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 176
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Hle and his wife are both members of the Bap- tist Church, in which denomination they have the best religious standing.
The Spires family is an old one in the history of the country. William Spires, Mr. Spires's
grandfather, was a lad in the Revolutionary War. He was also an old settler in Kentucky, where he died, and where he raised quite a family of children, viz: John, Polly, Nancy, William, Catharine, James and Bailey, are the names now remembered.
John, Mr. Spires's father, yet living, is one of the old settlers of Morgan county. He came into this county, in the year (1832) after the deep snow; he yet occupies the old home place on the north fork of Apple creek. He raised the fol- lowing children: William T., Mrs. Phebe (Allen) Conley, deceased; Mrs. Polly (Joseph) Lombard, Mrs. Sarah P., present wife of Allen Conley; John R., James B., Mrs. Anna W. (Edward) Seymour, Henry M., Harvey, and Miss Mary E. Of these, William T., James B., Anna, Harvey, and Mary, reside in Morgan, and John R. and Sarah in Sangamon county. The others are dead.
Henry S. Stone was born in Rutherford county, Tenn., February 20, 1820; lived there until eight or nine years of age, when he came with his father to Illinois, and settled in Greene county, upon a farm near Carrollton; lived there until the fall of 1855, when he moved upon a farm in Macoupin county; remained there some five years, then bought a farm of two hundred and fifty acres in this township, where he still lives. He is a son of Thomas Stone, who was born in Virginia. He was in the War of 1812, under Jackson. His wife, Cassie (Owen) Stone, was born in North Carolina, and was a member of the Baptist Church. She has had twelve chil- dren. Henry S. was married to Miss Mary Hall in 1855. She is the mother of nine children, seven boys and two girls. Mrs. Stone was born in Greene county, Illinois, May 19, 1834, a daughter of Thomas Hall, who was born in North Carolina. He was a member of the Bap- tist Church; was in the War of 1812, and died March 19, 1855. His wife, Mary (McVeigh) Hall, was born in Tennessee; was a member of the Baptist Church and the mother of seven children. She still lives at Virden, Illinois. Mr. Henry Stone is a member of the Baptist Church, and in politics is a Democrat. He holds the offices of school director and commis- sioner of highways. In the spring of 1852, he went overland to California, with a party who were three months on the road; was there three years.
Walter Taylor was born near Whitehall, Illinois, January 4, 1836. In 1863, came to this county and bought a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Talkington township, which he sold, and in 1870 he bought a farm of two
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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.
hundred and forty acres, in section thirty-three, where he now lives. He was married to Susan Thompson December 14, 1858. She was a daughter of Thomas and Eveline (Bowers) Thompson, who were members of the Baptist Church, and had thirteen children; she died October 23, 1862. Mr. Taylor was then married August 27, 1863, to Rebecca J. Brickey, daughter of William and Elizabeth (Rawls) Brickey, natives of Virginia. James R. Taylor, father of Walter, was born in Anderson county, Ten- nessee, in 1810. He was a member of the Christian Church, and died June 2, 1880. He was married twice. His first wife, Tabitha Akers, was born in Tennessee, and died in 1847. He was then married to his second wife in 1857. She was the mother of four children; two girls and one boy are now living. She died January 1, 1877. Mr. Taylor and wife have two daughters. He has his farm of two hundred and forty acres under good cultivation.
Benjamin F. Workman was born near Quincy: Illinois, May, 1841. His father dying four years after, he went to his uncle in Quincy, and at- tended school there until he was twelve years old, when his mother married John Irwin, and moved on a farm near Jerseyville, Illinois. He lived there with his mother until December, 1869, when he bought a farm in Talkington township, section one, where he now resides. He is a son of Henry L. Workman, who was born in North Carolina; he was a farmer by occupa- tion, and in politics a Whig; was a member of the M. E. Church; he died July 25, 1845; his wife, Nancy Brown, was born in Jersey county, Illinois, near Jerseyville; she is living at Rock Bridge, Greene county.
