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 77
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Frederick Jones, Catlin, dry-goods, was born in London, England, on the 28th of May, 1844, and came with a colony of twenty-four per- sons to this county in 1849, and settled at Butler's Point. The family consisted of seven children : Arthur, Richard (now deceased), Sarah E., Eliza, Emily, Louisa and our subject. Mr. Jones was united in marriage on the 5th of December, 1866, to Miss Harriet A. Dickinson, who was born in England on the 28th of December, 1847. By this union they have seven children : James, Emma, Richard, Harriet A., Sarah, Frederick and Elizabeth.
Arthur Jones, Catlin. merchant, was born in London, England, on the 14th of July, 1848, and came to this county in 1849, and located at Brooke's Point (now Catlin), where he has resided ever since. On the 22d of January, 1871, he married Miss Emma Dickinson, who was born in England on the 25th of December, 1852. They are the parents of four children, of whom only two are living: Edward A.,
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William H. The names of the deceased are Cora M. and Nettie B. Jones Bros. are honest, energetic, and courteous to their many ens- tomers, and have gained a wide circle of friends.
Thomas Church, Catlin, section 35, son of Henry and Sophia Church, was born in London, England, on the 7th of September, 1838. He came to America with his mother and two sisters: Jane, wife of F. Champion, and Sarah, wife of Henry Lloyde, in 1850. His father came in 1849, and settled three miles south of Catlin, where they resided until 1855, and then removed to Catlin, where they remained. His father died in 1859, and his mother in 1874. Thomas Church was united in marriage on the 6th of May, 1861, to Miss Louisa Jones, daughter of Henry and Sarah Jones, who were among the early set- tlers of the county. By this union they have four daughters and two sons: Sophia L., Herbert A., Ellen E., Ada E., Frederic H. and Sarah A. Mr. Church is a member of the A.F. & A.M., Catlin Lodge, No. 285, and he and his wife are members of the M. E. church.
Thomas Williams, Catlin, farmer, section 28, was born in the county of Cornwall, England, on the Sth of February, 1804, and came with his parents, William and Loveday Williams, to Federal City, D.C., in 1820, where his mother died in September of 1821. His father and the family, consisting of nine children, came to Dearborn county, Indiana, in 1822, where they were among the early settlers. His father remained there until his death, 1849. Mr. Williams has been thrice married : his first wife was Miss Panlina Pate, married on the 19th of March, 1826; born in Dearborn county, Indiana, on the 17th of July, 1808, and died on the 7th of November, 1850. His second wife was Mrs. Katharine Pate. They were married on the 14th of February, 1851. She was born in North Carolina, on the 6th of April, 1799, and died on the 17th of June, 1862. His third marriage was to Mrs. Mar- garet Patterson (formerly Miss Fruits), on the 27th of October, 1862. She is a native of Indiana, born on the 8th of Jannary, 1817. Mr. Williams has six daughters by his first wife: Jane, wife of S. Lewis; Loveday, wife of W. S. Pate; Paulina, wife of J. Thomas; Catharine W., wife of deceased H. Ludington ; Mary E., wife of F. Burroughs ; Grace, wife of William Cole. There are six deceased : Rachel, Will- iam, Elizabeth, Phœbe A., George A., Emily. Mr. Williams came to Vermilion county in 1851, and settled where he now resides. He owns three hundred and fifty-one acres of land, of which he has improved two hundred acres.
Frederic Tarrant, Catlin, groceries and provisions, was born in Berk- shire, England, on the 15th of May, 1824. He came to Catlin, Ver- milion county, Illinois, in 1853, and here has made his home ever since.
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He was united in marriage to Mrs. Eliza Brown, formerly Miss Jones. By this union they have had nine children, six of whom are living: Sarah L .. now Mrs. C. P. Williams; Miriam W., Arthur H., Jessie B., Thomas A., Alice B. The names of the deceased are Frederic R., Helen E. and Elsie K. Mrs. Tarrant has one child by her former hns- band: Emily E., now Mrs. James E. White. Mr. T. is a member of the A.F. & A.M., of Catlin, No. 285, and he and his wife are members of the M. E. church. Came to Catlin as one of the first settlers.
S. W. Barker, Fairmount, farmer, was born in what was then known as Hardy county, Virginia, on the 5th of January, 1816. His father died when he was two and a half years of age, when he and his mother moved to Fayette county, Ohio, and while there he married Amanda Ocultree, in 1840. She is a native of that county, and was born in 1822. He removed to Koscinsko county, Indiana, and remained seven vears, and in 1853 came to Vermilion county, which has been his home ever since. He has a family of three children : Amos B., Luther L. and Mary. One of the children died : Orange B. Mr. Barker and his wife have been constant members of the M. E. church for many years.
