USA > Illinois > White County > History of White County Illinois > Part 57
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Frederick Dauner was born near the city of Strasburg, Ger- many, April 1, 1841. IIis parents were Phillip and Laura ( Amer) Dauner. His father was a brick-maker by trade, and came to America in 1843. Frederick was his fourth son and but two years old when he came with his parents to America. He landed in New York, thence to Cincinnati, and soon after purchased a farm in Dearborn County, Ind., where the father died in 1858. Fred- erick remained on the farm with his mother until twenty-one. Jan. 16, 1863, he married Miss Margaret Walter, who was born near Strasburg, Germany, and was a daughter of Andrew and Bar- bara (Dierwechter) Walter. After his marriage Mr. Dauner re- mained in Indiana until September, 1866, when they came to White County and purchased his present farm in Grayville Town.
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ship, where he and family still reside. Mr. and Mrs. Danner are members of the Evangelical church. They have had eight children -Frank, born Aug. 1, 1863; Margaret, born Jan.3, 1866; George, born June 6, 186S; Mary, born Oct. 28, 1870; Frederick, Jr., born Feb. 3, 1873; Willie, born June 4, 1877, died June 10, 1877; Francis, born Nov. 15, 1878; John A., born Nov. 16, 18$1. In politics he is a Republican. He owns a fine farm of 296 acres, 220 under cultivation.
William N. Davis was born in Grayville Township, March 2, 1840. His parents were Noah and Malinda (Covington) Davis. His father was born in Virginia in 1803, and was but four or five years of age when he came with his parents to White County. His father, Richard Davis, and his two sons, James and Hezekiah, and Mr. Meridith and Mr. Dunlap were shelling corn in a cabin about sixteen miles from the fort at Carmi, one night, when they were surrounded by Indians, who fired a volley into the cabin and instantly killed Hezekiah, a ball passing near his heart, and shot his father through the thigh. James kicked out the fire, which was of cobs and therefore very bright, and Mr. Dunlap climbed up in the cabin, pushed off part of the roof, and succeeded in getting out, and away from the Indians, and ran to the fort and returned with some rangers. They found James and his father still inside the cabin and the Indians gone. Mr. Dunlap said, as he leaped from the cabin an Indian said, " Shoot the white devil," in plain English, which caused him to think there was a white man among the In- dians. The old gentleman, Richard Davis, lived far into his eighty- ninth year. Noah was his youngest son. Mr. and Mrs. Noah Davis had a family of five sons and three daughters, one son and one daughter living-William and Mrs. Sarah E. Davis. William was the second son, and when eight or nine years of age settled on the farm where he now lives. He married Alice Kershaw, June 24, 1871. She was born in Grayville. She was a dangter of Peter and Susannah (Browning) Kershaw, a native of Lancashire, En- gland, and North Carolina, respectively. Mr. and Mrs. Davis have had three children, one daughter living-Ennice, born Nov. 28, 1875. Mr. Davis owns $39 acres in Grayville Township. Ile is a descendant of one of the very first settlers of White County. In politics he is a Democrat.
Marvin O. Dean was born May 9, 1820, in Otsego County, N. Y. His father was Calvin Dean, a native of New Jersey. His mother, Lucinda (Buckner) Dean, a native of France, came to New
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York with her parents, and was married there. His mother died in New York in 1830, and his father went from New York to Ohio, and thirty-seven years after the death of his wife went to Michigan, where he died. Marvin Dean left New York in 1844, and went to Millersburg, Holmes Co., O .; remained there one year; from there to Mercer County, and remained eighteen years, engaged in blacksmithing, which trade he learned in New York when he was twenty years old. In 1863 he left Mercer County, O., and came to Illinois, and settled in Richland County, at Noble; followed his trade there part of the time, and sold out his shop and went into the hotel business, Nov. 5, 1870, which he ran two years and six monthe, and then sold out and opened a grocery store, and continued in this business about one year. In 1875 he moved to Bridgeport, Lawrence County, and went into a hotel, only remaining there six months. Having a better site in view at Flora, Ill., he went there the same year and fitted up a hotel, and ran it two years. IIe then, in 1878, went to Carmi, White County, and followed his trade for one year, and in 1879 came to Grayville, where he is now residing. He has been running a restaurant here; was a year and six months in the business, when, thinking the location unfavorable for his business, he moved near to the depot, where he has a fine restaurant, and is doing a good and profitable business. Mr. Dean was married in Mercer County, O., Sept. 4, 1854, to Mary Elizabeth Massey, a native of Kentucky, near Independence, in Kenton County, and a daughter of Willis and Catherine Massey. Her father died in Kentucky when she was sinall, and her mother died in Mercer County, O., where she was living at the time. Mrs. Dean was born in Kenton County, Ky., Oct. 5, 1835. Mr. and Mrs. Dean not having any children of their own, took his sister's daughter when she was four years old, and reared her to womanhood: She is now wife of the Rev. Loyd Pitner, pastor of the Trinity Church, at Evansville, Ind. They also took an adopted child, and reared her till she was married.
