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 55
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MR. B. F. LODGE, farmer, Lodge, was born December 26, 1834, and first came to this county as a minister a number of years ago. When on this circuit he used to preach at Bement, Cerro Gordo, Monticello, Baker school-house, Ridge school, Camp Creek, and several other places. The same territory now comprises five circuits and three sta- tions. In all, Mr. Lodge followed preaching for nine years, during which time he was in the counties of Sangamon, Shelby, Cole, Edgar, Douglass, Champaign, Piatt and Menard. He began farming in 1866, after locating at his own request. Mr. Lodge married Mrs. Lyon and has had nine children, five of whom are living: Charles A., Frank B., Fannie May, Howard F. and Agnes C.
MR. JOHN MARQUISS (deceased), son of Abraham Marquiss, married Harriet Mallory, who came with her people to Piatt county about 1836. They lived for a number of years on a fine farm on the Sangamon river. Mr. Marquiss' death was a sudden one. He had gone with stock to New York. The train having stopped on a bridge to get water, Mr. Marquiss got up before day to see to his stock. He fell on
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the bridge and was injured so that he died May 5, 1856. His family knew nothing of the accident until informed of the body's return. Mr. Marquiss had eight children, four of whom are living : George L. was married October 26, 1870, to Olivia Vincent, and has had six children, three of whom, Mary O., Bessie G. and Susan E. are living ; George was one of the successful school teachers of the county, but now he applies himself to improving the farm upon which he is living ; Abraham Marquiss married Jane Fitzwater, in 1862, and had four children, one of whom, Alice, is living. Abraham was killed at the raising of a house on the farm now owned by Mr. Olentine. Mary Marquiss married Wm. Fitzwater, has an interesting family of children, and lives on their nicely-located farm, which they are continually im- proving. J. Bruce Marquiss married Jane Burch, and has one child, Seymour, living. Charles married Fannie Dewees, and with their children lives in Monticello. Mrs. Marquiss, with Miss Lou Warner, lives on a portion of the old home-place.
MR. JOSEPH MAXWELL, who lives just beyond the county line in Champaign, was in an early day one of the near neighbors of the Piatt county folks. He was born in 1824. His grandfather was in the revo- lutionary war through the entire time. His parents moved to Cliam- paign county when he was six years old. They moved to Danville and remained until the fright about the Blackhawk war was over. Joseph began farming for himself before he was of age. He followed breaking prairie for a number of years. In connection with telling of his prairie breaking, he told an anecdote which we will relate. He and two others, as was customary in those times, took care to have a jug of whiskey with them when at their work. But let them hide their jug as carefully as they could, it was sure to be found and partially emp- tied by some children who lived near. At last they conceived a plan to thwart the children, and told a physician of Mahomet their desires, and he sent them some ipecac, with which they prepared a jug of whis- key especially for their little annoyers, and hid the jug somewhat care- lessly. Their plan worked like a charm, and by the middle of the night, not only the children, but their mother, was suffering from the effects of the "jug." When the father came home in the night, he was furious enough to go and swear out a state's warrant against the men who he asserted had tried to poison the children. The trial came off, but as it was decided that the dose of ipecac was good for the children, the accused were acquitted. As a moral to this anec- dote we will add : little children, and great grown people too, should
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beware of jugs. Mr. Joseph Maxwell started to California in 1850. He remained there until his health became poor and he was advised to return to the States. He came back at the end of twenty-six months with about $1,650 in his pocket. He bought a farm where his homestead now is, and was married in 1852 to Rosanna Hyde, a native of Indiana. They have had eleven children, eight of whom are living.
MR. JOHN MAXWELL, Joseph's brother, was also an early neighbor of the Piatt county folks. He is a native of Tennessee, and is now living in Champaign county. He used to be quite a deer hunter, and once had quite a narrow escape of his life. He came up to a deer in the snow and struck it with an ax ; it turned and fought, but Mr. Max- well gained the victory without realizing his danger until all was over. He told of finding a couple of deer locked together with their horns. One had died, and the other stood entangled with death. The one alive when found was finally killed, and 'twas almost impossible to separate the horns.
