USA > Ohio > Memoirs of the lower Ohio valley, personal and genealogical : with portraits, Volume II > Part 37
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larly active in political work, and in religious matters he belongs to the Presbyterian church. He has been twice married. His first wife, who died about a year after their marriage, was Mary Williams. His second and present wife was Sarah E. Hill. To this marriage there was born one son, Joseph, who met his death by an accident. One day, during recess at school, a boy named Jesse Barr caught a school- mate, Harry Docker, and bumped the back of his head against Joseph's right temple, causing an injury that resulted in his death.
FELIX DOWNEN (deceased), late a farmer near Ridgway, Gallatin county, Ill., was born near Mount Vernon, Posey county, Ind., May 28, 1858, and died on the farm now occupied by his widow, Oct. 22, 1900. He was reared to man- hood in Posey county, received his educa- tion there in the public schools, and upon arriving at man's estate adopted the life of a farmer. On Feb. 13, 1879, he was united in marriage to Miss Kate Allyn, who was born and reared in the same neighborhood, and in September of that year removed to Gallatin county, locating on the farm where he lived the remainder of his life. At the time he took possession of this farm there was but eighty acres, about half of which was cleared. He im- proved this place and added to it until at the time of his death he was the owner of 200 acres of land, well equipped with improvements, and which is now occupied and owned by his widow and her children. Mr. Downen did a general farming business in his life-time and gave considerable attention to stock raising. He was a member of the Court of Honor, a fraternal organization, and with his wife belonged to the Baptist church. In the ordinary affairs of life he was a con- sistent practitioner of the tenets of his religious faith, dealing fairly with his fellowmen, sympathizing with the unfortunate and contribut- ing to worthy charities as his means would permit. He and his wife had the following children : Lemuel, born Oct. 6, 1880, now deceased ; Ora, b'orn Sept. 15, 1882, now the wife of Charles Foster; Inez, born Nov. 9, 1884, now Mrs. Edward Barnett; Mattie, born Sept. 17, 1886, at home with her mother; Mary, born Sept. 9, 1889, and Hattie Olive, born Aug. 31, 1896.
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CALVIN M. BAKER, a farmer near Equality, Gallatin county, Ill., is one of the oldest residents in that section of the state. He was born in Walker county, Ala., Dec. 27, 1824, his parents being Wil- liam and Phoebe (Collinsworth) Baker. In 1828 William Baker loaded one wagon with his worldly goods and with his wife and children came overland to Shawnee- town. He located at the John Crenshaw salt works, where he was employed for about two years. He then entered forty acres of land on Eagle creek, built a log cabin and devoted the rest of his life to agricultural pursuits. He died near Equality in 1841, aged fifty-two years. His wife died some time later at the age of fifty-five. Of their children but three are now living, viz .: Calvin M., the subject of this sketch; Sarah, widow of William Dorsey, and William, who lives in Arkansas. Those dead are Elizabeth, who married Wallace McKenney, and lived to be eighty-seven years old; Preston, who died at the age of twenty-three years; Covington, died at the age of seven years; Henry, died when he was about twenty years old; Phoebe, died in early childhood; James and Felix, who each died when about two years old; and Caro- line, who married Thomas Scudmore. When Calvin M. Baker was about seventeen years old he commenced the battle of life by renting a farm, raising a crop in the summer months and working at the Illi- nois Iron Works in the winter time. He continued in this way for a few years, when on Jan. 10, 1850, he was married to Miss Frances Cal- vert and for the next four years lived in Hardin county. He then returned to Gallatin county and bought a tract of 120 acres of land, upon which, to use the old familiar expression, "there was not a stick of timber amiss." This place has been his home for fifty years, though he has added to his original farm until he now owns 360 acres. Here he has seen his children grow to maturity, marry and found homes of their own, and here in 1879 he lost his wife by death, after nearly thirty years of happy married life. Their children are Sarah, widow of Wiley Rose, now living at Elizabethtown, Ill .; Wil- liam, who lives near his father ; Phoebe, wife of John Harvey, also liv- ing in the neighborhood; Rena, deceased; Mary, wife of Harry Pear- son, living near Harrisburg, Ill .; Lucy, wife of Charles Walsen, also living near Harrisburg; Effie, wife of John Brown, living near
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Equality. Mr. Baker has been one of the successful farmers and stock raisers of Gallatin county for many years. He is a Democrat and cast his first presidential vote for Lewis Cass in 1848. Since then he has always been a stanch defender of Democratic principles, though he has many warm personal friends among those of the oppo- site political belief because of his sympathetic nature and genial dis- position.
