Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II, Part 75

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 75

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Louis Steiner after his marriage took over the management of the Zeiger farm and later became its owner. He put up most of the farm buildings, and made many of the good improvements now seen there. Mrs. Louis Steiner died at the old homestead March 24, 1918, at the age of sixty-four, while Louis Steiner passed away July 22, 1918. Both were reared as Lutherans and Louis Steiner was a democratic voter.

A brief record of the children is as follows: Lizzie, wife of Shannon Wallace, living at Springfield, Illinois, and they have two children, Letha and Laura. Albert Steiner is a farmer at Bowen, Illinois, and by his marriage to Ida Mc- Millan has a daughter, Erma. William is a farmer in Camp Point Township on the old Horner farm, and he married Catherine Horner and has a daughter, Lois. Emma is the wife of Albert Schuhault, a salesman living at Quincy. The next in the family is Charles E. Steiner. Arnie F. married Freda Brakensiek. and he operated the Brakensiek farm in Columbus Township. They have two children, Irene and Harold. George Steiner is married and lives on a farm in Columbus Township.

Charles E. Steiner married October 20, 1910, at Camp Point, Hattie Ware. She was born in Concord Township September 21, 1888, and as a girl attended the Hazel Bluff School House. Her parents were Ezekiel and Sophronia ( Amen) Ware, both natives of Adams County. They are still living on the old Amen farm in Concord Township. They were reared in the Dunkard Church but now attend the Holiness. Mr. Ware is a democrat and has held most of the local offices. Mr. and Mrs. Steiner have a daughter, Mildred, born July 20, 1914. He is a democrat, and he and his wife are members of the Wolf Ridge Christian Church.

JACOB G. MANN. One of the most interesting and helpful stories that might be written of individual experience would be that of Jacob G. Mann if his expe- riences and struggles from early manhood to the present could be told in complete detail. Mr. Mann was first known in Adams County as a farm laborer, and during forty or more years has quietly but effectively built up a farm, acquired important holdings, and has long been recognized as one of the most substan- tial citizens in Payson Township. His home is in section 21 of that township, three miles southeast of Payson and two miles west of Plainsville.

He was born in Wrightsville, York County, Pennsylvania, March 11, 1847.

1192

QUINCY AND ADAMS COUNTY

In the spring of 1868, having reached the age of twenty-one, he came to Adams County with a schoolmate, Joseph Armold, whose brother, Frank Armold, was then living in Payson Township. It was that circumstance that led Jacob G. Mann to this community. There for six or seven years he worked at wages as a farm hand, twenty dollars a month and board. That he was thrifty as well as industrious is shown by the faet that he saved a hundred dollars out of each year's earnings. During four seasons of his employment he was with the late Isaac Grove. Having accumulated a little capital and with a desire to get a home of his own, he paid a visit to Kansas, but changed his mind about loeating after reaching there, and instead returned to Adams County and bought a small traet of seventeen and a half acres of new ground, with the timber eleared but with the stumps still standing as an obstaele to cultivation. There were no build- ings. Nevertheless he paid a thousand dollars for the traet. He built his humble home and lived there three years.

In January, 1875, Mr. Mann had married Caroline Ruby. She was also a native of York County, Pennsylvania, and had come to Adams County with her mother two years after Jacob Mann. Her home was in Payson Township. She was a nieee of Mrs. Jacob Harris, who owned a large amount of land in Payson Township.

Three years after buying his first small farm Mr. Mann sold and bought forty-six acres of the Harris farm three miles away. This land, originally owned by Mr. Harris, had been sold in the meantime to T. S. Elliott. Mr. Mann's new purchase included the buildings ereeted by Mr. IIarris. The purchase price was thirty-one hundred dollars, and he paid about half in eash. Much of this land he cleared up and also remodeled the old home built by Mr. Harris. He acquired additional land in the Harris tract until he owned seventy-one aeres. Jacob Mann lived there nntil 1908. He bought a hundred eighteen aeres adjoin- ing in 1896, giving him about a hundred ninety acres, and since then has added to his possessions until he has two hundred forty-four acres all in one body. Much of this land has been eleared by his own labors. For one traet of twenty- five acres he paid as high as eighty-seven dollars an acre. He realized some revenue from the sale of wood from the land, but perhaps his chief dependence has been hog raising. It is obvious that Mr. Mann made most of his money and aeenminlated most of his land by farming under the restricted conditions pre- ceding the present opulent period of agriculture. There were times when he lost whole bunches of hogs from cholera, and there were frequent seasons when his wheat failed to make a crop. He was ten years in paying off his indebtedness, which at one time was as high as seven thousand dollars, and he paid eight per eent interest on his money. He sold hogs as low as two dollars and sixty eents a hundred and other products in proportion. Mr. Mann continued to give his personal supervision to the operation of his farm until about ten years ago. He has erected a complete second set of improvements on the farm.

