USA > Illinois > Pike County > Past and present of Pike County, Illinois > Part 45
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PAST AND PRESENT OF PIKE COUNTY.
ment. In 1821, ambitious to enjoy still better business opportunities, he crossed the Atlantic to America and secured a position in Manhattan- ville, now a part of New York city. He then sent for his wife and three children to join him in the new world and they took passage upon a sail- ing vessel, which weighed anchor, at Liverpool. After the vessel had been out a few weeks it sprang a leak and started to retrace its course. After sailing for thirteen weeks they finally man- aged to reach the port of Cork, Ireland, and Mrs. Sykes then returned home with her three children. Soon, however, she had again completed arrange- ments for sailing to the United States and this time after a voyage of seven weeks she reached New York city. She had, however, thus spent twenty weeks upon the ocean in that year. She joined her husband and they resided for a time in New York city afterward at Glenham, in Dutchess county and subsequently in Brooklyn, New York. In June of 1834 the grandfather visited Adams county, Illinois, and, being pleased with the country and its future prospects, he pur- chased four hundred and eighty acres of govern- ment land located in Beverly township. After purchasing this land he returned to Brooklyn and on the 2d of October, 1834, accompanied by his family, started for the new home in Illinois. They traveled on a tow boat on the Hudson river to Albany, thence by way of the Erie canal to Buffalo, by lake to Cleveland and on the Ohio canal to Portsmouth, where they took a steamer, thus proceeding down the Ohio and up the Mis- sissippi river to Quincy. Mr. Sykes left his family in Quincy and went to his farm, whereon he built a log cabin, after which the family were soon installed in their new home. He then entered resolutely upon the task of till- ing the soil and continued to make his home upon that place up to the time of his death, which oc- cured in 1852. In early life he married Miss Hannah Hirst, a native of England and a daughter of William Hirst, who was also born in Yorkshire. They reared four children : Mary ; William; James, father of our subject ; and John, who was born in New York.
James Sykes was only two years of age when brought by his mother to the United States and
was a youth of fifteen at the time of the removal to Illinois, where he assisted in the arduous task of developing a new farm. He continued upon the old homestead until he had attained his ma- jority, when his father gave him eighty acres of wild land, half prairie and half brush. Upon this place he erected a frame house, which was the third of the kind in Beverly township, all of the homes with two exceptions having previously been built of logs. Later he turned his attention to carpentering, to which he gave a part of his attention for nearly thirty years and in the mean- time he superintended the · improvement of the farm. By his well directed thrift and enterprise he prospered and as the years passed he gradually increased his landed possessions until he now owns seven hundred and sixty acres of valuable farming property in Adams county. He continued to live upon the old homestead until 1888, when he purchased his present attractive residence that is beautifully located on Diamond Hill in Barry and now he is living in well earned ease, enjoy- ing a rest which he has truly merited.
On the 23d of September, 1849, James Sykes was married to Miss Mary Ayres, a native of Woodbridge, New Jersey, who died in Adams county, April 1, 1873, leaving six children, while five had previously passed away. Those still living are: Hannah, the wife of Aaron House, a resident of Cass county, Nebraska; Elizabeth, the widow of James O. Mclain and also a resi- dent of Cass county ; Joseph, who resides at Colo- rado Springs, Colorado; Emma, the wife of W. M. Huffman, who resides upon the old Sykes farm in Beverly township, Adams county ; Frank, of this review; and Hattie, the wife of Frank Lawson, who is living near Barry. Having lost his first wife Mr. Sykes was again married, No- vember 25, 1875, to Miss Martha J. Cunning- ham, who was born in Harrison county, Ohio. James Sykes is a stalwart republican in politics and served for nearly thirty years as school di- rector in Adams county. He has also been a mem- ber of the board of education in Barry and chair- man of the board of health. He stands today a strong man, strong in his honor and good name because of a life of untiring activity, of general usefulness and of successful accomplishment. He
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has now passed the eighty-seventh milestone on life's journey and is one of the most venerable and respected citizens of the county.
