USA > Illinois > Macoupin County > Portrait and biographical record of Macoupin County, Illinois : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, together with biographies of all the governors of the state, and of the presidents of the United States > Part 59
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In 1886 Mr. Duckels removed to the Loper homestead, the estate of his late father-in-law, Adrian W. Loper, in Western Mound Township, and has charge of the farm, which under his able management is kept up to the same fine condition
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that it had attained during the life-time of Mr. Loper. Our subjeet earries on his work in an orderly manner, after the most approved system of agriculture, and has won an assured position among the successful men of his calling in his native county.
Mr. Duckels was married in 1877 to Miss Ophelia Loper, and in her he has had the encouragement and assistance of a true wife. She is also a native of the county, born in Western Mound Township, and a daughter of the late Adrian W. and Susan Loper, of whom an account appears elsewhere. Mr. and Mrs. Duckels have four children, whom they have named Thomas W., Gertrude, Reynold and William Elden.
ILLIAM F. UCHTMANN, now deceased, was born in Hanover, Germany, in August, 182t, and died at his home in Cahokia Township on the 6th of March, 1877, respected by all who knew him. He was for many years one of the prominent German citizens of the commu- nity and an enterprising farmer. In the usual manner of farmer lads his boyhood days were spent, and when he had attained to mature years he resolved to seek his fortune in the New World. At the age of twenty-four he bade good-by to his native land and sailed for America, landing in New York, whence he came to Louisville, Ky., work- ing in the vicinity of that city for some time as a farm laborer. On coming to Illinois in an early day, he located in Mt. Olive, Macoupin County. Much of the land was still owned hy the Government, and being unimproved, he de- cided to obtain a portion of it and make a home for himself. To this end he secured a tract on section 36, Cahokia Township, where he ever after- ward resided, and at his death he had a valnahle tract of land of two hundred and forty acres, all under a high state of cultivation and equipped with all the improvements necessary to the model farm of the nineteenth century. Not a furrow had been turned when he came into possession of the land and all the work done upon it has
been the labor of his own hands. He always kept his farm well stocked with a good grade of horses, cattle and hogs, and the neat appearance of the place was excellent evidence of his thrift and enterprise.
As a helpmate on life's journey Mr. Febtmann chose Miss Minnie Grossenhider, their marriage being celebrated near Mt. Olive. She was born in Prussia, Germany, July 15, 1836, and is a daugh- ter of William and Catherine (Searf) Grossen- hider. Her father died in Germany at the age of forty- nine years. He followed farming for a live- lihood. flis widow afterward came to this coun- try and died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Uchitmann, at the ripe old age of seventy-two years. In their family were nine children, all of whom came to this country, while seven are yet living. Mrs. Uchtmano, the fourth in order of birth, was nineteen years old when, with a brother, she came to the l'nited States, sailing from Bremen to New Orleans, and thence coming up the Mis- sissippi River to St. Louis and Macoupin County, where two years later she was married. By their union were horn ten children, but only live are now living -- Fritz, who married Lena Neilhouse and re- sides upon a part of the home farm; Minnie C., Anna L. S., Matilda W. and Edward F. A. who are still living with their mother. Henry died at the age of eleven years; Ida and Herman were both six years of age at the time of their deaths; John also died in childhood, and another died in in- fancy.
Mr. l'chtmann came to this country to make a home and the United States had no truer citizen; he lived with an eye single to the interests of the township and county, and his labors were felt in the community for good. An honest, upright man, he won the respect of all who knew him and had many warm friends who shared with the fan- ily in their loss. He was a member of the Luth- eran Church, to the support of which he gave lib. erally, and in politics was a Republican, having held some local offices, the duties of which he ever faithfully discharged. Ilis industrious and enter- prising habits enabled him to leave his family in comfortable circumstances. Since her husband's death Mrs. Uchtmann has managed the home farm
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and displays much business and executive ability in so doing. She and all of the children are mem- bers of the Lutheran Church and the family is favorably known throughout the community.
