USA > Illinois > Menard County > Some interesting Menard County homes > Part 4
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At one time this house was occupied by Mrs. Elizabeth Graham Bell, daughter of Mentor Graham. Here Mentor Graham lived for a time with his daughter until his removal to Blunt, So. Dakota. Elizabeth Bell was known as the town's temperance leader.
In 1907 the house was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Willard Henderson. Mr. Henderson was a pupil of Mentor Graham, having attended Tice school when it was taught by Graham. In 1933 when the remains of Mentor Graham were returned to this community from Blunt, So. Dakota for reinterment in Farmers Point cemetery, Mr. Henderson served as one of the casket bearers.
Willard Henderson was married to Miss Mary Berry, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Jeremiah Berry of Missouri. They were the parents of six children, Clara (Levanius), Lillian (Wilkinson), Beatrice, and Willi (Vogt). Two chil- dren died in childhood of diptheria. Mrs. Henderson died in 1937 and Mr. Henderson in 1939.
Following the death of her parents and husband, the house was occupied for several years by Mrs. George Wilkinson who died in 1966.
Well preserved and livable, this is one of the most interesting homes in the community. A walnut stairway leads to the second floor where one may see a portion of the original puncheon floor in the upstairs rooms.
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Samuel Hill House
N o house in the community has more historical value than this house which is located at 211 West Sangamon street in Petersburg. This house was built by Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Hill when they moved to Petersburg from New Salem in 1839. Samuel Hill was a storekeeper at New Salem, and the replica of his store stands at New Salem.
At the time this house was built, it was the only house in the entire block where it now stands, the entire block of ground being owned by the Hills'. The front of the house faced east, and a white picket fence surrounded the house.
After moving to Petersburg, Samuel Hill formed a partnership with Hardin Bale in running a woolen factory on Main street where the home of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Stier now stands. This factory was destroyed by fire in 1865. He also ran a general store which stood where the Samuel Blane law office is now located.
Samuel Hill was born in Hunterdon, county, New Jersey, in 1800. He came to New Salem in 1829 where he lived for ten years until his removal to Peters. burg. Parthena Nance Hill, his wife, was born in Green county, Kentucky in 1816. Mr. a 1 Mrs. Hill were the parents of one son, John, and one daughter Elizabeth, who died at the age of 8 years. John Hill moved to Georgia where he entered the milling business. Having an inventive mind, he is credited with inventing some fine milling machinery. John Hill died in Georgia and was buried there. His son, Col. John B. Hill, a retired Marine officer, resides in Atlanta, Georgia.
Following the death of Mr. Hill on November 14, 1857, Mrs. Hill lived alone, and when the death of a mother occurred in the community leaving five small sons, Mrs. Hill invited the family to move into her home, where she raised the boys as her own. These children were Cissel Young, Arthur Young, Elmer Young, Eugene Young, and David Young. When Mrs. Hill's death occurred on July 1, 1898, her will stated that the house was not to be sold for a year, that the Young family was to be allowed to occupy the house rent free for that year.
Arthur, Elmer, Eugene and David Young left the community, however, Cissel Young settled in Menard county. He married Miss Lucy Flager of the Irish Grove community, and they lived in that neighborhood for nearly thirty years. Mr. Young then became custodian of New Salem State Park, and upon retiring, Mr. and Mrs. Young moved into a house on South Seventh Street in Petersburg where they spent the remainder of their lives. They were the par- ents of two children: Lyman, who married Alice Canterbury, and Arnola, who married Robert VanEman.
The house was later sold to Edward Fisher, who changed the exterior of the house by removing the porch on the east and building a porch to the south which remains today. Lots were sold, and now four houses stand on what was at one time the lawn.
Throughout the years this house has been bought and sold many times. It is presently owned and occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Charles White and their three children, Lindley, Charles Jr., and Lora Lee.
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Photo of House when occupied by Samuel Hill Family
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Horner House
W hiteoaks, named for the many stately white oaks which surround the area where the house is built, stands inall its splendor at the top of the hill at the south edge of Petersburg. This fine old nine-room brick house was built in 1862 by Mrs. Robert Conover of Tallula for her daughter Mary, when she became the bride of Charles P. Horner.
Charles Horner came to Petersburg from New Jersey, and for a time op- erated a woolen mill which was built by Hardin Bale near the Hemp Hollow Branch.
