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 150

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 150

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).

A. Frey

1881

886

HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.

CLERKS.

M. S. Patterson 1861-2

James A. Poor. 1863-5

M. S. Patterson. 1866

Chas. A. Jackson 1867-8

J. E. Bradley 1869

C. A. Jackson 1870

John Bulger. 1871

J. H. Taylor. 1872-3

N. M. Rickard. 1874-5

N. Powers. 1876-8

J. C. French. 1879-80

Thos. G. Springall 1881

ASSESSORS.

A. R. Washburn. 1861-2

Peter Vredenburg. 1863

Daniel Taylor. 1864

Win. H. Parkinson. 1865

Wm. C. Caldwell. 1866

James A. Poor 1867

James Young. 1868

H. Gibson ... .1869-70-71

Chas. Beerup 1872

T. L. Bradley 1873

H. Gibson. 1874-5 James McCasland. 1876-7

R. M. Foster .1878

J. E. Barbee. 1879

G. W. Blewitt

1880-1

COLLECTORS.

Wm. C. Smith. 1861-3

Joseph Cloyd 1864

David Miller .. 1865-6

Wm. C. Cald well. 1867

H. Gibson .. .1868

C. A Jackson 1869-70

A. L Patteson

1871

T. M. Perkins.

1872

H. Gibson

1873

R. P. Smith. 1874

A. L. Patteson.

1876

J. S. Smith

1877

Ed. Patterson. 1878

A. Alson.

1879

R. M. Foster 1880

J. F. Smith. 1881

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.

R. C. Smith.

Daniel Taylor. 1861

James Parkenson. 1865

Wm. C. Smith.

A. C. Gaines. 1866

Jos. Dickerson. 1869

Daniel Taylor.

James McCasland.

.1871

David Paulen. . 1874

Jos. Dickerson.

1877

Jos. Dickerson. .

1881

M. S. Patterson.

COMMISSIONERS OF HIGHWAY.

George Trimble.

Wm. Frencli. 1861

Thos. Smith.

George Trimble 1862

J. C. Cloyd 1863

Wm. French. 1864

George Trimble. 1865

J. C. Cloyd 1866

Thos. Smith. 1867

M. S. Patterson.

1868

Peter Vredenburg.

1869

M. S. Patterson .. 1870-72

J. D. McMurray. 1875

P. Murray .1876

David Miller. 1877

J. B. Gardner 1878

P. Murray.

1879

David Miller 1880

J. P. Gardner. 1881

SCHOOL TRUSTEES.

A. A. Patterson .1874

S. L. Foster. 1875

B. F. Caldwell. 1876

R. L. Perkins. 1877

S. L. Foster.

1878

G. M. D. Davis.

1878-79

A. L. Patterson. 1880

R. L. Perkins. 1881

Reminiscenes of James Parkinson .- "I was born in Ohio, near Wheeling, W. Va., Dec. 22, 1805. My parents removed from there when I was an infant to Washington county, Pennsylva- nia, and remained there till I was ten or twelve years old, then moved into Green county and lived there several years, and while there my father made the first printing press that was ever used in that county, he also invented a machine for rifeling gun barrels, and put one up at Harper's Ferry for the United States Gov- ernment, which proved a great success for the government, and some government officials lied and swindled him out of it. That same machine is used in a manner in rifeling gun barrels to this day. That machine was put up in about from 1815 to 1820. My grandfather (Parkinson) was a British soldier in the Revolutionary War with England, and did not return to England at the close of the war. He married a woman of Irish descent who lived to be nearly ninety years old. What little education I got, I re- ceived in the common schools of Pennsylvania. I have worked for five and eight dollars per month. My parents raised twelve children to be men and women. From Green county, Penn- sylvania, we moved to what is now Marshal county, West Virginia, and the family remained there until my father died, August 11, 1848. Some time after that my mother removed to this State with one of her daughters, Mrs. Craig, near Oquawka, and died there October 24, 1853. In the fall of 1830, my elder brother and I started from home in Virginia for Illinois, on horseback, with a model of a mill that our father had invented, which would do the work

W. J. Hammond.

C. P. Vanderen. 1875

887

HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.

of a four foot stone with a two foot one. We carried that model behind us on our horses to Sangamon county, and stopped at David Mc- Coy's, (who had a mill, and lived about ten miles west of Springfield), and there started one of our mills and stayed there all winter, that was the winter of the deep snow. We went deer hunt- ing before the snow got over two feet deep one day, and caught two deer on our horses, but when the snow got to its greatest depth, there was no such thing as getting about on the prairies.

