USA > Illinois > White County > History of White County Illinois > Part 74
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In "Sangamon County History," the historian claims many of New Haven and Bear Creek precincts, and Indian Creek and Her- ald's Prairie townships' brave boys. They should be credited to these counties. They enlisted as recruits. Their names were as follows :
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HISTORY OF GALLATIN COUNTY.
TWENTY-NINTH ILLINOIS INFANTRY VOLUNTEERS.
COMPANY D.
Vinson, Elias D.
Bolerjack, J. E.
Captain.
Vanover, W. P. C.
Cook, Charles
- Stone.
Webb, Asa
Davis, Alfred
Privates.
Webb, Benj A.
Edwards, John
Brown, Geo. W.
COMPANY G.
Greer, Wm. H.
Cholson, Wm. T.
Captain.
Greer, Wm.
Glasscock, J. J.
Solomon Brill.
Harvey, Felix A.
Henry, Charles
Privates.
Joyner, A. W.
Henson, Thomas
Baker, James
Keaser, Wm. P.
Luther, Martin
Edwards, Milton
McGhee, George
Mobley, James C.
Heney, John
Porter, Thos. J.
Rodgers, David
Quigley, Phil. C.
Poyner, James J.
Rodgers, William
Starkey, C. Jesse
Sanders, J. W.
Williams, McDonald
Trousdale, Wm. A.
Vinson, Robt. D.
Yates, James A.
RELIGIOUS.
The Cumberland Presbyterian Church has been a large organi- zation, with R. M. Davis, of Omaha, as pastor. The building. a substantial and commodious structure, was built in 1865 by popu- lar subscription. O. B. Bayley, Samuel Dagley, Jr., and J. L. Parvis were the first Trustees. The society, as an organization, has been rather inactive for a year or so.
The Methodist Church building was erected in 1872 by contri_ bution. Among its pastors have been the Revs. Mr. Fields, who officiated two years; Mr. Reef, also two years, and Mr. Morris, present pastor.
PHYSICIANS.
New Haven has had the unenviable reputation of being the very hot-bed of malaria and fever. This its citizens of to-day strongly contradict. It certainly has no modern cemetery. The disciples of Esculapius have been quite numerous. Among them we men- tion, Dr. Gilpin who was in practice for many years; Drs. Gal. braith, two Halls, Lemon, Hudgins. The present doctors are all men well read in their profession, and doing a successful business.
A BANKING TOWN.
In the days of State Banks and wild-cat paper, New Haven ranked second in the State, at one time being the location of as many as five. This was in 1856. The idea was to have the loca- tion as far as possible from the business centers, in some small, un-
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Farless, Columbus
Hunt, Thomas
Humphreys, Geo. W.
O'Hair, John
Keaser, Daniel
Tarrant, Wm. H.
Vinson, David
Bowers, Geo.
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known town, the object being to avoid the frequent runs made by brokers and speculators, who made a business of buying up, at a large discount, all bills found floating in the business circles of New York, Philadelphia, Boston, etc. The bills were issued, signed and cut, and circulated from the principal points, no busi- ness but that of redemption being brought up at New Haven. Colo- nel Hick was President of " The Illinois State Bank." To him the agents of the brokers would come twice a month, with their gripsacks full of the discounted paper for redemption. The for- mality of presenting the bills was not gone through with until the gold was not forthcoming, whereupon a complaint was made to the Secretary of State, and the amount was paid from the State bonds deposited by the stockholders of the banks. The agents, while at New Haven, were always on the best of terms with Hick, playing cards evenings, smoking, and joking, and laughing over their hot punches. At one particular time the bankers of Chicago obtained definite information that a certain run was to be paid at a certain time. To outwit and general them several hundred dollars of five-cent silver pieces were hastily dispatched to Hick, with instructions to deal them out. Upon the arrival of the agents and their presentations, they were kindly treated, day after day, to redemption in earnest. Mistakes on the part of the joke- loving president were frequent, and a day's work was thought to be well done if $20 were redeemed. Banking hours, from ten A. M. until three P. M. This continued several days, but it was the wind- ing up of a systematic course of scalping.
