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 35
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MR. TIMOTHY FoonY, farmer, Ivesdale, was born in Ireland, and in 1859 came to America, locating in Piatt county in 1875. He now owns 120 acres of land, which he has partly improved. He was
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married in 1864, to Catharine Conolly, and has nine children living: Timothy, Mary K., John M., Johanna, Bride, Margaret, Ellen, Michael and Ann. John Foohy owns 120 acres of land in Bement township. He married Sabina McKee, who died leaving four chil- dren : Timothy, Catharine, Thomas and Johanna. His mother keeps house for him. Both of these families belong to the Catholic church of Ivesdale.
MR. W. A. GODWIN, merchant, Bement, was born in Greene county, Illinois. His father emigrated to Tennessee when he was sixteen years old. He moved to Illinois in 1828, and was in the Black Hawk war, under Gen. Whiteside, at Stillman's Run. Mr. Godwin's parents both died of typhoid fever on the same day. After his wife had died, Mr. Godwin, sr., asked, " Is Sarahı dead ? " Upon being answered in the affirmative, he said, "Then I have lived long enough," and in a short time he was dead. Mr. W. A. Godwin was married in 1856, to Ellen Hopkins. They have two children living: Albert, who was married in 1881, to Belle Douglas, and Frederick. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Godwin moved onto a farm in Christian county for five years, when he returned to Piatt county and went into business with Mr. Hopkins. They remained together for fourteen years, during which time they had a store in Homer, Bement and Chicago, all at one time. Mr. Godwin has now been in business alone in Bement for several years. He owns one of the most pleasant residences in the place. Mr. and Mrs. Godwin have celebrated both their crystal and silver weddings.
MR. WILLIAM GANLEY, farmer, Bement, was born in Ireland, and came to America in 1855, locating in Piatt county iu 1857, and settling on his present farm of 160 acres in 1869. He is fast getting his farm in good condition. It is well hedged, and in 1881 a nice barn and a six-room frame house were erected, in all making the place one of the neatest in the neighborhood. Mr. Ganley was married January 1, 1862, to Ann Flanigan, and has had eleven children, four of whom, Mary A., Maggie W., E. Ellen, and Sarah J., are living.
MR. BENJAMIN GOLD HOPKINS' parents were of English descent and natives of Connecticut, where they lived and died. The subject of our sketch was boru March 4, 1811; in Cornwall, Connecticut. In 1831 he was married to Mary Stanton, of Salisbury, Connecticut, and in 1839, with his wife and family of four children, moved from Connecticut to Waverly, Morgan county, Illinois. For the benefit of the curious whom they might mneet on their way, on one side of the wagon was
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printed "From Connecticut," while on the other side was "To Illi- nois." This, however, seemed to only partially satisfy the people, for through whatever section of the country they passed they were the recipients of innumerable messages to brothers, sisters, sons and dangliters in Illinois. These innocent message-senders believed, seem- ingly, that all the inhabitants of Illinois were acquainted and neigh- bors. About 1855 Mr. Hopkins moved from Greene county, Illinois, to a farm about one and one-half miles from Bement, whichi place he improved. It is now owned by Mr. Elihu Fisher. Upon his arriving at Bement he found but about three buildings in the place. These were two dwelling houses and an office owned by Mr. Joseph Bod- man. There were but two women in the town, and one of these was nicknamed "Curly," because of the abundance of her curling locks. After remaining in tlie vicinity of Bement for over two years Mr. Hopkins moved to Christian county, where he remained for about four years, and then returned to Benient for the purpose of opening a grocery and provision store. He estimates that during the fourth year he was in this business lie sold $70,000 worth of goods. After remain- ing in this business about sixteen years he moved again. Since leaving Bement he has lived in various places, but most of his time lias been spent in Champaign county, where he opened a merchandise store in Homer about four years ago. Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins had nine chil- dren, four of whom were born in Connecticut. Samuel J. was married in Greene county, where he lived at the time of his death, two years ago. He left a wife and large family of children. Frank G. married Clara, a daughter of Senator Greene, of Missouri. He kept hotel in Bement for a time, but now has three children and lives in Canton, Missouri. Mary E. is the wife of Mr. J. C. Evans, of Bement. Ellen G. is the wife of William Godwin, of Bement. (See liis name.) Julia is the wife of N. L. Furgeson, lias five children and lives in Kansas. Edward S. is unmarried and lives in Kansas. Richard Hopkins was a member of the first school taught in Bement. He enlisted wlien seventeen years old in Co. D, 73d Ill. reg. He was in about twenty battles and was wounded in the arm at Chickamauga. After the war he returned to Bement and worked in Hopkins & Godwin's store. He next was in the hardware business with Mr. Evans. He was married in 1868, to Damie Coffeen, has three children and lives in Homer. Belle Hopkins, who received $100 a month while helping in tlie store in Bement, was married October 3, 1872, and has several children. Mr. B. G. Hopkins survives his wife, who died about 1878.