Mr. Mann is the father of three children: His son John is located in Chi- eago. He finished his education in the Gem City Business College. and was at one time employed as an expert by the Dairy Show Company. He married Miss Howard, and they have two children, Pearl and John. Myrtle Mann is the wife of Frank Seranton, and they live with Mr. and Mrs. Mann, Mr. Seran- ton operating part of the farm. Mr. and Mrs. Seranton have two sons, Amos and Harry. Stanley Mann operates the older part of the Mann farm. He married Maud Gillespie, and they have two sons, Minton and Charles.

Mr. Mann is a demoerat but has never had a desire to hold office. He is a very active and faithful member of the Payson Congregational Church and a deaeon and trustee, having filled the former office for the past fifteen years.

HENRY DEDERT. A farm home which is distinctive in many ways of the enterprise and ability of Henry Dedert as a progressive agriculturist is located in section 32 of Mendon Township. He also has a fine farm in Ellington Town- ship. Mr. Dedert comes of a family noted for thrift and all around qualifica-

1193

QUINCY AND ADAMS COUNTY

tions as agrieulturists and good citizens and his own record leaves no doubt as to his being a worthy representative of the family name.

His parents, William and Louise (Sehlippmann) Dedert, were both born in Westphalia, Germany, and came to Ameriea over sixty-five years ago. They were married in Germany and in 1852 took passage on a boat at Bremen and after a voyage of several weeks landed at New Orleans. From there they eame by boat up the Mississippi River, landing at Quincy, where William Dedert worked at whatever employment he could find. Later he rented land in Elling- ton Township, and at the elose of the Civil war bought eighty aeres in seetion 10 of that township. Mueh of this land was uneleared and hardly ready for cultivation, and had no buildings on it. But from that time forward his abili- ties and energies enabled him to prosper and he made a good farm and pro- vided liberally for his children. His farm before his death comprised 250 aeres. Both he and his wife were active members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, in which they were confirmed and reared. William Dedert was born January 2, 1819, and died April 24, 1898. His wife was born August 28, 1830, and died April 14, 1912. They were the parents of eleven children, nine sons and two daughters, all of whom married but two, and two sons and one daughter are deceased. Henry Dedert was the second in age. Several of the thrifty sons are specially mentioned in this work.

Mr. Henry Dedert was born on State Street near Eleventh Street in Quiney September 7, 1854. He attended the public schools and from an early age has been a praetieal farmer and stoekman. His farms comprise one in Mendon Township of 100 aeres and the one in Ellington Township of 160 aeres, each with good houses and barns, and nearly all the land under cultivation and man- aged with the highest degree of thrift generally characteristic of every Dedert farm.

Mr. Dedert married in Ursa Township Miss Emily Cramm. She was born in Ellington Township and was educated in Melrose and Ursa townships. Her parents were Christian and Emily (Pape) Cramm, both natives of Germany, her father born December 7, 1825, and her mother January 7, 1832. Her father eame alone to America before his marriage and he and his wife were married in Adams County. They spent the rest of their lives in the county and died in Ursa Township, the father on July 23, 1878, and the mother February 16, 1913, at the age of eighty-two. Both were members of the Evangelieal Luth- eran Chureh.

Mr. and Mrs. Dedert have an interesting family of children. Edward, the oldest, is a farmer in Mendon Township and by his marriage to Edith Kuhl- man has three children, Harriet, Hurbert and Eleanor. Lydia is the wife of Fred Ellerbroek, a resident of Ursa Township, and their children are Raymond, Leaton and Freda. Dora M. was well educated in the local sehools and is still at home with her parents. Fred is a farmer in Ellington Township and married Bessie Wiesenborn. They have one son, Alfred. Rosa is the wife of Charles Buhra, a farmer in Ursa Township, and by a former marriage Mr. Buhra had a daughter. Esther. Walter helps his father on the home farm. Four children died : Clara, at the age of thirteen ; William, at the age of five months; Chris- tian, at the age of eleven years; and Sophia, when four days old. The family are all members of the Evangelieal Lutheran Church. Mr. Dedert is a repub- liean, his father having been of the same politieal faith, while Mrs. Dedert's father was a democrat.

