive H. and Ora Florence. Mr. Duvall owns a farm of 120 acres. He went to the late war in Co. D of the 73d Ill. reg. He was out six months, but was taken sick during the first month
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and did not recover till long after his return home. During his sickness he was in four different hospitals.
MR. JOHN W. DAVISON, jeweler, Monticello, is a native of Wales, and came to America in 1856, to Illinois about 1866, and to Piatt county about 1872. He went into the jewelry business in Monticello at that time, has been so occupied ever since, and has been the only jeweler in the place for a number of years. Mr. Davison was married June 8, 1880, to Lizzie Knight, and has one son, Willie K. He owns his house and store building, which he built in 1882, and two lots. His uncle, John Davison, who was in the same business, died in Monticello.
HON. CHARLES EMERSON was born in New Hampshire April 15, 1811. He came to Illinois in 1833, and in 1834 began the practice of law in Decatur. While in this county the people of Piatt county first learned to know him. He was elected to the legislature in 1850 and again in 1851, and in 1853 was elected judge of the circuit court, which position he held until 1867. His death occurred in 1870. He was a very impartial judge and was revered by everybody. "But, after all that may be said of his fame in the eyes of the world, that which in a just sense was his highest glory was the purity, affectionateness, liber- ality and devotedness of his domestic life."
MR. ALBERT EMERSON, son of Hon. Charles Emerson, is a native of Macon county, Illinois, and was born February 5, 1842. From Macon county he moved to Kansas, where he remained three years and then moved, in 1875, to Monticello, where he went into law practice, having been adınitted to the bar in 1868. While in Kansas he was superintendent of public instruction of Sedgwick county, and since coming to Monticello he has been master in chancery, state's attorney, and is at present mayor of Monticello. For over a year he was right- of-way agent of the middle division of the Illinois, Bloomington & Western railroad, but is now attorney on the whole road. Mr. Emer- son and Sarah R. Phipps were united in marriage in 1866, and have had six children, one of whom is dead : Leonard C., Nora, Nellie, Warren E., Charles Fay and Joseph. Mr. Emerson went to the late war from Piatt county in Co. F, of the 2d Ill. Cavalry, and was out over four years and was veteraned. He was in the battles at Vicks- burg, Champion Hills, and Holly Springs, at which place he was taken prisoner and paroled after six months. Though he was in some severe battles, and had two horses shot from under him, yet he was never wounded, and did not even have a ball strike his clothes.
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MR. JOSEPH E. EVANS, a native of Pennsylvania, moved from there to Illinois in 1865, locating in Piatt county in 1866 and in Monticello in 1877, at which time he began dealing in farming implements. He has held a few of the township offices. In 1862 he went into the army in Co. D of the 140th regiment, and was in the battles of Fredericks- burg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg and those of the Wilderness, having been wounded at Chancellorsville. Mr. Evans and Julia Vedder were united in marriage in 1867. They have three children, Delia, Harry and Ida M.
MR. ZACHARIAH EMIG is a native of Pennsylvania. From this state he moved to Ohio, and from there to Illinois, in 1852. He has been a resident of Piatt county ever since, with the exception of a short time during which, even then, he called Piatt county his home. After living on Mr. Dan Stickel's place for a number of years, he moved on to his present home place in 1865. He owns 160 acres of land, which he bought of the railroad company. He has put all improve- ments on the place, including the setting out of fifteen hundred trees, and the planting of a hedge all around it. Mr. Emig was married in 1857, to Miss Mary Piper, a native of Pennsylvania. They have had eight children, seven of whom are living. The eldest, Ella, married Mr. Brittenham, and lives in Monticello. Kate married
Mr. Nelson Reid, and lives in Monticello township. The other children, Lizzie, Charles, Dolly, Minnie and Francis, are at home. Mr. Emig is a member of the Methodist church, and an elder in the congregation which meets in the New York school-house.