A pond was built on this farm and was located about a mile south of the home. Here ice was cut in the winters and stored in the Horner ice house which had a capacity of 1000 tons. Cutting the ice was supervised by H. M. Levering who employed a crew of from 25to 30 men who were able to cut and store 200 tons a day. At times men worked both day and night shifts.
Mr. and Mrs. Horner were the parents of four children: Robert, Florence, Sarah and Annella, the latter two dying in childhood. Robert Horner, who be- came a dentist and lived in Pekin, was first married to Miss Clara Bird of Tremont. They had two sons, Robert, who lives in Florida, and Dr. Charles Horner, who lives in Washington, D. C. Following the death of his first wife, Dr. Robert Horner was married to Mrs. Josephine Craven Chandler of Wash- ington, D. C.
After Miss Florence Horner moved from the family home to Springfield, Dr. and Mrs. Robert Horner of Washington became occupants of the house. Several interior changes were made at that time. A room with an immense fireplace at one end, originally used as a smoke house, was made into a book bindery. Here Mrs. Josephine Horner, who is the author of six books and many magazine articles, pursued her hobby of book binding. A beautiful terraced formal garden was built, extending south of the house. Predominant were roses, interplanted with bulbs for seasonal color. Contributing to the effect was a row of poplars in the background.
The ownership of this old home which was built by a member of one of Menard county's pioneer families, remains in the same family, Dr. Charles Horner being the owner. It is occupied at the present time by Mr. and Mrs. Evan Loyd and their son Evan Lloyd III.
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Malkom Hubly Home
D ominating the countryside in the northeast corner of Menard county, stands a beautiful brick house, belonging to John Hubly. It holds a place of enjoyable distinction among the nine houses that are clustered over this farm of more than 3000 acres.
Malkom Hubly came to America from Switzerland in 1854. He was born in the Canton Schwytz in 1825 and while living in Switzerland he helped his father tend and feed cattle, which training in later life contributed much to his success. At the age of fourteen helefthome, working for 40 cents a month for the first six months. After a year, he finally received a dollar a week. After working for a period of elevenyears, he started his journey to the United States on Christmas Eve in 1853. Arriving in New Orleans, he at once secured pas- sage on a steamboat for Cincinnati. Here he obtained employment on a farm in Butler county, Ohio.
In 1854 he was married to Miss Catherine Wiget, who also came from Switzerland, she and her brother crossing the ocean on the same boat with Mr. Hubly. In March 1856 they came to Illinois, arriving in Springfield. Mr. Hubly was unable to find farm work, and worked for a short time in a brick yard. In August of 1856 they came to Irish Grove in Menard county, where he farmed for six years. In 1872 they moved to Salt Creek where Mr. Hubly purchased land and started feeding cattle. Here they built and lived in a log cabin. This cabin stands today being incorporated into one of the present houses, and is located one mile west of the brick house. This house is occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Shawgo.
In 1874 and 1875, the new brick home was built, the brick used in the con- struction being burned near the location. This house boasts ten large rooms, with woodwork of mahogany and birds eye maple. One white and two gray mar- ble fireplaces adorn the interior, as well as ornate frescoing in the ceilings.
Malkom and Catherine Hubly were the parents of two children, Mary and Kate Hubly. Catherine Hubly died in 1887.
In 1889 Malkom Hubly was married to Gussie Anderson. They were the parents of three children: John, Frank and Bertha. Frank and Bertha died in 1899. Malkom Hubly died in 1901, and Mrs. Gussie Hubly in 1961.
For several years the farm has been owned and operated by John Hubly, who was born in this house. Mr. Hubly is extensively engaged in farming and large herds of Angus cattle are fed here each year.
John Hubly has one daughter, Dolores Hubly Lozier, who lives in Anamosa, Iowa.
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William John House
S tanding east of the highway on Route 97 south of Petersburg is this charming red brick house. Built around 1866 by William and Mary John, pioneer residents of Menard county, the house follows the pattern of the houses built in those days, of thick, sturdy brick walls. A beautiful walnut staircase extends to the hall and two rooms upstairs. The downstairs has four large rooms with a large brick fireplace at the end of the living room.
William and Fred John came to America from Germany, settling in the Sandridge area. Since Mr. and Mrs. William John had no children, the house was willed to his brother, Fred John. Fred John was married to Mary Jensen, and they were the parents of three children: one daughter Wilhelmina, and two children who died in infancy. Miss Wilhelmina John was married to John Henry Balster.
