USA > Illinois > Morgan County > Portrait and biographical album of Morgan and Scott Counties, Illinois > Part 55
USA > Illinois > Scott County > Portrait and biographical album of Morgan and Scott Counties, Illinois > Part 55
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Wiley Smith is the second son and child of a family of ten ehildren, seven of whom are living, married and have families. He was reared to man - hood in this eounty, and was married here to Miss Jane Standley, who was born in the township where he now resides, on Dee. 15, 1840. She is the dangh- ter of Noble and Naney (Smart) Standley, both of whom died here some years ago at an advanced age. They came from Tennessee, where they were married, and after the birth of two children emi- grated to Illinois in the year 1829, where they lived until their death. They suffered the hard- ships common to all pioneers, and coming here when the country was new, they had an opportu-
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nity of choosing a good farm which they improved. They purchased their land from the Government at $1.25 per acre. Mr. and Mrs. Standley were members of the old school Baptist Church, belong- ing to that organization for many years.
Mrs. Smith was one of eleven children, seven sons and four daughters. Three sons are de- eeased, one of whom, David, was accidently killed by a runaway team. Ile was married and left a family. Another one, Thomas, was killed during the war in Missouri, by the rebels. He left a fam- ily also. Another one died while in infancy. Mrs. Smith is the mother of six children, the following three being deceased: Mary died April 12, 1879, when past seventeen years of age; Charles H. died Feb. 18, 1877, at the age of four years, while deatlı claimed an infant. The following are living at home: Hester, Rosa, Clarinda, and Edgar N.
In the affairs of life, Mr. and Mrs. Smithi have achieved a success, and their reputation is that of the best. They attend the Baptist Church, and politieally, Mr. Smith believes that the Democratic party is the best.
W ILLIAM G. LUMSDEN. This sturdy old veteran, who is approaching the eighty- third year of his age, is one of the earliest settlers of his neighborhood, and has for many years been comfortably established at a well-regu- ted farm on seetion 17. township 13, range 10. He eame to Central Illinois during the days of its pio- neership, and for many years thereafter labored early and late in transforming a portion of the wild prairie into cultivated fields and a permanent home- stead. With the assistance of his devoted wife he realized in a goodly measure the ambitions of his early manhood, obtaining a competency for his de- clining years, and gathering around him troops of friends, of whose esteem and confidenee he has been assured in many ways. During the period of his active life he was quite prominent in local affairs, and contributed his full share in developing the county and encouraging the enterprises caleulated for the general good.
Louisa County, Va .. was the native place of our
subject and his birth Jeeurred Sept. 23, 1806. Hlis parents were William and Ann Lumsden, both na- tives of the Old Dominion, while his paternal grandfather was a native of Scotland; the mother traced her aneestry to England. The family lived in Virginia until 1818, then removed to Kentucky and located in Todd County, where the parents spent their last days upon the farm which they built up from the wilderness, and where their ehil- dren were reared to manhood and womanhood.
When about seventeen years old the subject of our sketch left the farm and began learning the tanner's trade, which he followed a number of years. The education he received was acquired in the primi- tive log school-house, first in Virginia and then in Kentucky, the advantages of that day being far inferior to those enjoyed by the present generation. At the age of twenty-five years he was married, in Kentucky, Sept. 1, 1831, to Miss Luey Keeling. This lady was born in Halifax County, Va., Oct. 11, 1803, and was the daughter of Edmund and Naney (Franeis) Keeling, who were also natives of the Old Dominion. The Keeling family traeed its (lescent to Seotland, while the Francis family was of German deseent.
In 1834 Mr. Lumsden set ont with his wife and one ehild, in a covered wagon with five horses and accompanied by Elijah Harlan, for linois. Mr. Harlan stopped in Macoupin County, but Mr. Lumsden, after a twenty-days journey, halted in the embryo village of Jacksonville. In those days there were neither railroads or hotels, and the emi- grants stopped wherever night overtook them, cooking and eamping by the wayside, and sleeping in their wagons. Soon after his arrival Mr. Lums- den rented a tract of land, upon which he farmed two years, then purchased land about one and one- half miles west of the present site of Murrayville. A year later he sold out, and then rented land three years from Unele John Hughes.
