USA > Illinois > Warren County > Portrait and biographical album of Warren County, Illinois : containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county > Part 32
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His marriage to Miss Columbia House took place Aug. 26, 1856. She is the daughter of Robert M. and Mary R. (Barnes) House, and was born in Williamson Co., Tenn., and was of German descent, his ancestors having been early settlers in Virginia. Her mother is of Scotch descent. The first whole- sale grocery business established at Clarksville, was started by her father. He died Feb. 1, 1859, leaving to a family of five children, a priceless heritage, a good name.
Mr. and Mrs. Ivey have only two children living. They are daughters and are named Mary Virginia and Emma F. Their first born was a daughter who died in infancy. John J., the only son was born in Stewart Co., in 1862, and died in Dallas, Texas, Nov. 23, 1883.
arvin Perry, a farmer of Tompkins Town- ship residing on sec. 25, was born in Put- nam Valley, Putnam Co., N. Y., Oct. 3, 1830, his parents being Reuben and Lorin- da (Pratt) Perry, natives of New York and Con- necticut respectively. The gentleman whose name stands at the head of this biographical notice lived with his parents until he attained the age of 20 years, receiving at their hands a good, common- school education. Leaving home at that age of life, he worked at various occupations by the month for several years. 'In 1857 he came to Warren County, this State, and settled near Cameron, where for three years he followed the vocation of an agriculturist on rented land. In 1861, when the news flashed across
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the country that the Southern States had seceded and Rebel shot and shell were being thundered against the walls of Sumter, Mr. Perry was one of the first to respond to the call of our martyred Pres- ident for brave hearts and strong arms to defend the country's flag. He enlisted in Co. H, 45th Ill. Vol. Inf., and served for three years. He was Corporal and then promoted Sergeant, and participated in the battles of Fort Donelson, and many others of smaller import. After being a member of the 45th Regi- ment for a year and a half, he received an honorable discharge, by special order, and immediately enlisted in the Mississippi River Marine Brigade, and served in the same until he received an honorable discharge by reason of the disbandment of the Brigade. Re- turning home, he again rented land for three years and engaged in his former occupation. At the expi- ration of that time, he purchased 70 acres of land, where he at present resides, engaging actively and energetically in its improvement and cultivation.
Mr. Perry was united in marriage with Miss ERZARA of his adoption. He then went to the same county abeth F. Brown, a native of Indiana, Feb, 22v1895,1 and of their union two children, Villa May and Lo- rinda D., have been born. 'In politics, Mr. Perry is a strong supporter and active worker for the princi- ples advocated by the Prohibition party. In religion, he and his wife are members of the Protestant Meth- odist Church.
ohn Simcock, one of the highly esteemed citizens of the township of Spring Grove, where he has resided for many years, is a native of England and was born in Stafford- shire Dec. 27, 1829. He was a son of a miner and, according to the custom in England, pre- pared to follow the vocation of his ancestors. When he was seven years of age he entered the mines to assist in the variety of labor that can be performed by the children of the miners, and which is in many instances quite important, as the maintenance of the family is thereby much enhanced. He was engaged in the capacity of a door-tender and his duty was to open the doors 'leading to various portions of the
inine before the passage of the cars which contained the results of the labors of those who worked the veins of coal. As he grew older he was | romoted to other kinds of labor of a more advanced character until he could wield all the tools of a bona-fide miner. He continued to reside in his native country until 1851. In that year, during the month of May, he left Liverpool on a sailing vessel for the United States, and landed at the port of New York after an ocean passage of six weeks and-three days. He pro- ceeded to Mahoning Co., Ohio, and was occupied in the mines there until the month of October fol- lowing.
During the month last mentioned he came to Illinois, and after a delay of a short time in LaSalle County he came, in the spring of 1852, to Warren County. He engaged in his old vocation here until the spring of 1853, when he returned to the land of his birth. He passed a year on 'his native island and in the spring of 1855 he returned to the home
in the, Buckeye State where he had at first found employment on coming to America, and in the fall of the same year 'came again to La Salle County. He passed a year in the mines there and then went to St. Louis. A year was passed in the State of Mis- souri and in 1856 he came again to Warren County with the intent to pass his remaining life within its limits.
