USA > Illinois > Morgan County > Portrait and biographical album of Morgan and Scott Counties, Illinois > Part 19
USA > Illinois > Scott County > Portrait and biographical album of Morgan and Scott Counties, Illinois > Part 19
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ACOB H. PEAK was born in Anderson County, Tenn., on May 26, 1829. Ilis fa- ther, Absalom Peak, eame to Seott County, Ill., Sept. 29, and died May 23, 1867. He married Rebecca Butler, whose parents lived and died in Anderson County, Tenn. Their marriage oeeurred in 1822. The old lady is now living in Seott County on the farm taken up by her husband in the first decade of the present eentury. She. was the mother of ten children. The following six of whom grew to maturity: Sallie, Germania, Jacob HI., Luke, William and Mary J.
Sallie was married twiee. Her first husband was C. T. Gillham, by whom she had two children, Harriet and Delos. Her second husband was I. J. True, by whom she was the mother of four children. She is deceased. Luke went to California in 1853, where he married and is now farming in Merced County, that State; William married Jane Leib, and is farming in Seott County, this State. They have two children : Charles and Leo D .; Mary mar- ried John W. Morrison. They are now living in
Vernon County, Mo., with their four children : Charles, Delos, Willard and James.
Jacob H. Peak married Matilda Campbell, whose father eame from Tennessee. In her father's fam- ily there were six children, four of whom are liv- ing: Newton J., James P., Mary Jane, and Matilda. Newton JJ., married Susan Simmons. They are now residing in Scott County, and have six ehild- ren : Ann, Mollie, Luey, Lizzie, Lois, and Norman ; James P., married a Miss Bacon, and is now living near Odell, Gage Co., Neb. They have four ehild- ren : Minerva, Ralph, Ira and Matilda. Mary Jane married George W. Camp. They reside in Riggston this State, and have eight children: Charles, Mark, John, Cynthia, Joseph, Aliee, Fannie and Florenee.
Mr. Peak, whose name appears at the beginning of this sketeh, was the father of seven children, four of whom are living: Mary J .. Kate, Dora and Lnla. Kate married Sherman Luttrell, and is the mother of two children: Rova May and Lois. Alice (de- eeased) married Jacob Bowyer of this eounty. She left three children, who are living with their grandfather. Their names are Seott P., Mary .J., and Hersehel.
When Mr. Peak commeneed life his possessions consisted of a horse, saddle and bridle, but by hard work on a farm, he aeeummulated enough money from his monthly wages to buy a place containing 118 acres of partially improved land, soon after his marriage. He afterward sold this farm and purchased a quarter seetion of land in this eounty, adding each year thereto until he now owns 330 aeres of rich Illinois prairie. This farm is all un- der a high state of cultivation, and upon it have been ereeted good buildings. He does a general farm business and is eminently sueeessful. Hé is one of that elass of farmers who believes that if anything is worth doing at all, it is worth doing well, and upon that preeept he has built up a reputation as a farmer whose method of operations might be profi- tably imitated. His wife and children are mem- bers of the Christian Church.
Mr. Peak, politieally, is a sound Democrat, and firmly believes in the principles of his party, al- though he has kept aloof from polities and has held no office except that of Township Trustee, a posi- tion whose duties were discharged in his usual
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painstaking manner. He has often served on the county juries and as a Juryman has invariably given satisfaction. In a summary of his life Mr. Peak may be truly ealled a representative Illinois farmer.
Among the pleasant homes of Morgan County, views of which appear on these pages, few are more attractive externally or internally than the country residence of Mr. Peak. It portrays the comforts of rural life amid the pleasant prospects of Nature.
ARDIN COX is thoroughly identified witlı the extensive agricultural interests of Mor- gan County as one of its energetic and suc- cessful farmers and stock-raisers. He is pur- suing his ealling on the place where his father located after marriage, township 16, range 10, and where he was born Oet. 17, 1847. Ile comes of good old pioneer stock, his grandfather, Jeremialı Cox, hav- ing come here with his family from their old Ken- tueky home, in the fall of 1829, in the very early days of the settlement of the county, and cast his lot with the few settlers that had preceded him to this seetion of Illinois. He spent the remainder of his life on this homestead, which by hard labor he developed from the wild prairies, and here he died Dec. 3, 1862, at a ripe old age. He was born in Washington County, Md., and at the age of six months was taken by his parents to Kentucky, where he grew to manhood. For many years prior to his location in Illinois he was a resident of Litchfield, Grayson Co., Ky. He was twice mar- ried. The wife of his early manhood was Harriet R. Briseoe, to whom he was married April 30, 1820. She was born Oct, 3, 1803, and died July 17, 1823, leaving two children, namely : Charles, the father of our subjeet; and Eliza, who married John Ilnffman, and subsequently died. Over fonr years later, Dec. 3, 1827, he was again married, to Margaret Yates, a native of Washington County, Ky., and born June 25, 1805. To them were born eleven children, of whom ten survive. The wife and mother lived for many years thereafter, pass- ing away Nov. 2, 1882.
