USA > Illinois > Pike County > History of Pike County, Illinois : together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons and biographies of representative citizens > Part 63
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D. E. James & Co., dry-goods dealers, Pittsfield; began business in the spring of 1878; the firm are active members of the business fraternity of Pittsfield, and control a large and reliable trade.
Henry James, farmer, sec. 7; P. O., Pittsfield; was born in Eng- land in 1817; came to America in 1851 and stopped in Cincinnati one year, then came to this county, where he has since resided; he has bought, sold and improved 5 different farms, and now owns 80 acres worth $50 per acre. He was married in England in 1850, to Jennette Francis, a native of Scotland, born in 1818, and they are the parents of 3 children, only one living, Thomas F., Alice M. and Win. G., deceased. Mr. James has been Road Commissioner 6 years, and served several years as School Director. He is a mem- ber of the I. O. of O. F., an Episcopalian and a Democrat.
T. F. James, farmer, was born in Louisiana Nov. 24, 1851; came to this State with his father in 1852 and settled in this county, where he still resides; was married to Margaret Wilson, a native of this county, and who was born Dec. 21, 1854. They are the parents of 2 children, Jennette, born Dec. 24, 1875, and Elizabeth, Dec. 1, 1877. Mr. James owns 60 acres of land worth $50 per acre.
Benjamin Jellison, farmer, owns 60 acres of land worth $60 per acre; is a native of Maine, born Jan. 24, 1804; came to this county in 1844; was married in Maine May 7, 1827, to Mary Wyman, who was also born in Maine, and they are the parents of 5 children, only 3 of whom are living: Hiram, Charles H. and Mary. Delilah and Henry are deceased. Mr. S. is a member of the Baptist Church, and a Democrat.
J. W. Johnson, attorney at law, was born in Lewis Co., Mo., Nov. 24, 1845; was brought up at Palmyra, Mo., where he received a good education, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1869; came to Pike county, Ill., in 1870; taught school at Eldara and New Canton for two years; came to Pittsfield in Sept., 1873, where he has since remained, most of the time in the practice of law; is now in partnership with J. S. Irwin; from 1873 to 1877 he was acting Superintendent of Schools of this county. Dec. 18, 1867, at Palmyra, he married Miss M. V. Nicol, daughter of Henry and Catharine Nicol. The subject of our sketch is a son of Don Q. and Elizabeth A. (Rogers), the latter of Norfolk, Va., whose parents emi- grated West with her in her infancy. Mr. Johnson's children are Nina E., born July 25, 1869; Leta J., born Aug. 16, 1871; Eliza-
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beth A., Dec. 9, 1874; Albert Sidney, Feb. 21, 1878, and James Irwin. Oct. 2, 1879.
J. W. Jones, farmer, secs. 8 and 9; P. O., Pittsfield; is a native of Hamilton Co., O., born in 1818, and is a son of Jonathan and Ann (Wilmington) Jones, natives of Virginia and Pennsylvania. respectively. Mr. Jones is a gunsmith by trade, which occupation he followed in Mount Sterling, Morgan county. In 1843 he settled in Pike county near his present home, which at that time was but a wilderness; he was married in this county to Miss Martha A. Preble, a native of Ohio, and who was born in 1827. They have had 7 children, all of whom are living: Mary, Eliza, Ann, Celestia, Harvey P., Clara and John J. Mr. Jones is one of Pike's enter- prising farmers; has served as Supervisor one term, and Road Com- missioner 7 years. He had the first horse-plow used in the State, and relates many interesting incidentsjof early life. Politically he is a Greenbacker.
Timothy Kane was born in Ireland June 1, 1840, son of Corne- lius and Catherine (Quinlan) Kane. He came to America July 4, 1857, and to this county the following summer ; has resided in this tp. ever since. March 1, 1864, he married Miss Ellen McElroy, of this county. She was born in 1842. They have had 8 children, 6 boys and 2 girls; 3 boys are dead; the children liv- ing are Patrick, John, Joseph, Mary and Jane. Mr. Kane owns 110 acres of land, most of which is under cultivation, and worth $40 per acre. Both are Catholics, and Mr. Kane is a Democrat and Greenbacker. P. O., Pittsfield.