He then first entered into the business of a farmer in good earnest, and rented land in the township of Spring Grove. He operated there a few years and then became an independent landholder in the town- ship of Cold Brook. The tract contained coal and he opened the hidden treasures and operated as a miner until 186t .. In the fall of that year he went thence to Pike's Peak. He drove an ox team and passed two months on the way to his destination in the mountains. . After reaching there he engaged in gold-mining two months, and, not finding the results of his labors satisfactory, he returned to Warren County. He passed the first year after his return in the township of Cold Brook and then rented a coal- bank on section 14, Spring Grove Township.
In 1864 he bought a tract of land situated on the northeast quarter of section 14, and, as it contained a vein of coal, he proceeded to open it for the pur- pose of carrying on the same business with which he was familiar. It did not prove a success, and not
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long after he exchanged the land for the same quan- tity on the southeast quarter of the same section. There he opened a coal-bank, which he has since continued to operate with success. In 1872 he put in the shaft and it is the only one in the township. The output of the bank is between 40,000 and 60,- ooo bushels annually. A view of Mr. Simcock's residence and coal-bank is given on page 344.
Mr. Simcock was married April 26, 1859, to Janet McKelvie. She was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, April 16, 1842, and is the mother of 13 children, 12 of whoin are living. Elizabeth is the wife of Enoch Wilson, of Spring Grove Township; Matilda married Lincoln Bailey of the same township. Those who are unmarried are Margaret J., John, Janet, Thomas, Aaron, Annie, Edith, Bertha, Charles and Richard. Mr. and Mrs. Simcock are members of the Church of God, at Spring Grove. In politics, he has always been a strong supporter of the principles of the Re- publican party.
illiam Crosby became a citizen of what is now Kelly Township in 1848. He was born in 1815, in Augusta County, Va., and is the son of George Crosby, a native of Pennsylvania. The latter was born in 1862, and settled in the " Old Dominion " in 1804. He bought a farm in Augusta County and was its owner and occupant through the remainder of his life. He was by trade a blacksmith, and during the second contest with Great Britain he made horse - shoes for the use of the soldiers of the American army. His wife was a native of the county where her son was born. He was reared on the farm and was a pupil in what was called the "subscription school." He grew to the age of manhood in Virginia and married Maria Wagner, in September, 1839. She was born in Augusta County, in 1817.
For the next eight years Mr. and Mrs. Crosby re- mained on the homestead of his father and in 1847 started to find a home in the West. They traveled to Harrison County, Ind., with two horses and a wagon, and lived there about a year. In March, 1848, they again turned their faces toward the set-
ting sun, setting out on the 16th of that month with the same outht as that with which they had left Vir- ginia the year previous. They arrived in Warren County on the 2d day of April, and took possession of a claim which the father had secured the fall pre- vous. It consisted of 80 acres, and after a few years it was found that the title was defective and Mr. Crosby was obliged to pay for the property a second time. Since he secured himself in its ownership he has been a continuous resident on the place. He is at present the owner also of 80 acres on section 1, in the same township, and 21 acres of timber on section 13. He and his wife have nine children living,- Ruth, May, Elizabeth, George, Sally, John, Benja- min, Melinda and Augustus. Mr. Crosby has been a life-long adherent of the Democratic party.
iram Ingersoll, a pioneer of Warren County, 1 of 1835, was born Feb. 7, 1812, in Cortland
Co, N. Y. His father, David Ingersoll, TOYor
was a native of Massachusetts and the mother was born in Ireland. Her name before her marriage was Jane McCoy. The elder Inger- soll located with his family in Broome Co., N. Y., when his son was 12 years of age. He was there resident until the fall of the year named, in which he determined to seek a home in the " far West." He removed from his home in the Empire State as far as Syracuse, where he took passage on a canal-boat for Buffalo. He crossed the lakes from that place to Chicago, and there hircd a team which brought him to Peoria. He came thence to Warren County on
foot. His father had settled in Kelly Township in 1833, and in the fall of 1835 Mr. Ingersoll joined the family there. He engaged in farming on his fa- ther's estate. In the spring following he went to Knoxville and passed two months there working at his trade of carpentry. He returned to the home of his father and pursued the same occupation in War- ren County. In the spring of 1838 he went back to the State of his nativity and remained there about a year and a half. In the autumn of 1839 he again came to Kelly Township, and lived with the family of his father until the succeeding spring. . In the course of that season he built a house for his father
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LiRANI UNIVERSITA WILLRED
Dp. Show.
