History of Wayne and Clay counties, Illinois, Part 65

Author:
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago : Globe Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 704

USA > Illinois > Clay County > History of Wayne and Clay counties, Illinois > Part 65
USA > Illinois > Wayne County > History of Wayne and Clay counties, Illinois > Part 65

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

BIOGRAPHICAL:

battle of Cerro Gordo. After a twelve months' service, he returned home and en- gaged in farming till the breaking-out of the civil war while he was in the Legislature in Springfield, and upon the adjournment of that body he hurried home, staying only one night with his family, and then enlisted in the Eighteenth Illinois Volunteer Regiment, Company G. Here is an example of true pa- triotism worthy of imitation and reward. He enlisted as private, but was elected First Lieutenant, and from that was promoted to Captain, and after the fall of Maj. Eaton at Shiloh he was promoted to Major, which of- fice he occupied till July, 1864, when he was compelled to resign on account of sickness, and wounds received in different engage- ments, of which the main ones were Fort Donelson and Shiloh.

JOHN A. CREWS, farmer. P. O. Fair- field, was born October 26, 1833, in Wayne County, Ill., son of Jesse Crews, a native of Kentucky, born about 1804; he died in this county in 1872, having come here in or about 1818, with his parents, Andrew and Ritter (Bradley) Crews. Here among the scenes of pioneer life he grew to manhood, following farming as his vocation. The mother of our subject, Nancy (Carter) Crews, was born in 1809 in Kentucky. She is yet living, a true specimen of our hardy pioneer women who wrought such deeds of toil and heroic self- sacrifice, as to forever shine as worthy exam- ples to coming posterity. She is the mother of nine children who reached maturity, of whom five are now living, viz., Mathew, John A., our subject, Josiah, Benjamin and Nancy Fetter. Our subject was educated in this county, and here he was married, on July 19, 1860. to Miss Nancy E. Cannon, born February 14, 1844, in this county. She is a daughter of Jesse and Louisa (Shaw) Cannon. She is the mother of eight children, viz. :

Clemence, born May 6, 1867; Robert, born March 10, 1869; Ida MI., born September 17, 1870; Frank, born June 24, 1872; Maggie E., born February 19, 1874; Lucy, born December 7, 1875; Benjamin, born March 29, 1878, and Carrie, born August 7, 1882. Mrs. Crews is religiously connected with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Mr. Crews is a good farmer, owning a farm of 120 acres. He supports the Republican party.

ANDREW CREWS, farmer, P. O. Merri- am, was born December 1, 1837, in the Sec. tion where he now resides. He is a son of James and Elizabeth (Owens) Crews. Our subject went to school in Barnhill Township. where he also farmed and was married. Sep- tember 21, 1860, to Mary J. Wilson, who was born here September 10, 1840. She is a daughter of S. J. R. Wilson, a native of Kentucky; he is yet living in this county. Her mother was Elvira (Beach) Carter, a na- tive of Kentucky. She was the mother of seven children. of whom Mrs. Mary J. Crews is the only one now living. Mrs. Crews is the mother of ten children. of whom five are now living, viz., Elvira E., born August 30, 1861, wife of Flemming G. Gregory; Nathan T., born January 26, 1868; Samuel J., born Angust 14, 1870: Mary A., born October 14, 1873, and Roscoe, born August 15, 1881. Mr. and Mrs. Crews are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. On the 13th of August, Mr. Crews obeyed the call of his country to protect the stars and stripes, and enlisted in Company D, of the Eighty. seventh Illinois Regiment of Infantry Vol- unteers, which was mounted after one year's service. He fought till the close of the war. When the company was organized, he was First Sergeant, but was elected Second Lieu- tenant, and through his own exertion rose to First Lieutenant and tinally Captain, which position he occupied when he was mustered

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ont. He participated in different engage- ments, among others that of Sabine Cross Roads. Capt. Crews has been Justice of the Peace twice, and at present fills that office with taet and ability. Has also been Town- ship Assessor. In the fall of ISS2, he was the Republican candidate for Sheriff of Wayne County against Isaae B. Carson, who was elected by sixty-five votes majority. Mr. Crews is a member of A. O. U. W. and G. A. R.