Frank Sykes was educated in the common schools of Adams county and also spent one year as a student in the schools of Barry and one year in the Gem City Business College at Quincy, Illi- nois. He was reared to farm labor and continued to assist his father until twenty-one years of age, when he started out in life on his own account as a farmer of Beverly township, Adams county, where he remained for five years. He then re- moved to Hadley township, where he still owns one hundred and sixty acres of valuable farming land. He also has a good store at Hadley and carries a* well selected stock of general mer- chandise, including shoes, clothing, dry goods, groceries and other commodities. In July, 1894, he was appointed postmaster at Hadley, which position he has since filled, discharging the duties of the office in connection with the management of 'his commercial interests and the supervision of his farm. He raises both stock and grain and feeds a large number of hogs annually. He also buys grain for the Barry Milling Company and practically handles all of the grain raised ín Hadley township. He likewise buys and sells coal. His business interests are thus extensive and carefully conducted, and his able management and enterprise are bringing to him very gratify- ing success.
On the 23d of October, 1890, Mr. Sykes was united in marriage to Miss Eliza Hill, who was born in Hadley township on the 24th of August, 1869, and is a daughter of Fred and Elizabeth (Grammer) Hill. Her father was born in Rhode Island, March 8, 1844, and was a son of William and Julia (Farnsworth) Hill. The grandfather was a native of England, born in 1820 and in 1840 he came to America, settling in Rhode Island, where he worked in the cotton mills. Later he went to Massachusetts and was employed in a cotton factory until 1850, when he came to Pike county, Illinois, making the journey from New York to Buffalo by canal boat and thence to Chicago by way of the Great Lakes. He con- tinued his journey on the canal to La Salle and thence came down the Illinois river to Pike
county. Mr. and Mrs. Hill went to live with the great-grandfather of Mrs. Sykes, remaining there for one year, after which a house was built, which they occupied for three years. It was a primitive little house without plastering and the snow would blow in between the chinks and it was very cold. He purchased four hundred acres of land in Fairmount township and it was upon this tract that the house was built. Mr. Hill broke and cleared his land which was all a wild timber tract when it came into his possession. He grubbed out the stumps and performed all the arduous toil necessary to the cultivation of a farm which was evolved from a. wild tract of forest land. Ox teams were largely used in the 'farm work. The farm was situated on the divide between the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. The family shared in all the hardships and trials inci- dent to establishing a home on the frontier. Fred Hill, father of Mrs. Sykes, never had an overcoat or overshoes until he was twenty-two years of age. He was a small child when the family came to Pike county and was educated in the common schools here. He began active work on the farm when only eight years of age and he continued at home until twenty-two years of age, when he rented land from his father, continuing its cultivation for nine years. On the expiration 'of that period his father gave him a farm of ninety-six acres and he continued its care and cul- tivation until 1876, when he bought a farm of two hundred and 'twenty-eight acres on section I, Hadley township, where he now resides. He was married on the 5th of April, 1866, to Miss Elizabeth Grammer, a native of Perry township, Pike county, Illinois. They have nine children, five daughters and four sons: Julia, who married William McCleery and resides in Missouri; Mrs. Sykes; Eva, the wife of Roy Riggs, of Elmwood, Illinois ; Webber, who married Ethel Ingalls, and lives in New Salem township, Pike county; Liz- zie, Retta, Frank, Wilmot, and Charles, all at home. The father is a farmer and stock-raiser and has a well improved farm, to which he gives his personal supervision. His political views are in accord with democratic principles and he is accounted one of the representative and influen- tial residents of his locality, whose business career
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is extremely commendable, for through his untir- ing labors he has won the success which he now enjoys.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Sykes have been born three children, two sons and a daughter : Freddie James, born March 8, 1894; Paul Edwin, September 2, 1900; and Mary Elizabeth, October 12, 1903. The parents occupy an enviable position in the regard of many friends and acquaintances. Mr. Sykes is a republican in his political views and belongs to the Modern Woodmen camp at Barry and to the Odd Fellows lodge there. He has been very suc- cessful in his business career, ever manifesting the spirit of enterprise which would allow him to brook no obstacles and has enabled him to over- come all difficulties and work his way steadily upward to success. He is justly accounted one of of the representative agriculturist and merchants of his community.
JON SHASTID.