MR. A. T. ENGLAND, farmer, Monticello, is a native of Sangamon county, Illinois, and moved from Logan county to Piatt county in 1861, where he now owns over 900 acres of land. Four hundred acres of this land are in the home farm, upon which he has put most of the improvements. He was married in 1865, to Harriet E. Plunk, and has had three children : Edward, George and Wm. Herbert. Mr. England went to the army in 1862, in Co. F of the 2d Ill. Cav., and was in the following principal battles : Holly Springs, Vicksburg and Richmond. He was taken prisoner by the enemy, and was retained six weeks. Mr. England is a member of the Masonic lodge.
MR. W. ESHELMAN, tailor, Monticello, is a native of Pennsylvania, from which state he moved to Illinois, and in about 1878 located in Monticello, where he owns a residence and two lots. He was married about 1860, to Hannah Leininger, and has seven children: Mary, Kate, Sadie, Jennie, Willie, James and Hattie.
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MR. E. P. FISHER, Monticello, is a native of Pickaway county, Ohio, from which state he came to Piatt county in 1851, and has remained liere most of the time since. He owns his residence property in Monticello. In 1858 Mr. Fisher and Tirzah R. Ferren were united in marriage. She died about June, 1871, leaving five children. Of these, Anna is the wife of Mr. Josh Tatman, of Monticello, and has one son, Harry ; Frances graduated in the Monticello high school. The names of the other children are Margaret I., Laura and Willie. In 1872 Mr. Fisher married Mrs. Wm. Ward, nee Caroline West, and they have three children : Mary J., Callie M. and George I. Mrs. Ward liad two children : Henry, who married Miss Ida Curtis, and lives in Missouri, and Miss Maggie. Mr. Fisher has successfully held the office of sheriff three times. He is a member of the Masonic- lodge of Monticello. Two of his brothers came to Piatt county. Of these, George died, leaving a small family ; Reuben still lives in the county. His cousin, Mr. Abs Fisher, lived in the county a number of years, but now resides in Chicago.
MR. WILLIAM FOSTER, farmer and route agent, Monticello, is a native of New York, and came to Piatt county in 1853. He was married to Mary E. Thomas in 1852. She was born in Pendleton, Indiana, and moved to Bloomington, McLean county, when eight years old. Her father was a native of Virginia, and her mother of New York, and of German and English descent. They are both dead. Her mother died here in 1874. Mr. and Mrs. Foster have nine children living, and one dead. Charles, at home ; Louie E., working in express business at Decatur ; Mary Altliea, graduated in the high school in 1881. She is at home, as are also George B., Anna Elizabeth, Martha E., Willie G., Theodore B. and Fred Roy. Mr. Foster has hield the offices of county treasurer, assessor, and circuit clerk.
MR. H. B. FUNK, Monticello, was born in Morgan county, Illinois. From there he moved to Macon county, and thence to Piatt county in 1876. Mr. Funk has been in the editing business since 1869. At that time lie started "The Independent" at Jacksonville, and in Macon county published " The Maroa News." Upon coming to Monticello in 1876, he began editing "The Monticello Bulletin," which paper he is now publishing, it having been, however, in other hands during one year of the time since he came to the town. Mr. · Funk has also composed and published several songs, and now has ready for publication a musical instruction book for classes and
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conventions. He obtained his musical education in Chicago and in Bloomington, has taught music to some extent in Monticello and the vicinity thereabout, and is instructor of the Monticello reed and cornet band. In 1865 Mr. Funk and Libbie Cooper were united in marriage. Three of their four children are living, Nellie B., Allie M. and Fred W.
MR. CHARLES FAMULENER, farmer, Monticello, was born in Ross connty, Ohio. He moved from his native state to Piatt county, Illinois, in 1865 or 1866. He now owns some 400 acres of land, and lives on the place Mr. Daniel Stickel improved south of Monticello. Mr. Famulener was united in marriage to Sally Ann Piper, and has had eleven children, ten of whom he raised. Six of the children are now living. Catharine married James McRoberts. They botli died in Kansas, and their two daughters, Anna and Katie, now live at Mr. Famulener's. Elizabeth married Mr. Minear. John lives in Monti- cello township. William died after lie was of age. George married Rebecca Alexander, and lives in Missouri. Charles is also married, and lives in Missouri. Philip N. and Jonathan are both in Missouri.
