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 57
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MR. EDWIN P. CUNNINGHAM, farmer, Mansfield, is a native of Mis- souri, from which state he moved in 1865 or 1866 to Virginia. He
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settled in Piatt county in 1870. He was married in 1876, to Isa Clark, a native of Illinois, and has two children, Lutie Belle and Clark.
MR. AMOS DICKSON (deceased) was born in 1804. His father, Moses Dickson, was one of the pioneers of Illinois, and settled in Vermilion county about 1824. The subject of our sketch, when a young man, worked in the salt works northwest of Danville. The early settlers of this county used to get their salt at this place. He also worked in the Galena lead mines. In 1842 he settled in Champaign county, and in 1850 he moved nearly onto the western line of the county. Part of his farın, 160 acres, extended into Piatt county. His son, John Dick- son, is now living on this place. At the time of his death Mr. Amos Dickson was living with his daughter, Mrs. Josh Smith. He had made his home here for the last fifteen years. On June 29, 1881, he started, as the family supposed, to go to a neighbor's house. At night when he did not return a search was made for him, and at last he was found dead, lying face downward on top of the water at his old bathing place in the Sangamon river.
MR. JOHN M. DICKSON, farmer, Mansfield, is a native of Vermilion county, Illinois. His father moved to Champaign county when John was six years of age. Mr. Dickson moved into Piatt county Decem- ber 10, 1861, and settled in section 24, and in 1868 he moved onto the place where he now lives, in section 13. He owns 240 acres of land, upon which he has put most of the improvements. Over two hundred fruit trees, several hundred forest trees and a good deal of hedge have been planted. Both open and tile ditches have been made. In 1881 he built a fine frame house of nine rooms. This house is planned dif- ferently from most of the houses in the county, and it certainly presents a very nice appearance. The place bids fair to be one of the best in the county. Mr. Dickson and Miss L. J. Lanum were united in mar- riage in 1861, in Fayette county, Ohio. Three of their five children are living, Elva Lucella, Clara D. and Charles Clark. Mr. Dickson has not succeeded in keeping out of all the offices. He has been school director for a number of years. Since preparing the above some items were forwarded by Mr. Dickson, from which we condense the follow- ing: Early in September, 1881, Mr. Dickson completed his new $2,500 residence, and had it partially furnished. On September 5, the twentieth anniversary of their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Dickson were invited to take dinner and spend the day with their cousin, Wm. Myers, some five miles distant. Upon their return home in the even- ing they were astonished to be received in their own residence by one
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hundred and fifty guests, who had assembled to celebrate their anni- versary. The daughters, who remained at home through the day, helped to make the surprise more complete. The bride and groom of twenty years' standing were soon attired in the identical wedding gar- ments of twenty years ago. Even the "sky-scraper" bonnet was not for- gotten. Numerous presents were brought forward and presented by Rev. J. Montgomery, and were kindly received by Mr. and Mrs. Dick -. & son. A bountiful supper was served, and after enjoying themselves thoroughly, and examining the new residence from cellar to the observatory on top, the guests left the happy couple with many protes- tations of good will and sincere wishes for a long and happy life.
MR. WILLIAM DAWSON, blacksmith, Mansfield, is a native of Fair- field county, Ohio, from which state he moved to Piatt county, October 16, 1856, and has remained in the county ever since. He moved to Mansfield in November, 1875, and at present owns a house and two lots in the place. For nearly two years he kept the hotel near the depot. He was married February 18, 1866, to Mary Smith, a native of Piatt county. They have had five children, Elenora S., George C., Ella, William J. and Blanclı. Mr. Dawson went to the army, April 19, 1861, in Co. C of the 21st Ill. Vols. He was mustered in April 26, 1861, and came out of the war July 5, 1864. He was in the following battles : Frederickstown, Shiloh, Perrysville, Stone River and Chickamauga. According to a record kept by an adjutant, the regiment traveled some fifteen thousand miles during the war. Mr. Dawson was slightly wounded at Stone River. He was taken prisoner September 20, 1863, and was paroled March 20, 1864. He was in prison at Atlanta, Richmond, Belle Island, and was in Libby prison. He, in common with other war prisoners, complains that his treatment was rouglı.
MR. HENRY DAWSON, furniture dealer, Mansfield, is a native of Ohio, from which state he moved to Illinois in 1856, at which time his people settled on Mr. Phillips' place. He moved to Mansfield, where he now owns a house and three lots, in 1871, when there were only about three houses in the village. He was married in 1856, to Mary E. Adel, a native of Ohio. They have no children of their own, but have reared one boy, Charlie. Mr. Dawson went to the army from Fairfield county, Ohio, in Co. K of the 114tl Ohio reg. He was in no severe battles, but was in quite a number of skirmishes. He was taken prisoner on the Blue Wing boat, at Milliken's Bend, but was released in about four days.