Charles Cox, the father of our subjeet, was born
in Kentucky, and was a lad of eight years when his parents brought him to this county, where he grew to maturity. He was united in marriage with Miss Francena II., daughter of Spruee Phillips, whose sketeli is published in this volume. They became the parents of eight children, as follows; Hardin, the subject of this sketeli; Evan, deceased; Mary, deceased, was the wife of William J. Miller; Jeremiah; Hannah, Mrs. James II. Long; Harriet, now Mrs. Jolin T. Sample; Lizzie, deceased; and Charles. The father was bred to the life of a far- mer, and followed that vocation with financial sue- eess until his death, April 27, 1885, at the age of sixty-four years, one month, and three days. He was a good man and a reliable citizen, who pos- sessed the confidence and respect of all about him. His wife survived him until May 28, 1888, when she too passed to the great beyond, aged sixty-two. years, four months, and ten days. She was a true and consistent member of the Baptist Church, and we may remark in this connection that the paternal aneestry of our subject for some generations be- longed to the Christian denomination, with the cx- eeption of his grandfather, who was converted from that faith to Catholicism by his second wife.
Hardin Cox, of whom these lines are a brief life- record, was reared on the homestead where he was horn, and where he still lives, spending a part of his early life in Jacksonville, where he attended school and gained a practical education. When it came time to choose his life work, he selected that of a farmer, to which his tastes, as well as his early training adapted him, and is now eondueting with marked snecess the farm which his father gave him. It comprises 240 aeres of land under high cultivation and well im- proved, having a fine set of buildings and all the modern conveniences for carrying on farming so as to obtain the best results.
To the wife who presides so pleasantly over his home, making it comfortable and attractive not only to the members of the household, but to all others, Mr. Cox was married near Somerset, Ky., on the 4th of February, 1885. Her maiden name was Mattie J. Saunders, and she is a daughter of G. W. and Jane (Long) Saunders, natives, respect- ively of Virginia and Kentucky, and residents of the latter State. Two children, Mabel S. and II.
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Charles, have come to gladden the home and wedded lives of our subject and his amiable wife. Prior to her marriage Mrs. Cox was engaged in teaching in one of the prominent seminaries of Kentucky for thirce years.
Mr. Cox in 1873 removed to Chicago and en- gaged in the live-stock commission business with Robert Strahorn & Co., drawing a salary of $1,800 per year for three years. At the expiration of that period he returned to his farm, where he has since passed his time, with the exception of three months, during which time he was solicitor for B. F. Harri- sou & Co., Chicago.
Mr. Cox is prompt and methodical in his habits, which, combined with steady industry and thrifty management, have been the means of his achieving an assured success while yet in the prime of life. He and his wife are members in good standing of the Baptist Church, and the record of their lives shows them to be true Christians. Mr. Cox Is conservative in his political views, and coming from a Democratic family, follows in the footsteps of his forefathers in politics.
OHN J. GOODPASTURE. Men have come to this county from all points of the com- pass, and the most of them have possessed those habits of industry and perseverence which have enabled them to build up comfortable homes and become reputable and praiseworthy cit- izens. Second to none in his township is the sub- · jeet of this notice, who is pleasantly located on sec- tion 21, township 16, range 11, where he has a fine farm of 160 acres and besides this owns eighty- seven acres in another part of the same township. With the exception of five years spent in Nemcha County, Kan., he has resided on this farm since the fall of 1864. Mr. Goodpasture was born in Overton County, Tenn., about 1815. of parents who were natives of Virginia. His father, Abra- ham Goodpasture, after his marriage settled in the western part of Tennessee where he lived until about 1826, then came to Illinois and took a tract of gov- ernment land two miles east of the present city of
Jacksonville, where he lived until 1838. Then sell- ing out he purchased land in township 16, range 11, where he built up a comfortable homestead and died in 1866, at the age of over eighty years.
