USA > Illinois > Vermilion County > History of Vermilion County, together with historic notes on the Northwest, gleaned from early authors, old maps and manuscripts, private and official correspondence, and other authentic, though, for the most part, out-of-the-way sources > Part 107
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W. H. Price, Pilot, farmer, came to Vermilion county when young. He was born in Ohio on the 4th of July, 1827. He reached Illinois in 1830. His father's family came to two miles north of Danville. Here the son stayed till he was sixteen years old. At that time he be- gan life for himself, with nothing but his ability to start on. He worked out three years. He remained in the neighborhood of State Line till twenty-three years old. He was married in January, 1850, to Mary A. Cazzatt. He moved to where he now lives in Pilot township, in the spring of 1852. He bought two hundred acres of land when nineteen years old, and paid for it by working at nine dollars per month. He now has six hundred and forty acres. He has five chil- dren. He is a member of the M. E. church, and of the A.F. & A.M.
"Uncle Eli," as Eli Helmick, retired farmer and minister, is known all over the country, is one of the few remaining old settlers who came here at a very early day, and yet was old enough to have quite a family when he came. He was born in Randolph county, Virginia, on the 4th of August, 1802. His father, Jacob Helmick, was in the war of 1812. The family had moved to Warren county, Ohio, in 1805. Jacob Hel- mick died there in 1815. While his father was in the war, Eli thought
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to go ahead with the work, and in making a wooden wedge for the purpose of rail-splitting, he cut off his thumb with the ax. He lived in Warren county from 1805 till 1819, and in Clinton from 1819 till 1833. In 1830 Mr. Helmick and old Mr. Freeman Smalley, whom the old settlers will remember, came to Illinois on horseback. They traveled all over this country, and would have moved the next year had not the threatening Indian troubles kept them back. But when things quieted down after the war of 1832, they began fixing up for the journey. They reached Vermilion county in 1833. They first stopped two and a half miles east of where Homer now is. Mr. Hel- mick hauled the first load of goods that ever went to Homer, in 1834. He stayed on this place till 1836, and then came to the east side of Pilot township, where he has lived ever since (residence first in section 20, town 20 north, range 12 west ; residence now in section 13). When he first came to Pilot he bought six hundred acres of land, but has sold off and given to his children till he now owns three hundred and thirty- eight acres -two hundred and forty prairie, and ninety-eight timber. On the 28th of July, 1825, Mr. Helmick was married to Rachel Villars. They had nine children, eight of whom lived to be grown. Four of these are now living. His son George was in the Ill. Vol. Inf., 21st Reg. He went out with the first three-years men. He was in Grant's regiment. George took sick at Iron Mountain and came home and died on the 28th of March, 1862. Eli R., a younger son, volunteered in August, 1861, and went with his regiment (35th) to Otterville, where he died on the 7th of October, 1861. These sons were both buried in Mt. Pleasant cemetery. Thomas A. was also in the army, but he returned. John W. is a traveling minister in the Illinois Con- ference M. E. church. Thomas A. was also a minister, but died in August, 1877, in Kansas. Eli Helmick was married a second time on the 8th of February, 1848, to Amanda Oakwood, daughter of Henry Oakwood. They had three children. Amanda died on the 19th of January, 1875. His first wife had died on the 7th of March, 1846. "Uncle Eli" has been a member of the M. E. church for fifty-seven years. He was ordained local deacon in the M. E. church on the 22d of October, 1843, by Bishop Andrews, at Crawfordsville, Indiana. He was ordained elder at Decatur, Illinois, on the 4th of October, 1857. He now has charge of the Pilot circuit. He was elected supervisor from Pilot township to fill vacancy made vacant by Samuel Partlow. He was thus second supervisor from the township, and continued in the office for a number of terms. He is now growing old, but is vig- orous and hearty for one in his seventy-seventh year, he spending
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his time preaching, thus being ready for the Master when he declares the harvest ended and the work done.
Matthew Laflen, Pilot, farmer, is one of the oldest settlers of this township now living. He was born in Monroe county, Ohio, on the 13th of September, 1816. He stayed in Ohio till fourteen years old, and then came to Indiana in 1830. He then came to Vermilion county, Indiana, in 1832. He remained in that place two years and then came over to Illinois in 1834, to two and a half miles east of Danville. He remained there till 1843, when he came to where he now lives, town 20, range 13, section 13. He then bought one hundred and ten acres of land, now he has four hundred and fifty acres. He was married to Eliza J. Lamm in 1836. She is a daughter of Edward Lamm. She is the mother of twelve children, all of whom are living. They had two sons in the late war. Amos W. was in the 125th, and William A. was in the 4th Iowa under Col. Dodge. He was in the Pea Ridge fight, but went into invalid corps ; was discharged and enlisted again. Amos W. went through with the 125th. Matthew Laflen has been a member of the M. E. church since 1833.