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MR. JACOB W. DENNING, farmer, Blue Ridge, was born in February, 1821, in Virginia, and is of English and Irish descent. His parents moved from Virginia to Ohio. Mr. Denning moved to Coles county, Illinois, and from there to Piatt county, about 1858. He was in Piatt county as a drover in 1854. For twenty-six years previous to moving to this county he had been a cattle-drover. He shipped seventy-two droves of cattle to New York city alone, and no telling how many to other places. He bought his present farm of 160 acres in 1858, and has put all improvements on it. It is now divided by fences into nine fields. The Chicago division of the Wabash railroad runs through the farm, and Blue Ridge station is half a mile from the dwelling house. A good orchard of at least seventy-five or eighty trees is on the farm. Mr. Denning was married in 1858, to Phœbe Martin, a native of Somerset county, New Jersey. They have had no family. Mr. Den- ning was school trustee for five years, school director eight years, and has been pathmaster three or four times.
MR. JOSEPH S. EAKINS, formerly a farmer of Piatt county, was born in Kentucky, and is of Irish descent. He moved to Ohio when quite young, and in 1856 he settled in Piatt county, on what is generally known as the Soutlı Prairie. He was married in 1847, to Amanda Hutchings, who died, leaving three children : of these, Clarence F. married Sarah J. Holmes and lives in Blue Ridge township. Henry C., who married Lizzie Gillespie, is living on the old home-place in Blue Ridge township; S. Lizzie, the wife of Mr. Curtis Borton, has three children and is living in Iowa. Mr. Eakins was married again in 1861, to Mrs Lucy A. Shaw, who had two children, one of whom, Emma, is still living, and is the wife of Wm. G. Webb. Mr. Eakins moved to Farmer City in 1881.
MR. ABE EVANS, farmer, Farmer City, is a native of Ohio, from which state he moved to Tazewell county, Illinois, in 1866. He came to Piatt county in 1867, and settled on the section he now lives on. He now owns 280 acres of land, upon which he has made most of the improvements. Four or five hundred rods of ditching has been done and about 400 trees have been planted. The place lias yielded fair crops. In 1881 the average in corn was forty bushels to the acre. He was mar- ried in 1870, to Sarah N. Thompson, who died in 1875, leaving two children, Fred and John Delbert. He was married again in 1878, to Mary B. Orr. Mr. Evans was school treasurer for about five years, and has been roadmaster and pathmaster. He went to the army from Ohio in Co. A of the 70thi Ohio, and was out a year and a half. He
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went back in 1865 in Co. H of the 195th Ohio. He was in the follow- ing engagements, Shilolı and Corinth.
MR. FOUNTAIN Fox, farmer, Galesville, is a native of Edgar county, Illinois. He was reared in Indiana, but returned to Edgar county before moving to Piatt county. He owns 240 acres of land, upon which he has put all improvements, consisting in part of a house and barn, the planting of over a hundred trees and the making of an open ditcli. His corn crops for the last ten years have averaged about forty bushels to the acre. In 1872 liis corn averaged from seventy to eighty bushels to the acre. He was married in June 1869, to Mary A. Maddock, and has had no family. He was in the late war, and was under Sherman in Co. A of the 1st Mo. Engineers and Mechanics. He was veteran- ized in 1864.
MR. WILLIAM D. FAIRBANKS, farmer, Blue Ridge, has been in busi- ness in Piatt county for several years. He married Miss Flora Kroell and lives on a farm near Blue Ridge Station. C. W. Fairbanks mar- ried Nellie Cole, has three children and lives in Indianapolis. He is attorney of the Indianapolis, Bloomington & Western railroad, and owns 2,000 acres of land, the most of which lies in the northeastern part of Piatt county. L. M. Fairbanks, who has been a grain mer- chiant of Mansfield for several years, and Wm. D. Fairbanks own about 500 acres of land in this county.