JACOB W. MCCLINTOCK. A long and interesting story might be woven eon- eerning the aneestry of Jaeob W. MeClintoek, the well known farmer, stoekman and citizen of Columbus Township. As the name indieates the MeClintoek's were originally Seoteh. One of the chief reasons for emigration two or three centuries ago was religious perseention. The MeClintoeks moved over into Londonderry, Ireland, and some of them participated in the famous siege of

1194

QUINCY AND ADAMS COUNTY

Londonderry. They were all Scotch Presbyterians. The MeClintocks intermar- ried with the Glasgows.

The family came to America in the persons of three brothers prior to the Revolutionary war. One of these brothers was Joseph Warren Mcclintock, great-grandfather of Jacob W. He served as a soldier in the Revolution. He spent all his life after coming to America in Pennsylvania. His son Joseph was born in Pennsylvania and married Jean Glasgow. She was a Scotch woman and had come to America with her brother James. Joseph Warren Mcclintock went over the mountains into Kentucky after the Revolutionary war, and even- tually located at Millersburg, in Bourbon County, Kentucky. In Bourbon County and in St. Clair County, Illinois, the MeClintocks had more than local fame for their stables of thoroughbred Kentucky race horses. They had been fanciers of fine stock of different kinds through all the generations. Mr. Jacob W. McClintock himself has long been interested in the better breeding of hogs, sheep and cattle, and he owned the first thoroughbred Shropshire sheep in Adams County. It was about 1816 that the MeClintocks settled in St. Clair County, bringing with them the stock from Kentucky. Joseph Warren Mc- Clintock died there at the age of sixty-five and his wife when past ninety. In Illinois they became identified with the Baptist Church.

John McClintock, father of Jacob W., was born in Bourbon County, Ken- tucky, November 27, 1807. He was nine years of age when the family settled in St. Clair County, Illinois, and he grew up there as a farmer and stockman. When a young man he came to Adams County, Illinois, on September 13, 1836, married Barbara Wolfe. She was born in Union County, Illinois, in 1815, and came to Adams County when a girl with her parents, Rev. George and Anna (Hunsaker) Wolfe. Rev. George Wolfe has a fixed place in the early history of Adams County and is frequently referred to. He was the pioneer minister of the Dunkard Church, and organized a number of churches of that denomination in this country and in Pike and Hancock counties. The old church in Liberty Township is still in existence. Rev. George Wolfe died here at the age of eighty-five and his wife at sixty-five. He is remembered as a very large and strong man, standing six feet 6 inches and weighing 245 pounds. His goodness of heart and beneficence of character were as notable as his phy- sical makeup.

John McClintock and wife after their marriage returned to St. Clair County, Illinois, but in 1841 came back to Adams County and bought 100 acres in sec- tion 6 of Liberty Township and in 1845 acquired 145 acres in section 31 of Col- umbus Township. It is this second farm that is now owned and occupied by Jacob W. MeClintock, his youngest son and only living child. The Liberty . Township farm was first improved with a cabin home and about 1851 John McClintock built a substantial frame house. He died in that home in 1873. He and his wife were members of the Brethren Church and he was a lay preacher. The MeClintocks have always been democrats.

The children of John McClintock and wife were: George, who died leaving no children; Joseph W., who also died without children; Jane married Robert Carsey, and she left two children, Alice V., an artist in Chicago, and Edward A., a teacher who is now an instructor in Camp Johnston in Florida.

Jacob W. MeClintock was born on the old homestead in Liberty Township February 2, 1852. He was educated in the local schools, attending the West Union School. On November 24, 1880, he married Nellie Harding. Mrs. Mc- Clintock, who has long been prominent socially and in church and other activ- ities, was born in Buckinghamshire, England, November 29, 1859. Her mother, Elizabeth Rose, died when her daughter was five years of age. In the fall of 1870 Mrs. McClintock arrived at Quincy with her father, Thomas Harding, and his second wife, Lucy Harding. Thomas Harding died in Quincy, and his second wife is still living there.

Mr. and Mrs. McClintock in 1884 moved to their Columbus Township farm in section 31, and here in the past thirty-five years they have developed one of

1195

QUINCY AND ADAMS COUNTY

the best country homes in Adams County. He has 145 acres in his farm, and has always specialized in high graded stock.