In due time our subject made permanent settle- ment on the farm which he now owns and occu- pies, and which embraces 220} aeres of choice land. Only thirty acres had been broken at the time of his settlement here, and there was a frame house of one room, besides an old log hut. The family moved into the house before it had been plastered,
J. B. meyinsom
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and used the log structure for a kitchen, and the mother also kept her loom there, for the housewives of those days were obliged to spin and weave, and manufacture most all the eloth for the family use. Mrs. Lumsden also wove seores of yards for her neighbors and the people around, in order to assist her husband in making both ends meet.
With the hardships of those days there were mingled many pleasures notwithstanding, and in due time there gathered around the hearthstone of our subjeet and his estimable wife the faces of a number of bright children, the record of whom is as follows: Susan E. became the wife of John Bracewell, of Wayne County, Iowa; James W. is now living with his father; Martha is the wife of Thomas Widdup, also of Iowa: Franees M. lives in this county ; John T. is a resident of Champaign County; Mary J. is the wife of Edward Wyatt, of Murrayville; Ed- ward T. lives in Monticello, Ill .; Naney F. is the wife of Ilowarth Ayre, and they live in Black Pool, England, where Mr. Ayre has been employed as a carpenter for half a century.
Mr. and Mrs. Lumsden have been for many years members in good standing of the Methodist Epis- pal Church, in which our subject has officiated as Steward, and contributed to its support. He joined the Republican party at its formation, and has served as Constable, Township Trustee and Sehool Director. He is a member of the Old Set- tlers Society of Morgan County, and is one of those men whose name will be held in kindly re- membrance long after he has gone the way of all the earth.
OIIN R. MEGGINSON. On another page will be found a portrait of this well-known resident of Morgan County. Ile is the owner of a whole seetion of land, mostly im- proved, and possesses one of the finest homesteads in this county, which is embellished with a hand- some and commodious residence, neat and tasteful outbuildings, and all the other appliances of a well-
regulated estate. His first purchase of land in this county was in March, 1851, when he seeured, in township 14, 200 aeres, which comprises the neu- clus of his present property. As a citizen, Mr. Megginson stands second to none in this eounty, being enterprising, industrious and wide-awake, and has met with the usual suceess attendant upon close attention to business. He has been a man of considerable travel and large observation, and has this become well-informed upon those matters gen- erally of interest to the intelligent individual. To such men as he, is Morgan County indebted for her position and standing among the intelligent com- munities of Central Illinois.
The first nine years of the life of our subjeet were spent on the other side of the Atlantie, in Yorkshire, England, where his birth took place May 8, 1823. Ilis father, Ralph Megginson, was also a native of Yorkshire, and was married to Miss Mary Richardson, who was born and reared not far from the childhood home of her husband. After "their marriage they emigrated to America in the fall of 1832, and coming to Illinois located about four and one-half miles west of Jacksonville, whiel was then in its infaney. The father took up a tract of land, and operated successfully as a tiller of the soil until advancing age admonished him to retire. Ile passed away on the 9th of February, 1888, at the advanced age of eighty-eight years. The mother had preceded her husband to the silent land May 11, 1869, at the age of sixty-seven.
Five sons and three daughters comprised the household of the parents of our subjeet, of whom John R. was the eldest. He was nine years of age when his parents crossed the Atlantic, and grew to man's estate in this county, remaining a member of his father's household until twenty-three years old. Then with the natural desire of youth for change, he set out to see something of the world. In 1846, starting out with a team from Indepen- dence, Mo., he drove the whole distance from there to Santa Fe, and thenee to Chihuahua, Mexico, which eity was then under martial law. In eon- sequence, he and his comrades were deprived of their liberty mutil the capture of the city by Col. Doniphan, in the spring of 1847. Upon his re- lease, he returned to Missouri, remaining in Jack-
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son County until the fall of the year, when he joined his parents in this eounty.
Starting out again in April, 1848, Mr. Megginson sought the great Northwest, in company with a man by the name of Hooker, and they traveled un- til reaching Oregon. There our subject engaged in the lumber business and sojourned six or seven months. In May, 1849, we find him mining in the northern part of California, where he also spent six or seven monthis, then started for Illinois, via the Istlimus, arriving home in Mareh, 1850. The voy- age was made on a sailing vessel. Our subject now worked on a farm a year, and at the expira- tion of that time was married.
In the summer of 1883, our subjeet, in company with his wife, revisited California, where Mrs. Meg- ginson remained while he sought his old haunts in Oregon and spent about three months on the Pa- cifie Slope. He has traveled in abont twenty-nine different States and Territories, has met all kinds and conditions of people, and being a man who has kept his eyes open to what was going on around- him, has consequently become very well informed. He ean tell many an interesting tale, not only of pioneer life in Illinois, but of life on the Paeifie Slope and in the great Northwest, and is one with whom many an hour might be spent pleasantly and profitably.