8 AMUEL W. STUTZMAN. The family to which our subject belongs is supposed to have come originally from Switzerland, that country which is noted among the na- tions as being one of the oldest existing Republics and as one whose people were as a unit so deter. mined to have freedom that they dared death on every occasion rather than submit to Austrian supremacy. Our subject's father was Daniel W. Stutzmin, who was born in Montgomery County, Ohio. March 28, 1811. Having passed through the early pioneer experience the old gentleman would doubtless be surprised could he see the beau- tiful farm located on section 8. Nilwood Township. that his son owns at present.
The father of Daniel W. Stutzman, or our sub- ject's grandfather, was Samuel Stutzman, who was born in Pennsylvania. Ile removed at an early date with his parents from Pennsylvania to Ohio. where he settled in Montgomery County. From there he removed to Elkhart County. Ind., where he died in the spring of 1861. Our subject's mother was Hannah Wineland. She was united in marriage to Daniel Stutzman in Montgomery County, and with him at once removed to Elk- hart County. Ind., where she died; her husband then came to Macoupin County in about the year 1867, and located west of Virden, where he died in January. 1883.
The gentleman of whom we write was one of eight children, the family comprising respectively six sons and two daughters. Of these children our subject was the eldest; he was born in Elkhart County, Ind., June 3, 1835. where he remained until he reached manhood, there engaged in work on his father's farm. In 1859 he removed to Montgomery. County, where he met his fate in the shape of Miss Barbara Vaniman, with whom he was united in marriage September 5, 1861. The
lady is a native of Montgomery County, be- ing there horn March 8, 1840. Iler parents were Jacob and Mary (Bowman) Vaniman, the former a native of Pennsylvania, the latter of Ohio. After marriage they settled in Montgomery County, and there lived until their death. They were con- sistent members in good standing of the German Baptist Church, as were also the members of our subject's family.
Soon after our subject's marriage he and his wife settled on the old homestead of the bride's father, Jacob Vaniman, in Montgomery County. There they lived until March, 1871, when they removed to Maconpin County, and settled in Nilwood Township. They here acquired one hun- dred and seventy-five acres which is all well im- proved. Earlier in life our subject was engaged in carpenter work but the greater part of his ex- perience has been in agricultural pursuits.
Mi. and Mrs. Stutzman are the parents of eight children. They are: Aaron II., Laura D., Jesse E., John D. and Jonathan P. (twins); George A., Ilarvey D. and Mary E. Of these, the eldest son is a resident in the State of Washington. Laura D. is the wife of W. W. MeGhee. Jesse E. is a resi- dent of the State of Washington. Before Mr. Stutz- man removed to this State his position in society as a man of ability was recognized and he was appointed School Director, in which capacity he served for several years. Both Mr. and Mrs. Slutzman are active workers in the German Baptist Church in which the former has been a Deacon for a long time.
W ILLIAM MILYARD, a retired farmer re- siding in Bunker Ilill, where he located in March, 1890, has been a resident of the county from boyhood, and is a representative of one of the pioneer families of the State. He was born in Sangamon County, Ill., August 30, 1823, and is a son of Judge John M. and Mary (Gray) Ililyard. His father, a native of West Virginia, was born in Campbell County January 30, 1798, and belonged to one of the early and
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respected families of the Old Dominion. He mar- ried Miss Gray, who was born on a farm near the HIilyard homestead, November 27. 1801. Their childhood was spent in the same neighborhood and after the birth of two children they started Westward, traveling overland with wagons and teams from Virginia to Illinois. They camped out every night and after journeying some weeks halted at what is now Waverly. Ill., but made a settle- ment in Sangamon County in the early part of 1823. They took up a claim. being the first white settlers in that part of the county where they lo- cated. After eight years they left Sangamon County and removed to Macoupin County, where he had previously entered land, making the first settlement in Hilyard Township, which was named in honor of the father of our subject. He entered the land from the Government and secured the title from President Andrew Jackson. It was sit- aled on section 22. and at first was entirely desti- tute of all improvements. but with characteristic energy Mr. liilyard began the development of a farm and year by year saw his improved acreage extended until at length he became owner of a valuable farm of 200 acres. one of the best in the township, which is now owned by his son Samuel. The family bore the usual hardships and experi- ences of pioneer life. Their first home was a rude log cabin, but in later years it was supplanter by a comfortable frame residence. Mr. Hilyard was a man of worth and ability, and soon became a prominent man in the county. Ile was one of the first teachers in the township and before the day of public schools he established a small pri- vate school, where he taught his own and his neigli- bors' children. more for their good than for any financial benefit resulting therefrom. In politics he was a stalwart supporter of Democratic prin- ciples, and in addition to the various township offices which be held, te served as dustice of the Peace for several years and was a number of times eiccted County Judge. Ilis rulings were wise, his decisions unbiased, and he won favor with all, whether Democrat or Republican. For some years prior to his death he was an invalid. Both he and his wife were for a long time members of the Reg. ular Baptist Church, but they afterward united
with the Universalist Church. Judge Ililyard died in this county in 1×72, and his excellent wife was called to her final rest on the 23d of April. 1871. In their family were ten children, seven sons and three daughters, of whom all are yet living with the exception of two sons. Mount Calvary died when sixteen years old and John M. while in Mexico during the Mexican War.
