USA > Illinois > Pike County > Past and present of Pike County, Illinois > Part 27
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On the 18th of December, 1879, Judge Hig- bee was united in marriage with Miss Emma Hicks, a daughter of Colonel D. D. Hicks, of Pittsfield. She died July 12, 1881, and their only son died on the. 3d of August of the same year. Judge Higbee has a wide and favorable acquaint- ance in the county in which his entire life has been passed and the circle of his friends is extensive. He has ever occupied a prominent position in the foremost rank of the legal practitioners of his dis- trict. His life has been one of untiring activity and has been crowned with a high degree of suc- cess, yet he is not less esteemed as a citizen than as a lawyer and his kindly impulses and charming cordiality of manner have rendered him exceed- ingly popular among all classes.
GEORGE F. BAGBY.
George F. Bagby, deceased, was a prominent farmer and stock-raiser of Hardin township, who owned about one thousand acres of land at the time of his death, which occurred September 5, 1897. His life was one of intense and well directed activity, crowned by successful accom- plishment, as was indicated by his extensive land holdings. He was born upon the old Bagby homestead farm in this county, May 8, 1851, and was reared and educated here, attending the village school of Time. He remained with his father through the period of his boyhood and youth and afterward assisted in carrying on the
home farm for his mother until her death, when he succeeded to the ownership of a part of the place.
On the 5th of April, 1895, Mr. Bagby was united in marriage to Mrs. Eva M. Cannon, a native of this county. Her father, Franklin Ran- som, was also born in Pike county and his people removed from Indiana to Illinois, settling among the early residents of Pike county. The Ransom family is of English lineage and was founded in America at a very early day in the colonization of the new world, the progenitor of the line in this country having come to the new world on the Mayflower. ... Franklin Ransom was reared in this county and was married here to Mrs. Martha Cooper, a widow.,, whose former hus- band was Robert Cooper. "She was also born in this county. Mr. Ransom was a soldier of the Civil war, valiantly aiding the Union cause, and later he was a farmer of Hardin township, being connected for many years with agricultural pur- suits, but he now resides in the village of Time, enjoying a well earned rest from business cares. In his family were four children: Isabelle, now the wife of T. H. Mills, a resident of Armona, California; Mrs. Bagby, of this review; Sarah Lou, the wife of S. C. Brown, of Los Angeles, California ; and Lucy A., a young lady residing with her sister, Mrs. Bagby.
Following his marriage Mr. Bagby settled upon the old homestead and remained an active and prosperous farmer of the county up to the time of his death, which occurred here September 5, 1897. He was reliable in business, energetic and ambitious, -and he was carefully conducting his work along well defined lines of labor, so that his efforts were being attended with a gratifying measure of prosperity. Following her husband's death Mrs. Bagby took charge of the farm and business, held a public sale and paid off a large indebtedness. She has proved very successful in her control of business interests and although she has sold off some of the land she still retains four hundred acres and gives her supervision to its improvement and cultivation. She has built" a good, neat and substantial residence and has three tenant houses and three large barns upon her farm. The place is neat and thrifty in appear-
II
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ance, indicating her supervision to be of both a practical and progressive nature. She employs a good foreman who attends to the work of the fields and the care of the stock, of which she raises considerable, finding this a profitable source of income.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Bagby was born a son, George Forrest Bagby, and by her former mar- riage Mrs. Bagby had a daughter, Lila Cannon. Mr. Bagby was a strong republican, but never cared for office, his time and attention being de- voted to his farm and business. He was reared in the faith of the Methodist Episcopal church and although he did not become a member of the denomination he displayed in his life many ster- ling traits of character, being a reliable as well as conscientious business man, thoroughly honest in all of his dealings. He was also loyal and progressive in citizenship and in his home was a devoted husband and father. He belonged to the Knights of Pythias lodge of Pittsfield and to the Modern Woodmen camp. Mrs. Bagby is a member of the Christian church at Time and has many warm friends in the community where she lives, the hospitality of her home being greatly enjoyed by those who know her.