Andrew J. Michael, Pilot, was born in this county on the 30th of December, 1834, at New Town. His father is Robert Michael. He came to this county in October, 1834. Mr. Michael was brought up on a farm near the place of his birth. In 1856 he began for himself. In 1859 he went to the gold mines in Colorado. He broke prairie previously with ox-teams for five years. His health had failed, and the western trip restored it. He came back in 1860. He went to farming where he now is in 1863. He married the widow of Joseph English, of the 25th Ill. Vol. Inf. They have five children. Mr. Michael has made all his wealth since 1856. He owns two hundred and fifteen acres of land, which is clear of incumbrances of all kinds.
John Cramer, deceased, was born in Virginia on the 22d of March, 1815. He moved first to West Virginia, and then to Ohio. From Ohio he came to Illinois in 1835, and settled about five miles north- west of Danville. In 1836 he married Malinda Lewman, daughter of Aaron Lewman, who came to Illinois from Kentucky in 1827. After their marriage they lived in different parts of the same neighborhood, till he bought land near the West Lebanon church. They remained at this place till 1857, when they moved to the prairie, in Pilot township, where they bought one hundred and sixty acres of land, and where the family still live. Mr. Cramer died on the 8th of November, 1865. He left a wife and six children. He was a member of the M. E. church for more than twenty years.
The Vinsons are a well-known and much respected people in the
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western part of Vermilion county. John E., farmer and minister, was born in Kentucky on the 10th of November, 1823. His father, Hen- son Vinson, sen., was one of the earliest settlers of Parke county, In- diana, having reached that state in 1828. Mr. Vinson, sen., came with his family to Middle Fork in 1837. John E. grew to manhood on his father's farm, southwest of New Town. On the 12th of June, 1844, he married Elizabeth E. Trimmell, daughter of William Trimmell, sen. She was born half a mile north of New Town. They moved, first, to the east side of Pilot township, and staid there three years. They then moved to their present home farm on the highlands of Pilot township. Here they were alone in the prairie for some time. Mr. Vinson first bought land here in 1845. The home place has four hun- dred acres. Besides this, he owns land in Kansas and some other land in this state. Mr. Vinson has been a member of the M. E. church for forty-one years. He has been a local minister for twenty-two years. In 1853 he was elected justice of the peace, and served in that capacity for twenty years. Mr. Vinson went out with the 125th in Co. I, as first lientenant, his brother, Levin Vinson, being captain. He remained with the regiment till they reached Nashville. He was taken sick just after the Perryville fight. He resigned his commission in January, 1863, and came home. He was sick for some time, but recovered in time to recruit a new company in the spring of 1863. Mr. Vinson started out as captain of this company, but gave it up in order to hasten the organization of the company, and took the first lieutenancy again. They were mustered in at Mattoon. They were now in com- pany I, 135th. Their service was mostly in Missouri. They went out as one hundred-day men, and were mustered out in the fall of 1863.
Martin H. Watson, Fithian, farmer, is a native of the county. He was born on the 6th of May, 1840. His father, John R. Watson, of Danville, came to the county at a very early date. Martin was born on the farm three miles north of Danville; he grew to manhood on that farm. On the 3d of April, 1860, he married Martha A. Cunning- ham, and moved to Pilot township the same year. They have eight children. Mr. W. owns three hundred and sixty acres of land, lying in a square on the southwest corner of section 24, T. 20 N., R. 14 W. They have lived on this place since 1860. Mr. W. is a member of the regular Predestinarian Baptist church.
Matthew Barkman, Higginsville, farmer, resides on section 1, T. 20, R. 13, where he owns one hundred and seventy-five acres of land. He came to this place twenty-five years ago, and has been living here ever since. He was born in Licking county, Ohio, on the 16th of April, 1824. He remained there till he was eighteen years old, and then
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came to Pilot township, this county; this was in 1842. Mr. Bark- man married Ruamia Juvenal, a daughter of one of the first settlers here, in 1847. Mr. B's early advantages were very limited, but he has by energy and perseverance gained a competency.
