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 49
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Four of their five children are living, James, Victor, Wada and Mary Alice. Mr. Owuby has been school director several terms and is now justice of the peace.
MR. GEORGE PECK, farmer, Cerro Gordo, was born in Virginia in 1811. When he was three years old his parents moved to Pickaway county, Ohio, and lived there until their death. He was married in Madison county, to Elizabetli Denton, and for eighteen years lived in that county. His wife died, leaving six children, four of whom are living. Amanda, the wife of J. W. Wood, lives in Willow Branch township. Henry married Jane Peck, who died ; they had six chil- dren, Owen, Eva, Miles, Langdon, Loren and Maud. He next married a widow who had one child. Elizabeth Peck married Henry Propts and moved to Missouri. He died leaving four children, two of whom, Charles and Clarence, are in this county. His wife moved back to this county ; she married Tho. Riley, and is now in Missouri and has three more children. Louisa married Jacob Drum, who was a soldier in the late war for four years ; she died, leaving one child, Louis P., and Mr. Drum married again and went to Nebraska. Vandalia married George Thompson, lived in Piatt county three years and then moved to Kansas, where she died, leaving one child, Lura Vandalia, who now lives with her grandparents. James C. married Mary Chambers, has four children, Eugene, William, Charles and Josie Belle, and lives in Wil- low Branch township. Mr. George Peck took for his second wife Elizabeth Kelso, whom he married in Ohio in 1850. The next year he moved to Macon county, and in 1852 settled on his present home- place in Piatt county. At this time he liauled lumber and provisions from the Wabash. He kept the stage stand and post-office for five years, until Cerro Gordo was started. He also kept a regular country hotel for years. He often had as many as thirty or forty to stay over night. Of his children by his last wife, Emnia A. married Levi Towl, has four children and lives in Macon county ; George Reed, who grad- uated at Ladoga, Indiana, in 1881, is now at home, as is also William Orlando. Mrs. George Peck's sister, who made her home at Mr. Peck's until quite recently, was married under quite romantic circumstances. A minister who preached in the-neighborhood went to his home and told a friend of this lady. The friend wrote to her, finally came to see her, and their marriage resulted after having seen each other but twice. He is now a minister in Terre Haute, Indiana. Mr. Peck has held various township offices. One has only to step into the dooryard even of his house to meet with that generous hospitality which characterizes
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pioneers. In personal appearance he is tall, fine looking, and appears in condition to live many a year yet. We have recently heard of the sudden death of Mrs. Geo. Peck.
MR. WILLIAM PECK, farmer, Cerro Gordo, was born in 1808, in Virginia. His parents were from the same state and died in Ohio. Four of their nine children came to Piatt county ; Adinijah and Will- iam came first, and afterward Enoch and Daniel. William came to the county in 1837, and settled where Mr. George Peck lives. He moved from there to Winnebago county and from there to La Salle county. He is now living about seven iniles from Cerro Gordo. When Mr. Peck lived where Geo. Peck now lives he kept post-office for five or six years. Mr. Frink, one of the firm Frink & Walker, who owned the stage line from Springfield to Indianapolis, named this office Cerro Gordo. The name was afterward given to the town. William Peck was married in Ohio, to Mary Stookey ; she died leaving three chil- dren : Peter, who was in the late war three years, is a railroad engineer and lives at Hannibal, Missouri ; Amanda married Jacob Peck, has five children and lives in Macon county; Angeletta married Josephi Rock, has two children and lives in Texas. In 1863 William Peck was married to Sarah Jolinson, of Ohio. By his last wife he has had five children, Clara Belle, Francis B., Susan, Blanch and Labon.
MR. MONROE PECK, farmer, Monticello, is a native of Ohio, but was reared in Willow Branch, in Piatt county. He owns sixty-seven acres of land, which he has improved himself. About one hundred trees have been planted and a story and a half house erected. He was married in 1869, to Mary M. Williams, and has had three children, all living, Washington I., Oren E. and Everett E. When asked what offices he had hield, he remarked, "I have never even been school director or roadmaster." Mr. Peck went to Texas in 1859, and before he could get home the war broke out. He was caught by the rebels, came near being hung, but was finally forced into the southern army, in Co. B of the 10th Tex. reg. He was taken prisoner at Jonesboronghi. Georgia, but in no way could he convince his captors that he was a northern man. They considered him a traitor. He was forced to enter the army in 1862, was captured in 1864, but it was not until 1865 tlrat he was released at Chicago.
