Illinois, Crawford County historical and biographical, Part 168

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913. cn
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1058

USA > Illinois > Crawford County > Illinois, Crawford County historical and biographical > Part 168

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TAYLOR, George T., deceased, late President of the Flat Rock Bank, which was organized in 1905 with George T. Taylor as president, John H. Taylor as vice-president and Grant Tay- lor as cashier, was one of the conservative busi- ness men of his locality, whose financial fore- sight and executive ability were demonstrated by his business experience, especially during the late panic. He was born in Fauquier County, Va., January 23, 1835, a son of Hubbard Taylor, the latter born in Prince William County, Va., and drowned in the Shenandoah River about 1858. By occupation he was a miller and farmer. He married Cora Hickley. The grand- father Taylor was a soldier in the War of 1812 and first cousin of President Zachary Taylor.

Mr. Taylor was educated in the subscription schools of his neighborhood, and reared on a farm. In 1865 he came to Moultrie County, Ill., and purchased a farm, which he operated until 1873. In that year he sold his farm in Moultrie County, and embarked in the milling business in Douglas County, Ill., but in May, 1877. came to Crawford County, and for thirty years was in the milling business at Flat Rock. Selling this business, he organized the Flat Rock Bank in 1905 and, with his two sons, carried on this financial institution, gaining the confidence of his community at large.

On December 25, 1855, Mr. Taylor was married in Harrison County, W. Va., to Elizabeth Cath- erine Custer, daughter of James and Ellen (Dawson) Custer, and first cousin of General George A. Custer. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Taylor were: Ellen C., born August 13, 1858; John H., born September 8, 1860; Adelaide, born May 30, 1862; Laudora, born May 4, 1864; Alice L., born January 23, 1866; Grant, born January 8, 1868; Drussie, born February 7. 1876; Charles Custer, born Jan- uary 1, 1882. Ellen married Dr. Dailey of Lawrence County, Ill., and had one child, Leona, now three years old. Dr. Dailey died August 30, 1905. John H. married Lula C. Barnes, daughter of George D. and Gallahue (Fish) Barnes, her father being a merchant and farmer who died at Terre Haute, Ind. They had three children: Hugh C., born Sep- tember 15, 1890; Nellie, born January 17, 1900, and Harry, who died when three years old. Adelaide married J. D. Reaville of Crawford

County, and she has four children : Orman,

Nellie, Fred and George. Laudora married William E. Bond, formerly of Baltimore, Md., and a dealer in wagons and buggies located at Flat Rock. Mr. and Mrs. Bond have one child, George T. Grant married Lilian Tohill, daugh- ter ot Lewis N. Tohill. Drussie married Charles R. Duncan, hardware and furniture dealer of Flat Rock, no issue. Charles Custer married Emma Heath, a daughter of Randolph Heath, and they have two children : Theodore, born November 9, 1904, and Elizabeth, born in 1906.

Mr. Taylor was a Republican and served Flat Rock as school director, village trustee, school trustee and highway commissioner, and was always found ready to co-operate in the advancement of any public enterprise calculated to benefit the community. He was a member of the Methodist Church for thirty-eight years, which he served as one of its trustees, as well as one of the most liberal contributors to its support. His death occurred November 23, 1908, when the community was bereft of one of its valuable citizens.

