USA > Illinois > White County > History of White County Illinois > Part 42
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William P. Tuley, eldest son of Edward P. and Julia M. Tuley, was born in Uniontown, Union Co., Ky., Dec. 13, 1858; father and mother both born in America. His father is of Virginian de- scent and mother of English descent. Left Uniontown at the close of the war and moved to New Albany, Ind., where he attended the public school up to the year 1870, when he again removed to Uniontown. In the spring of 1871 his parents again removed to New Albany. On the first Monday of September in the same year he passed a successful examination and entered the Male High School, where he studied all the higher branches of mathematics
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and classics. While in the third year of his course of studies, Mr. Paul F. Semonin, wholesale grocer, of Louisville, Ky., offered bim the position of shipping clerk, which was accepted. After staying there a few months Mr. Semonin sent him as assistant manager in a large retail store in Slaughtersville, Ky. He resigned his posi- tion to take a course of bookkeeping at the New Albany Business College, where he graduated with high honors (getting 99.6 per cent. upon examination). In November, 1875, he left New Albany to ccept a position as bookkeeper and salesman for John C. Semonin & Co., of Carmi, Ill., where he remained up to Nov. 10, 1880, when he was appointed Deputy Circuit Clerk and Recorder under James H. Shipley. After the death of J. H. Shipley he was in charge of the clerk's office until Judge C. S. Conger appointed John D. Martin, Clerk, pro tempore, when he was again re-appointed Deputy Circuit Clerk.
Thomas Turner was born in Pendleton District, now Anderson County, S. C., April 7, 1808. At the age of nineteen he attended the Churchill Academy, S. C., eight months; then went to Maury County, Tenn., and attended the Little Bigbee Academy eleven months. Then went to South Carolina, and then to Lincoln County, Tenn., and privately, with two other young men, prepared for Oxford College, at Miami, Ohio. Robert H. Bishop was the President. He had previously been President of Transylvania College, near Lex- ington, Ky. He graduated in 1832, and went home to South Car- olina and studied theology one year; then went to the A. R. Presbyterian College or Theological Seminary at Petersburg, Pa. He was licensed to preach in 1835. He preached his first sermon in Ohio. He belonged to the second Presbytery of the South Car- olina Presbyterian church. He took a tour, preaching through Indiana, Illinois and Missouri, thence to Tennessee, and preached at Troy, Tenn. He went through the Indian Territory to Alabama Florida and to the Gulf of Mexico; thence to Georgia, preaching all the way through. He was ordained minister of the General Reformed Presbyterian church in Newton County, Ga .; went to North Georgia. In 1858 he came to White County, where he owns 120 acres of land. He still preaches occasionally. He was married Oct. 13, 1836, to Martha B. Crane, of Greene County, Ohio. They have eight children-Harriet E., now Mrs. I. K. Butler; Martha A. R., now Mrs. W. W. Brockett; James F., born Jan. 5, 1844; John C., Nov. 14, 1846; Sarah L., Dec. 12, 1851; William
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D., Dec. 16, 1854; George W. L., April 1, 1857; Alexander H. S., Feb. 9, 1861. Mrs. Turner died Sept. 20, 1879. Mr. Turner votes the Democratic Ticket.
Elizabeth Ward was born in White County, Ill., July 28, 1828, where she was reared. She was married July 28, 1847, and has six children-Mary, Electa Ann, Joseph, Thomas, Benjamin and Jane. Her husband, Willis C. Ward, was born Feb. 10, 1824, and died July 19, 1882. He was born in Pennsylvania, where he ived till he was ten years old. He came to Illinois with .. ather, and after a few years went to Cincinnati, O., where his father died. A few years after he came back to White County, where he purchased land and went to farming, which he continued during life. The last years of his life he traded in lands. At the time of his death he had 640 acres of good land, besides mortgages on a large quan- tity of land. When young he was poor and had the care of a widowed mother and three sisters, but by hard work and good man- agement he made money and was able to leave his family in good circumstances. He was a member of the Missionary Baptist church. Politically he was a staunch Republican. He was a mem- ber of Carmi Lodge, No. 272, A. F. & A. M.
