Past and present of Pike County, Illinois, Part 86

Author: Massie, Melville D; Clarke, (S.J.) Publishing Company, Chicago
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Chicago, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 760

USA > Illinois > Pike County > Past and present of Pike County, Illinois > Part 86

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After his second marriage Mr. Haines left his business in Baylis to his brother Ben and re- moved to his wife's farm just north of Camp Point, where he followed farming and stock-rais- ing until December, 1886. He then returned to Baylis and again engaged in the mercantile busi- ness, which he followed until the fall of 1895, at which time he sold his store, and in 1896 bought the Baylis Guide plant; then owned by Bentley & Donly, and continues its operation. He is inter- actively engaged in newspaper, real-estate and in- surance business, being senior member of the Guide Printing Company, also of the Bayliss Real- Estate Agency, manager of the Ben Haines Under- taking Company, a member of the Illinois Under- takers' Association, and also a stockholder and secretary of the Baylis Creamery Company. He is a member of Summit lodge, No.834, I. O. O. F. and, in fact, was the founder of the lodge, and with others gave liberally toward the building of the brick store and hall building now owned by that lodge. He is a member of the Illinois grand lodge, and has served two years as a member of the committee on legislation in that grand body. He is also a member of the Woodmen, the Mu- tual Protective League and the Pike County Life Association. His sons are both Odd Fellows, his wife and daughters are members of the Rebekah lodge; and they are stanch Methodists.

Public interests have always received the co- operation and support of Mr. Haines. He has been elected several times a member of the vil- lage board, serving also as its president.

Politically he is, and always has been, a repub- lican, but political emoluments have no attraction for him, as he prefers to devote his time and en- ergies to his business interests and the duties de-

volving upon him as a citizen, without regard to public office.

LEVI LANDESS.

Levi Landess, a well known representative of farming interests in Pearl township, was born in Highland county, Ohio, December 23, 1840, his parents being John A. and Rachel (Michael) Landess. The father was a farmer and removed from his native state of Ohio to Kentucky. He was married, however, in the Buckeye state. After residing for some years in Kentucky, he came to Pike county, Illinois, in 1865, settling in Monte- zuma township, where he engaged in general agri- cutlural pursuits, spending his remaining days upon the homestead farm which he here developed and improved. His wife also died in Monte- zuma township.

Levi Landess was reared to the occupation of farming and acquired his education in the public schools. He has devoted his entire life to agri- cultural pursuits and now resides on a farm a mile and a half north of Pearl, where he owns and op- erates one hundred and twenty acres of land. As a companion and helpmate for life's journey he chose Miss Eveline G. Sweat, their marriage be- ing celebrated .on the 12th of August, 1869, in Detroit, Illinois. Mrs. Landess is a daughter of John A. and Rachel (Marden) Sweat. Her fa- ther was a native of the state of Maine, and on leaving New England, when about nineteen years of age, went with his parents to Missouri, whence he afterward came to Pike county, Illinois. He was married in Scott county, this state, in Septem- ber, 1840. His death occurred in Newburg town- ship, Pike county, near Pittsfield, and his remains were interred in Blue River cemetery near the vil- lage of Detroit. His wife died at the home of Asahel Duff, and she was laid to rest by the side of her husband in Blue River cemetery.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Landess have been born five children: Artie R., who died August 31, 1870; Arthur P .; Ada V., who died September 7, 1872; Bertha V .; Edith M., who died July 4, 1881. The son, Arthur P. Landess, completed

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his education in the high school at Pearl, and after his graduation began teaching, which profession he followed for six years in Pike county. He then went to Bushnell, Illinois, where he taught in the Western Normal College, for three years. He afterward taught in Greer College at Hoopeston, Illinois, for one year, on the expiration of which period he went to Peoria, Illinois, where he en- gaged in the practice of law for a year, having been previously admitted to the bar in Chicago. On leaving Peoria he took up his abóde in Chi- cago, and is now employed in the Bell Telephone Wire Factory as an expert timekeeper. He mar- ried Miss Leona Snell, of Bushnell, Illinois. Ber- tha V. Landess was married July 31, 1902, to Edwin L. Bailey, of Greer College, Hoopeston, Illinois, both having been teachers in that in- stitution.

Mr. and Mrs. Landess are members of the Christian church at Green Pond, Illinois, and are highly esteemed in the county where they have now long resided. His entire life has been devoted to agricultural pursuits ; and in his business ca- reer he has been both energetic and upright, win- ning success and an honorable name.