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MR. STEVEN B. HAWKES, Bement, came from Milwaukee to Piatt county in 1857. His parents were from Charlemont, Massachusetts, and he was one of a family of nine children. He was married in December, 1857, to Catharine T. Booth, and they have had three children, M. Miller, who died, Chas. F. T. and J. Williard Booth. Upon settling in Bement, Mr. Hawkes began farming. In August he began working at the tank for the railroad company, and has been working there ever since. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hawkes are menibers of the Methodist church.
MR. JOSHUA HILL, farmer, Bement, is a native of Ohio, from which state he moved to Piatt county, Illinois, in 1858 and located in Sanga- mon township. In 1862 he moved to Bement, where he now owns a house and three lots. 'He was married in 1868, to Lydia Peoples, and has had eight children, six of whom are living, William H., Sarah E., Charles, Edward, Louis and Franklin.
MR. CHAS. B. HUBBELL, carpenter and builder, Bement, is of Englishı descent, and was born in 1820 in New York. He moved from there to Green county, Illinois, about 1852, and then to Bement in 1857, where there were then but two or three houses. He began farming, and well improved 106 acres of land just east of Bement. He now owns seventeen acres and residence just out of the corporation. He planted at least 500 trees near Bement. Mr. Hubbell has held some of the smaller offices in the county. His father was in the war of 1812 and his grandfather was in the revolutionary war. Mr. Hubbell was married in 1845, to Maria C. Vedder, a native of New York, and they have had six children, five living : Julia E., who is the wife of Wm. Putman, lives in New York ; Delia married Mr. Jno. Garver, then Reber Huston ; Emma C. is the wife of Frank Corser ; Helen died when about twenty years old ; Francis F. and Lucius L. are at home.
MR. JOHN HETISHEE, farmer, Ivesdale, is of German descent, and was born in Switzerland. He left Switzerland in 1843, and remained in Havre de Gras, France, until the war broke out there in 1848 and the times grew hard. He came to America that year and thinks he has never known anything but hard times until right now he begins to see his way clear. He moved from New York to Ohio, and from thence to Illinois, about 1853, and since that date he has lived most of the time in Piatt county. He now owns 480 acres of land, upon which lie has planted a good many trees, and has made all other improvements. He was married in New York to Elizabeth Ruf, and has had six
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children, William, Minnie, the wife of Jacob Rapp, of Kansas, Henry, Caroline, George and Frank.
MR. N. G. HINKLE, hardware merchant, Bement, is a native of West Virginia, moved from there to Ohio in 1861, and then to Illinois in 1867. Lived in the country north of Bement for a tinie and moved into Bement in 1874. He owns residence and lot, besides another house and lot. He went to the army from Ohio in Co. C of the 12th Ohio Cav., and was out three years, participating in the battles of Nashville, Mount Sterling, Abington, Virginia, and several skirmishes. He lias held several offices in the township, being commissioner of highways for five years, and school-director nearly ever since he has been in the state. He is a member of the Odd-Fellows of Bement. Mr. Hinkle was married in 1866, to Alice Hannah, and has two children, Bettie and Ida May.