MISCELLANEOUS.
The first marriage in the town is said to have been that of Cap- tain Samuel Dagley to a Miss Webb. The ceremony was performed by 'Squire Groves.
The first death was that of a child belonging to Boone.
The first blacksmith was a Mr. Harper.
There is a ferry at this point, that has been in use for many years. The town is free of debt, with some $600 in the treasury.
The Stage Route was established at a very early day as a post route, extending from Shawneetown to Vincennes, from which point other routes diverged to all principal points. It was a tri-weekly route via New Haven, Carmi, Phillipstown, Grayville, etc., with a large patronage. The present routes are from Omaha to Carmi, via New Haven, and New Haven and Shawneetown, three miles daily.
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HISTORY OF GALLATIN COUNTY.
The Postoffice was established about 1820. Some of the men who have held the position of Postmaster have been: Colonel Thos. S. Hick, 1837; John Wood, 1840; B. P. Hinch, 1845-'55; Sam- uel Dagley, 1855-'64; John Hick, 1863-'64; Thos. B. Hick, A. J. Surguy, W. P. Abshier, J. B. Hanmore, Victor Melvin; Lee Car- ruth, September, 1880; Victor Melvin, February, 1882; W. P. Aldrich, present incumbent.
The Telephone Exchange, of Evansville, established an office at this point in 1882, with office at the postoffice. W. P. Aldrich, operator. The citizens, being awake to its advantages, subscribed a large sum of money for its establishment. By this they have telegraphic communications at Mt. Vernon and also at Shawnee- town.
Masonic .- The New Haven Lodge of A. F. & A. M. was or- ganized many years ago, and, through some mistake, received a nuinber far too high for the date of its application. The charter members and first officers were: James Edwards, W. M .; Sidney Pinney, S. W .; Jackson Abshier, J. W .; James Melvin, S. D .; E. W. Gaston, J. D .; John H. Hughes and Wm. Glasscock. Con- sidering the size of the town, the lodge (No. 330) is in good con- dition.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
Jackson Abshier, born Jan. 8,1815, the day of the memorable battle of New Orleans, was a son of Thomas and Nancy A. (Perryman) Abshier, natives of North Carolina. Their parents moved to Adair County, Ky., when they were both quite young and they were mar- ried there, about 1812, and moved to Murray County, Tenn. They resided in Tennessee till 1829, when, with a family of ten children, they moved to Franklin County, Ill. In 1833 the children that were living and unmarried and their mother came to New Haven, where they have since resided. The names of his father's family were-Elizabeth, Anderson, Jackson, Elias, Malinda, Milly L., Maria, Delila, Matilda, Jane, William and Washington, but five now living. Anderson was in the Black Hawk war. He lives in Thompson, Franklin Co., Ill. Elizabeth married Wesley Fletcher and lives in Saline County. Washington lives at Tipton, Mo. Maria married J. L. Purvis, of New Haven.
F. M. Aldridge, M. D., the well-known physician and sur- geon, was born near Mount Vernon, April 14, 1843, and was a son of Eli and Lavina (Kivit) Aldridge, both natives of North Carolina.
