USA > Illinois > Morgan County > Portrait and biographical album of Morgan and Scott Counties, Illinois > Part 50
USA > Illinois > Scott County > Portrait and biographical album of Morgan and Scott Counties, Illinois > Part 50
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81
father's estate. He is engaged in stock-raising, and as a result of good management, has been very suc- cessful.
Mr. Vasey came with his parents to this connty in 1849, and has lived in the township where he now resides, since 1852. He is a native of York- shire, England, and was born Feb. 27, 1841. His father, John Vasey, was a Yorkshire Englishman, and after he became of age, married Anna S. Rich- ardson, a native of the same shire. The senior Vasey was engaged as a pork packer in the old country, and until he came to America. . John Vasey, the father of the subject of this sketch, came from a prominent English family, who were the owners of a large tract of real estate in Yorkshire, England, where the Vaseys had lived for many generations.
It was after the birth of all the family of seven children, four of whom are living, when on May 21, 1849, the Vasey family left their native heath for Hull, England, where they took passage for Quebec, and after a voyage of eight weeks and three days, landed in America. From Quebee they came directly to Morgan County, and located near Lynn- ville, where they resided until 1852. They then removed to the township in which the subject of this sketch now resides, and where the father at- tained a fine property. At the time of his death he was the owner of 600 acres of splendid land, a small portion of which was valuable timber. John Vasey, Sr., died at his home July 20, 1871, at the age of sixty-five years. His wife survived him, and died June 17, 1884, aged seventy-two, and so a worthy couple passed away leaving to their chil- dren a heritage beyond priec, that of a good name.
John Vasey, of whom this sketch is written, had the advantage of a good training by worthy par- ents. He lived at home until after the death of his father, and in 1875 made a trip to his native home in England, and was there married. The ceremony occurred at St. Michaels, in Malton, and the bride was Miss Isabella Danby. She was a native of York, England, and was born in Jan. 1851. She is the daughter of English parents. William and Annie A. (Marshall) Danby. Her father, William Danby, was a successful furniture and cabinet-maker until his death, which occurred in Malton, England. He
427
MORGAN COUNTY.
was a prominent man in his shire, and was reck- oned as an influential and good citizen. His wife, who survives him, is now in America, living with her daughter, Mrs. Vasey. She is past sixty-seven years of age, but is in the enjoyment of good health, and is an intelligent lady. Mrs. Vasey obtained a good education in her native country, and is the worthy daughter of worthy parents.
Mr. and Mrs. Vasey fully appreciate their nice home and enjoy it. They have no children of their own, but are foster parents of one child, Louisa Jones, an intelligent Miss of fourteen years. Po- litically Mr. Vasey is a Democrat, and he takes great interest in the public affairs of his adopted coun- try. His success in his line of business is due to the fact that he never stopped short of obtaining the best, no matter what it eost.
H. NAYLOR resides on section 9, town- ship 16, range 12, is a native of Rutland- shire, England, and was born May 12, 1817. In England the man who owns twenty-five acres of land is the possessor of a do- main, and is looked upon by his less fortunate countrymen with awe. So it is no wonder that these people, who rank among the most skilled farmers in the world, seek to better themselves by coming to America, where land is within the reach of all. Here the provident English farmer is reasonably sure to attain success, for with his prudent habits formed by necessity, coupled with his complete knowledge of husbandry, he has only to go forward and grasp the opportunities that lie within easy reach. Mr. Naylor is a good type of the English farmer, and that he has been a successful one his record will demonstrate.
Our subject was the son of Robert and Catherine Naylor, both natives of England, and his boyhood days were spent on the "tight little isle." IIis education was secured at the schools incident to his country, and as a matter of course he gained knowledge nnder difficulties. The poorer classes in European countries can send their children to school but very little, as at an early age the little ones are obliged to aid their parents in gaining a
livelihood. In the fall of 1851 Mr. Naylor became possessed of the idea that he wanted to become an owner of land, and in futherance of this scheine he took passage at Liverpool on a sailing-vessel, and after a long voyage covering two months he landed at New Orleans, in a strange country and without friends. He proceeded directly up the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, and so reached Meredosia. Here he worked for nearly three years as a farin hand, and subsequently rented a farm for several years, and to illustrate his total lack of resources, it may be incidentally stated that he was obliged to borrow money to pay his fare from St. Louis to Meredosia. IIis first purchase consisted of 695 acres of bottom land, and upon this crude farm he settled, and here has resided since. He has made additions to his original farm until he now owns 855 acres of land, and beside this he has partly given two sons an aggregate of 240 acres of land, situated in Cass County. Ill. It will thus be seen that Mr. Naylor's total possess- ions consisted at one time of 1095 acres of land, and in addition to this he also owned a quarter sec- tion in Missouri, which he gave to one of his sons who lives in that State. Mr. Naylor. by good management, and by shrewd financiering, has at- tained a high eminence in the farming community of his county, and is in every sense a good repre- sentative of the English farmer.