JESSE A. CREWS, farmer, P. O. Mer- riam. Among our young, enterprising farm ers, we place the subject of this sketch, who was born January 25, 1853, in Barnhill Township. He is a son of Hon. Nathan Crews. His mother's maiden name was Maria (Cannon) Crews. Our subject went to school in this county, and here he was also joined in matrimony, February 18. 1875, to Miss Mary E. Hoffe, who was born May 25, 1859. in Wayne County, Ill. She is a daughter of Jonathan and Ann (Gimmeson) Hoffe, natives of Ohio, and now residents of this county. The result of this happy union is one son named Nathan Crews, Jr., who was born December 15, 1875. Mr. and Mrs. Crews are members of the Methodist Episco- pal Church. He has a farm of fifty-three acres which he keeps in a high state of culti- vation. In polities, he is a Republican.

G. M. DAVIS, farmer and stock-breeder, P. O. Fairfield, was born Jannary 10, 1845, in Marion County, Ohio. His father, Joshua Davis, is a native of Logan County, Ohio. His history is given complete in Big Mound Township. The mother of our subject was Elizabeth W. (Virden) Davis, a native of Delaware. Our subject was educated in Mar- son County, and at Hillsdale College, Michi- gan. In early life he farmed, then taught school and also traded in stock. In 1871, be opened a lumber yard in Fairfield, and con-

tinned in that business with good success till 1883, when he sold out and in September the same year moved on to his farm one mile southeast of town. The farm consists of 120 acres of good land, with new and commodious improvements. On it he intends to engage principally in breeding thoroughbred stock, mainly sheep and hogs. He was joined in matrimony, September 30. 1875, in Fairfield, to Miss Kate Robertson, born April 10, 1855, in Connersville, Fayette Co., Ind. She is a daughter of Thomas Robertson and Lydia (Frost) Robertson. He was a native of New Jersey, and is yet living in Fairfield; and she is a native of New York. Mrs. Davis is the mother of two children now living, viz., Charles H., born March 29, 1880, and Will- iam H., born October 8, 1882. Mrs. Davis is a highly esteemed member of society, and of the Christian Church He is a Royal Temp- lar; is a Republican, and has been Treasurer and a member of the Town Board.

MRS. MARY GIMMESON, Fairfield. was born October 21, 1834, in Washington, Penn. She was a daughter of Samuel Black, who was a native of Pennsylvania, and followed the carpenter trade in Pittsburgh, where he died. Her mother was Lydia (Burten) Black, a na- tive of Pennsylvania. She was the mother of but one child, which is our subject, Mary (Black) Gimmeson, who was joined in mat- rimony to Samnel Gimmeson, a native of Stark County, Ohio. Ile was a fine, indus- trious man, whose place it will be hard to fill in the community. He died February 10. 1878, in this county, mourned by all who knew him. Mrs. Gimmeson is the happy mother of three children now living, viz., Elizabeth A , born February 10, 1853, wife of David Shoefield; Uriah T., born Novem- ber 17, 1855-he is married to Louisa Car ter; and John W., who was born June 30, 1865. He is a fine, promising youth, who

BIOGRAPHICAL:

looks upon honor as the first principle of manhood. He is now at home managing his mother's farm of 160 acres. Mrs. Gimme- son is well known in the community where she lives as an open-hearted and a kind- hearted lady. She is religiously connected with the Presbyterian Church.

JAMES GOODWIN, farmer, P. O. Fair- field, who is a descendant of one of our old- est pioneers on his mother's side, was born July 5, 1842, in Wayne County, Ill. His father. John Goodwin, was principally reared in Illinois. He resides on the place where our subject was born, having come to this county abont 1840. The mother of our sub- ject was Elizabeth (Harris) Goodwin. a daughter of Isaac and Jennie Harris, natives of Kentucky. He, it is said, erected one of the first houses in Leech Township, if not in the county. Mrs. Elizabeth (Harris) Good- win was born March 15, 1804, in Kentucky, She died August 15, 1883. She was a re- markable woman, and one who could have aided, by her wonderful memory, considera- ble in the compilation of this history. But she, like many of our old pioneers, passed away too soon. She was the mother of ten children, of whom five are now living-Will- iam Meritt, Isaac Meritt, Polly Hodges and Malinda Posey, are from her first hus- band. whose name was Steven Meritt, now deceased, our subject being the fifth. Her father lived for some time in a fort in White County; on account of Indian troubles, he returned to Kentucky, but finally came back to Illinois, where he died. Our subject went to school in this county, and here he was also married, February 12, 1863, to Miss Julia A. Mathews, born September 15, 1844, in Wayne County, Ill. She is a daughter of William T. and Levitha (McCulough) Matthew, natives of Kentucky. This nnion was blessed with nine children-John W., Mary O., Charles B.,