The mother of our subject, was in her girlhood Miss Hannah Williard, danghter of William Wil- liard, a Revolutionary soldier who fought at the battle of Yorktown and in many other engagements under Gen. Wayne. He was a favorite with his commander and was one of those selected to assist in the taking of Stony Point. He spent his last years in Illinois. The mother of our subject sur- vived her husband a number of years, and died at the home of her son, John J., in 1882, when quite aged.
The subject of this sketch was a little more than an infant when his parents came to this county, where he has spent nearly his entire life. He was first married to Miss Emily Long, a native of his own State, and who like him came with her parents to this county when quite young. She became the mother of three children, and departed this life at the homestead in January, 1849, while in her prime.
The children of this marriage were all daughters; Harriet became the wife of John Alexander, and died in Kansas, leaving one son; Hannah is the widow of B. II. Job, and is also a resident of Kan- sas; Mary J., is the wife of William Layton, and they reside on a farm in Clond County, Kan.
Our subject contracted a second marriage with Miss Mahala Rayborn, a native of Tennessee, who came to Illinois in her youth and after the death of her mother. Her father afterward died in Ten- nessce. Our subject by his present marriage is the father of three children, one of whom, Maggie, died when an interesting young woman. Sarah is the wife of D. K. McCarthy, and they are living on a farm in the same township as our subject; Samuel married Miss Belle Long, and they also occupy a farm not far from the Goodpasture home- stead.
Our subjeet, politically, does not confine himself to party lines, but aims to support the men whom he considers best qualified to serve the interests of the people. Aside from tilling the office of Justice of the Peace he has had very little to do with public affairs, preferring to devote his best efforts to his
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farming interests. He has one of the pleasantest homes in the county and one which indicates in a forcible manner the enterprise, industry and good taste of the proprietor.
Le ARKIN B. SMITHI. The enterprise of this gentleman has placed him in the front rank among the successful farmers and stoek- growers of this county. He has a fine estate, cm- braeing 573 acres of land, 140 in the homestead proper, which is located on seetion 16, township 16, range 11. He has occupied this since the spring of 1867, since which time he has given his atten- tion mostly to the breeding of fine horses and cat- tle, of which he has a goodly assortment, and is in the habit of carrying off the blue ribbons.
During his early manhood Mr. Smith, having much mechanical genius, was engaged for somnc time as a carpenter and joiner, but farming being more congenial to his tastes, he finally changed his occupation, although this talent has served him well in this direction also, and been the means of saving hundreds of dollars. He purchased his first land direct from the Government and this he still occupies. He was one of the pioneers of this county, coming to it as early as 1835, and lived with his parents at what is now Glasgow, south of Winchester, in Scott County, and which place was laid out by his father. Scott was then embraced in Morgan County. The family removed to what is now Morgan, about 1839.
A native of Washington County, Ky., our sub- ject was born four miles from the town of Spring- field, Jan. 14, 1816, and is the son of Ashford Smith, who served under Gen. Harrison, in the War of 1812, as First Lieutenant in the battle of Tippecanoe. Ile was born in Virginia, and was the son of John Smith, of Frederiektown, where he spent his entire life engaged in farming pursuits, after having served as a Captain in the Revolution- ary War. Ile married a Virginia lady and became the father of a large family.
The father of our subject was reared in Vir- ginia, and when a young man repaired to Spring- field, Ky., where he learned the trade of a tanner
and currier and where he lived for about fifteen years. At the expiration of this time he turned his attention to agricultural pursuits. In Wash- ington County, Ky., he married Miss Mary Wright, daughter of William Wright, a Virginian farmer and an old Revolutionary soldier. Mr. Wright took up his residenee in Kentucky, and was there married to Miss Elizabeth Burdeen, and they spent their entire lives in Washington County. In pay- ment for his services as a soldier Mr. Wright ob- tained a warrant for a large tract of land, and after settling upon it occupied himself with its im- provement.
The parents of our subjeet after their marriage settled in Springfield, Ky., where the father fol- lowed his trade of a tanner most of the time, until coming to Illinois, in 1835. Here he seleeted a tract of land in township 16, range 11, where he built up a comfortable homestead and lived to be eiglity-seven years old. The wife and mother died at the age of seventy-seven, prior to the deinise of her husband. Both were members of the Methodist Protestant Church, and in politics Mr. Smith was an old line Democrat.