MR. A. J. FOUST, farmer, was born in Ohio, and came to Illinois in 1855, and to Piatt county in 1856. He owns 40 acres of land, and has improved it himself, having the advantage of good crops. Mr. Foust was married in 1860, to Elizabeth Anderson, and they have five children living, Emma, Olive, Jennie, Mattie and Frank.
DR. R. H. FARRA, hardware merchant, Monticello, was born in Morgan county, Ohio, in 1820. He moved to Randolph county, Indiana, where he remained for ten or twelve years, coming to Piatt county about 1862. He first settled in Willow Branch township, but in 1872 moved to Monticello, where in 1873 he began the hardware business. His place of business at present is on the north side of the square. He was married in 1863, to Mrs. Douglas Tallman, and has had one son, Frank. Dr. Farra was a practitioner of medicine in Indiana, but has done no practicing since coming to the county. He owns a good sized house and ten or more lots in Monticello.
MR. SAMUEL GARVER, a retired farmer living in Monticello, was born March 6, 1806, in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. From there he moved to Dauphin county. He was married in Pennsylvania to Anna Boyer, who is of English and German descent, and who was born May 8, 1809. They moved to Macon county, Illinois, in 1855. After six months' residence in this county they moved to Stringtown Lane, Piatt county. At one time Mr. Garver owned 140 acres of land
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on this lane, 80 acres on Goose creek, 160 acres near Farmer City, besides some timber land. He sold his land, and, after a residence of about eleven years on the lane, moved to Monticello, where he still resides. Mr. and Mrs. Garver had very few neighbors when they first moved into this county. There were no houses west of them for five or six miles. The nearest school-house stood across the road from where Mr. Henry Woolington until lately has lived. This school-house was afterward moved on to the lane to the site of the present school- house. The deer were not yet extinct in this county when the Garvers settled here. They had a pet deer, which became very tame, and of which they grew quite fond. Mr. and Mrs. Garver have raised quite a large family; death, however, has come into their midst a few times. Elizabethi married Mr. Jacob Keller, and now lives on Stringtown Lane, on Mr. Garver's old place. They have had eight children, John, Joe, Mary, Jacob, Jonas, Nancy, Jesse and Lydia. Jolin, a school teacher, married Miss Eliza Rock, March 15, 1881. Ere a whole year had come to them in their new found happiness she died, and he was left to tread life's pathway alone. Joseph married Elma Dresbach and lives on the lane. Mr. Ephraim Garver was born in Pennsyl- vania. He came to this county in 1858, after a two years' residence in Macon county. He was a farmer until five years ago, when he began clerking in Monticello. At present he is employed in Hazzard & Hott's store. Mr. Garver was school director and trustee for a good many years. He married Elizabeth Brown, and they have six children living : Will, Anna, James, Samnel, Chris and Ora. Mr. Jonas Garver married Mary Watrons, and they have had six children. Mr. Garver was in thirteen battles in the late war, but never received a scratch. Anna Garver married Mr. George Hummel. Mrs. Hummel died in Cisco, leaving two children, Ephraim and George. Mr. Samuel Garver, a druggist in Farmer City, married Elizabeth Gay. They have four children. Mr. S. Garver was also in the late war. Mary Garver married William Combs and lives in Goose Creek township. Mr. Jolin Garver married Delia Hubbell. He went to the army, and after being wounded was made a prisoner for fifteen months. He suffered a portion of the time in Andersonville. His death resulted from exposure in the army. His widow married Mr. Reber Huston, of Monticello. Catharine A. married Mr. Henry Hott and lives in Monticello. Mr. Christian Garver, a druggist, with his wife, nee Miss Eva Petit, and two children, lives in Farmer City.
