USA > Illinois > Christian County > Past and present of Christian County, Illinois > Part 52
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ness to his partner's son, John Sargent, he purchased fifty-five acres of land in an un- improved part of Auburn, paying sixty-five dollars per acre for the same, which was the highest price paid for land in the locality at that time. Although he went in debt for the first payment, he had it all paid for from the profit of three crops raised thereon. Mr. Parish lost on the investment, however, as he sold the land in 1875 for fifty-four dol- lars per acre. He next purchased one hun- dred and sixty acres of land south of Mount Auburn on section 13. Mount Auburn town- ship, and he successfully engaged in the op- eration of that farm until 1881, when he re- turned to Mount Auburn. Here he has since resided and is the owner of a nice comfort- able residence.
On the 15th of September. 1859, in Tay- lorville, Mr. Parish was united in marriage to Miss Narcissa Stockton, who was born six miles west of Mount Auburn, August 7, 1839. Her father. Ira Stockton, was born near Lexington, Kentucky, and in that state married Ruth Fuget, also a native of that state. About 1832 they came to Illinois and after spending a few years on a farm near Beardstown, they removed to Mechanics- burg, where Mr. Stockton purchased land. About 1855 he located four miles northwest of Decatur, where his wife died three years later, but he continued to reside there until 1879, at which time he became an inmate of our subject's home, living there until his death November 28, 1891. He was an earn- est member of the Methodist Episcopal church and a Republican in his political views. Of his nine children only four are now living, namely: Maranda, wife of B. F. Lanham, of Decatur: Mary, widow of John Hummel and a resident of Seattle, Washington; Narcissa, wife of our subject ; and Richard, a resident of California.
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Unto Mr. and Mrs. Parish have been born the following children : Henry, who makes his home in Harristown, Illinois, married Fannie Lewis and has two children. Ella married Charles Tankersley and died Octo- ber 2, 1902, leaving two sons. Charles, who lives on a farm near Blue Mound, married AAmanda Augur and has four children. George R., who also resides on a farm near Blue Mound, married Mattie Law and has two children. Augustus married Emma Lewis, by whom he has two children and they live on a farm near Mount Auburn. James B. married Nellie Augur and resides five miles west of Mount Auburn. Nellie is the wife of John Bottrell and has two chil- dren. Their home is near Mount Auburn.
In 1860 Mr. Parish was made a Mason and is now a member of Kedron Lodge No. 340, A. F. & A. M. He served as worship- ful master sixteen years and also represented his lodge in the grand lodge of the state for the same length of time. At one time he was also connected with the Independent Or- der of Odd Fellows. His political support is given the Democratic party and as a pub- lic-spirited citizen he takes a deep interest in public affairs, but has never cared for the honors or emoluments of office. Pleasant and genial in manner, he makes friends wherever he goes and is held in high regard by all who know him.
WILLIAM H. BECK.
William H. Beck, who was successfully engaged in the photographic and insurance business in Morrisonville, was born in Louis- ville, Kentucky, January 13, 1867, and was a son of Frederick and Kate Beck, both na- tives of Germany. In the family were only two children : William Herbert and Chester Lee. Our subject spent the first fourteen
years of his life in his native city and then went to Harrison county, Iowa, where he worked on a farm and in a sawmill together with other occupation until twenty-nine years of age. He then took up photography and soon mastered that art.
In 1889 Mr. Beck came to Morrisonville, his capital at that time consisting of only three dollars and a half. He opened a photo- graph gallery and the first year hardly made enough to pay his board but he continued at the business and at length success crowned his efforts. He became the owner of the building in which he had his studio and which is twenty-two by one hundred feet in dimensions and two stories in height, his home being the upper story. He enjoyed a liberal share of the public patronage, his cus- tomers coming from fifteen miles in every direction. In connection with his photo- graphic work, he was engaged in the insur- ance business and represented some of the best companies in the country, including the Home Insurance Company of New York; the Phoenix, of Brooklyn; the Hartford, of Hartford, Connecticut; the Springfield American Central Company of St. Louis. He did the leading business in that line in Morrisonville. He was a wide-awake, ener- getic business man, of progressive ideas and thoroughly reliable, and to those traits of character may be attributed his success. He was a member of the local board of fire in- surance and was treasurer of the association. Fraternally Mr. Beck belonged to the Mod- ern Woodmen of America and religiously was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he served as class-leader and special teacher in the Sunday school. He took an active part in all church work and was highly honored and esteemed by all who knew him. He died on the 22d of December, 1903. On the 24th of November,
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1891, he married Miss Georgie Haines and to them were born two children: Herbert W. and Chester.