MR. DAVID PECK, farmer, Milmine, is a native of Olio, from which state he moved to Piatt county about 1838. He was raised in this county from the time he was two years old. He is living on the first land he owned in the county. He has improved the eighty
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acres himself. About one and three-fourths iniles of open and tile- ditching has been done, and about two thousand trees have been planted. He was married in 1865, to Rachel Crawford, who came to Illinois in 1863. They have had three children : Edgar, Flor- ence and Addison. Mr. Peck has been school director for several years. He went to the army in Co. K of the 107th Ill. Inf., and par- ticipated in the following battles : Siege of Knoxville, Campbell Sta- tion, Frankfort and Nashville. He was never wounded or taken prisoner.
MR. ENOCH PECK (deceased) came from Ohio to Illinois about 1839, and settled on Willow Branch. He was one of the early set- tlers of the township, and at various times held inost of the offices of the township, including that of justice of the peace and supervisor. He and his wife lie buried in the Sangamon cemetery. Eight of their children are still living in the township: Abraham Peck (see his name); Rebecca, the wife of George Matchler, is in Texas ; George Peck, jr., was about nine years old when his father moved to this county ; he owns 460 acres of land, a part of which he has improved himself ; he married Mary Peck, who died, leaving one son, Willis ; he next married Mary J. JJones, who has three children, Louis and Jennie Belle and James Bennett, twins. The names of Mr. Enoch Peck's other children are John; Monroe (see his name) ; Charity, the wife of J. M. Cook; Elizabeth, the wife of Mr. Durham ; and James and Henry.
MR. ABRAHAM PECK, farmer, Monticello, is a native of Ross county, Ohio, from which state he moved to Piatt county in 1839, and first settled on Willow Branch. He reached this county on the 28th of September, 1839, and he remembers that the ground was frozen and covered with about one inch of snow. He was married in 1844, to Catharine West, and has had thirteen children, eight of whom are living : Will married Belle Conner, but died in 1876, leaving two children, one of whom, Minnie, is now living ; Cyrus married Sarepta Cline, and lives on .Willow Branch ; George married Miss T. Ater, who died (he married again and is now living in Ohio) ; Mary, the wife of David Zimmerman, has two children, I. V. and Frank, and lives in Willow Branch township ; Samantha married Frank Connor, but died ; M. Fillmore is not married ; Miss J. married Robert Moffitt and lives on Willow Branch ; A. Lincoln, Rudolphus, Louis and Charles are at home. Mr. Peck held the office of school director four or five terms and was coroner for six years.
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HISTORY OF PIATT COUNTY.
MR. ADINIJAH PECK (deceased), was born in Ohio, in 1806. He moved from that state to Illinois in 1838, and settled on Willow Branch. He owned a hundred or more acres, where his widow now lives, and made most of the improvements on the place. He was inarried in 1827, to Mary Ater, and had nine children, eight of whom are living. His death occurred in 1862. Jane, now dead, was the wife of Peter Adams ; Mary married Cyrus Widick ; Peter is married and lives in Cerro Gordo township ; Aaron is unmarried and lives at home with his mother ; David married Rachel Crawford (see liis name) ; Catharine is the wife of Elijalı Taylor (see his name) ; Emily married John Griswold, lives in Cerro Gordo township and has nine children, Maggie, Charles, William, Mollie, Emily, Catherine, Lon, Aaron, and an infant ; Miranda is still living at home ; Daniel mar- ried Maggie Sherman and has one child. Mrs. Peck used to undergo the usual hardships which came to all early settlers, but now she is comfortably situated in a neat six-room frame house which was built not many years ago.
MR. JAMES H. PIPER, farmer, Monticello, is of German, Irish and English lineage, and was born in Pickaway county, Ohio. In 1853 he was induced by a man in Ohio to come to Piatt county and drive cattle to Ohio for liim. After coming to the county he followed cattle feeding and driving for several years. During this time he was employed by William H. Piatt and George Reid. He was married in 1858, to Mar- tha Jane Gay, a native of Ohio. Two of their three children are living. Their eldest son, William, was married in 1881, to Mollie Talbert. Charles E. is the name of the youngest son. Mr. Piper went to the army in 1862, in Co. D of the 73d Ill. Vols. He engaged in the following battles : Perryville, Stone River, Chickamauga, Mission Ridge and Resaca, at which place he was wounded in the arm. He was confined in the hospital for three months. The wounded arm still annoys him. He receives a pension. Mr. Piper gave us some incidents of camp life, but these we will reserve for the chapter of war anecdotes. In 1870-1 he was tax collector in Goose Creek township.