Mr. and Mrs. Balster bought the landto the east of this house from James L. Bale, and lived in a small house which stood to the south and east of the farm. Following the death of Mr. and Mrs. John the house became the home of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Balster. They were the parents of eight children: Louis, who married Mary Kluckman; Emma, who married Charles Kluckman; Garrett, who married Ollie Giess; William, who married Jennie Robertson; Henry, who married Alberta Juergens; Louise, who married Henry Schaddel; and Katherine who married Maurice Doyle, and one child who died in infancy.
The Balster family lived inthis house for many years. Here Mr. and Mrs. Balster spent the remaining years of their lives.
The house and farm land were then purchased by E. E. Brass, and follow- ing the death of Mr. Brass, his widow Mrs. Glenna Brass and their three chil- dren, Dwight, Ellen and Janice, moved to this house.
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C. B. Laning Home
horn Place, thus named by the Laning family, because of the many locust trees scattered throughout the block of ground upon which the house was
erected, was built by Caleb Barrett Laning in 1875. Caleb Laning, who was the son of Jacob Laning, was a banker, and was at one time president of the First National Bank.
The house, built of red brick, with a porch extending across the east and around to the south of the house, is much as it was when built, with the excep- tion of a solarium which was added during the ownership of the Courtwright- Brunen families. Two living rooms, a dining room, a kitchen and two halls comprise the first floor, with six bedrooms on the second floor. This house has two marble fireplaces downstairs and two of marble upstairs. The beauti_ ful parquet floors in this house are of special interest.
Caleb Laning and his wife, Mary Harris Laning, were the parents of three children: Harris Laning, who became Admiral of the United States Fleet; Levin Laning and Maude Laning, who became the wife of General John McAuley Pal- mer, grandson of Gen. John M. Palmer, a former governor of Illinois and U. S. Senator. Mrs. Laning was the daughter of Major Thomas Langrell and Mary Dirickson Harris, who lived in a one-story 10-room rambling house on the hill just north of the Alton station. The Harris house burned to the ground several years ago. Thomas L. Harris served one term in the Senate and two terms in the 34th Congress of the United States, and public opinion is that only the un- timely death of Major Harris kept him from becoming a candidate for presi- dent of the United States, so great was his popularity throughout the country.
This house was occupied by the Laning family until 1912 when Mr. and Mrs. Laning moved to Kansas City.
The home was then purchased by Mr. and Mrs. George Luthringer and occupied by them and their two sons, Marshall and George.
Following the death of Mr. Luthringer, the house was sold to Mr. and Mrs. T. E. Courtwright and their daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Brunen, and was occupied by the Brunens and the Courtwrights and their daugh- ter Dorothalyn and son Neal. Upontheir removalto a farm west of Petersburg, the house was sold to Walter Sewell.
Mr. Sewell's death occurred in 1965, and Mrs. Sewell and her daughter Lois have since occupied the home.
The Petersburg Woman's Club was organized in this home in February 1897, Mrs. C. B. Laning being the first president.
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717 South 10th Street, Petersburg
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Edward Laning Home
he Oaks, one of the most beautiful homes in Petersburg, holds a place of composure on the top of the hill where Sheridan Road curves to pre- serve the beauty of the setting. From the central hallway open large rooms, their ceilings ornamented with elaborate plaster work, their deep fire- places framed by marble mantels. Superb carpentry is evident in the walnut carved newel post, and in the walnut woodwork and staircase which extends to the third floor.
This house was built in 1875 by Edward Laning, son of Jacob and Hannah Laning. The contractor was John Carver, who had exceptional ability as is proved by the houses he built in Petersburg.
Mr. Laning came from Zanesville, Ohioto Illinois with his parents in 1836. At that time the village of Petersburg consisted of fourteen log houses. Edward Laning attended Lombard College at Galesburg, later teaching school in Pe- tersburg and at Vicksburg, Mississippi. He continued his law studies and was later admitted to the bar.
Mr. Laning was elected a member of the State Legislature in 1868 for two years, and a member of the Senate which he entered in 1870 for six years.
In 1869 Edward Laning was married to Miss Olivia Lane in Louisville, Kentucky. They were the parents of two children, John Lane Laning and Martha Lane Laning, who married Dr. Charles M. Smith, a local dentist. Dr. and Mrs. Smith were the parents of one daughter, Annabel Smith. Mrs. Smith died in 1902 in Colorado.
Mrs. Olivia Laning died in this home on March 15, 1897.
Edward Laning was a brother of Caleb B. Laning, whose home "Thorn Place" is mentioned in this booklet.