MR. JOHN S. MADDEN (deceased) was born in Ohio in 1805. His wife, nee Elizabeth West, was born in 1802, and was of German descent. They moved with their three children to Piatt county in 1835. He laid claims to some land and camped under a white-oak tree until he built a house on Madden's run. In all Mr. Madden entered about 1,700 acres of land, and lived on a portion of it until in 1870, several years previous to his deatlı, he went to Kansas. Mr. Madden's eldest daughter, Martha J., married Samuel Kerr in 1853. He lived in San- gamon township until his death in 1855. Mrs. Kerr and her one daughter, Josephine E., live on their home-place ; Mary E. Madden married Mr. Alvin Caldwell of Sangamon township ; Sarah Madden died in 1866, and Felix H. died in 1880. Both were unmarried ; Silas W. married Cassie Burton of Ohio, has four children, Sherman, Lenora, Irwin and Homer, and lives in Sangamon township. He went into the army July 10, 1861, in Co. F of the 2d Ill. Cav. He was in battles at Holly Springs, Mississippi, Bolivar, Texas, Champion Hill, Jackson, Mississippi, and Fourteen Mile Creek, and was slightly wounded. He received his final discharge in January, 1866. His brother, John S., was also in the late war ; married to Cynthia Burton, and has had nine children, Endora A., Minnie and Irene, twins, Chas. A., Horace, John, William, Perry and Mary Josephine. Mr. John Madden Sr. lost his wife in 1844, and in 1845 he married Keturah Matchler, who is now dead. Six of their children are now living : Milton T. married Alice Kilgore, has two children, and is a farmer in
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Kansas; Cynthia M., the wife of Benj. Hampton, also has two chil- dren and lives in Kansas. The names of the other children are Francis P., Richard L., May Belle and Hester A. Mr. Jolın Madden died in 1874.
MR. RICHARD MADDEN, a brother of Mr. John Madden, moved to this county about a year after John came. In 1837 he married Rhoda Donaldson, a sister-in-law of John and Judge Hughes. He settled on the land where Silas Madden lives, and had three children when he moved to Iowa. Malon Madden died in the army ; Marquiss married a Miss Hill, and lives in Iowa ; Emna Madden married Mr. Hill; Mr. Richard Madden has been dead for some time; Mr. Richard Madden's sister Anna married Elijah Hollingsworth, and died, leaving several children. Of these Cynthia married Mr. Mckinney and lives in Cerro Gordo, and Anna married Jacob Buslı.
MR. CHRISTIAN MACKEY, who was born in New Jersey, married Ann Williams, of Logan county, Illinois, about 1840, and in 1845 moved to Piatt county. Three of his first wife's children are living. Catharine became the wife of William Dickson, and has four children, Harriet Ann, Edward, Harry E. and Joseph. Joseph Mackey married Eliza J. Bunyard and has four children, James W., Charles C., Sydna Ann and Otis Luther ; Lydia Ann married Seth Burnett, and also has four children. Charles E., Oscar Eugene, Alta May and Inez. Mr. Christian was married in 1865, to Mrs. Wm. Huglies, née Elizabeth Ingram, by whom he has had five children, Jasper, Emma, Cora, Stophel and Elma. Mrs. Hughes was married first in 1854 and had three children. Of these, Mary E. is the wife of Wm. Wright, has three children, Rachel, May and Frankie, and lives near Cisco ; Ann, the wife of Francis Coffin, also lives near Cisco and has two children, Jennie and Elma. George Hughes is unmarried. After coming to this county Mr. Mackey used to go to mill both to Springfield and to the Mackinaw. He lives on a nice farm near the Sangamon river, and from his residence is a most beautiful view of the Sangamon river bottom land. -
MR. JOSEPH MACKEY (deceased), farmer, was a native of New Jersey. He and his wife, née Catharine Cole, moved to Ohio, where Mrs. Mackey died. Mr. Mackey moved to Piatt county about 1846 and bought land of Mr. Rich. Madden. He returned to Ohio at once and married Hester Abbott, coming back soon after and settling on his Piatt county farin, where he lived until his death. Mr. Mackey had seven children, six of whom are now living; John Mackey (see his
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sketch) lives in Sangamon township; for Christian Mackey, see his sketch ; Lavina Mackey married George Evans and lived for many years near Centerville. Mr. Evans died in May 1881, leaving six children. Of these Mary C. is at home ; as are also Charles, Allen, Grant and Anna ; Willis, the eldest son, married Mary Winters and lives in Sangamon township. Mr. Sebastian Mackey married Susan Carr and moved to Iowa about 1852. Cyrus Mackey married Huldalı Sears and moved to Nebraska about 1870. Lena Margaret Mackey became the wife of Mr. S. A. Evans.