The subject of thus sketeh has since his eighth year resided in Macoupin County. In Ililyard Township he was reared to manhood, spending his time amidst play and work in the usual manuer of lads, while his education was acquired under the direction of his father as public schools of any worth had not then been instituted. In 1845, in Ililyard Township. he was united in marriage with Miss Martha Barnes, who was born near springfield. III., May 27, 1825, and is a daughter of William and Irena ( Welton ) Barnes, who were natives of Connecticut and Vermont respectively. They were married in the East and most of their children were born prior to their emigration to Illinois, which occurred in 1824. They settleri on forty acres of land. now iying within the corpora- tion limits of Springfield. The capital city was then a mere hamlet and the white settlers were far outnumbered by the Indians who oftentimes proved very troublesome. Twice they burned down the home of the Barnes family. and so, in 1x27, his wife having died, Mr. Barnes determined to locate elsewhere. He went to Memphis, Tenn., but about 1835 returned to Illinois, taking up his resi- dence in Madison County, whence after five years he came to Macougin County, settling on a farm in Hilyard Township, where his death occurred in 1815. He was born January 15, 1780. and had therefore reached the age of sixty-five years when be departed this life. Ile was an inflexible Demo- crat in politieal sentiment and both he and his wife upheld the faith of the Methodist Church. Mrs. Ililyard was the youngest of the eight chil- dren born unto that worthy couple, and she grew to womanbood under the care of her father and elder sister, for her mother died when she was quite young.
Ten children graced the union of Mr. Hilyard and his wife, of whom four are now deceased,
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Three sons, Elias, John and William D., died in childhood; and Mary, wife of Adam Taggart, died leaving two children. The members of the fam- ily who still survive are: Eliza .l., the wife of Achilles Morrison, who resides on a farm near Shipman; James P., who married E. J. Wood and is a resident farmer of Bunker Hill Township; Sarah, the wife of W. C. Barnes. who is a resi- dent farmer of Shipman Township; Lewis, who wedded Sarah L. Taggart and is engaged in agri- cultural pursuits in Bunker Hill Township; Wal- ter, who married Ida Moore and is living in Cham- paign County; and Mattie, who married A. R. Moore, a telegraph operator of Champaign County.
Mr. and Mrs. Hilyard are worthy people, kind and obliging in manner, and their lives have been such as to merii the confidence and esteem of all with whom they have come in contact. In poli- ties he is a stalwart Democrat. Farming has been his life work and for many years he resided in Hilyard Township, where he engaged in general farming and stock-raising. The first land which he owned was raw and unbroken at the time of his purchase, but he developed therefrom a good farm and increased its boundaries until it com- prised one hundred and sixty acres. He also owns a one hundred and twenty acre tract and twenty acres of timber land. In March, 1890, he laid aside all business cares and removed to Bunker Hill, where he expects to spend the remainder of his days in his pleasant home, enjoying the com- forts and luxuries of life, which are the fruits of his toil.
OHN W. HANKINS, M. D., a well-known and successful physician of Carlinville, was born at Burlington, N. J., November 20, 1820, and is a son of John Hankins, a na- tive of the same State, born at Princeton. The father of the latter, also named John Hankins, was likewise a native of New Jersey. His father, the great-grandfather of our subject, was born in Eng- land, and came to America in early Colonial times as an officer in the British Army. He married in New
Jersey, and as far as known, spent his last years there. ITis son passed his entire life in the same State.