Mr. B. F. Workman was married to Miss Alice Landon, November 20, 1862; she is the daughter of William D. Landon, born in Addi- son county, Vermont; he was a farmer, and in
politics a Republican; he died in February, 1852; his wife, Elvira Cory, was born in Vermont, and had twelve children-six boys and six girls-she is still living, near Jerseyville, Illinois.
Mr. and Mrs. Workman have had six children, four of whom are living, one boy and three girls. He has held the office of road commis- sioner and assessor; in politics he is a Demo- crat; he is a member of the Second Advent Church, at Auburn, Illinois.
William B. Worth was born in Adair county, Kentucky, August 4, 1825, near Columbia, on a farm; father moved with him to Morgan county, near Jacksonville, Illinois, in the fall of 1829. He remained on the farm with his father until twenty-one years old, then worked for Peter Updike two years; was then married to Sarah Baldwin, and they had ten children, five of whom are living-three sons and two daughters. After his marriage he rented a farm of Captain Brown, in Sangamon county, near Old Berlin, lived there one year, then moved back on his father's farm one year, then rented a farm in Macoupin county one year. He then entered a farm of eighty acres, in Sangamon county, this township; lived there some twenty years; sold out and bought a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, in section thirty-three, where he still lives.
His father was John D. Worth, born in Bote- tourt county, Virginia, and was in the Black Hawk war, and justice of the peace eighteen years in Morgan county. He died in 1854, in that county. His wife, Elizabeth (Hopkins) Worth, was born in Virginia. Mr. Worth has been road commissioner seven years. His wife was born in Virginia, September 16, 1825, and was the daugh- ter of Thomas Baldwin, born in North Carolina, March 12, 1796, and died November 26, 1879. His wife, Nancy (Brizentine) Worth, was born in Virginia and died February 13, 1881.
.
HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.
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CHAPTER XLIX.
TOWNSHIP OF WHEATFIELD.
The township of Wheatfield was set off from Illiopolis in 1875, and its history is therefore identified with it from the beginning, almost to the present time. The township of Illiopolis being so large, about seventy-two square miles, it was thought best for the convenience of all concerned, that it should be divided, and accord- ingly three and one-half tiers of sections on the west was set off and given the name, Wheat- field. The township embraces about thirty- seven sections.
TOPOGRAPHICAL.
The whole of the township, save a small part on the south, adjoining the Sangamon river, is a beautiful undulating prairie. The soil is a heavy, black loam, and is unsurpassed by any in the State. The productions of Wheatfield rank among the highest of the townships of the county.
EARLY SETTLERS.
Wheatfield was among the last townships in the county to be settled, for the reason so little timber was to be had. The first settlers located along the edge of the timber, near the Sanga- mon river. Among the first were Reuben Bul- lard and his two sons, John and Wesley; James Hampton, William Gragg, Samuel Dickerson, John Churchill, and others.
Reuben Bullard was born December 22, 1792, in Caroline county, Virginia. He went to Wood- ford county, Kentucky, in 1787, and to Shelby county in 1790. He was there married in 1803, to Elizabeth Gill, who was born October 30, 1779, near Charlestown, Virginia. They had eight children in Kentucky, four of whom, Eliza, Lucinda, Richard and Nancy J., died there, be- tween the ages of fifteen and twenty-five years. Mrs. Elizabeth Bullard died January 6, 1835,
and Reuben Bullard, with three of his children, came to Sangamon county, arriving in Novem- ber, 1835, in what is now Wheatfield township, one son having come before. Reuben Bullard died September 6, 1836, in Sangamon county.
His father's name was Reuben Bullard. He was in the Revolutionary army as a non-com- batant, and lost his life by drinking too freely of cold water while he was overheated. He made a gun, which he gave to his son, whose name heads this sketch. It is now (1874) in possession of a son of John Bullard-Reuben S-the fourth generation from the man who made it. The brass plate opposite the lock bears the inscription, R. B., 1772. It is a smooth bore; the barrel is four feet eight inches long, and the whole gun is six feet one inch. An all- ecdote is related of it, that when the boys of a former generation used the gun, they always hunted in pairs, one to do the shooting and the other to see that the marksman did not get the muzzle beyond the game.
