USA > Illinois > White County > History of White County Illinois > Part 38
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James F'. Dawson was born in Wheeling, W. Va., Dec. 17, 1849. His father, James Dawson, a native of Manchester, England, and came to America in 1842. His mother, Margaret Jane (Little) Dawson, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1827, and died in 1862. He has one brother and one sister. James F. served two years at wood-turning, and four years at the carpenter's trade, with William
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H. Stewart, of Cincinnati. After learning his trade he contracted one year in Cincinnati. In 1872 he went to the Black Hills, and remained a year. He then started East and stopped three months in Council Bluffs, and then in Des Moines three months, and re- turned to Cincinnati, where he worked for Griffith till his estab- lishment burned. Mr. Dawson lost $250 worth of tools. He then learned the trade of sign-writing, which he followed three years, and then left Cincinnati, stopping at Louisville two weeks; then took a boat for Evansville, Ind., and remained a few days, and started for Mt. Vernon, but concluded to go further West. Running short of money he walked to Carmi, where he got work of Homer Floyle, then a contractor and builder in Carmi. He worked for him a year, and then was at the round-house three months. He then worked for Floyle two years, at the end of which time he com- menced to contract from Carmi to Terre Haute, Ind., three months, and in August, 1882, came back to Carmi, where he is contracting. He is at present building a house for Thomas Bidelman. He is a member of Carini Lodge, No. 121, I. O. O. F., and K. of P., No. 82. Politically he is a Republican.
John Dietz, born in Mt. Vernon, Ind., June 7, 1852, is a son of Godfrey Dietz, a native of Germany, who was born about 1827, and came to America about 184S. He lived in Mt. Vernon a number of years and worked at the wagon-maker's trade. In 1857 he came to Carmi, where he has since lived, and is still working at his trade. He has four sons-John, William, Henry, and Frank. John is by trade a painter and is employed in the car shops of the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railroad, at Carmi He was married Oct. 18, 1877, to Mollie Anart, a native of Louis- ville, Ky., born July 26, 1862. They have one child-Lulu, born July 30, 1878. Politically Mr. Dietz is a Republican.
Henry Dobbs was born near Phillipstown, White Co., Ill., May 28, 1848. He was reared and educated in this county. He has been engaged in farming and trading ever since he was large enough. In 1881 he kept what is known as the Hill Springs, near Carmi, and also had a grocery. In the fall of 1881 he closed up that business, and kept a feed stable during the winter. In May, 1882, he commenced in his present business-keeping a saloon, also deals in real-estate, or anything that will help business and earn an honest penny. He was married in August, 1872, to Laura Kirkendall, a native of White County, born in 1854. They have no children. Mrs. Susan Dobbs, the mother of Henry, was born
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in White County, Aug. 21, 1831. Her maiden name was Clark. She was married to Alexander Dobbs, Aug. 1, 1847. They were the parents of four children-Henry, born May 28, 1848; Theo- dore, June 22, 1851; Sarah M., Dec. 7, 1865; Mary M., March 13, 1868. Mr. Dobbs died Aug. 10, 1870.
Phil. J. Felker, born Aug. 14, 1852, at Evansville, Ind., is a son of John F. and Dorathy (Mintzer) Felker. His mother is a native o New York State, and his father of Germany. His mother is living at Evansville. His father died in Evansville in November, 1865. There were seven children in his family, three sons and four daughters. Phil was raised in Evansville, where he received his education. When he was fifteen years old he engaged with his uncle in the grocery business, and was with himn two years. He then went into the banking house of Archer & Co., and was with them one year. He again went into the grocery business with Parsons & Scoville; was with them eight years. In September, 1879, he opened a general mercantile store in Hazleton, Gibson Co., Ind., and was there nearly two years. May 4, 1881, he was burned out, and met with a large loss, only partly insured. In July, 1881, he came to Carmi, and opened a store of dry goods, boots and shoes, etc., with A. P. Lahr, under the firm name of A. P. Lahr & Co. In March, 1862, Mr. Felker bought the interest of his partner, and has since had entire control and management of the business. He carries a stock of between $7,000 and $8,000, and has a fine store on the corner of Smith and First streets, nicely arranged, and doing a profitable business. He was married Jan. 14, 1879, to Lena Wessel, a native of New Orleans, La. They have two children-Estella D. and Helen L.
