USA > Illinois > St Clair County > History of St. Clair County, Illinois. With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 58
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died while she was yet young. She was brought to Illinois by her friends.
Joseph Scott in his day was quite a remarkable man. He was in the Ranger Service during the war of 1812. He was also the first manufacturer of powder in the state. He had learned the secret of its manufacture from a man by the name of Dixon. He manufactured powder during the spring of the year, or on bis re- turn from " Ranging;" then would distribute it to the different posts, and by that means kept the old Rangers supplied with" powder.
During his life he held the office of Justice of the Peace for the term of twelve years. He died from apoplexy Nov. 9th, 1867, in his eighty-seventh year. His wife had died as early as 1826. By his marriage with Nancy (Harrison) Scott there were eight children, three of whom are living. Felix is the eldest son. He was born in Shiloh Valley, St. Clair county, Ills., July 16th, 1807. He grew to manhood on the farm, and received some little schooling. It must be recollected that he was in his boyhood some years before Illinois was admitted to the Union, and consequently in those early pioneer days, a school was an exception as they are now the rule. They perhaps learned to read, which was regarded as a very fortunate circumstance, and then their in- formation from books was got from such as fell in their way. But it must not be supposed that they were entirely ignorant in those days, because schools were not plenty. On the contrary Illinois in her pioneer days produced some of the brightest minds and greatest intellects of modern times, men who have become famous in the world's history. Men drew their inspiration from nature and nature's laws, and reasoned not from forms laid down in books, but from cause and effect. Felix remained at home until he was eighteen years of age, then went to the lead mines of Galena. While at Galena he helped to build the forts as a protection against the Indians. In 1827, after the completion of the forts, he went into the military service, in the Winnebago War, under General Whiteside, who was a resident of Madison county, Illinois. Dur- ing the Black Hawk war in 1831, Mr. Scott enlisted in Capt. Mil- ler's company, which was afterwards divided, and he went with those who formed the company under Capt. Moore. His enlistment was for three months. In his youth Mr. Scott was quite handy in the use of tools, and had considerable mechanical genius, and there- fore he worked at carpentering, mill-wrighting, or in fact in any kind of wood work. He quit the trade in 1835, and went to farm- ing, and engaged in that calling until 1877, when he retired from active life, and came to Belleville, where he is at present a resident. In 1832 Mr. Scott was united in marriage to Miss Nicey Moore, daughter of Gen. James B. Moore, one of the pioneers of Illinois. The Moore family are of English ancestry. James Moore was born in England in 1716. He emigrated to America and settled in Virginia. His son, James Moore, was born in Virginia in 1750, and brought his family to Illinois in 1781. He was a captain of militia, and was sent out first to Illinois county, by the Governor of Virginia. Gen. James B. Moore was his son. He was born in Virginia in 1780, and was captain of a company in the war of 1812. He also represented his district in the senate in 1838-40. In 1810 he married Sarah Shuck. She died in 1860, and Mr. Moore in 1841. By the marriage of Felix Scott and Nicey Moore there are two children living, both sons, who married and have families. Their names are James and Joseph Scott. Joseph Scott, the young- est son, was a soldier in the late war. He enlisted for three years in the 117th Reg't Ill's Vol's, and remained in the service until the close of the war. Mr. Felix Scott was during the war a very strong Union man, and did much to sustain the Union sentiment in St.
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
Clair county. During the dark days of the Republic, in the winter of 1862-63, when treason stalked through the land, and the sympathi- zers of the South in St. Clair county and other portions of the State began to be defiant, and bold, Mr. Scott counseled the friends of the Union to prepare and organize to maintain the peace by the force of arms, if necessary, and for this purpose, personally visited Gov. Yates, at Springfield, and asked his support, and supply of arms from the State. But the Governor was powerless to provide them with arms. Mr. Scott then went to St. Louis and bought arms, using his private means. They were placed in the hands of the members of the Union League, who were loyal men. Compa- nies were formed, armed and drilled, and thus with the victories won by our armies in the field in the next campaign, the rebel sentiment in the community was overawed and kept in subjection. After Mr. Scott purchased the arms in St. Louis, they received arms from the State, for which he became personally responsible. Politically Mr. Scott was originally an old line whig, then became a free soiler, and from that position it was but a step into the republican party. He has been a member of the last named political organi- zation since 1856. While he has been active in local politics he has never sought office. He was one of the first Board of School Trustees. Wm. Moore and William Hendricks were the other members. He was, in carly life, a member of the M. E. Church. His wife is still a member. He never belonged to any secret organization except the Union League during the war. Thus, in brief, have we sketched one of St. Clair county's oldest native-born citizens. Born here in 1807, three-quarters of a century ago, he has seen the county and state, the latter grow from a territory, then an insignificant frontier state, to one of the first in population, wealth and importance in the Union.