TAYLOR, John Holmes .- Since oil was dis- covered in Crawford County, there has been a great change in the industrial and commercial life. New interests have arisen, connected more or less intimately with the oil fields, and more people and more capital are constantly being concentrated here. As a result property has increased in value to a remarkable degree, and those fortunate enough to possess land with oil producing wells, are numbered among the mnost wealthy in this part of the State. Among those who have been very prominent in the develop- ment of the oil fields, is John Holmes Taylor of Oblong Township. He was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, February 20, 1839, a son of Henry and Elizabeth (Holmes) Taylor, and grandson of John and Eleanor Taylor. John Taylor was born in Maryland, April 10, 1766, was a farmer by occupation, and died June 5, 1843. His wife, also a native of Maryland, born Feb- ruary 12, 1767, died July 8, 1849. Henry Taylor the father was born in Maryland, but was brought to Fairfield County, Ohio, in childhood. His wife was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, a daughter of Thomas Holmes. His home was a stopping place for many distinguished men, among those he was accustomed to entertain being the Sherman brothers, General William Tecumseh and John, Thomas Ewing, and many others. He was an early settler of Ohio, and a very prominent man. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Henry Taylor were: Adeline M., born August 20, 1835; Thomas, born March 7, 1837, and died at the age of two months; John H., born February 20, 1839; Emory W., born Novem- ber 6, 1840; George, born March 25, 1842; Jacob L .. born March 23, 1844 ; Eli F., born April 2, 1846, and Orlando C., born February 26, 1851.

The father had some land in Crawford County, which he proposed dividing among several of his sons. John Holmes Taylor, as the eldest liv- ing son, was given 100 acres, and another 100

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acres was to have been given to the next son, Emory, but in the fall of 1861 he enlisted in the First Ohio Cavalry and went to Tennessee. Just before the holidays he was taken very sick, and although he was brought to his home in Fairfield County, he died three weeks after his return, and the property went to the next son, George. The latter cleared off the property and lived on it until he moved to Fort Wayne, Ind., where he began farming ten miles from that city. He married in Fairfield, Ohio, Rhine Mess- more, and they live near Fort Wayne, Ind. They have four children, all married, who re- side on the old homestead. Jacob L. Taylor owns his father's homestead in Fairfield County, where he now resides. He was in the 100-days' service during the Civil War. His first wife was Hannah Van Husen, by whom he had one son and three daughters, His second wife was Emma Everhardt. Eli T. is a widower and lives in Columbus, Ohio, where he is engaged in an insurance business, having been with his present firm for thirteen years. He has three sons and one daughter, all of whom are married and he makes his home with his daughter. Orlando C. died of diphtheria when eight years old, May 9, 1861.

John Holmes Taylor attended the district school in Fairfield County, Ohio, and then went to a private school to fit himself for the Wes- leyan (Ohio) University. After finishing he taught school for four winters. In March, 1862, he came to Crawford County, Ill., making the trip on horseback, and being eight and one-half days on the road. He immediately commenced to clear up and improve his land and from that time to the present his home has been on Sec- tion 14, Oblong Township.

On March 12. 1863, Mr. Taylor married Grace M. Vernon, in Columbus, Ohio, her parents be- ing Joseph and Catherine (Pickering) Vernon, both natives of Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Tay- lor's children are: Orlando G., now a physi- cian of Palestine; Edwin V., died at Lebanon, Ohio; Edith A., a widow with one child, re- sides in Robinson, Ill .; Edson H., unmarried, lives in Charleston, Ill., is a teacher of mathe- matics in the State Normal School; Catherine Eugenia, unmarried and lives at home.

In politics Mr. Taylor is a Republican. For fifty-two years he has been a member of the Methodist Church, of which his wife is also a member. He has been steward and a class leader in his church. Mr. Taylor cleared off the 100 acres his father gave him, and has added to his property until he now has 400 acres in Crawford County, on which are fifteen producing oil wells, and he is constantly drilling for more. He owns SO acres in Cross County, Ark. All of his Crawford County property is cleared except 40 acres of timberland. He has a thoroughly modern home of eleven rooms, with all improve- ments, surrounded by a beautiful lawn, in which trees are interpersed with ornamental shrubs and flowers. The Taylors are very hospitable and their home is the scene of many pleasant gatherings. Mr. Taylor is a man who commands

universal respect and confidence, and the re- sults which he has attained by his long years ot hard work and thrifty economy are very sat- isfactory in every way.

