USA > Illinois > Macon County > Decatur > Past and present of the City of Decatur and Macon County, Illinois > Part 78
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William T. Moffett, the youngest child of John B. and Patsy (Morgan) Moffett, was born in a log hnt upon the sparsely settled prairie of Illinois, seven miles south- west of Springfiekl. on the 19th of Febru- ary, 1826. When six weeks old his mother died leaving him largely to the care of his most faithful father. In those days and at such places there was dearth of medical as- sistance, conveniences were meager and neighbors far apart. Under these circum- stances his young life became fraught with
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perils, and at times was despaired of. For- tunately possessed of vigorous physical powers and a strong vitality, he was ena- bled to baffle the untoward dangers and develop into a strong, active and ambitious boy. At the age of ten years he moved to Springfield, Illinois, where he attended school for some two years and thence to Rushville, Schuyler county, Illinois, where he lived for about three years attending school and assisting his father, who was a carpenter and wheelwright.
In 1841 he moved with his father to Macon county, Illinois, and settled on lands in the edge of the timber along the south bank of the Sangamon river in what years afterward became Blue Mound township. The building site selected was a hill situ- ated across the river and a half mile to the west of where Abraham Lincoln lived ten years before. Here the well known " Mof- fett Settlement " was made, and here Wil- liam T. Moffett made his home until his marriage, when he moved upon a portion of the same lands, which he afterward be- came seized of, and upon which he resided until his death, which occurred on October II, 1901. Thus, for sixty years his home was in Macon county, which time covers a period nearly contemporaneous with the corporate existence of the county, and dur- ing which period most of the political sub- divisions of the county have been created. The boyhood days of Mr. Moffett were not eventful. He attended the common schools, some of them subscription schools, was an apt scholar, at least in mathematics, and at the age of seventeen he taught one term of school. His education, while not exten- sive, was of a very practical sort. Broad in his conceptions and generally logical in his reasoning, he was recognized among his fellows as possessing a large fund of what we call " common sense." To a very con- siderable extent nature marked him as a leader, and his opinions were therefore
both sought and trusted. His political preferences were early manifested. In the notable campaign of 1840, when but four- teen years of age. he took a lively interest in the election of General Harrison for pres- ident. He attended political gatherings for miles around and his voice was often heard shouting the slogan "Tippecanoe and Ty- ler, too." As a boy upon the farm, in the workshop or at his father's mill, he was always industrious, obedient and true to every undertaking. He rather invited dif- ficult tasks and enjoyed the labor of their accomplishment.
As a representative of the pioneers of this country his history becomes interest- ing and likewise instructive. Early in life he became inured to the regime of manual toil. The wild, unbroken fields lay before him and he desired to make them respond to the touch of labor. Appliances for this work were rude, but those at hand he util- ized. He would yoke the oxen, fasten them to what we would now call an ill designed sod plow, and then in slow, uneven tread he would cross and re-cross the fields while the sod would turn leisurely over in irregu- lar laps as if flouting the skill of the hus- bandman. Upon this overturning of the sod the seed was sown, not in the almost exact mathematical order the labor-saving machinery of to-day does it but in the hap- hazard manner incident to the swinging of the arm. When the small grain ripened he used the seythe and cradle to garner it in and the flail to thresh it out. There were no markets of importance nearer than Chi- cago .or St. Louis. It required weeks to transport grain and stock to these markets, for there were no railroads then in this country. But the products of the farm had a bartering value and two bushels of wheat were often exchanged for one yard of cal- ico. Money was scarce and of uncertain value : gold hardly obtainable in sufficient quantities to meet the deferred payments
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due the government upon lands entered. Economy-rigid economy-was necessar- ily practiced. To make ends meet required not only this, but often denials of the very necessaries of life. The sacrifices of these forerunners of our civilization deserve an encomium far more sublime than any that has yet been spoken. Mr. Moffett wore clothing that was carded, spun, wove and made in his own home; he would hunt wolves, carry corn to the grist-mill, fight prairie fires, attend corn huskings and house raisings, and experienced in all its rigors, what no pioneer escaped, the old- time "ague." Upon attaining manhood's estate Mr. Moffett became imbued with a spirit of adventure. Colonel Sutter's dis- covery of gold in California presented new and glaring opportunities for acquiring riches in that far-off west. So, in 1849, he crossed the plains in charge of a division of the wagon train and landed at Sacra- mento. There for a short time he engaged in placer mining and then turned his atten- tion to freighting. llis adventure was proving highly remunerative and he was loath to abandon it; but, after an absence of eighteen months, at the earnest and re- peated solicitations of his father, he sailed for home, making the return journey by way of the Isthmus of Panama, Havana and New Orleans.