The marriage of our subject with Miss Fanny II. Ilodgkinson was celebrated at the home of the bride's uncle, in Seott County, this State, Jan. 16, 1851. Mrs. Megginson was born in Derbyshire, England, Jan. 1, 1831, and was the eldest of the six children of George and Fanny (Dale) Hodgkinson, who were also natives of that country. They emi- grated to the United States during the early settle- ment of Illinois, loeating in Scott County, where the father died in December, 1844, and the mother six weeks later. Of her union with our subjeet there have been born seven sons and four daugli- ters, namely: George A., Richardson D., Ralph W., Elizabeth J., Joseph P. D., Robert V., Mary L., Reuben C., Linnie T., Simpson S. and Georgia II. .Joseph P. D. died Nov. 2, 1884, when a promising young man of twenty-five years of age. Our sub- ject, politically, is Demoeratie in his views, and socially, belongs to the Masonic Fraternity, being
identified with Blue Lodge No. 3, at Jacksonville, also Chapter and Commandery No. 31. Mrs. Meg- ginson, a very estimable lady, is a member in good standing of the Christian Church.
R. ARTHUR M. CLINE. The medieal profession of Murrayville and vicinity is worthily represented by the subject of this notice, who has a well-appointed office on Main street and is entering upon a career which promises to be highly sueeessful. He is a gentle- man comparatively young in years, having been born Dee. 20, 1858, in Washington County, Ohio.
Our subject was reared to manhood on a farm in the pure atmosphere of the Buckeye State, pur- suing his early studies in the distriet sehool, and remained a resident of his native eounty until a youth of eighteen years. So faithful had been his application to his books that he now began teaching school and followed this profession in two districts for seven terms, meeting with flattering sneeess. Ile had in the meantime determined npon the pro- fession of medieine and during the last year of his labors as a pedagogne, employed his leisure hours in the reading of medieine under the instruction of his brother-in-law, Dr. E. Sloan, of Williamstown, W. Va.
In September, 1879, our subject entered the Eelectie Medical Institute of Cineinnati, where he spent two college years and was graduated June 7, 1881. Soon afterward he set out for the West, and in July of that year established himself in Murrayville, where he has since followed his pro- fession with exeellent success, building up an ex- tended patronage. Indeed he is recognized as one of the leading physicians of this county, and holds membership in the State Eelectic Medieal Society, having its headquarters at Springfield.
Politieally, Dr. Cline is a Democrat, and has offici- ated as a member of the Town Conneil of Murray- ville but in loeal matters gives his support to the men whom he considers best qualified to serve the in- terests of the people. ITis pleasant home is presided over by an amiable lady, formerly Miss Lizzie Reaugh, to whom he was married, Jan, 25, 1883
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Mrs. Cline was born in this county, and is tlie daughter of O. P. and Julia (Anderson) Reaugh, the former of whom settled here in the pioneer days and is now deceased. The household eirele comprises two bright children: Stella R., born Dec. 21, 1887, and Edna E., boru April 15, 1889.
Dr. Cline, socially, belongs to the I. O. O. F., being Noble Grand of the Lodge at Murrayville, and is also a member of the Modern Woodmen, in which he is the Examining Physician. He is See- retary of Murrayville Y. M. C. A., and Preeinet President of Morgan County Sunday-school Asso- ciation. IIe and his family are members of Murray- ville Presbyterian Church. His parents, Reuben and Diana (Cady) Cline, were natives of Ohio, and one of his paternal ancestors, Thomas Mills, served as a Revolutionary soldier, in which war he received numerous honorable wounds, and was present at the fight at Ft. DuQuesne, a conflict which is memorable in history and familiar to those who keep themselves posted in regard to the rec- ords of that time.
MOS HENDERSON, Justice of the Peace, may usually be found at his office, on the north side of the Square, in Jacksonville, fulfilling the duties of the position to which he was elected by the Republicans of the county in 1884. He has spent the greater part of his life in this locality, and Jacksonville in its early days, while it was an unpretentious village, was his birthplace. Here he was eradled forty- eight years ago, having begun life Nov. 20, 1840.