Mr.' Naylor was married, Sept. 29, 1842, to Sarah E. Ilaines, who was born in Rutlandshire, England, Jan. 13, 1825. She was a danghter of William and Mary ( Willimot) Haines, both natives of England. To Mr. and Mrs. Naylor have been born five children, three of whom are living: Thomas, the eldest, is residing in this county, and is the owner of one-half interest in 240 acres of land in Cass County, Ill .; George is also a resident of this county, and owns the other half of the Cass County land refered to; Charles is in Missouri; the two deceased are William H. and Mary C.
Mr. Naylor, politically, acts with the Democratic party. He has served a number of years as a School Director, and has given satisfaction. He and Mrs. Naylor are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and worship at McKindry Chapel, and he is now serving as Trustee of that
428
MORGAN COUNTY.
organization. It is a pleasure to give the history in this ALBUM of such people as Mr. and Mrs. Naylor. The praise which is given them is not of that perfunctory sort that usually attaches to biog- raphy.
W ILLIAM J. LATHOM. On section 13, township 16, range 9 west, lies one of the fairest and best tilled farms in this part of Morgan County, and its fortunate owner is the gentleman whose name is at the head of this bio- graphical review. Said farm comprises 2972 acres of fertile land, well adapted to the needs of the stock-grower, in which pursuit our subject is chiefly engaged, and all the grain that it produces is fed to his fine herd of well graded cattle.
Mr. Lathom comes of Southern blood, and his ancestors figure as pioneers of Kentucky and Indi- ana. IIc is also a pioneer, as be came to this eounty in the days of '49 and cast in his lot with the early settlers of this township. For forty years he has been managing and constantly improving his present homestead, until with its substantial, con- veniently-arranged frame buildings, and, indeed, in all its appointments it compares well with the best estates in this vicinity.
William Lathom, grandfather of our subject, born in 1769, is supposed to have been a native of Virginia, and was at all events married in the Old Dominion, Miss Nancy Norman becoming his wife. They removed to Kentucky in the carly days of its settlement, and in 1807 they once more took up the mareh to a still more unsettled part of the country. Penetrating the forests primeval of the southwestern part of the Territory of Indiana to Gibson County, they identified themselves with its early pioneers, hewed a farm out of the heav- ily timbered land, and built up a comfortable bome in which they spent their last days in peace and plenty, and amid its primitive surroundings reared their children to lives of usefulness. Their son, Ollie, was killed by the Indians in 1815, his cruel captors having stripped his clothes from his body and chopped him to pieces; James died when young.
Jonathan Lathom, the father of our subject, was
the second son of these worthy people, and he was born in Kentucky in 1805, and was scarce two years of age when his parents took him to their new home in the wilderness of Southern Indiana. He grew to a strong and self-reliant manhood, and married, in 1827, and established a home of his own, Miss Elinor, daughter of James Brown, a pioneer of Indiana, who went there from North Carolina, be- coming his wife. She was born in North Carolina, and was quite young when her parents removed to Indiana. Mr. Lathom was reared to the life of a farmer, and prosperously followed that calling on his homestead in Indiana, untii he was gathered to his fathers in 1877. His wife died in 1879, in Mor- gan County. Four sons and six danghters were born to them, as follows: William J., lames; two girls who died in infancy; Jonathan, Isephena, Sarah, George, Nancy and Richard.
Their son William was a bright, active lad, and on the old Indiana homestead where be had first seen the light of day he grew to man's estatc. He early displayed the independence, push and foresight so necessary to success in any calling, and having adopted that to which Ec had been bred, having a clear, practical knowledge of it in all its branches, he determined to make his way to the broad, open prairies of the part of Illinois embraced in Morgan County, actuated by the same pioncer spirit that had animated bis sires before him, and in 1849 he came to this neighborhood and has ever since made his home here. The success that has mnet him in his endeavors to develop a farm from the wild prairies has been recorded, and he is now in com- " fortable circumstances. He has erected a commo- dious set of frame buildings, including a neatly painted, artistically styled frame house and a good, roomy harn, and everything about the place is in good repair.