Jonathan R. Eastwood, born Jan. 10, 1818, in Kingston, upon Hull, England, is a son of Paul and Martha (Robinson) Eastwood. Jonathan Eastwood was married in England, in 1840, to Mary Ann Sharp. In 1843 he came to the United States with his wife and his parents, and one little son; landed in New York. The whole family settled in Albion, Edwards Co., Ill. His father died twelve months afterward, and his mother lived in Albion till her death, several years after. When Mr. Eastwood first settled in
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Albion he began teaching in the public school and retained this position seven years. He also was engaged in farming, having pur- chased a farm three miles from Albion. He received a liberal education in England; attended boarding school until he was eight- een years old. He came to Grayville, from Albion, in 1857. Since his residence in this country he has been engaged in many differ- ent kinds of business. He has farmed it for twenty one years, giving it his supervision but having others to perform the la- bor thereon. He has dealt largely in real estate, buying and selling property, and at times owning, individually and in co-part- nership, a great many village lots and farms. He has been Police Magistrate of Grayville for one term, and Notary Public for eight years, and Collector of the town for a number of years. He is a member of the Episcopal church; has acted as Vestryman and Secretary of the church of Albion for seven or eight years. He has settled up a great many different estates, and is now acting as guard- ian for two families. Has served on the Board of Common Council for Grayville. In the summer of 1877 he erected a fine business block in the principal part of the city, and put into it a large stock of general merchandise, which is now occupied by his son-in-law, Geo. C. Ronalds. He has three children living and buried eight, making eleven in all. Besides being guardian for two families, he is administrator and executor of two or three different estates, and any public enterprise of the people has always got a support in him.
Francis Fearn was born in Brussington, Derbyshire, England, Sept. 7, 1829. His parents were Moses and Mary Fearn. Francis was their only child. His mother died when he was a child. His father then married Sarah Langdon. Francis with his father and mother came to America, and landed in New York City, March 28, 1843. They remained in Otsego County, N. Y., until October, 1843, when they came to White County, locating on the farm in Gray Township where he died, and where Francis now lives. Francis married Miss Anna Hallam, Feb. 6, 1861. She was born in White County, Gray Township. Mr. and Mrs. Fearn have a family of nine children-Mary A., born Nov. 1, 1861; James F., born Jan. 24, 1864; Margaret, born Oct. 24, 1867; Charles H., Sept. 9, 1868; Joseph, Aug. 28, 1870; Kate, Feb. 7, 1872; Clarence W ., Feb. 24, 1874; Roy, July 2, 1876; Bessie, Nov. 1, 1879. Mr. Fearn owns a fine farin of 160 acres. In politics he is a Repub- lican.
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Thomas Fearn was born in Derbyshire, England, Aug. 15, 1835. His father, Moses Fearn, was a stone-mason and farmer. He married Sarah Langdon, and in May, 1844, they came to Amer- ica; landed in New York, and spent one summer in Otsego County, N. Y., and the fall of 1844 came to White County, locating in Gray Township, where his father died. His mother is still living. They had a family of twelve children. Thomas was but nine years old when his parents came to White County. He remained on the old homestead until twenty-one, when he followed farming and working at his trade of carpentering. He married Miss Mar- tha Coad, Feb. 20, 1867. She was born in Edwards County, Ill., and was a daughter of Thomas and Margaret (Rotrammel) Coad. After his marriage Mr. Fearn settled on the farm, where he now resides. He and wife have had nine children-Aaron, born Dec. 13, 1869; Frederic, born April 30, 1871; John K., born Sept. 24, 1872 ; Isadore, born Jan. 21, 1875; Prince A .. born Jan. 9, 1876; Mary A., born April 1, 1879; Minnie M., born March 11, 1881. Mr. Fearn owns a fine farm of 215 acres, ninety five acres of tim- ber, and the balance under cultivation. Politically he is a Repub- lican.
