Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II, Part 49

Author: Wilcox, David F., 1851- ed
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 952

USA > Illinois > Adams County > Quincy > Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II > Part 49

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Samnel Lee Adair was educated in the Camp Point schools, where he took work equivalent to graduation, also attended the State Normal School at Macomb, the Bradley Polytechnic Institute at Peoria, and the Manual Training Depart .- ment of the State University of Wisconsin. For nine years he taught in this county, six years at Quincy in the publie schools, and three years in the Manual Training School of that city. He is now teacher of manual training in the Fairbury Township High School, and reeently had charge of the manual train- ing course for the soldiers in the Manual Training Camp at Camp Sheridan. Samuel married Maude Adams. a daughter of Prof. W. T. and Elizabeth Adams. Her mother died during her infancy, and she made her home with her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Gibbs. Professor Adams was a teacher for over thirty years, during the last of which he was county superintendent of schools in Polk County, Arkansas. To this union was born one daughter, Mary Elizabeth, the only grandchild in the family. Mande Adams Adair, graduated from Coatshurg High School in 1907, attended Western Illinois State Normal at Macomb, 1907-1909, taught school at Coatsburg three years, in 1912 taught in the Ursa schools, and then at the Webster Junior High in Quincy.

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Floyd Earl Adair was born March 21, 1889, graduated from the Gem City Business College of Quiney, Illinois, in business, shorthand and typewriting courses, and worked one year as bookkeeper and stenographer for the William Adams Contracting Company of Chicago, whose work at that time was at Hot Springs, Arkansas. His work completed there he returned home and took up the profession of school teacher and taught successfully in the Adams and Han- cock public schools for three years. In 1913 he passed the civil service exami- nation and was appointed rural carrier from the Loraine postoffice, which posi- tion he still holds. On June 11, 1913, he was married to Charlotte E. Fry, daughter of James MI. and Cordelia (Adair) Fry, of Loraine, Illinois. Mrs. Floyd Adair's parents still reside in Loraine, Illinois. Her father was a Civil war veteran. Mrs. Floyd Adair was educated in the Loraine publie schools and was for several years a successful teacher in the public schools of Adams County.

Anderson Dewey Adair, the youngest son, is a trained automobile mechanic and still lives at home. He was educated in the Loraine High School, Western Illinois State Normal School, S. A. T. C. of Culver Stockton College, Canton, Missouri. He is a graduate of the Kansas City School for Auto Mechanics, and is engaged in the automobile business in Loraine, Illinois.

CHIARLES M. GIBBS, now living retired at Coatsburg, has been a resident of that community for so many years that there is probably not a man, woman or child in Honey Creek Township who does not know him and has some kind mem- ory of his work and good citizenship. Mr. Gibbs is perhaps most widely known through his long service as the local representative of the railroad at Coatsburg. He served the Burlington and Wabash railroad companies faithfully and all their patrons for half a century, and if any man deserves a pension for their long and faithful performance of duty it is Charles M. Gibbs.

He was born in Tennessee, in McMinn County, September 4, 1837, and is of Scotch-Irish stock. His parents were Fleming G. and Rebecca (Baker) Gibbs. His maternal grandfather served as a soldier in the War of 1812 and lived to be a hundred and seven years of age. For eighty years he had active membership in the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Gibbs' parents were both born in Vir- ginia and the father went to Tennessee when a boy.

Charles M. Gibbs, who was one of four children, was reared and educated in Tennessee and had taught school there for seven or eight years before coming to Western Illinois. The presence of some friends in Adams County brought him to Coatsburg, and during 1863-64 he taught school in that village, having eighty or ninety pupils. He taught all the common branches and in mathematics had a class in algebra. Some of his old pupils are still in the community, including the Gray boys. He also taught a school two miles north of Coatsburg.

It was in 1865 that Mr. Gibbs entered the service of the Chicago, Burlington and Quiney Railway as local agent and telegraph operator. That service was continuous for fifty years. For several years after he became a representative of the railroad company at Coatsburg there was no telegraph office. The first telegraph instruments he handled were the old tape machines, and it was some years before he took messages from the sounder. Mr. Gibbs did his duty so effi- ciently that no action of his was ever a source of trouble between him and his superiors and no railway accident was ever traced to his failure to understand and properly interpret telegraph messages. Out of the fifty years he spent two years at the station at Paloma. He was finally retired with a pension at the end of fifty years, but in a manner of speaking, his connection with the Coatsburg station is still maintained, since his son is his successor. Mr. Gibbs did his rail- road work long before the passage of the modern short hour labor laws and for years he handled all the business of the local station alone, and was on duty fifteen hours a day, not leaving the depot until he had received the mail from the Chicago train at nine in the evening.