MR. HARRY PARRISHI, farmer, Bement, is a native of Ohio, from which state he moved to Illinois in 1863. He settled in Willow Branch township, and has lived there all the time, with the exception of two years. He owns eighty acres of land in Willow Branchi town- ship, which is partially improved. He was married in 1863, to Katie Folks, of Ohio, and has had eight children, seven of whom are living : Enuna, Sarah, James M., John, Ada, Augustus and Seth W.
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MR. JOIN REEVES, farmer, Cisco, is a native of Ohio, from which state he moved to Illinois, Champaign county, about 1858. In 1861 he moved to Piatt county. He rented land for a time, but now owns 280 acres of land, which he has partially improved. He was married in 1857, to Angeline Williams, of Ohio, and has had six children, all of whom are living, Turney, Wm. C., Edward A., Corrilda, Chas. O., and Alba Gertrude.
MR. JOHN A. SMITH, farmer, Monticello, a native of Ohio, moved to Indiana, from which state he moved to Illinois in 1872. He had been to and from the county, however, several times previous to settling in it. He was married in 1872, to Charity Ater, and has three children, but one of whom, Blanch Maud, is living. They own 160 acres of land, upon which Mr. Smith has made most of the improve- ments. Sixty trees, at least, have been planted. Mr. Smith went into the army from Indiana, but was never wounded or taken prisoner.
MR. ROBERT C. SALYERS (deceased) was a native of Kentucky, fromn which state he moved to Morgan county, Illinois, about 1863, and in 1870 he settled in Piatt county, where his son now lives. He was married in Kentucky, to Elizabeth Tutor, who died in that state. He died in Piatt county in 1881. Several of their children are now living in the county. Samuel has been dealing in stock almost ever since he has been in the county. Charlotte A. is unmarried and still lives in this county. Rebecca died of consumption about ten years ago. John married Letitia Robinson, of Morgan county, has three children, Har- rison, Oswald and an infant, and lives on his farm of 240 acres. ' William married Ella Rock, and lives near Monticello. Isaac died of lock-jaw about four years ago, and Eliza Belle died before she was of age.
MR. GEORGE M. TURNER, farmer, Bement, is a native of New York, from which state he moved to Piatt county about 1869, and settled in Bement. In 1875 lie moved to a farm about two and one-half miles west of Bement. He owns a farm of 260 acres, part of which was improved when he took possession of it. The farm is ditched well with both open and tile ditches, and about three hundred and fifty trees have been planted on the place. Every yard of the farm is under cultivation. About fifteen years ago the place was sold at $10 an acre. In 1849 Mr. Turner and Hannah Rouse were united in marriage. They have had four children, three of whom are living. Wallace W. · is at home. Carrie, who taught four years in Piatt county, is now the wife of Mr. S. N. Gallup, of Macedon, Wayne county, New York,
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and has one son, George N. Fannie is at home. Mr. Turner was a school director for three terms. He belongs to the Bement Masonic lodge No. 365, to the Bement chapter and the Beaumanoir command- ery, K.T., of Decatur. He went to the late war in the 9th N. Y. Hy. Art. Cedar Creek was the principal battle he engaged in. He was wounded at this place and remained on the battle-field twenty-four hours, and while there the rebels dispossessed him of a portion of his clothing. He saved his life by bandaging the right limb, the main vein of which was severed, with bandages made by his wife before he left home. After being placed in the physician's care, each one who examined him from October till June remarked that a physician had surely found him very soon after he was wounded. But no, the thoughtful care of his wife and his readiness to apply a remedy were the only physician. His wife received five letters telling of his death, but at the same time received a few words from him. He receives a pension at the present time.
MR. WILLIAM H. TELFORD, merchant, Cisco, is a native of Marion county, Illinois. In 1868 he moved to Piatt and settled four miles north of Cisco. He moved to Cisco August 17, 1876 and opened a drugstore. He now has general merchandise, grain, coal, lumber, etc. At present he is building quite an extensive store building 24 × 124 feet, which will contain three rooms below and two halls on the second floor. He was married in 1870, to Martha Nelms, native of Missouri, and has had seven children, six of whom are living : Anna M., Charles, Clarence, Robert and an infant. Mr. Telford went to the army from Centralia in Co. E of the 70th Ill. reg. He was again in Co. H of the 6th Cav. for twenty-two months. The battles at Nashville and Tallahatchie were the principal ones in which he engaged.
MR. WILLIAM TALLMAN, farmer, Monticello, has attended school both at the Wesleyan University and the State Normal, and at present is living on his father's home farmn. He has had charge of the place for several years, has a good grade of stock, and has the farm in good condition. His father, Douglas Tallman (now deceased) improved the place of 525 acres. Mr. Tallman and his wife (now Mrs. Dr. Farra, of Monticello), had four children, three of whom are living. Alice is the wife of Wilbur Stevenson. George died in California at the age of twenty-three. Emma is the wife of Mr. Baker, of Willow Branch township.