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and got out the timber preparatory to the construc- tion of a saw-mill. He continued to follow the trade of carpentry for some years, as he had opportunity. In 1846 he was married, and bought a farm on sec- tion 22 of the same township in which his parents resided, and passing the intervening years between that time and 1875 in farming and working at his trade. In the year last mentioned he retired from the cares and responsibilities of active life and bought the place where he has since resided in that part of Alexis which is included in Henderson Township, in Mercer County.
Jan. 1, 1846, he was married to Cecilia Potter. She was born in Ashtabula County, Ohio, March 14, 1826, and is the daughter of Chester and Eliza (Cas- tle) Potter. Her parents were natives of Litchfield, Conn., and came to Fulton Co., Ill., in 1831. After passing a winter there they came, in the spring of 1832, to Warren County. They located at Rockwell's Mills, where they resided at the time of the Black Hawk War. The family was in the block-house in the fort at the time of the murder of William Martin, in 1832. An account of this affair will be found in various parts of this work in connection with the sketches of those who were witnesses of the flight of the savages with the scalp of their victini. In 1833 Mr. Potter removed to Kelly Township, and in the same year he erected a grist-mill on Main Hender- son Creek. Soon after he built a saw-mill in con- nection with the mill already standing. Mr. and Mrs. Potter lived in Kelly Township until the events of their death. Mr. and Mrs. Ingersoll had one child, which died at the age of nine months.
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avid J. Shaw is one of the prominent farm- ers in the township of Spring Grove. His home farm is located on section 8, where he is the owner of 210 acres of excellent land in the best possible condition. He also owns a quarter section of the old homestead farm on section 4, Spring Grove Township.
Mr. Shaw was born June 22, 1840, in Brown Co., Ohio. He is the oldest son of Robert and Lucinda (Stewart) Shaw. His father was a native of the
State of Kentucky, but reared in Ohio, to which State his parents moved during his early childhood, they being among the first permanent settlers in Brown County. Robert Shaw was twice married, and of the four children left motherless by the death of his first wife, one only is now living, Ezra, who is a resident of the city of Chicago. Lucinda Stewart, the second wife and the mother of the gentleman who is the subject of this sketch, was born in Ohio and was of English extraction. On the paternal side, the family is of Scotch origin. From the second marriage were born 12 children, of whom only six are now living. Elizabeth removed to Toledo, Tama Co., Iowa ; James is married and is a citizen of Dav- enport, in that State; John lives in the city of Chi- cago ; Catherine is the wife of Herman Loveridge, of Galesburg, Ill .; Laura is living in Toledo, Tama Co., Iowa, with her sister.
Mr. Shaw was 16 years of age when his parents came to Warren County. They located on section 4, in Spring Grove Township, his father purchasing a farm which contained 240 acres. The claim upon which the property was situated, was first settled by a man named Stewart, who was one of a body of 14 pioneers who made the first settlement in the county. The original owner had placed 100 acres under cul- tivation, and there was a convenient and fairly good log house and stable on the place. The senior Shaw made a further purchase, of 40 acres on section 7, and was resident thereon for the remainder of his life, with the exception of two years passed in Mon- mouth. His deatlı took place in September, 1874, his wife following him in April, 1879.
Mr. Shaw remained at home with his parents until lis marriage. That event took place Oct. 3, 1861, when he became the husband of Nancy Armstrong. She was born in Indiana Co., Pa., and was the daughter of Thomas and Mary (Johnson) Armstrong. Mr. Shaw and his wife located in Mercer County soon after their union, and one year later took pos- session of the place on which they are now living, where he is engaged in mixed husbandry. Mr. and Mrs. Shaw are the parents of six children-R. Thomas, Mary L., William, Clarence, Della and George. Their eldest son occupies the old home- stead farm located on section 4. Mary L. is mar- ried to Alex. Pease, a farmer of Mercer County.
Mrs. Shaw has for 25 years been a communicant of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Shaw is a Repub-
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lican in his political views and connections, and cast his first Presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln.