In the meantime many other business interests occupied him. For twenty years he was associated with John Grigsby in the grain and livestock business,

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and he had a farm of eighty acres near Coatsburg which was extensively used for feeding cattle for the market. He was also interested in a general store. At different times Mr. Gibbs has been honored with office as trustee of Coatsburg. He is a democrat, though often casting his ballot independently.

December 28, 1864, Mr. Gibbs married Miss Frances Murrah, a sister of Peter E. Murrah, a well known citizen of Coatsburg, elsewhere referred to in this publication. Mrs. Gibbs was born in Adams County March 3, 1843. To their marriage were born seven children: Mary Elizabeth, now deceased, married W. T. Adams, of Camp Point, and was the mother of two daughters, Mabel F. and Mary Maude. Mabel is now Mrs. John Mershan, wife of a lumber dealer in Oklahoma. Mary Maude when an infant was taken to the home of her grand- parents Gibbs and reared there until her marriage to S. L. Adair, and she has one child. Minnie, the second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs, is the wife of J. A. Marshall, a farmer in Columbus Township. Anna married W. J. Whiprecht, who is in the employ of the Missouri Pacific Railway at St. Louis. William M. is a farmer three miles from Mendon in that township Luther C. is train dispatcher for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy at West Quincy and lives in Quincy. Charles Francis is the successor to his father as agent and operator at Coatsburg, and he married Lula Carlin. Clara Jane, the youngest of the family, married W. J. Shake, superintendent of a creamery at Macomb, Illinois.

Mr. Gibbs is a Mason and took his first degree in Columbus Lodge abont fifty years ago. Mrs. Gibbs is active in the Christian Church. Mr. Gibbs has been in- fluential in bringing several of his relatives to the county. His brother William E. Gibbs came here about forty years ago, and for fifteen years was a blacksmith at Coatsburg, until his death. He also served as president of the village board. William E. Gibbs left three children : Texas, Mrs. George Ertel, wife of a retired farmer at Coatsburg; John C. Gibbs, who is chairman of the County Board of Supervisors of Adams County ; and America, who lives in Oklahoma. Mr. Gibbs' cousin, John McMahan, now of Camp Point, came to this county when a young man and lived with Mr. Charles M. Gibbs until his marriage.

JOHN JACOB GLASER has come to the venerable age of fourscore with a life record of commendable industry, integrity and honor in all his relations. The people of Columbus Township esteem him for his irreproachable character and also for the effective work done and the sacrifices he has made for his family and others.

Mr. Glaser was born in Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, December 23, 1838, a son of John and Anna E. (Miller) Glaser. John Glaser was a blacksmith by trade, having learned that occupation in the thorough manner of an appren- ticeship. In 1852 he and his wife and three children, Louisa, Elizabeth and John Jacob, left Germany, going from Hamburg to Hull, then to Liverpool, and at that English port embarked on a sailing vessel which seven weeks and three days later landed them in New Orleans. This boat carried more than 400 emi- grants from Germany. At New Orleans cholera was then epidemic and people were dying like flies. The family and most of the other passengers hastily em- barked on a boat bound up the Mississippi to St. Louis. Ten miles below that city the boat was held up for four days in quarantine. After a brief stop in St. Louis the Glaser family came on to Quincy, arriving in that city in August, 1852. Jolin Glaser immediately found opportunity to establish himself as a local blacksmith, securing employment with Rogers & Cleveland. Four years later, on account of advancing years, he gave up his trade and moved to Columbus Township, renting for one year the old Moore farm and for seven years lived on the Guthrie farm. IIe finally bought the Moore place of 135 acres from the widow Moore, and he lived there until his death about thirty years ago, at the age of seventy. His widow spent her last years with her son John Jacob and died in 1895, at the age of seventy-six. Both parents were splendid Christian people, and devout members of the Lutheran Church at Coatsburg. They were buried

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side by side in Columbus Cemetery. Only one child was born to them after they came to Adams County, and he died at the age of four years. The daughter Elizabeth married Louis Wilkey, of Columbus. Louise is the widow of Henry Mullenhauer.