MR. JOHN WEST (deceased) was a native of Ohio, from which state he moved to Ohio when a boy. He was married there and moved to
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Illinois about 1835, and settled just above the mouth of Willow Branch in Piatt county. They camped in wagons until the little log house was built, and then moved into it before the door was entirely cut out. By his first wife, née Eleanor Corder, who was born in 1818, and died in 1846, Mr. West had nine children, eight of whom reached the age of maturity. Elizabeth, who was the wife of Wm. Stewart, died in 1840. Eliza, was the wife of Mr. Geo. Wolf, who improved the farm where Mr. Jno. Moffett now lives. Both died, leaving no issue. Catharine, born ill 1827, married Abraham Peck. Rhoda was never married. Mary married Moses Savage in 1853. He died in 1855, leaving one daughter, Nora Hiatt. Mrs. Savage next married Peter Ecord. Christina is the wife of Mr. Henry Adams. Mr. Jolin West married Hannah Denton in 1847. She died in 1851, and he took for his third wife Hannah Baily. In 1854 Melinda Johnston became his fourth wife, and in 1862 lie married Nancy Rogers. His last wife is still living in Virginia. Mr. West was quite an extensive land-owner. He entered about 600 acres of land, bought about as much more. In his will he gave 300 acres to each of his children, and 300 acres to his grandchildren. He was a zealous member of the Universalist church,
MR. CYRUS WIDICK, farmer, Monticello, is a native of Kentucky, who settled in Macon county in 1826, and in 1835 he came to Piatt county. His father, George Widick, settled on the place Cyrus now lives on. He was one of the earliest settlers of the township, and dur- ing his lifetime owned 120 acres of land. He died in April, 1857, and his wife followed him in 1863. Both lie at the Sangamon cemetery. Only two of their children, Cyrus and Mrs. Isaac Howell, are now liv- ing in the county. Mr. George Widick burnt a brick kiln in 1846 on the site of the Fair Ground. He was probably the first brickmaker in the county. The subject of our sketch owns 205 acres of land, upon which he has put most of the improvements. At least fifty trees have been planted and some tiling has been done. He has built a six-room frame house almost in the door-yard of the house his father lived in. He was married in 1851, to Mary E. Peck, and has had six children, four of home are living. Ira D. married Kate Rhinehart, and at present is living at his fathers. Jennie, the wife of Tho. A. Ayers, has one child and lives in Macon county. Ella and George are both at home.
MR. HENRY WATROUS, Inerchant, Cisco, was born in Ohio in 1820. He moved from this state to Piatt county, Illinois, in 1856, and settled at the entrance of what is known as Stringtown Lane. From there he moved to Friends Creek and about six years ago he settled in Cisco.
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HISTORY OF PIATT COUNTY.
He was married in Ohio to Sarah Robinson. They had ten children, nine of whom lived to be grown. Mary J. married Jonas B. Garver. Frank married Clara Keller, has one child, and is a grocer of Cisco. R. Ann married Henry Combs, but died leaving two children, one of whom is now living. Evaline, the wite Bartley Parker, a farmer in Missouri, has two children. Rachel is the wife of John Banford, a grocer of Newburg, Macon county, and has three children. Amanda married Harvey Robins, has two children and lives in Macon county. Emma, the wife of James Bowers, has one child. 'Lucinda married Samuel Ransomer, and lives in Ohio. Thomas is not married. Mr. Henry Watrous took Mrs. Edithia Smith, née Longnecker, for his second wife. Her first husband came to his death several years ago in a very tragic manner. We are indebted to Mr. Watrous for the following account. Mr. Smith and wife came home one evening after gathering blackberries. She went into the house, while he went to water his mule. He stayed so long that she sent the children for him. The family searched to no avail, and then the neighbors searched the woods and at about daylight the mule was found with Mr. Smith's lifeless body tied-with a rope that crossed around the neck and was knotted at the back-to it. The coroners reported that he came to his deatlı by accident, but it looked to many very much as if he had been foully dealt with. Frank Watrous enlisted in the late war, but took sick before leaving Camp Butler, and his father went and took his place. He was out nine months in Co. D of the 73d Ill. reg. He was dis- charged because of a wound and now receives a pension.