JAMES T. COLBERT, a well-to-do farmer, living near Equality, Gallatin county, Ill., was born in the neighborhood where he now lives, May 3, 1827. His father, James Colbert, was born in Alabama about 1792. When he was a young man he came with his brothers, Henry, Drury, and Hiram, to Illinois, and after working for a while at the salt works entered eighty acres of government land and passed the rest of his life as a farmer. This farm is now in the possession of the subject of this sketch, and it was there that he was born. James Colbert fought in the Black Hawk war and died in 1834. His chil- dren were: Allen B., William, Nancy J., Elisha, Hiram, James T., Thomas and Frances. Allen died at the age of thirty-five years; Wil- liam lived to be seventy-seven; Nancy married Robert Pinson and after his death Johnson Kanady, and died at the age of seventy-five; Elisha died in 1862 while serving in the One Hundred and Twentieth Illinois infantry; Hiram died in 1834; Thomas died in 1890; and Frances is the wife of Calvin Baker. The mother of these children died at the age of seventy-six years. James T. Colbert com- menced life on his own account when he was twenty years old, his only capital being an ax, a fiddle, and a determination to succeed. His education had been acquired in the old subscription schools, in a log house with no floor but the ground and split saplings for seats. From the time he was twenty until he was thirty years of age he followed farming during the summer seasons and worked at the Illinois Iron Works in the winter time, devoting all his leisure time to self-study, until today he is one of the best informed men in his locality. He has also prospered in the accumulation of this world's goods. When he was first married in 1847 he went to housekeeping in a log cabin, about a mile from where he now lives. He remained there until 1891, when he removed to his present location, where he has a well improved farm, all the improvements having been made by himself. He now owns eight hundred acres of fine land, five hundred acres of which are under cultivation, and has given some- thing like four hundred acres to his children. As a stock raiser
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Mr. Colbert has been quite successful, though the greater part of his attention has been devoted to a general farming business. He takes an interest in public affairs and has served as county commissioner, to which office he was elected on the Democratic ticket, having affil- iated with that party ever since he became a voter. Mr. Colbert has been twice married. His first wife was Miss Mary J. Seets, a native of Tennessee, and to this marriage there were born the following children : Lucy A., wife of Jefferson Vinyard, of Hardin county; Allen B., who died at the age of ten years; Frances, wife of Robert Taylor, living near Harrisburg; Sarah, wife of Joseph Vinyard; James, who lives near his father; Mary L., who married Henry Hamp and afterward died; Aaron, who lives in the vicinity; Mar- garet, widow of Isaac Jennings, who was a farmer in Eagle Creek township; Thomas J .; Isabelle, who married Robert White and died some years ago as his wife; Prudence, wife of George Leadbetter, and John B., who died in 1893. The mother of these children died in 1875 and on Oct. 29, 1879, Mr. Colbert was married to Mrs. Mary A. Frohock, widow of Lucien Frohock, and a daughter of Josiah Hull. Three children have been born to this second marriage, viz .: Virgie, wife of George Blackman, of Eagle Creek township; Virgil, ยท on the farm with his father, and Paul, at home.
THOMAS B. LOGSDON, a retired farmer of Shawneetown, Ill., was born in Ripley county, Ind., Oct. 21, 1841, his parents being Thomas B. and Mary (Muir) Logsdon. When the subject of this sketch was about seventeen years of age he commenced his business career as a farmer, but in 1859 went to Indianapolis, Ind., where he secured a position as clerk in a grocery, and worked there until 1862. He then worked on the railroad for about a year, at the end of which time he came to Shawneetown and engaged in business. A year later he entered the service of the Illinois Central Railroad Company as a sleeping-car conductor, and continued in that capacity for about eighteen months. Then for something over a year he was a night watchman in the railroad yards and in the fall of 1868 again located in Gallatin county. On Jan. 19, 1869, he was united in marriage to Mrs. Margaret Logsdon, widow of Carter Logsdon and
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daughter of Solomon and Nancy Brown, and went to farming near Bowlesville, four miles west of Shawneetown. In 1891 he removed to Shawneetown, where he now lives retired, though he still owns his farm of three hundred and twenty-seven acres. When he came to Shawneetown in 1891 he went into the store of Jacob Bechtold as a clerk and remained there for four years. Mr. Logsdon is one of the active Democrats of Gallatin county. For two years he was postmaster at Bowlesville, at the end of which time he resigned. From 1870 to 1886 he held the office of justice of the peace; was appointed county commissioner to fill a vacancy caused by the death of Dr. Harmon, and served almost a full term; was then twice elected to the office, serving nearly six years in all; and served as police magistrate for two years. Since 1872 he has been a mem- ber of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and since 1894 a Knight of Pythias. Mr. Logsdon and his wife both belong to the Cumberland Presbyterian church at Bowlesville, where he was for some time superintendent of the Sunday school. (See sketches of Joseph and James J. Logsdon for extended account of ancestry.)