Samuel. Jane, Robbie (deceased), Louisa. Emma and James E. Mrs. Goodwin is a member of the C. P. Church. He has a farm of 370 acres, and is considered one of the best farmers in the township. In poli- tics, he is a Democrat.

MRS. MARIA HARLAN, Barnhill, was born September 18. 1828, on the farm where she now resides, the land having been pre- empted by her father, Daniel Kenshalo, in 1816. He was born June 2, 1780, in Harri- son County, Va. He died, in 1872, in Mill Shoals, White Co., Ill. In early life, he was educated as a lawyer. but never followed his profession. While living in Kentucky, he shipped goods and also negroes to New Or- leans, to which place he made thirteen trips by flat-boat, and walking back, carrying at one time $17,000. tied up in a handerchief. back to his employers. In 1819. he came to Wayne County, Ill., where he pre-empted and deeded the land on which our subject now resides. Daniel Kenshalo was a soldier in the war of 1812. participating in the bat- tle of the Thames, where Tecumseh fell, se- curing the great chief's tomahawk, which he brought home as a trophy. His last days were spent in quiet country life. Our snb- ject's grandfather, Peter Kenshalo, was a na- tive of Ireland, and came here during the Revolutionary war. His wife was Margaret Walls, a native of Germany. The mother of our subject was Anne Van Shoik, born 1784, in Amsterdam, Holland; she died in 1842, in this county. She was the mother of twelve children, of whom our subject is probably the only one now living. Her father, David Van Shoik, also a native of Holland, was a wagon-maker by occupation. Her mother was Pyrthina Van Shoik. Mrs Harlan's brother. Peter ienshalo, was a First Lieutenant in the Black Hawk war: she af terward drew bis pension. She was married

BARNHILL TOWNSHIP.

twice; her first husband. Rufus Sexton, died in White County, Ill. Her second husband, Nathaniel Harlan, was a native of Kentucky; he died February 6, 1872. Mrs. Harlan is the mother of ten children, of whom six are now living-Augusta, wife of R H. Puckett; India B .. wife of John Faulkner; Metta V., born April 5, 1862: Charles W., born March 5, 1867: Marshal M., born November 5, 1868; and Sallie, born February 27, 1870. Mrs. Harlan has managed her farm of 210 acres, with marked success since the death of her husband, and may be considered as one of the best farmers in Wayne County. She made a fine farm ont of a waste place, and at present has mortgages on other farms and money at interest. Religiously, she is con- nected with the Methodist Episcopal Church.

MILES H. HARRIS, farmer, P. O. Mer- riam, was born September 5, 1819, in the sontheast corner of Wayne County, III. He was educated in the academy at Burnt Prairie, White Co., Ill. Early in life, he devoted his attention to instructing the young. teaching for four or five years, mainly in the fall and winter, farming in the summer. He bought his first farm of 200 acres in Leech Town- ship, which he sold in 1858, and then went to New Massillon, where he bought a steam flour and lumber mill, which he operated for two years, and then traded it for a farm of 100 acres, on which he now resides. He was joined in matrimony three times. His first wife, Matilda Wilson, died. leaving three children, viz .: Emma H .. wife of W. A. Tronsdale: Susan A., wife R. F. Trousdale, and Miles C .. deceased. His second wife was Julia A. Fulkerson, who died the follow- ing year after they were married. His pres- ent wife is Mary J. Robertson, born 1834. in White County, III. Her parents were Aaron and Mahala M. (Funkhouser) Robertson. This union was blessed with two children.

viz. : Julia M. and Mary A. Mr. and Mrs. llarris are members of the Cumberland Pres- byterian Church. In political matters, Mr. Harris is identitied with the Democratie par- ty. He has filled a number of offices, and filled them to the satisfaction of his constitu- ents. He is a man that is always willing to espouse the cause of right and justice. He was Justice of the Peace for twenty-two years; he was also a member of the County Board of Supervisors for four years, was Constable for three years, Township Assessor one year, and for two years filled the office of County Superintendent of Schools, with tact and ability.

