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 74
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starting he has associated others with him, and the firm is now known as Land, Fike & Co.
Aaron Land, the eldest brother, was a soldier in the Black Hawk War; and went out in 1831, and again in 1832. He was orderly - sergeant of his company both times. He also served a number of years as Justice of the Peace in St. Clair county.
Cynthia Land, as stated above, married Patrick Costello, who was a native of Tipperary county, Ireland. He died February 21st, 1842. By that union there were six children; two of whom are living, viz., Elizabeth, wife of William Shawn, farmer of Washington county, Illinois, and William Costello. Nathan died in his fourteenth year. William was born in St. Clair county, and grew to manhood, and married Miss Nancy S., daughter of Lucius Don, and Matilda V. (Stunz) Turner. The date of the marriage was February 9th, 1865. By this union there were four children ; three of whom 'are living. Their names were Mary H., Laura, who died in her fourth year, Don, and Elizabeth Costello. Patrick Costello was of an old family in Ireland. His ancestors were large land owners, at the time when Cromwell invaded the country. They were Catholics, consequently their lands and possessions were seized and confiscated to the Crown.
THE FIKE FAMILY
Is probably of Welsh or German origin. Abel Fike, son of Nathan Fike, was the first person of that name who lived in that portion of Illinois now embraced in the bounds of St. Clair county. He was born in North Carolina, April 15, 1777. His first wife, whose maiden name was Rachel Crownover, was born in March, 1785, in the state of New Jersey. They were married in the year 1805, and settled in Pendleton county, South Carolina, where two sons were born-Ai, born March 28, 1807, and Benjamin, born December 13, 1808. The family removed to Hopkins county, Kentucky, where another son, John Jasper, was born, August 7, 1810. From Ken- tucky he moved with his family, and settled about the year 1811-12, in what is now St. Clair county, Illinois, near Turkey Hill, about six miles east of the city of Belleville. Here two more children were added to the family-Ansby, born July 10, 1812, and Narcissa, born November 1, 1813. His wife died in March, 1815. In De- cember of the same year he was married a second time, to Mrs. Nancy Crownover (whose maiden name was Nancy Land), widow of Joseph Crownover, who died January 20th, 1815. The widow Crownover, who was born in Pendleton county, South Carolina, May 22, 1792, and whose husband was a brother to Abel Fike's first wife, had two children-Melissa Crownover, born in Pendleton county, South Carolina, January 14, 1810, and Garritt Crownover, born in Illinois, December 31, 1813.
So, when Abel Fike was married to his second wife, they had, in addition to the meagre domestic supplies of that early pioneer period in the history of the West, a joint stock of seven children with which to embark in the new enterprise of life. This family was increased by an addition of six more children, as follows: Nathan, born March 25, 1817 ; Permelia Ann, born January 25th, 1819; Moses Perry, born January 21, 1821 ; Charity Jane, born August 9, 1822; Sarah, born April 30, 1828, and Henry Clay, (who furnished this sketch), born December 21, 1832.
Abel Fike continued to live in the same neighborhood, where his family grew up and mostly married. In December, 1836, he sold the farm on which he was then residing, which is about one half a mile south of Rentchler's station on the South Eastern rail- ro d, to Mr. Raith, who had just arrived with his family from Ger-
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
many, and moved into Looking-glass prairie, and settled about two miles north-east of Mascoutah, where he continued to live till his death, which occurred February 10, 1852, in his seventy-fifth year. For many years of his life, Abel Fike held the office of justice of the peace, and was for several terms a member of the board of county commissioners. The oldest commission held by him, of which the family have any account, is one dated May 20, 1816, while Illinois was yet under territorial form of government, and Nathaniel Pope was governor of the territory.
ABEL FIKE'S CHILDREN.
The oldest of Abel Fike's children, Ai, was married to Nancy Brown, daughter of Major H. T. Brown, about the year 1830. He was married a second time, to Mrs. Martha Swan, in 1855. He moved from St. Clair county to Clay county, Illinois, in the year 1864, from which locality he soon moved to Laclede county, Missouri, where he now lives. Ai Fike had five children by his first wife and three by the last. Of the first family, Andrew J. lives in Lompoc, California ; William H. lives near Clinton, Mo., and Abel lives near Ottawa, Kansas.