JOSEPH E. LOGSDON, one of the most prominent farmers and stock raisers of Gallatin county, Ill., living one mile west of Shaw- neetown, is a native of that county, having been born on a farm about one and a half miles west of Shawneetown, Dec. II, 1854. His father, Thomas Logsdon, was a son of one of the old pioneer settlers. (See sketches of Joseph and James Logsdon). After such an education as the common schools afforded Joseph E. Logsdon attended Notre Dame university for one year. At the age of twenty-two years he engaged in general farming and stock raising upon the farm owned by his mother until 1899, when he removed to the farm where he now lives. He does an extensive business in raising and feeding stock and is interested in various other enterprises, being generally recognized as one of the leading business men of the county. In, 1883 he was united in marriage to Miss Edith Riordan. Two children born to this union are deceased, viz .: Arthur and Edward. Those living are Eugene, Maude, Thomas, Lucy, Isabelle, Horace, Frederick and Bluford. In politics Mr. Logsdon is a Democrat and he takes a lively interest in all ques- tions of public policy. He is in favor of good roads, good schools, good local government, and in fact is one of the most progressive men in his vicinity.
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CAPT. LA FAYETTE TWITCHELL, a prominent citizen of Elizabethtown, Ill., at the present time police magistrate, was born on Feb. 26, 1829, in that part of Pope county, Ill., now included in the county of Hardin, his birthplace being on a farm about four and a half miles north- west of Elizabethtown. His father, Moses Twitchell, was born at Bethel, Me., March 6, 1779. In early life he was engaged in, rafting lumber from Bethel to Bruns- wick, and also learned the trade of mill- wright. He married Lydia Harris in 1810, and in 1812 moved to Pittsburg, Pa., where he engaged in the mill- ing and lumber business. In 1818 he placed all his personal property on a flatboat and with his wife and two children came down the Ohio river to Elizabethtown. He bought eighty acres of land from a Mr. O'Neal, who had built a small grist mill on Big creek, one of the first mills in that part of the state. This mill Mr. Twitch- ell enlarged and added a saw mill. It afterward became known far and wide as "Twitchell's mill." Moses Twitchell did considerable business in shipping lumber down the river by flatboat, frequently going as far as New Orleans. He also conducted a cooper shop, blacksmith shop and still house. Later he built a saw mill on Three Mile creek but did not operate it for any great length of time. In that early day he held an office that corresponds to the present county commissioner. In the late fifties he had established at his place the first postoffice between Shawneetown and Golconda, known as Twitchell's Mills. He was postmaster until he died in 1832. His wife died in 1836. La Fayette is the youngest of the family, the other children being: Franklin, born in 1812 and died in 1855; Washington, born in 1814 at Pittsburg and died in 1851 in Califor- nia; Hiram, who died in 1841 near Elizabethtown; Uzial, who died in 1862; and two daughters, both named Cynthia, who died in child- hood. La Fayette Twitchell passed his boyhood at his father's mills. In 1837, after the death of his parents, he went to Elizabeth- town, where he lived with his brother Franklin, attending the schools there and at Shawneetown. As soon as he was old enough to run on the river he engaged in the occupation of flatboating, his brother Franklin being one of the most noted pilots on the river. In the spring of 1849 in company with James and B. P. McFarland, George
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Jackson, William Chipp, John H. Lefler, and Robert Pierson, making seven in all, he started with a six-mule team for California. They left Elizabethtown on April 3, added two more mules to their team at St. Joseph, Mo., and arrived at Weaverville, Cal., on August 24. He remained in California until May, 1852, prospecting and mining, in which he was successful, and then returned by water to New York. From there he made his way back to Elizabethtown, where he engaged in the business of running a saw mill and flatboating until the mill was destroyed by fire in 1854. He and his brother then built a wharf-boat, which they conducted for about a year, when it was wrecked in a storm. Soon after this his brother died. In 1859 Captain Twitchell again caught the gold fever and went over- land to Pike's Peak, remaining there for about two years, when he again returned to his home near Elizabethtown. In August, 1862, he helped to raise a company, which was mustered in as Company B, One Hundred and Thirty-first Illinois