George Hoyles, Catlin, farmer, section 15, is the son of Jacob and Sarah Hoyles, who were natives of Pennsylvania. G. Hoyles was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, in 1830, and came to Ver- milion county in 1853. On the 22d of February, 1854, he married Mrs. Mary J. Guyman, daughter of Isaac Sandusky, who was an early settler of this county. She was born in the county on the 29th of February, 1829. Her parents brought the first stove in the county. Mr. Hoyle lived in the house in which the first court ever convened in this county was held. Here he remained abont twenty-three years, bnt at the present time he has a fine residence. He is a member of the A.F. & A.M., also a Royal Arch Mason of Vermilion Chapter, No. 82. He has one daughter, Agnes O., and three children deceased : Euphas J., Morning and George. Mr. H. has been hard working and ener- getie, and at present owns eight hundred acres of fine farming land in the county.
Charles Gones, Catlin, farmer, son of Michael and Polly Gones, was born in what was then known as Hardy county, Virginia, on the Sth of August, 1818. He went with his parents to Clark county, Ohio. in 1832, and then to Madison county, where he was united in marriage on the 22d of February, 1844, to Miss Elizabeth Price, daughter of John and Elizabeth Price. She was born in Ross county, Ohio, on the 6th of April, 1825. By their union they have been blessed with six children : Mary J., the wife of Jacob Sandowsky, Thomas, John, Sa- rine, now Mrs. Bentley, Charles H. and Hannah, now Mrs. Hoges.
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Mr. Gones came to Vermilion county in 1854 and settled where he now resides. He is a member of the A.F. & A.M., Catlin Lodge, No. 285.
William McBroom, Fairmount, section 35, was born in Kentucky on the 22d of April, 1815. In 1827 he came with his parents to Crawfordsville, Indiana, where they were among the early settlers. They resided there four years, and then removed to New Richmond, in the same state, where they remained until his father's death in 1841. His mother went to Nebraska, where she remained until her death. Mr. McBroom has been thrice married. His first wife was Miss Rhoda A. Stover, and they were married in 1833; she died the same year. His second marriage was to Elizabeth Boyd, daughter of Joseph Hanks, in 1839; she was born in Ohio on the 16th of January, 1816, and died in 1849. Mr. McBroom married again in 1851, this time to Mrs. Emily Snyder, daughter of Judge Allen. She was born in Ken- tucky, in 1818. Mr. McBroom is the father of two children by his second wife: John and Joseph ; and by his present wife four : Alfred, Josephine, now wife of R. R. Shephard, William Jester and John. Mr. McBroom came to Vermilion county on the 28th of October, 1854, and settled where he now resides.
John Harvey, Catlin, section 22, business at present, farming and stock-raising, was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, on the 21st of April, 1830, where he remained until he was nineteen years of age. He then came to Tippecanoe county, Indiana, where he was united in marriage, on the 22d of December, 1851, to Miss Margaret A. Taylor, daughter of Thomas A. and Ivea Taylor. She was born in Lafayette, Indiana, on the 7th of July, 1831. By this union they have been blessed with one daughter: Ellen T .; and by adoption they have one son : Frederick "M. Mr. Harvey's father was in the war of 1812. Mr. and Mrs. Harvey have been long united with the C. P. church.
W. S. Pate, Catlin, section 21, was born in Ripley county, Indi- ana, on the 24th of March, 1286. His parents were natives of Vir- ginia ; they came to Dearborn county, Indiana, in an early day, and remained there until their death. His father, Jeremiah Pate, died on the Sth of July, 1852, and his mother, Martha A., died in 1836. Mr. Pate was united in marriage on the 14th of September, 1852, to Miss Loveday A. Williams, daughter of Thomas and Paulina Williams. She was born in Ripley county, Indiana, on the 11th of January, 1829. They have two sons and one daughter : Rebecca J., Thomas and George A. Four of their children are dead : Paulina E., Mary D., Ohioselestie and Martha A. Mr. Pate came to Vermilion
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HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY.
county in 1855, and settled where he now resides. He served in the Mexican war two years, was at the battle of Cerro Gordo, National Bridge, Pueblo, and at the City of Mexico. He is a member of the I.O.O.F., Catlin Lodge, No. 538. His father served in the war of 1812. Mr. Pate and his wife are constant members of the M. E. church.