ANDREW F. HAMMER, M. D.
In a profession where advancement de- pends upon individual merit and skill Dr. Hammer has won a very enviable position and in his practice shows a thorough and comprehensive understanding of the princi- ples of the medical science and adaptability for the needs of suffering humanity. His work has received the endorsement of public opinion and he is therefore accorded a lib- eral patronage.
The Doctor is a native of Christian coun- ty. his birth having occurred in the city which he yet makes his home, his natal day being December 7, 1849. His parents were Addison and Rebecca (Langley) Hammer and on the paternal line he comes of German ancestry, while on the maternal line he is of Scotch-Irish descent. The great-grand- mother Langley was a resident of North Carolina, to which state the progenitors of the family in America had made their way when they crossed the Atlantic from western Scotland, about the time of the second ex- odus of the Huguenots. John Hammer, the great-grandfather of the Doctor, was a na- tive of Virginia, whence he removed to Ken- tucky, where he spent his active life as a farmer. The paternal grandparents of the Doctor were Frederick and Elizabeth (Webb) Hammer. The grandfather was born in Kentucky in 1795 and was a black- smith by trade. He married Miss Webb. whose people were of English lineage, and removed from Virginia to Kentucky. When their son Addison W. Hammer was seven years of age the grandparents removed to Sangamon county and ten years later they
came to Prairieton township, Christian county, where Frederick Hammer purchased two hundred acres of land. In 1852, how- ever, he sold that property and settled upon a farm lying in both May and Taylorville townships. As one of the pioneer agricul- turists of the county he aided largely in re- claiming wild land for the purposes of civ- ilization and became a successful farmer. He was once elected justice of the peace, but preferred rather to discharge his public duties as a private citizen than as an official. In early life his political support was given to the Whig party and upon its dissolution he joined the ranks of the new Republican party. His death occurred in the year 1866, when he was seventy-two years of age, and his wife pased away in 1870, at the age of seventy-six years. They reared a family of ten children, namely : William L., who died in Decatur, Illinois, in 1903, at the age of eighty-five years; Lucian W., of Nebraska ; Addison W., of Taylorville; John, who died in 1853, at the age of twenty-three years; Mary, the widow of A. D. Norcutt and a resident of Forest, Illinois; Margaret, who died at the age of nineteen years ; Silas R., who is living in Marion county, Kansas; Seth R., who died in Salem, Oregon, at the age of sixty-six years ; Sanford G., who was killed on the railroad when sixty-four years of age; and James Alpheus, who died in 1855, at the age of twenty-one years.
Addison W. Hammer, the Doctor's father, was born in Kentucky, October 4, 1821, and was brought by his parents to Illinois in the fall of 1827, the family home being estab- lished in Sangamon county. He remained upon the home farm until twenty-two years of age and shared in all the hardships and trials of pioneer life and assisted in the arduous duties of developing a new tract of land. He had but limited school privileges,
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attending for only a few weeks during the winter seasons. When twenty-two years of age he began working as a farm hand and followed that pursuit for a year. He then learned the blacksmith's trade under the di- rection of his father and for four years con- ducted a shop of his own in Taylorville. On the expiration of that period he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Tay- lorville township and turned his attention to farming, paying two and a half dollars per acre for a tract of eighty acres and five dol- lars per acre for the remainder. Mr. Ham- mer then conducted his farm until 1866. when he sold that property and bought the home farm of one hundred and sixty acres, retaining possession thereof until 1873, when he again sold and removed to Kansas, where he was engaged in the hardware business. Later he took up his abode in Berry, Sanga- mon county, Illinois, and there filled the po- sition of postmaster under the Harrison ad- ministration for four years. Later return- ing to Taylorville, he has since resided in this city.