MR. W. W. HAMMOND, nurseryman, Bement, is a native of New York, from which state he moved to Texas and remained three years. In 1869 he moved to Bement, and the next year started a nursery near the town, and has had as high ten or twelve acres in stock. His is the only nursery which has been in Bement. He owns a house and two lots in Bement. Mr. Hammond was. married October 11, 1866, to Alvira Worthing, a native of New York. All of their six children are living, Lena, Wilbur, Winifred, Alvira, Emma and Carrie. Mr. Han- mond's grandfather was in the revolutionary war, and his father fought in the war of 1812.
MR. HORACE HALDEMAN, miller, Bement, moved to Illinois in 1856, and to Piatt county in 1868. His father, mother, and sister Lucetta, also came to Bement ; the father died in 1874, the mother in 1879. In 1868 Mr. William and Horace Haldeman and G. C. Nichols built the mill, the only one in town, and probably the largest in the county. In 1872 Lucetta bought out G. C. Nichols' interest. The two brothers and sister own residences and property in Bement. Their cousin Sarahı has lived with them since 1865, and has taught for a number of years in the Bement school.
MR. WILLIAM HALDEMAN, Iniller, Bement, was born in Pennsyl- vania, and came to this county in 1868. He went to the army in 1862 from Scott county, in Co. H of the 129th reg. Ill. Vols., and remained three years. He was in several battles, the principal of which are Buzzard Roost, Resaca and a part of the Atlanta campaign. He was wounded at Atlanta and sent to rear. In the battle of Peach- tree Creek he thought every man in the regiment was down except
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himself, and he expected to go every minute. Mr. Haldeman was married in 1867, to Mary Ferrington, and lias four children, Lee, Mag- gie, Ella and Brandt. Mr. William Haldeman and his brother Horace are the proprietors of the Bement flour mill.
MR. H. M. HAYS, farmer, Bement, is a native of Ohio, and moved in 1861 from Champaign county to Piatt county, where he owns eighty acres of land, upon which he has put all the improvement, including the planting of two hundred trees and over one mile of hedge. He was married December 25, 1873, to Ollie C. Holm, and has two children, Mamie M. and Lulu L.
MR. ABRAHAM HAYS, farmer, Bement, was born in Ohio, and from there moved to Champaign county, Illinois, locating in April, 1861, in Piatt county, where he owns 160 acres of land, which he has improved himself, planting out over two miles of hedge in addition to doing some ditching. He was married in 1865, to Dorothea B. Moma, who died, leaving three children, one of whom, Ida B., is living. He next married Nancy E. Wilkin in 1873, and has three children, Charles E., Ada and William M. Mr. Hays went to the army in 1861, in Co. C of the 25th Ill. reg., returning in September, 1864, having been in engagements at Pea Ridge, Corinth, Perryville, Peach-tree Creek, Mission Ridge, Resaca and Kenesaw Mountain, and having been wounded three times.
MR. GEORGE H. HACKLER, farmer, Bement, was born in Tennessee, from which state he moved to Illinois, and in 1874 came to Piatt county. He was married February 28, 1852, to Miss K. Jones, and lias six children living, Tryphena, John Byron, Elsie Jane, George Thomas, Owen and Charles W. His second daughter married Mr. Warren Cain, has two children, Etta and Leonard, and lives in Bement township.
MR. LEVI HOFFHEINS, farmer, Bement, was born in Pennsylvania, and moved to Ohio with his father when eleven years old. After remaining there about forty years he moved to Piatt county in 1872. Mr. and Mrs. Hoffheins own 106 acres of land. Mr. Hoffheins was first married about 1845, to Lavina Shumaker. Ten of their children are living. Oran married Mary Brillman, has three children, and lives in Bement township. Samuel H. married Laura Koeher and lives on the same section. William N. married Abbey Quick and lives in Champaign county. George lives in Missouri. Lucinda, the wife of William Alexander, has one child. Ella is the wife of Charles Martin. Sarah is married and lives in Bement. Rosa is the wife of Charles
Mrs. William &b. Piatt.
