USA > Illinois > The makers of Illinois; a memorial history of the state's honored dead > Part 23
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C. A. Manners
C. A. MANNERS, who largely devoted his life to rail- way interests as a contractor and builder, lived for many years in Christian county and at different periods was prominent as an office holder as well as through his business connections. He was born in Somerset county, New Jersey, August 2, 1827, and his life record covered a period of sixty years. His parents were John and Penelope Manners, in whose home he remained until a desire to follow the sea led him to leave the parental roof when compara- tively young. He spent eight years on the water, sailing to many ports, after which he returned to New Jersey and completed his in- terrupted education as a student in the publie schools of that state. He afterward took up the profession of teaching, which he followed for two terms and then left the east to establish his home in the middle west, arriving in Christian county in 1851. From that time until his demise he was closely associated with many interests, move- ments and projects that were directly beneficial to the county. He arrived there in pioneer times and his worth and ability were soon recognized, for in the same year he was elected county surveyor, in which position he continued for three years. In 1859 le became eon- nected with the surveying department of the government to fix the boundary line between the states of Kansas and Nebraska and was continuously engaged in making government surveys in the latter state until 1860. He then returned to Illinois and in 1862 was elected sheriff of Christian county for a term of two years, during which lie discharged his duties with promptness, fearlessness and faithfulness. On his retirement from the office he took a contraet for railroad eon- struetion and during the course of his life was accounted one of the most sueeessful railroad builders of Illinois. He thoroughly under- stood all of the principles of railroad construction and by the eare- ful execution of contraets awarded him earned an enviable reputation and a most desirable competence. At one time he went to Leadville. Colorado, where he was engaged in mining for a time. When his labors had brought to him some capital he made investments in land and in time beeame the owner of considerable valuable property.
387
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C. A. Manners
On the 2d of October, 1861, Mr. Manners was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth A. Long, a daughter of Major Thomas Long, of Taylorville, who was the builder of the first hotel in that city and who served in the Black Hawk war. Mr. and Mrs. Manners had two children: Mrs. Frances C. Harner; and Thomas J., now deceased. Mr. Manners was a Mason, loyal to the teachings of the craft and guiding his life according to its principles. His political support was given the democratic party and he labored to promote its interests, believing its platform contained the best elements of good government. He was resolute and industrious, a self-made man whose life record proved what may be accomplished when industry demands entrance at the portals of success. He died in 1887, leaving behind him an honorable name as well as a comfortable competence. Many years have since elapsed but he is still remembered by those who were his associates in business or who knew him in social relations, for sterling qualities of manhood endeared him to all with whom he came in contact.
ROBERT B. LATHAM
Colonel Robert B. Latham
OLONEL ROBERT B. LATHAM was the founder C of Lineoln, not only in a material sense of subdivision of land and laying out of streets, but also in the development of its intellectual, moral and charitable projects. There was no phase of valuable publie serv- iee instituted in Logan county with which he was not eonneeted and in most eases he was the promoter thereof.
"He leaves a patriot's name to future times, Linked with a thousand virtues-and no erimes."
Like Lineoln, he was a man of the people. He came into close eon- taet with them in their lives and in their interests and like the martyred president inspired his associates with the same high purpose and ideals which aetuated his own life.
Colonel Robert B. Latham was born in Union county, Kentucky, June 21, 1818, and was of English lineage. His aneestors, however, settled in Virginia at an early day, where they took aetive part in laying the foundation of our national government. His father, James Latham, born in Virginia, October 21, 1768, engaged in farming in his native state and on the 21st of June, 1792, wedded Mary, or Polly Briggs, who was born in Virginia, February 3, 1772. They removed to Kentucky, in which state all of their ten children were born. In September, 1819, James Latham removed from Union county, Ken- tueky, to Elkhart, Illinois. He possessed the courageous, determined spirit of the pioneer and penetrated into the wilderness where no white man had made permanent settlement. The state had been ad- mitted to the Union only the previous year. The country had not then been surveyed so that he became one of the "squatter sovereigns" of the land with Indians for his neighbors. He ereeted the first cabin north of the Sangamon river and became the "oldest settler" of Logan eounty. It was not until some years later that the land was placed upon the market, at which time he entered nearly all of the timber traet of Elkhart Grove, comprising almost a seetion. Prairie lands at that time were considered of no value. James Latham at onee began to elear and develop his fields and was closely associated with every
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Colonel Robert B. Latham
phase of pioneer life and the upbuilding of the county. About 1825 he was appointed by John Quincy Adams, then president of the United States, as Indian agent and removed from Elkhart to Fort Clark, now Peoria. While there he became acquainted with all of the prominent Indian chiefs including Black Hawk, Shaubena, Sena- chwine, Black Partridge and others. No man had greater influ- ence among or was more highly esteemed and feared by them than James Latham. He was honest and upright in his dealings, affable in manner and firm and decided when differences arose, so that he com- manded the respect of the chiefs and the admiration of the warriors. After remaining at Fort Clark for two years he passed away, leaving a large circle of friends as well as his immediate family to mourn his loss. He has been characterized as "a sturdy pioneer, possessed of great power of endurance; of more than ordinary grasp of mind, highly educated; and a man of influence among men of all conditions." He was buried at Elkhart Grove near the spot where he first erected his cabin.