Mr. Lathom has been twice married. He was wedded in his early manhood to Miss Rhoda .l., daughter of Isham Lynn. By this marriage he had the following eight children: Jonathan J .. George R. (deceased) ; a child that died in infancy ; Lydia A., now Mrs. Martin Robinson. of whom see sketch on another page of this volume; Samuel C. Stephen D., William N .; Hattie E., now Mrs. Charles Virgin (of whom sce sketch on another page
429
MORGAN COUNTY.
in this volume). Mrs. Lathom died in 1870, leav- ing to those who loved her the memory of a true and pleasant womanhood. Mr. Lathom later mar- ried Miss Jane, daughter of Isaae R. and Mary (Jones) Bennitt, and one son, Robert T., has blessed their union. Mrs. Lathom is a devoted member of the Baptist Church, and in every deed shows her- self to be guided by high Christian principles.
The eitizenship of this community received a worthy reeruit when our subjeet eame here to es- tablish a home among its intelligent, industrious people forty years ago, and neither by word or deed has he shown himself unworthy of the confidenee in which he is held by all. He interests himself in the polities of his country, and is a stalwart Demo- erat.
C ORNELIUS DEWEES. One of the best regulated farms in township 16, range 11, is owned and operated by the subject of this notiee, who is one of the earliest settlers of this eounty. His homestead embraees 240 aeres of thoroughly cultivated land, with good buildings and modern improvements, forest, fruit and shade trees, and all the appliances of the enterprising and progressive agrieulturist. As a man and a eitizen Mr. Dewees has fulfilled his obligations to the eom- munity in a praiseworthy manner, and enjoys the friendship of the best people of this region. He is thus entitled to a more than passing notiee in a work of this kind.
With the exception of eight years spent in Jaek- son County, Mo .. prior to the late Civil War, Mr. Dewees has been a resident of this county since 1829. He served in the Mexican War, but saw little aetive fighting. He was born in Barren County, Ky , Nov. 22, 1824, and is the son of South- ern parents-Nimrod and Elizabeth (Murphy) De- wees, who were natives of North Carolina, where Grandfather Cornelius Dewees, it is believed, was also born. reared and married. When Nimrod was but a ehild they removed to Kentucky, where they sojourned for a number of years, and where the mother of Nimrod died when quite old.
In Barren County, Ky., the father of our subjeet was married to Miss Murphy, who was born in Vir-
ginia. After the birth of four children, one of whom died, the parents with their three living chil- dren eame to this eounty, and the father entered a traet of Government land on seetion 1, in town- ship 15, range 11, now owned by William Patterson (a sketch of whom appears on another page in this volume). This traet embraced 168 aeres, and Mr. Dewees was obliged to go to Vandalia to secure his title and pay for his elaim. It remained the home of Nimrod Dewees until 1846, and there his wife, Elizabeth, died. Subsquently he was married a second time and removed to a farın near Alexan- der, a few miles east of Jacksonville. In 1852 he changed his residence to Jacksonville, where he died, in 1866, at the age of sixty-five years, having been born in 1801. The name of his seeond wife was Eliza Sanders, and after her death he was married to Miss Mary E. Talbert, who is now a resident of West State street, Jacksonville.
Our subjeet is the seeond of nine children born to his mother, who died when he was in his boy- hood. Ile attained to his majority in this eounty. in the meantime acquiring a common-sehool edu- eation, and beeoming familiar with farm pursuits. Then desirous of seeing something of the world he started out on the 10th of April, 1849, with a com- pany of men designing to cross the plains to Cali- fornia, and arrived in the Saeramento Valley on the 26th of November following. For some months thereafter he was in the employ of one man in the eity of Sacramento, then engaged in mining and later began farming in the valley of San Jose, not far from the bay, and was thus oeeupied until the 1st of January, 1853. He now started homeward by the water route and New Orleans, and eame up the Mississippi as far as Cairo, Ill., where he en- gaged in farming until 1863.