WILLIAM RILEY WILLSEY.
farms and as soon as he had saved a little money he purchased a cow. Not long afterward he traded a team for eighty acres of land in Pitts- field township near where his son James G. Willsey now resides, but there were no settlers in the neighborhood at that time. There was some timber on the land and the uninhabited condition of the country is indicated by the fact that there were many deer and wolves in the district. Mr. Willsey first built a cabin and in a few years erected a frame house, hauling the lumber on a cart drawn by oxen. With characteristic energy he began placing his land under cultivation and in due course of time well cultivated fields were returning to him golden harvests. He remained upon the old homestead up to the time of his death, which occurred January 31, 1859, and he was one of the leading and typical pioneer resi- dents of the community. He owned four hundred acres of land and was considered one of the sub- stantial citizens of that day. He was also prom- inent and influential in public affairs, did much to mold thought and action in his community and was called by his fellow townsmen to the office of county commissioner and school director. His political support was given to the democratic party. In his family were ten children, of whom two sons and two daughters are now living. His wife died January 10, 1889, when about eighty- five years of age.
James Gallett Willsey, the only representative William Riley Willsey is a representative of a of the family of that generation now in Pike prominent pioneer family and his record has been county, attended the common schools, but his educational privileges were very limited. He began earning his own living when only ten years of age and he has always worked hard. It was his labor that brought a capital sufficient to enable him to purchase one hundred and sixty acres of land where he now lives. He became owner of this property about 1855 and it has since remained in his possession. He cleared the land, placed all of the improvements upon the farm, now has fine buildings and in fact his property is one of the desirable farms of this por- tion of the county. He has two hundred and forty acres, having added to the original tract, and gives personal supervision to the work of the farm, the fields having been brought to a high state of cul- cast in harmony with that of others of the name, who has always been classed with the leading and worthy citizens of this portion of the state. He was born July 29, 1853, in Pittsfield, near his present home and is a son of James Gallett and Melinda (Rogers) Willsey. The father was born in Tompkins county, New York, February 28, 1830, and was a son of Barnett and Cornelia (Kiser) Willsey, both of whom were natives of the Empire state. In the year 1837 the grand- parents removed from New York to Ohio and in 1840 came to Illinois, their destination being Griggsville township. There the grandfather began husking corn receiving every fifth load as his wage. He was employed upon different
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tivation. He is a member of the Masonic frater- nity and a Knight Templar.
James G. Willsey was married in 1851 to Miss Melinda Rogers, a daughter of David and Fannie (Alcorn) Rogers. Her father was a son of Bart- lett Rogers, a native of North Carolina, who re- moved from that state to Kentucky and thence went to Morgan county, Illinois, settling near Williamsport, which was then a little town on the Illinois river near Montezuma at Big Sandy Creek. There he purchased a bond for a deed to lot number fifteen, the seller being John Radcliff and the transaction taking place December 29, 1826 .. John Radcliff had bought the lot of Joseph Bentley for seventy dollars, but before he paid for it sold it to Bartlett Rogers and Mr. Willsey of this review now has the bond and deed in his pos- session. Bartlett Rogers was born in 1771 and served in the war of 1812. He died in Williams- port May 2, 1831, and was buried there. David Redmon Rogers, the maternal grandfather of Wil- liam R. Willsey, was born February 18, 1802, and came to Kentucky from North Carolina when a young man. While in the former state he married Miss Fannie Alcorn on the 26th of February, 1824. He and his brother, Robert Rogers, were married at the same time and together they came to Illinois. David R. Rogers while living in the Blue Grass state made his home on the Kentucky river near the Goose Creek Salt Works in Clay county and there three children were born unto him and his wife, Polly Ann, born January 4, 1825; Bartlett, November 3, 1826; and Nancy Jane on the 15th of February, 1828. Soon after the birth of this child David R. Rogers started for Illinois, reaching Williamsport on the Illinois river and while the family were there living the mother of our subject was born on the 14th of August, 1830. Not long afterward Mr. Rogers removed with his family to Dutch Creek near Big Spring below Stony Point, which place is now owned by James Wassell. Later they removed to the John Hoskins place near where John Hoskins now resides' and Mr. Rogers built a little cabin. In that home occurred the birth of William Rogers on the Ist of January, 1833. North of this cabin in a little valley was a large swamp that is still to be seen there and Mr.