It was in this typical pioneer home on the frontier that Robert B. Latham was reared and his first teacher was Erastus Wright, one of the early educators of the state employed by the father to instruct his children. At Fort Clark, where the family remained for only two years, he attended a subscription school. In 1827, following the father's death, the family returned to Elkhart, Illinois, and Robert Latham went to Morgansfield, Kentucky, where he resided with his sister and attended school. He afterward returned to Elkhart and subsequently went to Stout's Grove, McLean county, and afterward to Fancy Creek. Desirous of having better educational advantages he next became a pupil in the high school at Springfield which he attended until about twenty years of age, and it was during his stay in the capital city that he formed the acquaintance of Abraham Lin- coln, an acquaintance that ripened into intimate friendship that re- mained unbroken until the president's death. Mr. Lincoln frequently visited at the home of Mr. Latham, practically never visiting the city of Lincoln without calling upon him.
In his youthful days Robert B. Latham when not in school was busily employed in the work of the farm, and when upon attaining his majority the father's estate was divided, he began farming on his own account, receiving as his share of the estate a part of the grove of Elkhart. He was busily engaged in general agricultural pursuits until twenty-eight years of age when, November 5, 1846, he married Miss Georgiana P. Gillett, daughter of John Gillett, Sr., who had a short time before taken up his abode at Bald Knob, Logan county.
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Colonel Robert B. Latham
Prior to his marriage Mr. Latham erected a pleasant home near the site of the old cabin to which he took his bride, and there as the years passed three children were added to the household, John G., Mary and James, but all died in early life.
The family had the usual experiences of the time. Wild game of all kinds could be had in abundance and fish of many kinds were taken from the rivers in great quantities. Mr. Latham continued to engage in farming until 1850, when he disposed of his land at Elkhart and removed to Mount Pulaski. The same year he was elected sheriff of Logan county and acceptably discharged his duties in that con- neetion for two years. It was during his residence there that he suf- fered the loss of his wife and all three of his children. Following this great bereavement he removed to Lincoln in the spring of 1854. In connection with J. D. Gillett and Virgil Hickox he purchased the northwest quarter of section 31, township 20, range 2, west, in Logan county, and upon this tract founded the town which he called Lincoln in honor of his friend, Abraham Lincoln. He laid out the seetion of the town east of Union street and on the 30th of August, 1853, lots were offered at publie sale. In the spring of 1854, Mr. Latham and his two partners built the Lincoln House which was destroyed by fire, April 19, 1870. Many of the buildings, including both homes and business blocks, were ereeted by him and he was equally active in ad- vaneing the intellectual and moral as well as the material progress of the city. He contributed to the building and to the support of nearly every church of the town and it was well known that his influenee was ever on the side of right, justiee, truth and improvement.
A broad-minded man, naturally interested in questions of publie importance, Mr. Latham was elected to the state legislature in 1860, polling a very large vote. He did important serviee in the house in connection with legislation brought about by the opening of the Civil war. When his term of service had expired in 1862 he at once began raising a regiment for it was seen that the war was to be no mere holiday affair, and the president had again urged the enlistment of troops. Logan county furnished eight companies of the regiment, raised by Mr. Latham, who was their unanimous ehoiee for commander, and he was commissioned eolonel by the governor. The regiment was mustered in as the One Hundred and Sixth Illinois Volunteer In- fantry and was assigned to the Army of the Tennessee under Gen- eral Grant. Becoming ill with fever Colonel Latham was taken to the hospital at Memphis where he lay until his physicians advised him to return home in July. For many weeks he was in a eritieal eondi- tion and it was not until October. 1863, that he was able to rejoin his
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Colonel Robert B. Latham
regiment. He then remained with his command until January, 1864, when he was prostrated with pneumonia, repeated attacks of that disease at length forcing him to resign.