In the year 1848 he was united in mar- riage to Miss Rebecca Adeline Langley, a daughter of Josiah and Jane ( Randolph) Langley. Mrs. Hammer died October 22. 1865, at the age of thirty-seven years. By her marriage she had become the mother of eight children, and the following are now living : Andrew F .; Margaret J., the wife of I. B. Jordon of Logan county, Illinois : Laura Isabella, the wife of T. H. Johnson, of Grand Rapids, Michigan : Lura, the wife of J. S. Neal, of Edinburg, Illinois; and Hugh L., who is a merchant of Clarksdale. Those who have passed away are John, who died at the age of ten years; Jerry, at the age of two years; and one that died in in- fancy. In the year 1852 Mr. Hammer was made a Mason in Mound Lodge, No. 122.
A. F. & A. M., and he also belongs to Tay- lorville Chapter, No. 102, R. A. M. In poli- tics he is a Republican, having supported the party since its organization. His first presi- dential vote was cast in 1844 and in 1860 he supported Lincoln and has since been an advocate of the principles of the organiza- tion, but has never sought or desired public office.
Dr. Hammer, whose name introduces this record, was educated in the public schools, completing a high school course and then determining to devote his attention to the practice of medicine he began reading under the direction of Dr. Crouse, of Oswego. Kansas, who directed his reading from 1873 until 1876. In the meantime he taught school. He had followed that profession in 1871-2 and in 1873 he engaged in pros- pecting for lead and silver in Arkansas. He was dependent upon his own labors for the money necessary to meet the expenses of his professional education and when he had ac- quired capital sufficient to permit a college course he entered the Hahnemann Medical College of Chicago, in which he was grad- uated with the class of 1878. He then began practice in Berry, Sangamon county, where he remained for fifteen years, engaging in general practice. Removing to Taylorville he has since remained in this city and has become a successful member of the medical fraternity. With a nature that could never content itself with mediocrity he has ad- vanced to a foremost position in the ranks of the profession, having the confidence and ad- miration of all for what he has accom- plished.
In 1878 occurred the marriage of the Doctor and Miss Alice A. Dickerson, a danghter of John S. and Mary J. Dickerson. of Sangamon county, Illinois. They now have two interesting daughters: Estella
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Pearl and Lena J. Both the Doctor and his wife are well and favorably known in Tay- lorville. They hold membership in the Christian church and he gives his political support to the Republican party, having firm faith in its principles. He is likewise a mem- ber of the Masonic fraternity, the Independ- ent Order of Odd Fellows, the Modern Woodmen of America, the Fraternal Army. the Loyal Army and is medical examiner for the last three. He is also a health officer and served in 1903 as the vice president of the Christian County Medical Society. He ranks high with the profession as well as with the general public and his life record shows the force of his character and the strength of a laudable ambition.
L. T. MORGAN.
L. T. Morgan, now proprietor of a livery stable in Pana and at one time actively con- nected with agricultural pursuits in Chris- tian county, was born in Polk county, Geor- gia, in the year 1858. his parents being B. F. and Sarah Morgan. The father was born in Georgia and from that state removed to Ten- nessee. For a time he engaged in practice of medicine, being a physician and surgeon, and during the last ten years of his life he devoted his energies to preaching as a min- ister of the Baptist church. His career was. therefore, given to callings which are of marked benefit in the world and his life was one of great usefulness. He died in the year 1887 and his memory is yet revered and cherished by many who knew him.
L. T. Morgan spent the first nine years of his life in the county of his nativity and then accompanied his parents on their re- moval to McMinn county, Tennessee, where his youth was passed. He there began his business career as a farmer and followed that occupation continuously until about ten
years ago, when he came to Pana, Illinois. He first rented three hundred and twenty acres of land near the town, the property of Mr. Cox, and lived upon this for four years, after which he rented three hundred and ten acres from Mr. Buell. He raised both grain and stock and made a success of farming, so conducting his efforts that his labors were attended with a high degree of success. On the 2d of February, 1903, Mr. Morgan took up his abode in Pana and purchased the liv- ery barn which he is now conducting. He has the best equipped livery stable in central Illinois, having on hand a fine lot of car- riages and a number of good horses. When he removed to Pana, however, ten years ago, his cash capital consisted of but thirty-seven dollars. In this decade he has been very successful and is now one of the influential residents of the city.