Albert S. Felty was born in White County, Ill., May 11, 1827. His father, Michael Felty, a native of Pennsylvania, removed to Kentucky and lived a short time, and in 1817 came to this county, where he resided until his death in 1866. His mother, Mrs. Al- pha Newman Felty, was also a native of Pennsylvania, and moved to Kentucky, thence to Illinois, where she married Mr. Felty. She died in 1868, leaving five children, Albert L. being the fourth. He was married in 1849 to Sarah Jane Hosic, also a native of White County, born June 27, 1832. They have ten children-Thomas L., Alpha A., Sylvester, James S., Mary, Margaret, Albert C., George H., Clara and Dora. Mr. and Mrs. Felty are members of the Christian church. Politically he is a Republican. He owns eighty acres of fine land on section 17, Carmi Township.
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J. W. Finley was born in Ohio, Jan. 1, 1841, where he lived till 1861 when he enlisted in Company H, Eleventh Ohio Infantry: He served all through the campaign of the Big Kanawha Valley; was in the second Battle of Bull Run, and was taken prisoner. He was paroled and remained in camp at Annapolis, Md., two months. From there he came to Indianapolis, and from there to Kokomo, Ind., where he raised a company and joined the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Indiana, Company D. He served in that company 100 days, when he was discharged and mustered out in the spring of 1863. He engaged in the millinery and ladies' furnishing goode business from 1863 to 1866, when he went to Detroit, Mich., and worked at shoe-making six months. He then went to Chicago, Ill., and engaged in the millinery business during the winter, when he went to Bloomington, Ill., and worked at shoe-making for three months, when he engaged in bleaching and pressing two months. He then collected for a book publishing house four months. He then resumed shoe-making which he continued until the fall of 1882, when he opened a saloon corner of Smith and Third streets, Carmi. He has five acres of good land just north of the city cor- poration and a nice little cottage. He was married in 1864 to Helen A. Brooks. She died in the spring of 1867. In March, 1868, he married Mary R. Jenkins, a native of Tennessee, born in 1847. They have five children-Ethel, Maud, Kate, Eva, and Jimmie. He is a member of the Christian church. Politically he is a Democrat. He belongs to the Forest City Lodge, Arkansas.
H. F. W. Fisher was born in Prussia, Feb. 14, 1844, and came to America in 1857, landing in New York. He went direct to Washington County, thirty miles north of Milwaukee, Wis., and worked at the boot and shoe-maker's trade till 1862. Aug. 14, 1862, he enlisted in Company E, Twenty-fourth Wisconsin In- fantry, and served two years and ten months, or until the war was over. He was at Perryville, Ark., Stone River, Chickamauga, Mission Ridge; after that at Sheridan's headquarters at Knoxville four months. He was taken sick and was sent to the field hospi- tal at Chattanooga, and after a week was shipped to Nashville, where he remained till Feb. 1, in Hospital No. 1. He then re- ported to his regiment and served till his discharge. He was mus- tered ont at Milwaukee. He worked at his trade nine months and then went to Milwaukee and sold patent medicines for A. Sabine & Co. seven and a half years. In 1876 he came to Carmi and kept bar for R. T. Schwaner six months. He then went into business
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for himself, and is now keeping the Globe Saloon. He was mar- ried Oct. 30, 1878, to Frances Schneider, a native of Evansville, Ind., born May 16, 1854. They have two children-Louise Anna, born Oct. 25, 1879, and F. Julia, Ang. 15, 1881. He was Assessor of Carmi Township in 1881. He belongs to the Lutheran church. He is Past Chancellor of Carmi Lodge, No. 82, K. of P. In August, 1882, he joined Carmi Lodge No. 189, I. O. O. F. and is ho ding the office of Treasurer.
Frank J. Foster, M. D., physician and druggist, Carmi, was born in Butler County, Ohio, in 1830, the son of Archie G. and Margaret (Patterson) Foster, the former a native of Virginia, and the latter of the vicinity of Lexington, Ky. He was raised on a farm, attended common and high schools, and finally graduated at the Ohio Medical College at Cincinnati, in 1854, when he located in Bartholomew County, Ind., and commenced the practice of his chosen profession. In 1860 he removed to Enfield, this county, and in 1862 to Carmi, where he has since resided. Since that date he has been U. S. Pension Examining Surgeon, excepting the year and a half he was in the army. He was mustered into the United States service in March, 1864, as Assistant Surgeon to the Thir- teenth Illinois Cavalry, and mustered out in September, 1865. Most of this period he was in charge of the surgical department of the hospital at Pine Bluff, Ark. In 1855 Dr. Foster married Miss Mary, daughter of Matthew and Charity Kelley, father a native of Virginia and mother of Pennsylvania. Their children are- C. Belle, who married Prof. H. L. Arnold, now a teacher of the graded school at Belmont, Wabash Co., Ill .; Louis M. and Daisy Deane. In 1856 the Doctor made a trip out into the wilds of Kansas, where he had some hair-breadth escapes from the In- dians and border ruffians. Glad was he to find himself safe among civilized people once more. Dr. Foster is a useful man to the pub- lic, as he takes a lively interest in educational and other public affairs. He has been a member of the Carmi School Board, of which he was Chairman three years. Is a member of the A. F. & A. M., in which he was acting Master of a lodge in Indiana for some time; is also a member of the I. O. O. F. and A. O. U. W. For five consecutive years he has been a Supervisor of Carmi Township, and would have been continued in the office longer had he consented. He was Chairman of the board two or three years. His present drug store in Carmi, on the west side of Church street and a little north of Main, he opened in 1873.