W. R. Nesbitt, Catlin, farmer, was born in Washington county, Ohio, in 1830, and removed to Gallia county, Ohio, in 1837, where his mother, Mary, died. Mr. Nesbitt was married in 1853, to Miss Eliza- beth Dye, a native of Gallia county, Ohio. She was born in 1832. Mr. Nesbitt came to Vermilion county in 1855, and has been farming and dealing in stock. He came to the county without anything, and by his own industry owns two hundred and twenty acres of fine im- proved land, and has raised a family of six sons and one daughter: Daniel, Robert C., Areus F., Mary E., Charles E., John W. and Ed- ward A.
Joseph Wherry, Catlin. farmer, was born in Mason county, Ken- tucky, on the 24th of February, 1819, and came to McLean county, Illinois, in 1853. He has been twice married. His former wife was Harriet Barclay, and they were married in 1838, and she died in 1861. His second marriage was to Alcy Burroughs, in 1863. He has two children by his former wife : William S. and John ; and by his present wife : Ida, Hannah, Mary J., wife of W. Cook, and Arminta, wife of R. Downing. Mr. and Mrs. Wherry are members of the C. P. church. She was born in Brown county, Ohio, on the 20th of May, 1829, and came to this county in 1833.
Albert Voorhes, Fairmount, farmer, is a son of Andrew W. and Mary Voorhes, and was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, on the 26th of December, 1833. He came to Edgar county, Illinois, in 1856, where he remained about three years. He then removed to Ver- milion county, where he has made a permanent liome. On the 2d of September, 1855, he was united in the bonds of matrimony with Miss Sarah J. Baker. She is a native of Washington county, Pennsylvania, and was born on the 19th of December, 1839. The result of their union is a family of seven children living, and one dead. The living are : Samuel W., C. L., Linie I., Dillie J., Florence B., Henry, Kim- brough E. Mr. Voorhes came to this country without any means, and by industry has provided a good home for his family. He and wife are members of the C. P. church.
W. J. Brinckley, Catlin, principal of school, was born in Sussex county, Delaware, on the 9th of March, 1835, where he received his early education, and followed teaching school for some time. In 1856 he came to Vermilion county and located in Catlin, and has been
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engaged as principal of the Catlin schools. Mr. Brinckley served three years in the rebellion, in Co. D, 125th Ill. Vol. Inf., serving in that regiment eighteen months, then serving as ordnance sergeant in the second division, 14th Army Corps, until the close of the war. Mr. Brinekley attended Rush Medical College during the term of 1873-4. The only brother Mr. Brinkley had that lived to be a man served in Co. C, 25th Ill. Vol. Inf., and died while in the army. In 1856 Mr. Brinckley was joined in marriage to Miss Mary A. Bradway, a native of Salem county, New Jersey. She was born on the 12th of June, 1838. They are the parents of one son, William J. Mr. and Mrs. Brinekley are members of the M. E. church, and in politics M. Brinck- ley is a republican.
J. M. Crutchley, Catlin, was born in Northumberland county, Penn- sylvania, on the 22d of May, 1836, and, about the year 1844, came with his grandparents to Hendricks connty, Indiana, where he remained until 1857. He then removed to Vermilion county, Illinois, where he engaged in farming and coal mining until 1874. Since then he has been in the mercantile business, being connected with the firm now known as Payne & Crutchley. Mr. Crutchley served in the rebellion, in Co. A, 70th Reg. Ill. Vol. Inf., serving his time out in that regiment. He reënlisted in 1864 in the 135th Ill. Vol. Inf., and served his time out in that regiment. He was united in marriage on the 29th of July, 1859, to Miss Cynthia Tanner, a native of White county, Indiana, born on the 9th of July, 1837. Mr. Crutchley is a member of the A.F. & A.M., Catlin Lodge, No. 285.
J. F. Crosby, Catlin, insurance agent, was born in Shelby county, Indiana, on the 6th of December, 1834, and came west, locating in Catlin, Vermilion county, in 1857. His parents also came to this county. His father, Joseph, served in the late war, and resided in the county until his death in 1866. His mother, Mary, died soon after they came to this county. Mr. Crosby served in the late rebellion, in Co. K, 125th Ill. Vol. Inf., as second lieutenant. He served one year and then resigned. On the 23d of October, 1873, he was married to Miss Louisa Olmsted, daughter of George Olmsted. She was born in Vermilion county, Illinois. They have one daughter: Myra, and one son, deceased, Harry.
William Hawkins, Catlin, farmer, section 7, was born in Wayne county, Indiana, on the 1st of January, 1831, and came to Vermilion county in 1859. He was married on the 28th of March, 1855, to Miss Duanna Burgoyne, a native of Muskingum county, Ohio. She was born on the 20th of August, 1835. They have four children : Sarah E., wife of G. Patterson ; Nora B., Lue E., Marietta, and one deceased :
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HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY.
