USA > Illinois > White County > History of White County Illinois > Part 40
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George M. McHenry, M. D., born about two miles east of Carmi, White Co., Ill., April 15, 1849, is a son of M. G. and Lu- cinda B. (Stokes) McHenry, natives of Kentucky. His father came to this county when a child and resided here till his death in 1878. His mother is still living, aged seventy-three years. Dr. McHenry remained at home till he was twenty-one years of age, when he went to the Indiana State University at Bloomington, and remained two years. He then returned home and studied medicine with Dr. Stewart two years; then attended a two years' course at Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Penn., graduat- ing there in 1873. He at once returned to Carmi and engaged in the practice of medicine, in which profession he is very success- ful. He was married Oct. 15, 1873, to Miss Ione Gile. They have two children-Pearl, aged six years, and Mataline, aged four.
Charles C. Meckel was born in Marburg, Germany, May 26, 1850, and came to America in 1867, landing in New York. He went to Philadelphia and lived six years. Sept. 1, 1873, he en- listed in the Fifth United States Cavalry and served five years. During that time he went from New York to San Francisco, Ari- zona, Mexico, Texas, Montana, Dakota, Kansas, Indian Territory, etc., fighting the Indians. He was discharged Sept. 1, 1878, at Fort D. A. Russell, Wyoming Territory. He went back to Eu- rope and remained with his parents nine months; then came back and lived in Evansville, Ind., nine months, and in 1879 came to Carmi, Ill., where he has since resided. He clerked for F. Beker eighteen months, and for G. Weideman eighteen months. He is now with John Hava. He was married Jan. 28, 1880, to M. Be- ker. They have no children. Mr. Meckel is a member of the Lutheran church. Politically he is a Democrat
James A. Miller was born in White County, Ill., Sept. 23, 1834.
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He was a son of Abram C. Miller who emigrated from Kentucky in 1814 with his father when he was but one year of age. Here he made his home till his death, which was in March, 1851. James Miller spent his boyhood days on the farm, and, in fact, till he was about thirty eight or thirty-nine years of age, when he moved to Carmi and engaged in a private banking business, which avocation we find him successfully engaged in. In August, 1862, he en- listed in Company C, Eighty-seventh Illinois Infantry. At the ex- piration of one year he was promoted to the office of Captain. This position he held about one year when he resigned his position and returned home. He participated in the siege of Vicksburg and taking of Jackson, the capital of Mississippi, besides many other sharp engagements. Mr. Miller is one of the few men who started without help in life and has been eminently successful, and now, besides having an abundance of capital to run his business, he owns several of White County's finest farms, consisting of abont 1,000 acres, showing his remarkable business ability as a financier. Mr. Miller was married in October, 1854, to Miss Harriet Stevens who is still living, though in poor health. They have only one child living-Laura, married to George Barns, of Gibson County, Ind.
W. A. Minick, M. D., homeopathist, was born in Blackford County, Ind., Oct. 28, 1853. He was a son of S. C. Minick, & minister in the New Light faith. He died Sept. 11, 1879. Dr. Minick commenced working for himself and supporting his father's family at about the age of seventeen by engaging in school-teach- ing, which avocation he pursued about nine years. At the same time carried on his medical studies. Dr. Minick studied medicine under the instructions of his brother, J. M. Minick. He attended lectures at the Kentucky School of Medicine, and graduated in the spring of 1881. He commenced the practice of medicine in Boon- ville, Ind., in the spring of 1881, where he practiced about one year, when he came to Carmi and commenced practicing. Dr. Minick was married Sept. 11, 1881, to Miss Bertha G. Mckinney, a native of Newburg, Ind. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias and Odd Fellows.
Thomas Morris was born in Maryland in 1822, where he resided till 1846, when he removed to Missouri and lived two years; then went to Posey County, Ind., and remained till 1872, when he came to White County, going first to Grayville where he lived nine years. In 1882 he bought forty acres on section 16, where he now resides.