Jacob Weintz was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, Dec. 22, 1807. He came to America Dec. 12, 1850, and lived near Blairs- ville, Posey Co., Ind., for two years; then in Wayne County, Ill., two years, and in 1854 came to Carmi Township. In 1860 he bought the place where he now resides-ninety-seven acres on sec tion 6. He also owns eighty acres in Hamilton County, making in all 177 acres. He was married June 15, 1839, to Elizabeth Hile. man, also a native of Hesse, Germany, born Ang. 14, 1818. They have five children-John, Conrad, Margaret (now Mrs. Henry Gibbs), Barbara C. (now Mrs. R. C. Cleveland), and Amier (now Mrs. Edward Falder). Mr. and Mrs. Weintz are members of the Lutheran church. Politically he is a Democrat. Their son Con- rad was married Nov. 20, 1870, at the residence of the bride's par ents to Mary Ann Barnett, daughter of Elisha Barnett, and a native of White County, born June 4, 1849. They have no chil- dren. Both Mr. and Mrs. Conrad Weintz are members of the Christian church. Politically he is a Democrat. He enlisted in the war of the Rebellion in Company E, Thirteenth Illinois Cav- alry, Dec. 23, 1863, and served until the close of the war. He was at Pine Bluffs, Ark., most of the time; was mustered out at Pine Bluffs in September, 1865, and returned home and lived with ,his
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father till his marriage. He has been engaged in farming most of the time. He owns fifty acres of good land on section 7, Carmi Township.
Frederick B. Wheeler was born in Binghamton, Broome Co., N. Y., Sept. 3, 1855, where he lived till eleven years of age, when he went to Milford, Del., and lived four years; then went to Williamstown, Mass., and lived a year, and from there to New York, and shipped on a Norwegian brig bound for Londonderry, Ireland. After a rough passage of twenty-two days landed at Londonderry, where he remained three weeks, and then went to Bristol, England. From there shipped on an American ship, and after a passage of sixty-two days landed at Mobile, Ala. From there he went to Sagua la Grande, Cuba, on the American brig Elizabeth. He then went to Boston, Mass., and after five years' sailing to different parts of the world, he went to Cairo, Ill., where he procured a job as fireman on the Cairo & Vincennes Railroad, and remained three years. He was then promoted to engineer, and ran between Cairo and Vincennes till the fall of 1881, when the road went into the hands of the Wabash Road. He is now running between Cairo and Danville, under the employ of the Wabash Road. He was married Sept. 23, 1876, to Ella E. Creo, born in North Adams, Mass., Aug. 8, 1856. They have two chil- dren-Benjamin S., born Aug. 3, 1877, and Frederick H., in May, 1879. He is a member of Lodge No. 47, K. of P., Vincennes, Ind. He is also a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive En- gineers, Danville, Ill.
E. C. Wilcox, druggist, was born in Licking County, Ohio, Sept. 5, 1854. He is a son of J. C. Wilcox, a resident of the same county, still residing there. Mr. Wilcox made his home with his father principally, till he was twenty-one years of age. In Feb- ruary, 1876, he came to Illinois on a visit, where he engaged as dry-goods clerk in Fairfield two years. Afterward went to Rinard and engaged in general merchandising, buying and shipping grain and stock, in company with his brother. He was engaged at this about two years. In June, 1880, he came to Carmi and purchased C. Nutter's stock of drugs, and has since been doing a successful business. He was married in May, 1880, to Miss E. C. Harper, a native and resident of Grayville, this county.