MR. HARMON K. GILLESPIE, farmer, Farmer City, is a native of Pennsylvania. His parents were from the same state and died in Illi- nois. He moved from Pennsylvania to McLean county, Illinois, and in 1854 entered 120 acres adjoining his present home-farm in Piatt county. For two years he lived in the 12×15 feet house he first built. The next house he built contained seven rooms, and a part of it still stands in a large grove of maple, cottonwood and ash trees near Mr. Gillespie's last residence, which contains eleven rooms, and was built in 1870. ' He has gradually added to his farm, until now he owns 575 acres in good condition. When he first began improvements on his place he endured a good many hardships. The firewood and all fencing material had to be hauled from near Mahomet, across unbridged streams and over bad roads. Mr. Gillespie was married in 1845, to Nancy Moore, a native of Pennsylvania. They have had nine children, all of whom are living : Christian married Ella Davidson, has two children and lives in McLean county ; George Moore mar- ried Ollie Crawford, has two children, Belle Irene, and an infant, and lives in Blue Ridge township; Ann D., the wife of Philip Weedman,
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has two children and lives in De Witt county ; Samuel J. married Eva Wisegarver and lives in De Witt county ; John W. has been attending school at Normal, Illinois ; Henry M. is at home; Lizzie is the wife of Henry C. Eakins (see his name) ; Carl O. and Frank L. are at home. Mr. Gillespie has been justice of the peace since the fall of 1855. He has held other township offices. For four years he was supervisor. He remembers the first couple he married. He was living in their first little house, above referred to, and he was sitting on the floor, with chips all around him, making a wagon-wheel, when at about ten o'clock at night a knock was heard at the front door. His wife went to the door and found a couple who wished to be married. There was no step to the door, and Mrs. Gillespie turned to place a chair out for the young lady to climb up on, but she was not quick enough, for, as the Squire expressed it, the "lady was so anxious to enter the ‘new state ' that she rolled in at the door." The couple would not be seated long enough for the wheel-chips to be cleared away, but stood anxiously up in the midst of the dirt and were made one and happy.
MR. ISAIAH HOLLOWAY, farmer, Galesville, is a native of Ohio, from which state he moved, to Indiana, where he was partly reared. In 1862 he moved to Piatt county, and during the first winter lived in a shanty. After renting land for two years he moved onto the place he now lives on, which he had bought before coming to the county. He owns about 190 acres of land, upon which has put all the improvements, including the planting of one hundred and fifty apples and near two thousand other trees. He is one of the first settlers in his part of the township, and considers that a very great improvement has been made since he came to the county. He was married in 1842, to Elizabeth Shepherd, who died in 1851. Two of their four children are living now : Maria, the wife of David Wolf, has four children, and lives in Champaign county ; Alpheus married Louisa Littleton, has two chil- dred, Isaiah and Bertha, and lives on what has long been known as the Littleton place. In 1852 Mr. Holloway married Hannah Doyle, who has been in poor health for the last three years. They have had four children : Elizabeth is the wife of Jolin Roberts, a Methodist minister, and has two children; John and Edmund both died of consumption, the one at twenty-four and the other at twenty-two years of age; George is a telegraph operator on the Wabash railroad. Mrs. Hollo- way has two sisters living in the county, Mrs. Alfred Doster and Lucinda Doyle. Mr. Holloway has been successful as a farmer. He built his present residence in 1864, and his barn in 1880.
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HISTORY OF PIATT COUNTY.
MR. EMORY HARWOOD, farmer, is a native of Massachusetts. He came to Champaign county, Illinois, in the fall of 1852. In 1857 lie settled in the northeastern part of Piatt county, and entered 160 acres of land, S.E. } of Sec. 13. He purchased the land warrant of some heirs. His wife was one of the heirs, and the land was entered in her name. When he first settled in the county he used to travel seventeen miles to market, and got ten cents a bushel for corn. He remembers of once taking a load of corn to Urbana : it took him two days to go and come, and he got just four dollars for his labor. One of his neighbors went to the same market, and received just enough money to buy a pair of breeches, which were stolen before he got home. Mr. Harwood's first wife, née Marion Wallace Chilton, died in Mahomet, leaving one daughter ; Lucretia married Mr. William C. Crabtree in 1871, has one child, Ada Wallace, and lives in Blue Ridge township. Mr. Harwood next married Anna Abbott. One daughter is living, Clara C., who married Mr. R. B. Young, has one child and lives in Farmer City. Mr. and Mrs. Harwood live in Farmer City.
MR. J. W. HILLIGOSS, merchant, Mansfield, is a native of Fleming county, Kentucky, and came from there to Coles county, Illinois, in 1868, where he taught school four years. He came to Piatt county in 1872, and taught eight years in succession, three of which were in Mansfield. His first school in this county was the White school. He moved to Mansfield in May, 1873, built residence and owns two lots, which he improved himself. His system became overtaxed in the school-room and he went into the grocery business, in August, 1880. He held the position of village clerk for four years. Mr. Hilligoss was married in Champaign county, to Hester A. House, in 1872, and has one daughter, Clyde. Mr. Hilligoss went to the army in 1861, from Kentucky, in the southern army, under Gen. Bragg, and was out two years, and lost a limb at Mount Sterling, Kentucky.