John Jacob Glaser was fourteen years of age when brought to Adams County. He grew up on a farm in Columbus Township, and after the death of his father became administrator of the estate and carried out strictly the provisions of his father's will, providing for his sisters and mother. In 1875 he bought his present farm in section 18 of Columbus Township, a half mile from the Village of Columbus. There he has lived in prosperity and comfort for over forty years, and has made one of the good country homes of that locality. He has a seven room house, excellent farm buildings, and the farm is now oper- ated by his son Ernest.

At Canton, Missouri, more than fifty years ago, Mr. Glaser married Mary Glaser, of the same family name but not a relative. They were born in the same city of Germany, Mrs. Glaser's birth occurring November 19, 1838. She also came to America by the same route as her husband, landing at New Orleans and coming thence to Quincy, arriving here in the fall of 1856. Her parents were John and Catherine (Miller) Glaser, who located near Canton, Missouri, and both died there when about eighty years of age. Her father was a carpenter by trade. This Glaser family were also Lutherans. Mrs. Glaser had three brothers, August, Jacob and Adolph. Two of them died young, and August is still living at Canton, Missouri, and has five living daughters, all unmarried, and had one son, John S., who died after his marriage, leaving one daughter.

Mr. and Mrs. Glaser lived and labored together nearly fifty years. She passed away at the old home in Columbus Township December 19, 1899. Mr. Glaser for many years has been a devout member of the Lutheran Church at Coatsburg, and his wife sat side by side with him in worship there through- out her life. Mr. Glaser and his sons are independent in politics. All the children were confirmed in the Coatsburg Lutheran Church.

Their oldest child, Amelia E., died when nine years old. Elizabeth E. married William Ihrig, and they live on a farm in Marion County, Missouri. Their three sons, Arthur, Roy and Elmer, are all unmarried and two are in the army service, enlisting in Missouri regiments. They volunteered instead of waiting to be drafted, and are now overseas. Mr. and Mrs. Ihrig also have two daughters, Lillian and Clara, both at home. Martha Glaser married Herman Tillman, son of Rev. Richard Tillman, a Methodist minister. Mr. Tillman and wife are farmers in Gilmer Township.

Their two children,

Esther and Karl, are both school children. Lydia L. Glaser, like the rest of the children, was educated in the schools of Columbus Village, and she remains at home solicitously caring for her honored father. The next in the family is Ernest, above mentioned, the responsible manager of the home farm. John Glaser is a graduate of the Illinois Normal University and for the past fifteen years has been a successful principal of schools. He is now located at Wild Rose, North Dakota. He married Emma Moellring, and their family consists of Paul, Ernest, Ruth and Vernon.

HENRY C. SPRICK, who for nearly thirty years has been a figure in financial affairs in Quincy, and, who has been closely associated with men of substance and ability in this community, is at present the cashier of the State Street Bank. He has been with this institution since its organization and his work has been a very potent factor in its growth and development.

Mr. Sprick is one of ten children born to Henry and Sophia (Wilkening) Sprick, being born at Fontanelle, Nebraska, January 26, 1864. His parents were sturdy Nebraska pioneers who were very closely associated with the early development of their state. The father being especially prominent in politi- eal and religious affairs engendered in his son that stamina of character and

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that interest in the public good which have made the latter the type of good American citizen which he now represents.

The boyhood and early school days of Henry C. Sprick were spent on the home farm at Fontanelle where he remained until he came east to complete his education.

At the age of twenty-two years Mr. Sprick began his business career by taking a position with a wholesale implement firm in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1888 he purchased an interest in the produce and commission firm of Oster- mann and Tremain located at Fremont, Nebraska. A year later he withdrew from this concern to return to Quincy, Illinois, where he had earlier attended school and from whence his father and mother had emigrated to Nebraska.

In 1890 the State Street Bank was organized by Herman Heidbreder, W. H. Govert, William H. Collins, Charles Becker, and Martin Heiderich. Henry Sprick was made its first teller. During the subsequent years it became pos- sible for Mr. Sprick to obtain a substantial interest in the bank, and at the same time he gained valuable experience which made it possible for him to become cashier at the death of Mr. Herman Heidbreder. At present Mr. W. H. Covert is the only surviving member of the group of men who organized the bank and Henry C. Sprick is the only active member of the original staff. During the time that Mr. Sprick has acted as cashier of the State Street Bank the same has shown a very marked degree of progress in its internal organiza- tion as well as in its financial growth. The bank now occupies a commodious three-story building at 801 State Street which imposing structure stands as a monument to those sturdy active characters who organized it and furthers its development.