Two of the brothers of the subject of our sketch, Martin Luther and James, were soldiers in the late Rebellion. The former was a member of Co. F, 17th Regt. Ill. Vol. Inf. He took an active part in many engagements, participating in the battles of Shiloh, Fort Donelson and Vicksburg, among others, and during his service of three years was present at all the engagements in which his regiment took part. On his return home, he was appointed Deputy In- ternal Revenue Collector, continuing to fill that im- portant position until he received the appointment of ticket agent at Monmouth for the Rockford, Rock Island & St. Louis Railroad, on the completion of the line. About three weeks thereafter he was killed at the depot by a train. His death occurred in 1872, a wife and two children surviving him, who are now living in Wilber, Neb.
James Shaw was a member of the 102d Regt. Ill. Vol. Inf. Going out during the latter part of the war, he served until the close of the great contest. Upon his return home, he engaged in farming, sub- sequently becoming a merchant at Alexis. He after- ward moved to Davenport, Iowa, where he is employed in the mercantile business. He is mar- ried and the father of several children.
We present in this connection a portrait of David J. Shaw. There will also be found, on page 332, a view of his residence, and of the original Shaw homestead established by his father.
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eorge W. McMahill, farmer, residing on section 31, Greenbush Township, was born in 1826, in Kentucky, and is a son of John McMahill, a native of the Keystone State. The grandfather of Mr. McMahill, of this notice, John McMahill, was kidnapped when a small lad by a Captain of a sailing vessel from off the coast of Ireland, and was brought to this country and settled in Philadelphia, where he remained until he was killed by the falling of a tree.
George W., of whom we write, was married to Miss Martha Jane McMahill, May 8, 1848, in Illinois.
She was born in 1833. They have had no children. Mr. McMahill is the owner of some 3,000 acres of land, some of it being located in Missouri, some in Iowa, and the remainder in McDonough and Warren Counties, this State. He is engaged in breeding full-blood Short-horn cattle, of which he has some 40 head. He also has one Holstein cow. His horses are of the Norman and Clydesdale breed. In religion, he and his wife are members of the Metho- dist Episcopal Church, and in politics, Mr. McMa- hill always votes the Democratic ticket.
illiam J. Nicol, a well-to-do farmer of Sumner Township, residing on section 8, has been all his life an inhabitant of Illinois, and a resident of Warren County since five years of age. He was born Sept. 18, 1847, in Edgington Township, Rock Island Co., Ill. James Nicol, his father, is a native of Preble, Co., Ohio, and came to Warren Co. before he was married. He passed a few years in Rock Isl- and County, where he was one of the first settlers. He bought land in the township which has been named as the one in which his son was born, but at that time it was designated by the number which was to be found on the charts of the surveyors. He remained there until 1852. In that year he removed to Warren County and settled in Spring Grove Township. After a residence there of five years, he sold the farm on which he had lived, and located in the township of Sumner. He became a landholder on sections 18 and 19 and continued the manage- ment of his property there until his decease, which transpired March 4, 1861. His wife, Susan (Giles) Nicol, was a native of Ohio, and died in 1869. They were the parents of four children, and the son who is the subject of this personal narration is the only survivor. It can justly be said of him that he has grown up with Warren County. He lived with his parents until their death.
In 1883, Mr. Nicol was married to Sarah A. Mc- Cracken. She is the daughter of Frederick and Mary J. McCracken, and is a native of the county in which she lives. She was born Jan. 21, 1862.
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The young people located on the Nicol homestead, which is the property of the husband. In 1884, Mr. Nicol bought the farm which he now owns on section 12, in the same township, which contains 160 acres. The homestead includes 175' acres, and the estate on section 19 comprises 105 acres, a total of 440 acres. Mr. Nicol is engaged in mixed husbandry. He and his wife are the parents of one child, Will- iam Ira.
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A H. Black, a gentleman of push and en- ergy among the numerous citizens of his vocation, that of a farmer, resides on sec- tion 14, Tompkins Township. He was born in Greene Co., Ohio, June 16, 1823, his par- ents being William and Elizabeth (George) Black, natives of Virginia and Pennsylvania respect- ively. The parents were married in Greene County, Ohio, and there the father followed the occupation of a farmer until 1838, when he came to this State and located at Monmouth, this county, and where he re- mained for about three years. He was consequently a pioneer of this county, and was here to see the broad and uncultivated prairie lands in their or- iginal condition. He remained at Monmouth for the time stated and then moved to Henderson County, where, near Olena, he purchased 80 acres of land. Here he located with his family and was engaged in his chosen vocation until his death, which occurred in 1858. His wife survived him until 1885. Their family comprised nine children, five sons and four daughters.