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His professional education was commenced under Dr. E. V. Spen- cer, physician and surgeon of Mt. Vernon, as preceptor, which took three years of study. One course of lectures was taken at Ann Arbor, and the graduating ones at the Western Reserve Med- ical College, Cleveland, Ohio, graduating in March, 1868. Pre- vious to this he had been a farmer, and was married to Mary J. Black daughter of James and Nancy Black, of Posey County. It was after her death that he commenced to study for his profession. After his graduation he located in New Haven, where he married Fatima A. Hinch, daughter of Benjamin P. Hinch, by whom he had two children-Spencer (deceased), and Frances. Here he prac- ticed for three years, gaining reputation and honor. When his wife died, in 1872, he sought travel for his health and to partly assuage his grief. For three years or more he was in Texas, some- times in business and at others solely for pleasure. Returning he re-established himself in New Haven, and is to-day a leading sur- geon. He possesses that cool, clear-headed and steady-handed quality that must go hand-in-hand with the requisites of a good physician and surgeon. For many miles around, in White, Galla- tin and Posey counties, his services are sought when cases of dangerous surgical operations require the hand of a skilled surgeon, and are usually attended with the most satisfactory results.
William P. Aldridge, born in Emma Township, White County, Ill., April 16, 1844, is a son of Russell D. and Sarah (Smith) Aldridge. Russell D.'s father was a Scotchman by birth and came to this country about 1800, locating in North Carolina, where Russell D. was born, in 1811. Their family consisted of seven children-Peter, Warren, John, Russell D., Eliza, Patsy and Harriet. They moved to Posey County, Ind., being of the earliest settlers. The descendants live in that vicinity to-day. Russell D. was married in White County and settled in Big Prairie Precinct. His family consisted of four children -Permelia ( Mrs. N. McMallen, deceased), William P., George D., and Harriet (Mrs. Joel Clark). He was in the Mexican war. William P. Aldridge was married in 1867 to Mary, daughter of George and Emily Hantchel. They had four children-Sarah (died in infancy), Clara B., Minnie R. and Charles. Mrs. Aldrich died in November, 1878. In June, 1881, Mr. Aldrich married Harriet, daughter of William and Mary Downes, of Posey County, Ind. Her father died when she was a young girl, and her mother married William McDaniel and moved to Emma Township, White County, Ill. Mr. and Mrs. Aldridge
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HISTORY OF GALLATIN COUNTY.
have one child-William. Mr. Aldridge moved to New Haven in 1877. He has been Deputy Sheriff of Gallatin County four years; was Marshal of the town three years, till 1880; has been a Town- ship Trustee five years; was appointed Postmaster of New Haven in February, 1882. At the postoffice is located the Evansville Telephone Exchange, of which Mr. Aldridge is operator. Mr. Al- dridge enlisted in 1862, when eighteen, in Company A, Sixty-fifth Indiana Infantry. He was with Sherman on his march to the sea, and was in East Tennessee under Foster. He was in forty-two battles and skirmishes. He was mustered out at Greenboro, N. C.
1. M. Asbury, M. D., was born in McLeansboro, Hamilton Co., Ill., July 6, 1848. He was a son of Wesley and Susan M. (Mitch- ell) Asbury. His father was a native of North Carolina, and came to this State in 1844; at present engaged in farming. His mother is a native of Illinois. Her father, Ichabod Mitchell, was among the earliest settlers of Hamilton County, and was elected the first Treasurer of the county. The subject of this sketch was reared in his native town, where he received an elementary school education. When sixteen years of age he enlisted in the Sixtieth Illinois In- fantry, Company A, and remained until the close of the war. He was with Sherman's army in the grand march to the sea. After the war he attended the High School of McLeansboro, and in the mean time read medicine with Dr. David Barry as preceptor. In 1868 he was in Minnesota, where he was employed in a drug store, and at the same time continued his medical studies. He returned to Illinois in two years, where he was again under the tuition of his former preceptor. In 1871 Dr. Asbury attended lectures at the Cincinnati Eclectic Medical College, graduating May 19, 1873. He practiced in Springfield for some time with good success, and has since been in practice in and about New Haven. Dr. Asbury has been a close student and thoroughly in love with his profes- sion. The Doctor is a member of the Masonic order, and has rep- resented his lodge in McLeansboro, as Master Mason, for several years. He married, Jan. 1, 1877, Miss Mary Webb, daughter of John Webb, of Hamilton County, where she was born. The Doc- tor has fine literary tastes, is a close student, and a conscientious, Christian gentleman.