William H. Gilbert, born Dec. 16, 1827, in Philadelphia, Penn., is a son of George and IIarriet Gilbert. His parents came from Philadelphia to White County in 1845 and settled in Carmi. They lived there seven years when they moved to Grayville. His father died in 1873 at the age of seventy-six years. He was a brick-maker by trade and worked at his trade up to the time of his death. His mother is still living at Grayville. William Gilbert lived with his parents till he was seventeen years old when he came to Grayville, and has been living here ever since. He learned the carpenter's trade at Grayville and has always been engaged in it. IIe has been in the furniture business for eight years in connection with car- pentering, having a factory, which afterward passed into the hands of Martin & Brissenden and was converted into a lumber fac- tory. Politically he is a Democrat; was elected Justice of the Peace for White County and served four years. He is now serving in the third term as a member of the Board of Supervisors from Gray Township, being first elected to the board in the spring of 1879. IIe was married May 15. 1851, to Elvira Coulter, daughter of Robert Coulter. They have nine children living, six sons and three daughters, most all grown. Mr. Gilbert's residence is just outside the south corporation of Grayville.
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Robert Glover, born Dec. 25. 1829, in Delaware County, Penn., is a son of George and Mary (Robeds) Glover. Robert left Penn- sylvania when he was six years old, in 1836, with his father. His mother died in Pennsylvania, in 1835. His father located in Ed- wards County, Ill., on a farin. His father and mother came from England in 1824. He was a broadcloth weaver in England, by trade, weaving by hand, before any looms were invented, and while he lived in Pennsylvania. he was employed in a flannel mannfactory. The latter part of the time he was there he was foreman in the spin- ning department. IIe remained on a farm in Edwards County till five or six years before he died, in 1850. Robert lived on the farm till he was fourteen, when he went to Albion and learned the cooper's trade with his brother-in-law, William Standring, and remained there till he was twenty years of age. He then came to Grayville, in 1849, and worked at wagon-making a year. He then went to Louisiana, and in a year came home and worked at wagon-making for six years. In 1856 he started a stave and barrel manufactory in which he has been engaged ever since. In August, 1882, he started a brick- yard, with the prospects of making an extensive business out of it. He was married Dec. 25, 1854, to Mary Elizabeth Berry, a native of White County. They have five children, two sons and three daughters, all grown to man and womanhood. Politically he is a Republican ; his father was a Whig. He has served two terins on the Town Board.
Hiram L. Goodrich, born Dec. 27, 1842, in Wayne County, Ill., is a son of Orville and Jane M. (Hamilton) Goodrich. He lived on a farm till 1847, when his father moved from the farmn to the town of Grayville and lived here till the spring of 1858, when he moved back to the farm and lived three years, and in the spring of 1861 moved to Jasper County, this State, on a farm. Hiram remained at home until Dec. 24, 1861. He then enlisted in the Sixtieth Illinois Infantry, Company F. He was mustered into service on Feb. 17, 1862. He participated in all the battles and wanderings of the regiment, an account of which will be found in a previous chapter. Ile was mustered out at Springfield, Ill., in August, 1865. After the war Mr. Goodrich located in Raleigh, Saline County, in the harness business. In January, 1866, he went to Jasper County on a farm. May 1, 1866, he was married at Al- bion, Ill., to Rachel C. Robertson, a native of New Harmony, Ind. They have two children living, Mary May and Hattie Mabel, and one child dead. In 1867 he moved to Olney, Ill., and remained
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there till Sept. 20, 1869, when he came to Grayville, where he has resided since, being most of the time engaged in the furniture busi- ness. Politically he has always been a Republican. He is amem- ber of the Cumberland Presbyterian church and Masonic order.