MR. JOHN MACKEY, farmer, Centerville, moved from New Jersey, his native state, to Ohio, and thence to Illinois about 1846. He was united in marriage in 1840, to Leah Hubbard, and seven of their nine children are living. Mary, the wife of Isaac Wright, of Blue Ridge township, has three children, Emory, George and Grace ; Catharine, wife of Wm. DeGroff, has six children, Almer, Rachel, John, Lyman, Lilah and Alice ; Alice, who married Lyman DeGroff, also has six children, Elizabeth, William, Lyman, Etta, Nellie J. and Jolin ; Margaret married Sam'l Primer, has five children, Alberta, Leah F., Frederick, Thornton and Allen, and lives in Sangamon township ; Christian Mackey married Mary Sprague, and has two children, John and Catharine ; Samuel married Hettie Newell, and lives in Sangamon township ; George, who married Jane Sprague, lives with Mr. and Mrs. Mackey. When Mr. Mackey first came to Piatt county, he lived the first winter with Mr. Abraham Marquiss. He next lived where Silas Maden now lives, until he moved onto his present farm of 365 acres. Mr. Mackey has held several township offices and has held the office of justice of the peace for nine years.
MR. JOHN MOSGROVE (deceased) was born in Pennsylvania in 1812. He was married in that state to Elizabeth Squire, who died about 1854. He moved to Portage county, Ohio, and from there to Louisville, Kentucky. In 1848 he came to Piatt county, and settled where Mr. William Mosgrove now lives. In about 1852 Mr. Mosgrove built a saw-mill, to which in 1855, or thereabouts, a grist-mill was added. The entire mill burned about 1859, but afterward a saw-mill was erected, the frame of which is still standing. Each of these mills has been known as the Mosgrove mill. Mr. Mosgrove had seven children, two of whom are living : William Mosgrove married Susan Shaffer in 1850. They moved to Missouri in 1866, but returned the next year, and have been in the county ever since. Two of their eiglit children, Emma and John, are living ; William Mosgrove is at present
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supervisor of Sangamon township; James Mosgrove, who went to Missouri in 1866, married Etta Ovington, and has one child. Mr. John Mosgrove, the subject of our sketch, was married in 1855, to Mrs. Elizabeth Shaffer, who is still living. He died in Missouri, in 1867, and his body was brought back and buried in the family bury- ing ground near Mr. William Mosgrove's residence.
MR. WILLIAM McDONALD, farmer, Monticello, is a native of Vir- ginia. He moved from there to Ohio in 1839, and came to Piatt county in 1856. He was married in Indiana, to Jane Hunt, and has seven children : William, Sarah J., James, Flora E., Frank, Arthur and Charles Oliver. He left the state just before the war, and enlisted in Co. F of the 74th Ind. reg. He was in the battles of Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Perryville, Roland Fork and Hoover's Gap. He came back to the county in 1867, and settled in Sangamon township, where he owns seventy-one acres of land.
MR. ISAAC NORRIS (deceased) was a native of Maryland, from which state he moved to Ohio, thence he moved to Illinois about 1841. He was married in Ohio, to Anna Strunk, and had seven children, two of whom are now living. Of these, Daniel married Mary A. Hubbart, and Eliza married J. C. Hart (see his name). Daniel lived until quite recently, when he moved to Monticello, on the place his father owned. "Six of his seven children are living : James I. married Mary Halterman, and has three children, Harley, William and Ollie, and lives near De Land ; the twins, Edward W. and Frank W., are still at home ; Ella is the wife of William Miller, of Monticello, and Ida and Emma are both at home. Mr. Daniel Norris went to the army in 1862, in Co. E of the 107th reg., and was out about three years. He was at the siege of Knoxville, in the Atlanta campaign until Atlanta fell, and took part in the battles at Kenesaw Mountain, Franklin and Nash- ville. While her husband was in the army Mrs. Norris suffered many hardships. She often had to don her husband's old clothes and feed the stock. Once the old blind mare knocked her back into the sled and kicked the harness over her. She had to chop wood many times. When Mr. Isaac Norris first came to the county, and reached Mr. Ezra Marquiss, he showed his pocket-book, which contained just thirty cents. In addition to this he had two old horses, an old wagon and a "family of children." He rented land of Mr. Abraham Marquiss for a time, but finally bought the place of 200 acres that Daniel has lived on so long. "Uncle Isaac" was a great deer hunter.