"We were happily situated to what most of the people were, for we had a mill and plenty to grind and eat, while a great many had to live on hominy. It was about the last of February before people could crop the prairies, for the snow. That winter we sold our interest in the mill business in Illinois, and went back to Vir- ginia in the spring of 1831, and remained there till the next fall, and then returned to Illinois, and stopped at the same place that I did at first. That fall the cold weather set in very early, and had frosts and freezing weather so soon that it spoiled all the corn from seed, so in the spring of 1832 we had to send south for seed corn, and pay $2 per bushel, and that did not grow well, so we had a very poor show for a crop that year, but made a light crop. In January, 1833, I went to Arkansas and stopped near Little Rock, and started a mill there, sold out, and came back to Illinois, making my home at David Mc- Coy's. I then began to think I was old enough to marry, and thought that the first girl I found, that I thought enough of and would have me, I would marry. I had formed an acquaintance with a Miss Mahala Earnest previously, and had become somewhat smitten with her, and the longer I knew her the better I liked her, and so on November 7, 1833, Mahala Earnest, who was born December 18, 1811, in Kentucky, and was the daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Sims) Earnest, and I, were married. We have raised three girls and two boys, viz: Mary Jane, born November 1, 1834, and married William Bald- win; Grizella Ann, born March 22, 1836, and married W. T. Bradford; Clarinda Adeline, born January 22, 1838, married Thomas B. Pete- fish; John, J., born January 23, 1840, married Au- gusta Patteson, and William H., born October 31, 1842, married Sarah Jane Bradford. Mr. Petefish and family live in Kansas. William H. and family live in Missouri. My son, John J., served three years in the war and was honorably discharged, and my son, William H., aided the cause by sending a substitute. I had the first

scouring plow ever used on Spring creek, in- vented and made by William Sprouse, of Rock creek. I became quite interested in the success of Mr. Sprouse and furnished the money to aid him in procuring the patent. I have served twelve years as justice of the peace, before this county adopted township organization, and was elected first and second supervisor of the town. I reside one mile from where we were married. Own two hundred and fifty acres of land, on the road leading from Springfield to Jacksonville, eight miles from Springfield, under a fair state of cultivation. My wife and I are supporters of the Methodist Church."

We have thought best to give as a part of the history of Curran township, a number of brief memoirs of the best known residents, together with many who have lived here in an earlier day and are now deceased.

Carroll Archer, farmer, was born in St. Clair county, September 30, 1819, and is the son of William and Elizabeth (Holt ) Archer. His father was a native of North Carolina, and born December 3, 1793, and his mother in Oglethorpe county, Georgia, in December 1791. They moved from Madison county, Illinois, in April, 1820, to Sangamon county, in what is now Cur- ran township, where they resided until their death. His father died August 31, 1867, from the effects of being thrown from a horse. His mother died in March 1878.

Carroll Archer came to the county when quite young, and his educational advantages were limited, which has been a great trial to him all through life. He was brought up on a farm and might be termed one of Sangamon county's early settlers. He remained with his father un- til he was married, November 24, 1842, to Deli- lah Renshaw, who was born in St. Clair county, Illinois, in 1822. They have three children, Martha T., now Mrs. Lorenzo Stillman, and re- sides in Curran township; Ann E., now Mrs. Ed- ward Robinson, and resides in Linden, Kansas; Sarah C., now Mrs. Henry Gaines, and resides near Odell, Illinois. His wife died May 31, 1865, and he again married September 4, 1866, Elizabeth Houton, who was born October 25, 1830, in Menard county. They have two chil- dren, Edwin, and Maria Belle. He owns one hundred and sixty acres of land, on which he resides. He cast his first vote for General Har- rison, in 1840, for President, and he is an ardent supporter of the Republican party.

William Barbre, farmer, Curran township, was born November 10, 1822; second son of Eli Barbre, who was born July 25, 1798, in Ken-

888

HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.

tucky. He was married about 1819, in Posey county, Indiana, to Nancy Wilkinson, a native of Kentucky, also. Mrs. Barbre died there, in 1828. Mr. Barbre moved to Edgar county, Illi- nois, and was married there January 17, 1829, to Anna Wilson. They moved to Sangamon county, Illinois, arriving in the fall of 1835, in what is now Island Grove township, where they con- tinued to reside on a farm until his death, which occurred at Waverly, Illinois, in the fall of 1846. His mother afterwards married William With- row, and died in the fall of 1871. The subject of this sketch was brought up on a farm and was deprived of the school privileges on account of having to help support the remainder of the family.

