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 97
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R. G. Young, Potomac, blacksmith, was born in Franklin county, Ohio, on the 11th of April, 1836. He remained at home engaged in farming until he was sixteen years old, and then went away to learn the blacksmith's trade. He came to this state in 1850, and settled in the township where he has since resided. He has been twice married : first, to Mary B. Copsairt, on the 1st of May, 1866. She was born in this county on the 25th of July, 1838, and died in 1873. There have been two children born to them, one of whom is living: William. The name of the deceased is Theodosia. Mr. Young was married to Martha Moore in 1874. Mary B., their only child, died. Mr. Young has held the office of school director nine years. He commenced black- smithing in Marysville in 1860, and has been doing a good business here ever since. He owns the blacksmith-shop, the lot on which it stands, a dwelling-house and eighty acres of land, worth $1,500. His parents were natives of Ohio.
A. B. Judy, Potomac, farmer, section 21, was born in Hardy county, West Virginia, on the 31st of July, 1842. He came with his father to this state in 1851. Although he had limited advantages for an early education, by close attention to his books at home he has acquired suffi- cient knowledge to enable him to teach school, which vocation he has followed during the winters since 1861, also teaching several summer terms. He enlisted in the late war, and in February, 1864, with Co. E, 51st Ill. Inf. Vols., went bravely to the front to fight for the preser- vation of the Union. He was in the battles of Resaca, Kenesaw Moun- tain, Peach Tree Creek, Jonesborough, and of Atlanta. He was mar- ried on the 19th of January, 1879, to Mary E. Sterling, who was born in New Milford, Connecticut, on the 4th of March, 1843. She has studied medicine at the Hygiene College of New Jersey, and has prac- ticed some. They have quite an extensive library of medical works.
Henry Bass, Armstrong, farmer, was born in Buckingham county, England, on the 20th of May, 1824. He clerked in his father's dry- goods store for several years, and in 1850 was married to Harriett Ben- nett. She was born in Bedfordshire, England, in 1822. In 1851 Mr. Bass came to America. He owns two hundred and thirty acres of fine
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HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY.
farm land, worth $25 per acre. Mr. and Mrs. Bass are the parents of seven children, four of whom are living: Mary, Fanny (now wife of Samuel Gilbert, of Ross township), Fred and Arthur. The deceased are Thomas, Harriett and Samnel.
Walter Smith, Potomac, farmer and stock-dealer, was born in War- ren county, Ohio, on the 10th of January, 1830. He remained at home, and his father being a weaver, learned the weaver's trade, until he reached the age of 22. Mr. Smith has been married twice: first to Irena Lane, on the 25th of November, 1852. She was born in Ver- milion county, Illinois, on the 9th of March, 1839, and died on the 8th of February, 1875. They had eight children by this union. He was then married to Nancy A. Blerens, on the 31st of January, 1876. She was born in Vermilion county, in 1854. They have two children by this marriage: Hattie E., born on the 8th of December, 1876, and Winfield C., born on the 24th of March, 1878.
David Thomas, Armstrong, farmer, was born in Warren county, In- diana, on the 9th of May, 1832. His father died when he was ten years old, and he, thrust among strangers, was compelled to work during the nights to enable him to pay his board and go to school. Mr. Thomas has been twice married : first to Caroline Barker, in 1852. She was born in Indiana in 1833, and died in 1863. They had by this marriage four children, three of whom are living: Elisabeth E., now wife of George Bradley, of Ross township; Samuel M., and Sarah E., now married. He was then married on the 12th of April, 1864, to Rebecca Jones, who was born in Vermilion county. They had by this union four children, two living: George and Charles H. The deceased are James E. and Mary. Mr. Thomas has held the office of school director six years, school treasurer five years, supervisor of township one term, justice of the peace five years, assessor one term and collector one term. He owns eighty-three acres of land, worth $30 per acre.
M. C. Doney, Potomac, farmer, was born in Marshall county, Indi- ana, on the 5th of May, 1840. His mother died when he was but nine years of age. He came to this state and settled in Vermilion county in 1852. He was married to Christiana Doran, on the 11th of Novem- ber, 1860. They have had nine children : William J., Frances G., Albert E., Mary M., Charles, Anna, Lieuberta A., Caroline L. and Odesa. Mr. Doney has held the office of school director two years and pathmaster two years. He raises considerable corn, which he feeds to his cattle and hogs. He owns two hundred and forty-four acres of land, worth $35 per acre. His parents are natives of Ohio. Mrs. Doney's parents are natives of Virginia.