Upon reaching home he found his fath- er's business affairs in an unsatisfactory condition. The large estate was encum- bered, family expenses were enhanced, and a general financial crisis was approaching. The return of the son was to his father an omen of security: loyalty to his father's interests was of first importance with Mr. Moffett. So, turning the money earned in California, which was considerable, to meet pressing demands, he then set about wil- lingly and by unremitting toil to make the forest and the prairie yield up their fruits to meet the exigencies of the future. Many
of the best years of his life were devoted to this purpose, and the estate was saved.
On October 14. 1856, he was united in marriage to Miss Helen L. Barrows, at Bridport, Vermont. Eight children were born to them, six of whom are now living, three sons and three daughters. During the forty-five years of his married life he was a devoted husband and to his children he was ever kind and indulgent.
In politics Mr. Moffett was first an ardent Whig and supported that party so long as it had a candidate in the field. In 1856 he cast his vote for Millard Fillmore for president, not because Fillmore was a "Know Nothing." but because he was a Whig. Henry Clay was his political ideal and the "American system of protection " his shibboleth. These opinions came in part by inheritance from his father, who as a native born and reared citizen of Ken- tucky, was a devotee of the " Great Com- moner "; and, in part, from independent thought. With him it was a short step from the Whig to the Republican party, for he had no especial interest in the main- tenance of slavery and his ideas of tariff were adopted by the latter party ; but per- haps his greatest reason for uniting with the Republican party was for the preserva- tion of the Union. He had a personal ac- quaintance with Lincoln as a man and a lawyer, and had formed a good opinion of his ability and character, and admired him as the standard bearer of the party in 1860. While Mr. Moffett never became a soldier in active service during the Civil war. yet he volunteered and went to Camp Butler to engage in the service, when on account of the serious illness and subsequent death of his father, he returned home, but for which occurrence he would undoubtedly have been actively engaged in the conflict. Later in the war he was commissioned by Gov- ernor Yates as captain of a company of volunteer home guards and in that capac-
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ity rendered valiant service to the Union cause. He smote treason wherever he found it lurking in the rear of the Union army. Despising disloyalty to his govern- ment, he would tear the masks from the faces of those who sought to hide their treason and hold them up to public scorn and contempt.
In 1861 he represented Blue Mound township on the board of supervisors of Macon county. He filled this position again in 1864 and for the five succeeding years, also in 1876 and 1894, making nine years he served in that capacity. He served as a member of the Twenty-seventh and Twenty-eighth General Assemblies of the state of Illinois. In 1876 he was elected a member of the state board of equalization and, serving two years as such, he resigned to take his seat in the state senate of Il- linois, which he accupied for four years. During all the years of his public life he performed his duties fearlessly, meritori- ously and honestly. He left a clean record and an untarnished reputation.
In his private walks of life and in his home we find his true character and worth revealed. As a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church he gave liberally to its support for upwards of forty years. He frequently attended its synod and general assembly meetings and felt deeply inter- ested in whatever promoted the interests of the church. His religious ways were not spasmodic and impetuous, but even, regu- lar, firm. He taught correct thinking and living by example rather than precept. Of a hospitable nature, the society of his fam- ily, his neighbors and friends was pleasing to him. Without ostentation himself, he recognized no distinction between men on account of material affluence. Affectation in any of its forms was distasteful to him. Canting hypocrisy and sycophancy were entirely foreign to his make-up. Thorough- ly democratic in his thoughts, manners and
living, he bowed respectfully only to that nobility born of the heart and mind. The many private offices of trust he filled as executor and administrator of estates be- speak the general confidence reposed in his integrity. He was popular because eas- ily approached and generous in his treat- ment. If it can be said that he possessed a distinguishing trait in his business and so- cial life, it was his disposition to help those unfortunate or in distress.