In 1878 occurred the marriage of Mr. Morgan and Miss Sallie Wilson, who was born in Tennessee near Kingston. Seven children graced this marriage: Frank, who is married and resides in Chicago ; Gertrude, deceased : May: Annie, who married W. T. Lester and resides in Pana: Belle; Cleve- land: and Pearl. Mrs. Morgan belongs to the First Methodist Episcopal church and is a most estimable lady, carefully managing her household affairs and thus proving a great assistance to her husband Mr. Mor- gan belongs to the Modern Woodmen Camp. to the Fraternal Army and to the Masonic Lodge, and in his political affiliations is a Democrat. He owed his success entirely to his enterprise and industry and these quali- ties are salient features in his business career.
JOSIAH P. HODGE.
Josiah P. Hodge was born on the 23d of November, 1853. in Pope county, Illinois, his parents being Dr. John P. and Mary
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( Hillerman) Hodge. The father was for many years a prominent and successful physician of Pope county, Illinois. Our sub- ject's elementary education was acquired in the public schools of this state and he later entered the Illinois State Normal school. where he completed the course and was grad- uated in 1875. For two years he taught school and then took up the study of law. being admitted to the bar in 1880. For a number of years he was engaged in the prac- tice of his chosen profession but his life has mostly been devoted to journalism He has edited both daily and weekly papers of prominence, including the Daily Sun, of Paducah. Kentucky, and the Daily Commer- cial of Vincennes, Indiana. On the 12th of August, 1875. Mr. Hodge was married in Golconda, Illinois, to Miss May Clanahan.
CARLETON FENIMORE HODGE.
Carleton Fenimore Hodge, the well known editor of the Prairie State Tribune, published at Assumption, was born in Pope county, Illinois, July 27, 1876, and is a son of Josiah P. and May (Clanahan) Hodge. The father was graduated at the Illinois State Normal University in the class of 1875 and has devoted his life to journalism and the legal profession. Our subject's paternal grandfather, Dr. John P. Hodge, was for many years prior to his death a prominent physician.
During his boyhood C. F. Hodge attended the common schools but is largely self-edu- cated, his instruction being under the guid- ance of his father, who is a man of scholarly attainments. Of studious habits and literary turn of mind. our subject naturally became interested in journalistic work at an early age and entered a printing office, where he worked at the case for a number of years.
For some time he was a compositor on the Daily Telegraph and later on the Daily Sun, of Paducah, Kentucky, of which his father was editor, and after his return from the Spanish-American war was engaged for a considerable time as reporter on the Daily Commercial, of Vincennes, Indiana. Later he was connected with the advertising de- partment of the Indianapolis Sun. With his younger brother, J. Sim Hodge, he subse- quently became editor and proprietor of the Assumption Independent, now the Prairie State Tribune, on the Ist of January, 1901. and has since had charge of that paper. In the conduct of this journal he has shown marked ability and has succeeded in making it one of the most prominent and influential local papers in central Illinois. By the pub- lication of the Bible as a serial the Inde- pendent became the subject of comment in prominent journals throughout Christen- (lom and thousands of letters were received and many subscriptions from prominent church men and others interested in the new departure in journalismn.
On the declaration of war against Spain, Mr. Hodge hastened from Tennessee, where he was engaged in newspaper work, to Alton, Illinois, to rejoin the Alton Battalion of the Naval Reserves, of which he had pre- viously been a member for several years. After waiting for several weeks in hourly expectation of being called out, he grew im- patient and in company with three friends, one of whom was Dr. Harry Lemen, who became regimental surgeon and in that ca- pacity subsequently spent several years in the Philippines, joined the regular army at St. Louis and was assigned to the Sixteenth Infantry. With his command he went through the Santiago campaign, his regi- ment leading the famous charge up San Juan Hill, his company-F-occupying the cen-
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ter of the line and reaching the top imme- diately in front of the blockhouse. Mr. Hodge was one of the guard detailed in charge of prisoners captured. After the bat- tle he was on hospital duty and nursed a number of yellow fever patients, escaping that disease to suffer an attack of typhoid after reaching Montauk Point. Here he ap- plied for his discharge, which was granted a few weeks later.
Fraternally Mr. Hodge is a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Knights of the Maccabees. He formerly held the posi- tion of aide on the staff of Department Com- mander English, of the Indiana Department of the Spanish-American War Veterans. He is a young man of exceptional ability and is quite popular in business and social circles.
MRS. ISABELL BERRY.