MR. JAMES NEWELL (deceased) was born and raised in Ohio, where
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1
he married Catharine Garty. He moved with his family, consisting of eight children, to Centerville, Piatt county, in 1857. Six of his chil- dren are now living : Dubois, who went from Piatt county to the army in 107th Ill. Inf., Co. D, is living with his brother Wesley, who mar- ried Alice Dyson in 1881, and farms in Sangamon township ; Marilla, the wife of John Seaman, lives in Sangamon township, and has two children, Etta Florence and Claude ; Martha makes her home at her brother Wesley Newell's ; Eunice is the wife of Luke H. Hott. Mr. James Newell next married Elizabetlı Kiser, who, since his death in 1868, has been living with their only child, Sarah Hester, who married Samuel Mackey. A brother of the subject of our sketch, Mr. Thomas Newell, came to this county at quite an early day, about 1855, and he, in partnership with Mr. Samuel Maffet, built and run the first saw and grist mill at Centerville. He, however, died about 1856, leaving wife and children, none of whom, so far as we can learn, are now living in Piatt county. One, of his sisters was the first wife of Mr. Samuel Maffett, and another, Sarah, married Isaac Morrison, but none of their family are living in this county.
MR. F. M. PEEL, merchant, White Heath, is a native of Ohio, Madison county. His parents 'now live in Ohio. He moved from Ohio direct to White Heath, in May, 1873, and opened a drug store the same year. He has been in the drug business ever since, but now has added a general merchandise store. He was appointed postmaster in 1875. Mr. Peel and Joanna De Witt were united in marriage in January, 1871. He went to the late war from Ohio, in the 155th Ohio reg., and again in the 191st Ohio reg.
MR. NICHOLAS OULERY (deceased) was a native of Pennsylvania. He moved to Ohio and thence to Piatt county in 1841, and in 1843 settled on a place which was originally entered by Mr. Osborn. He had four children when he moved to this state. Samuel Oulery, born in 1825, in Pickaway county, Ohio, married Nancy Hannah, a native of the same state, and has had eight children. Thomas Albert died when twenty-two years old. Rachel Catharine, the wife of Frank Coon, has two children, Fannie I. and Myrtle, and lives near Cisco. Francis M., the wife of John Groves and mother of one son, Hugh Edward, lives near the Argo school-liouse. Nancy Rebecca married Thomas Coon, has one child, Maud, and lives near Cisco. Sarah Isabel lives at home. Mary R. married George Mckinley and has one son, Sam'l Edward. Hugh N. and Clara are still at home. Mary J. Oulery married Mr. Levi Stewart (see his sketch). Francis Oulery
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became the wife of David Hannah. Rachel, who was the wife of George Mathews, died in 1864, leaving three children, James, Fannie and Sarah, who are not married. Mr. Mathews married Susan Hawk and with several children lives in Blue Ridge township. Mr. Nicholas Oulery was for a year and a half in the war of 1812. He was with Perry's fleet on the lake. He died in 1853. Mrs. Oulery lived until 1877, when she too was called home.
MR. NELSON REID, farmer, White Heath, a native of Ohio, moved to Piatt county in 1867. He had been in the county, however, in 1860 and served as a farm laborer for a time. He went back to Ohio, but returned in 1861 and enlisted in the army in Co. C of the 107th Ill. He was in the battles of Harper's Ferry, Resaca, Franklin, Knoxville and Nashville. Mr. Reid was married in Ohio, to Caroline Weaver, and has two children, Robert M. and James Nelson. He settled on the place he now lives on when he first moved to the county. He has improved the 100 acres mostly himself. In 1880 he built a neat six-room frame house and is fast making it one of the most pleasant homes in the township. Mr. Reid has been justice of the peace, town clerk, school treasurer, and was elected county treas- urer in 1878 and served two years.