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Detrich Freibergen was born in the State of Baden, Germany, July 2, 1829. He came to America Jan. 15, 1855, landing in New Orlens. He was fifty-two days on the ocean, on the sailing vesssel Udit. He took a steamer at New Orleans for Cairo, Ill., and went from there by rail to St. Louis, Mo. He remained in St. Louis only two weeks, when he went to St. Clair County, Ill. He worked on a farm there by the month four years, and then rented a farm and worked for himself two years. He then bought ninety acres (seventy prairie and twenty timber) in Washington County, Ill., and carried on farming there eight years, when he sold out and came to White County, and bought 400 acres of Mr. Graham, on section 3, township 5, range 9. He then went to work repairing, spent nearly $8,000 in buildings, and has now a fine, large, two- story frame house, good barn and granary, and all the conven- iences necessary to make life comfortable. He was married in St. Clair County, Jan. 15, 1858, to Christina Keim, a native of Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, born May 8, 1833. They have five children-Jacob, born May 17, 1860; Philip, Feb. 20, 1864; Cath- erine, Feb. 27, 1866; Louisa, Oct. 12, 1869; Henry, Jan. 16, 1871. They are members of the German Presbyterian church. Politically he is a Republican.
D. W. Gardner, son of N. and Mary Gardner, was born in Ohio, May 15, 1823. His father was born in New York about 1780, and his mother was a native of Virginia. They were married in 1806, and had thirteen children, D. W. being the twelfth. He lived in Ohio about thirty-five years, and then came to Illinois; from here went to Missouri, and remained eighteen months, then carne back to Illinois, then to Ohio, and in 1868 returned to Gray- ville, Ill., and lived four years. In 1872 he came to Carmi, where he has since resided. He was a pilot on the Ohio, Mississippi and Red rivers for about twenty-three years. Since coming to Carmi he has had a grocery, and kept a hotel most of the time. He was married April 9, 1848, to Levina Waterfield. They have two children-William, born Oct. 15, 1849, and Elizabeth, May 1. 1851, now the wife of John Stewart. Mr. Gardner is a member of Lodge No. 200, A. F. & A. M., Grayville, and Vespar Lodge, No. 131, I. O. O. F., Neville, O. He voted for James K. Polk, and has always voted the Democratic ticket.
E. W. Gaston was born in White County, Ill., Jan. 26, 1825. He was a son of Elihu Gaston, who came from Kentucky to Gal- latin County in 1814, and moved to White County in 1324,
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where he died in 1834 at the age of thirty-six. Mr. Gaston's boy- hood and most of his manhood years were spent upon a farm. In 1851 he purchased the ferry track at New Haven. This ferry Mr. Gaston established and ran five years himself. Here he made quite a start in this world's goods. In 1856 he went to try his fortune in Iowa, where he invested in lands, which afterward proved to have spurious titles. This discouragement of course made the West a dismal place for him. So the same year he sought his na- tive land. In 1861 he enlisted in Company G, Seventh Illinois Cavalry, and served his country over three and a half years; was never wounded or taken prisoner, though he had the misfortune to be a hospital patient'about six weeks in all. He was on the Grearson raid from Memphis to Baton Rouge, the battles at Lagrange, Tenn., and Corinth, besides many other hard-fought engagements. He held the position of Orderly Sergeant from his enlistment to his discharge, which was in November, 1864, at Springfield, Ill. After his return from the army he pursued the avocation of farm- ing till 1875, when he came to Carmi, where he still resides. In November, 1879, he was elected Treasurer of White County. In 1881 he engaged in the furniture business, which he is still pur- suing. Mr. Gaston was married in 1847, to Jane Stewart. She died in 1855, leaving a family of three children-John L., Amelia (now Mrs. Crowder), and Barbara (now Mrs. Turner). In 1856 Mr. Gaston was married to Mrs. Ruth Slocum. By this union there are three children-Jennie, married Mr. Chas. E. Parker; Katie and Della, who reside with their father. Mrs. Gaston died in De- cember, 1878. Mr. Gaston was again married in May, 1880, to Mrs. Samuel Dagley. Her maiden name was Lucinda Hannah. Mr. Gaston is a member of the Order of Freemasons, and is a sound Democrat.
