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 157

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 157

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).

W. N. Streeter, grain dealer, was born in Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, November 1, 1836, son of William and Diana (Wilcox) Streeter, who were natives of Massachusetts. His father was a farmer by occupation; he came to Pike county, Illinois, where he resided until his death, which occurred in the fall of 1838, while he was on his way to the Mississippi river, where he anticipated engaging in the milling business. His mother, in a few months after, moved back to Exeter, Scott county, Illinois, where she resided for many years. She became deranged, and after fruitless attempts on the part of physicians to cure her, she was pronounced hopelessly insane, and sent to the Jacksonville Asylum, where she spent four years, but was re- moved by her son, and is now in the County Poor Ilouse for safe keeping. W. H. Streeter received his education in the common schools, attending school three months during the winter. He worked for Win. Lowry, in whose charge he was placed by his mother, and with whom he remained until he was eighteen years of age. He then engaged in carpentering, in company with his brother, one year; then worked as a

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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.

farm laborer until 1861. He was married March 4, 1858, to Mary Jane Hobson, who was born October, 1833, in Scott county, Illinois. Of a family of eight children six are living, viz: Wil- liam O., Richard A., John H., Mary Ada, Chas. E. and Henry; George and Louis, deceased. In 1860, he moved to Sangamon county, and en- gaged in farming. In 1861, he enlisted in the One Hundred and Sixteenth Illinois Infantry, Company E, and served two years. He was ap- pointed Fourth Sergeant, then promoted to First Sergeant, in which capacity he acted until he was commissioned First Lieutenant. He held that position until he resigned on account of sickness contracted on the Mississippi river, near Vicksburg, while cutting the canal under the supervision of General Grant. He was dis- charged May, 1863. He again returned to San- gamon county and engaged in farming, in con- nection with the grain business, which he has followed since. He ships from 150,000 to 160,- 000 bushels of grain each year, and has an ele- vator with a capacity for handling 600,000 bush- els. He has held many offices of trust in the township, and is a member of the Christian Church.

John W. G. Turpin, post office, Illiopolis, son of Robinson and Rachel Turpin. Father born in Bourbon county, Kentucky, April, 1805; mother born in Owen county, Kentucky, 1807. They were married in Kentucky about 1827, and had three children born there. About 1834, moved to Hendricks county, Indiana, bought land and commenced farming. The names of their children are: Melinda E., John W. G., born March 13, 1830; Anderson, Henry, Harvey, Harrison, Doctor, Martha, Jacob. Harrison died January, 1865; mother died July 31, 1880; father died August 31, 1880.

The subject of this sketch was the second child, and was married in Hendricks county,

Indiana, February 24, 1854, to Miss Elizabeth B. Swain, daughter of John and Matilda Swain. Her father was born in Fleming county, Ken- tucky, April, 1812; her mother born in Mont- gomery county, Kentucky, April, 1810. Mrs. Turpin was born in Hendricks county, Septem- ber 17, 1834. Commenced farming in Indiana, and remained there until 1865, when they came to Sangamon county, Illinois, and purchased the place where they now live. They have seven children, to-wit: John R., born August 16, 1855; James H., born May 20, 1857; Ann E., born December 11, 1859; William M., born April 29, 1861; Bennett N., born July 25, 1864; Lucella W., born Jan. 21, 1869; Tillman A. H., born July 21, 1871.

Owns three hundred acres of land, secured by the industry of himself and family, valued at $50 per acre; farms mixed crops, raises cattle and hogs for market purposes. Subscription schools were the only advantages of education for himself and wife.