Nathaniel Kellogg, farmer, secs. 21 and 22, is a native of Massa- chusetts, born in 1824; remained there until 1854, when he married Miss Sarah M. Brown, daughter of Oliver and Lucy Brown, born in the same State in 1826. Mr. and Mrs. Kellogg came to Pittsfield in 1854, where they now reside. Mr. K. is the son of Charles and Mrs. P. (Foot) Kellogg, the former a native of Massachusetts, born in 1782, and died in the same State in 1853, the latter also a native of Massachusetts, born in 1787; she came to Illinois with her son, D. F. Kellogg, and died at his honse in 1868, at the age of 81 years. Our subject is a well-to-do farmer. P. O., Pittsfield.
Theodore Kellogg, Sheriff, son of Ira and Lydia Kellogg, who settled in Naples, Scott county, in 1833. His father was the first pilot on the Illinois river; came to this county in 1835, and selected a home near Perry, where he died in 1856. The subject of this biography was born in Genesee county, N. Y., in 1825. He carried the mails between Quincy and Perry for 5 years, and was proprietor of the hotel at the latter place. In 1860 he mar- ried Miss Sarah J. Coekill. He moved to Pittsfield and assumed the proprietorship of the Pittsfield House, and the following year was elected to his present office, which he ably fills. He is highly respected by all.
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Dr. J. H. Ledlie, physician and surgeon, was born in Dublin, Ireland, Feb. 14, 1833; graduated at the Royal College of Physi- cians and Surgeons in that eity in 1854, when he emigrated to Pittsfield, Ill., where he has remained ever since in the practice of his profession, except the 4 years he was surgeon in the 99th regi- ment of Illinois, volunteers in the last war; during his service in the army he was promoted to the position of Staff Surgeon and Medical Director of the 13th Army Corps, and finally Surgeon in Charge of the General Hospital at Jefferson City, Mo .; he was mustered out as Lieut. Col. in November, 1865, when he returned to Pittsfield. He is a member of the Adams County Medical Society, and of the American Medical Association. Dr. Ledlie has a very large practice, and one of the largest and best arranged offices in the country. April 4, 1856, in Brooklyn, N. Y., he married Elizabeth Betterton, a native of England, and their chil- dren are Elizabeth B., born April, 1857, Ann F., born in 1859, and died when about 6 weeks old, James C., born in 1861, and died Nov., 1878, and Mary H., born in 1863.
J. C. Lewis, druggist. This house was opened in 1877, being a copartnership of Lewis & Hyde, who carried on a Inerative trade for 15 months, when the firm dissolved. Under its present man- agement it carries a stock of $4,000, with average sales of $30,000 per year, and is the finest and largest drug store in the county; it is located on the north side of the Public Square, Pittsfield. The subject of this sketch was born in Scott county, Ill., in 1849, and was married in Jan., 1878, to Miss Fannie Ray, a native of this county, and daughter of John and Margaret (Huber) Ray. They have one child, whom they have christened Ray, born April 13, 1879: Mr. L. is a member of the Christian Church.
J. C. Lindsay, of the firm of Lindsay & Silvernail, grocers, Pitts- field. The business here was originally carried on by H. H. Thomas, passing into the hands of his successor, J. C. Lindsay, in 1876. In 1879 Alfred Silvernail was admitted to the firm, and the concern is doing a thriving business. Mr. L. is a native of High- land county, O., where he was born in 1842.
William Lorett, farmer, sec. 22; P. O., Pittsfield; is a native of Vermont, born May 6, 1808; was married in Connecticut in 1829 to Sarah Graham, and they are the parents of 14 children, 10 girls and 4 boys; the latter were all in the late war. Mr. L. owns 195 acres of land worth $40 per acre; his father was in the war of the Revolution. He belongs to the Baptist Church, and is a Democrat.