L. P. HAY, farmer, P. O. Fairfield, was born November 22, 1823, in White County, Ill. He is a son of John Hay, born 1776 in Allegheny County, Penn .. where he farmed. About 1817, he located in White County, Il !. , on Little Prairie, near the Grand Chain, and then removed to Big Prairie, where our subject was born. Here he farmed. and in partnership with his uncle Lowry, put up a distillery, which he operated for a mim- ber of years, he doing the main buying and selling, and flat-boating the produco (whisky and pork) South on the Wabash, and then to New Orleans, an occupation he had followed several years during the war of 1812, and after. The number of porkers killed and shipped by them would amount to from 500 to 1.000 in one year. John Hay died 1836. His father, John Hay, Sr. was a native of Virginia, where he farmed. He died in Pennsylvania. His father, or the great- grandfather of our subject, was Alexander Hay, a native of Scotland; he died in Vir- ginia. The mother of our subject was Han- nah (Webster) Hay, born in Virginia: she died 1856 in White County, III. She was a daughter of Henry and Lucretia Preston Webster, natives of Virginia. She had

BIOGRAPHICAL:

ten children, of whom two are now living, viz. : Hon. Lowry Hay, former Sheriff of this county, and once a Representative of White County, III., and Lawrence P., our subject, who was educated in White County, Ill., in the old fashioned subscription schools. He came to Wayne County, in March, 1842, and bought 320 acres of land, owning at one time several hundred acres in adjoining counties. Here he was married, Septem- ber 4, 1846, to Miss Jane E. Borah, born July 22, 1828, in Wayne County, Ill. Her parents were John and Sarah (Wilson) Borah, whose history appears in another part of this work. Nine children blessed this hap- py union, viz .: Samuel T., deceased; Mary J., wife of McK. Sunderland; Sarah A., born De- cember 12, 1850, wife of Peter Cox, now a resident of California; Clemence A., born Feb- ruary 16, 1853, wife of Henry Koontz, also a resident of California; Nancy H., born August 19, 1855, wife of George B. Sunderland, now living in Ohio; Eliza H., deceased; Kate, born September 30, 181; John W., born September 11, 1864; Joseph M., born Feb- ruary 9, 1867; and Lucy, born July 12, 1872. Mrs. Hay is a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Mr. Hay obeyed the call of his country to save the stars and stripes, by enlisting September 13, 1861, in the Fifth Illinois Cavalry, Company D, in which he served till May, 1865. He made his way from private to Quartermaster Ser- geant, then Second Lieutenant, and was af- terward promoted to First Lieutenant. He served in the Trans-Mississippi Department, resigning at La Grange, Tenn. He is a radical Republican, and a member of the G. A. R.

E. E. HOLLOWAY, farmer, P. O. Fair- field, was born August 30, 1836, in Wilson County, Tenn. He is a son of John Hollo- way, born in 1807, in Wilson County. Tenn. ;