Henry Wilcox, born November 10, 1815, in Schoharie county, New York, in the town of Scobelkill. His father, Nathan Wilcox, born in Middlesex county, Connecticut, in the town of Guilford, 1778, and died 1852, in Lee county, Illinois. Henry Wilcox emigrated to Illinois in 1851, and settled in Lee county, and removed to Sangamon county in 1857. Married Febru- ary 7, 1841, to Miss Artemissee Luce, to whom were born ten children, of whom six are living, viz: Elizabeth, married to P. P. Lucas, of Illiopolis, Illinois; Lucy, married to John Pontzious; Sylvester, married and living in Texas; Henry and Aaron. Olive married to John Underwood, and living in Minnesota. Mr. Wil- cox owns a good farm of one hundred and twelve acres. His son, Sylvester, formerly in the railroad business in Chicago, is now in the railroad business in Texas.

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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.

CHAPTER XL.

TOWNSHIP OF ISLAND GROVE.

Island Grove is one of the western tier of townships, and is bounded on the east by Curran township, on the west by Morgan county, on the north by Cartwright, and on the south by New Berlin. It has twenty-seven square miles of land in the township. It is mostly prairie and quite level. Island grove, which gives the name to the township, is an irregular shaped grove, about eight miles long, and averaging one mile in width, extending along one branch of Spring creek in the northwestern part of the town- ship. There is also some timber along Skillet fork of Spring creek, in the eastern part, other- wise it is all prairie.

EARLY SETTLERS.

John Roberts, from Tennessee, first settled here in 1818, at the foot of the grove, in the northeastern part. He was followed, about a year afterwards, by his son, Jerry Roberts, and by David Troxell, Fred. Troxell, Thomas Evans, Andrew Scott, William Hart and Josiah Hedges. At this time there were two Indian villages in the township-one on Skillet fork, and the other at the head of the grove, near the west line. There were about three hundred Indians in each village. They were of the Pottowata- mie and Delaware tribes, but were peaceable, and soon moved west. Among other early settlers may be mentioned the names of McCoy, Douglass, Rhea, Foutch, Smith, Brown, Hursley, Gibson, Yates, Ellis, Campbell, Harmon, Weger, Wyckoff, and others, whose descendants and relatives now form a large proportion of the present inhabitants. The first whites here were mostly of a wandering character, and soon moved away. Those mentioned came a few years later and made permanent homes here.

Simon Hensley was born February 26, 1785, in Washington county, Virginia. He was mar-

ried February 2, 1820, near Dayton, Montgomery county, Ohio, to Mary Arnold, who was born August 24, 1792, in Ohio. They moved to San- gamon county, Illinois, arriving in the fall of 1823, in what is now Island Grove township, north of Spring creek.

Josiah Hedges was born about 1788, in Mary- land, and was taken to Virginia, and from there to Grayson county, Kentucky, when he was abont twelve years old. Anna Brown was born December 25, 1798, in Davis county, Kentucky. Josiah Hedges and Anna Brown were there married, and made Grayson county their home until they moved to Sangamon county, Illinois, arriving in the fall of 1826, at tle north side of Island Grove, two and a half miles northwest of the present town of Berlin.

Mr. Hedges moved from Kentucky with an ox team. One of his oxen was trained to work in shafts. He made a light wagon, all of wood, and with that ox did all his marketing after coming to the county. When he came, he brought money to enter forty acres of land. By industry aud economy, he became the owner of nine hundred acres of the richest land in the county. He died in 1872.

Henry Ellis, was born November 17, 1786, near Lexington, Kentucky. His father, John Ellis, was born January 29, 1749, and married October 2, 1770, to Sarah Parrish, who was born April 20, 1757. They moved from Virginia to Ken- tucky. The family is of Welch extraction. The father of John Ellis is said to have been with the second supply of emigrants from England to America. Martha Marshall Yates was born (after the death of her father) in Woodford county, Kentucky, September 13, 1791, and was a sister of Henry Yates, Sr. Henry Ellis and Martha Yates were married January 29, 1807, in Warsaw Kentucky, and had ten children, two of whom

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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY

died in infancy. The family moved to San- gamon county, Illinois, arriving in September, 1825, in Island Grove, two miles northeast of Berlin.