The subject of this sketeli was next to the eldest of his parents' ten children, five sons and five daughters. He was quite young when coming with them to Illinois, and spent his life thereafter until his marriage, in this county. His first wife, Miss Nancy J. Nash, was born in Coles County, this State, but was brought by her parents to this county when quite young, and here was reared to womanhood. She died at the homestead in 1849, in the prime of life, leaving one ehild, Isaac N., who married Miss Saralı Moss, a sister of George . M. Moss, whose biography will be found elsewhere in this volume. Mrs. Smith was a sufferer from consumption, and was ill for some time before her deccase. She was a lady possessing many friends, and a member in good standing of the Methodist Church.
Our subject in due time contracted a second marriage, with Miss Martha Goodpasture, who was born in Overton County, Tenn., July 10, 1826. She was less than one year old, when her father, Abraham Goodpasture, came to this county. A further notice of the family will be found in the
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biography of Jolm J. Goodpasture, on another page in this ALBUM. Mrs. Smithi received a com- mon-school education, and remained a member of the parental household until her marriage. Of this union there were born twelve children, three of whom are deceased, namely: William, Melvina and Elvina, the two latter twins. The eldest son liv- ing, Thomas J., married Miss Maude Zook, and they live on a farm in township 16, range 11. Larkin B. married Miss Jane Richardson; M. Alice is the wife of John Ham; Marshall married Miss Ada Morrison; Sydney married Miss Maria Deeker. The above all live in the same township. Eliza- beth J. is the wife of Julius Laughary, and they live at Arenzville, in Cass County. Lewis A. and Richard P. make their home with their parents, the former engaged as a teaeller, and the latter as- sisting his father on the farm.
Mr. Smith cast his first Presidential vote for Martin Van Buren, and is a sound Democrat, first, last and all the time. He has served as Justice of the Peace, and occupied various other positions of trust. He is in all respeets looked upon as a representa- tive citizen, one who has contributed his full quota to the building up of his eounty.
G EORGE W. MILLER, physician and sur- geon, and a resident of Woodson sinee 1872, was born in St. Charles County, Mo., May 11, 1842. ITis . parents, Robert and Magdalene Simons) Miller, were natives of Virginia, and the father a farmer by ocupation. The latter was born Feb. 22, 1796, and died at his home in St. Charles County, Mo., April 30, 1871, when a little over seventy-five years of age.
The father of our subject was one of the earliest pioneers of Missouri, settling in St. Charles County, in 1823. Ile entered a tract of wild land, and be- eame prominent in that section, serving as County Judge and as a Representative in the State Legis- lature of 1849-50. In polities he was an uneom- promising Democrat, and one of the leaders of his party in that section. He had arisen from an hum- ble position in life solely by the exereise of his
own industry and was a man of more than ordinary intelligence, respeeted by all who knew him.
The mother of our subject was born in Roek- bridge County, Va., June 22, 1806, and died at the old homestead in St. Charles County, Mo., Feb. 11, 1881. She was a lady possessing all the Christian virtues, and a devoted member of the Old School Presbyterian Chureli. The parental household in -. eluded thirteen children, namely: Jolın, James, Martha, Mariamne, Elizabeth, Naney, Adelaide, Susan, Sally; George W., our subjeet; Anna 'T., Silas W. and Mary Ellen. Of these John, Elizabeth, Adelaide and Naney are deceased. The others are residents mostly of Missouri.
Our subjeet was reared upon his father's farm in his native county, where he made his home until a young man of twenty. three years. When leaving the parental roof he proceeded to Jacksonville, Ill., where he entered college, taking the full term of three years in the seientifie course, and was graduated in 1868. From college he established himself in St. Charles, Mo., where he commeneed studying medieine under the instruction of Dr. B. W. Rogers, with whom he remained two years. Subsequently he attended lectures in the Medieal College at St. Louis, from which he was graduated on the 6th of March, 1871.
Dr. Miller commeneed the practice of his profes- sion in Prentice, this county, but in December fol- lowing removed to Jacksonville, of which lie eon- tinued a resident and practitioner until the summer of 1872. On the 19th of June, that year, he estab- lished himself at Woodson, where he has sinee con. tinued to reside.
The subject of this sketeh contraeted matrimon- ial ties July 19, 1871, with Miss Luey H. Galbraith. Mrs. Miller was born March 17, 1845, in Jackson- ville, Ill., and is the daughter of Samuel and Sally (Crume) Galbraith, who were natives respectively of Pennsylvania and Kentucky. The father was born Jan. 9, 1799, and died at his home in Jaek- sonville, Ill., July 28, 1863. The mother was born Jan. 21, 1807, and passed away eleven years after the death of her husband in Jacksonville, Feb. 23, 1874. Mr. Galbraith was for many years a copper- smith by trade, and with his excellent wife was a member in good standing of the Christian Church.