Beside the time and effort which he has given to his business Mr. Sprick has been a director of the Quincy Stove Company for many years. He is one of the Board of Water Works Commissioners of the City of Quincy and has been active in all public and church enterprises for the betterment of the com- munity. In his political affiliation Mr. Sprick is allied with the republican party and his religions faith is that of a Lutheran.

On August 14, 1890, lIenry C. Sprick became united in marriage with Miss Clara M. Heidbreder, eldest daughter of Herman and Anna J. Heidbreder. Their union resulted in a home which has proven to be one of extreme happi- ness and comfort, being blessed by a son and daughter. The son, Harvey H. Sprick, graduated from the University of Michigan in 1916 and is now in the bank with his father, while the daughter, Helen, is at present a student at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.

H. C. STERLING though a resident of Quincy only about ten years is very well known in business circles, and business men of all classes make daily use of his office as secretary of the Credit Association. He has also established and built up a general commercial and credit agency.

Mr. Sterling was born in Nebraska, July 12. 1868, and later moved to Springfield, Illinois, where he was reared and educated. His parents, E. H. and Emily (Clark) Sterling, are natives of New York State, but more than fifty years ago established their home at Springfield, where they still reside.

H. C. Sterling for several years was agent for packing companies and meat dealers and at one time was a city salesman for the Armour Packing Company. He was later in the real estate business. From 1914 to the spring of 1916 he served as deputy sheriff of Adams County. On leaving that office he moved into the Illinois State Bank Building at the time it was completed and took up his duties as secretary of the Quincy Credit Association. He also furnishes a general credit service to outside business interests. He has charge of the local office of the Elaborated Roofing Company, and since January, 1918, his office has been on the ground floor of the building at 216 Sixth Avenue, North. He is also serving his third consecutive appointment as a notary public.

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Mr. Sterling married for his first wife Anna Shreve, who died leaving three children. Gertrude E. is the wife of R. F. Ingersoll, of Quiney. Lena E. is the wife of C. C. Beck, also of Quiney. Harry C. is a student in the Quincy High School. Mr. Sterling married at Quincy for his present wife, Anna Fox, who was reared and educated in this eity.

BENJAMIN L. WILLHOIT represents some of the old American stoek of Adams County, especially those families which eame in early days out of Kentucky and made some of the first elearings in the woods of this eounty. Mr. Willhoit has a fine farm in seetion 7 of Columbus Township, on rural route No. 4 out of Camp Point. He owns 315 aeres in the home place and ninety-five aeres adjoining. This gives a large property, and it has been thriftily managed, and has the best of farm buildings and other equipment. It has been his home for thirty years and most of his children grew up in that place.

The farm was originally bought by his father, Daniel Willhoit, from the George Smith heirs. Daniel Willhoit was a renter on the farm before he was its owner.

Mr. Willhoit's grandfather, William Willhoit, better known among the old timers as Unele Billy Willhoit, was a native of Kentucky, where he married Delilah Curry, also a Kentucky girl. In pioneer days they came up over the new roads from Kentucky to Adams County, Illinois, and bought a traet of wild and new land in seetion 7 of Columbus Township. Their first home there was a log cabin. William Willhoit and wife reared their children in that envi- ronment. They were settlers here as early as 1836 or 1837. William Willhoit finally sold his farm and retired to Coatsburg, where he died when past seventy- five years of age. He was known as the Daniel Boone of his part of the county, having killed hundreds of deer, wild turkey and even bear. His most remark- able and widely celebrated exploit was killing four turkeys at one shot.

Daniel Willhoit was born on the old farm in Columbus Township March 28, 1841. Daniel had several sisters. Amanda married Jolin Smith and she now lives in Oklahoma, and her two daughters died after marriage. Another sister, Nancy, died after her marriage to John Urtle, who is now living in Missouri. Mr. and Mrs. Urtle had eight children, all still living.

Daniel Willhoit grew up in Columbus Township at the old homestead, and married in Liberty Township Jane Lierle. She was born in this county in 1843, daughter of Zaeh and Mary (Wilks) Lierle. The Lierle family were well known in the pioneer annals of Adams County, especially as early settlers in Columbus Township. Zach Lierle's first wife died in the prime of life, leaving three children. He then married a Miss Turney, and finally moved out to Daviess County, Missouri, and died there in advanced years.