Charles Gidcumb was born in Butler County, Ky., Dec. 13, 1848. He came to White County, Ill., in 1856, and has made this county his home to the present time. He was married March 26, 1872, to Lucinda Smith, a native of Tennessee, born May 6, 1850. They are the parents of six children-Alonzo, born January, 1873; Mary, born in 1875; Charles Josephus, born in 1877; he and Alonzo were both killed by a runaway team in September, 1877; Will- iam, born in 1878; Shuman, in 1880; and an infant, born Aug. 23, 1882. Mr. Gidcumb has forty acres of good land on section 12. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. l'olitically, is a Democrat.
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Dan. H. Graham was born two and a half miles northwest of Carmi, on the old homestead, Oct. 15, 1848. His father, Nathan- iel P. Graham, came with his parents to this county from Ken- tucky in 1817, when he was five years old, and resided here till his death, April 23, 1870. His mother, Susannah Fraser, was born in North Carolina, in 1817, and came to this county with her parents in 1818. They were married April 27, 1834, and to them were born four sons and five daughters, Dan being the third son. His youthful days were spent in attending the district school in winter, and tilling the soil in summer. At the age of sixteen it was decided that he should not be a mechanic as were his two older brothers, Barton and Thompson, so the next year and a half was spent in a select school taught by Rev. Hughey near Liberty. Oct. 3, 1867, he commenced teaching at the Beck district school, and the next year taught in the Cleveland district in Phillipstown. With the proceeds of these two years he embarked in the livery business in March, 1869, and continued alone till August, when he took in Theo. Parker as a partner. The firm of Parker & Gra- ham continued till February, when Dan bought out Mr. Parker and assumed full control. His father's death made it necessary for him to keep the Central House, which he continued till 1872. Government contracting is one of his specialties, and he is one of the most extensive contractors in Southern Illinois, now having control of over forty routes, making over 3,000 miles to be trav- eled per week. He has also been engaged in the ice and coal trade, and more recently in agricultural implements. His sales in the latter amounted to over $50,000 the last season. In politics, he is a Republican. He is a member of the Methodist church, and is a liberal subscriber to it and to all benevolent institutions. He is a charter member of Lodge No. 82, K. of P., and was also a member of the Good Templars. He was married Nov. 2, 1871, to Florence, eldest daughter of John and Louisa Scott, of Scotts- ville, Wayne Co., Ill. They have five children-Blanche, Emma, Louise, Willie T., and Kate.
Smiley Graham was born in Fayette County, Pa., June 26, 1807, and when about eleven years of age went to Ohio. In the fall of 1838 he came to Illinois. He owns eighty-three acres of land on sections 29 and 30, Carmi Township. He was married May 14, 1840, to Emily M. Brockett, who was born in Saline County, Ill., in 1816. They have five children-Benjamin B., born June 26, 1844; Elizabeth T., Sept. 14, 1846; John M., Feb.
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3, 1849; Mary Jane, May 16, 1852; Maria T., Sept. 18, 1854. Mr. and Mrs. Graham are members of the United Presbyterian church. ' Politically he is a Republican. His son, John M., was married Oct. 4, 1876, to Emma C. Parkhurst, who was born in White County, Nov. 3, 1862. They have two children-Charlie O., born Oct. 13, 1878, and Emma C., born Dec. 23, 1881. He lives with his father, and has charge of the farm. Mr. and Mrs. John Gra- ham are also members of the United Presbyterian church. Polit- ically he is a Republican.
William Gravett was born in Sussex County, England, April 13, 1829. In the spring of 1852 he came to America, landing in New York, and came to Grayville, Ill., that same spring, where he lived till the spring of 1882. He has been farming most of the time since coming here, though for the past eighteen years he has been principally engaged in the lumber business, in which he still continues in Carmi, Ill. He was married February, 1853, to Ellen Johnson, also a native of Sussex County, England, born June 5, 1833. They have eight children-John P., born in 1854; Sada S., in 1856; Alice C., in 1860; Hugh H., in 1863; Eunice W., 1868; Allen W., 1870; Edmund J., 1873; Nellie F., 1875. He is a member of the Disciples church, and of the Grayville lodge.