James Manton, farmer, sec. 12; P. O., Pittsfield; is a son of John and Elizabeth Manton, both natives of England, where the subject of this sketch was born Jan. 2, 1815. He came to America in 1854, and settled in this county. Fourteen years prior to his coming to America hewas united in marriage with Miss Charlotte Hamerton Shets, who is also a native of England. To them have been born 14 children, 10 of whom are living,-William, Thomas, George, Ma- ria, Lucy A., James, Nancy, Anna, Lizzie and Fannie. The de-
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ceased are Rachel, Mary 1., Emma and Charles. Mr. Manton is one of the largest farmers and land-holders in this county, owning 825 acres of land, valued at $55 per acre. When he came to Amer- ica he was the possessor of but $15, and by energy, application and business tact he is able to rank among the solid men of Pike county. and as one of the leading and prominent citizens of the county we give his portrait in the pages of this volume.
Hon. A. C. Matthews, attorney at law and Representative from the 38th District, was born in Pike county, Ill., 'n 1533; brought up on a farm; graduated at Illinois College, Jacksonville, III., in 1855; was admitted to the bar in 1858; was the last commanding officer (Colo- nel) of the 99th Ill. Vol. Inf. in the late war; from 1869 to 1875 was Collector of Internal Revenue in the 9th District of Illinois, but, resigning this position, he was appointed Supervisor of Inter- nal Revenue, which place he also resigned July 1, 1876, when he returned to the practice of law; but in November following he was elected as a Representative in the State Legislature, receiving 12 .- 600 votes, and in 1878 was re-elected by 5,5633 votes.
Azariah Mays, farmer, sec. 32; P. O., New Hartford; is a na- tive of Ohio, born in 1827, and was married there in 1848, to Miss Rebecca JJ. Davis, who was born in Ang., 1828. They are the pa- rents of 3 children,-Marcellus, Ellie, now wife of Edward Dun- ning, of this county, and William. Mr. M. came to this county in 1864; owns 100 acres of land, worth $60 per acre. He was in the late war, in Co. C, 49th Reg. O. I., and served 2 months, and was discharged in consequence of disability. He is a Republican.
J. II. MeClintock, farmer, sec. 25; P. O., Pittsfield; is a native of this county, born April 28, 1839: is a son of William and Bar- bara (Ribble) MeClintock, natives of Tennessee and Indiana, re- spectively. Aug. 28. 1874, he married Catharine Duffield, who was born in Indiana, March 7, 1845, and they are the parents of 6 children, 5 living; their names are Alice, Wm. F., Lucinda A., James L., Barbara C. and Paul. Mr. M. holds the office of Col- lector at the present time, and is a member of the Christian Church, and an Odd Fellow.
Edward Me Coughey, farmer, see. 11; owns 120 acres of land, worth $50 per acre; is a native of Ireland, born in 1819; came to Ameriea in 1844, and settled in Rhode Island; was married in New York in 1850, to Anna McCormick, also a native of Ireland, and was born in June, 1830. They have had 2 children, one liv- ing, -Patrick P. The name of the deceased was Sarah. Both Mr. and Mrs. McC. are members of the Catholic Church.
Jordan MeSpawn, carpenter, is a native of Kentucky, where he was born in 1816; he came to this State in 1838; the same year he was united in marriage with Mary Badgely, a native of Pennsylvania, where she was born in 1819. To them have been born 7 children, 6 of whom are living. Mr. MeSpawn has served as Constable four years, and Deputy Sheriff two terms. He is a member of the Christian Church, and politically a Republican.
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HISTORY OF PIKE COUNTY.
H. R. Mills, dealer in books and stationery, Pittsfield, is a na- tive of Ohio, where he was born in 1853; in 1869 he was united in marriage in this county with Miss Barbara, daughter of D. D. and Julia (Burbridge) Hicks. Their two children are Arthur H. and Frank W .. Both he and his wife belong to the Church of the Lat- ter-Day Saints. Mr. M. has held the office of Town Clerk two terms. Politically he is a Republican.
