History of Sangamon 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 149

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Inter-state publishing company
Number of Pages: 1084

USA > Illinois > Sangamon County > History of Sangamon 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 149

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

James M. Martin, post office, Springfield, (Evans' Box), is a son of George and Leah (Fahs) Martin. Ilis father was born in Hamp-

shire county, Virginia, October 28, 1805, and died October 25, 1841; his mother was born in same county, August 12, 1802, and died August 8, 1860. They had six children, two were born in Virginia, one in Ohio, and three in this county; four lived to maturity. John Martin, the father of George, purchased land in 1834, the same now owned and occupied by James Martin, the sub- ject of this biography; they were of Scotch and German ancestry. James married Mary Wil- liams, daughter of I. B. Williams, who was born in Ohio; her grandfather was a native of Ver- mont. Mr. and Mrs. Martin have had seven children; four died in childhood, and three are living, namely: George B., Mary Frances, James H., John Edgar, William L., Phoebe Adaline, and Susan Alice. Mr. Martin owns ninety-six acres of land, seventy under cultivation; it is worth $40 an acre. He is, in politics, a Demo- crat.

David Marshall, post office Cotton Hill was born November 6, 1843. His parents, Stephen and Amada (Smalley) Marshall, were natives of New Jersey, and came to this State and settled in Macoupin county in 1845. His father was a miller, also farming to some extent. They had nine children-two died in childhood, and seven grew to maturity. David was the seventh child and came to this county about 1857. On Octo- ber 27, 1864, he married Emily C. Spicer, born August 13, 1843; they had four children, two died in infancy and two are living, Mary F., born November 3, 1867, and Louisa, born May 27, 1875. Mrs. Marshall's parents, U. D. and Nancy Clifton Spicer, were natives of Delaware. He was born September 24, 1793, and died Feb- ruary 15, 1855; the mother born October 30, 1800; and the father, Mr. Marshall, owns one hundred and ten acres of land valued at $50 per acre; makes a specialty of cattle and hogs for market. He had limited advantages for early education, and always worked hard; he used to work sixteen days for a hog, and worked all summer for five acres of corn. He bought a colt, and the next year worked for six acres of corn, and in the winter worked for his board. When he was sixteen years old he worked for seven acres, and when he was seventeen, herded cattle for $30 a month; bought calves and run them with the herd, then sold out, and had about $400, with which he bought forty acres of land, cut the wood off, and sold it in Springfield; from that time he continued to prosper as a speculator. They are Democrats politically.

John Popp, post office, Springfield, was born in Germany. His parents were John G. and

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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.

Ann Popp, the former born in 1783, in Germany, where he also died; the mother's birth is un- known; she was born, and died in Germany; they were married in 1821 and had five children, three of whom died young. John was the fourth child, and came to this country and settled in New Jersey, where he lived four years, then came to this county and settled were he now lives, in 1860. He married Susan J. Billings who was born in this county; her parents were from Maryland, and of Welsh and German an- cestry; they had five children, Mary E, born December 21, 1861, and died March 20, 1876; Herschel V., born July 20, 1863, and died Jan- mary 17, 1872; Judith A., born September 3, 1865, and died December 1, 1866; Theodore, born March 31, 1867; and Julia A., born January 18, 1872. Mrs. Popp died December 1, 1874. Mr. P. owns seventy acres of land, worth $40 an acre. He had good educational advantages, hav- ing attended the higher schools in the old coun- try, and the English schools after arriving here; he belongs to the German Lutheran Church.

James T. Rape, post office, New City, is a son of John and Elizabeth Rape, whose children were as follows: Joseph, born January 25, 1840; John, born December 16, 1843; James, born September 27, 1845; Mary, born October 18, 1848; Samuel, born January 20, 1852; Nancy Eveline. born April 27, 1856; and Emily Jane, who died at the age of nineteen. James T., the subject of this sketch, was born in this county, September 27, 1845, and always lived on the farm now occupied by him. On January 10, 1866, he was married to Miss Mary West, who was born in Vermilion county, In- diana, and of German ancestry. They have had five children, four of whom are living: Della M., born May 22, 1868; Florence R., born De- cember 15, 1869, and died at the age of nine months; Fred R., born September 28, 1871; Izora R., born March 31, 1875, and Pearl, born March 9, 1878. Mr. Rape owns seventy-five acres of land, and has held several township offices. In politics they are Democrats. The family are generally Methodists.