Albert Williams was born in Black Hawk County, Ia., Dec. 26, 1846. His father is a native of White County, Ill., and is living in Carmi, keeping a saloon near the depot. Albert has always
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lived on a farm till the past five years, since which time he has had a saloon in Carmi. He was married March 2, 1871, to Alme- dia Brevard, who was born near Covington, Ky., in 1855. They have had three children, all now dead. Politically he is a Demo- crat. He owns three houses and lots in Carmi, his residence, his saloon and one other.
George Williams was born in New York City. March 31, 1823 He was a son of Joseph Williams, an engineer by profession, who came to Illinois in October, 1836, settling near Mt. Carmel in Wabash County. Mr. Williams's parents were both natives of Ire- land-his father of Londonderry, and his mother of Belfast-and came to this country when they were children. His father died in 1860, at the age of sixty-two, and his mother two years previous, aged sixty. Their family consisted of ten children, seven sons and three daughters, George being the eldest. Of this large family six are living. George commenced for himself in 1850. When a boy he learned the carpenter's trade, and worked at it while at home. In 1850 he engaged in the saw-mill and lumber business in Gray- ville; remained there till 1855, when he came to Carmi and clerked three or four years. In March, 1864, he purchased a stock of dry goods below the court-house, and carried on business there about nine years. There were four or five other stores there at that time, but his business has been satisfactory most of the time. During Buchanan's time he had the postoffice in his building. In 1876 he moved to his present store on Main street. He has a large and complete stock of dry goods. He was married March 23, 1863, to Mary Ann Greathouse. She died in about a year. March 31,1868, he married Fannie T. C. Crebs. They have four children-George B., born Feb. 25, 1870; John M., Oct. 10, 1872, Elam S., March 5, 1876, and Joseph F., Oct. 10, 1880. This biography was written on the birthday of his two sons, John M. and Joseph F., Oct. 10, 1882. Mr. Williams had the first contract for carrying the daily mail from Zenia, Ill. (on the O. & M. Road) to Mt. Vernon. He was employed at this two years, and sold the contract to Bird, Patric & Co. In November, 1864, he was elected County Judge.
A. Willis was born in Posey County, Ind., in 1837. He was a son of A. Willis, Sr., a farmer by avocation. Mr. Willis, the subject of this sketch, therefore, was raised a farmer's boy, where he hoed the corn in summer, and attended the school in winter, till he was about eighteen years of age, when he turned his whole attention to farming, and was his father's help till he was twenty-
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one years of age. when he commenced to do for himself, working at home, however. This he continued till he was twenty-four years of age, when he enlisted in Company B, First Indiana Cav- alry. He was taken sick at St. Louis with typhoid fever, and he remained there for several weeks. At Pilot Knob he received his discharge, on account of inability, being gone from home only 103 days in all. In 1875 he became a citizen of Carmi, White Co., Ill., where we find him doing a fine business as a photographer. Mr. Willis was married in 1864, to Miss Jessie Rodenberger. They have a family of five children living, and two deceased. The names of the living are-Charles, Gertrude, Rufus, Allie and Ruth, ages, seventeen, fourteen, ten, five, three, respectively. Mr. Willis is the Select Consul of the Royal Templars of Temper- ance.