William N. Mr. Hawkins served in the late war. He enlisted on the 11th of August. 1862, in Co. G, 125th Ill. Vol. Inf., and served until the close of the war. He was in the battles of Mission Ridge, Buz- zard's Roost, Perryville and Atlanta. He was with Sherman on his march to the sea, and was in all the battles in which the regiment was engaged, except Chickamauga. He was at the general review at Wash- ington.
James White, Catlin, farmer, was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on the 4th of July, 1812. His father, William, was in the war of 1812, and was wounded, from the effects of which he died. His mother, Julia White, died when he was seven years of age, leaving him with- out parents or money. He engaged as cabin-boy on one of the steamers on the Chesapeake Bay for fifty cents per month. He then worked on a farm for four and five dollars per month, in Pennsylvania, and in 1859 came to Vermilion county. He has been twice married. His former wife was Hannah Rodgers; they were married in 1840, and she died in 1846. His second marriage was to Frances Sanders; they were united in 1849. She was born in 1829. Mr. White is the father of three children by his former wife: William, Sanmel and Hannah, now wife of C. Dopp. By his present wife he has James E., Frank, Josephine, wife of H. Finley; Charley, Robert, Ellen, Roker, Jesse, Julia, Elizabeth. Mr. White has, by hard work and economy, become the owner of six hundred and seventy-two acres of land.
Samnel R. Tilton, Catlin, merchant, was born in Beaver county, Pennsylvania, in 1840. In 1844 his father moved to Ripley county, Indiana, where S. R. grew to manhood, and in 1862 came to this connty. Soon after, in response to a call of his country for troops, he enlisted in the service, and participated with his regiment in the bat- tles of Perryville, Chickamanga, Mission Ridge, Resaca, Allatoona, Kenesaw Mountain, and many other engagements of less note. He was severely wounded in a charge on Kenesaw Mountain, Georgia, on the 27th of June, 1864- a musket ball penetrating his right breast. The ball afterward was extracted from his back, and is yet preserved by himself as a souvenir of the bloody days of our late civil war, and the excruciating suffering which he endured. He at times still suffers severely from the effect of his wound. Although his wound was of such a severe character as to unfit him for active military duty, he after a few months rejoined his regiment at Goldsborough, North Carolina, and continued with it until the close of the war. Then he returned to the residence of his parents in Indiana. In December, 1866, he re- turned to Catlin and took charge of the railroad station. After act- ing in the capacity of agent for the railroad company for nearly one
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year, he embarked in the drug and notion business. His capital and experience in the business were both limited, but by his straightforward dealing and never-tiring industry, his small beginning has increased until he now has three first-class stores in the village of Catlin : a gen- eral merchandise store, one of drugs and notions, and a millinery store. In addition to these he owns a one-third interest in a general store at . Pilot, Illinois, the firm name being Tilton & Bros., and under the super- vision of A. B. Tilton. These three departments are so complete that almost any article in general use is kept in stock. He is not naturally public spirited, but has served the people of Catlin as postmaster nearly three years, resigning on account of ill health. He is a Past Grand in the I.O.O.F. Lodge, and has attained to the degrees of knighthood in Ma- sonry, being at present a member of the Danville Commandery. He is not a member of any church, but very liberal in his support of the different denominations, as well as in all other institutions pertaining to the public good. Not the least of his generous traits is his liberality to the poor, of which there is abundant evidence. On the 7th of Feb- ruary, 1868, he was married to Miss Lon G. Vance, daughter of John Vance, who was one of the early and prominent pioneers of this county. Their family consists of Clinton Clay, born on the 10th of May, 1870, and Ralph Russel, born on the 14th of March, 1877.