JOSEPH OGLE.
PROMINENT among the early settlers of St Clair county, Illinois, is Joseph Ogle, a native of Newcastle county, Delaware. He was born on the 8th of February, 1809, and is the son of Samuel Ogle and Deborah nee Wollaston.
His father, a native of Maryland, was born in 1775, and named in honor of Samuel Ogle, then Governor of Maryland. His mother was born in Delaware in the year 1781, and belonged to the Society of Friends. Her original ancestors in this country emigrated from England with William Penn. The Ogle family is of Welelı origin, and removed from Virginia to Illinois in 1789. One of this family, Joseph Ogle, was a captain in the revolutionary war, a copy of whose commission, signed by Patrick Henry, is found below. It is highly prized as a relic, and has descended in a direct line from the original receiver to his namesake, the subject of this sketch.
" His Excellency, Patrick Henry, Jun , Esq., Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, to Joseph Ogle, Esq. :
" By virtue of the power and authority to me delegated by the general convention of the representatives of this commonwealth, I, reposing especial trust and confidence in your patriotism, fidelity, courage and good conduct, do, by and with the advice of the privy council, by these presents, constitute and appoint you to be captain of militia in the County of Ohio. You are, therefore, carefully and diligently to discharge the duty of captain of the militia, by doing and performing all manner of things thereunto belonging. And you are to pay a ready obedience to all orders and instructions which from time to time you may receive from the convention, privy council, or any of your superior officers, agreeable to the
rules and regulations of the convention or general assembly; and to require all officers and soldiers under your command to be obe- dient and to aid you in the execution of this commission, according to the intent and purport thereof.
"Given under my hand and seal at Williamsburg. 2d day of June, 1776.
"P. HENRY."
Mr. Ogle's early educational advantages were very limited, and he received only a meagre knowledge of the ordinary branches. In 1818 he left his native state, going by wagon to Pittsburg, Penn'a, thence by flatboat down the Ohio river to Louisville, Kentucky, and thence overland to Belleville, Illinois. Here he passed his early life in farming, but did not begin for himself till 1843. From that time he gave himself unremittingly to his work, and by his persevering industry, integrity, frugality and good management, he has made for himself a competency.
He served as second sergeant during the Black Hawk war, and at its close engaged as assistant surveyor in connection with the survey of the line between Wisconsin and Illinois. In 1832-3 he spent Christmas in Chicago, and there engaged as assistant surveyor under the late John Messinger, commissioner for Illinois. In 1851 he engaged in the construction of the Belleville and St. Louis turn- pike, of which he is now president. He is also director of the Belleville mail line, director of East St. Louis and Carondelet Rail- road, and of the American Bottom Board of Improvements. His travels have been . confined to the United States. In 1843 he crossed the plains as far as Green river, and in 1872 went to Port- land, Oregon, as a witness in the case of Joseph Thomas alias " Wrestling Joe " vs. Carruther's Estate, involving five million dol- lars.
Mr. Ogle is not a member of any church, but he adheres to the Presbyterian faith and liberally supports its services. He was married on the 15th of February, 1844, to Miss Felicite Boneau, a lady of French parentage, whose father served under Gen. Harri- son, and fought in the battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. They had eleven children : Charles M., Joseph Decatur, who died in the sum- mer of 1881 ; Edward Rufus, Thomas Winstanley, William Linn, Russell Hinckley, Isabella, wife of Richard Roman, a lawyer ; Mary Louisa, wife of Edward Underwood, merchant; Amelia, Celena and Susan R. Ogle.
MARSHALL W. WEIR.