John H. Barter, senior partner of John II. Barter & Sons, the well-known carriage and wagon manufacturers, was a son of John F. Barter, a native of England. John F. was at one time in the English navy, and in 1812 was a Home Guard. He was a black-
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smith, as has been his son and grandsons. John H. was born in Brooklyn, where his father was working at the time. He com- menced business life in Mt. Vernon, by making trips down the Ohio and Mississippi in flat-boats carrying along a blacksmith's paraphernalia, stopping at plantations and doing work for steam- boats, etc. Mt. Vernon was then known as McFadden's Bluff. From this small beginning has sprung the present works so well known throughout Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Southern Illinois. His business takes now a force of 150 men, and the steam mill and buildings occupy the ground of 280 x 140 feet, and are three stories high. He turns out 100 wagons, 50 buggies, 300 plows, 100 harrows, etc., annually. He married Mary F. Ashworth, daughter of William Ashworth, of Posey County. They had $40 and one cow to commence married life with. The children born to them were-Charles A., Emma M., William (married Mattie Hutcherson, daughter of Philo Hutcherson, present Recorder of Posey County), Ethel May. John H. married for his second wife Elizabeth J. Depriest. They have four children-Arthur, Ella. John A. and Fred. The New Haven Branch of John H. Barter & Sons was established in 1880, with William A. as manager. They are doing good work and are of great convenience to the country round about. Repairing is well and quickly done, and they always have a good supply of wagons, buggies or agricultural im- plements in their repository warehouse.
William S. Dale, Jr., son of Wm. S. and Sarah (Eledge) Dale, natives of Illinois and Alabama respectively, was born in Emma Township, White Co., Ill., Oct. 24, 1840. He lived on the home farm until his father's death in 1852, when the family, consisting of five sons, was moved to Cape Girardeau, Mo., afterward the spot where Marmaduke and the Federals had the skirmish. Mr. Dale moved to New Haven after the war. He afterward settled in White County, and married Sarah R., danghter of Rev. Wm. Slo- cumb, of White County. They returned to New Haven, where they have since resided. They have a family of four children- Edward L., Charles A., Maud and Cora L. He enlisted in Com- pany D, Marble City Guards, when General Jackson called for 50,000 men; was out six months, and then enlisted in Company D, Brown's Battalion. He was in the State service under General Price, and was transferred to the navy, on the gunboat Arkansas. He was wounded three times at Altoona Pass, -one shot in the head, one through the breast and one in the left leg. Of 125 who
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HISTORY OF GALLATIN COUNTY.
went out only seven came out alive, and, with one exception, every man was wounded three times.
Mathias Epley, born Feb. 17, 1840, in Baden, Germany, is a son of Martin and Barbara (Haman) Epley, who were large farm- ers for that county. They had a family of seven sons and one daughter. The parents, three sons and the daughter died in Ger- many. Joseph, Charles, Martin and Mathias came to this country in 1854, landing at Castle Garden June 1. From there they all went to Cincinnati, where Joseph and Charles are now living, both owning farms in Butler County, Ohio, Charles being married. Martin enlisted in the Sixty-ninth Ohio, and died at New Orleans of fever. Mathias lived in Butler and IIamilton counties, farming until 1865, when he came to Gallatin County and bought a farm, and has since resided here. He married Nancy E., daughter of James H. Lee, who moved here from Arkansas during the war. They had one child that died in infancy. His wife died in 1880. May 21, 1881, he married Susan A. Lee, a sister of his first wife. Besides carrying on his farm he is one of the firm of J. A. Hinch & Co., in the saloon and light grocery trade. He received a com- mon-school education in Germany, but his English is pure and fluent.