infantry. He was at first made adjutant of the regiment, and in June, 1863, was commis- sioned captain of his company. He was in many of the military operations around Vicksburg, fought at Arkansas Post and Milli- gan's Bend, and was engaged in doing guard and provost duty at Memphis. In November, 1863, he resigned, raised Company I, One Hundred and Thirty-sixth Illinois infantry, for the one hundred days' service, and was made captain of the company. He was dis- charged in October, 1864, by reason of expiration of service, and from that time until 1870 was engaged in the saw mill business. He then conducted a hotel near Rosiclare for about two years, when he was elected to the office of circuit clerk in 1872 on the Repub- lican ticket and held the office for four years. Subsequently he served six years as master in chancery, and during President Har- rison's administration was postmaster at Elizabethtown for four years. He was one of the county commissioners at the time the new court house was built, and took an active part in raising by subscription from the people of the town a sum of $1,200 with which to assist in building the structure. Captain Twitchell has been a mem- ber of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows ever since 1853; has passed through the chairs; and has five times represented his lodge in the Grand Lodge. He is one of the charter members of Alex Ragon Post, No. 565, Grand Army of the Republic, at Elizabeth- town; has been honored by his comrades by being elected commander of the post, and has been a member of Western Association Cali- fornia Pioneers since 1893. In 1856 he was married to Miss
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Angeline, daughter of James and Elizabeth Steele, who came from South Carolina at an early date. Mrs. Twitchell was born near Rosiclare in 1836 and has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church ever since she was sixteen years of age. Captain and Mrs. Twitchell are the parents of the following children: Robert A., a physician of East St. Louis; La Fayette, an attorney at Denver, Col .; Mollie E., who died in childhood; Benjamin E. and James W., both physicians, practicing together at Belleville, Ill.
BRITTON STACEY, a well known resident of Elizabethtown, Ill., was born near Gainesboro, Jackson county, Tenn., May I, 1844. When he was about two years old his parents removed to Kentucky and in 1852 to Illinois, locating on a farm about twelve miles north of Elizabeth- town. Here the subject of this sketch grew to manhood, working on a farm in summer and attending the public schools during the winter months. On July 4, 1862, he enlisted as a private in Company F,. One Hundred and Thirty-first Illinois volunteer infantry, and was mustered in at Metropolis City on Sep- tember 16th of the same year. He was engaged in the military operations on the Yazoo river, fought at Haines' Bluff, Arkansas Post and the siege of Vicksburg. After the fall of Vicksburg he was taken ill with typhoid fever and sent to the hospital at St. Louis, where he remained for seven months. He then rejoined his com- mand at Paducah, Ky., and soon afterward the regiment was con- solidated with the Twenty-ninth infantry at Vicksburg. For the next eleven months he was at Natchez on guard duty, then to New Orleans, Dolphin's Island, at the battle of Spanish Fort and in numer- ous minor skirmishes. At Spanish Fort he was severely wounded by the explosion of a shell, the left arm being so badly lacerated that it had to be taken off above the elbow. He was discharged on Sept. 16, 1865, just three years after being mustered in, and returned to the farm. On March 22, 1866, he was married to Miss Amy J. Tinsley, who came with her parents to Hardin county when she was about thirteen years of age. After his marriage Mr. Stacey engaged in farming about ten miles northeast of Elizabethtown until 1881, when he moved into town. At one time he owned 220 acres of land.
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Mr. Stacey is one of the stalwart Republicans of Hardin county. He was for twelve years a deputy in the sheriff's office, having previously served eight years as constable while living on the farm. He has several times been elected to a place on the town board and served one term as mayor of Elizabethtown. He was one of the charter members of Alexander Ragon Post, Grand Army of the Republic, at Elizabethtown, and has been commander of the post. He also belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Honor. As a public official he has won the reputation of being a capable and conscientious one, and in his fraternal organizations he has won popularity by his genial disposition and his ready benevolence to those less fortunate than himself.