Andrew Milslagle, post office, New City, was born in Virginia, March 25, 1801; his parents were Jacob and Elizabeth (Cooper) Mislagle, the former born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, They had eleven children, five sons and six daughters. Andrew was the first son and came to this county in 1834. In 1832, he married Miss Mary Martin, in Virginia. They had six children, two of whom died in infancy, and two after arriving at mature age. The living are:

Elizabeth, wife of Thomas Mopin, and now liv- ing in Kansas; and Jacob M., who married Elizabeth Peek, and resides on the homestead with his parents. When Mr. Milslagle first came here, he entered land and commenced farming, and has continued that occupation ever since. He owns one hundred and fifty acres of land, eighty of which is under cultivation. He be- longs to the U. P. Church. His son, William, was in the army, a member of the One Hundred and Fourteenth Regiment, Illinois Volunteers, Infantry, and died at home in July, 1863, from diseases contracted in the army. Mr. Milslagle has been married twice. His first wife died in 1837, and his second in 1845, and he is now a widower.

William B. Smith, M. D., post office, New City, was born in Williamsburg, Claremont county, Ohio, March 15, 1846; son of Robert D., and Margaret (Burkitt) Smith, the former of Ohio and the latter of Kentucky. They lived and died in Claremont county, Ohio, the mother on July 10, 1849, of cholera, the father, January 15, 1862. William B., attended the higher schools of Ohio and Kentucky, until he was twenty-one years of age, when he commeneed the study of medieine in Dover, Kentucky, with his uncle, and was with him three years; after- ward studied with Samuel Burkitt, and H. Clay Lassing, of Boone county, in the winter of 1869- 70. He attended lectures at Ann Arbor, Michi- gan, and at Keokuk, Iowa, in the spring of 1878. where he graduated with honors. He practiced three years in Kentucky and seven years in this State. He married Alice E., daughter of J. M., and Myra O. Haines, of Cotton Hill township, where she was born. They have two children, Robert M., born March 9, 1880, and Newell Jay, born September 13, 1881. The doctor has a good practice in the county; is at the present time town treasurer, and has been two years. He was elected justice of the peace, but declined to serve. He laid out the village of New City, and gave it the name, and was the first postmas- ter in it.

Hurtman Spengler, post office, New City, was born in Baden Baden, Germany, February 10, 1840. His parents were Michael and Catharine Spengler and were natives of Germany. The father was born April 1, 1812; the mother's birth- day unknown; they were married in Germany in March, 1837; they had five children, of whom three are living, and all in the United States. Hartman was the first child, and came to this country with his parents in 1843, when four years of age. On May 16, 1867, he married Miss

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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.

Malinda Moyer, who was born in Pennsylvania, November 5, 1843, daughter of Abraham Moyer, who was born also in Pennsylvania, and of Ger- man parentage. Mr. and Mrs. Spengler have had eight children, seven of whom are living: Thomas M., born March 14, 1868; Samuel H., born October 11, 1869; Winnie L., born Novem- ber 6, 1870 and died November 21, 1879; Arte- mus L., born September 9, 1872; Mary M., born November 1, 1874; Alice J., born Jannary 21, 1877; Rose A., born November 23, 1878; and Gilbert, born March 24, 1880, and an infant son born November 4, 1881. Mr. S. owns forty acres of land, valued at $40 an acre. He has been supervisor of Cotton Hill, two terms. Mr. S. is a Presbyterian and she a Lutheran.

Alfred Vigal, of Cotton Hill township, sec- tion twenty, son of John T. Vigal, was born in this township, April 28, 1835, where he has since resided, and married, December 17, 1857, to Dianna Carpenter, who was born in Delaware county, Ohio, February 6, 1831. She came to Shelby county, Illinois, when eight years old, and thence, in 1839, to Sangamon, where she married and had eight children-Clara J., born October 2, 1858, and married October 20, 1880, to Charles C. Jones, and resides in this town- ship ; John F., born January 30, 1860 ; an in- fant, born January 29, 1861, and died February 20, 1861 ; Adaline, born February 11, 1862, and died January 19, 1875; Tonia, born June 19, 1863; an infant, born February 10, 1865, and died same day; Edwin, born November 2, 1867, and Mary, born August, 26, 1870. Mr. Vigal's father, Jolin T. Vigal, was born near Louisville, Kentucky, April 8, 1808, and married March 10, 1830, in Clark county, Indiana, to Hannah Coble, who was also born there, May 20, 1811. They came to Sangamon county the same year of their marriage, and settled in Cotton Hill township, where he has continued to reside since that time, and had nine children-five sons and four daughters. Three sons and one daughter (Mrs. W. H. Boyd) are yet living, all in this township. Mrs. John T. Vigal died May 12, 1853. Mr. Alfred Vigal has always been a farmer, and owns ninety acres of valuable land, well cultivated.