Benjamin, second son of Abel Fike, was married about 1830, to Maria Swaggard, sister of George Swaggard, Esq., now of Mascou- tah, Illinois, and was married again to Margaret Chrisman, about 1843. None of the children of the first marriage are known to be living. One child by second marriage, a daughter Emma, was married to P. McClelland, and was living in Marion county, Illi- nois, when last heard from. Benjamin Fike died in March, 1845, on his farm, five miles north-east of Mascoutah, on Looking-glass prairie.
John Jasper, third son of Abel Fike, was married to Elizabeth Howell about 1831. He had six children, all girls but one. He lived after marriage near Drum Hill, about half-a-mile west of the old town of Jefferson, on the Okaw river, till the year 1850, when he moved with his family to the state of California. They lost two children, David and Elizabeth, by cholera, while crossing the plains overland. The only two children living are Mary, (married to William Hopps in 1848) now living near Joplin, Mo., and Rachel, (married to T. J. Pulliam in 1856) now living in south-west Mis- souri. John Jasper Fike died in California in the year 1852.
Ansby, the fourth son, was married to Mary Anderson, November 3, 1831. He had four sons and two daughters, who lived to ma- turity and married. Their names are Anderson Y., John W., Narcissa, Mary Jane, Doniphan and Corrington, who are all living at present. Ansby Fike was engaged in the mercantile business early in life, in Jefferson and Mascoutah ; went to California in 1849 ; returned in 1852; was a justice of the peace for a number of years, and member of the county court of St. Clair county, in 1854 and 1855. He now lives in Clinton, Henry county, Mo., to which place he moved in 1866.
Narcissa, the fifth child of Abel Fike, was married to T. B. Davis about the year 1831, and lived on Turkey Hill for a few years, when the family moved into Looking-glass prairie, where she died, February 13, 1842. She had four daughters-Louisa, Nancy, Rachel and Maria, who lived to be grown and married.
Nathan Fike, the oldest of the second family of children, was married to Elizabeth Crouck, by whom he had one son, James A. who now lives in Ferndale, California. Nathan's wife dying, he went into the Mexican war, and at the close of this war, went to the state of California, where he engaged in mining and farming. He subsequently married again, and settled in San Francisco, where he now lives, engaged in mercantile pursuits.
Permelia, second in order, was married to Johan Bagby, who died near Mascoutah, on a farm. She was then married to Henry Amos. They moved to the state of Iowa, but returned to Mas- coutah in a few years. Permelia had one daughter, Leandra, by the first marriage, and four daughters by the last -Joanna, Nancy, Martha and Josephine. The family moved to California about 1859. The daughters are all married, and the parents are now living at Napa city in that state.
Moses Perry was married to Sarah Howell in 1843. He went to California in 1849 and returned in 1851. He had four children- Delia M., Lætitia, Walter M. and El Dorado; all lived to be grown and married. Moses was engaged in teaching in the com- mon schools of his day prior to marriage. After his return from California he was engaged in merchandizing in Mascoutah, till his death, which occurred February 23, 1852.
Charity Jane was married to Charles Rayhill in 1841, and lived with her husband on a farm three miles east of Mascoutah, where their union was blessed with seven children, who are all still living. Their names, iu the order of their ages, are: Betty A. L., Helen, Leonora, George W., Julia, Lucy, and Charles G. The family moved to Warrensburg, Mo., about the year 1873, where they re- mained until 1879, when they moved to Belleville, Ill., where they now reside. Mr. and Mrs. Rayhill gave their children a good edu- cation, most of them being graduates of institutions of learning of high rank. All the children are married but the youngest.
Sarah was married to William Floyd in 1849. They lived for some time in Bond county, Illinois, on a farm ; afterwards moved to Lebanon, where Mr. Floyd engaged in merchandizing, and at the same time educated his children in the excellent schools of that place. The family was blessed with six children, in the following order : Georgie, Addie, Hattie, Nannie, Henry T. and Ettie. Mr. Floyd moved with his family iu 1873 to Missouri; lived in Sedalia and Warrensburg; afterwards moved to Green Castle, Indiana, where he now lives. He gave his children a good.education, some of them becoming quite proficient in the science of music.