George Watson, Hope, farmer, is another of those whose parents came to Vermilion in the earliest days of pioneer settlement. George was born in this county on the 27th of February, 1844, in Newell township. He lived there till he was twenty-three years old. He moved to Pilot township in the fall of 1867. He has three hundred and eighty-two and a-half acres of land and is in good condition. He married Rebecca J. Olehy, daughter of John Olehy, on the 30th of July, 1865. They have four children living.
Few grown men have been in Pilot township longer than W. R. Furrow, of Potomac, and but few can show as good a record of success under difficulties. He was born in Madison county, Ohio, on the 9th of May, 1826. He stayed there till eighteen years old. He went to school till his father died, and then he had to work out. His mother was left a widow with five children. She settled on Knight's Branch in 1844. Mr. F. says that next season would have seen them in Ohio, but they were too poor to go back. At one time he walked to Indian- apolis ; he also went to Arkansas, but didn't stay. He married Ava- rilla Bailey, daughter of Henry Bailey, in 1850. He moved to his present residence in 1865. They have four children. Mr. F. has two hundred and forty acres of land which he puts mostly to grass, and pastures it. He is a member of the Knight's Branch church of United Brethren.
Dr. Samuel H. Vredenburgh, Higginsville, physician, is one of the oldest practitioners in this part of the county. He was born in Indi- ana on the 3d of September, 1820. His father was a Methodist preacher, and the Doctor began life as a teacher. He followed this profession five years, and then changed off to the practice of medicine. He began the latter at the age of twenty-six years. He came to Illinois in June, 1846, and began the practice of medicine in New Town. He has since remained in this part of the county, running a farming business and practicing medicine. He belongs to the old school of allopathic practice and has been quite successful in life. He still superintends his farm and waits upon the afflicted.
John Cessna, Hope, farmer, is a native of Ohio. He was born on the 29th of June, 1833. He lived there three years, and then moved to near Toledo. The family then moved to Cairo, this state. At this time there were only three houses in Cairo. His father died there. He then went to Ohio and stayed till he came to this county, in the
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fall of 1848. His mother had married again, and he came with the family. He remained in Blount township till twenty-four years old, and then went to California. He was on a ranch there two years. He came back in January, 1860, having had a profitable trip. He was married on the 12th of July, 1862, to Ann R. Truax. She died in January, 1876. They have five children. On the 14th of June, 1877, Mr. Cessna married Nancy J. Reed. They have one child. Mr. C. bought first one hundred and twenty acres of land here, but has in- creased it to two hundred and twenty.
Nathan Smoot, Pilot, farmer, was born in Ohio, on the 31st of March, 1840. He came to this county in 1849, with his parents. They stopped first in section 13, town 20, range 13. His father bought one hundred and eighty-seven acres of land here. Nathan now has one hundred and sixty. He was married on the 12th of October, 1871, to Minnie Michener. He was in the 125th Reg., Co. I, under Capt. Vin- son. He was with the regiment at all times, except when he had the measles, at Bowling Green, Kentucky. He was then away from the regiment only one month. Otherwise he was in all the actions of the 125th, and was mustered out with it at Washington. He is now com- missioner of highways in Pilot township; was elected in April, 1877. He has been assessor five years and collector one year. He was also town clerk for five years.
J. C. Mosier, Pilot, farmer, lives in the east side of Pilot. His father's name was Solomon Mosier, who was born in Virginia, on the 15th of September, 1796. Solomon lived in Virginia till the war of 1812. He was in the latter part of this war. He came to Ohio in 1818, and from Ohio to Indiana in 1836. He came to Pilot and bought his home in 1848, and moved in 1849. He had five children. He died on the 1st of April, 1871. J. C. was elected justice of the peace in 1874, and has been since. The Mosiers are noted for their intelligence, talent and general information. The father was particularly noted in the neighborhood as being well "posted."
Clapp Sumner, Pilot, farmer, a Yankee by birth and training, has become thoroughly westernized. He was born in Corinth, Orange county, Vermont, on the 19th of November, 1831. He remained there till twenty-one years old. He came to Vermilion in July, 1852. He worked at the carpenter trade for two years, after first coming to Dan- ville. He came out to Pilot township in 1854. He owns forty acres of land in section 13, town 20, range 13. He has lived in this part of the township since 1854. He married Mary Smoot in the spring of 1854. They have five children. Mr. Sumner was one of the charter members of the New Town A.F. & A.M. He was special deputy under
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Myers and Gregory for a number of years. He has been constable some time.