Smiley II. and Mary E. (Henderson) Henderson, the parents of our subject, were natives of Ross County, Ohio, the father born Jan. 5, 1801. Ile came to this part of Morgan County in April. 1826. He had been reared a farmer's boy, but, upon his removal to the Prairie State, changed his occupation somewhat, and engaged in general mer- ehandising until 1853. He was the first merchant of Jacksonville, and put up the three-story brick building which may still be seen on the northeast corner of the public square. This was probably the first briek store in the place, and was patron-
ized by people within a radius of sixty miles. 'The elder Henderson was successful in his business transactions, and upou retiring, in 1853, was mas- ter of a competence. He lived at his ease over thirty years, passing away on the 10th of April, 1886, at his home in JJacksonville.
The father of our subjeet in the early days pur- chased ten aeres of land, which was afterward in- eluded in the corporate limits of the city and duly laid off into lots, which sold at a good figure. Origin- ally he had been a Whig in polities, and after the abandonment of the old party affiliated with the Republicans. The old Cumberland Presbyterian Church, of which he was a member, the most thor- oughly realized his ideas of religious duty. The parents were married in Jacksonville in 1827, their family consisted of twelve children, six of wliom are living, viz: Betsey, Mrs. Hamilton; Minerva, Mrs. Lee; Elizabeth, Mrs. Howard; and Amos, all of Jacksonville; Charity, Mrs. MeConnell, of Omaha, Neb., and Smiley, Jr., in Los Angeles, Cal. The mother, a member of the same church as her husband, departed this life in October, 1862.
Amos IIenderson spent his boyhood days in school, and later attended the Berean College, of this city until 1860. The second year of the war, 1862, he enlisted as a Union soldier in Company D, 101st Illinois Infantry, but, after serving eighteen months, was obliged to accept his dis- charge on account of disability. In the engage- ment at Holly Springs, Miss., Dec, 20, 1863, he was captured by the rebels, but was released in June following. At once returning to Jackson- ville, he re-enlisted in Company B, 133d Illinois Infantry, with the 100-days men, and served five months.
Upon retiring from the army, Mr. Henderson, returning to Jacksonville, engaged in general mer- chandising, and, during the period of four years thus occupied, built up a large and lucrative trade. For the next four or five years he was engaged as bookkeeper for the firm of Howard & Thompson. Ile then became interested in insurance, at which he continued until being elected to his present office.
The marriage of Amos Henderson and Miss Ermine Miller, of Jacksonville, was celebrated at
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the home of the bride, Oct. 12, 1866. Mrs. Hen- derson was born in October, 1843. in Morgan County, and is the daughter of Henry and Mary. Miller. Her parents were natives of Kentucky, and are now deceased. Herbert, the eldest son of Mr. Henderson, is engaged in the printing business in Jacksonville. The Squire belongs to the Repub- lican party and the G. A. R. His pleasant and comfortable home occupies No. 339 East North street.
h H. MASSEY, is a well-known breeder of English Shire,-all purpose and roadster horses. He is located on a pleasant farm in section 36, township 15, range 11, known as Diamond Grove Stock Farm, which is three miles from Jacksonville. This place is well supplied with good buildings, and everything around it de- notes a successful farmer. Mr. M. has quite a number of imported and home bred stallions, among them are two of the finest English Shires in the State.
Mr. Massey has made an enviable record for himself as a breeder of this class of horses, a busi- ness in which he has been engaged. since 1882. Ile has always been a resident of this township and county and is well and favorably known as an honest straight-forward business man. Ile keeps his stallions under perfect control, so that he can drive them single, double, or tandem. IIe .has shown his stock at many fairs and public exhibit- ions and has carried away a large number of premi- ums. Mr. Massey is a native of the township in which he lives, having been born on the old Massey homestead, Oet. 17, 1849. Ile came of a good family of old settlers. His father, II. H. Massey, Sr., died here at his home, June 26, 1879, at the age of sixty-eight years. Ile located in this county in 1827, coming from New York State with his father, Silas Massey. The latter died at the home now occupied by his grandson, the subject of this notice. Silas Massey and his sons, II. H., Sr., and S. S. were farmers in St. Lawrence County, N. Y., until they came West in 1826. They first went to St. Charles, Mo., and the following year located in Morgan County. The history of Silas and H. H.,
Sr., his son is that of true pioneers, having come here before the winter of the deep snow. Silas lived until he was eighty-eight years and nine monthis old, and died respected by all. II. Il. Massey, Sr., was also a man much beloved, and known as a moral, honest, hard-working man. Ile was married in 1834, in Morgan County, to Miss Margaret Officer, who settled with her father in Morgan County in an early day, coming from Ten- nessee. She died July 2, 1889.