DAVID ORR, a farmer two and a half miles from Elizabethtown, Ill., was born five miles northwest of that town, May 28, 1848. His father, Joseph Orr, was born near Gallipolis, O., but came to Hardin county, Ill., while he was still a young man. There he married Sarah Williams, a member of one of the old families of the county, settled on the farm where the subject of this sketch was born, and there passed the remainder of his life. He and his wife were the parents of the following children : William, John, James, Joseph, Nancy J., David, and Mary E. William died in infancy; Joseph died in 1873; Nancy J. died in 1858, and Mary E. is now living with her mother on the old homestead. The father of these children died in March, 1852, but the mother, who was born Dec. 17, 1816, is still living and until recently enjoyed good health. When David was twelve years of age he took charge of the farm for his mother and lived with her until 1890, having full control of the three hundred acres constituting the old home farm. On Oct. 16, 1890, he was married to Jane Jackson, a daughter of James N. Jackson, and located on the farm where he now lives. His wife and her father were both born on this farm, which formerly belonged to her grand- father, John Jackson, who was one of the pioneers of Hardin county. It is located on the Ohio river, contains 550 acres and is one of the best farms in the county. Mr. Orr carries on a general farming busi- ness, but devotes a great deal of his time to breeding fine stock,
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especially Shorthorn and Red Polled cattle and Hackney and Percheron horses. Politically he is a Republican but has never been desirous of holding public office. His first wife died on March 5, 1897, leaving two children, Clarissa and David, and on Sept. 6, 1899, he was married to Miss Alice Duley of Kentucky.
JAMES P. FERRILL, a farmer and stock raiser, of Elizabeth- town, Ill., was born in that county, Dec. 30, 1847. His father, John H. Ferrill, was born near Chapel Hill, Tenn., April 15, 1823, and lived there until he was about sixteen years of age. About the year 1839 his father, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, died. Soon after his death the widow, with her two sons, John H. and Charles M., came with one wagon containing all their earthly possessions to Illinois and located near Furnace, in Hardin county. The two boys worked on the farm in the summer time, at the iron works in the winter, cut cordwood, and did various other things to assist their widowed mother. In 1843 John H. Ferrill was united in marriage to Nancy Pillow, a niece of Gideon Pillow, who won dis- tinction as a Confederate general during the Civil war. To this marriage there were born the following children: James P., the subject of this sketch; Martha, who died at the age of two years; John C., now in Los Angeles, Cal .; Anne, who died in childhood; Josie, now living at Elizabethtown, and Nellie, who died as the wife of James B. McFarland. About 1851 John H. Ferrill went to Cali- fornia and remained there for about two years, prospecting and mining, but at the end of that time returned to Hardin county, making the trip by water both ways. From that time until the war he was engaged in steamboat navigation on the Mississippi, the Ohio and Cumberland rivers. He was the owner of the steamers Winneford, Kate French and Governor's Island, and was doing a good business when the war broke out. In 1861 he enlisted as wagon master in the Twenty-ninth Illinois infantry, but was transferred to the navy by General Grant and made a master pilot, serving in that capacity during the entire conflict. He was the volunteer pilot on board the monitor Neosho and in one of the engagements her colors were shot down. Assisted by a German soldier he raised the flag while the fight was still going on and received a medal from Con- gress for his bravery. After the war he returned to his old occupa- tion and continued in the river traffic until 1878. He was a charter member of the Grand Army post at Elizabethtown. His death oc- curred on April 17, 1900. His widow is still living, being now
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about eighty years of age. James P. Ferrill began working with his father on the river just at the commencement of the war and remained associated with him until 1878, both giving up the river at the same time. After that he lived at Metropolis until 1882, when he located on the farm where he now lives. This farm, which is known as the "Colonel Ferrill farm," contains 440 acres. It formerly belonged to Charles M. Ferrill, who raised Company D, of the Twenty-ninth Illinois infantry, and was mustered in as - captain. He took part in all the engagements in which his command partici- pated, among them Fort Donelson, Shiloh, the siege of Vicksburg, and the military operations about Corinth. After the war he engaged in mercantile pursuits at Elizabethtown until 1882, when he retired. He was one of the prominent and successful men of the county; a member of the Grand Army of the Republic; the Masonic fraternity, and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows; represented Hardin county in the legislature; served as county commissioner, county judge, and some other local officers, and died in July, 1901. James P. Ferrill and Miss Mary Hayden were united in marriage on June 15, 1872, and to this marriage there have been born the following children : Charles F., a merchant; E. R., engaged on the river ; Nellie, wife of Samuel Hosick, of Elizabethtown; James, at home. Those de- ceased are Rillie, Benjamin and John Henry.
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