Jesse A. Pickrell was born June 3, 1805, in Montgomery county, Kentucky, and came to Sangamon county, Illinois, arriving in the spring of 1828, being the first of the family to come to the State. He stopped for a time in Mechanics- burg township, and then settled on section eight, township sixteen, range two west, what is now Wheatfield township. Mr. Pickrell was an en- terprising man, and was among the first to intro- duce improved breeds of cattle, hogs and other stock into Sangamon county, and was one of the most extensive farmers and stock raisers in the county. Mrs. Pickrell died February 2, 1878.
EDUCATIONAL AND RELIGIOUS.
Wheatfield township being an exclusively agricultural one, its school houses are somewhat
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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.
scattered, but its schools will compare favorably with any like situated in the county. There are five good houses, valued at $5,000.
Its proximity to several villages make it un- necessary for the building of country churches, as the inhabitants of the township can each select their place of worship with that religious denomination that best suits their religious con- victions. There is one good church edifice in the township, named Bethel, property of the Christian denomination.
WIIEATFIELD STATION.
For the convenience of the inhabitants, a sta- tion was located on section eight, by the railroad company. Several houses have been built around the station, making a small village. A store was opened in 1874, by David O'Conner. It is now owned by Jno. T. Sudduth, who carries a fine line of staple and fancy dry goods and groceries, such as are usually found in a country store.
A large elevator was erected here in 1878, and is now owned and operated by E. R. Ulrich, of Springfield, one of the most extensive dealers in grain in this section of the State. The annual shipments of grain amount to about three hun- dred thousand bushels, equal to one thousand car loads.
POST OFFICE.
In 1861, an office was established at the sta- tion, with Jesse A. Pickrell as postmaster. Mr. Pickrell kept the office at his house about five years. John T. Sudduth is the present post- master.
BIOGRAPIIICAL.
Charles Black is a son of Joseph and Pleasant Black; the former was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, and the latter, whose maiden name was Pleasant Newhouse, was a native of Virginia. They were of Irish and English extraction, were married in Ohio about 1815, and had seven chil- dren, as follows: Mary A., born in 1816; Eliza- beth, born in 1818; Charles, the subject of this sketch, was born April 20, 1820; Joseph, born in 1822; Andrew, born in 1824; Sarah, born in 1826; Pleasant J., born December 13, 1828; Andrew died about 1845; the father and mother died in Ohio, mother in 1830. Charles was married September 5, 1869, to Alice Sprinkle, daughter of Michael and Catharine Spinkle, and was born in Arkansas, June 17, 1850, and came with her parents to this county in 1860. Their three children are, Katie, born October 11, 1870, Char- ley A., August 8, 1874 and Oliver, April 24, 1878. Kate died August 31, 1872. Mrs. Black's father died August 13, 1867. Mr. Black owns
five hundred and twenty acres of land valued at $50 an acre. His early educational advantages were not so good; but he attended Greenfield Academy two years ; wife's educational ad- vantages were also good. They are members of the United Brethren Church, and in politics are Republicans.