TAYLOR, Samson (deceased), who served as County Treasurer of Crawford County, and was an old and honored resident of Robinson, was born in Champaign County, Ohio, February 22, 1825, coming to Crawford County, Ill., in 184S, and settling on a farm in the present township of Honey Creek, where he bought SO acres, later adding 60 acres more. In politics he was a Democrat and was very active, being elected fre- quently to the offices of Collector and Treasurer. In 1SGS he embarked in a mercantile business, but in 1874 was burned out, and then left Craw- fordsville where he had established his business and returned to his farm. In 1846 he joined the Masonic fraternity. On June 1S. 1846, he mar- ried Barbara Taylor, and they had children as follows : Joseph B., Sarah L., Julia A .. Henry, Hiram, Mary A., Samson, James C., Charles A., John H., George, William S., David Y.

TEMPLETON, Gilbert W. W .- The farming in- terests of Crawford County are in the hands of thoroughly competent men whose ability and trustworthiness have been well tested. They are adopting scientific methods in their work with gratifying results, and this part of the State is fast becoming one of the garden spots of the world. Among those who have materially aided in bringing about such a condition of affairs is Gilbert W. W. Templeton, a farmer and stock-raiser of Section 25, Montgomery Town- ship, Crawford County. He was born near Hardinville, Crawford County, February 19. 1858, a son of David Templeton, who was born in Greene County, Ohio, July 22, 1826, and was a farmer and stock-raiser.

John Templeton, the father of David Temple- ton, and grandfather of Gilbert W. W .. soon after the birth of his son, David Templeton, moved to Rush County. Ind., where the family remained a short time, and then located in Greene County, Ohio, and there they resided until David Templeton was twenty-three years old. At that time they came to Illinois, set- tling in Oblong Township, Crawford County. on a raw prairie farm. John Templeton married Eleanor Cox, who was born in Ohio, and they had children as follows : David. Elizabeth. Hannah, Nancy Jane, William and Mary,

David Templeton was educated in Greene County, Ohio, and after coming to Crawford County, taught school in this and Lawrence Counties for seven years. On September 30. 1852, he married Amazonia Mills, daughter of Edward Mills and Abigail ( Howard) Mills. The latter was a daughter of Edward and Abigail Howard. Edward Mills was the father of the following family : William Howard, Matilda, Thomas Wilson, Jane, Edward Perry, Martha, Amazonia. Maurice Krumble, Harry Palmer, and George Ira.

George W. W. Templeton received his early

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education in the district schools of the neigh- borhood where he now resides. He assisted his father on the farm, and helped to clear off the land. At his father's death, he and his brothers discovered that David Templeton had signed notes for supposed friends, and in order to meet his obligations, had been obliged to heavily mort- gage the homestead. The young men paid off the mortgages, and through unremitting labor now own 320 acres. Mr. Templeton has 72 acres in his own right.

On September 14, 1890, Mr. Templeton married Laura Martin, a daughter of John and Sarah C. Martin. Mrs. Templeton was born in La Motte Township, Crawford County, and three months after her birth, her father died. Her mother moved to Ohio in the fall of 1866 and lived there until the fall of 1875, when she and her children then returned and settled two miles northwest of Palestine. At the time of her death Mrs. Martin lived with Mrs. Templeton. Mr. and Mrs. Templeton became the parents of the following named children: Hoyt D., born Sep- tember 18. 1891; Lena V., born October 6, 1893; Ethel J., born May 25, 1895; Abbie Ruth, born July 30, 1898, died August 17, 1901; Ruby, born January 29, 1908, died April 24, 1908. John and Sarah Martin were the parents of six chil- dren. as follows: Josephus Perry, born Sep- tember 29, 1853; Alvin Leslie, born October 17, 1855; Mary Ellen, born September 6, 1859, and died August 7, 1860; an infant daughter, born August 8, 1861, and died in seven hours; Ethel- inda, born September 14, 1862; Laura Alice, born January 8, 1866.

Mr. Templeton was one of a family of five sons and one daughter, as follows: John Ed- ward, born April 15, 1854; Benjamin Franklin, born February 11, 1856; Gilbert Wallace, born February 19, 1858; Urban R., born September 12, 1860 ; David and Mary, twins, born February 13, 1864.