Thomas K. Wilson, farmer, Carmi, was born on the old home- stead west of town, July 27, 1833, and is the son of Hon. William Wilson, so well known in the early history of Illinois. He was brought up on the farm, attended the Ayer's University at New Albany, Ind., in 1851, and then the Western Military Institute at Drennon Springs, Henry Co., Ky. In April, 1854, he went to Cali- fornia, where he followed mining one year and taught school two years, with eminent success. Sacramento was chiefly his home. On leaving he was offered $400 a month to remain as teacher, but his father having died here and left the estate to be settled by him, he had to return, in 1857. He moved into the town of Carmi in 1864, where he still resides, on Main street, fifth house west of Jessup street. Feb. 15, 1863, Mr. Wilson married Mrs. Lucinda R. Boyd, a native of Carini and a daughter of Solomon and Jane Vories. By her former husband she had one son-James S. Boyd, Jr., one of the proprietors of the White County Democrat. She died March 16, 1865, and March 18, 1875, Mr. Wilson mar- ried Mrs. Mary O. Nevitt, a daughter of Richard Spicknall, and born in Salem, Ind. When quite young she moved to Louisville, Ky., where she remained until grown; then the family removed to Rockport, Ind. She first married Mr. Nevitt, and in 1869, about four weeks after his death, she came to Carmi, whither her parents had come during the war. She is a member of the Meth- odist Episcopal church. By her former husband she had one daughter-Nellie E., born at Rockport, Ind., June 7, 1866. Mr. Wilson's children are-Hal King, born Dec. 23, 1874; Anna Lilian, born April 69, 1877, and died March 20, 1881, and Mary Ozora
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born March 4, 1878. Since moving into town Mr. Wilson has dealt in grain and tobacco, and attended to the farm at the old homestead. In 1872 he was elected Circuit Clerk, and served a term of four years. Politically he is a Democrat, and he has been a Freemason for about twenty years. He takes great inter- est in educational affairs, and is now a member of the Board of Education of Carmi, and a Trustee of the Southern Illinois Normal School and Commercial College.
George Wohlhueter was born in Germany, June 27, 1846, and came to America with his parents, George and Catherine (Rinkle) Wohlhueter, in August, 1855, landing in New York. They imme- diately proceeded to Evansville, Ind., and remained two weeks, and then went to New Harmony, Ind., and lived till 1871, engaged in farming, when they came to White County, Ill., and lived on a farm two years. Mr. Wohlhueter then came to Carmi, and learned the trade of an engineer, with H. McKintise, who was considered one of the best engineers of the country, and has been engineering to the present time. He ran an engine for the water supply of the railroad company a year. He has worked for William Smith and James Fackney, and is at present employed as engineer in the flouring mill of Malone & Bozeman. He was married Feb. 17, 1870, to Louisa Roser, who was born in Germany, in 1850. They are the parents of five children, one deceased-Katie, Frederick W., Charles E., George D. Mary E. died in 1878. His father died Sept. 10, 1872, and his mother Jan. 17, 1873. Politically Mr. Wohlhueter is a Republican. He is a member of the German Lutheran church. He had four sisters-Catherine, wife of Frank Pfeister, died September, 1881; Elizabeth, wife of Charles Barth, died in 1880; Caroline, wife of Leonard Miller, was born in 1848; Sallie, wife of Martin Beck, was born in 1850.
George C. Ziegler was born in Baden, Germany, May 1, 1848, and came to America in 1852. He landed in New Orleans and came directly to White County. He lived on a farm three and one half miles northwest of Carmi until 1875. He then came to Carmi and commenced the manufacture of flour barrels, staves and heads. He now employs about sixty hands. He owns 120 acres of good land on section 4, Carmi Township. Politically he is a Republi- can. He served as Township Collector in 1874 and 1875. He was married in January, 1875, to Magdalena Miller, a native of White County. They have four children-William C., Jacob B., George E., and Samuel Arthur. 40
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This township comprises one and a half Congressional townships, and consists of the sonth half of township 3 south, range 9 east, and the whole of 4 south, 9 east. It is situated directly north of Carmi, and lies between Phillips and Gray on the east, and Mill Shoals on the west. The surface is undulating, and in some parts quite hilly. The soil is rich and good for fruit, wheat and other farm products. Skillet Fork is a large creek, once navigable, run- ning through the southern portion of the entire township, com- mencing on section 19 and making its exit on section 25. There was formerly considerable prairie land in the center and northern part, which, having been thoroughly burned over at a certain time, gave rise to the name " Burnt Prairie."