John B. Grow was born in Cincinnati, O., Sept. 1, 1845, and lived there till he was ten years old. He then went to Indianapo- lis and lived a year; then to Terre Haute, Ind., and lived a year; then to St. Louis, Mo., where he remained till the war broke out, when he enlisted in Company A, Third Missouri Infantry, and served three years. It was General Siegel's first regiment and was under his command till his removal to Virginia. They were then in the Fifteenth Army Corps, under Sherman. His term expired after the surrender of Atlanta, and he was discharged and returned to St. Louis, and worked at the trade of painting till 1870, when he came to White County and lived at Marshall's Ferry eightyears. In 1878 he came to Carmi, where he is still working at his trade. He was married Jan. 26, 1872, to Ellen Miller, who was born in Carmi in November, 1856. They have three children-William F., born Aug. 9, 1874; Myrtle A., Sept. 6, 1877; Harry G., June 25, 1880. Mr. and Mrs. Grow are both members of the Christian church. Politically he is a Republican.
Alfred Hadden was born in Kentucky, Oct. 28, 1811, and came to White County, Ill., in 1817, where he has made his home to the present time. He has always been a farmer, and now owns
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eighty acres of good land on section 1, Carmi Township. He was married in June, 1836, to Peggie Null. She died in 1841, leav- ing one child-John Hadden. In 1842 he married Mrs. Lyda Williams. By this union there is one daughter-Mary, now Mrs. Leonard Ross. Mrs. Hadden died in 1847. In 1848 Mr. Hadden married Mrs. Jane Jones. They were the parents of four chil- dren-Thomas J., Susie, now Mrs. Jacob Pruther; Alfred G. and Sarah J. (twins), the latter the wife of David Barton. Mr. Had- den was again bereaved by the loss of his wife, and in January, 1875, married for the fourth time. His wife was Mrs. Rhoda Jane Hosier. They have no children. They are members of the Meth- odist Episcopal church. Politically he is a Republican.
John Haffa, Jr., born Jan. 17, 1858, in the eastern part of Hol- land, is a son of John and Agnes (Plunc) Haffa. In November, 1864, his parents with their family came to the United States, and settled in White County, Ill. His father is a plasterer or brick mason, and resides in Carmi. They have four children, three sons and one daughter. John Haffa, Jr., is the youngest of the family. July 4, 1874, he went to Evansville, where he attended the commercial school. On the 8th day of July, 1875, he clerked in a grocery store, and remained there six years. In November, 1881, 'he returned to Carmi, and opened his present place of busi- ness, on the corner of Smith and First streets. He has a fine gro- cery store and carries a full and select stock of goods, giving the business his personal attention.
George W. Harrison was born in Tennessee in 1837. He was a son of Joseph Harrison, a native of South Carolina, and spent his days principally in Tennessee, where he died in 1851. G. W. Harrison became a citizen of White County in 1857, at about the age of eighteen. He began the milling business in Carmi and followed it continually till March, 1882. When Mr. Harrison quit the milling business, he went into the grocery business with his present partner, I. H. Boyer. They have a fine store and are doing indeed a pleasant business. Mr. Harrison was married in 1864 to Amanda J. White, a native of this county. They have one daughter -- Ollie, now fourteen years of age. Mr. Harrison is a member of the Order of Odd Fellows.
F. E. Hay was born in January, 1831, in White County, Ill., a son of Daniel Hay. He received his early education in this county, and in 1851-'52 attended Franklin College, near Nashville, Tenn. After leaving college he was admitted as partner with his
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brother, W. S. Hay, who was at that time living in Carmi, exten- sively engaged in merchandising, including packing and shipping pork, handling and shipping a great deal of produce down the river, and also doing a large business in dry goods and groceries. He continued in this business till his brother's death, in January, 1856. After settling up their business and the estate of his brother (which occupied nearly three years) he engaged in the dry goods business with his brother-in-law, J. R. Webb. They continued in that business till 1872 when they disposed of their goods and opened a bank, using the old firm name. This business we find to be on a solid footing, and very successful under the judicious management of Mr. Hay, Mr. Webb spending most of his time in Louisville, Ky. Their bank is not only secured by the un- shaken confidence of the people in its proprietors, but by over a thousand acres of choice lands, a great deal of town property, and plenty of cash capital alway on hand. They pay the Government a tax upon over a $100,000 of annual deposits. Mr. Hay was married in 1854 to Miss Martha L. Webb, a daughter of E. B. Webb, a pioneer of this county, and a prominent politician, being a special friend of Lincoln and his associates. In 1871 Mr. Hay was elected by the Democratic party, without opposition, to the honored position of Legislator, it being the first Legislature under the new State Constitution.
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