James Farley, a son of Joseph and Indiana (McAllister) Farley, was born in White County in 1831. He was reared to the hard- ships and privations of a farm life. His father lived about three miles from New Haven. The family consisted of four children, of which three were half brothers. His father died when James was but three years old. Mr. Farley has lived in New Haven for many years. He enlisted in the Seventh Illlinois Cavalry, and was in the service three years and three months. He married for his first wife Caroline Vines, of White County. One child was born- Margaret, afterward Mrs. Nelson. IIe married for his second wife Delila Elvira (Vanghn) Robinson, of White County. She was born April 21, 1830, and was a daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Jackson) Vaughn. She was married to her first hus- band April 21, 1848, by whom two children were born. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Farley has been born one child. He is present Constable of New Haven, and has kept hotel since 1878.
Maurice Feehrer was a son of Alexander and Mary (Droll) Feehrer. His father was of French nativity and his mother of German. They both came to this country when quite young. They were married at Shawneetown. Nine children were born to
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them, seven now living-John, Joseph (deceased), Alexander, Maurice, Mary (Mrs. Shockley-Raddick), Anthony, Charles, Laura, and one that died in infancy. Mr. Feehrer was engaged in the general mercantile business in Shawneetown for many years. His widow still continues the business. Of his children, John is in the clothing business in Rockport, Ind .; Alexander is managing the home store; Manrice established himself in a general grocery store in New Haven in 1875; Anthony and Charles are not yet located. Maurice received a common-school education in Shawnee- town and attended the Commercial College in Rockport, Ind. He clerked for his father three years and then opened his present store. He married Prudence H., daughter of L. J. and Nancy (Cross) Bozman, of Carmi, who has for several years been a teacher. She is now teaching in New Haven. She taught seven years in White County, averaging ten months a year.
Captain James Ford, a native of Kentucky, was a son of Abra- ham Ford, an early pioneer of Kentucky. His early life was spent on Green River, in Ohio County, and his principal occupa- tion after reaching maturity was that of a contractor on the river. He married a Miss Fox, of Ohio County. He came to New Haven in 1868 and contracted to put in the sixteen-foot dam, which he completed in 1869. After the acceptance of the work by the com- missioners, Mr. Ford and A. C. Hess leased the privilege for a term of fifty years, and erected the mill, 40 x 40, four and a half stories high, three run of stones, with a capacity of fifty barrels of flour and 200 of meal per week, costing $18,000. After two years the partnership was dissolved, Mr. Hess going out, and Philip Garst succeeding him. Mr. and Mrs. Ford had eight children, five now living-Mary (Mrs. A. C. Hess), Lucy (Mrs. S. C. Hall), Thomas K., Charles L. and Grace. Mr. Ford received his title of Captain from his position on the river for about twenty years prior to his advent in New Haven. He was a member of the South Carrollton Lodge of Masons. He died in the fall of 1875, and Mrs. Ford in 1874.
Thomas K. Ford was born in Ohio County, Ky., and was a son of James Ford. He spent his boyhood in South Carolina. He remained with his father till his death in 1875. He was married in December, 1878, to Kate, daughter of J. M. Reynolds, of Ray- mond, Hinds Co., Miss. Two children were born to them, but both died in infancy. In July, 1882, Mr. Ford leased the Eagle Mills, where he is doing a good business.
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Charles S. Hanmore, a native of New Albany, Ind, is a son of James and Sarah (Sprout) Hanmore. James was a son of Job and Mary Hanmore, afterward Sheridan. Charles S. spent his early life in St Lonis, his father being an engineer on one of the St. Louis and Paducah packets. His parents had two children- Charles S. and Sarah, now Mrs. Bradshaw. His mother died in 1847, and his father married Margaret Fowler, of New Albany. They had four children-John, William, James and Carrie, now a teacher in the New Albany High School. They moved from St. Louis to New Haven in 1858. Mrs. Hanmore died in 1862. Mr. Hanmore had control of the large grist-mill for many years; part of the time with his brother Thomas, until his death in 1862, and afterward alone, until he sold out to the stock company. He died in 1861. Charles S. received a common-school education in St. Louis and New Haven. He commenced work for himself in 1862, by going on one of the packets as steersman, and afterward as pilot. In 1866 he came to New Haven, and has since been en- gaged in the mercantile business. He married Sarah Harding, a daughter of Richard Harding (deceased), who was a Second-Lieu- tenant in the Ninth Illinois Infantry. Her mother was a native of New York State, and, after Mr. Harding's death, married Elias R. Goad, of New Haven. To Mr. and Mrs. Hanmore have been born five children, two living-Claude and Capitolia.