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They were the parents of nine children, of whom Mrs. Miller was next to the youngest. Of her union with our subject there were born three chil- dren-Sally Edith, George Ernest and Grace Ern- estine, all of whom died in infaney.
Mrs. Miller departed this life Feb. 6, 1888, in the forty-third year of her age. She was a most amiable Christian lady, beloved by all who knew her, and a zealous worker in the Christian Church, to which she had belonged a number of years. Possessed of fine musical talents, she was an adept with the violin and a splendid performer on the piano and organ. Ever ready to advance worthy enterprises having for their object the social and moral welfare of the community, she cheerfully presided at the various entertainments in the vil- lage, and by her pleasant face and loveable diposi- tion made herself a favorite with all, especially the young. In her death the community lost one of its brightest lights, and her husband his most cher- ished friend.
Politically, Dr. Miller supports the principles of the Democratic party. In the Masonie fraternity he has held the office of Past Master for a period of four years. He is also a member of the Chris- tian Church, to the support of which he contributes liberally of his means, and in whose welfare he is warmly interested.
A portrait of Dr. Miller is worthy of an honored place among the prominent residents of Woodson.
B ENJAMIN DYE has been a resident of Morgan County nearly thirty years, and during that time has been prosperously pur- suing agriculture and is one of the promi- nent farmers of township 15, range 10. Here he has a beautiful home, replete with all the modern conveniences and comforts, of a pleasing style of architecture and constructed of brick. His farm comprises a quarter of section 12, and it is con- sidered one of the best managed and most desirable in this part of the county.
The subject of this biography was born April 30, 1828, in Miami Co. Ohio, within five miles of the town of Troy. His father, Vincent Dye, was
a native of the same county, born in the early days of its settlement, and after attaining to manhood he undertook the pioneer task of constructing a farm from the primeval forest in that wild, sparsely settled part of the country. Ile took unto him a wife, Rebecca Swills, and seven children blessed their union, three of whom are living: our subject; Maria, now Mrs. Harris, of Indiana; Fanny, ( Mrs. Ellidge) of Missouri. In 1832, he moved with his family to Tippecanoe Co., Ind., and became a pio- neer there. In 1859, he made another move and be- came a pioneer of still another State, this time set- tling in Bates County, Missouri. He was not allowed to remain in undisturbed possession of his new home very long, but on account of his strong union and anti-slavery sentiments, which he was too noble to disguise even for peace and safety, he was driven out of that county, and returning to Indiana in 1861, he died there in the month of August, aged sixty-five years, and now lies quietly sleeping . his last sleep near Dayton, Ind. . IIe was a good and true man, whose honorable, manly course through life merited the highest respect. His wife stayed in Missouri after his departure to look after their property, and after the close of the war came to Illinois and made her home with our subject till she elosed her eyes in death at the age of sixty- five years.
Our subject inherited from his worthy parents many sterling traits of character that have made him a strong, manly man, true to those high princi- ples that they inculcated by precept and example. He was a child of four years when he was taken from the beautiful scenes of his early home to In- diana, and there, near Dayton, seven miles from LaFayette, where his father took up new land, he grew to manhood, obtaining a good, practical edu- cation in the common schools. After his school- days were over he engaged with his father in farm- ing till he attained his majority, when he worked on a farm for some one else at first, and after a little had a farm of his own. IIe began with eighty acres of timber land, which he improved into a fine farm before he left it, and erected a good frame house and other buildings. When he first started out in life, desiring a companion and helpmate, Mr. Dye asked Miss Sarah Bugher to share his fate and
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fortunes with him, and they were united in mar- riage in June, 1850. Mrs. Dye is an Indianian by birth, born about six miles south of Delphi, the county seat of Carroll County, in 1829, and she lived under the parental roof till her marriage. Her father, Samuel Bugher, was a native of Miami County, Ohio, and was there married to Miss Nancy Schaeffer, who was born near Troy, that State. They moved to Indiana at the same time that the parents of our subject did, and lived there till after the marriage of their daughter and our subjeet, when they went to Wisconsin. Mr. Sehaef- fer died there, and his wife also, her death preceeding his. He was always a farmer and also owned and managed a mill.
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