he died in Wayne County, Ill., July 26, 1873. He was a blacksmith by occupation, and worked at his trade in Wayne County, Ill., to which place he came in 1854. His father, Levi Holloway, was a native of North Carolina. The mother of our subject was Mary (Caraway) Holloway, born 1809; died December 6, 1880, in this county. She was a daughter of Moses and Mary (Meritt) Car- away, natives of North Carolina. She was the mother of ten children, viz .: William H. (deceased), Elihu E., Nancy E. Graves, Rich- ard H., Mary A. J. Meritt, John D., James F., Martha H. Shaw, Oliver P., Sarah J. Day (deceased). Our subject was educated principally in Fairfield, III. He has taught school for ten winters, with splendid success ; he is numbered among our best teachers. He has also been Tax Collector for Barnhill Township for five terms, and has been Town- ship Assessor one term. His other time he has devoted to farming, owning now a farm of eighty acres of land. He was joined in matrimony, March 29, 1863, in this county, to Miss Mary A. Harper, born December 9, 1843, in Fairfield, Ill .; daughter of James N. and Elizabeth (Walker) Harper. James N. Harper lived in Fairfield many years, where he ran a wool carding machine, and also a grist mill. Mrs. Mary A. Holloway is the mother of six children, of whom four are now living, viz. : Charles W., born March S, 1864; Walter E., born November 17, 1866; Luette A., born February 28, 1869, and Otis Lee, born March 29, 1874. Mr. and Mrs. Holloway are members of the Baptist Church. Mr. Holloway is identified with the Demo- cratic party.

DR. J. E. INSKEEP, physician, Mer- riam, was born December 29, 1851, in Cul- peper County, Va. He is a son of James W. Inskeep, a contractor by occupation, doing all kinds of builder's work in the

BARNHILL TOWNSHIP.

way of brick laying and making aud plas- tering work. He was born 1825 in Pennsyl- vania, and is yet living in Culpeper County, Va., where he holds the office of State Rev- enne Collector. His father, Joel Inskeep, was born in Pennsylvania, but died in Virginia. The mother of our subject was Frances B. (Hudson) Inskeep, a native of Virginia; she died in Culpeper County, Va. She was the mother of eleven children, viz., Sallie M., William A .. James E., Charles W., Francis E., Mary F .. Lilburn D., Turner A., Myrtle R., Elizabeth (deceased) and Lizzie L. The Doctor was educated at Culpeper, Va., re- ceiving his medical education at the Eclectic Medical College, Cincinnati, Ohio. The Doctor practiced six months in Wabash, Wayne Co., Ill., and then, December 11, 1877, he came to Barnhill Township, near Merriam, where he enjoys a large and Incrative prac- tice, also enjoying the respect and confidence of the people of this and adjoining connties, Dr. Inskeep was married, December 18, 1879, in Leech Township, Wayne Co., Ill., to Miss Elizabeth C. Harris, born October 28, 1861, in this county. She is a daughter of John M. and Sarah C. (Parker) Harris, both natives of Kentucky. Two children blessed this happy union, viz., Kate M., born October 18, 1880, and an infant son (deceased). Dr. and Mrs. Inskeep are religiously connected with the church-he with the Christian, and she with the C. P. Church. He is a Master Ma- son and Coroner of Wayne County, Ill. In politics, the Doctor is a Democrat, being at present Chairman of the Central Committee of Wayne County, Ill.

J. E. KENNERLY, farmer, P. O. Fair- field. was born May 13, 1845, in Vanderburgh County, Ind. His father, W. C. Kennerly, was born January 16, 1808. He is a farmer by occupation, and came here about 1857, and yet resides in this county. The grandfather

of our subject was Everton Kennerly. He was a native of Maryland, and a farmer by ocenpation. He died near Evansville, Ind. The mother of our subject was Mary (Mc- Dowell) Kennerly. She was born in 1815. in Vanderburgh County, Ind. She is a daugh- ter of Daniel and Comfort (Marble) McDowell. She was the mother of twelve children. of whom seven are now living. Their names are Daniel B., George Mc., James E., May B., Sarah E., wife of E. L. Puckett; Mary E., former wife of Ed Fears (deceased); und Cynthia J., wife of William Nickens. Our subject was educated in Barnhill Township, where he has been devoting his attention to the tilling of soil on his father's farm, con- sisting of 160 acres. Mr. Kennerly may be classed among our wide awake young men in political matters. He has been identified with the Democratic party.