James Mirrielees && Co., grocers, Pittsfield. The copartnership of this house was formed in 1867, and the firm carry a stock of $3,000, with annual average sales of $20,000, and enjoy increasing trade. Mr. M. is a native of Scotland, and was born in 1840; crossed the ocean to America in 1863, and settled in St. Louis, where he resided until he came to this county in 1867.
Rufus M. Murray, County Treasurer; was born in Kinderhook, Pike county, in 1837; is a son of Eleazer Murray, who settled in that tp. in 1832, and died in 1852. Jan. 1, 1868, Mr. Murray mar- ried Elizabeth, daughter of Squire Wilson, of Kinderhook. He has filled many local offices in his native tp., where he resided until called to fulfill the duties of his present position. He is one of the reliable men of the county, and has many warm friends.
C. L. Obst, photographer, was born in Saxony, Germany, in 1832; emigrated to this country in 1849 and settled in Baltimore, Md., where he engaged in decorative painting. Subsequently he removed to York, Pa., and to this county in 1857; the same year was married to Miss Elizabeth Wildin, and they have one child. He established himself in his present business in 1859 and is en- joying a fair trade.
Jeff Orr, State's Attorney, located in Pittsfield Feb. 26, 1873, and entered upon his profession the same year. Nov. 7, 1879, he married Ella M. Yates. He is a hard student of the law and wed- ded to his profession ; is permanently located in Pittsfield, where he expects to devote the remainder of his life to his vocation. Ella M. is reading, and will take a thorough law course, to assist her husband in his profession. Mr. Orr is a native of Harrison county, Ohio.
C. W. Patterson is a native of Berkshire county, Mass., and was born Jan. 9, 1829; was married Sept. 10, 1848, to Mary V. Carpen- ter, a native of the same county, by whom he has 2 children. He is a blacksmith by trade and followed this occupation for 10 years after settling in Pittsfield; he subsequently officiated as Deputy Postmaster 23 years, and assisted as clerk in the store of J. B. Wal- month until elected Justice of the Peace, in which capacity he has served for 10 successive years, the duties of which he has always discharged to the satisfaction of the public.
Marcellus Peckinpaw, grocer ; inaugurated himself in business on the west side of the Square in 1873, in company with John Boyd, in the sale of tobacco, etc. Eighteen months afterward the firm dissolved, and Mr. P. carried on a successful trade under his own name; subsequently he formed a partnership with J. C. Lind-
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say, to whom he afterward sold, and in 1878 he purchased a new stock and opened his present place; has a stock of $2,000.
William Pence, farmer, sec. 1; P. O., Pittsfield ; was born in Preble county, O., in 1839; was married in 1866 to Miss Sarah Little, and they have 2 children, Thomas A. and Ida M. Mr. P. came to this county in 1856 and settled in this tp., where he has since made it his home and owns 70 acres of land valned at $60 per acre. In politics he is a Democrat.
G. S. Pennington, ticket and station agent, Pittsfield; born in Greene county, Ill., in 1841, where his father, Joel, settled in 1839. Ten years afterward the family came to this city where Mr. P. en- gaged as elerk in the Cirenit Clerk's office, where he remained for some years. Subsequently he entered the Illinois College, at Jack- sonville, for the study of law, and at the breaking ont of the Re- bellion received an appointment as clerk in the disbursing office at Springfield, and was promoted to Chief Clerk, serving until the close of the war; returning home he was appointed to his present position in 1869, and the same year married Miss Annette Stout, who died, leaving one child, Frank. His present wife is Maggie, daughter of James Sutton, of Springfield.