Mr. Templeton is a member of the Christian . in 1900, and has served as trustee of that order Church and is much interested in its work. He is a Republican politically, and takes an act- ive interest in township affairs, although he has never aspired to public preferment. He is a good farmer and understands the cultivation of his land. He and his brothers had a heavy load to carry for many years and deserve great credit for the hard work done and the results ac- complished.

THOMAS, Samuel R., Postmaster of Oblong, Ill., and one of the progressive men of his lo- cality, was born in Elkhart County, Ind., De- cember 24, 1871, a son of John and Mary A. (Long) Thomas. The great-great-grandfather came to America with a Scotch clan. locating in South Carolina. The father, John Thomas, was born in Elkhart County, Ind., May 13, 1841. He served during the Civil War in the One Hun- dred and Fifty-second Infantry. The mother was born in Ashland County, Ohio. The Thomas family emigrated from South Carolina to North- ern Indiana, where the majority of the family now reside.

Samuel R. Thomas attended the Oblong pub- lic schools and passed his boyhood days on a farm south of Oblong, and all of his spare time was spent in reading history. He has never lost that intense love of history, and keeps thor- oughly abreast of the history of his own times. When twenty-two he began making history him- self by enlisting in the United States Army on February 14, 1893, and served in Captain Cap- ron's company of Light Artillery, Battery E, First U. S. Artillery. until disabled by a prema- ture explosion of a piece of artillery while firing a salute in honor of General Charles King, the novelist.

The first public office held by Mr. Thomas was as President of the Village Board, to which he was elected on the Independent ticket by a majority of two to one. He was elected Su- pervisor in 1905, over D. W. Odell, a strong Democrat and a good business man, and was re-elected in 1907 over D. H. Hoke, by a large majority, but in 1906 was defeated by a small majority for County Clerk by C. O. Harper. He served as clerk in the postoffice from 1898 to 1901, when he was appointed Assistant Post- master, and served in this capacity until he was appointed Postmaster in 1907. A Republican in politics, Mr. Thomas has always voted his party ticket, and has served as member of com- mittees and delegate to conventions. He is a believer in rotation in office and a follower of the politics of Lincoln, Mckinley and Roosevelt.

On October 28. 1896, Mr. Thomas was married to Miss Nellie F. Newbold, a daughter of D. F. Newbold, one of the pioneers of Crawford County, a man of strong religious faith, who has brought up his children accordingly. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas have two children: Francis N., born April 16, 1898, and John D., born July 12, 1902. Mr. Thomas is a charter member of the first Sons of Veterans Camp in Crawford County ; was initiated in the Odd Fellows Lodge, No. 850, almost continuously ever since. He is an ener- getic. enterprising young man, very popular and widely known.

THOMPSON, William Addison, State's Attorney of Crawford County, Ill., is one of the success- ful young attorneys of this locality, born in Crawford County, May 29, 1870. a son of Joseph and Nancy Ann (Maxwell) Thompson, and grandson of William Thompson, who came from Tennessee, and was the first Postmaster of Flat Rock. He owned a farm about a mile west of Flat Rock, and was a shoemaker by trade. Joseph Thompson, his son, was a farmer and merchant, and was successful in both avocations.

William Addison Thompson is a man of wide legal knowledge, being equally versed in crimi- nal, civil, chancery, admiralty or patent law, and thus well fitted for the discharge of the duties of his present responsible office. He was edu- cated in the schools of Crawford County, and was engaged in teaching from 1890 to 1899, and at the same time read law under P. G. Bradbury, and later with Valmore Parker, being admitted

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to the bar in 1896. As early as 1901 he became prominent in Republican politics, being then elected a Justice of the Peace in Robinson Town- ship. In 1904 he was chosen State's Attorney on the Republican ticket, and while occupying this office has collected more money for the school fund than all of his predecessors combined. He has also prosecuted with vigor many foreign cor- porations, and has been a most efficient public officer. He has declined re-election. and intends to resume his private practice at the expiration of his term of office.