H. H. Massey, Jr., of whom we write, had the advantage of the advice of a good father and mother until he arrived to man's estate in 1874. Ile was married in Chicago, to Miss Jennie R. Hunt. She was born in Du Page County, Ill., near Aurora. She is the daughter of Charles and Sarah HIunt. Mr. Hunt died in Chicago. He was then retired from business, aud died very suddenly. His wife is yet living with her son on a farm in DuPage County, Ill. She was born in Canada, while Mr. Hunt was a native of England. They were married in Canada, and lived there for some years after their marriage, engaged in the drug trade. In 1839 they came to Illinois and located on a farm near Aurora. Mrs. Massey received a good education, and is an intelligent lady. She is the mother of six children; Lydia being dead. The following are living: Stella M., Charles H., Minnie E., Agnes I. and Mary A. Mr. Massey is a Repub- lican.
0 SCAR A. DELEUW, Attorney and Counselor at law, holds a good position among his legal brethren in Jacksonville and vicinity. A native of Sheboygan, Wis., he was born Dec. 8, 1847, and is the son of Dr. Leopola W. and Johanna M. (Lubick) DeLeuw, natives of Prussia. The parents emigrated to America shortly after their marriage, settling in Milwaukee, Wis., where the father practiced as a physician and surgcon. He was a well-educated man, having been a student at the Universities of Bonn and Berlin.
Dr. DeLeuw continued in practice at Milwaukee until about 1854, then removing to Madison County, Ill., sojourned there for a time, but later changed his residence to Alton, where he resided
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with his family until the outbreak of the Civil War. They then removed to Carlinville, Macoupin County, and thence in 1865, to Jacksonville. Here the father established a drug business in con- nection with his practice, but in 1870, selling out both practice and store, took up his residence in the city of St. Louis, Mo., where he followed his profession until his death, which occurred in 1887. The mother had died in Carlinville in 1863.
The parental family included seven children, six of whom are living, named respectively, Oscar A., Hattie L., Josephine, Huldalı, Guido and Charles. Edmund J., the eldest born, died at the age of thirty-one years. Ile also was a practicing physic- ian, and at one time hospital steward in the Gov- erminent service on the Mississippi River, in the 133d Illinois Infantry. He also carried on a drug store at Jacksonville. He remained in the service until the close of the war, and died in 1878. Guido, a resident of St. Louis, Mo., is agent for the Mis- souri Pacific Railroad, Charles is a merchant and resides at Rochester, Minn.
The subject of this biography attended the com- mon schools of Madison County, the High School at Alton, and the Blackburn Theological Seminary at Carlinville. Ile was a lad of fourteen years at the outbreak of the Civil War, and in the year of 1863 enlisted as a Union soldier in Company A, 122 Illinois Infantry, being on detached duty. Later he was transferred to the 121st United States Infantry, and promoted to First Lieutenant. After the close of the war he was mustered out and re- ceived his honorable discharge at Louisville, Ky., Oct. 5, 1865. He met the enemy in the smoke of battle at Tupelo, in Mississippi; was present at the storming of Spanish Fort and the city of Mobile, and traveled over a goodly portion of the State of Kentucky, fighting guerrillas and bushwhackers. With the exception of a slight wound over the eye with a piece of shell, he escaped uninjured.
In the year of 1866 Mr. DeLeuw entered the law school at Harvard, Mass., from which he was graduated in 1868. The year following he was admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of the State of Illinois, and established himself at Jack- sonville, of which he has since been a resident. Here he was elected City Attorney in 1871, serving
one year. He was married in August, 1872, at the home of the bride, in Winchester, to Miss Bessie M. Tribbey, a native of this county, and the daughter of Dr. George S. and Eleanor (Stratton) 'Tribbey, who were natives of Kentucky, and are now deceased. Mrs. DeLeuw was born Sept. 14, 1850, and by her union with our subject became the mother of six children, who are named respectively, Oscar. Johanna M., Eleanor S., William L., Georgiana S. and Elizabeth T. They form a bright and intelli- gent group, and are all at home with their parents. The family residence is pleasantly located at No. 817 Routt Street. Mr. DeLeuw is a Republican in politics and occupies a good position among his legal brethren in Morgan County.
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