G. W. Tilton, Catlin, dry-goods, groceries, ete., son of the Rev. Enoch and Elizabeth (Wilson) Tilton, came to Vermilion county in 1862, being at that date twenty-six years of age. His first occupation after arriving and locating at Catlin, was to take charge of the Catlin schools, which were under his supervision for four years following this date. He then engaged with Richard Jones in his store as book-keeper and salesman, in the village already mentioned. At the expiration of two years he formed a copartnership with J. C. Sandusky, in a store of general merchandise, under the firm name of Sandusky & Tilton. Five years afterward Mr. S. retired from the firm, selling his interest to L. C. Kyger, the firm name changing to Tilton & Kyger. This copartnership lasted for five years, when Mr. Kyger retired, since which time Mr. Tilton has conducted the business alone. The first five years' business of the firm amounted to but $11,000, but by steady applica- tion, good management and indomitable perseverance, the sales have steadily increased until they have reached nearly $50,000 per annum. Mr. Tilton is also interested in two other mercantile houses with his brothers : one at Pilot and another at Palermo, Illinois. In 1862 he became identified with the Vermilion County Agricultural and Me- chanical Association, and has since taken an active part in the work and interests of that society. He has served as secretary, vice-president
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and president, filling the latter position for three years, and is its pres- ent incumbent. He has also served one term in the county board of supervisors, representing Catlin township. At the age of fourteen years he became a member of the Baptist church, and at sixteen years of age taught his first school. Until his advent in this county, at the age of twenty-six years, he was variously engaged at farming, carpen- tering, teaching and surveying. In 1862 he was married to Miss Eliz- abeth Allbright, a native of Ohio. The fruits of this union are Charlie Vigil, Elsie Venus and Bertie Victor, aged respectively, fifteen, thir- teen and ten years. According to the best information available, the
Tilton family in this country owe their origin to three brothers who came over from England at the same time, during the colonial period of the nation's history. Most, if not all, bearing this name in the United States, trace their ancestry back to this source. Previous to this no knowledge of their predecessors is known. In writing the his- tory of the county, personal sketches of old settlers and some of the more prominent business gentlemen, we deem it but proper to devote at least a short space to the Tilton brothers, five of whom have found a location in Vermilion county. Their father, Enoch Tilton, was born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, on the 22d of July, 1811, and is of English descent. He was married on the 12th of September, 1832, to Miss Elizabeth Wilson, who was born on the 12th of January, 1811, and whose ancestry came from Ireland. In 1844 they came to Ripley county, Indiana, where Mr. Tilton has been known for a number of years as a leading minister of the Baptist church. Although now sixty- eight years old, he has the pastoral care of four congregations, and con- ducts a farm of one hundred and twenty acres.
David Shaver, Catlin, section 18, farmer, was born in Muhlenburg county, Kentucky, on the Sth of October, 1824. His father was a native of Virginia, and was born in 1790. He came to Kentucky in 1814, and was in the war of 1812. His mother, Nancy Peters, was born in Rockingham county, Virginia, in 1799, and died in Kentucky in 1878. Mr. Shaver married, on the 14th of February, 1847, Mildred A. Taylor, daughter of John A. Taylor. She was a native of Ohio county. Kentucky, and was born on the 17th of October, 1828. Her father was born in the fort near Hartford, Kentucky, in 1767, and was the second child born in that town - Hartford. He was one of the pioneers of Greene River county. He made various business trips from Frederick county to Virginia, in which he passed through wildernesses, being entrusted with agencies for land speculations. He superintended the locations of their claims amidst danger. Mr. Shaver removed to Vermilion county in 1864, where he has become one of the industrious
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and respected citizens of the county. He has raised a family of seven children : Leander, Elizabeth A., wife of C. T. Dye, Sarah M., wife of A. Richards, Nancy D., Peter L., Bertha, William, W. C. One child, John A., died.
A. J. Villars, Catlin, section 9, farmer, was born in Clinton county, Ohio, on the 22d of May, 1843. He was married on the 25th of May, 1865, to Miss Harriet Smith, a native of Clinton county, Ohio, and born on the 16th of May, 1844. In the same year of his marriage he came to Vermilion county, and here he has been engaged in farming and school teaching since. Mr. Villars served in the rebellion, in Co. G, 11th Ohio Vol. Inf., and was in several hard battles, - the second battle of Bull Run, South Mountain, Chickamauga, Mission Ridge, Resaca, and thirty-two skirmishes. He was taken prisoner at Liberty, but was paroled soon after.
J. P. Guyer, Catlin, railroad agent, was born in Philadelphia, Penu- sylvania, on the 22d of December, 1843. He came to Wisconsin with his parents, where they remained for a short time, and then returned to Philadelphia. In 1859 they removed to Missouri, where they left him and returned east. Mr. Guyer enlisted in the army in 1861 for three years. He was at the battles of Boonesville, Wilson's Creek, and several skirmishes. In 1863 he came to Springfield, Illinois, where he engaged as bill elerk for the Chicago & Alton railroad. He also was with the Springfield & Southeastern railroad as agent for five years. He came to Catlin on the 9th of November, 1875, where he has acted as agent for the Wabash railroad. Mr. Guyer was united in marriage in 1873, to Miss Elizabeth Goodrich, a native of Urbana, Ohio, born on the 17th of February, 1855. Mr. Guyer is a member of the A.F. & A.M. He has crossed the sea twice, and has been to South America and Liverpool.
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