A settlement was formed in this township before Carmi was laid out in town lots. The early settlers embrace the Wilmans, Weeds, Funkhousers, Vaughns, Hunsingers, Files, Vaughts, Stewarts, Frederick Williams, James M. Pomroy, Joseph Patton, Benjamin Reeves, Jehiel H. Reeves, Captain E. Merritt and George Bain, whose father came in 1806, and was probably the first settler in White County. Jacob Hunsinger came in 1818, and Adam Hun- singer in 1819. He cast his first vote in the county on a log at Mill Shoals. Abraham Vaught came the same year. Alexander Hamilton settled here about 1816. Rev. Harris preached the first sermon in the township at the house of Mr. Hamilton. Mr. Ary and Young Funkhouser came in 1818. Ninian W. Young came to this county in 1822, at the age of thirteen years. He was brought by his parents from Kentucky, who settled near Liberty. He afterward moved to the vicinity of Carmi where he still resides.
An Englishman, named John Hefford, is said to have taught the first school in the township. First Baptist religious services were held in 1822 or 1823. The first Baptist church organized was in the house of Fulkard Fulkerson, on the farm now owned by Widow Dorrin in Liberty; the Mount Hope church has sprung from this. After several years a church was erected, three quar- ters of a mile north of Liberty, of logs. It was subsequently con- solidated with the Mount Pleasant church to build the church
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southeast of Liberty. Stephen Williams was the first regular preacher.
The first Sunday-school in the township was established by Dr. Alexander Stewart. First election in Burnt Prairie Precinct was in 1818, in the house of Jacob Hunsinger, Sr., one mile south of Liberty.
. About 1818 or 1819 Ezekiel Hunsinger's father, in moving from Kentucky to this State, brought a large number of hogs with him, which were afterward attacked frequently by bears, and some of them came home at times badly mutilated. About fifty of the hogs finally made up their minds to migrate back to old Kentucky, just as human beings often did when molested by Indi- ans or otherwise. They went in a direct line toward their old home, swimming the Ohio River. Mr. H. followed them into the " Corncracker " State, but lost track of them.
John Stewart, son of Dr. Alexander Stewart, while in the forest Dec. 15, 1829, hunting for a cow, was mistaken for a wild turkey and was shot.
In 1821, Rev. Stephen Williams and Robert Rawls, came from Kentucky with their families and settled about three miles south- west of where Liberty has since existed. Williams was the first preacher in this township, and was of the Regular Pedestinarian Baptist denomination. Here he entered land and opened up & farm in the wilderness. Both he and his wife died many years ago. Their son, Thomas Williams, married Susan Rawls, and had six daughters and one son; the latter is J. R. Williams, an attor- ney in Carmi, and a further sketch of him is given in Chapter V. Thomas Williams resided on a farm near where his father settled until the spring of 1881, when he removed to Carmi.
John F. Haynes was one of the old settlers of Burnt Prairie. He was born in Hamilton County, Ill., near Mcleansboro, July 9, 1818. His parents were Captain John Haynes and Mary Ann (Green) Haynes. They were also old settlers of White County, having come as early as 1819, from Tennessee. The Captain was in the Black Hawk war; he raised the "Haynes Company," and was elected their Captain; was present at the capture of Black- Hawk. After this war he settled in Burnt Prairie Township, sec- tion 34, where he died in 1839, aged fifty-two years. His wife died in 1850, aged sixty-two. John was the sixth of eleven chil- dren. His early life was spent on a timbered farm. He attended school in a log cabin on a farm now owned by Leonard Miller, on
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section 35. He was twenty-one years of age at the time of his father's death. He then went to Cado Parish, near Shreveport, La., where he taught school a portion of the time; was overseer on a cotton plantation two years. He afterward returned to Illi- nois an.I married Miss Harriet M. Johnson. She was born in Tennessee, and was a daughter of John Johnson.