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Holderman. Clinton and Emma are at home. Mr. Hoffheins married Rachel Wolf in 1851.
MR. ABRAHAM HOLDERMAN, farmer, Bement, is a native of Ohio, who, in 1867, moved to Piatt county, where lie owns 320 acres of land, which he has principally improved. He was married about 1850, to Eliza A. Barnthouse and has four children : Ella, the wife of David Dawson ; Alice, who married Mr. L. Campbell; Laura, the wife of Samuel Campbell and mother of two children ; and J. C. Holderman, who married Miss Hoffheins and has one son, Holly. Mr. Holderman's farm has yielded fair crops.
MR. JOSEPH HARTMAN, boot and shoe merchant, Bement, is a native of Germany, wlio came to America in 1856, and to Bement, Piatt county, in 1870. He owns a house and lot in Bement. He was married in 1857, to Catharine Hawk.
MR. F. A. HEBERLINE, jeweler, Bement, was born in Pennsylvania. Moved from there to Illinois in 1881, and to Piatt county the same year. He is the only jeweler in Bement, and was married in 1881, to Anna Ganno.
MR. WILLIAM A. JOHNSON, farmer, Ivesdale, was born in Boston, Massachusetts. From Boston he went to New York, thence to Troy, where lie was married, in 1841, to Catharine Legal, who died of cliolera in 1848, leaving three children, two of whom are now living, Adaline, the wife of James Gillman, of Bement township, and mother of six children, Wilhelmina C., Saralı, Louisa, Adaline, Edward, Augusta and Katie. Sarah Johnson became the wife of Henry Egbers, of Quincy, and has two children. About 1851 Mr. Johnson went to Cuba ou business as a machinist. He was married while in Cuba to Louisa Rosenplenter, a native of Hanover, Germany. The second day after their marriage his wife took the cholera and her physicians gave her up, but Mr. Johnson continued the use of remedies and she recov- ered. After she got well they came to New York on a visit, but on account of the cholera they did not return. Their old neighbors all died off, and they never heard a word of any of their household goods they had left there. After living awhile in New York he sold out and started west on account of his health. Upon reaching Chicago he met some land buyers and came to Piatt county to look at land. While in the vicinity of the present Ivesdale he took a sudden notion to buy some land. He bought eighty acres of the railroad company and went to Chicago to buy farming implements. He settled on the place in 1856, his family coming in the fall. A Mr. Brown also settled here
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about the same time, but grew discouraged and left. Mr. Johnson, however, bought more land and has been living here since. He now owns 480 acres of land in Piatt county. For the last sixteen years, until 1881, he kept a merchandise store in Ivesdale. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have two children living, William A., who married Mary Senters, has four children, and lives in Decatur, and Maola, who is not married. They also have two adopted children, Charles and Elizabeth, who take the name of Jolinson. For years Mr. Johnson has been one of the most influential men in the vicinity of Ivesdale. He has kept a good nursery for a number of years and also deals in stock. He now has quite a herd of short-horn cattle.
MR. J. P. JONES, farmer, Bement, is a native of Licking county, Ohio, from which place he moved to McLean county, Illinois, locating in Piatt county in 1870. He married Hannah Crawford in 1870, and has two children, Arthur and Rolla. Mr. Jones went to the army from Licking county in Co. I, of the 129tli O. V. I., and, in addition to several skirmishes, was in the engagement at Cumberland Gap.