William H. Vigal, farmer, on section twenty- one, post office, New City, is a brother of the preceding, and was born January 22, 1833. He was raised on a farm and received a common school education. He married Miss Sarah Wil- lian, daughter of Thomas Willian, of Kentucky, and was born in Cotton Hill township, August 29, 1833; they have had six children, as follows:

Martha A., born September 3, 1857, now Mrs. Chester G. Willaims; Everett A., born Novem- ber 6, 1859; Metta E., born December 2, 1865; William M., born February 2, 1869; Ermen C., born October 17, 1873; Freddie H., born May 16, 1871, and died December 22, 1879. Mr. V. has held the office of supervisor for several years, and also other local offices of trust. He owns three hundred and sixty acres of land, under good cultivation, worth $40 an acre; he raises corn, and is largely engaged in feeding cattle. Mr. V. is a self-made man, and has earned his property by hard work, industry and economy. He has a fine residence; his wife and oldest daughter are members of the M. E. Church. In politics, Republican.

Jonathan Weaver, post office, New City, is the seventh son of Jacob and Susan Weaver, natives of Franklin county, Pennsylvania, and of Ger- man ancestry. They had fourteen children, most of whom grew to maturity. Jonathan was born December 20, 1816. Becoming an orphan at the age of six years, he was put on a farm until he was eighteen years of age, and then was apprenticed to carpentry and cabinet-mak- ing. In February, 1842, he married Miss Mary Ruth, daughter of Aaron and Elizabeth Ruth, of Franklin county, Pennsylvania, who was of English descent. She died the following year, in January, and on May 14, 1846, Mr. W. mar- ried Mary Hammer, of Washington county, Maryland, who was born July 7, 1818. By this marriage there were five sons: George H., born July 1, 1847; Willie H., February 1, 1850; Sam- uel R., April 24, 1853; Jonathan L, March 16, 1856; and James B., October 15, 1863. Mrs. W. died November 21, 1872, and was buried at Oak Ridge Cemetery. Mr. Weaver's farm comprises one hundred and twenty acres, which is valued at $35 an acre. Heis amember of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and politically a Republican.

Richard White, post office, Pawnee, was born in Tennessee, October 15, 1830. IIis father, Craig White, was born in January, 1800, in Tennessee. At the age of eighteen, he married Sally Lane, of North Carolina, and they had thirteen chil- dren. They came to this country in 1830. They had but little money, and bought land at second hand. Richard was but a few weeks old when his parents settled here. In March, 1866, he married Hannah Ward, who was born in Virginia, March 20, 1845. They had two chil- dren: William, who died in infancy, and Lilly Elizabeth, born October 16, 1869. Mr. White owns one thousand acres of land, valued at $40 an acre, and is engaged in general farming.

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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

TOWNSHIP OF CURRAN.

The township of Curran is situated in the sec- ond tier of townships from the west and the third from the south, and comprises township fifteen, range six west.

TOPOGRAPHICAL.

The township or Curran is chiefly rolling prairie, having but little timber, and that along the banks of Lick creek and Spring creek. The soil is of good quality and the farms second to none.

WATER COURSES.

The township is watered by Lick creek and Big Spring creek, and their tributaries. Lick creek waters nearly the entire southern tier of sections entering Woodside township, from sec- tion twenty-five. Spring creek heads on section nineteen, and leaves the township from section four. Plenty of water is found for the stock.

RAILROAD.

The Wabash railroad passes through the center of the township, entering from Spring- field on section twelve, and passes out from sec- tion nineteen. It has two stations in the town- ship-Curran and San station.

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

The first settlement was made in this town- ship in 1819. Among the early settlers were Joshua Brown, Jacob Earnest, Thomas Earnest, William Archer, David Cloyd, Thomas Cloyd, Samuel Cloyd, Stephen Shelton, William T. Brawnes, Ivins Foster, James Parkinson, John Smith, Thomas McKee, Elisha McKomas, Mr. Lamb, John Kelly, James McKee, Barney Van- deren, Henry Alsbury, Thomas Hilliard, Thomas Foster, William Withrow, and others.

The first settlers of the township were from the south, Kentucky furnishing the greater num-

ber. The "Yankees" now inhabiting the town- ship came at a later day.

Joshua Brown was born May 20, 1792, in Davis county, Kentucky. Nancy Wilcher was born December, 1789, in the same county. They were there married, early in 1812, and in November, 1818, moved to St. Clair county, Illinois, and from there to what became Sanga- mon county, arriving April 18, 1819, in what is now Curran township, east of Archer's creek, and south of Spring creek, and later, entered one hundred and sixty acres of land south of Spring creek, in Gardner township.