There is probably no resident of Johnson township who is held in higher esteem than Mrs. Isabell Berry, whose home is on sec- tion II. She was born in York county, Pennsylvania, on the 14th of November, 1830. and wa's a young lady on coming to Christian county, Illinois, with her parents, Henry and Mary ( Klinefelter ) Baker. They were also natives of York county, Pennsyl- vania, the former born in 1802, the latter in 1804, and there they continued to make their home for many years. Throughout life the father followed the occupation of farming. After a useful and well spent life he died in 1880 and was laid to rest in the Clark ceme- tery of Johnson township. His wife had died in 1849 when in the prime of life. This worthy couple were the parents of ten children, of whom Mrs. Berry is the second in order of birth, the others being as fol- lows: Alexander, now deceased; Matilda, the widow of Richard Johnson and a resi-
dent of Johnson township: Savilla, Jacob, William, Hester Ann and Samuel, all now deceased : Eliza, the deceased wife of Henry Ebert, who is a resident of California; and Mary, who was the wife of Matthew Stone and both are now deceased, their remains being interred in Oak Hill cemetery.
In 1850 Miss Isabell Baker gave her hand in marriage to Thomas H. Berry, who was born in Montgomery county, Illinois, in 1828, and to them were born three children : Henry H., now a carpenter and builder liv- ing in Oklahoma; John T., a well-to-do agriculturist of Johnson township, this coun- ty; and Mary Jane, who lives on the old homestead with her mother.
Mr. Berry made farming his life occupa- tion and he was called upon to fill various local positions of responsibility and honor, the duties of which he most capably and sat- isfactorily discharged. Among other offices he served as highway commissioner and school director. His influence and ballot were used in support of the Democratic party. For a period of over twenty years he was a faithful and consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church and died in that faith in 1873, being laid to rest in the United Brethren cemetery. An honorable and up- right man, he gained the confidence and good will of all with whom he was brought in contact and in his death the community real- ized that it had lost a valued citizen. He was one of the most prominent and highly respected men of Johnson township.
The home farm belonging to Mrs. Berry is one of the best in the township. It con- sists of one hundred and sixty acres of prairie land and forty acres of timber and in its management she has displayed excel- lent business ability and sound judgment. In 1892 she bought a lot and a half in Tay- lorville and erected thereon a nice residence,
PAST AND PRESENT
where she lived until January, 1903, when she returned to the farm, though she still owns her property in Taylorville. She is widely and favorably known throughout the county where she has so long made her home.
WILLIAM K. NICODEMUS.
William K. Nicodemus, who is engaged in the transfer business in Taylorville and who is the honored mayor of the city, was born in Knox county, Tennessee, on the 20th of April, 18448. his parents being John W. and Mary E. (Anlt) Nicodemus. The father of our subject came to Illinois in the fall of 1860 and with his family located in Taylorville township. Christian county, upon a farm, to the development and cultiva- tion of which he earnestly devoted his ef- forts. In early life he became a member of the southern Illinois Methodist Episcopal conference, and from that time until 1898 was engaged in ministerial work. Even in his later years his deep interest in the church never faltered, although in more advanced life he was unable to take so prominent a part therein. A sincere earnest Christian gentleman, his labors were effective and help- ful in promoting the cause of Christianity and his influence was widely felt for good in the communities in which he lived. He was twice married, first wedding Miss Mary E. Ault, who died when her son William K. was but six years of age. Out of the six children born of this union only two are now living, the brother of our subject being Wes- ley B., of Taylorville. The other four died in infancy. For his second wife the father chose Mary A. Falkner, of Knox county. Tennessee, who died in 1900 at the age of seventy-two years. John W. Nicodenmis passed away on the 20th of August, 1902, at
the advanced age of seventy-eight years, leaving behind him the record of an honor- able, upright life.
In the subscription schools of his native county William K. Nicodemus began his ed- ucation and later continued his studies in the public schools of Christian county, Illinois. During his earlier years he remained upon the home farm and assisted in the work of plowing, planting and harvesting. On start- ing out upon his business career he followed the pursuit to which he had been reared and in 1868 he removed to Taylorville. Here he was employed in the lumber yard for a time, but afterward resumed agricultural pursuits, making his home upon a tract of land situated in Johnson and Taylorville townships. In 1883 he located permanently in the city of Taylorville, although he still engaged in farming for a time. In 1888 he turned his attention to the draying business in which he still continues and has a good patronage, being constantly employed in that line.
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