Mr. and Mrs. MeClintock have a family of interesting children: Nellie B., attended the local high school, graduated from the Quincy Business College and Macomb Normal School and taught school a short time. She is the wife of Pierre Nooy, and they live in St. Louis, where her husband is a railroad man. Ada M., who was educated in the high school and normal colleges, has been a teacher in the State of Colorado and recently proved her energy and independ- ence by proving up a claim of 320 acres near Colorado Springs. John T. Mc- Clintock, who was educated in the township schools, is farming the J. W. Henry place, a 200-acre grain and stock farm in Burton Township. He married Martha Parmalee, daughter of Capt. Henry Parmalee, and they have a son, John Jacob Henry. Robert M. Mcclintock, who is associated with his father on the home farm, married Lessie M. Akers. She died February 6, 1918, at the age of twenty-three.

Mrs. McClintock and her son are members of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. MeClintock has been a justice of the peace for many years and has held several local offices. He has been active in Liberty Loan drives, and his publie spirit has been displayed on every occasion where some local interest has been at stake.

JACOB THURWACHTER. One of the prosperous families of Columbus Town- ship whose record should be preserved in this publication is that of Jacob Thurwachter. His fine farm of 250 acres is located in sections 19, 30 and 16, the home and grounds being in section 19. Most of the land is in a high state of improvement and cultivation. He derives most of his revenue from stock raising, and has a number of good grade Red Polled cattle, and a cross of Poland China and Red Jersey hogs.

This farm was originally owned by P. P. Thomas, and in 1901 Mr. Thur- wachter bought it. It has a substantial ten-room house, constructed in 1888, of the good construction and timbers of that time, and carefully kept in repair. There is also a full equipment of barns and sheds, generously provided with grain and stock. The interesting veteran of Mr. Thurwachter's livestock is a mare, now more than thirty years old, named Molly, and she has given effective service to her owner for over twenty-six years.

Mr. Thurwachter has been a resident of Columbus Township since 1886, and prior to that from the age of seven was a resident of Honey Creek Township. He was born near Palmyra in Marion County, Missouri, April 20, 1860, son of George A. and Magdalena (Siple) Thurwachter. His father was a native of Bavaria and his mother of Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany. They came to America when young people, by sailing vessels, landed at New Orleans and thence came up the Missouri River. They married in Missouri and most of their children were born there. In 1867 the Thurwachter family came to Adams County, and a daughter now Mrs. Emma Frike, was born in Quincy. A year later the fam- ily moved to Coatsburg, where the children were reared and where the father died in August, 1880, at the age of fifty-three. His widow survived him a num- ber of years and passed away at the age of sixty-three. They were members of the Lutheran Church and the father was independent in politics.

Jacob Thurwachter was the second son and third child of four sons and two daughters. A son, Henry, was killed when a young man in California, and a daughter, Mary, died at the age of six years. Louis is now a resident of Cali- fornia, a widower, and has a son, George, with the colors in France. Charles is a farmer near Kewanee, Illinois, is also a widower and has three children, Rus- sell, Florence and Dell. Anna is the wife of Elza Frike, of Adams County, and has three children, Ruth, Mabel and Anna, the two older married and Anna a teacher.

Jacob Thurwachter first attended school in the old schoolhouse at Quincy where the courthouse now stands. After that he was educated at Coatsburg.

1196

QUINCY AND ADAMS COUNTY

He married at Coatsburg Miss Isadora Emery. Mrs. Thurwachter was born in Honey Creck Township February 4, 1863, and as a girl attended the old Center School House. She is a daughter of Thomas S. and Lucy (Shandrow) Emery. Thomas S. Emery was born near Portland, Maine, January 10, 1818, and came to Adams County as a pioneer in 1838. His wife, Lucy Shandrow, was born in Vermont December 31, 1825, and was brought to Adams County when a small child. Thomas S. Emery came to Adams County by railroad as far as Phila- delphia, thence by stage over the mountains to Pittsburgh and down the river to Quincy. He lived at Quincy about fifteen years and followed his trade as a tailor. In 1850 he crossed the plains to California, the trip requiring about four months. After thirteen months in the mines he returned to the Middle West in 1853, but in 1856 made another trip west, this time by water from New York around the Isthmus. In 1857 he permanently settled in Adams County and bought a farm in Honey Creek Township, in section 21. He became owner of 400 acres, and was one of the highly prosperous citizens of that locality. While he was mowing in his fields his team became frightened by bees, and he was thrown in front of the sickle bar and both his feet had to be amputated. He died in 1882. His widow survived him seventeen years.