THE Weir family are descendants of Scotch-Irish ancestors. Samuel Weir, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Williamston, Pennsylvania, March 16, 1807. His father, Samuel, was also born in Pennsylvania. His grandfather, the great-grand- father of Marshall W., was born in county Londonderry, province of Ulster, Ireland. He there grew to manhood and married, and came to this country with his wife about the middle of the eighteenth century.
Samuel Weir, the father of Marshall W., was by trade a cabinet maker. While yet young he removed to Ohio, and settled in Trumbull county. There on the 16th of March, 1835, he married Miss Nancy Sophia Barnes, who was born in the town of Gill, Franklin county, Mass., September 14, 1812. Her father, Samuel Newton Barnes, and her grandfather, John Barnes, were both na- tives of New England. Her father married a Miss Elizabeth Morley, a daughter of John Morley. Both of her grandfathers, John Barnes and John Morley, were soldiers in the Revolution- ary war.
Samuel Weir was of a roving disposition. Soon after his mar-
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FARM RESIDENCEOFJOSEPH. OGLE, Sec. I. T. I.N, R. (BELLEVILLE PRECINCT ST. CLAIR. CO. ILL.
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
riage he removed to Indiana ; from there he went to Missis- sippi, where he remained about five years-until the year 1843- when he returned to Trumbull county, Ohio. A year later, leaving his family in Ohio, he went on a prospecting tour to Texas, which place about that time was attracting considerable attention. He did not live to reach home again ; on his way back he was taken sick and died.
By his marriage with Nancy Sophia Barnes there were four children-three sons and one daughter. The eldest, Virgil Newton Weir, enlisted at the breaking out of the late war, and was lieu- tenant in Company B of the 86th Regiment of Olio Volunteers. He remained in the service until discharged by death, the result of disease contracted in the service and in the regular line of duty. He died February 3d, 1863. Mary the only daughter, is the wife of Judge A. H. Foote, a prominent lawyer of Lawrence, Kansas. Henry Barnes Weir, the youngest son, has established himself in a prosperous mercantile business in Warren, Trumbull county, Ohio, not more than half-a-dozen miles from the spot where he was born. He has never lived elsewhere than in Trumbull county.
The mother, Mrs. Weir, still survives. She is and ever has been a remarkable woman. In early life she received as good an educa- tion as the times afforded, and she paid special attention to the education of her children. The latter remember the constant en- couragement and assistance given by her during their early life at school. No branch was too difficult, in her estimation, for her children to pursue. When they encountered a lesson too intricate for their young minds and calculated to discourage them, she never wearied in her endeavors to keep up their courage until the task was accomplished. She was gifted with rare qualities of mind and grace of person. Now, at the age of nearly sixty-nine years, she is of tall, commanding presence, exceedingly interesting in conversa- tion, affable in her manners and loved and esteemed by all who know her.
Marshall W. Weir is the second of the family. He was born in Amite county, Mississippi, February 9, 1839. About four years after he was born his father removed to Ohio. At an early age Marshall was placed in the " Western Reserve Seminary" of Trum- bull county, where he remained a number of years, making rapid advancement in study, from which institution he afterwards received the degree of A.M. It may be mentioned in this connec- tion that the honorary degree of A.M. was conferred on him in 1877, by Shurtleff College, Upper Alton, Illinois.
After leaving school he taught one year in Ohio, at the end of which time he came to Illinois, arriving at Springfield March 26, 1857. In less than a week thereafter, (March 31st) having en- gaged a school, he commenced teaching near Loami, Sangamon county. At the end of his engagement there, in the spring of 1858, he removed to St. Clair county, where he has resided ever since, and where he followed the vocation of a teacher for several years.
In the summer of 1861 he concluded to adopt the profession of law as the business of his life, and with that object in view read the standard text-books, and pursued his studies until he had made sufficient progress to entitle him to admission to the bar. On the 13th of June, 1863, he passed a creditable examination, and on the 8th of July following he received his license to practice in the courts of the state.
At the time that he was admitted to practice, George Trumbull, Esq., was about removing from Belleville to Chicago, and desired to have some competent young man in his office to take charge of his unfinished business. He offered the place to Mr. Weir, which offer was gladly accepted, and thereby Mr. Weir was assisted ma-
terially in getting what young attorneys most desire-" a start." Since then he has continued alone in the practice.