John M. Davis, Potomac, lawyer, was born in Vermilion county,
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Illinois, on the 17th of July, 1853. His chances for an early education were good. He attended school at the university of this state one year, then entered Ann Arbor and staid one year. After reading law in Danville with Mann & Calhoun he entered the University of Michi- gan, where he graduated, and was admitted to the bar of the supreme court of Michigan on the 25th of March, 1878. He commenced prac- tice in Marysville on the 2d of April, 1878. Mr. Davis is a young man of more than ordinary ability, and he bids fair to rank high in his chosen profession. His father, a native of Virginia, was one of the pioneers of Vermilion county.
Frederick Bennett, Potomac, farmer, was born in Bedfordshire, England, in 1831. He farmed until seventeen years of age. He was married in February, 1868, to Amanda J. Jamison. She was born in Ohio in 1844. They have had five children, two of whom - Fanny B. and Thomas M .- are living; three died in infancy. Mr. Bennett has held the office of pathmaster. He came with his parents to America when quite young, landing at New York. From there, in 1853, he came to this county, where he has since resided. He owns two hun- dred and sixteen acres of land, worth $30 an acre.
Bruce H. Rutledge, Armstrong, farmer, was born in Vermilion county, on the 27th of September, 1853, and remained on the farm until seventeen years old assisting his father. He was married to Malissa J. Haller on the 15th of October, 1876. She was born in Nicholas county, Kentucky, on the 13th of September, 1858. They have had but one child, Mary A., born on the 6th of September, 1878. The father of Mr. Rutledge, who is still living in this township, was in the Black Hawk war. Bruce is an industrious young man, and is farming forty aeres of land, worth $25 per acre.
J. C. Merrill, farmer, was born in Vermilion county, Illinois, on the 26th of September, 1853. His father died when he was but one year old, and his mother married the second time. He then lived with his stepfather until sixteen years of age. He was married to Jenny Part- low on the 16th of February, 1876. She was born in Vermilion county on the 6th of November, 1855. They have one child, Susan, born on the 22d of November, 1876. Mr. Merrill is now residing on the farm of his father-in-law, Mr. Partlow, of Marysville. His father was a native of Vermont, his mother of England.
David R. Layton, Potomac, farmer and stock-raiser, section 19, was born in New York on the 16th of October, 1829, and spent his early life assisting his father on the farm. He lived in Ohio one year, and then removed to Indiana, where he remained nine years. He then eame to Illinois, settling in Vermilion county, and here he has re-
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HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY.
Inained since. He was married in Indiana, in 1859, to Martha Wilson, who was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in 1833. They are the parents of four children : Charley, Annie E., Coburn G. and Will- iam. Mr. Layton had when married but very little property, and by his economy, perseverance and industry has now acquired a good prop- erty, owning the best dwelling-house in the township. He obtained a start by managing a ditching machine. His father was a native of New York and his mother of Pennsylvania. He is a republican in politics. He owns one hundred and sixty-seven acres of land, worth $35 per acre.
A. G. Smith, Potomac, farmer and stock-dealer, section 8, was born in Vermilion county, Illinois, on the 5th of June, 1855. His father, John Smith (English), of this township, is one of the largest land- owners and most extensive stock-dealers in this county. Mr. A. G. Smith ships from ten to fifteen car-loads of cattle every year, besides quite a number of hogs. He is so far following the example of his father that he is one of the most thorough business young men in the county. He was married on the 7th of October, 1875, to Lizzie Wilkie. She was born in Scotland on the 12th of April, 1855. They are the parents of two children : John C., born on the 27th of April, 1877, and Laura, born on the 27th of April, 1879. Mr. Smith owns five hundred and forty acres of land, worth $30 per acre.
Milton Watson, Armstrong, farmer, was born in Warren county, Ohio, on the 15th of May, 1823. He remained on the farm assisting his father until he reached the age of sixteen. He came to this state in 1858, settling in this county, and here he has since remained. He was married in 1843. This wife, Mrs. Mary Watson, was born in Vir- ginia. They had six children, three of whom are now living. Mr. Watson was married in 1854 to Sarah Jones, a native of Ohio. By this marriage eight children were born to them, five of whom are liv- ing. Mr. Watson enlisted in the late war, in 1862, with Co. I, 125th Ill. Inf. Vol., as teamster, and was mustered out by general order. He was injured by a wagon while in the service, for which injury he re- ceives a pension of eighteen dollars per month. Mr. Watson has prac- ticed the veterinary art for some years, and seems to be quite success- ful.