Henry C, the youngest of all the children, after receiving a common-school education, entered Mckendree College in 1847, at the age of fourteen. In 1852, iu his twentieth year, he graduated in the classical course. During the ten succeeding years he was principally engaged in teaching; was principal of the Mascoutah public schools from 1857 to 1862. In 1862 he enlisted in the U.S. Volunteer service, and was mustered in as quartermaster of the 117th Reg. Ill. Vols. Inft., on the 26th day of August of that year. His regiment was attached to the Western Department, whose field of active duty led them through parts of all the southeru states bordering on the Mississippi river. He was discharged July 12, 1865, after the close of the war. He married Lucy C. Power, who resided near Trenton, Clinton county, Ill., December 25, 1855. They have had two children. The first, a daughter, May, died in infancy ; the second, Ella, was born January 16, 1861. The family moved from Mascoutah in 1867 to Warrensburg, Mo., where they now live. Mr. Fike has filled several places of official responsi- bility in his new western home. He was for four years a member of the board of education of the city of Warrensburg, Mo., and is now serving his sixth year as a member of the city council. He is a member and secretary of the board of regents of the State Normal School located at Warrensburg. Mr. Fike, in company with Na- than Land and Moses Land, erected a merchant flour mill in the city of Warrensburg in 1867, which they have continued to operate to the present.
OLD HOMESTEAD IN 1842
REAR VIEW OF RESIDENCE
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STOCK FARM AND RESIDENCE OF WILLIAM PITTS. SURVEY 387, CLAIM 227 T2 S. RTW. FAYETTEVILLE PRECINCT, STCLAIR CO, IL.
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
J. C. WILDERMAN.
PROMINENT among the names of early settlers about the beauti- ful Turkey Hill district will be found that of George Wilderman, father of the subject of this sketch. George Wilderman raised a large family, nine in number, of whom J. C. Wilderman was the eighth in order of birth. This family has furnished some of the best, most energetic and most highly respected citizens of St. Clair county. Their chief occupation has been that of farming, in which calling they have excelled. J. C. Wilderman, or "Cal.," as he is familiarly called by his neighbors and friends, was born June 22d, 1827. At the time the Kickapoo Indians were still camping around the borders of civilization, farmers were making for themselves homes along the water-courses; the prairies were left to their long grasses and bright flowers, so that Mr. Wilder- man has witnessed great changes around the home of his youth. His first teacher in the common schools was William Davis, honored in memory as having been the instructor of many of our representative men of to-day. Here Mr. Wilderman received the rudiments of an education, and in 1852 determined on yet further improving himself, he entered Shurtleff College, at Upper Alton, where he remained but one session. On his return he pursued the work of his life, that of farming, and bought the place where he now lives the same year. He was married to Margaret O. McBride, daughter of William J and Dovey McBride, by Rev. J. H. Holloway, April 22d, 1856, and built a residence on his farm about two miles south of Freeburg. By this marriage there have been born to him six children, five of whom are living. He takes great interest in agricultural affairs, and possesses one of the best cultivated farms in his neighborhood, a farm of three hundred and forty acres in extent, adorned by an elegant home mansion and creditable out-buildings. . He is a stockholder in the St. Clair County Agricultural Society, in whose work he takes pride. Politically Mr. Wilderman is a tried and true Republican. Tried, in that when his party friends thought the interests of his party would be best subserved by his becoming their candidate for the County Commissionership in 1880, in the face of a large democratic majority, he made the race. Despite the vaunted strength of the opposition and their boasted majority of over a thousand votes, he was only defeated by a paltry one hundred and twenty-two votes. True, in that he has remained steadfast to the colors from the or- ganization of the party in 1856, with Fremont as their standard bearer until now. His first ballot was cast for General Taylor, the whig candidate for the Presidency, in 1848, and ever since he has seen no reason for changing front, but believes in being identified with the great party of progress. In educational matters he has ever been active, and repeatedly has served his fellow-citizens as school-director. In religion he is an active member of the Metho- dist Episcopal Church, and takes deep interest in every effort made to extend the usefulness of church or Sunday School. He and his wife have heeded the Macedonian cry, and are members of the Southern Illinois Missionary Society, also of the American Bible Society. Mr. Wilderman can look back over a life well spent, and one whose labors have been crowned with success. Thirty years ago he started out with a clear head and willing hands, to erect a home. He owned not an acre of land ; had, how- ever, means sufficient to give him a start, and grandly has he im- proved that start. Surrounded by an intelligent family, in an elegant home, in the midst of a large and productive farm, he is prepared to enjoy the evening of life in peace and comfort. His oldest son, Hugh H. Wilderman, born January 26th, 1857, was married to Roselle Moore, daughter of Capt. L. W. Moore, Feb. 12th, 1879, and is now living on the farm in which Wilderman
Station stands. He attended his home school, and supplemented the course by attendance at Mckendree College for two years, then at Gem City Business College, Quincy, Illinois, where he graduated in June, 1876. He is a member of the American Bible Society. Although a farmer, his natural field of labor seems to be mechanics, as he is possessed of rare inventive genius. The other children of Mr. Wilderman are William Norris, born April 21st, 1859; Adie, born August 22d, 1861, died March 221, 1873; Julius T., born March 10th, 1864; Emma W., born January 3d, 1868, and Olive E., born July 26th, 1870.