It is impossible to overestimate the worth of Mr. Latham as a citizen of Lincoln and Logan county. As much as any man in the state, he exerted himself for the election of Mr. Lincoln to the presi- dency and was ever active and interested in the promotion of his party and republican principles. When the Cumberland Presbyterian church was seeking a favorable location for a university Mr. Latham entered upon the project of inducing the committee to select Lin- coln. He joined with John Wyatt in calling a public meeting at which subscriptions were opened, and through the persevering labors of Mr. Latham and his friends Logan county subscribed twenty thousand dollars toward the erection of the building. The act of in- corporation passed the legislature in 1864 and Mr. Latham was made a member of the board of trustees. The building was commenced in 1865 and the school was opened the following year. Mr. Latham was elected the vice president of the first board of trustees and during the succeeding year was chosen president. His work in that connec- tion contributed much to the success of the institution.
Colonel Latham always regarded his efforts in connection with the railroads as the most important service which he rendered to the peo- ple of his county. He saw and recognized the value of railroad con- nection with the outside world and put forth every effort in his power to secure the building of lines through Logan county. The Pekin, Lincoln & Decatur road and the branch of the Indianapolis, Bloom- ington & Western road, were brought into successful operation through his exertions. He had the most trying opposition and fre- quently was made the subject of gross personal opposition, but he never faltered in the performance of what he considered to be his duty. The Pekin, Lincoln & Decatur road owes its existence to him. He made public speeches when he thought such would be effective. He traveled in behalf of the line and did everything in his power, and was not content until the victory was gained. Today the citizens of Logan county acknowledge their indebtedness to him and more and more they will realize how valuable was his service. Another important act of his life was his instrumentality in the establishment of the asylum for feeble-minded children at Lincoln. His broad humanitarianism was one of his chief characteristics and he was a generous supporter of other organized movements and many independent ones which had for their object the amelioration of hard conditions of life for the unfortunate.
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Colonel Robert B. Latham
Colonel Latham lost his first wife on August 8, 1853, and was married, on the 24th of July, 1856, to Miss Savillah Wyatt, a daughter of William and Rachel ( Kitchen) Wyatt, who resided near Jackson- ville, Illinois. Her aneestors lived in Loudoun county, Virginia, and her father was born in that county, near Harper's Ferry. He was a son of John Wyatt, a soldier of the Revolutionary war. The family was founded in Virginia in 1621 by Rev. H. Wyatt, a brother of Sir Francis Wyatt, who was three times appointed governor of Virginia. Her mother eame of French and Spanish uneestry and was born in Missouri. Mrs. Latham was the eighth in a family of nine children and her birth oeeurred November 9, 1831. Her brother, John Wyatt, was one of the founders of Lineoln and his family are still residents there. Mrs. Latham who is in her eighty-second year, is enjoying ex- eellent health and is one of the honored pioneer women of Illinois. She has been instrumental in organizing many societies and clubs and her name is in the cornerstone of several of the ehurehes and public build- ings in Lincoln. She has been noted for her attractive and generous hospitality and entertained the committee of the Cumberland Presby- terian church that located the college in Lincoln as well as many other visitors to the eity. In 1876 she established the Lincoln Art Society and in 1881 was instrumental in organizing the Illinois Central Art Union, composed of the societies of Springfield, Bloomington, De- catur, Champaign, Jacksonville, Peoria, Carlinville and Pana. Mrs. Latham held a reception at her home in which the union was formed and on which occasion were present several artists who have since won wide fame. She was also one of the organizers of the Belles Let- tres Society of the College of Jacksonville, one of the first literary societies of the state. In October, 1912, she returned from her third trip abroad, having been absent for more than a year. She has al- ways been active in every good work in Lineoln and during her hus- band's absence at the front at the time of the war she devoted her cven- ings to making flannels and lint for the injured soldiers. She ranks with Illinois' foremost pioneer women and her home has been the scene of many notable social funetions at which have been entertained most of the illustrious men of the state.
Unto Colonel and Mrs. Latham were born five children, as follows: May, born May 1, 1857; Richard, born July 1, 1859; Robertie, born August 12, 1861; William W., born November 28, 1865; and Geor- giana, who was born November 24, 1872, and married Aaron L. Gamble.