MR. WILLIAM RIDGLY, farmer, White Heath, is a native of Virginia, came to Illinois from Pennsylvania in 1855, locating in Sangamon township, where he has since lived. He owns 280 acres of land, which he has greatly improved, and in 1880 built a new barn. Three years ago he had one piece of corn which yielded ninety bushels to the acre. This is the third place he has partly improved. Mr. Ridgly was married to Louisa Castor, a native of Ohio, in 1857, and has five children, Frank L., a carpenter in Monticello, Charles H., John G., William S. and Jennie.
MR. DAVID ROBINSON was born in Ohio in 1830. His parents, who were of Irish descent, moved to Ohio, where they died. David is one of a family of thirteen children, who are still living. Four of them are in Piatt county. David nioved to Piatt county from Ohio in September, 1851. He has been in the stock business and has farmed most of the time since. He was married in 1863, to Harriet Bowman, but has had no children.
MR. WESLEY P. SMITH, mail agent, Monticello, was born Novem- ber 5, 1844, within a few miles of Monticello, and with the exception of four years has lived in the county ever since. He was united in marriage April 16, 1865, to Miss Hattie A. Hickman, a native of Ross
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HISTORY OF PIATT COUNTY.
county, Ohio, and has the following named children, Effie B., Corwin E., Agathie Dell, Mary Luella, Otie W., Earnest F., Allen R. and Edna H. Mr. Smith enlisted in the army October 10, 1861, in Co. D of the 3d Cav. Mo. Vols., Illinois' quota being already full. This company with others was taken by Col. Glover, although Illinois got the credit of sending out the men. Mr. Smith is quite proud of his regiment, although it was called the Missouri regiment. The principal work of the regiment was that of hunting guerillas and protecting life and property. This work was done in Missouri and Arkansas. Though taking part in some very close engagements they were always successful, never having been repulsed and having lost but few men. Mr. Smith was mustered out at Little Rock, Arkansas, November 30, 1864. In March, 1872, he received an appointment as mail agent on what was then known as the Monticello railroad and mnade the first run into Monticello. His present route extends from Lafayette, Indiana, to Quincy, Illinois. With the exception of about three years Mr. Smith has been in " Uncle Sam's" service since 1861. His present residence is about three miles north of Monticello on what is known as Father Hickman's place.
MR. ADAM SPEAR, farmer, Centerville, is a native of Pennsylvania. He moved to Indiana for a time, and thence in 1863 or 1864 to Piatt county. He was married in 1866, to Mary Dehart, and has lived on his present home-place ever since. He has had seven children, six of of whom are living : Hannah Francis, Eva Gertrude, Jno. Alexander, Sarah Alberta, Wm. Curtiss and Rosetta.
MR. LEVI STEWART (deceased) was born in 1819 in Ohio. His father, Samuel Stewart, and wife moved to Illinois about 1838 or 1839. His parents both died in Illinois, his father in Piatt county. Mr. Stewart bought the farm upon which Mrs. Stewart now lives, of Mr. Salisbury, who entered the land. Levi Stewart was married in 1847, to Mary J. Oulery, who was born in 1826, in Ohio. Mr. Stewart died in 1864, leaving two children, only one of whom is now living. Hannah Francis, born in 1853, was inarried October 6, 1872, to Richard Miner. They have one daughter, Etta Rose, and live with Mrs. M. J. Stewart, who has lived on the present place ever since her marriage. Some of Levi Stewart's brothers and sisters inarried and settled in Piatt county, but they afterward moved away.
MR. WILLIAM H. SMITH is a native of Pickaway county, Ohio, and came to Illinois in 1840, moving to Piatt county in 1843. Here lie married Julia A. Wright, who died, leaving four children, who still
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live in the county : Charles, who is still unmarried, owns a farm of 280 acres within two miles of White Heath ; he was in the late war, in Co. D, 63d Ill. Vols., and fought at the siege of Vicksburg, battles of Ben- tonville and Mission Ridge ; Mary, who married William Dawson, lives in Mansfield ; Sarah is the wife of Vincent Williams, and John, having married Jane Camp, is farming at Centerville. Mr. William Smith was again married, to Barbara Dawson, by whom he has had five chil- dren : James, Frank. Edward, Isaac, and a daughter of about ten or eleven years.