MR. THOMAS C. HAGGARD, farmer, Farmer City, is a native of Ohio, from which state he moved to Piatt county in 1874, and settled in the southwestern part of Blue Ridge township. He owns 240 acres, upon a part of which he put all the improvements. He built a six-room frame house before moving onto the place, and has been quite success- ful as a farmer. Two years ago lie gathered over 3,000 bushels out of a forty-acre field of corn. He was married in 1870, to Margaret Bettis, and has had three children, Willie, Eddie and Kate. He went to the army from DeWitt county, in Co. F of the 41st reg. The principal battles in which he engaged were those of Fort Donelson, Shiloh,
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Corinth, Vicksburg and Jackson, at which place he was wounded. His regiment was under engagement in nearly fight on the Mississippi river and he never missed one of them. When he was wounded he was sent home on a furlongh, but returned to his regiment in time for the next engagement.
MR. JOEL HELLER, farmer, is a native of Fulton county, Illinois, and is of Scotch and Irish descent. He moved to the county in 1871, and settled on the farm he now lives on. He owns 160 acres of land, which was partially improved by Mr. John Keenan. Some four thousand trees have been planted on the place, and a good deal of both open and tile ditching has been made. His crops have averaged about as well as any in the county. His poultry is quite good, and he has a fine grade of stock. He was married in 1855, to Elizabeth Huffman, a native of Ohio. Four of their six children are living, Addie V., who was married in 1880, to R. K. Fawcett, of McLean county, and Bertha, Sally and Grace. Mr. Heller has held a few of the township offices.
MR. H. C. HIDY, grocer, Mansfield, is a native of Virginia. He came to Piatt county in 1875, and located as a photographer, but changed to grocery business. He owns his business house, residence and lot in Mansfield. Mr. Hidy was married in 1876, to Amanda E. Littleton, and has one daughter, Llora M.
MR. SAMUEL HOWE, farmer, Mansfield, is a native of Ireland, who came to America in 1856. He first settled in Logan county, but in 1871 moved to Piatt county, and settled on the place of 300 acres, upon which he now resides. He has put all the improvements on this farm. It has been hedged, and some six hundred rods of tile ditching has been made. In 1881 he built a six-room frame honse in a grove of several thousand maples. He was married in 1865, to Catharine Hagerty, and has ten children, Joseph, Elizabeth, George, Annie, Samuel, William, Robert, Martha, Bertie and an infant. He has held the office of school director for two terms. He went to the late war in Co. G of the 106th Ill. reg., and the siege of Vicksburg was the principal engagement he was in. He was never wounded or taken prisoner.
MR. HIRAM JACKSON, an early settler of Blue Ridge township, was born in Indiana in 1814. His father was a native of Maryland, and his mother of Kentucky. They moved to Indiana in 1798, were mar- ried, and settled on a tract of land, where they lived the rest of their days. In 1854 Hiram Jackson entered the land Mr. Clark is now living on in the northwestern part of Blue Ridge township, and settled upon it. Of late years he has been living in Farmer City. Mr. Jack-
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son was one of a family of ten, and was the only one of the ten who made Piatt county his home. He was married in December, 1837, to Ruth Blasdell. They have had fourteen children, seven of whom are living: Miss Rhoda Jackson is a successful milliner and dress-maker in Monticello; Isaac Alonzo, who went to the army in the 2d Cav., married Hester Adaline Smith, has four children and lives in Champaign county; E. H. Jackson married Alice Smith, has three children, Mark, David H. and Nancy E., and lives in Piatt county; Ruth Melissa married William M. Miles, has four children and lives in Champaign county; Nancy J. is the wife of D. P. Langley, has four children and lives in Minnesota; Hannah, the wife of John R. Heller and mother of two children, lives in DeWitt county ;. Hiram W. is a farmer in Champaign county. In speaking of their early life in Blue Ridge township, Mr. Jackson remarked that upon first coming to the county they went to Urbana for their goods, and bought the only cooking stove for sale in the place, and no milk-pans could be found in town .. Only about four families lived on the state road when Mr. · Jackson settled in the township. Mr. Jackson has held quite a num- ber of offices in his time. He was supervisor of the township for six years, has been assessor and collector, was school treasurer twelve years, was probate judge in Piatt county, and is justice of the peace now in Farmer City.