MR. JOHN W. WINN, farmer, Cisco, is a native of old Virginia. He moved from Harper's Ferry to Springfield, Illinois, in 1847, and in 1868 he moved from Sangamon county to Piatt county. He first settled in Goose Creek township, but in 1878 he moved to Willow Branch township. The next year after settling in the county there were as many as fourteen houses going up in the neighborhood, notwithstanding the fact that when he first went on the prairie he thought he was going almost to nowhere. At that time in his neighborhood " dogs were the only fences" the people had for their land. Mr. Winn is living on rented land now, but he owns four houses and fifteen lots in Monticello. He was married in 1842, to Mary A. Derry, a native of old Virginia. Four of their nine children are living. Ann Matilda was the wife of John Haney, of Sangamon county, but she died, leaving one child. Lydia Ann is at home. William Leslie married Matilda Crow, has three children and lives in Champaign county. Emily Virginia, the
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wife of Robert Simpson, of Foosland, has one child. Martha Jane is at home. ' Mr. Winn has not escaped serving in some of the smaller offices of the township.
MR. ANDREW J. WILLIAMS, farmer, Cisco, is a native of Pickaway county, Ohio. His father was a native of Maryland and his mother of Ohio; both are dead. The subject of our sketch came to Champaign county in 1859, and in 1861 settled in Piatt county. He was married in 1865, to Violet E. Hurst, a native of Sangamon county. The names of their children are Frank, Loton, Viola, Rosa, Maggie, Sey- inour, Scott and Chester. Mr. Williams owns a good-sized farm, which he has improved a good deal, and he is recognized as a successful and enterprising farmer. He belongs to the Odd-Fellows lodge. In 1862 he went in Co. H of the 107th Ill. reg. to the late war. He enlisted
as a private, was promoted to 2d lieutenant and then to 1st lieutenant. The principal engagements in which he participated were those of Franklin, Nashville, Knoxville, Decatur, Resaca and Kenesaw Mt. He never missed a skirmish, a detail or battle of his regiment, was siek but seven days, and was discharged in July, 1865. When asked if he was ever wounded, he said "no," then smilingly added, "tlie only place I ever was hit was on the sword handle."
MR. CLARKSON C. WILLIAMS (deceased), a blacksmith and farmer, inoved to this county in 1849 and lived here until his death, in 1852. He bought land of Mr. William LeForge, and his widow, with one son, Clark, are still living on the place. Three of his sons and two daugh- ters are still living in the county. Joseph William, a soldier of the late war, married Mary Williams, lives in Willow Branch township and has five children, Eva, Mima, Joseph, Rufus and Sylvia. Ralston Williams first married Harriet Hott, who died, leaving one child, Perry. He next married a daughter of Mr. Bartley. Margaret married Mon- roe Peck, lives in Willow Branch township and has three children, Irvin, Orin and Everett. Clark, the eldest son, and a soldier of the late war, married Sarah F. Mc-, of Adams county, and has three children living, Janie, Eliza and Edward. Eliza married Mr. Ezra Cline.
MR. THOMAS B. WILLIAMS, farmer, Cisco, is a native of Pickaway county, Ohio. In 1866 he moved to Illinois, to Piatt county, and about fourteen years ago settled on the place he now lives. He owned and improved a farm of about ninety acres. He was married in 1866, to Sarah E. Dallas, and has had five children, Clairet R., Marion F., Anna Grace, Charles B. and Maurice. He went to the army in 1862,
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HISTORY OF PIATT COUNTY.
in Co. A of the 40th O. V. I., and in 1862 marched through Kentucky. He went to Nashville and was at the battle of Franklin, Mission Ridge and Lookout Mountain. He remembers one interesting foraging expedition, which lasted five days, in one of the richest and most beau- tiful valleys in the South. He took part in the battles of Lookout Mountain, Chickamauga, Kenesaw Mt., and was in a bayonet charge across a big cotton field owned by a rebel general.
MR. JOHN W. WOOD, farmer, Cerro Gordo, was born in Virginia, in 1827. He moved from that state to Ohio, and in 1848 came to Ver- milion county. He came to Piatt county in 1849, and lived for a time three and a half miles northeast of Monticello, after which he moved to his present home in Willow Branch township. He was married in 1856, to Amanda Peck, a native of Ohio. Seven of their eight chil- dren are living, Robert E., Jennie May, George L., Frank C., Benja- min N., Harry B. and Dick Milton. Mr. Wood has been school director and supervisor. He went to the army in July, 1862, as first lieutenant of Co. E, of the 107th Ill., and was promoted first to captain and then to major. He took part in the following engagements : Buz- zard Roost, Atlanta, Franklin, Nashville, and several skirmishes. He was also in the fourteen days' siege of Knoxville and reports life during that time as being very hard. They ate parched corn and bran bread. When the oxen got so poor they could not travel they were killed for meat, and several hogs that could not give the countersign were killed.
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