Charles B. Westcott, Potomac, farmer, section 16, was born in Wayne county, New York, on the 1st of June, 1830. His chances for an early education were good, having been educated for a minister of the gospel, but being of skeptical turn of mind, dissented from the church, believing, as he still does, that all religious worship is idolatry. He was at one time owner and captain of a boat called the " Bella Clyde,"
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which plied between Albany and New York. Mr. Westcott came to this state in 1858, settling in Shelby county, where he remained two years. He then returned to New York, and, after staying one year, came back to this state, where he has since resided. Mr. Westcott was married to Urie Palhemus on the 9th of January, 1852. She was born in New York on the 4th of September, 1834. They have had by this union two children : Taylor M. and Hattie M., now wife of Henry Weaver, of Edgar connty.
William Hobbs, Armstrong, farmer, section 31, the subject of this sketch, was born in Nelson county, Kentucky, on the 26th of April, 1820. He remained at home until he reached the age of thirty-nine. He has been twice married : first, to Mary Strong, on the 29th of No- vember, 1849. She was born in Illinois, and is now deceased. They had five children by this marriage, all now dead. He was then mar- ried to Allie Biggerstaff, on the 16th of December, 1860. She was born near Covington, Indiana, in 1840. They have by this union three children : Joseph H., Katie L. and William E. Mr. Hobbs has held the office of school director fifteen years, and is one of the oldest set- tlers of this county. He is a republican and a Methodist.
G. M. Crays, Armstrong, farmer, was born in Sangamon county, Illinois, on the 25th of August, 1833. His chances for an early edu- cation were good, and he has taught, six years in succession, a district school. Mr. Crays has been a traveling minister of the M. E. church for the past twenty years, and possesses no small amount of ability. On the 14th of September, 1849, he was married to Courtney Lafay- ette. She was born in Vermilion county, Illinois, on the 28th of Janu- ary, 1841. They have had by this union nine children, seven of whom are living: Mark A., George E., Anna M., Richard C., Alfred C., Clara and Emaline. The names of the deceased are: Charles W. and Elizabeth. Mr. Crays has held the office of school director for several years, and is regarded as one of Vermilion county's best citizens. His parents were natives of North Carolina.
James F. Anderson, Potomac, carpenter, was born in Clarke county, Indiana, on the 19th of December, 1826. He remained at home working in his father's wagon shop until he reached the age of nine- teen. His chances for an early education were quite limited. Mr. Anderson has been twice married: first, to Mary Owens, in 1859. They had by this marriage two children : Miller P. and John J. He was then married to Eliza Valandingham in 1869. She was born in Owen county, Kentucky. Mr. Anderson, in the late war, enlisted in Co. E, 30th Ill. Inf. Vol .; and in 1861 went forward to battle bravely for his country. He was in the battle of Mount Sterling, and was
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HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY.
mustered ont by general orders. He owns a house and lot in Marys- ville.
Charles E. Pressey, Potomac, merchant, owns a hardware and tin store, keeping on hand a stock of agricultural implements, on Main street, in Marysville; also the store building and the lot on which it stands, and besides this, one lot and home residence, and thirty-six other lots in Marysville. He was born in Tompkins county, New York, on the 25th of November, 1837, and remained at home with his parents until eighteen years of age, attending school most of the time. He left home and went into a store in New York, where he staid three years, and in 1859 came to this state and farmed seven years. Here he married Emily Stewart, who was born in Decatur county, Indiana. They are the parents of two children: Ralph and Lillie. Mr. Pressy has held the office of village trustee three years. He was appointed postmaster at Potomac in 1876, which office he still holds.
W. A. McMurtrey, Potomac, agent for American Express Com- pany, was born in Boone county, Kentucky, on the 1st of December, 1836 ; remained at home with his parents until he was nineteen years of age, learning the blacksmith trade; he then went to Indiana, re- maining there from 1856 to 1860, working on a farm. Mr. McMur- trey enlisted on the 1st of April, 1863, in Co. K, 135th Ill. Vol. Inf., and served one hundred days as private; he reënlisted on the 3d of February, 1864, in Co. E, 149th Ill. Vol. Inf. as second-lieutenant, but was soon promoted to first-lieutenant and served twelve months. Com- ing home, he married Mary Allbright on the 10th of September, 1866. She was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, in 1848. They have three children : Edwin S., Leo H. and Maggie. Mr. McMurtrey has held the office of school director six months. He owns a half interest in a good lumber yard, and possesses a neat residence. His parents were natives of Kentucky.