Jacob Earnest was born April 24, 1799, in South Carolina, was married there to Elizabeth Sims, who was born April 26, 1798. She was a sister of James and William Sims, one of whom was older and the other younger than herself. They moved to that part of Simpson which later became Logan county, Kentucky. In 1817, the family moved to St. Clair county, Illinois, and they moved to what became Sangamon county, Illinois, arriving in the fall of 1819, on Spring creek, in what is now Curran township.

Thomas Earnest was born June 3, 1792, in South Carolina. His parents moved, when he was a boy, to Simpson county, Kentucky. In the autumn of 1819, he came to Sangamon county, and joined his brother Jacob, who had previously arrived with his family. Thomas Earnest commenced improvements south of Spring creek, eight miles west of Springfield, and entered land when it came into market. He was married October 15, 1822, to Alletta Lan- terman.

William Archer was born July 30, 1793, in North Carolina, and in 1807 his parents moved to Tennessee, where he was married to Eliza- beth Jackson; moved to Madison county, Illi-

103-

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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.

nois, where Mrs. A. died, and he married Eliza- beth Holt, December 20, 1818. She was born December 3, 1793, in Oglethorpe county, Georgia, and, losing her parents when quite young, she was taken by an uncle, Robert White, to Madi- son county, Illinois, in 1811. Wm. and Elizabeth Archer had twins in Madison county, and moved to Sangamon county, arriving April 30, 1820, in what is now Curran township.

William Archer died August 31, 1867, from the effects of being thrown from a horse, and his widow resides at the farm where they settled in 1820.

In the fall of 1873, Mrs. Elizabeth Archer, then eighty years of age, gave to the writer a piece of a dress made with her own hands more than sixty years before. The family of her uncle, with whom she moved from Georgia, to St. Clair county, Illinois, in 1811, brought some cotton in the bolls, for the purpose of using the seed in growing cotton in their new home. Miss Holt, as her name then was, obtained the consent of her uncle to apply the cotton to her own use. She picked it from the bolls and separated the cotton from the seed with her fingers, and spun it on a wheel, borrowed from a neighbor more than thirty miles distant. She had a rude loom constructed for the purpose, and had just com- menced weaving, when the first assassination among the white settlers, by the Indians took place, as the beginning there of the war with England. That occurred in June, 1812. She, with her uncle's family, fled to Fort Bradsby, a rude wooden fortification near by. Appealing to the Lieutenant in command for protection, he reported the case to Governor Edwards, who authorized him to grant her request. A guard was accordingly placed around the cabin, and kept there until the weaving was completed. The design was unique and beautiful. The cloth was carefully preserved, some of it bleached to snowy whiteness and made into a dress. She wore it for the first time to a quarterly meeting in 1818, just after the close of the war, and at- tracted universal attention as the finest dressed lady in all that region of country.

David Cloyd was born about 1766, in Bote- tourt county, Virginia. He was married there, moved to Culpeper county, and from there to Washington county, Kentucky, about 1815. He moved in company with his sons, Thomas and Samuel, and his daughter Polly-who married Henry Lucas-to Sangamon county, arriving October, 1825, in what is now Curran township. David Cloyd died about 1839, and his widow in 1844 or '5, both in Sangamon county.

Thomas Cloyd, son of David, was born Jan- cary 14, 1798, in Botetourt county, Virginia, and went with his parents to Washington county, Kentucky, in 1815. He was married there April 27, 1820, to Ann Withrow. They had three children in Kentucky, and in 1824 moved to Fayette county, Illinois, where they had one child, and from there to Sangamon county, ar- riving October, 1825, in what is now Curran township, north of Lick creek, where they had two children. Of their six children-Samuel Cloyd, brother to Thomas, was born November 20, 1802, in Culpeper county, Virginia. He was taken by his parents to Washington county in 1815, and to Sangamon county, in 1825. He was married May 1, 1832, in Sangamon county to Eliza Clements. They had but one child.

Stephen Shelton was born 1777, in North Carolina, married there to Lydia Heath, and at once moved to Ohio, near the mouth of Sciota river; the family moved across the Ohio river into Cabel county, West Virginia. He was a soldier from Virginia in the War of 1812, and from there moved to Sangamon county, Illinois, arriving in May, 1826, in what is now Curran township. He died in 1859.

William T. Brawner, was born August 9, 1799, in Maryland. His father died when he was seven years old, and his mother moved to Madi- son county, Kentucky, when he was eighteen years old. He was there married, December 25, 1822, to Elizabeth Ball; the family moved to Sangamon county Illinois, arriving in October, 1829, in what is now Curran township.