Samuel Hallam was born in Derbyshire, England, in 1813 His parents were John and Catherine (Locker) Hallam. They had a family of five sons and six daughters. Samuel was the fourth son. He was but a boy of some twelve or fourteen when he came with his older brother, William, to America. They landed in Phila- delphia, and came direct to White County over the Alleghany Mountains in a wagon to Pittsburg; then came down the river to Shawneetown, Ill., and in an ox wagon to White County. They settled on section 24, town 3, range 10, east of the principal me- ridian, Gray Township. Samuel remained with his brother until his marriage to Sarah Wilkinson, December, 1843. She was born in England, and came to America when a child. She was a daughter of Thomas and Ann Wilkinson, natives of England. After Mr. and Mrs. Hallam were married he settled on a farm on section 23, Gray Township, for one year, then settled on his present farm on sections 26 and 27, where he owns 280 acres. He also owns 200 acres on section 28. Mrs. Hallam was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. She died April 5, 1858. They had a family of nine children, seven living-Sarah M., born Sept. 24, 1843, married Julius Bohn. They reside in Centralia, Ill., and have six children. Catherine A., born March 29, 1846, married James T. Graham. They reside in Gray Township, and have two children. Mary E., born March 30, 1847, married Franklin Mel- rose. They reside in Grayville, and have eight children. Alice, born Dec. 26, 1850, married Jefferson D. Ballard. They reside in West Salem, Edwards Co., Ill., and have two children. William W., born Sept. 4, 1852. Henry, born Feb. 3, 1855. John, born May 5, 1857. The last three boys reside on the old homestead with their father. In politics he was first a Whig, but at the organization of the Republican party and since that time has been one of the strong supporters of this party. Mr. Hallam married Mrs. Mary A. Bradshaw, July 16, 1863. She was born in Edwards County, Ill., and was a daughter of Colonel William Curtis. Mr. and Mrs. Hal- lam had three children, one living-Emily O., born April 26, 1864; she resides on the old homestead with her father. Mrs. Hallam died in August, 1869. Mr. Hallam married Mrs. Mary E. Cope- land March 10, 1871. She was born in North Carolina, and was
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the daughter of John and Nellie (Curman) Hagan. Mrs. Hallam had one son by her first marriage-James W. Copeland, born Dec. 13, 1862. Mr. and Mrs. Hallam are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian church.
Geo. W. Haynie, M. D., born July 23, 1829, in Montgomery County, Tenn., is a son of W. D. and Elizabeth B. (Frost) Haynie. father a native of Virginia, and mother of North Carolina. They moved from Tennessee to Kentucky and lived there three years, at Madisonville; came to Illinois in 1831; settled in Salem, Marion County. They lived there till the death of his father in 1872, at the age of seventy-two years. ITis mother is now living at Salem. George was principally brought up in Salem, Marion County, and lived there till he was married, in 1852, to Martha P. Powers, a native of Vermont. Ile then, in 1855, moved to Olney, Richland County, dealing in drugs and practicing medicine. He began the study of medicine when he was ten years old with two of his brothers, practicing physicians of Salem, Abner F. Haynie and Wm. M. Haynie, and graduated from the Louisville Medical Uni- versity in 1854. In 1854 he began his regular practice of medi- cine in Noble, Richland County. In 1855 he went to Olney, where he opened a drug store in connection with his practice. He was a citizen of that place twenty years. When the war broke out he was a contract surgeon by authority from the General Government, of the hospital at Savannah. Tenn., where he had charge of the post for six months. Afterward he was appointed Quartermaster of the Forty-eighth Illinois Regiment, and continued with the reg- iment for two years. When his brother, Isham N. Haynie, in 1863, was appointed Brigadier General, he took Mr. Haynie on his staff, where he remained until be resigned his commission, in the spring before the fall of Vicksburg. He then was transferred to General John A. Logan's staff, and remained with Logan until he was re- lieved of his command and transferred to the Army of the Ten- nessce, when Mr. Haynie resigned and came home. He was then appointed an examining surgeon of the Eleventh Congressional District, and held this position until the close of the war. He then went into mercantile business at Olney in 1865, and remained in it till 1870. He was in real-estate business until 1875, when he came to Grayville, White County, and went into a drug store and practiced medicine. ITis father was an old line Whig up to 18++, when he voted the Democratic ticket afterward to his death. Mr Haynie has taken the example made by his father, and has always
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been an unwavering member of the Democratic party. After the close of the war he was appointed Revenue Assessor by President Johnson for the Eleventh Congressional District, but the appoint ment was not confirmed by the Republican Senate. He has served one year in the Town Board of Grayville. At the county Demo- cratic convention, held in Carmi, July, 1882, he was nominated for County Coroner, and was elected November, 1882. Mr. and Mrs. IIaynie have two children-Harry A. and Amy R. Haynie, both grown and residing at home. Mr. Haynie's brother, Isham N. Haynie. was appointed Adjutant General of Illinois in 1864, after he returned from the army, and held this office till his death in 1868. He ran for Congress on the Republican ticket in 1862, and was Judge of the Common Pleas Court at Cairo, Ill. Mrs. Haynie is cousin cf Asel Powers, the distinguished artist.