ยท
Mr. Moffett was a successful farmer and business man. His commodious home and large farm attest his thrift and enterprise. In all that pertained to his business he kept abreast of the times. The promotion of agricultural matters at all times received his active interest and support. When the "Farmers' Institute" of the county was or- ganized he became its first president. Edu- cational matters received a large share of his attention. For years a director in his school district, and as a member of the board of trustees of Lincoln University, Lincoln, Illinois, and as a member of the state legislature he became interested in our state university at Urbana, Illinois; and during his last years as a member of the board of directors of the James Millikin University, Decatur, Illinois, he discharged his duty in these several positions with" pleasure to himself and satisfaction to the public.
Early in 1901 a fatal disease had seized him, but with an abiding patience and splendid fortitude, he was able to wave back for a time the approach of dissolu- tion: and, lingering through the summer months of that year and far into the fall to where nature was changing her garb for a new season, then he, too, nature's child as he had always been, changed his garb to enter the new life. He left as his richest legacy to his widow and children an honored name; his worldly affairs were placed in the hands of his three boys to
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control, manage and administer for the of the Great Jehovah and the Continental benefit of his ever devoted and loving wife.
Mrs. Helen L. Moffett, his widow, still survives him. In years she is now beyond the allotted three score and ten, but still enjoying a fair measure of good health. She is the eldest daughter of Josiah and Susan (Walker) Barrows, and was born near the inland town of Bridport, in Addison county, Vermont, on the Ist day of Feb- ruary, 1832. The only near relative now living is a sister, Mrs. A. C Allinson, of Table Rock, Nebraska. General Artemus Ward, whom Washington succeeded as commander-in-chief of the American army, was her great uncle.
The site of her Vermont home is a beaut- tiful and picturesque place. It is upon the summit of a hill where looking cast- ward the Green mountains present a view of perennial verdure, and on the west are the massive and towering Adirondacks. There the first beams of morning break upon the mountain tops of the east and the latest beams of evening fall behind the mountain peaks of the west. Some four miles distant, and between these mountain scenes, are the clear, silvery waters of Lake Champlain. All about are the hillside and valley farms upon which quaint but sub- stantial buildings rest ; and everywhere are to be seen evidences of thrift, enterprise and frugality, which are permeated by a moral stamina, altogether worthy the de- scendants of the Pilgrim Fathers. In the carly days of the American Revolution this very soil was consecrated to civil liberty. Over and across it the colonial bands marched to strike here and there a blow for independence. Just across the lake on its west bank were Crown Point and Fort Ti- conderoga, and these places, then important commanding positions of the British, were assaulted and captured by the intrepid Green Mountain boys under the command of the gallant Ethan Allen "in the name
Congress."
These natural features and historical facts always inspired in Mrs. Moffett a just pride in her New England home, but from a more personal standpoint its memories have become hallowed. There were her playmates of youth with whom ties of af- fection bound her for life ; there, as a girl, she went tripping down the hill and over the narrow highway to the little red school- house : there she was awakened to a realiza- tion that life is earnest and full of possi- bilities; there her marriage vows were spoken; and there lies the sacred dust of her father and sister.