L. B. Marshall, Potomac, farmer, section 26, was born in Warren county, Indiana, on the 21st of September, 1842. His parents died when he was quite young, and he, thrown thus upon his own resources, had but a poor chance for an early education. In 1864 he enlisted in Co. B, 135th Ind., for one hundred days. Mr. Marshall has held the office of constable two years in this township; was employed in Marys- ville as clerk in the dry-goods and grocery store of W. J. Henderson for some time. He now resides on the Copeland farm near Marys- ville.
Scott Elliott, Armstrong, farmer, section 13, was born in Winne- bago county, Illinois, on the 13th of January, 1842. At the age of six-
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teen he left the farm, and with an ox-team started for Pike's Peak, where he remained three years. He enlisted in the late war in August, 1861, in Co. B, 1st Col. Cav., as quarter-master sergeant. He was ordered out among the Indians, where he remained two years, engag- ing in several skirmishes with the redskins. He was mustered out in 1866, and returned to this state and married Mary E. Rigles, on the 2d of September, 1867. She was born in Pennsylvania on the 13th of February, 1843. They are the parents of three children : Merrit, Clayton and Lafariest. Mr. Elliott's parents are natives of Ohio; Mrs. Elliott's of Pennsylvania. Mr. Elliott now owns one hundred and forty-two acres of land, worth $40 per acre.
L. C. Messner, Potomac, druggist and physician, was born in Darke county, Ohio, on the 15th of December, 1844. He left home when fif- teen years of age, and his chances for an early education were limited. At the age of sixteen by daily labor he paid off a mortgage of one hun- dred dollars on his father's farm, thus preventing foreclosure. In 1865- 66 he attended two courses of lectures in Rush Medical College, at Chicago, and receiving a diploma for the practice of medicine in 1866, he settled in Marysville as a medical practitioner, in which profession he has been quite successful. The Doctor has been twice married : first to Mary Drummond in September, 1866. They had three children by this marriage: Nellie M., William C., living, and Alma U., deceased. He was then married to Maria J. Clark on the 9th of January, 1873. By this union one infant, deceased. Dr. Messner has held the office of town-clerk one term, and school-treasurer four years. He had, when he commenced the practice of medicine, no property, but now owns a half interest in a drug-store, a house, lot and about ten thousand dol- lars' worth of other property which he has earned by his energy, in- dustry and economy.
Charles A. Jameson, Potomac, cabinetmaker, was born in Chan- paign county, Ohio, on the 3d of March, 1847. He learned his trade when quite young. He was married to Emelia Richart on the 15th of September, 1869. She was born in Vermilion county, Illinois, in 1852. They are the parents of three children : Maggie M., Lulu E. and Rob- ert. Mr. Jameson is a very enterprising and industrious man. He owns one lot and cabinetshop, and three-fourths of an aere with good dwelling. His father was one of the pioneers of this county.
James D. Anderson, Potomac, farmer, section 8, remained on his father's farm until 1861, with his mother, his father having died when he was fifteen years old. At this time he enlisted in Co. F, 35th Ill. Inf. Vol., as private. He was in the battles of Chickamanga, Mission Ridge, Perryville, Resaca, Buzzard's Roost and the battle before
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HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY.
Atlanta. In an engagement he received a wound in the neck. He was married to Mary Partlow on the 6th of October, 1869. She was . born in Vermilion county in 1852. They have had by this union five children, three of whom are living: Mattie, Ray and Nellie: the deceased are Willie and Jesse. Mr. Anderson owns his farm, which contains one hundred and sixty-three acres, worth $30 per acre. In politics he is a republican ; religion, Methodist.
William Kirkhart, Armstrong, farmer, section 18, was born in Wetzel county, West Virginia, on the 10th of September, 1847. His parents died when he was quite young, leaving him, at the tender age of eight, to fight life's battles alone; consequently, his chances for an early education were poor. He was married to Mary S. Perry, on the 10th of January, 1871. She was born in Vermilion county, on the 15th of April, 1856. They have had by this marriage five children, three of whom are living: Elmer, Nellie and Mariddie. The deceased were infant twins.
H. Biederman, shoemaker, Potomac, was born in Germany, on the 25th of April, 1846, and came to America on the 17th of July, 1870. Mr. Biederman has never entered the married state. He owns a lot in Marysville, on which is the shoe-shop. He is an honest, industrious man, and well respected by all who know him.