Benjamin L. Willhoit is the only child of his parents still living. ITis brother William died when a small ehild. Benjamin Willhoit was born on his grandfather's old farm December 1, 1865. He eame to the farm where he now lives when twelve years old and thus had his training as a farmer on the land which he still eultivates. His father died here December 15, 1912, and sinee then Mr. Willhoit has been proprietor of the farm.

In Columbus Township December 25, 1888, he married Miss Luella DeMoss. She was born in that township December 31, 1865, and was reared and edueated in the township. Her parents were David and Mary E. (Horner) DeMoss, her father born in Columbus Township October 12, 1840, and her mother in Ohio January 29, 1841. Mary Horner was brought to Adams County by her parents when she was a small ehild. Mrs. Willhoit's parents were married March 6, 1862. Her father was a very eapable farmer and business man, and owned about 1,000 aeres of land in Columbus Township. He died at the old home, and his widow is now living near Clayton with her daughter, Mrs. Lillie Sparks, wife of Henry Sparks. Mrs. Henry Sparks has a son, Orrin. Mrs. Willhoit had another sister, Flora, who died at the age of twenty-six, and was the first wife of Henry Sparks. She left a daughter, Ethyl, now the wife of Albert Beekman. Mr. and Mrs. Willhoit had the following children : Harry L.,

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who was educated in the district and high schools, lived on a farm west of Columbus Village and died January 1, 1919, his wife dying four days previously. He married Ida Thompson, of Gilmer Township, and they had a daughter, Mildred Thompson, aged five years. L. Pearl. born on the home farm, is the wife of Harry Thomas, and has a son, Donald Willhoit, born in 1913. Hazel F. Willhoit graduated from the Maplewood High School of Camp Point in 1912, attended the Quiney Musical College, has taught musie, and is now the wife of B. Frank Thomas. Goldie was educated in the home sehools, and is now specializing in poultry raising at the home farm. The family are all iden- tified with the Christian Church. Mr. Willhoit is a demoerat. His son Harry was a member of the Masonie and Odd Fellows Lodges at Columbus. Mr. Will- hoit's father, Daniel, was one of the earliest Odd Fellows in this part of the county. Daniel Willhoit also served as supervisor of Columbus Township a number of years, and many times was called upon to assess the property of the township.

SILAS ENLOW. The Enlow family, well known and represented by several members in Adams County, was founded here by Thomas Enlow, who came from the vicinity of Allentown, Pennsylvania, to Adams County in 1833 and was one of the first settlers southwest of Liberty Village. He spent the rest of his life there, and his old farm is now owned hy Mr. Byer. In 1814 Thomas Enlow married in Washington County, Pennsylvania. He died at the age of eighty and his widow passed away at the age of eighty-one. Among the chil- dren of this pioneer couple were: Ruth Titus, who died in Colorado; Mrs. Rebecca Leach, who died at Kearney, Missouri; Mrs. Hulda Wittemeyer, who died at Adams, Illinois; Mrs. Eliza Leach, who died at Liberty; Phoebe, who died unmarried in California ; Perry Enlow, of Quiney; Mrs. Naney McBride, of Reed, Missouri; Mrs. Nellie Westeott, of Colusa, California, now deceased ; Luke, who spent most of his life in Hancock County, Illinois, but died in Ne- braska ; Silas; and Washington, who died in Liberty Township at the age of seventy-four.

Silas Enlow was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, October 16, 1820, and was thirteen years of age when brought to Adams County. In 1848 he married Naney Jane Sutherland, of Washington County, Pennsylvania. They had been childhood friends, and he went back to Pennsylvania to claim her as his bride. She was born at Claysville in Washington County in 1829. Silas Enlow developed a good farm of 160 aeres near the old homestead in Liberty Township and lived there to accumulate a generous prosperity. He died in 1904 and his wife passed away about 1913. He was a democrat. Silas Enlow had a family of five children. His son George W. Enlow graduated from the St. Louis Medical College and practiced at Liberty until his death in 1899, at the age of forty-eight. Doetor Enlow married Catherine Lierle, who survived him. Doctor and Mrs. Enlow had the following children: Dr. Aubrey Enlow, who graduated from the same school as his father and practiced at Liberty for a time. but is now at Kansas City, Missouri; Shaw of Kansas City; and Riley of Wyoming. Marion Enlow. of Los Angeles, and Lee Enlow, of Liberty, are the two other sons of Silas Enlow.

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Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II, Part 49

Author: Wilcox, David F., 1851- ed Publication date: 1919 Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 952

Author: Wilcox, David F., 1851- ed
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 952