In 1896 Mr. Thompson was married to Miss Lena L. Mills, born in Lawrence County, in 1871. While living at Flat Rock and Birds he was principal of the schools in those several lo- calities. Mrs. Thompson's father, as was Mr. Thompson's, was a soldier of the Civil War, the latter serving in Company I, Twenty-first Illi- nois Volunteer Infantry, General Grant's old regiment. Mr. Thompson is a member of the Masonic and Odd Fellows fraternities and has passed all the chairs in the latter order. He has done yeoman service for his party, and is re- garded as one of the Republican leaders in Craw- ford County. A conscientious lawyer and scrupu- lous public official, Mr. Thompson has made a record for himself of which he may well be proud, and is justly regarded as one of the county's representative professional men.

TOHILL, Lewis N .- Each year the ranks of the veterans of the Civil War are thinned by the enemy Death, but there are still surviving enough to keep before the present generation the memory of the gallant deeds of those who were not found wanting in courage and patriot- ism in the time of the country's direst need. One of them in Honey Creek Township, Craw- ford County, Ill., is Lewis N. Tohill, who en- listed in Company E, Ninety-eighth Regiment. Illinois Volunteer Infantry, August 11, 1862, and served bravely until August 23, 1863, when he was honorably discharged, for general disability, at Bowling Green, Ky. Mr. Tohill was born in Honey Creek Township, two and one-half miles west of his present home, June 27, 1839, a son of John and Martha (Springer) Tohill. John Tohill was born in Fairfield County, Pa., Sep- tember 16, 1816, and died December 11, 1904, in Macon County, Ill., on his farm of 270 acres. His widow was born in Hocking County, Ohio, in April, 1818, and is still living on the farm in Macon County, Ill. In 1823 John Tohill moved to the vicinity of Lancaster, Ohio, and was engaged in farming there until 1838, when he sold his property, and moved with his father to Crawford County, Ill., settling two and one- half miles west of Flat Rock. He there en- tered 160 acres of land at $1.25 per acre, while his father entered 280 acres, and at that time the county was in a very wild state. There were no roads, all the houses were built of logs, and greased paper took the place of glass for win- dows, and there were no churches or school- houses. As soon as there were enough people to subscribe for a subscription school, one was

started. There was plenty of wild game, and deer could be found anywhere, and it was neces- sary to surround the fields with a stockade of pointed stakes to keep them out. It was also necessary to dig a few feet to get water, and much of the land was a swamp.

Lewis N. Toliill attended a district school in the winter and worked on the farm in the sum- mer, as did all the boys of his neighborhood. Ife was the eldest of twelve children, the others being: Noah W., Lawrence (deceased), Jonas M., Mary, Martha, Sarah, George, Ella, Andrew Jackson, Eli and Clara Bell. When Lewis N. reached maturity he commenced farming for himself and he has been thus engaged ever since, with the exception of the time when he was In the army. In 1861, Mr. Tohill bought 40 acres of land, which is a part of his present farm. 20 acres of which had been improved and on which was a log cabin. He continued to add to his first purchase until he now has 285 acres, and this he has improved, erecting all of the build- ings thereon. While a stanch Republican, and a man interested in all public enterprises, Mr. Tohill has never accepted public office. He be- longs to Harrison Post, G. A. R., of Palestine. When he was eighteen lie joined the United Brethren Church, and has been a faithful miem- ber for fifty years.