JAMES R. NORRIS, railroad contractor, Fairfield, was born September 6, 1838, in Kennebec County, Me. Ile is a son of G. K. Norris, also a native of Maine, where he farmed. When the war cloud of the rebell- ion overspread our beautiful country, he volunteered to protect the stars and stripes of the Union, and as Captain of the Seventh Maine Regiment of Infantry Volunteers, Company K, he rendered valuable service to his country. He died, 1883, in the house of his birth. His father, James Norris, was a native of New Hampshire; he died in Mon- mouth. Me. He was a soldier in the Revo- lutionary war; was made a prisoner by the Indians, allowed one grain of corn a day for rations, but finally made good his escape. After the war, he went to Maine, where he engaged in farming and the lumber business. When the war of 1812 broke ont, ho raised a company, and as its Captain did some valua- ble service, but died at his home before the close of the war. He was married to Ruth

BIOGRAPHICAL:

Dearborn, a native of New Hampshire. She died in 1848, in Monmouth, Me., aged eighty - four years. She was a niece of Maj. Gen. Henry Dearborn, of Revolutionary fame. The mother of our subject, Hannah E. (Jud- kins) Norris, was a native of Monmouth, Me., where she died in 1875. She was a daugh- ter of Jonathan and Sylvia (Fairbanks) Jud_ kins. He was a native of New Hampshire, and she of Maine. Ten children called her mother, of whom eight reached maturity, viz., George W., also a railroad contractor; Emma and Hannah and Henry K. are deceased. James R., our subject, Charles D., Superin- tendent of the C. H. V. & T. R. R. in Ohio; Augusta M. and Greenleaf D., deceased. Our subject was educated in Monmouth, Me., and Baltimore, Md. Early in life, he turned his attention to railroading, which has been his vocation in life, doing his first work for the M. & C. R. R. Company, of Ohio. Since then he has done contractor's work in Ohio, Kentucky and Illinois. In December, 1861, he enlisted in the Second Regiment District of Columbia Volunteer Infantry, Company G, serving one year, after which he was honorably discharged by the Regimental Surgeon for disability. He was joined in matrimony, September 15, 1874, in Wayne County, IlI., to Miss Melvina A. Brach, born in 1854, in Beaver County, Penn. She is a daughter of Albert and Barbara Brach, the former a native of Prussia, and the latter of Lorain. Three children are the result of this happy union, viz., Edith A., deceased; Green- leaf A., born October 14, 1877; and Mabel A., born October 26, 1881. Mr. and Mrs. Norris are members of the Presbyterian Church. He is a member of the A. F. & A. M. fraternity, BIne Lodge, Royal Arch, Conn- cil and Encampment, also G. A. R.

WILLIAM T. PALMER, P. O. Barnhill, was born July 8, 1858, in Gasconade County,

Mo. His father, Thomas Palmer, was born February 24, 1810, in Halifax, Va. . He is a farmer by occupation, owning at present 140 acres of land. He was married twice; his first wife, Lydia Odell. was born in Ken- tneky; she died in this county. His present wife, Minerva Shrewsberry, was born in Kentucky. Her father was Samuel Shrews- berry. She is yet living, the mother of nine children, viz. : James K., Mary McKenney, Sarah E. Puckett, Samuel J., Francis M., William T., our subject, Benjamin F., Sa- mantha, and Missouri Ann, deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Palmer are members of the Chris- tian Church. The father of Thomas Palmer was Elisha Palmer, a native of Virginia. Our subject, William T. Palmer, was edu- cated partly in this county, and partly in Texas, to which State the family moved in 1877, returning in 1879. In August, 1881, William T. Palmer went to Texas a second time, returning May 5, 1883. Mr. Palmer is a wide-awake young farmer.

C. L. POINDEXTER, attorney at law, Mount Vernon, was born November 8, 1855, in Springfield, Tenn., a son of Rev. J. W. Poindexter, a native of Virginia, a pastor of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, at present located in Austin, Tex. The mother was Maria E. Paine, a native of Tennessee. She died June 27, 1868, in Owensboro, Ky. She was a daughter of Dr. Alfred and Maria (Randolph) Paine, natives of Tennessee, Mrs. Maria E. Poindexter was the mother of seven children, of whom four are now living. viz., Claude L. (our subject), Myra B. Smith, Orville and Rose. Our subject was educated in Lincoln University, after which he taught school about seven years, and then read law in this county with Hanna & Adams till he was admitted to the bar in February, 1881. Since that time, he has devoted most of his attention to his profes-

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History of Wayne and Clay counties, Illinois, Part 65

Author: Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Chicago : Globe Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 704

Author:
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago : Globe Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 704