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He has always been engaged in farming. He was married Feb. 12, 1853, to Nancy E. Burrell, a native of White County, born Nov. 30, 1835. They are the parents of six children, five living-Will- iam, born Jan. 13, 1855; Mary E., May 7, 1857; Thomas and Edward, Dec. 1, 1859 (Edward died Sept. 27, 1860); Nancy, Dec. 9, 1861; Emily, Jan. 3, 1864. Their children were all born in Posey County, Ind. Mrs. Morris's father, Joseph Burrell, was born in Evansville, Vanderburg Co., Ind., March 27, 1807, and came to what is now White County, Ill., in 1811, when there were no counties here. Illinois was a Territory at that time; was not admitted to the Union as a State till six years later. He is one of the pioneers of White County, and has continued to make it his home, with the exception of one year spent in Indiana, to the present time. At the time he came here buffalo, deer, elk and Indians were plenty. He once killed five deer before breakfast. He was married in 1833 to Polly Ann Wright, a native of White County, born in 1820. She died in 1867 leaving one child-Polly, now Mrs. Thomas Morris. He then married Sarah Robinson, who died. He was married a third time to Mary Reynolds. She died, and he was married to Mary Ruford. She died, and a fifth time he was married. His wife died about ten years ago.
Cree Nutter, M. D., was born in Clarksburg, W. Va., July 20, 1847. He was a son of Christopher Nutter, a farmer by occupa- tion, who died about the year 1855. Cree remained with his mother till 1861, when he went to Weston and engaged as clerk in a confectionery store. He was there about a year when he was called home on account of the death of his mother. In 1862 he tried to enlist in the army, but was refused on account of his small stature and tender years. He then went to West Union, W. Va., where he clerked about a year in a dry-goods and grocery store; then went to Cincinnati, Ohio, and engaged as cabin watchman on a steamboat; remained about six months, and then went to Glen- dale and clerked for J. G. Hanmann. His employer going to Weston, he accompanied him, and after a short time went to work for his old employer, Phinston; remained with him a year. By this time he had about $500, and in 1864 he opened a store in Glen- ville, W. Va., and remained about six months when he was driven away by the army, and went to Central Station, W. Va., and worked in a store. He then returned home, then went above Nashville and joined Martin's scouts and was captured by the
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rebels, by his horse making a misstep and falling; was in their custody only a few hours. In 1865 he went to Janelew, W. Va., and opened a store and remained about a year when he sold out and went to Fort Ellsworth, Kas .; crossed the plains to Fort Union, N. M., in the capacity of assistant teamster. While crossing they had several encounters with the Indians; he was wounded three times by them. At Las Vegas he took charge of the train and herd and went to Fort Bascom and wintered the herd; then re- crossed the plains with a new train, and the spring of 1867 found him back at Fort Ellsworth. From there he went to Hannibal, Mo., and clerked two years. While there he commenced the study of medicine. In 1869 he went to West Virginia and studied medi- cine a time and then went back to Hannibal and clerked for his old employer about a year. He then engaged as partner in the grocery business in the firm of Anderson, Moore & Co. In about a year he sold out and clerked in a grocery about three months when he formed a partnership in the grocery business with Mr. Bowles under the firm name of Bowles & Nutter, with whom he remained about six months. He then purchased some town property, and soon traded it for wagons and horses, which he afterward traded for 160 acres of Missouri land; this he traded again for a drove of thirteen mules, which he sold in St. Louis and returned to Janelew, W. Va., and engaged in the study and practice of medicine about two years, when he opened a store and ran it about a year. The following year he read medicine under Dr. Hall. In 1873 he at- tended lectures at Bellevue Hospital, N. Y. In 1874 he gradua- ted from the Long Island College Hospital, Brooklyn, N. Y. From here he went to St. Louis, Mo., and opened an office on 15th street, and attended lectures in connection with his practice. In 1875 he came to White County and located at Hawthorn. He built an office and began a practice, but the freshets destroying the crops made collecting hard, and he engaged in shipping horses to St. Louis for a short time. In 1876 he came to Carmi and purchased the lot where he now resides on Second street, and practiced a year. In 1877 he bought a drug store across the railroad track. Ic 1878 he bought an addition to his lot and built a fine residence. The same year he bought the Fackney storehouse which he rents. He owns six lots where he lives and several lots beyond the railroad track. He has had a regular practice since coming to Carmi. He was married July 5, 1877, to Lucy M., a daughter of John R. Jones of this city. They have one child-John R., now two years
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old. He is the oldest member of the Knights of Pythias in Carmi; has also been a Mason eleven years. One brother is a member of the Legislature in California, one is a farmer in West Virginia, and a sister is the wife of a farmer in the latter State.