On May 16, 1861, Mr. Tohill married Cynthia Ann Jones, a daughter of John M. and Eliza- betli (Ford) Jones, natives of Kentucky. The children born of this marriage were: William L .. born September 16, 1862; Noah M., born Decem- ber 10, 1864; Ira Hanby, born December 23, 1866; Henry Grant, born September 5, 1868; Mary Lillian, born May 18, 1870; Lizzie, born February 6, 1872. Mrs. Tohill died August 4, 1874, and on December 19, 1875, Mr. Tohill mar- ried Amanda F. Fisher, daughter of George and Elizabeth Fisher, natives of Germany and Penn- sylvania, respectively. The children born of this marriage were: Ada, born January 19, 1877; Frank E., born December 1, 1878; Dora, born January 21, 1SS0; Lulu Avis, born July 29, 1SS1; Charles Roscie, born August 14, 1882 ; Millie O .. born December 15, 1SS3; Lena I., born Decem- ber 15, 1SS5; Chester Clarence, born June 3. 1887; Annie Marie, born December 24, 1SS9 ; Lester, born February 2S, 1892; Leota, born March 24, 1897 ; and Jolm M., born June 9, 1899.

TRACY, Elijah .- Tlie farming interests of Crawford County are in the hands of able, in- telligent. capable men, whose knowledge of agri- cultural matters is thoronghi, and who are mak- ing their farming pay them handsome profits. Coming, as he does, of an old pioneer family. Elijalı Tracy of Oblong Township is one of its representative men. Ile was born in Robinson Township, January 24, 1858, a son of Elijalı and Nancy (Myer) Tracy. Elijah Tracy was born in Pennsylvania, April 11, 1815, and his wife in Ohio, October 19, 1821. They had chill- dren as follows: Peter. born October 18. 1839; Jane, born April 11, 1841 ; Myer, horn September 10, 1843; John, born January 5, 1844; Maranda,

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born March 28, 1846; Maritta, born April 11, 1847; Vanderhoff, born December 4, 1850; Mary Catherine, born November 9, 1853; Elijah, born January 24, 1858; George Washington, born August 18, 1863; and a boy who died in in- fancy. Elijah Tracey came from Pennsylvania to Crawford County, Ill., in 1847 and entered 80 acres of land in Robinson Township, later add- ing to his holdings so that he owned 300 acres at the time of his death.

Elijah Tracy, the younger, attended Grassy Hollow School until eighteen. His marriage occurred November 29, 1880, in Oblong Town- ship to Mary E. Acker, daughter of Jacob and Nancy ( Randolph) Acker, the Rev. Harry Broad- stone performing the ceremony. Mr. and Mrs. Acker were both from Perry County. Ohio, where the mother was born November 22, 1833, and she died July 15, 1903. Jacob Acker en- listed August 20, 1862, and while in service died of typhoid fever in Vicksburg Hospital, August 15, 1863.

Mr. and Mrs. Tracy have two children : Henry, born September 17, 1881, married Cora Alice Wiseman, daughter of Edward and Eu- phemia Wiseman, farmers of Oblong Township, and they have two daughters ; and Charles Otis. born December 24, 1897. Mr. Tracy is a Republi- can in his political relations, but is not an office seeker. He owns 65 acres; 60 acres in Oblong Township and five acres in Robinson Town- ship and has one oil-producing well upon the Robinson place. The family are well known in their community and Mr. Tracy is among the popular men of his neighborhood.

TRACY, George V, farmer and stockman oul Sections 15 and 16, Licking Township, Crawford County, Ill., was born in Licking County, Ohio, June 2, 1841, a son of Lloyd Tracy, who was born in the same county, November 21, 1812, and died September 24, 1852. His wife, Jane (Kirk) Tracy, was born February 22, 1815, and died December 20, 1886. They were married in Licking County, Ohio, and became the par- ents of eight children, two sons and six daugh- ters, namely : Thomas, born April 12, 1838; Risiah, born September 22, 1839, died August 17, 1861; George V .; Sarah, born February 1, 1843; Catherine, born January 27, 1844, died Jan- uary 5, 1877; Rachel Ann, born September 6, 1846, died April 4, 1856; Eunice, died Septem- ber 28, 1854; Euphemia, born March 6, 1851.

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Illinois, Crawford County historical and biographical, Part 168

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913. cn Publication date: 1909 Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1058

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913. cn
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1058