MR. JACKSON TROTTER, farmer, White Heath, was born in Virginia in 1825, and is of German and Irish descent. He moved to Ohio when young, and in 1847 came alone to Piatt county. In 1855 his father, William Trotter, and mother, nee Barbara Dick, came to this county in company with their children. His father died in 1863, and his mother in 1865. One of their daughters, Rebecca, makes her home with Jackson, who has never yet succumbed to the wiles of Cupid ; John married Elizabeth Teets ; Elijah married Alice Swetzer, of Indiana, and has five children living ; William Trotter married Matilda Branch ; Hiram Trotter married Susan Stotler, who died, leav- ing three children ; he next married Lydia Olman, and has six children; his home is also in Champaign county.
MR. MATTHIAS TEATS, farmer, White Heath, was born in Ohio, and moved from there to Illinois about 1856. He owns forty acres of land near Camp Creek church. Mr. Teats was married in Ohio, to Mary Puffinbarger, and four of their five children are living: Maria is the wife of Harvey Hickman; Mary E. married J. Trotter ; Jane mar- ried Jesse Bushee, a farmer who lives in White Heath, and has two children, Clarinda and Estella ; Caroline Teats died when sixteen years old; George stays with his father.
DR. W. B. UNANGST, White Heath, is a native of Pennsylvania. Both of his parents, who were from the same state, are dead. Dr. Unangst moved from Pennsylvania to Coles county, Illinois, in 1861. He located at Centerville in 1866, and in 1874 he moved to White Heath. He attended medical lectures at Chicago, but graduated in the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Keokuk, Iowa. He is a member of the Masonic lodge.
MR. ISAAC V. WILLIAMS (deceased), farmer, White Heath, was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, in 1811, and moved from there to Piatt county about 1835. After living here for a time moved over the line into Champaign county, where he lived for a number of years. He
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HISTORY OF PIATT COUNTY.
then moved to Monticello, where he lived twelve years, finally locating where his widow now lives, a farm of 194} acres, which slie owns with the children. Mr. Williams married Mary Ann Mallory in 1833, a native of Harper's Ferry, Virginia, and but three of their nine children are living. Frank, their eldest daughter, has kept a hotel at White Heath for a number of years. She owns the hotel. A. Rebecca mar- ried Renick Hull, who was frozen to death on the prairie, in Goose Creek township. He left one daughter, Mary, who has been attending school at Decatur. Rebecca next married Edward Bates, who has a general merchandise store at Centerville. They have five children liv- ing, Lilian, Fanny, William, Janet and Edward. Mr. Bates was in the late war, and now gets $40 per month pension. Vin Williams, her only son, is a hotel-keeper in Mansfield. He married Miss Smith. Mr. Isaac Williams died January 3, 1879. When Mrs. Williams crossed through Sadorus to Mr. Piatt's her experience was far from pleasant. When three miles on the other side of Sadorus, in the big slough, their wagon broke, and they had a serious time getting out and to Sadorus. Soon after their arrival there, some one knocked and it was Joe Mallory, who had started three weeks before and was stalled on another road across the same slough. The women folks of Joe's party walked to Sadorus and the next morning started to Mr. Piatt's. It was very cold, and Mr. Williams covered the women with a feather bed to protect them from the cutting winds. On reaching the Okaw they found it a mile wide, and frozen. The sore-footed oxen had a serious time until helped out by a horse, and they finally reached the Piatts'. While there they saw the trees full of prairie-chickens, but Mr. Piatt and William said they were not as good to eat as crows. Mrs. P. Williams learned to cook them, and was complimented by Maj. McReynolds. At another time Mrs. Williams went to Mrs. Sou- ders to get some blue dye, and stayed to supper. It was later than she supposed, and going home the darkness of the woods and howl- ing of the wolves, together withi her loneliness, greatly frightened her, and upon reaching home she exclaimed, "I will never undertake to dye as long as I live," a remark which James Piatt, who was there, teased her about as long as he lived.
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