After his marriage Mr. Haynes returned to Louisiana, and re- mained thirteen months. While there he worked at hewing, put- ting up buildings, etc., then came back to the old homestead where he still resides. They have had nine children, four living- Albert; Henrietta, now wife of Joseph Harrison, and lives in this township on a farm; Virginia, wife of Robert Rawls, and residing on a farm in this township, and Charles C. Mr. Haynes owns forty acres of land under a good state of cultivation. He is not only one of the oldest settlers of White County, but is one of her most enterprising citizens. He has lived to see the county change from a wild, uncultivated state where wild animals roamed at will, to its present prosperous condition. In politics he has always been a Democrat, and cast his first vote in 1839. His father was quite a hunter; he killed seventy-nine bears in this and Hamilton counties.
The first school-house built in this township was of round logs and very small. As there was no floor, the fire was made on the ground in the middle, the smoke going through a hole in the roof. The first window was made by a log being left out; afterwar:i waste paper greased was pasted on slats and placed in the aper- ture. A common method of punishment for boys was by making them sit outside of a joist in the smoke over the fire.
Robert A. Fraser came at an early day, and is at present an en- terprising farmer in the township.
Of the old settlers now living there are : Adam Hunsinger, Jr ., Jacob Hunsinger, Jr., William Vaught, Ezekiel Hunsinger, Isaac Majors, George Bain, J. T. Funkhouser, Daniel Stewart, Virgil Funkhouser, Melvin Funkhouser, James Puntney, Thomas Ran- dolph. H. C. Fulkerson. John Doshu, D. R. Downer, and Noah Staley.
CHURCHES.
Mount Pleasant Church .- This church was first organized in the house of Fulkard Fulkerson, near Liberty, July 24, 1830, with Stephen Williams and Elias Roberts as Elders, and the following
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members : William Morgan, Fulkard Fulkerson, Daniel Hunsin- ger, Samuel Robertson, John Hunsinger, Jacob Matthews, Adam Hunsinger, George C. Pope, Adam C. Hunsinger, Isaac Williams, J. Calkin, Elias Roberts, Josiah Daniels, George Hunsinger, Jane Robertson, Polly Fulkerson, Margaret Puntney, Elizabeth Hunsin- ger, Polly Hunsinger, Polly Bailey, Elmira Crowder, Sallie Will- iams, Eliza Vaught, Charlotta Crowder, Margaret Rawls, Anna Roberts, Permelia Coleman, Nancy Calkin and Margaret Hunsin- ger. These brothers and sisters were constituted a church on the articles of faith of the Little Wabash Association. The present membership is 169, with William Defer and Winfield S. Cleveland, as Elders; Stephen Williams also officiates. James Puntney and Jeremiah Hunsinger are Deacons.
The church edifice is worth $1,500. They have a cemetery of ten acres. The first man buried here was Elder Elias Roberts, in April, 1833.
Salem Church (United Baptist) was organized in September, 1858, with a membership of thirty. The first pastor was D. C. Walker, who was born in White County. He was succeeded by C. J. Kelly, J. B. Smith, S. C. Pendleton, B. S. Meeks, William Funkhouser and Allen Emerson. The latter is the present pastor, and there are 112 members.
Bethel Church, an organization of the Missionary Baptists, in Burnt Prairie Township, three miles southeast of Liberty, has a small membership. It was built about twenty years since. It is a log structure. Services are held only once a month.
BURNT PRAIRIE MANUAL LABOR SEMINARY.
This was instituted Jan. 15, 1836, by the creation of George Borah Woods, M. Hamilton, James Miller, Morgan Wallace, Abisha Goodrich, Joseph Campbell and Anthony L. Hamilton a body politic, by the name and style of the "Trustees of the Burnt Prairie Manual Labor Seminary," the building to be located on the north half of the northwest quarter of section 24, and the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 13, township 3 south, range 8 east, in the district of lands offered for sale at Shawneetown. The powers and duties of this corporation were the same as those of similar institutions elsewhere in the State. They were to fix the amounte and rates of labor, prescribe the course of study, etc., the institution to be open to all denominations of Christians.
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