As a lawyer Mr. Weir takes front rank at the bar of St. Clair county. He is a man of liberal education and scholarly attain- ments. He has always been a close student. His libraries, law and miscellaneous are well filled with works of the best authors. He possesses much natural aptitude for the law ; he is a concise, logical reasoner, and always has his cases and the law governing the points well in hand. In his business transactions he is methodical and exact. Method is the governing principle, and he carries that trait of character into his practice as well as in his private business.
On the 5th day of November, 1865, he was united in marriage to Miss Hannah Angie Stookey, a most estimable and accomplished young lady, the daughter of Simon and Hannah Stookey, an old and respected family of this county. Hannah Stookey was the daughter of Major Cornelius Gooding, who was born in Virginia in the year 1767. Major Gcoding married Sept. 12, 1786, a lady named Peggy Scott. Ten children were born to them, from whom descended many well-known and honored families in this section of country. Hannah was born January 12, 1802, in Fleming county, Kentuck . She came to this county with her father's family in the fall of 1816, two years before Illinois was admitted into the Union. She married in 1819; she died April 9, 1879, at the age of over seventy-seven years. Her husband, Simon Stookey, died in 1849.
To Mr. and Mrs. Weir two children have been born, a daughter, Sophie Barnes, and a son, Marshall Gooding Weir.
Mr. Weir has never been ambitious to shine in the field of politics, or to occupy public office. His profession and business plans have occupied his time and absorbed his attention. Finan- cially he would be able to leave his family provided for, should he be taken away from them. He has been a Republican from his boyhood to the present time, and sincerely believes that the prin- ciples of the political organization to which he has given his con- stant adherence are best calculated to secure the progress of free government and perpetuate our institutions on the basis proposed by the founders of the Republic.
JULIUS KOHL, M. D.,
WAS born at Grenzhausen in the Province of Nassau, Germany, April 18, 1838. He attended the common schools of his native village four years, and was awarded by the school authorities with a gratuitous classical education asa reward for his extraordinary di- ligence in his studies and good behaviour. In 1853, at the age of about fifteen, together with his father, one brother and two sisters, he emigrated to America and settled at Belleville, St. Clair county, Illinois. One brother and a married sister had preceded the family. to this country the year before. Young men who had a good edu- cation were received with open arms in those days in the Western country. Mr. Kohl's services were secured by Mr. Kelerman, a prominent druggist of Belleville, who himself had received a fine education in Europe under the celebrated Professor Liebig. Mr. Kelerman was consequently just the man to train a student of me- dicine properly. Young Julius took hold of his new vocation with his accustomed energy, and in a short time had charge of Mr. Keler- man's business. The idea of becoming a Doctor of Medicine, being favorably received by his senior brother, Ferdinand, now a promi- nent citizen of Centralia, Illinois, Julius concluded to adopt it as the business of his life, and with this idea in view he devoted his
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
time to it. Dr. Trapp, now a resident of Springfield, Ills., can be named as his first teacher. Having completed his engagement with Mr. Kelerman, he went to St Louis in the year 1856, to enter the St. Louis Medical College. Having no means at command, except some kind donations from his brother and sister, he attended the drug store of his friend, Dr. Berghoff, during the summer months, in order to raise the money to study during the winter. This, together with a loan from Mr. Kelerman, enabled him to get through the first two years. One day, while visiting the City Hospital, together with the professors and students for clinical studies, the thought struck him, that a residence at the hospital would be the best thing in order to have opportunities to study the different phases of dis- ease, and become a thorough physician. Here was an opportunity that could not be had in any other place than this. But there were barriers in the way. The city council of St. Louis at that time, allowed only one resident physician with two assistants at the hospital-the salary of the assistants being very small. Julius was determined to get in, but how ? He was poor, a stranger, and not yet a graduate of medicine. Matters in those days were managed very much as at present. Politics and patronage went a long way. The Mayor with the concurrence of the city council made the appointment of the principal physician, and he appointed his assistants with the sanction of the Board of Health. An elec- tion coming off, Julius secured through his friend, Dr. Berghoff, the promise of assistant from the doctor, who seemed to have the best chance to secure the position ; but unfortunately his friend