Thomas B. Hick, M. D., was born Dec. 6. 1841, and was a son of Thomas S. and Fatima C. (Barger) Hick. He enlisted in the late war, in the Seventh Illinois Cavalry. He was Postmaster for the Division. He was clerk for his father, and then attended Eastinan's Commercial College at Poughkeepsie, N. Y. After his return he took up the study of medicine with F. M. Aldrich. He attended one course of lectures at Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, and graduated at the Western Reserve Medical College, Cleveland. O. He went into the drug business the following year, with Mr. Mitchell, the firm name being Mitchell & Hick. Soon after they opened a drug store in Newport, Ark., associating with them a doctor named Gray, the firm name being Gray, Mitchell & Co., Dr. Hick being a silent partner, remaining in New Haven, prac- ticing medicine. This partnership continued until Mitchell and Gray both died, when Dr. Hick went to Newport and settled up the business. He has been practicing in the vicinity of New Haven. In 1876 he moved to Hawthorne Township, but remained there less than a year. In 1880 he opened a drug store. Of late years he
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has been engaged in bee culture, having the last summer about 150 hives. He was married in 1874, to Mary J. Slinger, dangh- ter of Thomas Slinger. They had one child. His wife died in 1877. Dr. Hick is one in whom great confidence is reposed as a physician.
Thomas S. Hick (deceased) was one of New Haven's promi- nent citizens. He was of English nativity, and was born in No- vember, 1809. His father, having probably a large family, bound Thomas and his brother William to a man named Pickering till they were twenty-one, for his paying their passage to this country. Pickering proved a hard task master, and the boys left him, William settling in Equality, where he was successful as a mer- chant and miller, buying produce and provisions for the New Orleans market, and being interested in the salt wells leased from the State. Thomas first went to Golconda, Pope County, where he learned the tobacconist's trade of John Raum, father of General Raum. From there he went to Shawneetown and assisted Kirk Patrick in business. He came to New Haven in 1836. He married Fatima C. Barger. They had four children -- John (de- ceased), Mary (now Mrs. Geo. L. Hanna, of Emma Township), Thomas B. and Elizabeth (now Mrs. Matthew Land, of Hawthorne township). Mrs. Hick died and he married Mrs. Sophia Sta- ley, widow of Ahart Staley, of Carmi. She is still living in New Haven. From 1856 till his death he was engaged in general merchandising. He represented the district in the General As- sembly, the last being in 1858, when Wm. R. Morrison was Speaker. He was President of the Illinois State Bank. He died Oct. 27, 1866.
J. A. Hinch, son of Benjamin P. and Rebecca S. (Barger) Hinch, was born May 29, 1851. His father was one of the promi- nent citizens of New Haven and Gallatin County. J. A. in early life helped to carry on the farm and afterward worked for the Government on one of its river dredging boats. Also on the flat boats, on one trip going down the Ohio and Mississippi to the mouth of the Yazoo River, and selling the cargo to the farmers and residents of that region. He is now one of the firm of J. A. Hinch & Co., dealers in choice wines, liquors, cigars and small groceries, and he owns a farm in Emma Township, which he rents, and is altogether a business man.
Lowry Hinch, son of Benjamin P. and Rebecca S. (Barger) Hinch, was born May 26, 1844. His father was a native of Christian County, Ky., and removed to Tennessee, and from there
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