PETER HERMAN, JR.
AMONG the live, wide awake, enterprising business men of Free- burg none deserve better mention than the subject of this sketch. It is men like him that build up the country. In his especial line of business nothing new, possessed of real merit, escapes his atten- tion. A merchant, he keeps up his stock of goods to meet the de- mands of the trade ; a dealer in agricultural implements, he makes himself familiar with their work, and-having been raised on a farm-he well knows the adaptability of each and every class of agricultural machinery he handles to do the work for which it is designed. More merchant or dealer than an agent, he selects the best and keeps it in stock. Peter Herman, Jr., as his name indicates, is of German origin ; was born on Twelve Mile Prairie, abont four miles south of Freeburg, July 24, 1848, where his father yet lives on an extensive and beautiful farm. His advantages for acquiring an education in his earlier youth were meagre, being such as a win- ter sesssion of the public schools afforded. His summers were passed in farm labor. In early manhood his father sent him to the State Normal University, at Normal, Illinois, where he fitted him- self for the profession of teaching, which he followed for five years. As a teacher he succeeded, as his retention so long in the same lo- cality attests. Mercantile business had for him its attractions, and iu 1876 he entered into a co-partnership with Jacob Etling in gene- ral merchandize in Freeburg. The same year he visited the Cen- tennial Exposition at Philadelphia, and returned amazed at the grandeur of his country. He has travelled quite extensively in this country, having visited twenty-eight States and several territories of this Union. His travels have greatly aided his judgment of men, besides rendering him familiar with his native land. He was
united in the bonds of matrimony January 21, 1874, to Margaret Reinheimer, a daughter of Frederick Reinheimer, an old settler and retired farmer, of this county, by whom he has one child, Frederick William Herman, born October 13, 1875. In the year 1880 he bought out his partner's interest in the mercantile business, and has since managed it alone. His specialty is dealing in agricultural implements, which he keeps in great variety. By his business tact and straightforward course he has established himself in this particu- lar branch of trade, and customers rely upon his recommendation of any machinery he offers in the market. After convincing him- self by observation that it was the best he commenced the sale of Osborne's harvesting machines, and now has the great satisfaction of knowing that farmers who have bought of him have realized all he promised in their behalf. In his establishment may be found such standard implements as Buford plows, and, in behalf of the ladies, sewing machines, in stock, in variety to suit. In short, Mr. Herman knows the demands of his home market and spares no pains to meet them. In behalf of every undertaking calculated to benefit his vicinity he enters with the same energy and zeal that characterizes him in the prosecution of his own business; hence, all good public enterprises find in him a friend. In his political
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
faith he is an unswerving democrat, although his participation in politics is confined to voting and giving private counsel. He is known as a man of generous impulses ; has made a successful mer- chant, and is a good representative of the progressive and enterpris- ing men of this county who are of German parentage, and who re- tain the same frugal, industrious habits of that nationality.
JOSEPH P. SMITH.
THE gentleman whose name heads this biography first saw the light of day near Georgetown, March 3d, 1841. His grandfather, John Smith, was a native of Lincoln county, Maine. He brought his fami- ly west to Ohio in 1816, and in 1818 moved them to'this county and settled in the vicinity of Georgetown. The land, then unimproved, he cultivated, and made a farm, and remained there umtil his death. He married in Maine, and had five sons. Benjamin J. Smith is the only surviving son, and Sarah, wife of W. W. John- son, is the only surviving daughter of that marriage. Robert J., the father of Joseph P., was born in Lincoln county, Maine, Nov. 27th, 1814, and was but four years of age when the family came to Illinois. He grew to manhood here, and remained a citizen of the county until his death, which occurred March 21st, 1866. On the 16th of January, 1840, he married Mary McCulley. She was born in St. Clair county, Oct. 22d, 1820, and died Aug. 7th, 1878. Her parents were natives of Virginia, and were also among the early settlers of the state.