Ivins Foster, was born November 23, 1794, in Harrison county, Kentucky. Margaret McKee was born January 24, 1796, in the same county. They were there married, February 26, 1819; then moved to Gallatin county; they then moved to Sangamon county, Illinois, arriving in Novem- ber, 1829, in what is now Curran township, north of Lick creek.

EDUCATIONAL.

The early settlers, as a general thing, looked well tothe educational interests of their children. A settlement was no sooner founded with children enough to form a school, than a teacher was employed. The first schools attended by children from this township, were over the line in Chatham. A school house was erected on section thirty-two, just before the deep snow, which is supposed by the old settlers of to-day to be the first in the township.

RELIGIOUS.

The first religious services held in the town ship are unknown, but it is thought to have been

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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.

held by William Sims. The first generally remembered were conducted by Rev. Mr. Rice, in the summer of 1823, at the house of Thomas Smith. For many years all services were held either in the cabin of the pioneers or in the school houses. There are now three church edifices in the township-two Methodist Epis- copal and one Presbyterian.

A class was formed in the southeast part of the township, of those belonging to the Methodist Episcopal Church at an early day, which met at a school house in the neighborhood. Under the ministerial care of men who feared God and loved their fellow man, it grew until it became so large the school house was too small and in- convenient to hold the number who desired to attend the services. The project of building was discussed, and on its location the class split, forming two classes, one of whom proceed- ed at once to the work of the erection of a building on the northeast quarter of section thirty-three. The building known as Wesley Chapel was erected in 1866, at a cost of $2,600. Mount Zion Chapel was erected in 1868, at a cost of $3,000. Both edifices are neat frame buildings and are an honor to the citizens of the township.

WAR RECORD.

The war record of the township is good, every call of the Government being promptly re- sponded to, thus avoiding the necessity of the draft.

MILLS.

The first water-mill in the township was erected in 1842, by Abraham Foster, on Lick creek. It had one run of stone.

CHEESE FACTORY.

A cheese factory was started in the township in 1878, which is doing a fair business, and is the property of John Workman.

RAILROAD STATION.

The Railroad company has had a flag station, known as San station, on the northwest quarter of section thirteen. A large amount of grain is annually shipped from the station by the farm- ers of the neighborhood, for whose benefit the station was made.

FIRST THINGS.

The first frame and plastered house in the town- ship was built by Ebenezer Dove, on section twenty-six, in 1839. It was called the White House, on account of its being painted that color.

The first settlers were from the South. Thomas McKee started a blacksmith shop in 1821. Mr. McKee was also a gunsmith, and an excellent one. The repairing of guns was the principal part of his business.

VILLAGE OF CURRAN.

Thomas Moffett and A. J. VanDeren, had sur- veyed and platted the north part of the west half of the northeast quarter of section twenty- one, township fifteen north, range six west, the plat bearing date September 19, 1857. To the village thus platted was given the name "Cur- ran," in honor of one of the leading citizens of the county.

. Shortly after the village was laid out, a Mr. Fox commenced the sale of merchandise in the place, being the first to engage in the mercantile trade. Mr. Fox also received the appointment of postmaster, being the first to occupy that po- sition. He was succeeded as postmaster by James W. Gibson, Noah Richards, Mr. French, and O. S. Hotchkins, the present postmaster.

The village has made a slow growth, and has never numbered many inhabitants. Its near- ness to Springfield has tended to retard its growth. At present the business of the place is represented by the following: O. S. Hotchkins, dealer in drugs and groceries; Nicholas Powers, groceries; J. W. Hammond, drugs and perfum- ery; Joseph Dickerson, blacksmith; William Search, wagon maker; Nicholas Powers, dealer in grain.

An elevator was erected in 1877, by Patterson & Rickard, with a capacity of - bushels. Another was erected a year later by Isaac French.

ORGANIC.

The township was organized in 1861. The following comprise the principal township offi- cers from 1861 to 1881, inclusive:

SUPERVISORS.

James Parkinson. 1861-2

M S. Patteson ... 1863

James Parkinson 1864

M. S. Patteson 1865

Robert Perkins 1866

Daniel Taylor. 1867

William French. 1868

William H. Parkinson. 1869

R. L. Perkins. 1870

Thomas Smith. 1871

R. L. Perkins. 1872-3

Thomas Smith. 1874

Peter Vredenburg 1875

David Paulen .. 1876-7

B. F. Caldwell 1878

Joseph Dickerson 1879

G. M. Davis. 1880

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History of Sangamon 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 149

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, Inter-state publishing company Number of Pages: 1084

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Inter-state publishing company
Number of Pages: 1084