Mr. Dewees in the meantime was married, in 1856, in Pettes County, Mo., to Miss Mary Goodwin, who was born in Tennessee in 1831. Her parents were James B. and Mildred M. (Powell) Goodwin, who were natives of Virginia, and closely allied to the F. F. V's. Mr. Goodwin was a farmer by oc- cupation, and both he and his wife, leaving their native State in their youth, removed to Wilson County, Tenn., where later they were married. Mrs. Dewees was their first and only ehild born
430
MORGAN COUNTY
there, as when she was an infant they removed to Morgan County, Mo., during its pioneer days. Mr. Goodwin died in 1838 when a man in the prime of life. Ilis father, Francis Goodwin, was a patriot of the War of 1812, having enlisted in his native State of Virginia. He also migrated to Morgan County, Mo., where he died in 1855, when over seventy years of age. His wife, Elizabeth, was a native of Virginia and died when her son, James B., was a child of three years. He was the only one of her two children who lived to mature years.
Mrs. Mildred M. Goodwin, the mother of Mrs. Dewees, after the death of her first husband was married to Joshna Harrison. They, with their two children started for Texas, and while on their way there the mother died Oct. 1. 1870, after she had nearly reached her threeseore years. She, with both her first and seeond husband, was a mem- ber of the Methodist Church. Mrs. Dewees, after the death of her father, remained with her mother until her marriage. Of her union with our subject there have been born eight children, four of whom died young, viz: Anna, Lou K., Frank L. and James R. The latter died at the age of twenty- eight years; Mildred E. is the wife of James A. Powell, and they reside in Bates County, Mo .; Ernest G. married Miss Nettie Patterson, and they live on the farm of our subjeet; Cora B. and Mary A. also remain with their parents. Mr. and Mrs. Dewees. with their children, are active members of the Christian Church, and our subjeet, politieally, is an imeompromising Democrat.
-
OIIN H. BROCKHOUSE. The substantial German element of this eounty, as wherever it becomes part of a community, has been largely instrumental in its growth and de- velopment, and represents some of the best qualities to be found among the early pioneers .. The sub- jeet of this notice is fully entitled to be mentioned among this latter elass, as he has been a resident of this county for over a quarter of a century. To what purpose he has labored is amply illustrated in his valuable homestead, eomprising 350 aeres of land. which he has brought to a good state of cul-
tivation, and upon which he has ereeted a hand- some modern residence, with other buildings to correspond. He labored early and late during his younger years in the aceumulation of his property. and is now enjoying the reward of his toil.
A true son of the Fatherland, our subjeet was born in what was then the county of Firstenan- Bippen, in the Province of Osnaburg, Kingdom of Hanover, June 19, 1828. His parents, John G. and Ellen (Fontalgea) Brockhouse, were of pure German stock, and in 1843, when John H. was a youth of fifteen years, they emigrated to Ameriea, making the voyage on a sailing-vessel, embarking from the eity of Bremen, and landing in New Or- leans between three and four months later. Thence they came up the Mississippi directly to this eounty, and located on a traet of land in Bethel Precinet, where they spent the remainder of their lives en- gaged in farming pursuits.
There were nine children born to the parents of Mr. Broekhouse, only two of whom survive, him- self and his brother Henry, the latter a resident of Bethel. Our subjeet attended sehool several years in his native Provinee, and sinee eoming to Amer- iea lias, by reading and observation, kept himself well informed in regard to current events. He has a fair knowledge of English, and is numbered among the intelligent men of his community. Shortly before reaching his majority he was mar- ried, April 9, 1849, to Miss Mary A. Taylor. She is the daughter of Jonathan and Nellie ( Parsons) Taylor.
Ten children eame to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Broekhouse, eight of whom are living, viz: Will- iam C., John H., Jr., Charles; Harriet, the wife of Jacob Vallery, of this eounty; Milton, Jane, Mar- tha, and James F. George W. and Emma died at the ages of twenty-three and twenty-nine respeet- ively. Mr. and Mrs. Broekhouse took possession of the farm which they now oeeupy in 1851. first purehasing eighty aeres, and gradually adding to their possessions as their means justified. The land was mostly in its primitive condition, and in its transformation to its present state there has been involved a large amount of labor, and a eon- siderable outlay of money. Diligence and economy have borne their legitimate fruits, and in the life
431
MORGAN COUNTY.
of Mr. Brockhouse has been finely illustrated that of the self-made man, who has been courageous amid its drawbacks and difficulties, and permitted no small circumstance to discourage him.
In political matters our subject supports the principles of the Democratic party. He mixes very little in public affairs, although he is at pres- ent serving as School Director, and upon several occasions has officiated as Judge of Elections. In religious views he coincides with the doctrines of the Lutheran Church.