By this marriage there were six children, viz., the subject of this sketch, John J., Russell B., Sarah C., Clarinda J. and Mary E. All are living except John J., who died Dec. 26th, 1876. He married Sarah Rittenhouse, and left four children. Russell B. married Margaret E McGuire, and have four children. He is a farmer, and resident of Franklin county, Ills. Sarah C. is the wife of George R. Tate, a farmer of St. Clair county, and have five children, one son and four daughters. Clarinda J. is the wife of T. O. Holcomb, a merchant of Oakley, Macon county, IlIs. They have two sons and one daughter. Mary E. is unmarried, and a resident with Mr. Holcomb.
The subject of this sketch is the oldest of the children. He was raised upon the farm, and attended the public schools of his neigh- borhood, and their received a good English education. In his youth he was in ill health, and was physically unable to do hard work, and therefore commenced at an early age to teach school. He taught for nine winters successively. His health improving he abandoned teaching and resumed farming. He remained at home until 1869, when he removed to a farm near Freeburg, in this county, and commenced farming on shares. In 1873 he purchased the farm on which he now lives, and has made that liis home to the present. On the 9th of September, 1869, he married Miss Ellen E. Adams. She was born near Freeburg, St. Clair county, and there died Nov. 1, 1873. There was one child by this marriage, that died in in- fancy. On the 4th of January, 1876, he married Miss Ruth M. Chesney, his present wife. She was born in St. Clair county, Oct. 14, 1856. By this union there were three children. The eldest, Delphia Eloise, was born September 28, 1876, and died August 17, 1877. Glenn Rollin, born April 9, 1878, and Vinta Blanche, the youngest, was born April 12, 1880. Mr. Smith is one of the substantial farmers and good citizens of St. Clair county.
CHARLES BECKER
WAS born in Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, June 27th, 1848. His father was a teacher, and what is remarkable to those in this coun-
try, where teachers are drifting here and there, is the fact that he occupied the same room for forty-eight years, teaching the boys of more than half a century ago, in turn their sons, and yet again their son's sons. The subject of this sketch visited the Gymnasium from the age of twelve to nineteen, where he studied Latin, Greek, French and Mathematics. In 1873 he came to America, landing in New York city, May 10th, of that year; thence to Beaucoup, Washington county, Illinois, where he visited friends ; thence to Freeburg, where he became Principal of the Catholic school, a situ- ation for which his European training had eminently fitted him, and which he held from October 1st, 1873, until February, 1880, when he became Clerk in Reichert's mills, a position he yet holds.
Mr. Becker was married to Catharine Reichert, an accomplished daughter of Joseph Reichert, in May 1875; Rev. A. Wirtschoreck officiating. By this union there have been born three children. In 1880 Mr. Becker met with an accident, whilst in attendance upon the Millers' International Exhibition at Cincinnati, which once bade fair to terminate fatally. Whilst looking for friends he had occasion to pass by the engine, which he did just at the mo- ment when an elbow of cast iron, a part of the main pipe, bursted. Flying fragments injured him severely. He was taken up for dead, carried to the Hospital, where he lay quite helpless for four weeks, when he was brought home. He is Director of the Free- burg Saengerbund; a young man of great energy and promise.
FREDERICK KOEBERLIN, M. D.
THE subject of this sketch was born in the village of Grænen- bach, Bavaria, Germany, June 21st, 1831. His father was a Lutheran minister. He acquired the rudiments of an education in the common schools of Germany, which he attended until the age of eleven years, when he was sent to the Gymnasium. At the age of 21, he entered the Univerty of Munich, where he obtained a classical education. He came to America in 1854, landed at New York, and first made his way to a brother in Pennsylvania, a Lutheran minister, thence to St. Louis, Mo., where he attended Pope's Medical college, and graduated in 1858. After gra- duating he located in Freeburg, and entered upon the practice of his profession, in which he has met deserved success. He was mar- ried to Rosa Ochs, a daughter of one of the early German settlers, of St. Clair county, October 15, 1860. He has by this union four children living. In politics the doctor is an ardent, unswerving republican. He has served his fellow citizens several years as Pre- sident of the Board of Trustees of the village of Freeburg, and has been a moving spirit in all public enterprises, notably the Singing and Literary Association, of which he is now president. The doctor takes great pride in literature and in his profession. In his library are some rare works, which are his delight. In society he is af- fable, and courteous, hence has hosts of friends. Professionally he is careful, zealous, and ever vigilant in answering the calls of duty.
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