John Foutch was born May, 1776, in Loudon county, Virginia. Three brothers by the name of Foutch came from France and settled in Loudon county, Virginia, before the American Revolution. Two of them were soldiers in that war, and one of them was Abraham, the father of John, whose name heads this sketch. John Foutch went to Fayette county, Kentucky, when he was a young man, and was there married, in 1796, to Nancy A. Wherrett, who was born March 8, 1778, in St. Mary's county, Maryland. They lived in Fayette county, near Lexington, and the family moved to Dearborn county, near Harrison, Indiana; they then moved to Franklin county, thence to Sangamon county, Illinois, arriving in the fall of 1825, at the south side of Richland creek, east of where Pleasant Plains now stands, and in the spring of 1826, moved to Island Grove, Sangamon county.

James Rhea, was born in 1780, in Greenbrier county, Virginia, and when a young man, went to Barren county, Kentucky, where he was mar- ried November 20, 1801, to Rachel Joliff, who was born October 16, 1783. They had ten chil- dren in Kentucky, and the family moved to Jef- ferson county, Illinois, where one child was born, and moved to Sangamon county, arriving in 1827, in what is now Island Grove town- ship.

James Rhea died February 12, 1843, and his widow died October 28, 1851, both in Sangamon county. He was a soldier in the War of 1812, from Kentucky, under General Harrison; was on Lake Erie, and saw the British vessels brought in after Perry's victory.

Mrs. Catharine Harmon, whose maiden name was Sears, was born about 1775, in North Caro- lina. She was married to George W. Harmon and had three children in North Carolina; and then they moved to Simpson county, Ken- tucky. Mr. Harmon died there about 1825. Mrs. Harmon, with eight of her children, moved to Sangamon county, Illinois, arriving in the fall of 1827, in Island Grove.

David McGinnis, was born in 1798, in Mercer county, Kentucky. He was married December 24, 1820, in Boone county, to Eliza Gibson, a native of that county. Mr. McGinnis visited Sangamon county in the fall of 1826, selected a location for a home, returned to Kentucky, and brought his family, accompanied by his brother, G. Dawson, arriving November 18, 1827, in

what is now Island Grove township. David and William McGinnis were the inventors of a de- vice for guiding prairie plows by wheels and a lever. They put it in operation in the summer of 1829. It was adopted throughout the prairie country, and might have made them a large amount of money, but it was never patented.

Henry Yates was born October 29, 1786, in Caroline county, Virginia. Dr. Michael Yates, a native of England, emigrated to America before the Revolution, and settled in Caroline county, Virginia. He there married Martha Marshall, a sister of John Marshall, afterwards Chief Justice of the United States. Their son, Abner, born in Caroline county, married Mollie Hawes, daughter of Thomas Hawes and Elizabeth Fisher, his wife. They had two children, Henry, whose name heads this sketch, and Martha, who married Henry Ellis. Henry Yates was taken by his parents, in 1788, from Caroline county, Virginia, to Fayette county, Kentucky, where his father died. The family moved to Woodford, thence to Scott, and from there to Gallatin county, in the same State, in 1804. Henry Yates, Henry Ellis, and Colonel Robert Johnson laid out a town on the Ohio river, and Colonel Johnson named it Fredericksburg, in honor of his native city of that name in Virginia. It was at a later period changed to Warsaw, and is the county seat of Gallatin county. Henry Yates returned to Caroline county, Virginia, and was there mar- ried, July 11, 1809, to his cousin, Millicent Yates, who was born May 15, 1791. They went to Gallatin county, Kentucky; Mrs. Millicent Yates died April 19, 1830. Henry Yates married Mary A. Shuff, and moved to Sangamon county, Illi- nois, arriving in May, 1831, at Springfield. In November, 1832, they moved to Island Grove, where Berlin now stands. Mrs. Mary A. Yates died May 11, 1835. Henry Yates was married September 28, 1835, to Elizabeth McMillan.