W. A. Odell was born in West Virginia, Feb. 4, 1813. He was a son of Henry Odell, a native of Virginia, who started with his family in 1815 to move to Kentucky, but died near New Harmony, Posey Co., Ind., aged about thirty-two. The family went n to Kentucky and remained there as a family about thirteen years when his mother married Edward Greene. She died in 1841, aged forty-nine years. W. A. Odell left home when about fifteen, and went to Bloomington, Ind., where he hired out as a farm handin a tobacco field and barn for two years. He then procured a small piece of land, and went to work for himself ; kept on till he owned 160 acres. He made Indiana his home until 1848, when he moved to Northern Illinois and remained two years. From there he went to Council Bluffs, Ia., where Mrs. Odell died, June 25, 1851. She was Mary Ann Inglehart, a native of Maryland. Their children are-Frances, born March 31, 1838, married Irvin Summers in 1858, a farmer of Indiana. They have seven children and three grandchildren. Margaret Ellen was born Sept. ' 17, 1840, and married in 1860 to Robert Ruston, a miller in Evansville ; Vashti Jane, born Jan. 21, 1843, and married in 1863, L. C. Pace, a law- yer of Lincoln Neb .; Isaac Henry, born May 20, 1845, was mar- ried in New Orleans in 1874, to Minnie Nugent. She died in abont a year, and in 1880 he married Anna Inglehart, a resident of Chicago. He is in the insurance business in Evansville. James W. was born Jan. 17, 1847, and is still a bachelor, a contractor of street repairs and bridge-building. After the death of his wife Mr. Odell returned to Evansville, Ind. He sent two of his chil- dren to the school in Newburg, and the others to the Evansville school, and then went to California and remained seven years en- gaged in mining and ranching. He returned to Evansville and lived about a year, and then came to White County, Ill., and bought a farm. He was married Sept. 16, 1861, to America An- derson. They have one son, William H., born March 18, 1863. He is in pursuit of a musical education; is attending. Dana's Mu- sical Institute at Warren, O. Mr. Odell lived on his farm till 1874, and then moved into Carmi, where he still makes his home, enjoying the fruits of his labors. He has been a member of the Southern Methodist church for the past fifty years.
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J. H. Parkhurst was born seven miles southwest of Carmi, White County, Ill., Nov. 7, 1844. He has always been a miller, learning the trade when quite young. He has been with Malone & Bozeman for a year. He was married in June, 1868, to Mary E. Huff, born June 17, 1845. They have four children-Flora I., born Aug. 23, 1869; Emma J., March 27, 1873; Sarah F., April 7, 1876; Ella R., March 30, 1879. Politically Mr. Parkhurst is a Democrat. His wife is a member of the Presbyterian church.
Joseph Pfister was born in France, March 18, 1841, and came to America in 1852, landing at New Orleans, Dec. 30. He remained there sixteen days, but being desirous of an education he went to school while there. His father then moved to Posey County, Ind., where Joseph remained till he was twenty-two years old. His father died in New Harmony, Ind., July 23, 1876; his mother near Evansville, Sept. 16, 1881. Mr. Pfister enlisted in the late war, July 18, 1862, in Company A, Ninety-first Indiana Volun- teer Infantry, Captain Carson, Colonel Maringer. He served three years; enlisted as private and served eight months, and was then detailed as teamster, which position he held till discharged, which was at Solsburg, N. C .; was mustered out at Indianapolis. He was married Nov. 13, 1866, to Caroline Barth, a native of Ger- many, born March 19, 1844. They are the parents of five children- Larey, Francis, Mary, Rosa, and Iona. He has 330 acres of fine, well-improved land. Politically he is a Democrat. He is a mem- ber of the Catholic church.
W. H. Phipps was born near Carmi, White Co., Ill., in 1840, and has resided there all his life. His father, John Phipps, emigrated from Russellville, Ky., to Illinois in 1820, and settled on a farm about eight miles southwest of Carmi. His wife's maiden name was Eleanor Gott. They were married in 1819. The subject of this sketch obtained a very scanty education previous to the advent of free schools, by attending the old-time subscription schools, not exceeding three years. He served in the war of the Rebellion for about one year, as a member of the Regimental Band of the Eighteenth Illinois Infantry, enlisting at Birds Point, Mo., July 15, 1861, and was honorably discharged at Savan. nah, Tenn., March 21, 1862, under a general order from the War Department, ordering the discharge of all regimental bands in the volunteer service. He was elected City Clerk of the city of Carmi, at the regular election in the spring of 1873, and has been re-elected to said office four times in succession, having held the
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office for a period of over nine years. He has also served the public as Collector of Taxes for the town of Carmi for the last six years, and has also filled responsible positions in the offices of the county clerk and county treasurer, for the past eleven years. He was married to Priscilla A. Patrick, of Carmi, August 2, 1860. She died May 18, 1865, leaving no children. He again married, Mrs. Margaret Young, in the year 1872, who died in June, 1874. He was married to his present wife, who was Mrs. Mary E. Tiles, in November, 1874.