GEORGE W. SCHWARTZ, M. D.

Dr. George W. Schwartz, a pioneer physician and surgeon of Summer Hill, was born in Atlas township, February 17, 1847, his parents being George and Mary (Gay) Schwartz. The father was born in Spleugen, Switzerland, on the 7th of October, 1808, and emigrated to the United States about 1834, making his way direct to Pike county, Illinois. He worked for a time with Lyman Scott, a prominent farmer near Atlas, Illinois, and subsequently formed a partnership with James Gay, Sr., of Summer Hill. In the spring of 1835 they rented a farm and carried on general agricultural pursuits together. They also leased cattle and hogs and raised them on the shares. This business connection was continued until 1842, after which they purchased eighty acres of farm land near Atlas and subsequently purchased one hundred and sixty acres on credit,

but they disposed of sixty acres, fearing to take too great a responsibility in assuming the payment for this property. They then divided the remain- ing one hundred acres and also the eighty acres which they had previously purchased, and Mr. Schwartz and Mr. Gay then farmed separately. Mr. Schwartz lived uponand farmed his land until 1855, at which time he sold the property to Jack- son Shaw. He then purchased another farm of two hundred and forty acres in Atlas township, about one mile north of his farm property, and this he continued to cultivate until the latter part of his life, when in 1867 he retired from active business and rented his farm, which he owned, however, up to the time of his death. It has since been sold by the heirs. He departed this life in Summer Hill, January 26, 1887, and his wife died November 2, 1902. Both were buried in Sum- mer Hill cemetery. Mr. Schwartz had wedded Miss Mary Gay, who was born in North Carolina, October 25, 1810. Unto this marriage there were born five children, three sons and two daughters. Mary A., born July 27, 1839, died June 19, 1854, and was buried in Summer Hill cemetery. John G., born February 17, 1841, died May 16, 1897, and was buried in Hebron cemetery in Adams county. Julius was born June 15, 1844. George W. is the next of the family. Lucy A., born Jan- uary 20, 1854, became the wife of John Shaw, who died in December, 1905, while visiting at his old home in Summer Hill. His widow and two children survive him and reside in Quincy, Illinois.

George W. Schwartz, whose name introduces this review, has resided continuously in Atlas township for nearly fifty-nine years except for a period of six months spent in the practice of his profession in Atchison county, Missouri. His primary education was obtained in the district schools of his native township, and he afterward pursued his studies in a select school of Perry, Illinois, taught by Jon Shastid, a pioneer teacher of Pike county, and also a school taught by him in Pittsfield, Illinois. He afterward studied for a time in the public schools of Pittsfield, and later spent two years as a student in the preparatory school of Knox College at Galesburg, Illinois, after which he matriculated in the freshman class

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of the same college, completing the work of the sophomore year as well. He then passed an ex- amination and entered the junior class of the same college, but left that school in the fall of 1870, and entered upon the study of medicine in the office of Drs. Hurd and Burlingham in Galesburg, Illinois. Later he matriculated in the College of Physicians & Surgeons at St. Louis, Missouri, where he pursued a course of lectures, and in 1871 he entered the medical department of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where he remained for one term. In the fall of 1872 he became a student in the St. Louis Medical Col- lege, now the medical department of Washington University, in which he pursued a one year's course and was graduated therefrom with the de- gree of M. D. on the 13th of March, 1873. In the spring of the same year he began practicing in Milton, Atchison county, Missouri, where he re- mained for six months, when he made a trip to Texas with a view of locating there, but finding no location to his liking, he re- turned to Pike county and opened an office in Summer Hill, where he has since been in continu- ous practice for thirty-three years. He enjoys a large patronage, and his business has been of an important nature. He has always kept well in- formed concerning the progress of the medical fraternity, and the new ideas advanced by the pro- fession as experience and investigation have broadened the knowledge of the members of the medical fraternity.

In his political views Dr. Schwartz is an earn- est republican, having always upheld the princi- ples of that party. He is widely and favorably known in Pike county, where he has a host of loyal friends, having become popular with all whom he has met either socially or professionally.

HUTSON MARTIN.