C CARY F. STRANG, a native of Greene County, Ill., was born June 19, 1838. His parents were Benjamin and Martha A. (San- ders) Strang. the former of English descent, and the latter a native of Kentucky. They emigrated to Greene County sometime in the thirties. The father died when our subject was about seven years of age, and at the age of nine, with his mother, and step- father, Samuel Murray, he came to Morgan County. The family settled about two and one-half miles northeast of the present site of Murrayville, and lived there two years. In 1851, they removed to the present farm of our subject. . Samuel Murray was a native of Scotland, and laid off the town of Murrayville, which is named in honor of him. He continued a resident here until his death, which occurred in 1867.
Mr. Strang, of whom we write, was reared to manhood in this county and received his education in the early subscription schools, and later attended the public schools. He had not the advantages of- fered the young men of to-day, but being a reader all his life he has been able to keep himself posted in the current topics of the day. Mr. Strang is engaged in farming and raising live stock, and has seen the country rise from its primitive condi- tion into what it now is.
The subject of this notice was twiee married, his first wife being Ellen M. Grimes, who became the mother of five children: Mary E, is the wife of Benjamin Rice, and they reside in this county; Maggie married John Wyatt, and they are also re- siding in this county ; Clara, is the wife of Thomas
Crouse, Postmaster at Murrayville; Edward; one child is deceased. Mrs Strang passed away on Nov. 21, 1871. Mr. C. Strang was subsequently married to Margaret Grimes, daughter of Jolin and Mary A. (Potts) Grimes, the father a native of Kentucky. By this union he became the father of four children, all of whom still survive-Ellen M., Lulu G., Harry G., and Meda E. The mother of these children is a native of Pike County, Ill., and was born Dec. 7, 1839. She left her native county when quite young and resided for some time in Greene County, this State, and also for a time in Jersey County, and in 1871 came to this county.
The subject of this biography is the owner of 200 acres of land in this county. He also owns one- half interest in 247 acres, where he now lives, with his brother, B. D. Strang, who resides in Greene County, this State. He likewise has an interest in 1280 acres of land with his brother heretofore men- tioned in Greene County. He is practically a self- made man, having made all he has by his energy and industry with the exception of receiving a small start from his father's estate. He and his wife are consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, he serving as Trustee of that organization. Ile owns one of the finest and best furnished liomes in the county. He and his wife are active members of society and are now in the prime of life and enjoying the fruits of a life well-spent and surrounded by their children and friends. Politi- cally Mr. Strang votes with the Republican party.
OHN A. HUGHES the oldest living settler of his part of the county, is a native of Fleming County, Kentucky. He was born April 17. 1803, and is the son of Allen B .. and Elizabeth (Tilton ) Hughes. Ilis father was a native of Virginia, and his mother was also a na- tive of that State. His paternal ancestors are said to have been English, while those of his mother were Welsh. The exact time of their emigration is not known, but it is supposed to have been at an early day, when they located in Clermont County, then called Brown County, Ohio. Herc they re- sided for nine or ten years. In 1823, John Hughes
432
MORGAN COUNTY.
with his parents came to White County, Ill., and there lived for three years, and in the fall of 1826 eame to this eounty. When he landed at Jaekson- ville it had only four houses and these were built of logs. His father first rented a few aeres, and then entered eighty aeres of land in Indian Creek and settled on the raw prairie. Here he resided for a short time and died in this eounty in 1835.
Our subjeet, John A. Hughes, was reared mostly in Ohio, and engaged chiefly in farming and in the milling business. Like most self-made inen his ed- ueational advantages were few, and even those were obtained under difficulties. He attended in Ohio the subscription school, which was held in a log cabin built in the usual primitive style with greased pa- per for windows and slabs for benches with legs put in to k ep them up. Being naturally fond of reading he has aimed to keep well posted on the general topics of the day, so that he is in reality principally self-educated. Ile first leased land on section 16, and afterward entered 240 aeres of land near the present site of Murrayville, and settled on the same, when the country was in a wild and prim- itive condition, just as the Indians had left it. He first built a double log cabin, each room being 16 feet square and this he first oeeupied in 1832. HIe resided there a number of years and improved it from time to time until he had a very desirable frame house. He had virtually no means when he started, having invested all he had in land. By untiring industry and careful management he made of his land a good farin.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.