He came to this county with his parents, and was first married January 15, 1845, to Rebecca Smith, born October 21, 1828. She was the daughter of John and Jane (Drennan) Smith, who now reside in Curran township. They had two children-Nancy and Jane-the latter now Mrs. James McKee. He lost his wife October 18, 1847, and was again married, February 6, 1849, to Lucy M. Smith, sister to his first wife, who was born April 17, 1823. They had a family of nine children, six of whom are now living --- Mary A , Johnnie E., James W. Richard S., Samuel M., and Martha C .- three dead. Came to the township soon after marriage, and has con- tinued to reside in the same ever since. He en- listed in the late war, September, 1861, in com- pany B, Tenth Illinois Cavalry, for three years. He was wagon-master and veterinary surgeon, and underwent many trials ; was in several skirmishes in Missouri, and received a sunstroke at the battle of Pilot Knob, Missouri, in 1862, and was disabled on account of same. He was honorably discharged, in June, 1863. He is now the owner of four hundred and forty acres of land in Curran township ; is well improved, and worth $60 per acre. In politics, is a Demo- crat.

Caldwell .- The origin of the Caldwell family, now living in the town of Curran, can be traced back to the fourth generation removed. Thomas Caldwell, the great-grandfather, was born in Ire- land, but emigrated to America prior to the Rev- olutionary War. The name is Scotch, and it is quite probable there was a union of Scotch and Irish blood in the family. Thomas Caldwell married in Ireland, Betsy Harris, a Welsh lady, and the couple decided to remove to the New World, where they would have a better oppor- tunity of making for themselves and family, a home. They landed at Charleston, South Caro-

lina, where they remained a short time, and then moved to Virginia. Here they remained a few years, and here William Caldwell was born, De- cember 15, 1779. When the latter was but a youth, his parents removed to Jessamine county, Kentucky, where they subsequently died, at the house of their son, William. William Caldwell was a man of more than ordinary ability, and while living in Kentucky held several important public positions, being elected and serving as sheriff of Jessamine county, and representing the county several terms in the State legislature. William Caldwell was married in Jessamine county, Kentucky, to Nancy Robards, a native of Virginia. Six children were born unto them: George L., John, Jane R., Elizabeth, Charles H., and William, Jr., all of whom are now dead.

William Caldwell moved from Kentucky to Greene county, Illinois, in 1831, and to Sanga- mon county in 1836, locating in Auburn town- ship. Subsequently he moved to Curran town- ship, where he died, August 1, 1844, his widow surviving him something over fourteen years. When he moved to Curran township, there was near him no place for holding public worship. In order to afford temporary accommodations, he constructed his residence in such a manner that it could be used for that purpose. It consisted of a large central room, with three other large rooms opening into it. Plans were laid, before his death, for building a church, and on his death bed he requested that it be called Bethel, which was done. He was a man of great public spirit, and was Captain of a company from Jes- samine county, Kentucky, in the War of 1812. After his removal to Sangamon county he served one term in the legislature.

John Caldwell, the second son, was born Janu- ary 21, 1807, in Kentucky, and came to Carroll- ton, Illinois, in 1827. He was there married, January 23, 1834, to Mary J. Davis, likewise a native of Kentucky, who was born near Danville, in that State, January 16, 1815. Five children was the result of this union; William C., Jane, Betsy, Henry C., and Ben. F., three of whom are now dead-Jane, Betsy, and Henry C. John Caldwell and family came to Sangamon county in April 1853, and located on the farm purchased by his father some years previous, on section thirty-six, Curran township, one and a half miles from the village of Chatham, and eight miles from Springfield. This farm Mr. Caldwell further improved, and here died after a painful illness, August 1, 1863. His widow and youngest son, yet reside upon the farm. Mrs. Caldwell when a young lady took a journey that

889

HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.

few in this year, 1881, would care to take. She rode on horseback from Danville, Kentucky, to Tallahasse, Florida, returned the same way, and after a short stay, continued on to Carrollton, Illinois, a distance of about two thousand miles.

William C., first son of John and Mary J. Caldwell, was born in Greene county, Illinois, March 15, 1835, and came with his parents to Sangamon county, in 1853. He was raised on a farm, and attended the common schools of the county at intervals, obtaining the rudiments of an English education, and subsequently from Shurtleff College, Upper Alton, Illinois. He has been twice married, and now resides in Chatham township. No children came from either union.