failed, and he was left apparently in the cold. Dr. P. M. Cornyer was appointed. Julius mustered up courage and went to him and plead his case in the best English he could command, and some- what to his astonishment, but to his great joy, he received the ap- pointment. Dr. Cornyer was a kind man. He gave Julius per- mission to pursue his studies. The hospital gave him a home, a little salary, boarding and washing, all the dissecting matter he needed, and ample time to attend lectures. He worked hard and graduated in 1859. He remained in the hospital until the expira- tion of his time contracted with the city, and then went to Centra- lia, where the greater part of his family had settled. He there practiced a short time, and in the mean time married Miss Kate Berghoff, sister of his St. Louis friend, Dr. Berghoff. From Cen- tralia he went to Columbia, near Waterloo, in Monroe county, and practiced there for six years ; then removed to Belleville, his first American home, and here he has remained, practising his profes- sion, which has grown very large and lucrative. He was a partner in the St. Clair drug store for a number of years, and three years with his son Emil in the National Drug Store. He was one of the original stockholders of the First National Bank of Belleville, and its first president for five years. He is physician to the St. Eliza- beth hospital, and several other institutions. He is a member of several medical societies, and has been Recording Secretary of the St. Clair Medical Society for the past twelve years. He has had thirteen children, of whom seven are living, four sons and three daughters.
HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
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R a Moore
MRS. R. A. MOORE.
Now one of the oldest residents of St Clair county, was born east of Belleville, within a short distance of his present residence, on the 26th of January, 1817. The Moore family is of Welsh descent. Mr. Moore's ancestors emigrated from Wales to America in the year 1732, and settled in Delaware. His grandfather, Risdon Moore, was a soldier in the war of the Revolution, and his grand- father's brother served as paymaster in the American army. Mr. Moore has now in his possession an interesting and valuable relic of Revolutionary times, in the shape of two statements of the expendi- tures of General Washington during the war, made out in the hand- writing of Washington himself, and signed by his name. After the Revolution, his grandfather, Risdon Moore, went to North Carolina where he was married, and afterward settled in Georgia, where he resided till his emigration to Illinois in the year 1812. His second wife, the grandmother of the subject of this sketch, was Auma Dent. He engaged in farming in Georgia. Though a man of quiet dis- position, he occupied a prominent and influential place in the com- munity, and was three times elected to represent his county in the state legislature, and was once speaker of the house of representa- tives.
William Moore, the father of the subject of this biography, was born in Georgia in the year 1791. He lived in his native state till twenty years of age. He made a trip to Illinois in the year 1811, with a view to the selection of a location to which the family might remove from Georgia. He carried back a favorable report of the country, and the next year, 1812, the whole family came to this county. With the family of Risdon Moore came some negroes, fifteen or eighteen in number, whom, as soon as they became of age,
he allowed to look out for themselves and use their own carnings. Risdon Moore was strongly opposed to slavery, and that was one cause of his removal from Georgia. It was his boast that, while owning slaves in Georgia, he never struck a negro, and sold but one, and this sale was necessary in order to allow the negro to remain with his family, and for him he received only one-fourth of his value.
On coming to St. Clair county, the family resided one season on Turkey Hill, and then settled on survey number 762, about three miles east of Belleville. Here Risdon Moore died in the year 1828. He was elected two or three times to represent St. Clair county in the state legislature He was elected a member of that body in 1824, in the exciting contest of that year, in which the main ques- tion was the proposed change of the constitution to permit the in- troduction of slavery into the state. He made the canvass for the legislature on this issue. He did all in his power to resist the pro- slavery movement, and he is one of the men to whom credit and honor should be given that Illinois maintained her place among the free states, and that the blot of slavery never rested on her name. During the session of the legislature he made a speech, published in the journals of the day, in which he urged the members to vote against the proposed convention to change the constitution, and made use of the expression that " unborn millions would thank them for their action." His persistent efforts in favor of freedom excited the enmity of those who wished to make Illinois a slave state, and he and Churchill, the member from Madison county, were burnt in effigy at Troy.
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