Wesley Bullard is a son of Reuben and Eliz- abeth Bullard. The former was born in Caro- line county, Virginia, in 1772, and the latter in 1778, in Jefferson county, Virginia. The mother's maiden name was Elizabeth Gill, the daughter of James and Nancy Gill. Mr. Reuben Bullard and Elizabeth Gill were married in Shelby county, Kentucky, in 1804. They had eight children, as follows: John, Eliza, Lucinda, Mary A., Richard, Sarah Agnes, Wesley, and Nancy J. Eliza died in Kentucky, as also Lu- cinda, Richard, and Nancy J., and likewise the mother. The subject of this sketch was born in Kentucky, July 28, 1816, and came with his father to this county in 1835, and bought and entered land where he now resides. On March 23, 1843, he married Sarah Foster, daughter of Henry and Jane Foster, who were all born in Kentucky, she on July 18, 1824, and came with her parents to Putnam county, Indiana, in 1827. On a visit to Sangamon county in 1842, she met Mr. B. and became his wife, as above stated. They had eight children, all sons. Their names are as follows: William H., born August 16, 1844; James R., October 10, 1846; John N., October 29, 1848; Francis B., September 19, 1850; Samuel A., March 25, 1853; George W., July 31, 1855; Benjamin F., February 23, 1858, and Foster, February 13, 1861. James died July 13, 1876. Mrs. Sarah B. died February 13, 1861, and Mr. B. married Mrs. Elizabeth Holsman, daughter of Robert and Julia Kidd, August 6, 1863. She was born in Virginia, May 7, 1828. They have had two children: Julia, born Febru- ary 4, 1867, and Robert A., August 3, 1871. Mr. B. owns three hundred and fifty acres of land, valued at $50 an acre. He has been supervisor of Illiopolis and Wheatfield townships five years. Mr. B.'s early educational advantages were lim- ited. William H., his oldest son, was a member of the Seventy-third Regiment Illinois Volun- teer Infantry, during the late war, and served three years, to the close of the war.
They are members of the Methodist Episco- pal Church, and in politics are Republicans.
Wm. S. Bullard, was born January 7, 1841, and was a son of John and Sarah S. (Fallice) Bullard, the former born in Shelby county, Ken- tucky, October 10, 1805, the latter in St. Louis
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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.
county, Missouri, in 1810. They were married in Kentucky, and came to Illinois on horseback, making a practical "bridle tour." They were the parents of ten children, viz .: George W., John W., Nancy F., William S., Reuben S., Edna E., Lucinda J., Wilber C., Jacob B., and Henry S. William S., was married December 28, 1871, to Miss Elizabeth S., a native of San- gamon county, Illinois. Her father, John Zane, was born in New Jersey in 1805; her mother born at the same place in 1811. Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Bullard have had two children, viz .: Leatha Irene, born May 3, 1873, died in 1874, and Mary, born March 7, 1875. Mrs. B. died November 4, 1877. Mr. B. owns, in partner- ship with his brother Reuben, about one thou- sand acres of land, valued at $40 an acre.
John M. Council, post office, Illiopolis, was born in this county, June 7, 1851; his father, Geo. W. Council, was born in White county, Illinois, in 1820. His mother, whose maiden name was Jane Mitts, was born in 1822; both were of German descent; they were married about 1842, and had eleven children, viz: Wil- liam C., Mary A., John M., Nelson L., Eliza- beth, Charles, Henry, Flora, Emma, George Grant and Anna May; Charles is deceased, and the mother died in 1878.
John M. Council, the subject of this sketch, was married, September 21, 1871, to Miss Eliza- beth E. Hay, daughter of Benjamin and Isabel Hay, of Ohio, and was born June 9, 1850; she was of German extraction; they have four chil- dren: Flora Bell, born in July, 1872; Robert Arthur, in November, 1874; Louella Jane, in March, 1876; George Walter, in March, 1879, and J. E., September 10, 1881. Mrs. Council's father died in 1873, and her mother in 1874. Mr. C. owns one hundred and fifty-one acres of land, valued at $50 an acre. He was elected justice of the peace, but declined to serve. They are members of the Christian Church.
Ilugh Erwin, son of David and Rose Erwin, was born in Ireland, and came to America in 1868, landing at New York, but immediately came to Springfield, and has lived in this county ever since-mostly on a farm. His father was born in Ireland in 1809, and his mother, whose maiden name was Rose, was also born in Ireland, in 1811. They were married in Ireland, and had six children, viz: William John, Betty A., Rose, Maria, Samuel and Hugh. The mother died in Ireland. In February, Hugh married Miss Mary Collins, daughter of Maggie and Michael Collins, and was born in this county, September 17, 1859; her parents were born in Ireland. Mr. and Mrs.
E. have one child, William John, born February 15, 1881. Mr. E. was naturalized about 1877; is a farmer by occupation and is prosperous. Post office, Illiopolis. They are members of the Roman Catholic Church, and politically, are Democrats.