Mr. and Mrs. Thurwachter have three children : Ruby, born in 1883, was edu- cated in Columbus Township and is now the wife of Herman Miller, who has an automobile repair shop in Columbus Village. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have children named Neva, Eldon and Florence, all attending school. Bessie, the second child, was educated in the Robinson schoolhouse, and is now living in California. Verna, the youngest, was also educated in the local schools and lives with her sister in California. Mr. Thurwachter has been a school director for nineteen years, and has always been interested in educational and other con- cerns affecting his home locality. Politically he votes as a democrat.

ANDREW T. ECKHOFF. For over forty years the late Andrew T. Eckhoff was numbered among the prosperous and progressive farmers of Columbus Town- ship. His old homestead is in section 23. Today it is recognized as one of the best managed farms in the county, and its management and productiveness are a high tribute to the energies and capabilities of two interesting women, daugh- ters of Mr. Eckhoff. It is only recently that farming has come to be considered anything but a man's job, and yet some of the most conspicuous successes have been made by women. Miss Anna M. and Miss Emma H. Eckhoff did not take up farming through the pressure of war necessity, but had been doing capable work in that role for a number of years prior to the present economic and military crisis. They know how to farm, they are good farmers and good managers, and there is hardly a detail in the industry in which it could fairly be said men excel them. During 1917 these sisters sold $4,000 worth of live- stock from their farm, and it has not been an unusual thing for their farm to produce that much or more every year.

Andrew T. Eckhoff was born in the Kingdom of Hanover, Germany, August 19, 1827, of old Hanoverian stock of Lutheran religion. His parents spent all their lives in Hanover and his father, Richard Eckhoff, was a farmer. Andrew T. Eckhoff was a young man when he journeyed by sailing vessel from Bremen to New Orleans, heing six weeks on the voyage, and immediately on arrival came up the river to Quincy. He found employment on a farm in Riverside Township owned by Mr. Turner. Later he lived in Morgan County, Illinois, and there in 1864 he married Mrs. Harnke Emma (Tholen) Deterding. Her first husband, Herman Deterding, died when about thirty years of age, and left three children : William. Jennie and Henry. All of them are married. Jennie died in 1889 and Henry in 1901. leaving five children. William Deterding is now living in the northern part of Adams County, near Big Neck, is married and has two sons and three daughters.

Mr. and Mrs. Eckhoff shortly after the close of the Civil war bought 320 aeres in section 23 of Columbus Township from Mr. Owen. They at once occu-

1197

QUINCY AND ADAMS COUNTY

pied this land and spent many years in bringing it into a high degree of eulti- vation. It was their home throughout the rest of their lives. Mrs. Eckhoff died there February 11, 1906, at the age of seventy-four, and Mr. Eckhoff passed away April 29, 1907, when nearly eighty years of age. They joined and were active members of the Christian Church and Mr. Eckhoff was a republican in politics.

Of their three children one was born in Morgan County and two on the old farm in this county. The three children are Anna M., Thomas and Emma H.

The son Thomas was born on the old homestead May 12, 1870, was rcared and edneated there, and is now a successful farm owner in Columbus Township. He married Flora E. Shultz, and their living children are Edna E., Dottie E., Norman M., Hazel M. and Flora T. Their daughter Etta died at the age of fifteen.

Of the two sisters whose work entitles them to so high a place among Adams County agriculturists, Anna was born in Morgan County and was two years of age when her parents moved to the old home in Columbus Township. She attended the Excelsior district school. She and her sister have named their farm the Excelsior Farm. Emma Eckhoff was born on the old homestead and attended the same school as her sister. Besides operating the farm left them by their father they have added forty-five aeres of valuable land and twenty-five acres of timber. These sisters and their brother Thomas all joined the Christian Church on Christmas Day, December 25, 1893.

SIMON H. BRAKENSIEK. While in no sense the biggest and best known. one of the most interesting and significant manufacturing enterprises in Adams County is located at the Village of Columbus. Its significance and value are better appreciated and understood than they would have been even two or three years ago, owing to the world wide scareity of sugar and all the varied products of sugar cane, a typically tropieal plant. It seems probable that for years to come the world will suffer a near famine in sugar, whether made from the cane or from the beet. In this critical situation other substitutes arc eagerly sought and now as never before is a time for the exploitation of certain manufactured products which in earlier years were a familiar article of everyday diet, but in the recent past have nearly lost commercial importanee.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II, Part 75

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