Hutson Martin, a retired farmer living in Rockport, was born in Danville, Vermilion coun- ty, Illinois, January 16, 1832, and is the third in a family of seven children, whose parents were William and Ceraphena (Wetherby) Martin. The

father was a native of Virginia and, taking up his abode in Vermilion county, Illinois, at an early day, was there engaged in farming up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1838, his remains being interred in a cemetery near Danville. His wife was a native of the state of New York and was married in Indiana to William Martin. Sub- sequent to his death she became the wife of Sam- uel Purcell, and in 1846 they removed to Pike county, settling in Derry township, where Mr. Purcell rented a farm and carried on general ag- ricultural pursuits. Mrs. Purcell spent her last days in Adams county, Washington, where she died in 1890, her remains being interred at near Washtucna.

Hutson Martin, whose name introduces this re- view, was a youth of about fourteen years when he accompanied his mother, stepfather and other members of the family to Pike county. He re- mained with the Purcell family for a time and later started out in life on his own account. In 1854, when twenty-two years of age, he bought a farm of sixty acres in Derry township, and at once began its improvement and development, continuing its cultivation until he had trans- formed it into a very valuable and productive property. As his financial resources increased he kept adding to his place until he had two hun- dred and eighty acres of good farming property in Derry township. As the years passed by he prospered and stored up a capital sufficient to enable him in the evening of life to enjoy a well earned rest. Their children were Matilda, Oliver, Hutson, Tarble W., Henry, Amantha and Mar- tha. Four of the number, however, have passed away, the surviving members of the family being Hutson, Matilda and Tarble.

Mr. Martin was married to Miss Lydia Cham- berlin, a daughter of Aaron and Rachael (Bry- ant) Chamberlin. Her father was a native of New Jersey and her mother of Ohio, their mar- riage being celebrated in Butler county of the latter state. They came to Pike county, Illi- nois, in 1835, settling in Derry township among the early residents of the locality. Mr. Chamber- lin began farming and continued to follow the pursuit up to the time of his death, which oc- curred in May, 1850, his remains being interred

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in the Taylor cemetery. His wife long survived him, passing away February 6, 1889, at the home of her daughter, Mrs.3Martin. She was then laid to rest by the side of her husband in Taylor . cemetery. In their family were three sons and one daughter, Alfred, James W., John B. and Lydia A., but the first two are now deceased.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Martin have been born seven children, three sons and four daughters : Isaiah B., who died upon his father's farm Feb- ruary II, 1872, and was buried upon this place, a part of the farm being donated for cemetery purposes, and now known as the Taylor cemetery ; Willard A., who resides in Louisiana, Missouri, where he is proprietor of a grocery store ; Gilbert N., who carries on general agricultural pursuits on the old homestead farm; Flora M., who died October 7, 1867; Mary J., the wife of. Charles H. Taylor, who resides on a farm in Atlas town- ship; Della R., the wife of George S. Adams, who is living in the town of Atlas; and Lydia A., the wife of H. Wallace Haines, of Rockport.

Throughout his active business career Mr. Martin carried on general farming, but is now liv- ing retired, having acquired property and capital sufficient to enable him to spend the evening of his life in the enjoyment of well earned ease. For long years he and his wife resided upon the farm, which is yet their home; and its well improved appearance is largely due to the labor and care which he bestowed upon it. In all his business dealings he was just and fair, never taking ad- vantage of the necessities of his fellowmen in any trade transaction; and he gained for himself an honorable name as well as a comfortable cor1- petence.

T. B. FISHER.

T. B. Fisher, postmaster and merchant at Bee Creek, was born December 14, 1859, in Colum- bus, Ohio, where he was educated in the public schools. His parents, Edward and Terza (Der- mott) Fisher, were also natives of the Buckeye state and lived and died in Columbus. For thirty years prior to his death the father was engaged in the undertaking business there.

T. B. Fisher remained a resident of his native city until 1877, when at the age of seventeen years he left Ohio and came direct to Pike county, lo- cating in Bee Creek, where he has since lived with the exception of one year passed in St. Louis. He began farm work upon his arrival here and was thus employed for four years. On the ex- piration of that period he went to Pearl station, where he was engaged in merchandising in part- nership with his uncle, Michael Fisher, for a year. He then sold out to his uncle and became a part- ner of W. L. Deemer in the same line, this rela- tion being also maintained for a year, at the end of which time Mr. Fisher disposed of his interest to his partner. Returning to Bee Creek, he en- gaged in farming, renting land for about two years, after which he purchased a farm two and a half miles from the village, comprising sixty acres of good land, which he improved, placing it under a high state of cultivation. After two years, however, he went to St. Louis, Missouri, on account of the ill health of his wife. He had been married in 1881 to Miss Josephine Roberts, a daughter of George W. and Rowena C. (Al- bert) Roberts. Her father was one of the early settlers of Pike county and both he and his wife are still living at Bee Creek. He has contributed in substantial measure to the growth and im- provement of his section of the county, and may well be mentioned among the honored early settlers.