In writing of Mr. Latham at the time of his death one of the local papers said: "The characteristics of Mr. Latham may be inferred
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Colonel Robert B. Latham
from the various enterprises in which he has been engaged and the success that has attended him through life. If a man is to be meas- ured by his success, then Mr. Latham ranks among the first of his state. In whatever position he has been placed he has shown himself equal to the work and master of the position. As a legislator he may not have shone as an orator but his vote was always on the side of humanity and for the right. No mistakes blot his record at the state capitol. As a military officer he was efficient and deservedly popular. Called as he was from the active duties of a civilian to the field, with- out previous military knowledge either of theory or practice of war, it is astonishing how readily he adapted himself to the situation and mastered the commandant's role. As a public civil officer it is enough to say he met the constituency and disarmed his political opponents by his unswerving integrity and veracity. As a citizen he was fore- most in every benevolent cause and no enterprise that had for its object the improvement of the town, county or state but received encourage- ment and material aid. The public schools, the college, the churches, the literary circle, all felt his munificence and private charity went rejoicing from his door. But it is in the private circle that his char- acter shines out with the brightest radiance and with the mildest lustre. As a father he was kind and indulgent, without being slack in par- ental discipline; as a husband he was confiding and affectionate; as a neighbor, open-hearted, accommodating and generous. The young man found in him a safe counsellor and frequently the older man followed his advice in preference to his own judgment. Such were some of the characteristics and work of Robert B. Latham. His life has been one of unequalled success and he may justly be ranked with
'Founders of states that dignify the mind And lovers of our race, whose labor gave Their names a memory that defies the grave.'"
A far nobler mausoleum than marble is the homage of friends. Time places the trumpet to his lips and midst the notes of human joy or sorrow there comes suddenly a deeper tone, thrilling us into keenest consciousness of loss. Such a tone was heard when Lincoln received the news of the death of Colonel R. B. Latham who passed away at Daytona, Florida, on the 20th of April, 1895, in the seventy-seventh year of his age. At no time before in its history has his home city paid such tribute of honor and respect to one of her townsmen as it did to Colonel Latham at the time of his burial services. Every business house was closed and although it was the desire of the family that the
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Colonel Robert B. Latham
services should be quiet and unostentatious there were hundreds who gathered to pay their last tribute of honor to Lineoln's oldest citizen and its founder. He was loved by young and old, rich and poor. His high character, his genial, kindly ways, his unfailing generosity, his interest in the community had won for him hosts of friends and the name of no other man who has resided in Lineoln is spoken of in terms of higher praise or with deeper feeling than that of Colonel Latham. Of him it was written: "He was one of the first white chil- dren to call Logan county home. He eame here when this thickly populated county was a wilderness and inspired a love of nature early, lived here when the shams and foibles of life were not so dis- tinetive or so prevalent, mingled with men and women when hospital- ity and brotherly love were real, not sham, when worth not wealth measured a man's standing. In this crucible he was born, by this measure he was raised and by this rule he lived and measured men."
INDEX OF VOL. II
Adams, W. E.
275
Howland, H. F. .261
Atkins, S. D. .361
Bairstow, Fred
.351
Baker, E. D.
217
Blackstone, T. B.
51
Braun, Joseph
303
Brown, G. P.
187
Browning, O. H. .179
Logan, S. T. .235
Low, Francis 299
Caton, J. I .309
Caverly, W. P. 265
Clark, James 87
Coles, Edward
271
Conard, Wilson
289
Cook, D. P. 163
Crane, R. T. 63
Crumpton, W. W. .231
Peltier, V. J. 283
Pope, Nathaniel 169
Cumins, Theron
83
Dady, J. R. .337
Davis, David 151
Dennis, W. A. .197
Donahoe, J. T.
143
Edwards, Ninian
.307
Farwell, C. B. .313
Felt, Mr. and Mrs. B. F. .379
Fuller, A. C. 5
Fuller, M. W.
.213
Funk, Isaac
.225
Grant, U. S. 185
Hamilton, Andrew 139
Harahan, J. T. 95
Harris, D. S. .373
Hay, Charles
25
Hay, John 19
Hay, L. A. 31
Henderson, T. J.
35
Henry, J. A. 79
Higgins, D. F. 135
Hill, A. T. 167
Hilscher, R. W. .117
Humiston, Bennet 321
Hurd, H. B. 243
Kern, G. L. . 325
Latham, R. B. 391
Lloyd, H. D. .315
Logan, J. A. 159
Manners, C. A. .387
Neureuther, F. C.
247
Palmer, C. A.
45
Cudahy, Michael
57
Randall, S. W. .293
Rulison, N. J.
279
Scheerer, H. W. 253
Selby, Paul
.199
Shaw, B. F.
.101
Shaw, T. M.
123
Shields, James 249
Smith, B. L.
175
Stark, V. H.
107
Sterry, C. W. .327
Stevens, N. E.
255
Stone, H. O., Jr.
149
Talcott, S. D.
347
Tree, Lambert
.367
Upton, C. W. 357
Van Arman, M. B. 205
Van Epps, W. H. .331
Virden, E. R.
73
Willard, F. E.
.207
Williamson, M. F. 223
Yates, Richard
239
Young, Otto
..
13
MeClure, S. H. 343
MeLaughlin, W. F. 113
E
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