George B. Purkitt is one of the early and prominent citizens of Pike county. He is the son of Henry and Mary W. (Tucker) Pur- kitt, the latter of whom is still living at the advanced age of 91 years. Ilis father lived to the age of 92. George B. is a native of Massachusetts, where he was born in 1809. IIe came to Illinois in 1831 and settled in Jacksonville, where he attended college as a companion of Gov. Yates. The following year he came to Pike county. In 1836, in Morgan county, he was united in marriage to Harriet Provost, a native of New York, where she was born in 1819; she died in 1860; by this union two children were born, one of whom, a son, is living. He was again married in 1865, this time to Mrs. Phimelia Garbutt, also a native of the Empire State, and was born in 1816. Mr. P. is a member of the Congregational Church, and is one of the early and honored citizens of Pike county.
William H. Raftery, farmer, sec. 21; P. O., Pittsfield: owns 160 acres of land worth $40 per acre ; he is a native of this county, born Jan. 27, 1844; was raised on a farm, and had but limited means to commence active life with, but by industry and economy has obtained a good property. He has been Deputy Sheriff, dis- charging his duties acceptably. Was married in this county in 1868 to Nancy E. Mottley, who was born in this county, Dec. 2, 1843. They are the parents of 5 children, viz: John, William, Thomas, Robert E. and Clarence. Mr. R. is of Irish descent.
Jason A. Rider, Cirenit Clerk and Recorder, was born in Barn- . stable county, Mass., in 1834; came West with his parents in 1852, locating at Griggsville, Pike Co. During most of the years from 1852 to 1864 he was engaged in steam-boating, as clerk, with his brother, Capt. Rider. In 1858 he married Miss Jennie E. Cree,
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PITTSFIELD TP
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whose family were early settlers in the county. From 1864 to 1873, was engaged in the mercantile business at Griggsville; in 1874 was elected Justice of the Peace in that town, which office he held until elected to his present position in 1876, which position he fills with entire acceptability to the public. He has 5 children, the oldest of whom, Samuel W., is Deputy Clerk.
J. Willis Roberts, Justice of the Peace, was born in Martins- burg tp., this county, Oct. 13, 1854, son of J. S. Roberts, editor of The Union, and Justice of the Peace in Pittsfield; Aug. 10, 1868, he came to Pittsfield; 1873, etc., he taught school two terms in this county; from June, 1875, to May, 1877, he spent most of the time in Jersey county, and since then has been again a resident of Pitts- field. Mr. Roberts has a good education, is Clerk of Pittsfield Town Board of Trustees, and Sept. 19, 1878, he was elected Justice of the Peace, which position he now holds, his place of business being on the north side of the Public Square. He was married Oct. 30, 1879.
Charles Rogers, farmer, sec. 31; P. O., New Hartford; owns 102g acres of land worth $50 per acre ; is a son of David and Elizabeth (Sargent) Rogers, the former a native of North Carolina and the latter of South Carolina. He was born in Pike county in 1841; in 1862 he enlisted in the war in Co. A, 99th Reg. I. V. I .; served 8 months and was mustered out in Missouri; was married in Pike county in 1867, to Harriet West, a native of England, who was born in 1842. Their children are David R. and Anna M. Those deceased are Ellen and William. Mr. R. belongs to the Masonic order, and is a Republican.
Col. Wm. Ross, deceased, was born April 24, 1792, in the town of Monson, Hampden county. Mass. His father, Micah Ross, in 1805, moved to Pittsfield, Mass. Upon the declaration of war in 1812, William Ross obtained a commission as Ensign in the 21st regiment United States Infantry, commanded by Col. E. W. Rip- ley, and was soon after ordered on recruiting service. In the spring of 1813, he was directed to unite his men with those of his brother, Capt. Leonard Ross, of the same regiment, at Greenbush, N. Y., and was subsequently dispatched to join the command of Major Aspinwall, about five hundred infantry of the 9th Regiment, who had been ordered to take np a forced march for Buffalo, then threatened by the enemy's forces. Arrived at Utica, the troops were met by an express, informing them of the capture and de- struction of Buffalo, and directed their immediate march to Sackett's Harbor. Accordingly, proceeding to Oswego, on Lake Ontario, they embarked in fifty open row-boats, and set out for the harbor; but hardly had they made Stony Island than they heard the roar of cannon, and discovered the British fleet, with gun-boats and In- dian canoes in the rear. They at once attempted to run the gauntlet of the enemy's armed vessels, and, rushing amid the fire of the gun- boats, twenty-five of their own frail craft succeeded in reaching the harbor, the remainder being captured by the British. Captain Ross
40
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and the young Ensign were among the sheeessful ones. The next day took place the memorable battle of Sackett's Harbor, in which the brothers led about one hundred men, and in which 500 Ameri- cans drove back 1,300 British. Of the detachment commanded by the Rosses, one-third was either killed or wounded in the conflict.