John G. Powell, deceased, was born in Indian Creek Town- ship, White Co., Ill., on his father's farm. His father, Daniel Powell, was a native of Kentucky, and was engaged in farming and trading in stock. He moved to Carini in 1871 and made it his home till his death. John G. made his home with his father. When he was twenty-one he was taken into partnership with his father in the pork and stock business. This continued five years, and then he carried on business in the same line alone. When he was twenty-three (in 1856) he was elected Sheriff of White County; served two years and then commenced trading in horses, buying them and taking them South. In 1858 he was elected Represen- tative to the Illinois Legislature, and in 1860 was re-elected Sher- iff. At the breaking out of the war he moved on to a farm east of Carmi and remained two years. He then moved back to Carmi and was elected County Clerk in 1865; served four years and was re-elected; had served only two years of his second term when he was taken sick with consumption and died Oct. 28, 1871. He was married July 23, 1861, to Sarah E., a daughter of James Hinde. Mr. Powell left a family of three children-John G., a namesake of his father; Eledith, and Bradford, ages sixteen, fourteen and eleven. Mrs. Powell's father, James Hinde, was a native of Ken- tucky, but moved to Carmi in an early day. He died Nov. 28, 1877.
Ferdinand Preher was born in South Germany, Grosse Um- stradt, June 28, 1840; came to America in 1859, landing in New York City, Oct. 13. He spent a short time in New York in a trunk factory, when he moved to Evansville, Ind., where he worked at odd jobs till the breaking out of the war. He enlisted June 26, 1861, in the First Indiana Battery; served his country three years, wo months and a half; was wounded at the battle of Pea Ridge, Ark., March 7, 1862, receiving a fracture of left arm by a gun-shot; was off duty by it three months. He then returned to the army
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and remained till his company was mustered out. He participated in the battles of Port Gibson, Champion Hill, Black River, siege of Vicksburg and the Red River Expedition. He became a citi- zen of Carmi, White County, April, 1869, and set up a marble shop and has been successfully running the business ever since. This trade he learned partly with his father in Germany. He has orders commanding the price of $1,000; has in his employ the finest skilled workmen he can find. Mr. Preher was married in 1865 to Elizabeth Weiskaff. They have five children living, be- sides a nephew whose home is with him.
James Pryor was born Nov. 28, 1825, in Tennessee. He came to this county with his parents in 1829. His father first lived in Big Prairie seven years, then in Herald's Prairie Township twenty years, and finally with his son in Carmi Township, where he died in 1879, aged seventy-four years. Mr. Pryor was married in January, 1843, to Elizabeth Williams, who was born in Big Prai- rie, White County. Feb. 1, 1825. They have seven children -- Tabitha, George, Thomas, Robert, John, Ellen and Charles. Re- ligiously the family are Methodists. Mr. Pryor votes the Repub- lican ticket. He owns eighty acres of good land on section 20, Carmi Township. He enlisted during the late war, in 1862, in Company D, Fifty-sixth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and served eighteen months; was discharged at Keoknk, Ia., in 1863.
William Randolph, born in White County, Ill., June 11, 1842, is a son of Thomas Randolph, who was born in Big Prairie, White County, in 1814, and is perhaps the oldest native resident of the county. His father, Thomas Randolph, was a native of Kentucky, and came to, White County, where he died over sixty years ago. When he first came to this county he had to cut a tree and dig out a canoe, and paddle it up the Wabash to Vincennes to get corn to plant his first crops. Thomas, Jr., is living near Centerville, Burnt Prairie Township. William is the eldest of five children. He was educated in a little pole school-house, eight miles north of Carmi. He followed farming for about thirty years; is also a builder and contractor. For the past year he has been in the lumber and machinery business in Carmi. March 1, 1865, he was married to Sarah Williams, who was born in this county, March 10, 1844. They have one child-Suma, born Ang. 14, 1867. Mr. Randolph owns 236 acres of good land, 156 on sections 6 and 7, Phillips Township, and eighty acres on section 12, Burnt Prairie Township.
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Lewis Reab was born in Germany, May 8, 1848, and is a son of Ludwick, or Louis, and Sophia (Konchman) Reab, who came to America in 1853. His mother died in 1863, and his father, Jan. 22, 1873. Both are buried in cemetery of the German Methodist church of Carmi Township. Mr. Reab was married March 18, 1872, to Celia Mour, a native of Wurtemberg, Germany. They have four children-Mollie, born in 1874; Caroline, in 1877; Lizzie, in September, 1878; Sophia, Jan. 9, 1881. They are members of the German Methodist church. He votes the Demo- cratic ticket. He owns 200 acres of fine, well-improved land on section 2, Carmi Township.