MR. WILLIAM JESS, farmer, Mansfield, is a native of Ireland. "He came to America in 1840. In 1861 he first came to Illinois, and in 1865 he settled in Piatt county. He owns eighty acres of land, upon which he has put all the improvement. Two hundred rods of tile ditching has been done. He was married in 1837, to Margaret Malone, and has had twelve children, six of whom are living. Thomas, a soldier in the late war, has been tax collector in the township a good while. Michael married Mary Kilgore in 1863, has one daughter and lives in LeRoy. He obtained his education in New York city, and is a school teacher. Charles married Elizabeth McKee and lives in Blue Ridge township. He was in the army, where he lost his health. John, Maurice and Maggie are living at home. Mr. Jess' son, William, was wounded in the army and died at Nashville, Tennessee.
MR. THOMAS JESS came from Indiana to Piatt county in 1860. He is a native of Ireland. He went to the late war in 1861, and again in 1863 from Champaign county. He engaged in the battles of Perrys- ville, Chickamauga, Resaca, Kenesaw Mountain, Sand Town Roads, Jonesboro and Atlanta. He was wounded at the Seven Houses,
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between Jonesboro and Atlanta. He thinks the battle of Chickamauga was the most terrific fight he was in. They found some of their men three months afterward and buried them. As a result of his labors in the cause of his country, Mr. Jess is minus one limb. Since returning from the war he was made collector for two years and assessor of Blue Ridge township nine years.
MR. DANIEL R. KLINGER, farmer, Mansfield, is a native of Ohio, from which state he moved to Champaign county in 1857. In 1858 he moved into Blue Ridge township, and has lived there ever since. He bought a portion of his home-place in 1862, and added to it at a later date, so now he owns 240 acres of land. In 1862 this land was rated at $2 an acre, but now at the least it is worth $40. The year before he moved onto the place he could have bought a half section of land for $800, and would have been allowed to give his team, worth $400, in partial payment, but was advised by persons living near not to invest. In less than three years one of his advisors paid $2,000 for a one- quarter section of the same land. The spring Mr. Klinger began breaking up his farm he could count fifteen or twenty teams about him, all engaged in breaking prairie. He has put all the improvements on his place. Two hundred fruit trees have been planted, a good deal of open ditching has been made and a two-story frame house has been built. The following record will show that Mr. Klinger has met with a good degree of success as a farmer. In 1881 he had twenty acres of oats, which averaged sixty bushels to the acre. Two years ago his crop of wheat averaged thirty-seven bushels to the acre. A crop of 120 acres of corn averaged forty bushels to the acre, and seven years ago an eighty-acre crop of corn averaged near eighty bushels to the acre. In 1840 Mr. Klinger and Sallie Marshall were united in marriage. She died in Ohio, leaving four children, two of whom are living. 'Henry married Emma Dale, has four children, Harry, Daniel, Charlie and Nellie, and lives on his father's place. In 1857 Elizabeth Gift became Mr. Klinger's second wife. She died, leaving five children, four of whom are living. Mary died in 1880, at the age of twenty-two ; John N., Alice Belle, Peter and Emma are living at home. In 1873 Mr. Klinger married Mrs. Barbara Smith, who has had one child, Jesse W., since her last marriage (see Mr. W. H. Smith's name). Mr. Klinger has not been spared from filling some offices in the township. He has been school trustee, and in 1881 he was tax collector.
MR. A. J. KNAPP, farmer, Farmer City, is a native of Dearborn county, Indiana, from which place he moved to Piatt county in 1872.
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He settled on land near his present home farm of 120 acres. He has made most of the improvements on his place. He has either rebuilt or moved onto it all the buildings. Some 200 rods of tiling has been put in, besides some open ditehes which have been made. About 100 fruit trees and 1,200 forest trees have been planted. The entire farm is in good condition for tilling now, and for making a nice home for the owner. Mr. Knapp was married in 1867, to Mary J. Swales, a native of Indiana, and has had three children, two of whom are living, Frank E. and John S. He went to the army in 1862, in Co. H of the 83d Ind. Inf., and remained until the close of the war. The following are the principal battles he engaged in : Chickasaw Bayou, siege of Vicksburgh, Resaca, Arkansas Post, Jackson, Kenesaw Mountain, Atlanta, and he went with Sherman to the sea. He was first lieutenant for seven months. In 1880-1 Mr. Knapp killed a Canada lynx, which is probably the only one which has ever been seen in the county.
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