Mr. and Mrs. Fisher continued to make their home in St. Louis for about a year, after which they returned to the farm, and his attention was given to general agricultural pursuits until the 7th of April, 1900, when he opened a general store in Bee Creek. He still owns his farm, however, and it is operated under his personal supervision. On the same day in which he opened his store he was appointed postmaster at Bee Creek under President McKinley's administra- tion, and has held the office continuously since. He was engaged in merchandising in the old store which he rented when he embarked in business here until the building was destroyed by fire on the 27th of February, 1904, his stock being also entirely consumed. In October, 1903, he pur- chased a stock of merchandise at Gravel Point,

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Calhoun county, and conducted business there in conjunction with his store at Bee Creek until his new store was ready for occupancy. In Oc- tober, 1904, he erected a good business building in Bee Creek and put in a more extensive stock of general merchandise than he had ever carried before. He is now enjoying a paying trade, hav- ing a liberal patronage from the village and sur- rounding country. He conducts his interests along modern business lines; and his activity, careful management and diligence constitute the basis of his success.

Mr. and Mrs. Fisher are the parents of five children, but they lost their first born, Terza C., whose birth occurred May 3, 1881, and who died on the 5th of November of the same year. The others are : Zula G., who was born November 26, 1883; Alpha B., born October 30, 1885; Harlan D., February 28, 1887; and Zendoree E., born October 31, 1904. All of the children were born at Bee Creek.

Mr. Fisher is a self-made, man of much strength of character and determination. His mother died during his infancy, and he was only twelve years of age when he started out in life on his own account. He has since depended en- tirely upon his own resources; and as the years have gone by, he has made consecutive advance- ment, progressing steadily toward the goal of success. No fortunate combination of circum- stances have aided him ; and, in fact, he has met difficulties and obstacles, but he has steadily worked his way upward and is today prospering in his undertakings.

CHARLES H. HURT.

Charles H. Hurt, postmaster of Barry, was born April 30, 1841, a son of Elisha and Margaret (Lee) Hurt. The father's birth occurred in Kentucky, May 26, 1809, and his parents were Joshua and Sally (Davis) Hurt, who came to Il- linois at an early day, settling in Sangamon county, where he died the same year. His first wife had departed this life in Tennessee, and he afterward married Elizabeth Pebworth, of Ken-

tucky, who after his death returned to Kentucky with four of the youngest sons: William P., Smith, James and Harvey. The family is of English lineage, the great-grandfather of our subject having been born in England, whence he came to America with his parents, settling in North Carolina. At the time of the outbreak of hostilities between the colonies and the mother country he joined the continental army and val- iantly fought for the independence of the nation. The paternal grandparents of our subject were natives of Virginia and the grandfather was born in 1782. He served as a soldier of the war of 1812 and participated in the battle of New Or- leans, Louisiana, on the 8th of January, 1815. The family was further represented in the mili- tary service of this country by Jon, William P. and Smith Hurt, uncles of our subject, who served in the Mexican war, while Smith Hurt afterward became colonel of the Twenty-fourth Kentucky Infantry Regiment in the Civil war.

Elisha Hurt, father of our subject, arrived in Pike county, Illinois, in 1839, when it was still largely an unimproved and unsettled district. He took up his abode in Barry township. He had been married in Kentucky in 1838 to Miss Mar- garet J. Lee, a native of Morgan county, Vir- ginia, where she was born in 1818. Unto this union were born twelve children, three of whom are now living: Elisha, who was a soldier of Company F, One hundred and Thirty-seventh Illinois Infantry in the Civil war, and is now living in Mount Vernon, this state; Edwin G., who resides in Boise City, Idaho; and Charles H. Another son of the family, John M. Hurt, now deceased, was numbered among the boys in blue of Company G, Eighth Illinois Volunteer In- fantry, with which he continued for three months. He entered the army as a private and became quartermaster sergeant of the Twenty-eighth Il- linois Infantry, while later he was captain of Company E of the One Hundred and Twenty- first Regiment of United States Colored Troops and also captain of Company C, Twelfth United States Colored Heavy Artillery.