Henry Rettig was born in Pittsburg, Pa., March 27, 1842. His father, John Rettig, was born in Darmstadt, Germany, in 1816, and when sixteen years old came to America, and in 1842 moved to German Township, Vanderburg Co., Ind., where he is still living. His mother, Elizabeth (Flick) Rettig, was boru in Hesse, Ger- many, and came to America when eleven years old. They have six children, Henry being the eldest. He learned the blacksmith's trade with his father and worked three years in a plow factory in Evansville, Ind. In the latter part of 1864 he set up a shop in German Township, where he remained till 1874, when he came to Carmi, where he has since resided, and has a shop of his own. He was married Nov. 4, 1865, to Elizabeth Berling, a native of Darm- stadt, Germany, born Ang. 9, 1842. They have seven children- John, Louisa, Jacob, Catherine, Malu, Anna, Matilda. Politically Mr. Rettig is a Democrat.
Will S. Rice, son of T. W. and Elizabeth (Hudson) Rice, was born in White County, Ill., Oct. 13, 1857. His father was a na- tive of White County, Ill., and his mother of Daviess County, Ky. They have three children-Rosa, Cornelia and Will S. His father still resides in Carmi, and is engaged as traveling salesman for the Olney Marble Works, and for pianos and organs for W. W. Kim. ball, Chicago, Ill. Will S. was married Ang. 24, 1881, to Rose M. Vanter, born in Lawrence County, Ill., July 3, 1856. They have one child-Pearl, born Feb. 27, 1882. Mr. Rice is politically a Republican. Mrs. Rice's father is a native of Ohio, and her mo- ther was of Scotch descent. Her mother died in 1879, in Sumner, Lawrence Co., Ill., where her father still resides. She has three sisters-Mary, now Mrs. Goechman; Hattie, living with her father, and Amig, wife of Hamilton Combs, a lumber merchant of Sumner.
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Col. John M. Crebs, Civil War veteran, educator, attorney, member of Congress from 1869 to 1873. See Page 318.
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D. K. Rickenbach was born in Ohio, Sept. 26, 1855, where he remained until 1875, when he came to Carmi, White Co., Ill. He was engaged in the jewelry business in Carmi for about four years. In the spring of 1880 he bought eighty acres on section 18, Carmi Township, of I. W. Boyle, paying $40 per acre, and since that time has been engaged in farming. He was married Oct. 10, 1878, to Emma Myers, also a native of Ohio, born June 7, 1857. They have one child -- Joseph Abram, born Ang. 11, 1882. His father, Abram Rickenbach, was born in Pennsylvania, in 1827, and died in Oh oin 1858. His mother, also a native of Pennsylvania, died in Ohio in 1861. They were the parents of three children, two girls and one boy, D. K. being the second child. In his political views Mr. Rickenbach is a Republican.
Richard W. Ruckle was born in Baltimore, Md., Dec. 20, 1809. He was a son of Paul Ruckle, a merchant of Baltimore, where he retired from business and died of old age in 1864, at the age of eighty-seven. There was a family of six sons and six daughters, seven of whom are still living. The youngest, Sophia, is now sixty years of age, and the oldest, Samuel, of Saline County, Mo., is ninety, and is a pensioner of the war of 1812. At about the age of twenty-two Richard Ruckle commenced to do r himself by engaging in the manufacture of furniture in Baltimore. He was engaged at this about a year, when he went to Potts
Schuylkill Co., Penn., and remained about a year, when he re- turned home, but in a few weeks went to Cincinnati, O. In about eight or nine months he went to Richmond, Wayne Co., Ind., and staid a year and a half. From thence he went to Louisville, Ky .; in about eight months went back to Baltimore, and after a short visit went to Fredericksburg and remained six months. From thence to Jefferson County, Va., and lived one year. In 1840 he became a citizen of Carmi and engaged in the cabinet business which he followed till 1847, when he went to Memphis, Tenn., and enlisted in Company D, Second Tennessee Infantry, in the Mexican war. In one month the war closed and he was discharged. After his return from the army he returned to Carmi and resumed the furniture business, which we still find him engaged in. All his time has been spent in Carmi except when he was in the Rebellion. In 1862 he enlisted in Company F, Eighty-seventh Illinois Infantry; was in the army about one year, when he was discharged on ac- count of sore eyes, which disease he contracted by the exposures of army life. He participated in the taking of Vera Cruz and Cerro 39
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