Rogers would send the children there to keep the cows out of the swamp. There were many wild animals in those days, including wolves, bears, panthers and other animals. In 1834 or 1835 Mr. Rogers removed to the place which is now owned by W. D. Shinn and there he spent the remainder of his days, passing away on the 21st of March, 1871, while his wife died March 10, 1873. A ma- ternal great-uncle of Mr. Willsey was Benjamin Alcorn, who built the first warehouse west of Rockport at Gilgal on the Mississippi river, this being one of the first in the county.
It will thus be seen that William Riley Will- sey is a representative of honored and prominent pioneer families of this section of the state, and the work of improvement and development which his parents and grandparents instituted he has carried still further forward. He was educated in the common schools of Pike county, and stu- died for four years under a private teacher, Pro- fessor J. M. Ruby. He is also educated in in- strumental music, and he studied farming, en- gineering and stock breeding in the University of Illinois, being thus equipped by theoretical as well as practical training for the business inter- ests which have claimed his attention in later years. He remained at home until 1880, when he was married to Miss Judith A. Brown, a na- tive of Pike county, born in Newburg township, on Christmas day of 1854. She was a daughter of Francis and Mary A. (Thomas) Brown. Her father was born near Quincy, Massachusetts, on October 7, 1817, and the mother was born in Greene county, Illinois, October 5, 1819. She was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Thomas, pioneer settlers of Greene county. Mrs. Brown was educated in the common schools of Greene county, near Carrollton. She was married Sep- tember 29, 1842, to William H. Boling, who was county clerk at Pittsfield at that time and they resided in the county seat for two years. They bought all the chinaware in the Pittsfield stores but that consisted only of one large platter, which is still in possession of the family; and in Atlas they could buy but only a few tin pie pans. In the fall of 1843 Mr. Bolting and his wife's brother, L. H. Thomas, drove from Pittsfield to their farm to decide upon a site for a home. In
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the shade trees upon a knoll they erected a two- room house which is still standing, although a large brick residence stands in front of it at the present time. It is located three and a half miles southeast of Pittsfield in Newburg township. Near the' center of the farm of one hundred and sixty acres is a fine spring near where the old log house stood, and there they resided while the mod- ern building was being erected. Mr. Boling died in 1847 and Mrs. Boling afterward went to Greene county, Illinois, where she lived for three years. On the 31st of October, 1850, she became the wife of Francis Brown, of Quincy, Massa- chusetts, who had removed to Quincy, Illinois, where some of his descendants now live. There were four children born of this marriage: Mrs. Emma Westlake, who resides on a farm about two and a half miles east of Pittsfield ; Mrs. Will- sey; Laura, who is living in Pittsfield with her brother, Arthur. The last named married Callie Saylor. Mr. Brown died January 10, 1870, and was survived by his wife until the 13th of March, 1903. They were both laid to rest in the South cemetery at Pittsfield. Both were devoted mem- bers of the Congregational church and they en- joyed the respect and good will of all who knew them. Mr. Brown was a farmer, devoting his entire life to agricultural pursuits.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Willsey have been born four children. Grace Melinda, born June 2, 1881, is the wife of Clarence Fudge and resides near her father's farm. They have one child, Nellie Frances, born April 30, 1904. Laura Edith, born October 31, 1885, has studied music under pri- vate teachers and she makes her home with her parents. Frances Scott, born December 12, 1887, and James Gallett, born December 31, 1891, are also at home.
Mr. Willsey owns one hundred and sixty acres of land and his wife eighty acres in Pittsfield township. He built one of the finest country resi- dences in the county in 1880 and now resides in this attractive home. There are also large and substantial barns and good improvements upon the place. He handles a large number of sheep and is regarded as one of the substantial residents of the community. He has twenty acres planted to all kinds of small fruit and is very successful
in the cultivation of his fields and in horticultural pursuits as well. The farm is equipped with steam engine, thresher, husker, corn sheller and grinder, and the machinery is seldom taken off the farm.
In politics Mr. Willsey is an earnest democrat and served as school director and trustee for twenty-seven years, but otherwise has not sought nor desired public office. In the Masonic frater- nity he has attained the Knight Templar degree. His wife is a member of the Congregational church and his children hold membership in the Christian Sunday-school. Mr. Willsey is a promi- nent and worthy representative of an honored pioneer family and his personal characteristics entitle him to representation among the leading citizens of this locality. He has been very suc- · cessful and his prosperity has been achieved through methods and along lines that neither seek nor require disguise.