Joel Maxcy was born about 1759, in Rocking- ham county, Virginia. He was a soldier in a Virginia regiment in time of the Revolution, and was in the battle of Guilford Court House. He remembered having seen Generals Marion, Morgan, DeKalb, and Gates. He was married after the war, in Prince Edward county, to Mrs. Susan Hill, whose maiden name was Davis. She had five children by her first marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Maxcy had three children in Virginia, and in 1798 moved to Warren county, near Bowling Green, Kentucky, where one child was born. Mrs. Susan Maxcy died there August 27, 1812. Of her four children, one only ever came to San- gamon county.

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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.

Mr. Maxcy was again married to Mrs. Betsy A. Howard, whose maiden name was Brown. They came to Sangamon county in 1827, and settled in Island Grove, where Mr. Maxcy died December 27, of the same year.

Jesse Roberts was from Tennessee, and came about 1822, but soon afterwards moved to Han- cock county, Illinois.

Mr. Glenn was from Kentucky. He eame in 1823; subsequently moved to DeWitt county, Illinois.

Thomas Evans was from Kentucky, and came in 1823 Now deceased.

E. Jones, also from Kentucky, came in 1824; subsequently moved to Henderson county, Illi- nois .?

Willis Bledsoe, from Kentucky, came in 1825; returned to his native State.

John Underwood, from Tennessee. Now de- ceased.

The following named were each here previous to the deep snow, but the date of their arrival is unknown.

Ludlow Maxwell, from Ohio; subsequently moved to Oregon.

Elias Maxwell, also from Ohio; now deceased; was a member of the Christian Church.

William Tilford, from Kentucky; moved to Iowa.

Abram Foutch, from Kentucky; a Baptist; moved to Iowa.

Thomas Moore, from Kentucky. Now de- ceased.

M. Publer, from Kentucky; a German Bap- tist, or Dunkard; moved to Iowa.

G. May, from Kentucky; a Baptist.

A. Scott, from Tennessee; a minister of the Christian Church; now deceased.

James Cordell, from Tennessee; a German Baptist; moved to Oregon.

William Fleharty, from Tennessee; a Metho- dist.

Absalom Hadmone, from Kentucky; a German Baptist; moved to Iowa.

H. M. Hadmone, from Kentucky; a Christian; now deceased.

FIRST EVENTS.

The first couple married were Nelson Roberts and Miss Tabor, at the house of Rev. Andrew Scott, the first and, for many years, the only ress ident minister in the township.

The first death was William Hart, Jr., who died in 1822, aged twenty-one years.

The first store was at the head of the grove in 1830, by Pruett & Co.

The first births were probably the twin chil- dren of Jerry Roberts, born in 1822.

The first mill was a horse mill by John Roberts in 1821.

RELIGIOUS.

The first services held in this township by a regular minister of any of the religious denomi- nations are unknown. As early as 1825, the Methodists had appointments in the settlements of the present township, and Andrew Scott, a minister of the Christian Church was here prior to the deep snow. The religious welfare of the people of the township was never neglected by any of the religious teachers, and the township has ever been noted for the quiet and orderly habits of the people. There are now six churches in the township, three in the village and three in the country-one on section eleven, township fifteen, range eight west, and another on section eleven, township fifteen, range seven west, the third on section one, township fifteen, range seven west.

SCHOOLS.

Abner Ellis taught the first school in the town- ship in 1826. Since that day the improvement made in the means of obtaining an education has been great indeed. There are now six good school houses in the township outside of the village of Berlin, and school is held in each dis- trict an average of eight months in the year.

ORGANIC.]

Island Grove was organized in 1861, by the Board of Justices and then contained all its present territory and that of New Berlin town- ship. The first election was held in April, 1861.

VILLAGE OF BERLIN.

The village of Berlin is located on the State road, from Springfield to Jacksonville, and was laid out and platted by Henry and Thomas Yates, on "part of the east half of the northwest quarter of section seventeen, township fifteen, range seven west," the plat being recorded De- cember 12, 1836.