After building and moving to a large white frame house which stands one block east and two blocks north of this house, it was sold to Gaines Greene. The Greene family resided east of Tallula until 1898 when they moved to this house.
Gaines Greene was first married to Miss Julia Blankenship, who died in 1892. They were the parents of four children, Lynn Greene who married Fred Meyer; Julia, who married Jewett Cole; Louise, who married Dr. B. D. Epling; and William Graham Greene.
Mr. Greene was married to Miss Gelie Higgins in 1896. They were the parents of two children, Gaines, who died in infancy, and Catherine Margaret, who was married to Joe Lynd.
The house was sold some time after the death of Mr. Greene to Mr. and Mrs. M. W. Baker of Springfield, who resided there with their daughter, Miss Lucy Baker. Miss Baker married Alfred LaBarre of near Springfield.
Following the death of Mr. Baker the house was sold to Mr. and Mrs. H. P. Satorius, who have occupied this magnificent old home since that time, using it as a funeral home.
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Edward Laning Home
A s one approaches Petersburg from the east andfrom the south, the dig- nified facade of the Ross A. Nance home may be seen. This house also provides an excellent vantage point from which to view the town. From the upstairs windows one may see the winding Sangamon River over a mile away to the south. This large 14-room white frame house which stands at the corner of Ninth and Taylor Streets was built by Edward Laning. It stands very much as it did when in 1904 Mr. Laning who watched its building for two years, at last moved into the house.
A large group of carpenters worked on the house, among them being James Arnold, who worked for many years at the carpenter trade in Petersburg. Any person handling any of the lumber used in its building was required to wear clean white gloves, which were furnished by Mr. Laning. While the carpenters were working on this house, Mr. Laning took the entire group to the World's Fair in St. Louis, for a week, paying all the expenses.
The second marriage of Mr. Laning to Miss Bertha White, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Isaac White, occurred while he lived here, the death of the first Mrs. Laning having occurred in 1897.
Many people in the community have been privileged to view the trophy room on the third floor of this house. While a resident here Mr. Laning was the owner of a camp in the wilds of the western mountains, hiring an Indian guide to live at the camp the year around, keeping the camp in readiness for Mr. Laning's sojourn among the craggy peaks and primeval forests of Colo- rado, Wyoming and Montana. Here Mr. Laning did most of his hunting, hiring a taxidermist in Denver to prepare the animal heads for mounting. Around fifty heads of animals are mounted on the walls, among them being reindeers, moun- tain lions, moose, Rocky Mountain goats, wolves, etc. All are still in an ex- cellent state of preservation.
After living here for a time, Mr. Laning hired the same group of carpen- ters who built this home, to build an exact duplicate of this house on his plan- tation in Checotah, Oklahoma. When the new home was finished, Mr. and Mrs. Laning moved to Oklahoma, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Mr. Laning died in 1917 and Mrs. Laning in 1956.
The house was then occupied by Mr. Laning's son, John L. Laning, and his wife, the former Mabel Smoot, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John M. Smoot of this city. They were the parents of two children: Edward Lane Laning, who has gained fame as an artist not only in the United States, but in Europe as well, and a daughter, Olivia Lane Laning, who became the wife of William Kelly of Rockford.
In 1920 the house was purchased by Ross A. Nance, and was occupied by Mr. Nance, his mother, Mrs. Eva Nance and his daughter Ollie Richmond Nance. Miss Nance married Garth Edwards of Idaho, and they have two chil- dren, Garth Nance Edwards and Nancy Edwards.
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John H. Marbold Home
ames Meadows and Jacob Boyer were the first men to settle around the Sugar Grove precinct. They came in 1820. Shortly thereafter Mr. Mead- ows made a claim near Greenview and here a mill was built. It was upon this land where the mill stood that John H. Marbold built his new home.
John H. Marbold was a native of the province of Hanover, Germany. The death of his wife occurred in 1843. In 1847, Mr. Marbold sold his farm in Germany, and came with his three childrento America. After living in Peters- burg for three years, Mr. Marbold purchased the farm near Greenview. In 1850 plans were drawn and the contractor, Diedrich Fisher immediately started building this handsome two-story brick house.
The three children of John H. Marbold were: Henry Harmon Marbold, Mary, who married a Mr. Havighorst of Havana, and Anna, who married Milem Engle.
The death of John H. Marbold occurred in 1892.
In 1860, Henry Harmon Marbold was married to Miss Margaret Hackman, also a native of Germany. They were the parents of six children: Anna (Mrs. Henry Wernsing), Harmon, who married Emma Eugenia Miller, and Frank, who married Rosa Young, and three children who died in childhood.