J. C. Williams, Armstrong, grain merchant, was born in Vanderburg county, Indiana, on the 6th of November, 1847. He came to this state in 1867, settling in McLean county, and there aided his uncle in im- proving a farm. He was married to Mary T. Dickinson, on the 14th of October, 1870. She was born in Pike county, Illinois, on the 5th . of July, 1847. Mr. Williams' farm of one hundred and fifteen acres, worth $40 per acre, is adjacent to the thriving little village of Arm- strong. Upon the outskirts of the town he has a fine dwelling, and he has also a grain office, scales, and extensive grain-cribs. He bought and shipped over forty thousand bushels of corn and twenty-five thou- sand bushels of oats the first year of his entering the business, which was in 1877. Mr. Williams is an energetic business man, and by him the grain trade has been started in Armstrong.
Robert Miller, Armstrong, farmer, section 25, was born in Wash- ington county, Pennsylvania. His father being a farmer, he worked on the farm until twenty-one years of age. His father came to this state and first settled in Champaign county. He remained there one year, and then moved to Indiana, where he stayed six years, and then returned to this state. Mr. Miller was married to Elizabeth Small, on the 25th of September, 1870. She was born in Vermilion county in 1852. They are the parents of five children : Joseph W., Anna B.,
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Robert P., Benjamin F. and Thomas E. Mr. Miller raises principally corn, which he feeds at home. He owns one hundred and ninety-nine acres of land, worth $30 per acre. Ilis parents were natives of Pennsylvania ; Mrs. Miller's parents were natives of Indiana.
T. W. Buckingham, Potomac, inn-keeper and justice of the peace, commenced in 1876 to manage the hotel on Main street in Marysville, known as the Murele House. He was born in Allen county, Indiana, on the 23d of April, 1833. His father died when he was but five years of age, and he lived with his mother, going to school in the winter and working on a farm in the summer, until twenty-one years of age. He left home, went to Pittsburgh, and entered the mercantile business. He came to this state in 1870, settling in Fairmount, in this county. He went into the grocery business, but afterward became a commercial traveler for some time. He was married in 1856 to Ellen A. Clark. She was born in the state of New York, on the 10th of April, 1838. They are the parents of five children: Mary A., now wife of G. J. May, of Marysville; Mable F., George T., Myrtie and Clyde. The parents of Mr. Buckingham were natives of New York, and the parents of Mrs. B. of New Jersey.
J. E. Jameson, Potomac, mechanic, was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, on the 15th of March, 1847. He remained at his native place until he reached the age of twenty-five, "working out " by the month part of the time, and at other times assisting his father in farming. Soon after this he learned the wagon and carriage making trade, which trade he still follows. He was married to Eliza Knox, on the 8th of October, 1873. She was born in Vermilion county in 1842, and died on the 15th of January, 1878. They had by this marriage two chil- dren : Thomas R. and Minnie B. Mr. Jameson commenced business in 1872, and now owns two houses and lots in Marysville. His father, one of the pioneers of Vermilion county, built the first carriage-shop in the village.
James Wilson, Marysville, blacksmith, was born in West Virginia, on the 13th of April, 1834, and was raised on a farm, where he remained until eighteen years of age, at which time he learned the blacksmith trade, which was his chosen trade. He came to this state in 1872, set- tling in this county in Oakwood township, and removed to Blue Grass in 1875, where he still resides, and where he still continues to work at the blacksmith trade, doing a good business. Mr. Wilson has been twice married : first, in 1857, to Irene Evie, who was born in Virginia and died in 1875. They had seven children, five living: Morgan, Charley, Joseph, Martha and Sarah. The deceased were Mary and one
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HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY.
infant. He was then married to Christina Wright in 1876. She was born in Indiana in 1838.
Charles T. Morse, Potomac, merchant, is a member of the firm of Ludden & Morse, on the corner of public square, Marysville. These gentlemen keep on hand a good stock of dry-goods and groceries. Mr. M. was born in New Haven, Connecticut, on the 22d of February, 1827. He remained at home with his parents until twenty-one years of age. His chances for an early education were good, and he availed himself of the opportunities thus offered. He was brought up as clerk in a store, thus becoming well acquainted with the business, which he has continued to follow to the present time. For some years Mr. Morse was connected with a wholesale dry-goods house in Chicago. He came to Marysville and commenced business in 1872, and has, at this time, about $5,000 invested in stock in Marysville. He has held the office of school trustee for six years. His parents are natives of Connecticut.
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