J. K. Butz, Hope, farmer, is the elegant man of the township. He would take the premium for taste in fixing up his residence, and for neat farming, too, perhaps. He was born in New Jersey, on the 17th of September, 1835. He came with his father's family to Macon county in 1852. He then came to Vermilion county in 1854. He married Rebecca Tillotson in 1859. They have six children. They moved to the place where they now live in 1861. They have four hundred acres there. They began on wild prairie, and now have one of the finest farms in the state of Illinois. He keeps his place mostly in grass, and raises stock. He has a great number of trees of different kinds on his place, both fruit and forest trees. He is an active mem- ber of the Christian church, and by his efforts it has gained a good footing in his neighborhood.
J. P. Tevebaugh, Pilot, farmer, is a native of Virginia. He was born in Hardy county on the 1st of July, 1835. At the age of twenty he came with his parents to Illinois and settled on Middle Fork, near Higginsville. He has remained in this part of Vermilion county ever since that time. In 1858 he was married to Catharine McScott, daugh- ter of Charles McScott, of Pilot township. In 1867 they moved to the south side of Pilot township, where Mr. Tevebaugh bought eighty acres of prairie. They have remained here; have improved the wild prairies, bought more land, and become independent. Mr. Tevebaugh is a member of the New Town lodge of A.F. & A.M., and has belonged to the horse company for twenty years.
Newell E. Rice, Hope, farmer, was born in Alleghany county, New York, on the 22d of December, 1823. His father was a farmer, and taught his boy to be skillful in the art. Mr. Rice lived in New York till the 27th of August, 1855, when he started for Illinois. He stopped in Danville in 1856. He went up to Will county, but came back and began making ties on the T. W. & W. R. R. He first farmed on the Spencer farm. He was here one year, and then went to Warren county, Indiana, and staid two years. He then staid one year on the Neal farm, and then went to southeast of Catlin and remained two years, and came to the west side of Pilot on the 11th of April, 1866. He has remained here ever since. He married Vilinda B. Hartley in 1861. She died on the 29th of June, 1873. They had two sons. Mr. Rice is a member of the A.F. & A.M.
Jacob A. Freese, Hope, farmer and shepherd, is noted for his fine sheep. He has over two hundred American Merino. His main ram that he had a short time ago yielded fifteen pounds of wool at one
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year old, and when two and three years he gave twenty-three pounds. He also has a fine ewe that yields sixteen pounds every year. Quite a number yield ten pounds apiece on the average. He now has a fine lamb, a few weeks old, worth $25. Mr. Freese came to Illinois from Ohio, where he was born, in 1836. He came, in 1856, to five miles west of Danville, and then to near Catlin, in 1862. In 1869 he came to his present residence on section 11, T. 20, R. 14. He owns half of a section here. He was married in 1867 to Lisle Fleming, of Muskin- gum county, Ohio. They have four children -two sons and two daughters. Mr. Freese is a member of the New Town Lodge of A.F. & A.M.
E. B. Tillotson, Hope, farmer, is one of those men that you often hear of when in their neighborhood, both on account of his public spirit and his integrity as a man. He was born in New York on the 28th of December, 1811. He lived there only two years, and then came to Hamilton county, Ohio. Here he remained fourteen years, and removed to Warren county, Indiana, in 1825. His parents both lived and died in Warren county, Indiana. Here Mr. Tillotson re- mained until January, 1856, when he came to section 31, T. 21, R. 13, where he has since remained. He bought government land here then. It was comparatively cheap. He was married in 1833 to Mary Cronk- hite. They have reared nine children. Mr. T. is a prominent member of the Christian church. By his industry he has made a competency and the desert to blossom as the rose.
Charles W. Keeslar, Pilot, farmer, president of the board of su- pervisors, deserves an extensive notice, but as we have not sufficient data, we must content ourselves with a bare outline. Mr. Keeslar was born in New York on the 13th of January, 1835. He went to Branch county, Michigan, in 1837, and there he remained till 1858. At this time he came to Danville. Fourteen years ago he came to the farm where he now lives. In October, 1860, he married Sarah Snyder. They have three children. Mr. Keeslar is now serving his uinth term in the supervisor's court, and is president of the same. Township offices have been put on him quite frequently, having always had the pleasure of holding some kind of an office. He is a member of the Christian church, and of the New Town Lodge of A.F. & A.M. He was one of the charter members of the last. He is also anxious that it be known that he is a temperance man, and will not support anyone who indulges.