COLONEL A. C. MATTHEWS.
Colonel A. C. Matthews, speaker of the house of representatives in the thirty-sixth general as- sembly of Illinois, and a distinguished attorney of Pittsfield, whose history is closely interwoven with the records of this city and district, was born and reared upon his father's farm in Perry township, Pike county, and as the years have gone by has become prominent locally and is likewise a well known figure in the state and nation. His parents were Captain B. L. and Minerva (Carrington) Matthews, natives of North Carolina and Ken- tucky respectively.
When eighteen years of age Colonel Matthews became a student in McKendree College, at Leba- non, Illinois, having previously attended the win- ter sessions of the village school. While pursu- ing his college course, he boarded in the home of Dr. Peter Akers, then president of the college but now deceased. In 1855 he matriculated in the Illinois College and was graduated in the class of which Judge Lacey and Rev. Dr. Noyes, formerly of Evanston, Illinois, and now deceased, were bers. Not long afterward Colonel Matthews en-
A. C. MATTHEWS
LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NIINAIS.
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tered upon the study of law and was admitted to the bar in 1857. He then located for practice in Pittsfield and was just getting well started in his profession when the Civil war was inaugurated and with patriotic ardor he responded to the country's call, enlisting in the Ninety-ninth Illi- nois Infantry. He was unanimously elected cap- tain of his company and went to the front at its head and was in all of the battles and in the siege immediately preceding the surrender of Vicks- burg. He witnessed the fall of the Confederate stronghold on the 4th of July, 1863, and in the autumn of the same year participated in the Tasche campaign. He was also in the campaign against Mobile and all of the incident battles which resulted in the capture of that city in the spring of 1865. From Mobile the Ninety-ninth Illinois was sent up the Red river to Shreveport, Louisiana, where the Confederates under com- mand of General Kirby Smith surrendered to the Union forces. From that point Colonel Matthews with an escort of the Sixth Missouri Cavalry was sent to the Indian Territory to receive the sur- render of the Indians under General Stand Watie, a half-breed. When this was accomplished, in June, 1865, he held a counsel with the civilized Indians under the direction of Peter P. Pitchlyn, chief of the Choctaws and formed a temporary treaty with them, by which they agreed to lay down their arms and return to the allegiance of the Union. In this connection Colonel Matthews wrote the following letter which was the first an- nouncement to peace to the civilized Indian tribes (Rebellion Record, Series I, Volume XLVIII, Part II).
"JONES PLANTATION, C. N., June 23, 1865.
"HON. WINCHESTER COLBERT, General and Prin- cipal Chief, Chickasaw Nation.
"Sir: I have the honor to state to you that the war between the United States and the Confed- erate States is at an end; that the armies of the Confederacy have all been captured or surren- dered to the United States authorities, and have turned over their arms and public property to the United States Government. It was my intention to have attended and, if possible, taken a part in the deliberations of the grand council at Arm- strong Academy, but the insufficient notice we
had rendered this impossible. If I could have reached there I do not hesitate to say that I would have been able to have submitted to that honorable body propositions looking to a cessa- tion of hostilities that would have been perfectly satisfactory to the delegates of all the tribes rep- resented. When this was found impossible, I deemed it prudent to hold a conference with such of the principal chiefs and men as my limited time and circumstances would allow. I have met Governor and Principal Chief of the Choctaw Nation, Colonel Pitchlyn, and Brig. Gen. Stand Watie, of the Cherokee Nation, and with them have agreed upon a cessation of hostilities, and and also for a meeting of the grand council at Armstrong- Academy on the Ist day of Septem- ber;»1865'; and. further, that they will use their influence with the tribes of the plains to cultivate friendly feelings with' the Government of the United States and their people, and that we will protect the Indians of all the tribes against domes- tic insurrection and foreign invasion, as stipulated in former treaties. I have the honor also to state and respectfully request that you will represent to your people that the Government of the United States wish to cultivate friendly relations toward the Indians of all the tribes, and have no desire to oppress or humiliate in any way any of their people, but to make at the earliest possible date an honorable and lasting treaty of peace with all of them. We desire to meet all of them at the grand council on the Ist day of September, where we can have a full and cordial interchange of opinion, and when all questions can be fully dis- cussed and disposed of. In the meantime we want peace with all its blessings, to be and remain throughout the length and breadth of your beauti- ful territory. Through you I wish to convey to your people the assurance of the high regard en- tertained by our Government for them and their prosperity and happiness.