Jon Shastid, of Perry, is the owner of valuable landed interests comprising eleven hundred and eight acres in Pike county, nine hundred and fifty acres in Texas, ten acres in Wisconsin and eighty acres in Adams county. He is now retired from active business life, for he has passed the seventy- eighth milestone on life's journey, his birth hav- ing occurred in Overton county, Tennessee, June 2, 1827. The following year he was brought to Illinois by his parents, John G. and Elizabeth (Edwards) Shastid, who took up their abode in Menard county. The father was born in Ken- tucky in March, 1798, while the mother's birth occurred in Rutherford county, North Carolina, in September, 1794. They were married in Ten- nessee and after coming to Illinois Mr. Shastid purchased land in Sangamon county which was surveyed by Abraham Lincoln. This was par- tially prairie and partially timber land and upon the tract he built a log cabin. He was closely as- sociated with the pioneer development of that dis- trict and in 1836 he removed to Pittsfield, Pike county. Here he carried on farming and teaming and was a factor in public affairs, serving as dep-
uty sheriff, constable and collector. He gave his political support to the democracy in early life, being a stanch advocate of the principles promul- gated by General Jackson, but later he joined the ranks of the republican party. He held member- ship in the Christian church and died in that faith in Pittsfield in February, 1874, when about sev- enty-six years. of age. His wife passed away De- cember 8, 1863. In their family were eight chil- dren, but only two are now living, Jon of this review and Dr. T. W. Shastid, a resident of Pitts- field. As before stated, Jon Shastid was only about a. year old when brought by his parents to Illinois. His early education was acquired in the public schools and he afterward attended the Illi- nois College at Jacksonville. When seventeen years of age he began teaching school, following the profession for twenty-four years. During the first five months of his connection with the work of public education he made about twelve dollars per month. Through the careful husbanding of his resources during all of the time that he was teaching he found himself worth between fifteen and twenty thousand dollars when he put aside the duties of the schoolroom .. He taught for three months in Whiteside county, Illinois, and. for a little more than two years in Fulton county and during the remainder of the time his educational service was rendered in Pike county. In 1869 he joined his father-in-law in the conduct of a mer- cantile enterprise and was thus engaged until Jan- uary I, 1884, when he sold out to Mrs. Cockill, his mother-in-law. He was very successful in his agricultural venture, acquiring a handsome competence through well directed effort, judicious purchases and advantageous sales. As his finan- cial resources have increased he has made exten- sive investments in real-estate and now owns four farms in Perry township, one in Pittsfield town-'. ship, one in Spring Creek township, one in Bev- erly township and five in Texas, having altogether twenty-one hundred and forty-eight acres of land.
In 1864 Mr. Shastid was united in marriage to Miss Esther A. Cockill, whose birth occurred January II, 1843, her parents being Joseph and Anna (Beatty) Cockill. Her father was a na- tive of Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, and died in 1873, at the age of fifty-six years. His wife,
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PAST AND PRESENT OF PIKE COUNTY.
who was born in New Haven, Connecticut, De- cember 1, 1818, is now living in Perry. They were married in the Keystone state and became the parents of three children, but Mrs. Shastid is the only one now living. Her father was a merchant and coal operator in Pennsylvania and in 1858 he came to Pike county, Illinois, locating in Perry, where he established a store which is still conducted. He was one of the leading mer- chants of the village, having a large and profit- able trade and he also acted as postmaster of Perry for a number of years. His parents were members of the Society of Friends and he was reared in that faith. His political support was given to the republican party.
Mr. Shastid has always maintained his interest in educational affairs and yet often meets with the teachers and discusses the school work and the best plans of promoting public education. He served as town clerk in Barry, but resigned the office before the expiration of his term. He first cast an anti-slavery vote in 1848 and his first presidential vote was given in support of Martin Van Buren. He has for many years been an ar- dent republican, and for sixty-two years has been a member of the Christian church. He has led a busy, useful and honorable life characterized by unfaltering allegiance to manly principles, and while he has met with good success his prosperity is attributable entirely to earnest and straightfor- ward labor.