A. H. Black, whose name stands at the head of this notice, was the second in order of birth of his parents' children, and remained on the old home- stead, assisting his father in the labors of the farm, until he attained his 28th year. At this age in life, he left the parental roof-tree and went forth to bat- tle against the trials of life alone, hoping to procure a competency. He at first rented land, and for three years was engaged in farming in that manner, when he purchased a farm of his own, consisting of 80 acres, in close proximity to the village of Olena. On this land he located and passed his years in labor until 1864. He then sold it and came to Kirkwood,
and purchased a lot and residence there, where he resided for two years, when he sold his village prop- erty and bought 60 acres on section 14, Tompkins Township, on which he removed and there resided until 1880. During this year he rented his farm and again moved into Kirkwood, where he lived four years. At the expiration of that time he moved back on his farm and has resided there ever since. He is engaged in general farming, having been brought up to that calling, and following it the major portion of his life is consequently possessed of that knowledge of agriculture which enables him to make a success of it.
The marriage of Mr. Black to Miss Martha Ran- kin took place Jan. 16, 1851. She was a native of Indiana, where she was born, May 27, 1832. Her parents were Joseph and Lutitia (Brown) Rankin, natives of Ohio and Pennsylvania respectively. They came to this State in 1837 and purchased land in Henderson County, and lived there until the latter's death, in 1847. Mr. Rankin went to Kansas after] his wife's death, and was there engaged in farming until Nov. 1, 1878, when he crossed the river to meet his companion in the land of the hereafter.
In politics, Mr. Black is a strong advocate of the principles of the Republican party, with which party he always casts his vote. He and his wife are the parents of one child-Melissa, who is the wife of James Riggs, and by whom she has had four chil- dren, who have been named, Cora, Edna, Hugh O. and Albert G. Mrs. Black is a member of the Uni- ted Presbyterian Church, with which she united at the age of 18 years, and has since been a consistent member in good standing. She" first united with that branch of the Church known as Seceders, but joined with the union of the Seceders and Associate Reformed when they united.
illiam Stark, one of the leading business men of Kirkwood and who is engaged in the drug trade, is a native of Scotland. His father, James Stark, came to America in 1835, and settled in Hancock Co., Ill., where he died the following year. His mother, Mary (Drown) Stark, died in Scotland. William re-
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mained with his parents until their death, when, in company with his brother, and sister, he moved on the farm in Hancock County, where they lived until 1849. At that time William engaged as a clerk in his brother's store at Augusta, Ill., where he re- mained until 1856, when he went to Plymouth, and clerked for three years. He then returned to the farm where he remained for two years longer, when we again find him in his brother's store at Augusta. 'He remained there until 1862, when he enlisted in Co. K, 119th Ill. Vol. Inf., and served for 14 months, most of which time was spent in a . Rebel prison. He was captured at Rutherford, Tenn., and remained a prisoner nine months, when he was exchanged, and being sick, was honorably discharged. He returned to his home in Augusta, where he remained until 1867, when he came to Kirkwood and embarked in the drug business, and is now recognized as one of the most prominent business men and influential citizens of the place. He owns a fine brick store on Kirk street and carries the largest stock of drugs in the village.
In 1866, the marriage of Mr. Stark and Miss Ellen Douglass occurred. She is a native of Kentucky, and a daughter of Joseph and Catherine (Eckels) Douglass. One child blessed this union, which died in infancy. Mr. Stark is a Republican in political faith and a member of the Christian Church, and also belongs to the G. A. R.
heodore C. Pearce, a farmer, residing on section 20, Berwick Township, was born in the same township of which he is at pres- ent a resident, March 9, 1843. He remained with his parents until he was 23 years old, working on his father's farm, attending the dis- trict schools and supplementing his education by an attendance of one year at Monmouth College, and a course of two years at Knox College. He is the son of Andrew G. Pearce, a native of Ohio, having been born in Champaign County, that State, Nov. 16, 1816. The father - came to this State in 1830, and located at Pekin, Ill., where he remained one year, then came to this county, and located in Berwick
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