The father of Dr. Hankins was educated at Prince- ton College, and when a young man commenced teaching, which vocation he followed until his death, which occurred in 1825. The maiden name of his wife was Hannah Ayers. She was born on a farm three miles from Princeton, and was a daugh- ter of Robert and Johanna Ayers. She survived her husband many years, departing this life at Car- linville in 1856, at a venerable age. She reared a family of eight children.
The subject of this biography was but five years old when his father died, and three years later he went to reside with a farmer in Burlington County. lle assisted in the duties of the farm until he was fourteen years old, in the meantime taking advan- tage of all the opportunities afforded for obtaining an education, as he was very fond of books, and was an eager student. At the age mentioned ' he commenced to learn the trade of a shoemaker, at which he served seven years at Burlington, receiv- ing his board and clothes for his work. At the close of his apprenticeship he gave up the trade, and took charge of an estate as a gardener, in which position he remained two and one-half years, in the meantime studying medicine, to which he had turned his attention while an apprentice, giving to it all his spare time, as he had a decided taste for it.
In June, 1844 he came to Illinois and settled in Carlinville, which at that time was a small place of about three hundred inhabitants, and the houses were nearly all of logs. There was then but one public road in the county, and that led from St. Louis to Springfield. The only house on the north for a distance of twenty miles was a stage station, and it was situated three fourths of a mile south- west of the present site of the town of Virden. The Doctor continned his studies here until 1846, and then commenced practice as an eclectic physician, and for a period of more than forty years he has been successfully administering to the ills of the people far and near. When he first established him- self here he had to make his trips on horseback, often traveling for miles through a wild, sparsely settled country. Wishing to further perfect him-
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self in medicine, in 1852 and 1853 he attended a series of lectures at Chicago, and in 1835 was grad- uated from a Philadelphia medical school. Ilis place is among the highest members of the school of medicine that he represents, and his treatment of disease in its various forms has secured him a fine practice.
The marriage of Dr. Hankins with Elizabeth Me- Kee, a native of Philadelphia, was solemnized in 1841, and for half a century they have faithfully shared life's joys and sorrows. Of this union there are five children living: Robert A., a physician; John, a mechanic ; William C., an attorney; Charles C., a physician ; and Leon C., an attorney.
The Doctor is essentially a self-made man, hav- ing had to make his own way in the world from his youth up, commencing life poor, and is now one of the wealthy men of Carlinville. He was unable to attend medical lectures until he had accumulated sufficient money by his practice. He has always put his whole heart into his profession with the suc- cess that is sure to follow such devotion to one's calling. His patients attribute his success to liis skill and ability, but the Doctor frankly says their unbounded faith in him have more to do with it than any merit he may possess.
Our subject has been elected by his fellow-towns- men to various offices of trust. He was a member of the first City Council, and has also served as a member of the County Board of Supervisors. So- cially, he is identified with Macoupin Lodge, No. 107, I. O. O. F. He was also a delegate to the Con- stitutional Convention of this State in 1869-70.
R OBERT W. HUDDLESTUN, formerly con - nected with the agricultural interests of this county, now living in retirement at Carlinville, is a son of one of the early pio- neer families of this section of Illinois. He was born in Putnam County, Ind., November 1, 1829. His father, John Huddlestun, was a Kentuckian by birth, while the paternal grandfather was named either Daniel or Abraham Huddlestun, and was born either in Virginia or England of English par-
ents. Ile was a pioneer of Kentucky, and resided there many years ere his removal to Indiana, where he died.
John Huddlestun was reared and married in Kentucky, Naney Dunn, also a native of that State, Incoming his wife. Her father, whose name was Robert Dunn, was of Irish birth, and coming to Ameriea in early manhood, he first settled among the pioneers of Kentucky. He afterward removed to Indiana, and his life was brought to a close in that State. In 1828, the father of our subject, located in Indiana as a pioneer of Putnam County. where he lived two years. In 1830 he came to Illinois. the removal being made with teams. Ile look up his residence in what is now Gillespie Township, where he bought a tract of wild land, the family moving into the floorless log cabin that stood on the place.