William A. Fullenwider, son of J. N. and Sarah A. (Bullard) Fullenwider, was born in this county, November 20, 1842. William was raised on a farm, and on March 4, 1875, married Miss Alice Elkin, daugher of John and Eveline (McNabb) Elkin, who was born in this county, February 20, 1852. They have had two children, Eva, born October 16, 1877, and died July 4, 1879, and William, born January 13, 1879, and died August 19, 1880. Mrs. Fullenwider's father died August 27, 1867. Mr. Fullenwider owns two hundred and eighty acres of land valued at $50 an acre. Himself and wife had good educa- tional advantages in early life and are highly es- teemed in their community. Post office, Mechan- icsburg. He is a member of the Methodist Church and she of the Christian Church, and are Republicans.
Henry T. Fullenwider, a farmer, post office, Mechanicsburg, a son of Jacob and Sarah Agnes (Bullard) Fullenwider, was born in this county March 1, 1846. He was raised on a farm, and on December 28, 1871, married Sarah C. Lindsly, daughter of Henry C., and Julia A. (Hickman) Lindsly, who was born in Christian county, Illinois, October 21, 1849; her father was born in New Jersey and her mother in Ken- tucky. Mr. and Mrs. Fullenwider have had four children, namely: Charley W., born De- cember 22, 1872, died February 11, 1873; Arthur E., born September 8, 1874; Agnes, born December 15, 1876; and Thomas I., born March 8, 1881. Mr. Fullenwider owns two hundred and eighty-three acres of land, valued at $50 an acre; raises grain, cattle and hogs, and feeds them for market. The farm is well cultivated, with fields divided by osage orange hedges. Mrs. F. is of English and Scotch extraction, and he of German, and both have had good educa- tional advantages-Mrs. F. having attended the high school at Springfield. Both are Methodists and are in politics Republicans.
Samuel Fullenwider, son of J. N. and Sarah A. Fullenwider, was born in this county, June 21, 1851, and was brought up as a farmer. His grandfather (Fullinwider) came from Kentucky, entered land near Mechanicsburg, returned to bring his family, and was taken sick and died in Kentucky July 17, 1834; his wife came the same year with her nine children, and improved the
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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.
land entered by her husband, and this land is now occupied by Jacob Fullenwider. On May 27, 1875, he was married to Miss Luella Elkin, daughter of John G. and Eveline (McNabb) El- kin, who was born July 6, 1853; her father was born in Xenia, Ohio, March 28, 1820, and her mother in this county, September 15, 1827. Mr. and Mrs. F. have two children: Jesse Arthur, born June 29, 1876, and John Elkin, December 26, 1878. Mr. F. owns two hundred and forty acres of land, valued at $50 an acre. He has had ex- cellent educational advantages, having graduated at the Wesleyan University, at Bloomington, in 1871. Mrs. F. attended the Female Wesleyan College, at Cincinnati, two years, and afterward attended the Bettie Stuart, of Springfield.
William Gragg, farmer, post office, Mechan- icsburg; son of William and Sophia Gragg, the former born in Kentucky, June 10, 1818, and mother in Madison county, Kentucky, March 10, 1815; the mother's maiden name was Sophia Mc- Bride, and she was a daughter of James and Elizabeth McBride, and of Scotch-Irish descent. The parents of Mr. Gragg were married in this county, and had five children, namely: Thomas J., born January 1, 1845; Jesse, born March 19, 1846; John Henry, born August 17, 1847; Wil- liam, born June 10, 1851; and Harvey, born Jan- uary 21, 1853; Jesse died April 10, 1846. The father died July 30, 1875, and the mother, December 26, 1872. The subject of this sketch was born in this county on a farm. On Febru- ary 8, 1876, he married Miss Hissey, who was born in Baltimore, March 14, 1852, the daughter of William and Harriet Hissey. Her father died in Baltimore, and her mother came to Sangamon county in September, 1875. Mr. Gragg owns one hundred and seventy-one acres of land valued at $50 per acre. In early life he attended a com- mercial college; his wife was educated in the high schools of Baltimore, and before marriage was a music teacher. In politics, Democratic.