W. A. WINDMILLER.
W. A. Windmiller, who is now living a retired life in Pleasant Hill but for fourteen years was an active business man in the village, is a native of Pleasant Hill township, his birth having occurred on the 27th of October, 1859. His father, Samuel Windmiller, was a native of Germany, born in 1807 and when a young man he came with his mother and the family to the new world. The father started with them but died on the voyage over and was buried at sea. The family located in Pike county, Illinois, where Samuel Wind- miller was later married to Mrs. Anna (Glenn) Williams, who was born in Pennsylvania, but was of German lineage. Mr. Windmiller pur-
chased land and developed a farm in Pleasant Hill township, becoming one of the thrifty and enterprising agriculturists of the community. He continued to give his attention to general agri- cultural pursuits up to the time 'of his death, which occurred upon the old homestead in 1875. His wife still survives him and resides with her children.
W. A. Windmiller is one of a family of five sons, who reached mature years. The eldest, G. F. Windmiller, is a farmer of Pleasant Hill town- ship; J. H. Windmiller also devotes his attention · to farming; W. A. is the next of the family; and C. T. is a merchant of Pleasant Hill. One brother, Samuel, reached mature years and mar- ried, but is now deceased.
W. A. Windmiller, spending his boyhood days in his native township, acquired his education in the common schools, and was reared to farm labor, early becoming familiar with the duties that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. He was married in Pleasant Hill on Christmas eve, of 1884, to Miss Susie Capps, a native of Kansas, and a daughter of W. D. Capps, who removed to the Sunflower state, and there resided for a few years, after which he returned to his old home in Pike county, Illinois, so that his daughter was reared and educated here. Following his mar- riage Mr. Windmiller engaged in farming for seven years, operating rented land. He then purchased a half interest in a store in 1891 and afterward engaged in merchandising in Pleasant Hill, becoming sole proprietor of the store in 1893. He continued in active business for nearly fourteen years, carrying a large and well se- lected line of general merchandise. His straight- forward business methods and unfaltering en- ergy won for him a large patronage, and he gradually added to his capital. He also purchased and still owns a business house in. the village; and he erected a neat residence, which he now occupies. Mr. Windmiller has extended his ef- forts to other fields of activity, having purchased land and laid out an addition to the town. He also bought a farm in Pleasant Hill township and continued its cultivation and further im- provement having now a valuable property which returns to him a good income.
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PAST AND PRESENT OF PIKE COUNTY.
The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Windmiller has been blessed with three children: Nina and Marie, who are students in the home school; Howard Earl, the second in order of birth, was born May 3, 1891, and died November 28, 1892, at the age of one year and six months. The parents are members of the Baptist church, and in politics Mr. Windmiller has been a lifelong democrat. He was elected and served as presi- dent of the village board, and has also been a di- rector of schools ; but does not desire nor seek of- fice, preferring to concentrate his energies upon his business interests. He is a Master Mason, be- longing to Pleasant Hill lodge, and he has passed all of the chairs in the Knights of Pythias lodge, and is past chancellor. His entire life has been passed in Pike county ; and he has therefore wit- nessed much of its growth and development, helping to improve and make the village of Pleas- ant Hill what it is to-day. He is one of the origi- nal stockholders of the Citizens Bank, and is now vice president of the institution .. His invested interests bring to him a good financial return an- nually, and indicate his resourceful business abil- ity, keen insight and sound judgment. He is well known throughout his native county as a man of strict integrity and worth, and he and his estimable wife are held in uniform regard.
JAMES WHEELAN.
James Wheelan, engaged in general farming on section I, Pleasant Vale township, was born in Ireland in 1837, and in 1848 accompanied his mother to St. Louis, Misouri. His parents were Richard and Mary (Scully) Wheelan. The fa- ther died about 1846, and the mother, as before stated, came to the new world, establishing her home in St. Louis. The voyage was made on a sailing vessel, the General Taylor, which dropped anchor in the harbor of New Orleans after six weeks and four days spent upon the Atlantic.
Mr. Wheelan of this review remained in St. Louis with his mother until 1855, there learning the blacksmith trade, and they then came to Pike county, Illinois, where he began working at his
trade, being first employed by Horace Palmer, while later he engaged in business on his own ac- count in New Canton. He followed that pursuit until 1873, when he abandoned the trade and re- moved to a farm, upon which he resided until 1877. The place upon which he now resides he purchased in 1870, and seven years later he took up his abode thereon, and has since made it his home. He has built here a beautiful residence, fine barns and other substantial buildings, and in fact, all of the improvements on the place stand as monuments to his thrift and labor. He has also purchased a farm adjoining the original property and yet owns this. His landed possessions aggre- gate two hundred and forty-five acres of rich and productive soil, which he has brought under a high state of cultivation, and from which he an- nually harvests abundant crops. He carries on general farming and stock-raising, and makes a specialty of shorthorn cattle and a good grade of hogs.