Benjamin F., fifth child of John and Mary L. Caldwell, was born August 2, 1848, in Greene county, Illinois, and came with his parents to Sangamon county, Illinois, in 1853. In the common schools of the neighborhood in which he was raised and in the graded schools of Chat- ham, he laid the foundation of a thorough busi- ness education, which in later years has served him in good stead. On the 27th of May, 1873, Benjamin F. Caldwell, and Julia F., daughter of Matthew Cloyd, an old citizen of the county, were married, and immediately started upon a wedding trip which occupied several months and traveling a distance of fourteen thousand miles, going and returning. They first went to New York by way of Detroit and Suspension Bridge, where, on the 4th of June, they took steamer for Queenstown, Ireland, where they landed June 14. Passing through Ireland to Belfast; thence to Scotland; down through the center of England to London; from there through Holland, Bel- gium and the smaller German States to Berlin; thence to Vienna, where they took in the great World's Exposition; across the Alps to Italy, meeting with the unexpected pleasure of an audience with Pius the IX. Returning, they passed through Mount Cenis tunnel; thence by Geneva to Paris; from Paris back to London; thence to Liverpool, where they took steamer for Boston, arriving October 6, of the same year. Two children have been born unto Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell-Mary Jane, born March 20, 1874, and John Harvey, born September 9, 1877.

Mr. Caldwell, since arriving at man's estate, has been an active business man. Securing quite a competency from the estate of his father, by careful and judicious management he has added largely to his possessions. For some years after the death of his father, he personally managed the large farm, but since 1871 he has rented the land and turned his attention to other

business, principally the loaning of money, and dealing in western unimproved lands. He has bought and sold many hundreds of acres of land in Kansas and Missouri.

In January, 1878, he began the mercantile business in Chatham, and the same unvarying good fortune has attended him in this line of trade. In 1879, he set about the organization of a bank in the village of Chatham, for the ac- commodation of the villagers and neighboring farmers. On the election of its first officers he was elected president of the institution, and in 1881 was re-elected to the same position.

Politically, Mr. Caldwell is a Democrat, and has been an earnest worker in that party. He has served a term and a half as a member of the board of supervisors, and was selected by that body as its chairman, notwithstanding he was one of the youngest members on the board, and had no previous experience-an honor seldom conferred. In 1874, he was nominated as a reform candidate for the legislature, but was defeated.

Mr. Caldwell, on arriving at his majority, united with both the Masonic and Odd Fellow lodges of Chatham and Springfield, and has since been an active worker in these truly benevolent orders, having filled the chair of W. M., in the Masonic lodge, and N. G., in the Odd Fellows.

In 1876, Mr. Caldwell and mother erected upon their farm a dwelling honse, at a cost of $20,000. It is conceded to be the best farm house in the county, and is furnished with every modern convenience, being lighted with gas, the rooms all supplied with water and heated with steam. Few houses, even in the larger cities, are so well or conveniently constructed or elegantly furnished. Here with his family and mother he lives and enjoys life, and where he entertains in a royal manner friends as they call.

E. D. Canfield, broom manufacturer, was born in the Geneseo Valley, New York, April 17, 1837. Son of John and Mary Ann (Blair) Can- field. His parents moved to Ohio and thence to Cambridge City, Indiana, where he resided until his death. His mother afterwards moved to Minnesota where she resided previous to her death. The subject of this sketch received only a common education in the common schools of Indiana, and moved to Minnesota with his mother with whom he resided until twenty-two years of age. He then came to Illinois and en- listed in the Thirty-fifth Illinois Infantry, in August, 1861, and served three years and five months. After he received his discharge he

890

HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.

returned to Minnesota and followed farming. In 1866, he married Harriet Kelley, who was from Sangamon county, Illinois, and daughter of Jonathan and Sarah Kelley, who were residents of Sangamon county in 1873. He moved to this county where he resides, and carries on the business of growing broom corn, which consists of fifteen acres each year. His family consists of two children, Jonathan and Wellington. His first wife died in 1878, and he was a second time married to Elizabeth Rogers, who was born in Ohio. They own a small farm of twenty-five acres of land on which they reside. In politics he is Republican.

Charles W. Canfield, farmer, Curran town- ship, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Feb- ruary 22, 1826; son of Robert and Helen Can- field, who were natives of New Jersey. In 1815, they moved to New Orleans, where he engaged in the dry goods business, in which position he continued until his death. Both he and his mother are now dead. The latter died with cholera, while on a steamboat.

.Charles W. Canfield received a common school education, and worked in the store until the breaking out of the Mexican war. He volun- teered under General Taylor and served until the close of the war, after which he entered the New Orleans Custom House, which position he held three years, and then concluded to come to Illi- mois, and engage in farming. The people of New Orleans feeling that they were losing a faithful servant and companion, presented to him a silver pitcher in token of their respect toward him which he still holds as an emblem of gratitude to them. He was married in 1864, in Sangamon county, to Mary Ann Parker, who was born in New Orleans. Their family consists of twelve children, now living. He is now the owner of four hundred and fifty acres of land, on which he resides. Politically, he is a Democrat.