Harvey Gragg, farmer, post office, Mechan- icsburg, is a son of William and Sophia Gragg, natives of Kentucky, and was born in this county, Jan. 21, 1853; has always followed farming. April 26, 1877, he married Hettie A. Rodgers, who was born in this county, March 5, 1856, daughter of Uriah and Hettie Rodgers, from Berks county, Pennsylvania, and parents of ten children, nine of whom are living, one having died in this county. Mr. and Mrs. Gragg have two children -- Georgia Etta, born June 24, 1878, and Bertha Ella, born December 20, 1879. Mr. G. owns one hundred and forty-five acres of land valued at $7,250. The farm is well improved.
Adam Metcalf, farmer, post office, Wheatfield, a son of Thomas and Nancy (Linton) Metcalf, were natives of Maryland, where they were mar- ried about 1820, and had four children: Owen Thomas, Adam, Samuel E., and Cora Ann; the mother was born about 1798. Adam Metcalf, the subject of this sketch, was born in Maryland, November 15, 1851, and was married to Miss Mary J. Hamm, daughter of Uriah C. and Vir- ginia Hamm, who was born in Butler county, Ohio, July 4, 1828, and came to this county with her parents about 1842. Her parents were na- tives of Virginia, but came to Ohio at an early date. Mr. and Mrs. Metcalf have six children: Thomas F., born September 26, 1852; Samuel E., born March 17, 1854; Albert M., born No- vember 19, 1856; Willie U., born October 22, 1858; Lee G., born May 9, 1861; and Owen A., born January 1, 1866. Mr. M. owns two hundred and forty acres of land. When he first came from Virginia to this State, in November, 1848, he had to work very hard as a farm hand, but he has now become a successful farmer. His early educational advantages were meagre, as he was left an orphan and obliged to help sup- port the other children. He is road commis- sioner of his township. She is a Methodist, and in politics they are Democrats.
Thomas Munce, farmer, post office, Wheat- field, was born in Pennsylvania. His father, John Munce, was born in County Down, Ireland, in 1796, and his mother, Eliza J. Munce, whose maiden name was Stockdale, was born in County Down, Ireland, in 1806. They were married in Washington county, Penn., in 1827, and had six children, viz .: William, born at Natchez, Missis- sippi; Thomas, born in Pennsylvania; Hannah, Margaret, Isabel, and Eliza, all born in Indiana. The father came to America in 1804, and settled in Washington county, Pennsylvania. The mother also settled there. Both were orphans, and came with other families and their older brothers. They afterward went to Indiana, where they remained till 1846, then came to this county. The subject of this sketch was married to Miss Mary C. Haak, May 2, 1860. She was a daughter of Michael and Sarah Haak, and born in Reading, Berks county, Pennsylvania, in 1839. Their three children are: Isabel, John, and George, all born in this county. Mr. M. was educated in the common schools of Indiana and Illinois. His wife attended the ladies' sem- inary at Reading, Pennsylvania. He is at pres- ent supervisor of his township. He has a large farm and every convenience in the way of build- ings and other improvements.
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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.
George A. Pickrell, farmer, post office, Wheat- field, was born in this county February 19, 1832. His father, Jesse A. Pickrell, was born in Mont- gomery county, Kentucky, June 13, 1805 ; his mother, Elizabeth (Churchill) Pickrell, was born September 11, 1811. They were married De- cember 18, 1828, at Mechanicsburg, Sangamon county, Illinois, and they have a family of ten children, namely : William O., born February 27, 1830; George A., the subject of this sketch; Willoughby F., born October 12, 1833, and died March 29, 1835; Miller H., born March 30, 1835; Ann M., born September 14, 1840; Mary V., born December 11, 1842; Amanda P., born August 31, 1844; died June 19, 1872; John C., born Oc- tober 27, 1846, died March 25, 1873; Sarah H., born March 6, 1855. They are of Welsh extrac- tion. George A. Pickrell was married to Miss Emma H. Winn, December 27, 1864; daughter
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