Very early in life Mrs. Moffett began to prepare herself carefully to become a school teacher. With diligence and close applica- tion she became qualified for this work upon completing the course of studies in the public schools. She thereupon engaged a school and for two terms taught with en- tire satisfaction to her patrons. Not yet satisfied with her preparations for the work, she entered Castleton Seminary, at Castle- ton, Vermont, and there completing the course of studies, was graduated in 1852 with high honors. Thus qualified, she be- gan what she assumed was her life work in real earnest. Her services were in demand and the question of better wages was un- der consideration. An unexpected oppor- tunity was offered. It seems almost in- credible that the teachers of New England came west for better wages in that early day, but such was the fact. In 1854 Mrs. Moffett was invited by her cousin, Erastus Wright, a noted abolitionist of Springfield, Illinois, to visit him with a view of pur- suing her work in the west. This invita- tion was accepted, and, in company with her sister, Susan, who was on her way to Mississippi to teach school, she started for Springfield, and when forty miles south of Chicago her train became snow bound for
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two weeks. Finally reaching her destina- tion she was delighted to find a school awaiting her and for nearly two years there- after, and until her marriage, she taught in Sangamon and Macon counties.
The marital relations of Mr. and Mrs. Moffett were in many respects ideal. She was a most capable helpmate. Her educa- tional attainments and affable manner made her services indispensable to the promotion of her husband's interests and ambition. Ever sharing his joys and pleasures, she likewise shared his sorrows and trials. In the best and truest sense of the term she was a kind, affectionate and beloved wife.
At an early age she united with the Con- gregational church, but after her marriage her membership was changed to the Madi- son Cumberland Presbyterian church of Blue Mound township, where she has ever since continued to worship. Her bounties to the cause of her church, in labor and means and devotion, were always to the full . measure of her abilities.
In her home, with her family, she dis- played much ability and tact. Giving edu- cation a large place in the circle, she di- rected it along those lines that make better, truer and nobler lives. Many of the typical traits of the New England people were strikingly manifested in her ways and work. Economieal, systematic, neat, a model cook and housekeeper, were among her distin- guishing characteristics and accomplish- ments. For years her home was a social mecca where country life was enjoyed by friends far and near ; and now, in the even- tide of her life, it is not too much to say that all who know her respect her. For nearly a half century she has mingled with the people of Macon county, and, at every step, her true, upright, Christian life has sent sunshine and happiness unto some heart and home, in a quiet, unobtrusive way. As a wife she was adored ; as a mother she
is loved. It may well be said that the world is better for her living.
"And on that cheek, and o'er that brow, So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent, A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent!"
CHARLES C. PFISTER.
Decatur is pre-eminently a city of gen- erals-generals of commerce, of manufac- tures, of construction and what-not. The small salesman has a modest occupation, looked upon as comparatively humble until he becomes a manager and employer of men on a large scale. Then he proves his ability as a general and then it is that his occupation is no longer humble but abreast of those of the leaders of all countries. In the lines of manufacture and construction he becomes a general, marshalling his forces with precision and utilizing all the means at hand to the best ends and accomplishing results that are creditable alike to himself and his city. Such has been the career of Charles C. Pfister, who is now largely and profitably engaged in the manufacture of carpets and rugs and who is also a re- tail dealer in such commodities.
A native of Weissenberg, Bavaria, Charles C. Pfister was born on the 11th of March, 1852, and is a son of George and Wilhelmina Pfister. His father was a shoe- maker by trade and died when the son was a little lad of four years, leaving a widow and seven children. Charles C. and his sis- ter, Amelia, however, are the only ones of the family that ever came to the new world. The subject of this review spent the days of his boyhood and youth in his native country, acquiring his education there and entering upon his business career within its borders. At length, however, he determined
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to sever the business ties that bound him to the fatherland and to come to America with its broader opportunities and its great ad- vantages. He crossed the Atlantic in the year 1881 and, locating in Pittsburg, Penn- sylvania, spent nine months in that city. He next went to Lancaster. Pennsylvania. where he worked at his trade, that of weav- ing, for three years. He had learned the business in Bavaria and he put it to much use in seeking a living in the new world. In September. 1885, he arrived in Decatur and purchased the carpet-weaving business of C. A. Westhaver. Since that time he has increased the plant and enlarged the scope of the enterprise until his establishment represents one of the leading industries of Decatur, which is a city of manufactories and industrial concerns. He now manufac- tures not only carpets, but also a choice grade of rugs and in 1899 he added a re- tail department to his establishment, in which he carries a large line of ingrain car- pets, mattings, linoleums, oilcloths and other floor coverings. He began business with a cash capital of two hundred and forty dollars, but has gradually developed his in- dustry and has made it a paying and pros- perous concern. Two before him who were owners of the plant had met with failure and disappointment, but he brought to his work marked energy, good experience and strong determination.