In 1857 Mr. Wheelan was married to Miss Isa- belle Brown, who was born in Ireland, and unto this union have been born seven children, of whom four are living: Mary, the wife of John Kendrick who resides near her father's farm; Belle, who is the wife of Warren Spencer and lives upon an adjoining farm; William, who mar- ried Anna Brammel, who died, leaving three chil- dren, John B., James S. and George S., who with their father reside upon the old farm homestead; and James G., who married Anna Hoverland, also deceased, while he resides with his father. Those who have passed away are: Ella, who be- came the wife of John Lax and left one child; Alexander H .; Rebecca, who married Ed. Fesler, and both are now deceased, leaving two children, James W. and Ella W., the latter living with her grandfather Wheelan; and Richard. Mrs. James Wheelan died in 1873, and in 1877 Mr. Wheelan was married to Eliza Brown, who was born in Ireland in 1849 and came to America in 1870, making her home in Ogle county, Illi- nois, with her mother. She afterward came to Pike county on a visit and later most of her mother's family removed to this county ..
Politically Mr. Wheelan is a democrat, and for a number of years served as village trustee of
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New Canton. He was also road commissioner for six years, and for a long period has been a school director, doing everything in his power to ad- vance the cause of public education, in which he is deeply interested. He belongs to Barry lodge, No. 34, A. F. & A. M., and Barry chapter, No. 88, R. A. M. The wife is a member of the Meth- odist church. They reside on section I, Pleasant Vale township, about three miles from Barry and three miles from New Canton, and they are now pleasantly situated in life although when Mr. Wheelan came to Pike county he had a capital of but thirty cents. He has been an industrious, hard-working man, and all that he possesses has been acquired through his own labors. Toil- earnest unremitting toil-this is the secret of his prosperity, and his example should serve as a source of encouragement and inspiration to others who have begun life empty-handed as he did. In no country does labor receive its just reward as surely as it does in America, and with the improvement of business opportunities Mr. Wheelan has made for himself a creditable place among the well-to-do residents of Pleasant Vale township.
E. R. STONER, M. D.
Dr. E. R. Stoner, the oldest practicing phy- sician in Pike county to-day, was born in Ohio, January II, 1827, a son of Colonel Joseph and Margaret (Fred) Stoner. The father was born in Pennsylvania and the mother's birth occurred in Virginia in 1800. They were married in Ohio and Mr. Stoner passed away in 1852, at the age of fifty-seven years, while his wife died in 1857, at the same age. In 1836 the father came to Illi- nois, settling in that part of Schuyler county which is now Brown county. He first purchased land at the usual government price of a dollar and a quarter per acre, securing three hundred acres, and he built thereon a log cabin and at once began breaking the wild prairie land with oxen. Dr. Stoner, who was then but a young lad, often assisted in this work. In 1841 Mr. Stoner erect- ed a more commodious and modern residence-a frame structure-and the family were soon in-
stalled in a comfortable home. He was a public- spirited citizen, active and capable in affairs of general interest. He served as colonel of a regi- ment of the Ohio militia and as captain of a mili- tary company in Illinois. He also acted as gov- ernment commissioner in Schuyler county. His political allegiance was given to the democracy and he was a Universalist in religious belief. In his family were ten children, but only two are now living: Dr. Stoner, of this review, and Stephen, who resides at Burnside, Hancock county, Illi- nois, where he is engaged in business as a mer- chant and stockdealer.
Dr. Stoner acquired his literary education in the public schools. Determining upon the prac- tice of medicine as a life work, he entered the Missouri Medical College, from which he was graduated in the class of 1854. He began prac- tice, however, in 1852, when he first came to Pike county, locating at Chambersburg, where he spent two years. He then removed to the town of Perry, where he resided for seven years, and in 1861 he came to Griggsville. He has been in active practice in this county altogether for fifty- three years and has always kept in touch with the advance made by the medical fraternity as in- vestigation, research and experiment have broad- ened the knowledge and promoted the efficiency of its representatives.
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