DR. JOHN R. KLAPP, Bement, is a native of Dutchess county, New York. His father was in the war of 1812 as quartermaster, and was a member of the New York legislature in 1824. His father heard Webster deliver his celebrated reply to Gen. Hayne. His mother was a daughter of Gen. Barker, who served through the revolutionary war, and came out a general on Lafayette's staff. He was almost the only officer on the staff who could talk French, and Gen. Lafayette pronounced him the best French scholar he met in America. He must have been a favorite of Lafayette, for upon his return to America Gen. Lafayette inquired particularly for Gen. Barker. Dr. Klapp moved from his native state to Ohio, and from there emigrated to Illinois, where in 1866 he located in Bement. Since coming to the county he has lived on a farm for a time, but is now living in Bement, where lie owns five residences and seven lots. He is a graduate of Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia, and has practiced medicine for fifty years. We chanced to see his medical diploma, and among the professors' names thereon we found that of the father of Gen. McClelland. In 1832 Dr. Klapp and Catharine Van Ostrand, a native of Dutchess county, New York, were united in marriage. They have had eight children, seven of whom are living. Engenia S. is the wife of Mr. Charles T. Webster, a grocer of Bement. Angustus B. is farming near Bement. James A. married Phœbe Fontenell, has two
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children, John F. and Anna, and lives in Bement. Edward P. mar- ried Hannah Shafer, and lives on a farm in Bement township. Helene D. and Josephine E. are married, and live in Ohio, the former having four and the latter two children. John C., a grocer in Bement, mar- ried Jennie Taylor, and has five children, Harry, Etta, Kate, Jesse R. and Carl. Hortense, who attended the state Normal, was a thorough and faithful teacher of the county for four or five years previous to her deatlı, June 24, 1881.
HORTENSE.
IN MEMORIAM.
There's a sadness and pain in our lives this dark day, And our hearts have a sorrow that goes not away; There's a hush of low voices and silence of feet In the house, in the door yard and along the street ; For Hortense, our dear one, is now gone from our sight. All the sunshine seems gone, all is dark as the night; So lovely and so pure was her life, that from birth To her death she appeared as an "angel on earth."
A soul that we knew had been true to its aim, And a hand reached to one or to all just the same; A name which was spotless, and forgotten by none- That dwelt in our hearts, and affection had won. Ah! Hortense, our sweet friend, has gone to her rest, And her dear hands lie bloodless and chill on her breast ; But her name in remembrance we'll cherish for aye, And to us a beacon light 'twill be for alway.
Though this shadow has come from the Valley of Death, And in grief we must shed bitter tears, let each breath Be a prayer in thanksgiving to God for the dear And sweet friend who to our lives bro't peace and good cheer. Dear Hortense is now gone, but all of us can say, " We are better for her having lived." From to-day With her bright example before us, we will try To so live that we'll meet her in the by and by.
MR. J. F. KNAPP, hardware merchant, Bement, is a native of Elkhart county, Indiana. He began the tinners' trade in Goshen, Indiana, and finished at Rockingham county, New York. For one year he was in Jersey City, New Jersey, connected with the New York & Erie railroad. He spent a half year, in Chicago, returning to Goshen, and from there went to Canada, and was for a time engaged in the oil works. He moved from Goshen to Bement in 1866, and worked five years for Camp & Tenney, then went into the hardware business with Henry Camp in 1872. In 1881 they built a large brick
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store-room 26 × 90 feet, probably the largest store-room in the county. Knapp & Camp have also been in the livery business four years, having the principal livery stable in the place. Their business in each department has been rapidly increasing. Mr. Knapp was married November 20, 1873, to Inez B. Sparks. They have had three children, two of whom are living, Duane and Charlie. Their youngest, little Fannie, died recently.