In 1876 occurred the marriage of Mr. Pfister and Miss Annastiena Loeffler, a na- tive of Saxony, Germany, and they now have two children, Richard and Otto. Mr. Pfister has built a comfortable home for his family in Decatur and he is a member of the German Aid Society here and a loyal citizen devoted to the welfare and progress of the locality. Probably no person in De- catur is a better representative of a purely self-made man than he. He has not a dollar that has not been honestly acquired through his own labors and his great success should
furnish both lessons and incentive, his life being an example of honest worth and un- swerving integrity. Success in any line of occupation or in any avenne of business is not a matter of spontaneity, but is the le- gitimate result of strong determination and consecutive effort and it is in this way that Mr. Pfister has advanced from a humble position in the business world to a place among the leading manufacturers of De- catur.
WILLIAM J. CHENOWETH, M. D.
Dr. William J. Chenoweth is the veteran medical practitioner of Decatur, and also stands at the head of his profession in skill and ability. He reached this city on the 24th of May, 1854, and has since been con- nected with its interests, professionally and otherwise. Few men are more widely known in Macon county than the Doctor, who well deserves representation in the his- tory of his adopted county.
Dr. Chenoweth was born in Greensburg, Kentucky, and comes of one of the okl and prominent families of that state. His paternal great-grandfather, Captain Richard Chenoweth, went to that state and settled on an island in the Ohio river, later called Corn island, for it was there that the first corn was raised for the colonies. Hle was a carpenter by trade and contracted to build the fort at Louisville for three thousand dollars. He performed his part of the con- tract but never received the money. He cul- tivated a farm near Middletown and ex- perienced all the hardships and difficulties of pioneer life. On one occasion he and his family were attacked in the night by Indi- ans and narrowly escaped death. On hear- ing the red men he ran to his gun rack and while taking down the gun was struck on the arm and so disabled as not to get it. Seeking safety by rushing out of the open
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door, he escaped and made his way to the fort. One or two of the children were killed. Mrs. Chenoweth was attacked and stabbed seven times and the scalp torn off her head, which fortunately was not tomahawked. The Indians left her for dead but she sur- vived the awful treatment. James Cheno- weth was asleep in a chair when the Indi- ans broke down the door at his side and buried a tomahawk in his skull as they rushed past him. Slipping out of the house, he hid under a pile of wood until the sav- ages left, when he attempted to find the fort at Middletown, but, becoming confused, he crouched between the roots of a large peach tree until daylight. John Chenoweth, the first ancestor of the family in this country, came from Wales in 1720, accompanied by his two sons. The family made their home in Berkeley county, Virginia, until 1778, when a part of the family, Richard, the great-grandfather of our subject among them, weut to Kentucky, as above stated.
The grandfather, James Chenoweth, was a native of that state, and our subject's father. John S. Chenoweth, was born in Shelby county. In Lexington, Kentucky, the latter married Eliza Ross, and when their son William was about nine months old they removed to Harrisburg, where the father engaged in merchandising. He was a prominent citizen of his native statc. His wife died in 1836. In the family were five children, namely : William J., Martha A., Elizabeth, Margaret and Thomas J. The sisters are all now deceased. Thomas is a druggist in Maysville, Kentucky.
The Doctor, whose birth occurred Decem- ber 1, 1823, acquired his education in pri- vate schools in Louisville and Harrodsburg, Kentucky. When he was about twelve years old his father had removed to the former city, where he did business as a produce commission merchant and whole- sale cotton dealer. Young William worked in his father's office until after his mother's
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