Lonzo Campbell, deceased, was a native of New York state. He was born near Adamsville on the 3d of June, 1824. Mr. Campbell came first to Cook county, and lived there a while. He came to Ver-
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HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY.
milion county in 1859. He lived on his farm in Pilot township until his death on the 22d of July, 1871. His widow carries on the farm of two hundred and forty acres, raising cattle and hogs, and conducting other farming interests with a great deal of skill. In 1877 she built a very pretty residence at a cost of $1,000. She has only one child, a daughter fifteen years old. She has one of the most attractive resi- dences in the township.
Still clinging to life at a good old age, we found Anthony Long, on the extreme border of the county. He was born in Pennsylvania, near Harrisburg, on the 5th of April, 1805. He lived there about twenty-one years. He began the carpenter's trade at seventeen. He lived in various parts of Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio till 1851, when he went to California. He went overland, and came back by sea. He worked part of the time in the mines and part at his trade. He went back to Ohio and staid till 1863, when he came to this county. He has one hundred and twenty acres of land here. He was married twice, and had six children by his first wife and three by the second. Those that are living are scattered abroad in different parts of the Union. Mr. Long has been a member of the M. E. church for a long time.
Thomas Collison, Hope, farmer, is a native of England, having been born in the county of Kent on the 12th of April, 1836. He was farmer, and his father was farmer and huckster there. He was married in April, 1849, and set sail for America the same spring. He went to Oneida after landing at Long Island; from Oneida to Buffalo, and then to Cincinnati in 1851. He went to Bartholomew county in 1853. In 1864 he came to Danville, and remained six years, and then came to the west end of Pilot. He bought two hundred and forty acres where he now lives in 1869. He has seven children living. Mr. Col- lison was a member of the Independents in England, but belongs to the Christians here. Mr. Collison had only five shillings when he landed in New York. His ancestors were wealthy, but were cheated out of the property on the death of his grandfather.
Samuel Freese, Hope, farmer and dealer in fine stock, is one of the neat farmers. He is not so extensive a dealer as some men in Pilot, but he maintains that all that he handles is his own. He is a native of Licking county, Ohio, born in 1832. He remained in his native state till 1865, when he came to this county. He staid near Catlin seven years, and then went to Danville and remained two years, and then came to the southwest of Pilot township and bought eighty acres of land. Mr. Freese has been dealing in American merino sheep. He has taken the prizes in nearly all the fairs in this part of the country.
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He also keeps fine horses and cattle. His aim is to stock up his place with thoroughbreds of all stock. He married Mary E. Evans in 1857. They have six children. Mr. F. is a member of the A.F. & A.M., and also of the M. E. church.
Dennis S. Blew, Hope, farmer, was born in Champaign county, Ohio, on the 6th of November, 1833. He was reared on his father's farm in that county. He remained in that part of Ohio till April, 1866, when he came to section 10, range 14, town 20. They bought the place in 1877. Mr. Blew was married in Ohio, in 1856, to Lucy Helmer. They have five children. Van is the oldest, then come Henry H., Abraham H., Jesse J. and Cora A. Mr. Blew is laboring under a chronic attack of disease that has made him unable to work for several years.
Jacob V. Ludwig, Pilot, farmer, is a young farmer with flattering prospects. He occupies one of the most desirable situations in the county. He was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, on the 13th of November, 1853. He came to this county in 1867. His father came with his two sons and bought four hundred and eighty-six acres of land. There are two hundred and forty acres in the farm that J. V. occupies. He was married on the 20th of November, 1875, to Char- lotte G. Stevens. They have two children. Mr. L. is a member of the New Town Lodge of A.F. & A.M.
Ezra Harrison, Hope, merchant, was born in Chautauqua county, New York, on the 24th of September, 1848. He was reared on a farm. He remained a farmer till "of age." He came to this county in 1867. He came to Danville first. His parents reside in this town- ship on a farm. Ezra began merchandising at Hope post-office, in March, 1878. He has done a good business for a country store. He remains in single blessedness, notwithstanding he is the only successful merchant and consequently the most desirable man in a large scope of territory.
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