MR. J. T. GRAY has taken the pains to furnish to ns, in writing, an
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interesting account of his life, and we place the substance of the entire sketch before our readers : "I was born December 14, 1819, in Sussex county, Delaware. My grandfather, Isaac Gray, was of the Anglo- Saxon race and came to America previous to the revolutionary war. My mother's father was of Irish descent. He came to America previous to the revolutionary war and was a private in that war under Gen. Marion. My father was born on the eastern shore of Maryland, about 1782. He was a sailor up to the time of his marriage and made one trip afterward. He married Miss Margaret Magee, who was the daughter of Samuel Magee, and who was born in Sussex county, Delaware, about the year 1787. My father died February 28, 1836, leaving six children, the two eldest, Jacob and Sarah, being married. The following fall we emigrated to Pickaway county, Ohio. We started September 27, 1836, and came to Baltimore by water. We crossed the mountains to Wheeling, Virginia, in a freight wagon and from there were conveyed in a wagon to Zanesville. Here we stopped for about two months, nearly all of the family having a spell of sick- ness, and I came near dying. After Christmas we hired a farmer to take us to Circleville, Ohio, and Jannary 12, 1837, reached the home of Mr. James T. Magee, my mother's brother, about twelve miles west of Circleville. I was married at his house, April 4, 1838, to his daughter Jane, my first consin. In the fall of 1856 we started for Illinois. My youngest brother, John, started with me. We left Pickaway county October 29. Had some bad weather, which made the roads miserable. On one occasion, when traveling on a plank road in Indiana, for which we had to pay heavy toll, one of the wheels slipped into a hole made by one of the boards moving aside /and the coupling pole broke. Although the forward end of the wagon went down, providentially nobody was linrt. We were delayed over one day in getting the wagon fixed. I found the president of the road and claimed damages, but he would do nothing. I threatened to sue the company, but he kindly told me that althoughi he thought I could recover damages, that I conld not wait for a lawsnit, and the best thing I could do was to mend the wagon and go on. I took his kind advice. On another occasion we got anxious to reach onr journey's end and con- cluded to drive awhile after night. Accordingly, after feeding our horses and cooking and eating our supper ont in the woods, we hitched up and drove five or six miles, when we came to a bridge. We found boards up across the road in front of the bridge and we concluded there was danger ahead. After looking around and going back a short
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distance we found a muddy road which, at an angle of about forty-five degrees, led down into the river. I unhitched one horse and found where the going out place was on the other side. After riding across the river several times, in order to find the best road, we started the wagon across. The road out of the river on the west bank was very steep and had a short turn in it. I knew if the horses faltered the least bit, or if anything broke about the wagon, that the wagon could not escape turning over into the river. I think it was the most dangerous event I ever passed through, and it almost makes my head swim yet when I think of it. "But we got through all right, and the next morn- ing, after feeding our horses and getting breakfast, we reached the prairie-the almost boundless prairie. The effect it produced on me seems indescribable. The morning was slightly foggy, and looking before me I could see no timber and the prairie brought to my mind the boundless ocean. When the sun was about an hour high the fog cleared away and before mne was spread a view that would certainly be appreciated by one who had always lived in a wooded country. I can still look with delight upon the wild prairie. When we passed through Bement I counted the houses and there were fifteen, all told. We stopped about seven miles northeast of Decatur. The weather was getting cold and I was almost out of money, so I went to work husking corn, but I soon found that I could not do that. Not long after I heard a man complaining that his clock had stopped. I told him that I could fix it. As he seemed anxious to have it done I went home with him. While I was fixing the clock Mr. Jacob Garner, a neighbor, came in and watched me until I was done. He then told me that I could make good wages and have lots of such work to do if I would go around and look for it. Accordingly I started and traveled until February 15, 1857, on which day I got to Monticello, and I have been here ever since. I worked through the winter, generally going home every Saturday. I did very well financially, making from $10 to $15 per week, but it was a very cold winter and I often suffered intensely with the cold. In the month of March I moved my family here. There were three or four families living in the fort. I went to work repairing clocks and watches, and have followed that business more or less ever since. In the spring of 1859 I connected with it the making of ambrotypes, and I have the honor of being the first resident artist of Monticello. A Mr. Butler, of Decatur, and Mr. Cathcart both worked here for awhile, and, too, there was a car here for a time. I made the first photograph that was ever made in the county, in the spring of 1862.
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