John J. Helm, born Dec. 3, 1817, in Loudon County, Va., is a son of Strother M. Helm and Mary M. (Bass) Helm. His father was a native of Virginia, and his father before him, Colonel Mere- dith Helm, father of Strother M. Helm, served in the Revolution- ary war. Mary M. Bass is a daughter of Ambrose Bass, a Frenchman, who came from France and settled in Philadelphia, Penn., engaged in shipping flour to all parts of the country. He carried on a large business, owning several mills, from which he produced his flour. His heaviest trade was extended to the Med- iterranean and the West Indies. John J. Helm lived on a farm until he was eighteen years of age. He then for fifteen years fol- lowed the sea. He has been before the mast,-was second mate, first mate, and master of a vessel. He has traveled around the world twice, passed around Cape Horn five or six different times, and around Cape Good Hope four or five different times. He has been to all the islands of any note in the South Pacific Ocean, and nearly all the principal ports of the world; sailed along the coast of Chili and Peru, touching at all the ports; been as far south as San Francisco, Cal .; was there in 1849, when the gold fever was raging. IIe happened to be there at the time, and had great diffi- culty in getting a sufficient crew, owing to the excitement, to han- dle the vessel on a cruise to the Sandwich Islands. He can say what very few inen can say, that he has had dealings with all cir- ilized nations of the globe, and a great many of the barbarian races, from the Hottentots of Cape of Good Ilope to the cannibals of Patagonia. Of all the tribes he has had dealings with, the Malays of Malacca were the most treacherous and deceitful of all.
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A great many incidents that occurred in Mr. Helin's life, while following the sea, are of great interest, and they are as numerous as they are interesting. In 1852 he gave up this exciting and great varied life upon the solicitations of relatives. He came to Gray- ville, White County, the fore part of 1853, and went into general merchandise and produce, making shipments of produce to New Orleans. He continued in general merchandise for seven years, and in 1860 he went to McMinn County, Tenn., and engaged in farming till 1864. He then left the farm and went in the mer- chandise business with his brother, Meredith A. Helm, and they continued together till 1871, living in Tennessee, while the war was raging in its fury, for four years, and, being surrounded by the armies of both sides, his sympathy was always with the Union. Many times he has entertained soldiers from both armies, first one and then the other, and was not molested in any way. He lost about $12,000 in slaves and stock, and, including the depreciation of value in property, he sustained a loss of between $12,000 and $15,000. In 1871 he came back to Grayville, and has since been engaged in farming. Politically he was an old-line Whig in carly days, and since the fall of this party he has acted with the Democrats. He was married in 1854 to Mary W. Gray, daughter of James Gray, the founder of Grayville. His wife died in 1874, leaving seven children, four sons and three daughters. He was married to his second wife, Anna V. Wintermute, a native of Ohio. They have two sons. One son, James Meredith Helm, is a gradu- ate of 1875 at the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md., and is now master in the Government service, at present on a surveying expe- dition along the coast of Mexico. A daughter, Mary W., now attending St. Mary's Institute, in Indiana, is an artist of rare tal- ent. She is only eighteen years of age, and has produced some very fine specimens, both in oil, water and crayon work. Mr. Helm takes great interest in educational matters, and is giving his chil- dren advantages that were not afforded him in his younger days.
Ansel A. Hollister, born Nov. 28, 1831, in Windsor, O .. is a son of Alvah and Lovina (Loomis) Hollister. His father, a native of Connecticut, moved from that State to Bedford, Cuyahoga Co., O. His mother, a native of New York State, is now living at Wayland, Mich. His father died at Northfield, O., near Cleveland, in 1854. Ansel Hollister was principally brought up at Bedford, O., till he was twenty-one years old. He learned his trade, shoe- making, with his father. He then went to Twinsburg in Summit
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County, and lived till he was mar ied. He was married Dec. 21, 1854, to Patient West, a native of Twinsburg, and came to Gray- villo, White Co., Ill., April 14, 1857, where he has made it his home most of the time since. His wife died Oct. 9, 1860, leaving one son-Frank C. IIe was married again in October, 1862, to Anna Hallam, daughter of William Hallam, of White County. In February, 1864, he went to Centralia, Ill., and remained there four years, when, in 1868, he returned to Grayville, and has since resided here. Politically he is a Republican, and is what is termed a liberal politician. He is a member of the Masonic order and has been for over twenty-five years. Mr. Hollister is one of the good, substantial citizens of the county, and can be relied on as such. In 1876 he made a trip with his wife to the Centennial at Philadelphia, and visited some of the Eastern cities-a trip of pleasure and interest that will long be remembered by them both.
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