In 1832, Henry Yates opened a stock of goods in a log cabin erected as a dwelling house, and situated where the village was afterwards located. Around this store a settlement was effected, other business was started, and the village of Berlin had an actual existence. The store of Mr. Yates' continued in existence, and operated by himself and son Thomas, until 1857.

A post office was established at the lower end of the grove, two and a half miles east of the present village, in 1828, and Henry Ellis was ap-

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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.

pointed postmaster, and discharged the duties of the office. The office was continued at this point until the village was laid out, under the name of Island Grove post office. When it was changed to the village, its name was changed to Berlin. Mr. Ellis was succeeded by William Underwood. Since his term the following named have held the office: S. Wood, H. M. Havenon, S. Wood (second time), A. Yates, O. H. Rush, R. Ballay, G. W. Havenon, T. Kerlin, T. Pollock, P. Price, James Ward, W. Whele- hand, Scott Price, and W. B. Price; the last named being the present postmaster.

Charles Parker started the first blacksmith shop in the village, in 1836.

The first wagon shop was not put in operation until 1860. Thomas Elliott was the pioneer in this branch of trade.

The religious and moral condition of the place is represented by four churches-Baptist, Metho- dist Episcopal, Christian, and United Presby- terian, each of whom have houses of worship. The Baptist Church was built in 1865, at a cost of $6,000. It is forty by sixty feet. The Metho- dist Church, built in 1861, at a cost of $4,000; the Presbyterian, in 1857, at a cost of $2,000; and the Christian, the same year, at a cost of $2,500.

Jacob Ade, farmer, Berlin, Island Grove town- ship, was born in Kingdom of Werttenberg, Germany, on the 31st day of December, 1817. He came to the United States in 1853, coming by steam, being seventeen days on the water; landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he remained four weeks, then went to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he worked on a farm, and through the winter he worked at his trade as baker, re- maining there one. and one-half years. From there he came to Island Grove township, where he worked on a farm by the month for three years, then bought property in town and started a bakery, which he followed up to 1864, when he embarked in the grocery business, which he followed up to 1870, when he purchased a farm of fifty-six acres, all of which is under a high state of cultivation, and valued at $65 per acre. Mr. Ade married Elizabeth Scholl, in Island Grove, December, 1857, born also in Germany. They had three children, two are living, viz: Frederick, who is in partnership with his father in a store of groceries and general merchandise at Berlin; they carry a stock of $2,000, and Charles, who resides on the farm with his father. Jacob Ade and wife are both members of the German Lutheran Church at Berlin. In politics, he is a Republican.

Charles F. Davis, harness maker, Island Grove township, post office, Berlin, was born in Scott county, Illinois, on the fifth day of Feb- ruary, 1840; son of Jerome and Sarah (Curry) Davis, who were natives of Kentucky, where they were married and where three children were born, Susie, Napoleon and James. He emigrated to Illinois, in 1834, and located in Naples, Scott county, Illinois, where he followed the occupation of pork dealer, until his death, which occurred in the fall of 1840; his mother dying the same year. Charles F., when twelve years of age, commenced to learn the trade of a saddler. In 1875, married Miss Annie Carson, who was born in Sangamon county, 1846. The fruits of this marriage was two children, one of which is living, Maud. Mrs. Annie Davis died October, 1877. For his second wife married Edna Pease, in 1879. She was born in Sanga- mon county, July 1860. Mr. Davis has held several local offices of trust; is a member of the Baptist Church.