Soon after this battle, the Rosses were transferred to the 40th Regiment, infantry, and ordered to the seaboard, where the Captain took command of Fort Warren, in Boston Harbor, and William Ross was detached to Marblehead, to drill the troops of that post, and subsequer. ly removed to the Gurnet fort, near Plymonth, Mass., where he remained till the close of the war. He then returned to Pittsfield, and set up the business of a blacksmith, hiring work- men, however, as he possessed no knowledge of the trade himself.
In the summer of 1820, as spoken of elsewhere in this book, in company with four brothers, and a few other families, he started for what was then known as the Far West -- the State of Illinois.
For awhile the prospects of these settlers were very flattering, but afterward sickness and death entered their ranks. Col. Ross lost his first wife, one brother, and several of the company, the first year. Subsequently, the Colonel visited New York, and married a Miss Adams, of that State, after which he returned to Illinois, laid ont a town embracing his first location, and named it Atlas, which afterward became the county-seat of the county. There had previously been established a postoffice, called Ross Settlement, but this designation soon gave way to the one now adopted by the Colonel, who soon commenced improving a farm, and built a mill, which was much needed at the time. His efforts were now fol- lowed by the blessings of a kind Providence; and though he arrived in Illinois a poor man, he speedily, through economy and untiring energy, began to realize an increase of property and popularity. He became Judge of Probate for the county of Pike, which office he held for many years, enjoying the unbounded confidence of the people. He also served as clerk of the Cirenit and County Courts, and filled with credit many minor offices, among which were Colonel of Militia and Justice of the Peace, in all of which he won the esteem of his fellow-citizens.
In April, 1832, at the commencement of the Black Hawk war, Col. Ross was ordered by the Governor to raise a company ont of his regiment forthwith, and join the forces at Beardstown. He received the order on Friday, and on the following Tuesday pre- sented himself at the rendezvous, in Beardstown, with double the number of men designated in the requisition. He was selected as aide to the commanding general, served with much popularity throughout the campaign, and then returned once more to private life, devoting himself to building operations and the improvement of the county where he resided. Prosperity still smiled on his every effort. In 1835 he was elected to the Legislature of Illinois, and while a member of this body procured the passage of a law peculiarly adapted to the Military Tract, which afterward proved
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of great importance to that section of country. Col. Ross was subsequently chosen to the Senate several terms, serving five or six sessions in that body.
In private life the Colonel was a warm friend, and willing, more- over, to forgive his enemies. Punctual in his business relations, governed by strict integrity, and zealous in all his labors, he won the respect and esteem of his fellow-citizens in every walk.
As early as 1833, it became evident to the people of Atlas that the county-seat would at no distant day be removed to some point nearer the center of the county. Col. Ross joined heartily in this movement, and advanced to the county authorities the money with which to enter the land upon which Pittsfield is now located. The County Commissioners-Col. Barney, George Hinman, and Hawkins Judd-did the Colonel the honor to ask him to name the new county-seat, which he accordingly did, calling it Pittsfield, in honor of his old home in Massachusetts. In this beantiful place he erected a dwelling-house, 1835. It is safe to say that no public enterprise in the county ever escaped his observation, or was com- pleted without his aid.
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