In 1880 this home was completely remodeled. The facade was completely changed when a two-story portico was built on the south and dormer windows changed the roof line. A fine large conservatory and a small room were added to the west of the house and thegabled roof was pierced by built ._ in end chim- neys.
Mr. Marbold, who was the owner of 6000 acres of land, had a wooden walk built from the village of Greenview to his home. Greenview residents recall promenading past the home and also commenting on the large orchard which extended to the north.
In 1904 Henry H. Marbold donated eight acres of land to the west edge of Greenview, to be used a a cemetery. The beautiful gate at the entrance of Elmwood cemetery, built of Bedford stone, pressed brick and granite, was built as a memorial to his wife, Margaret Hackman Marbold.
Following the death of Mr. and Mrs. Marbold the house was occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Frank Marbold. They later moved to Springfield. Mr. and Mrs. Marbold were the parents of six children.
Mr. and Mrs. Harmon Marbold were the parents of six daughters: Mar- garet (Mrs. Karl Ennenga), Pauline (Mrs. Monroe Heath), Anna Marie who died in childhood, Charlotte (Mrs. John Wheeler), Helen (Mrs. Dick Kebbon), and Ann (Mrs. Richard Abbott). The Harmon Marbold family lived in a majestic red brick house which stood south and east of this house. It later burned to the ground and Mr. and Mrs. Marbold moved to Petersburg.
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South of Greenview, Route 29
This was a large stock and grain farm. It has been said that the Potawat- ami Indians annually made sugar at Sugar Grove. Perhaps this prompted Har- mon Marbold as a side line to make use of the grove of maple trees on his farm. A news item in the March 1, 1907 issue of the Petersburg Observer states: "Over 1100 trees are tapped, 800 more could have been tapped had the supply of buckets not given out. The output annually is something over 3000 pounds of sugar, and 550 gallons of syrup".
The house John H. Marbold built stands vacant today. The house and farm are owned by Mr. and Mrs. Carl Miller of Greenview.
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Masters House
S quire Davis Masters and his wife Lucinda Young Masters, who lived on a farm six miles north of Petersburg, gavethis home to their son Hardin Wallace Masters, a young lawyer, when he was elected States Attorney of Menard county. Before Masters became a candidate for States Attorney, the family lived on a farm near Atterberry. The family moved into this little white frame house in the early 1870's. Here the family lived until 1881 when they moved to Lewistown.
Hardin Masters married Emma Jane Dexter and they were the parents of Edgar Lee Masters, Madeline Masters (Stone), Thomas Davis Masters, who was born in this house, and little Alexander, whose death occured in this house when he was five years old.
Edgar Lee Masters was born in Garnet, Kansas in 1869. When he was 13 years old the family moved to Lewistown. Here he grew to manhood, attended Knox College, and studied law in his father's law office. He eventually went to Chicago where he practiced law and wrote the renowned Spoon River Anthol- ogy, Mitch Miller, and many other books which made him one of America's outstanding poets. As he became more engrossed in writing he gave up his law practice and moved to New York.
Edgar Lee Masters was twice married. His first wife was Miss Helen Jenkins. Three children were born to this marriage: Hardin Wallace Masters, Madeline Masters (Gebhart), and Marcia Masters (Schmid). He was married the second time to Miss Ellen Coyne. They had one son, Hilary Masters.
Edgar Lee Masters died in 1950. His remains were returned to Peters- burg for burial in Oakland cemetery.
The real estate upon which this home now stands was purchased by the city of Petersburg, and by it dedicated on September 20, 1960, for the purpose of this Edgar Lee Masters Memorial. Shortly thereafter the house was moved from its original location at 528 Monroe Street, which was needed for public school purposes, to this site, restored and placed in its present condition.
Where the house is now located stood the old Harris Opera House, a two- story brick structure, erected by the Masonic fraternity in connection with the Harris Guards, at a cost of $10,000.
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Corner Jackson and Eighth Street, Petersburg
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McNeely Home
H on. Thompson Ware McNeely and his wife M. Henrietta Dirickson Mc- Neely purchased a block of ground from Amory K. Johnson at the south edge of the city, which was covered with blackberry briers and oak trees, and built a home which they called "Edgewood" because of the wooded grove which extended just south of the block, 30 acres of which were also owned by Mr. McNeely. The house was built in 1876, the contractor being John Car- ver, who built many homes in this community.
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