Entering a tract of Government land in Cahokia Township, Mr. Huddlestun erected upon it a hewed log house, which was considered a line residence for those times. After residing there a few years, he sold that farm and bought a tract of land on section 9, Brushy Mound Township, and there his life was terminated a few months later by his un- timely death. He won an honorable record as a pioneer, and was respected by all who knew him. Ilis widow survived him many years, and finally died at a ripe age at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Melinda Clark, in the same township. She reared these seven children-Samuel, Elizabeth, Melvina, Robert W. Melinda, Mary Ellen and Lydia J.
On another page appears a portrait of the subject of this life review. who was reared in a pioneer home, and was early taught to lead a life of useful- ness. He was very young when his father died, and when his brother married, the care of the farm soon devolved on the youthful shoulders of our subject, who proved equal to the occasion, and successfully managed it. until he was lured to California to seck a quicker way of making a fortune in the gold fields of that State, going thither in 1850. Ile started from his old home March 26, with a party of twelve, traveling with eleven yoke of oxen to three wagons, and going the entire distance across the plains and mountains to the Pacific Coast in that manner, arriving at Weaver Creek, their des-
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tination, September 5. Our subject and his com- panions had thus journeyed a distance of over two thousand miles over an almost trackless, uninhab- ited region, there being scarcely a white settler be- vond St. Joseph on the plains, that were known as the "Great American Desert." Indians were some- times encountered, deer and wild game frequently crossed the path of our travelers, and buffaloes were seen in great numbers.
For a little more than a year, Mr. Huddlestun engaged in prospecting and mining in the Golden State, and then tiring of the wild, rough life of mining camps, he turned his face homeward, and came back to Illinois by way of the Isthmus of Panama. le very quietly resumed farming with his brother-in-law, and before his mai- riage in 1853 bought a home in Honey Point Town- ship. Hle soon traded that place for land in Brushy Mound Township, on which stood a small frame house 16x16 feet, and in that humble abode he and his young bride commenced their happy wedded life. He resitled there until 1889, and then went to Kansas, and remained in Bourbon County four months. Returning to Brushy Mound Township, in February, the same month he bought a pleasant home at Carlinville, and has ever since been a res- ident of this city.
Mr. Huddleston and Miss Eliza A. MePherron were married in 1853, and to them have been born thirteen children, seven sons and six daughters, all deceased except Amos E., Ada Lou. Addie F. and James Clinton. Mr. and Mrs. Huddlestun are mem- bers in bigh standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and are people whom to know is to respect and esteem for their many excellent qualities of head and heart. Mrs. Huddlestun is a native of this State, her birthplace in Greene County, and the date of her birth, April 3, 1835. Her father, Amos McPherron, was born at Knoxville, Tenn .. in 1796. He grew to manhood in his native State, and was there married to Miss Hettie Morris, who was also a native of Tennessee. Her father, Will- iam Morris, came from there to Illinois in an early day of its settlement, and spent his last years in Greene County. In 1828 Mrs. Huddlestun's father came to this State, and was one of the early pio- neers of Greene County. Ile located eight miles
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east of Carrollton on the south side of Spring Prairie and there improved a good farm, on which he made his home until his long and useful life was closed by death July 6. 1888.
D EACON C. V. A. QUICK, now retired from active business as a farmer, lives in a pleasant home in the northeastern part of the city of Bunker Hill. Here he has lived since the fall of 1880, when he removed from his farm near Dor- chester to this place. His fine farm of one hun- dred and sixty acres was, when be left it, in a high state of cultivation, but when he took it in 1851 it was all raw prairie. He brought it into excellent condition, supplied it with good buildings and fences and it is now considered one of the best farms in the neighborhood.
Our subject was born in Somerset County, N. J., April 16, 1825, and was the son of Jacob, the son of James who was born in Holland and emigrated to America prior to the Revolutionary War, with a colony of his eo-patriots. It was in Somerset County that James Quick lived and died, having at the time of his death, reached the goodly age of three-score years and fifteen. Ile was a farmer and came from the sturdy old Dutch stock who helped to make the early history of New Jersey. Ilis wife was also from Holland and she lived to the age of seventy-eight years. They were prom- inent and esteemed members of what was then known as the Dutch Reformed Church more recently called the Reformed Church.
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