John C. Cloyd was born September 6, 1821, in Washington county, Kentucky. When he was four years old, came with his parents to reside in Vandalia, Illinois, and in the spring of 1826, removed to Sangamon county. He was employed on a farm, in Woodside township, about five years. At the expirat.on of that time, his father purchased a farm in Curran township, where he settled with his family. John C. remained with his father on the farm until his marriage with Miss America Clements, which event occurred in Sangamon county, March 25, 1841. They now have two child- ren, the eldest, Thomas, born June 2, 1844, and died May 7, 1848. Dicey Ann Cloyd was born

October 16, 1846, and married James H. Jones, and now resides in Henry county, Illinois. Mrs. America Cloyd died, and J. C. Cloyd was mar- ried, September, 1848, to Sophia L. Lanterman. They have eight children, viz : Charles, mar- ried to Elizabeth J. Brauham ; they have one child-Eliza M .- and are residents of Curran township ; Eleanor, was married to Ashbury M. Branham. They have three children-William C., Cord F. and a daughter, and live in Curran township. Nancy J., Cordelia, Wallace R., Gor- don, Amanda M. and John C., Jr., Jive with their parents, three miles southeast of Curran. In politics he is a Democrat, and a member of the Baptist Church. His wife is a Methodist.

John Davis, farmer, post office, Curran.

Joseph Dickerson, blacksmith and justice of the peace, Curran, was born in Madison county, Ohio, April 30, 1838, son of Wells and Cina (Bessett) Dickerson. His father, was a native of Delaware, and mother of German descent, both of whom are now dead. Joseph Dicker- son was educated in the common schools, and raised on a farm, until seventeen years of age. He then commenced to learn his trade in the town of Newtonsville, Muskingum county, Ohio, and served three years under G. J. Keyes, for whom he continued to work for one year. He then started for a new field of labor, and lo- cated, first at Keokuk, Iowa, where he continued to work at his trade six months, and from there to Carthage, Illinois, where he remained six months, and from there to Springfield in search of a better location. Failing to find employ- ment there, he took the train for Indianapolis, then Richmond, Indiana, thence to Newark, Ohio, and from there to Hanover, Ohio, where he spent the winter of 1858. From there he made several trips to New Orleans, by steam- boat, after which he again returned to Sanga- mon county, Illinois, in January, 1860, where he engaged as a hand on a farm during the sum- mer, and in the winter worked at his trade for Elias Babcock, and in August, 1861, he came to the village of Curran, and commenced his trade, which he has continued, building up a large business. He first married in November, 1861, Jennette Sims, who was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, in 1839, and the daughter of Jef- ferson and Julia (Babcock) Sims. By this mar- riage they had six children. Only two are living, Lewis G. and Walter B. He lost his wife in 1872, and in 1873, married Alice Sims, a sister of his first wife, who was also born in the same county and State, in 1847. She died in 1877, and in 1878 he was again married to Clara A.

Bin. J. Caldwell.

893

HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.

Ralston (Conkling,) who was born in 1849, in Butler county, Ohio, and was the daughter of John and Mary Burch. They have two children, Charles and John Leroy. He was elected to the office of Justice of the Peace in the spring of 1869, which office he has continued to hold since, and also school treasurer in the spring of 1875, which he still holds, and served the township as supervisor in 1879. He is the owner of eighty acres of good land, beside town property in Curran. In politics he is Republican.

S. W. Dunn, farmer, was born in Harrison county, Kentucky, December 10, 1821; son of Elijah and Sarah (Foster) Dunn, who were natives of Virginia and Kentucky, respectively. His father's occupation was that of a farmer, which he continued up to his death, in Kentucky, His mother died in Illinois, while on a visit to her son. The subject of this sketch received only a common school education in the schools of Kentucky, and was raised on a farm and re- mained with his father until twenty-one years of age. He then came in 1845 to Sangamon county, and engaged in farming. He was married in April, 1848, to Mary Jane Foster, who was born in Harrison county, Kentucky, December 8, 1821, and the daughter of Evans and Margaret (McKee) Foster, who also was born in Kentucky, and came to Sangamon county in the fall of 1829, and located in what is now Curran town- ship, where he resided until their death. After their marriage they at once began to farm in Curran township. His family consisted of seven children, only one of whom is now living- Narcissa, who was born October 11, 1860-the other six died in infancy. He has accumulated since coming to the county, four hundred and fifty acres of land in Curran township, and eight hundred in Christian county. They are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. D. is a Republican.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

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 150

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