Elisha Hurt, father of this family, went to Cal- ifornia in 1849, being among the first to cross the plains in that year, attracted by the discovery

C. H. HURT

LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS.

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of gold on the Pacific slope, where he met with gratifying success. He erected the first frame building at Placerville, was engaged in mercantile business there and also served as postmaster. At that time eggs sold at one dollar apiece and both bacon and salt sold at one dollar per pound. Mr. Hurt returned east in 1851 and engaged in mer- chandising in Barry for ten years or until 1861, when he retired from active business. During the Civil war he raised a company for service and was commissioned captain of Company I of the Twenty-eighth Illinois Infantry, with which he was connected for three years. His political allegiance was given to the republican party from the time of its organization and he was recognized as a local leader in its ranks. He served as sheriff of Pike county as a whig in 1853 and 1854. His death occurred August 7, 1888, while his wife passed away on the 6th of May, 1866.

Charles H. Hurt was educated in the schools of his native town and manifested the military spirit which has been a marked characteristic in the family through many generations. His love of country was shown by his prompt response to the call for troops at the outbreak of the Civil war. Hardly had the smoke from Fort Sumter's guns cleared away than he donned the blue uniform of the nation, enlisting from Barry on the 20th of April, 1861, in response to the call for three months' troops. He was mustered into the United States service at Springfield, Illinois, on the 25th of April, 1861, as a private under the command of Captain John G. McWilliams of Company G, Eighth Illinois Infantry, the colonel being Richard J. Oglesby, afterward governor of the state. The regiment was organized at Spring- field and after being mustered in there was sent to Cairo, Illinois, where he remained during the three months' term. On the 25th of July, 1861, it was reorganized and mustered into the service for three years. Mr. Hurt was honorably dis- charged at Cairo, July 25, 1861, by reason of the expiration of his term. He then re-enlisted on the same day to serve for three years or during the war and was mustered in as first sergeant of Com- pany G, Eighth Regiment of Illinois Volunteers under command of Captain James S. Barnard and

Colonel R. J. Oglesby for three years' service. The regiment continued to drill and do guard duty at Cairo until October, 1861, when it was transferred to Bird's Point, Missouri, there re- maining until February, 1862, becoming thor- oughly grounded in the manuel of arms and attaining a high degree of discipline and efficiency. The members of this regiment made expeditions at different times to Cape Girardeau, Commerce, Bloomfield and Norfolk, Missouri, and to Bland- ville, Kentucky, joining in the attack on Colum- bus, in January, 1862. On the 2d of February following they moved up the Tennessee river to a point near Fort Henry, where it reconnoitered the enemy's position, proceeding near enough to drive in the outpost and this regiment was among the first to enter the fort after its reduction by the Union gunboats on the 6th of February, 1862. Subsequently the command was assigned to the Third Brigade, Logan's Division of the Seventh Army Corps of the Army of the Tennessee and thus participated in the battle of Fort Donelson on the 13th, 14th and 15th of February, 1862, where the Eighth Illinois was contantly under heavy fire, suffering severely from the driving snowstorm and intense cold as well as from the rebel lead. The regiment lost in that engagement fifty-seven killed, one hundred and ninety-one wounded and ten missing. On the 6th of March the command embarked on the Tennessee river for Savannah and took part in the engagement at Shiloh or Pittsburg Landing on the 6th and 7th of April, 1862. Again the troops were in active duty at the siege of Corinth, at Port Gibson or Thompson's Hill, at Raymond, Jackson, Champion Hill, Black River, the siege of Vicksburg and the siege of Mobile, Alabama, including the capture of Spanish Fort and of Fort Blakely on the 9th of April, 1865. They were also in a number of minor engagements, skirmishes and raids. The Eighth Illinois was the first regiment to plant its colors on the earthworks at Fort Blakely, Ala- bama, and subsequently moved into Louisiana and Texas, rendering valuable guard duty and engag- ing an occasional expedition for the protection of government property and government officials. In the late fall of 1865 the regiment was ordered to Alexandria, Louisiana, where it remained until

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Past and present of Pike County, Illinois, Part 86

Author: Massie, Melville D; Clarke, (S.J.) Publishing Company, Chicago Publication date: 1906 Publisher: Chicago, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 760

Author: Massie, Melville D; Clarke, (S.J.) Publishing Company, Chicago
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Chicago, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 760