DR. D. D. KIMMEL, dentist, Bement, is a native of Trumbull county, Ohio, who, after moving to Pennsylvania, settled in Mercer county, Illinois, about 1868 or 1869. In 1870 he located in Bement, and at once began the practice of his profession, and now is the only dentist of the place. He obtained his dental education under a graduate of the Philadelphia Medical College, and for a time was his partner while living in Pennsylvania. He was married in July, 1872, to Ada C. Fogg, a native of Stark county, Ohio, has three children, Fannie H., Florence G. and Edith O., and owns a house and four lots in Bement. The doctor went to the army in 1862, in the brass band of the 19th O. V. I., and was out three years, being in the following engagements : Pittsburgh Landing, Cloyd's Mountain, Perryville, Cedar Creek, Lynchburg, and two battles each near Winchester and Strausburg.
MR. JOHN A. KIMEL, harness-maker, Bement, is a native of Ohio, and inoved from there to Illinois, September 21, 1867. He located in Bement township on the Bodman farm, and then in 1870 moved to Bement, where he has since been in the harness business. He owns his residence and two lots. He went to the army from Ohio in 1864, in Co. C of the 171st O. V. I., and was in a battle near Cynthiana, where he was taken prisoner and kept forty-eight hours, when he was paroled. He was used in a very rough manner when a prisoner, and some of the boys were killed by their forced marching. Mr. Kimel was married in 1860, to Sarahı M. White, a native of Ohio, and they have had four children, three living. Eva, a music teacher of the town, has paid considerable attention to vocal culture under Prof. Turnell, and is a fine singer. Lellie and Ada A. are the names of the others.
MR. WILLIAM KENNEDY, farmer, Ivesdale, is a native of Ireland, who came to America in 1861, and in 1878 to Piatt county, where he owns 80 acres of land. He married Bridget Carey, in 1862, and has two children, Christy and Mary Ann. Mr. Kennedy went to the army from Brooklyn in the 17th N. Y., and was out three years.
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DR. J. H. LEAL (deceased) came to Bement about 1857, and remained about ten years. He had a good literary education, and was a graduate of Rush Medical College of Chicago, and at one time was hospital physician of Cook county hospital. While in Bement he was in partnership with Dr. Taylor for seven years, and their practice extended from this county into Champaign, Douglas and Moultrie counties. While here he was considered the best surgeon in the county. Mr. Leal was a hard worker, and accumulated quite a little fortune, when, his health failing, he went west, spending the most of what he had made here in traveling in the territories, finally locating in Los Angeles, California. He built up quite a practice there, going to his office after he had to be carried. He died there about 1878. Mr. Leal married Mrs. Dr. Cranes, of Decatur, who is still living in California.
MR. JOHN A. LUCAS (deceased) was a native of Illinois. He moved to Piatt county, dying here about 1869. He had been married about 1867, to Matilda Freeman, who has four children, Franklin, Sarah, Henry C. and Emily J. The family live on 160 acres of land, which they have improved.
MR. ROBERT LAMB, farmer, Bement, is a native of England, and came to America in 1855, locating in Piatt county in 1859. He mar- ried Emma Fisher in 1874, and has three children, John Charles, Rutherford and James.
DR. TIo. J. MITCHELL, Bement, is a native of New York. His grandfather was in the revolutionary war, and his father fought the English in the war of 1812. He moved from his native state to Ohio, where he remained until he came to Piatt county in the fall of 1853. His main object in coming west was to go into farming and stock raising, but he went into his old profession and was the first resident physician at Mackville. After practicing medicine there and at Atwood until 1872, he moved to Milmine, where he resided until he came, in 1878, to Bement, where he owns a house and three lots. The doctor studied medicine in New York, and is a graduate of the Louisville (Kentucky) Medical University. He was married in 1851, to Mrs. E. A. Tabor née Nancy A. Boyle, a daughter of Judge Boyle, of Louisville, Kentucky. She had one daughter, who married Charles H. McCoy, and has two children, Edward T. and Fred. H. Dr. Mitchell's daugliter, Mary A., is the wife of Mr. James H. Hawks. Dr. Mitchell, after assisting in raising nine companies for the army, went into Co. H of the 107th Ill. reg., in 1862, and remained until 1865. He
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