William J. Douglass, farmer and stock raiser, post office, Berlin, was born in Island Grove township, on the 12th day of March, 1841; son of Milton and Sarah A. Casselberry. His father emigrated to Sangamon county in the fall of 1833, coming through with an ox team. Previous to his coming to the county, he had worked on a farm for $8 per month, on the place where Mr. Douglass now lives; afterwards purchased the same place, came poor, and by good management has accumulated a fine property of five hundred and twenty acres of land. Mr. Douglass was married three times; by his first wife there was four children, three of whom lived to be adults, Mary, William J. and'Christiana. Mrs. D. died about 1843; for his second wife, he married Lonisa M. Underwood, by which there was one child, who died in infancy. She died, and he afterwards married Miss Francis M. Rude, by whom he had seven children, five of whom are living, Sarah A., Caroline, Margaret, Ellen, and Stephen A. In politics, is a Democrat, and a member of the M. E. Church, and one of the original members of Simms Chapel. He came in limited circumstances, in company with two others, and the amount of their ca-h was twenty- five cents, all told. The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm; in 1865, he married Miss Adeline Rawlings, of Ohio; she was born in Lawrence county, Illinois, January 3, 1841. The fruits of this marriage were eight children, seven of whom are living, viz: William H., Milton, Fannie M., George, Eddie, and Harvey, and a babe.

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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.

He has one hundred and ten acres of land, all of which is under a high state of cultivation, valued at $60 per acre. Mr. D. has been a resi- dent of the county all his life, and has lived to see its various changes.

John F. Elliott, was born in Upper San- dusky, Ohio, on the 14th day of April, 1823, son of Charles and Phæbe (Leach) Elliott, father of Irish descent, and mother a native of Vir- ginia. They were married about 1821, in Penn- sylvania, and immediately left for Urbana, Ohio, where he was engaged in the missionary cause among the Wyandotte Indians. From thence went to Uniontown, Pennsylvania, where he held a professorship in a college, where he resided a few years. He died in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, in 1870. His mother is still living at Mt. Pleasant at the age of eighty-two. John F., when twenty-five, years of age, left his home in Cincinnati, and came to Sangamon county, and located in what is now Cartwright township, where he embarked in farming, on what was known as the "Lone Trees," where he remained three years, when he sold out, and bought his present place.

Mr. Elliott is one of the large and extensive farmers of Sangamon county, owning five hun- dred and twenty acres of land, all of which is under a high state of cultivation, and valued at $65 per acre. In politics, is a Republican, and has served the people as magistrate for a number of years, and also held the office of supervisor. In 1843, he married Miss Jane Yates, a daughter of Henry Yates, of this township. She was born in Warsaw, Kentucky, in 1825. The fruits of this marriage were five children, four of whom are living: Phæbe, Charles Y., Henry, and John F., Jr.

Bryant Fay, Berlin, Island Grove township, was born in Springfield, Illinois, April 25, 1848. When about three years of age, his father died. He lived in Springfield with bis mother attend- ing the ward schools until twelve years of age, when he struck out for himself. He first worked for John Keltch, in Champaign county. He then returned to Berlin a short time, when he went to Lincoln, Morgan county, Illinois, and worked on a farm for Dr. Joe Sims, and for the Chicago & Alton Railroad some two and a half years, when he came to Island Grove township. He married Nannie Skeen February 17, 1869. She was a daughter of James and Lidia A. (Mooie) Skeen, natives of Pennsylvania. Mr. Fay is a member of the Christian Church, and Mis. F. of the Baptist. They have three chil- dren, viz: Elizabeth E., Lidia II., and Ann Eliza Fay.

John Fay, father of Bryant, was born in Ireland, and came to America when a young man. He enlisted in the Mexican War, where he remained until its close. He died in 1851. His wife, Eliza (Doty) Fay, is a native of Indiana. She and her husband had two chil- dren, Bryant and Mary E. Fay, now Mrs. Lercher, who reside at Dawson. Ile and the mother still resides in Berlin. Bryant Fay has held several local offices of trust in the town- ship; was town clerk two terms and was elected supervisor of this township April, 1880, and re- elected in 1881. In politics, he is a Democrat, and cast his first vote for Seymour, for President of the United States.

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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 157

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