"Hoping that peace may soon be the blessing of all, and that our difficulties may soon be ami- cably settled, I have the honor to be, very respect- fully, your obedient servant,
"A. C. MATTHEWS,
"Lieutenant-Colonel, U. S. Volunteers, Com- missioner."
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When his work in connection with the arrange- ments of peace with the Indians was concluded Colonel Matthews at once rejoined his command at Shreveport and at once was mustered out of service, reaching Springfield with his regiment, where he was paid off on the 17th of August, 1865. He served successively as private, captain, major and lieutenant colonel and was commis- sioned colonel, but the regiment had become so disseminated by the ravages and casualties of war that he could not be mustered into the United States service as colonel, as his command num- bered too few soldiers. He was, however, bre- vetted for meritorious service during the Vicks- burg campaign after the close of the war.
Returning to Pittsfield, Colonel Matthews re- sumed the active practice of law in this city and has since given the greater part of his attention to his professional duties although he has frequently been called to fill positions of public honor and trust. He was collector of internal revenue for six years, supervisor of internal revenue for the states of Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan from 1875 until the office was abolished and has been three times elected a member of the Illinois legis- lature and a speaker of the house in the thirty- sixth general assembly. His record is found upon the reports of the state legislature and won for, him prominence among the leaders of Illinois. In the siege, and within sixty rods of the strongest politics he manifested a statesman's grasp of af- fairs and that he ably represented his district is indicated by his election for three terms. In 1885 he was appointed circuit judge to fill out the un- expired term caused by the death of Judge C. L. Higbee.
He was a delegate to the national republican convention which met in Chicago and nominated James G. Blaine for the presidency. On the 11th of May, 1889. he received appointment from President Harrison to the position of first comp- troller of the United States treasury. In 1904 he was a Roosevelt elector and was chosen chairman of the college over which he presided at the capitol in Springfield. In addition to his other public serv- ices Colonel Matthews is now acting as president of the Illinois Vicksburg Military Park Commission, . his associates in this work being Francis A. Rid- dle, Charles R. E. Koch and Florus D. Meacham,
all of Chicago; Harvey M. Trimble, of Princeton ; C. H. Noble, of Dixon; T. B. Orear, of Jack- sonville ; George S. Durfee, of Decatur; and Carroll Moore, of Benton. A newspaper ac- count of the work of the commission said: "Up to this time the state of Illinois has made the largest provision for memorials in the national military park, which includes over twelve hundred acres of the scenes of battle and siege around Vicksburg. The Illinois appropriation to com- memorate the part taken by its volunteer soldiers at Vicksburg is two hundred and sixty thousand dollars, which far exceeds that of any other state, and the beautiful temple that has been erected will be dedicated some time next year. The Illinois Vicksburg park commission has just concluded a tour of inspection and is warranted in congratulating the state on the progress made. Illinois was represented at Vicksburg by eighty military organizations, including fifty-five regi- ments of infantry, ten bodies of cavalry and fif- teen companies of artillery, a total of eighty, or double the number of organizations from any other state, north or south. The Illinois temple of fame at the Vicksburg park is well advanced and is admitted to be one of the finest memorials in the country. It stands on a small knoll beside the Jackson road, near the famous 'White House' of
of the Confederate redans. In the building the architect has combined features of the Pantheon and temple of Minerva Medici at Rome. The main part of the Illinois temple is sixty-two feet high and fifty-four feet in diameter, surmounted by a hemispherical dome. A doric portico thirty- two feet wide, projects fourteen feet on the south facade, with a pediment on which are sculptures emblemizing History enrolling the names of the Illinois soldiers in the campaign. On the ex- terior of the temple will be inscribed Lincoln's 'With malice toward none, with charity for all,' and Grant's 'Let us have peace.' The name of every Illinois soldier and sailor who served at Vicksburg will be legibly placed on the bronze tablets inside, and thus be perpetuated for all time. Facing the entrance is a large bronze panel on which Illinois dedicates the temple to the memory of her soldiers in the Vicksburg struggle between
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