Franklin County IL Archives Biographies.....Mooneyham, James P. 1871 - 
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 October 21, 2008, 6:55 pm

Author: George Washington Smith (1912)

   JUDGE JAMES P. MOONEYHAM, of Benton, Illinois, belongs to one of the oldest
pioneer families in this section of the state, his grandfather, Shadrach
Mooneyham, having come here with his family in 1838. One of the members of the
household was the son John, who became the father of James P. John Mooneyham was
born in Alabama, on December 23, 1825, and was therefore a lad of thirteen years
when his parents moved to Illinois. When a young man he purchased a farm in
Franklin county and was a well known and highly respected resident here
throughout the remainder of his life. Although he naturally favored the
principles of the Democratic party in a political way, he was not wedded to
their precepts and exercised commendable independence in his thoughts and
actions. He at one time received the nomination for sheriff of Franklin county
at the hands of an independent aggregation and, although he met with defeat,
gave his opponents a hard run. His ability to fill that character of office did
not remain unrecognized, however, and he served as deputy sheriff for some time
under Carroll Moore.

   In the war of the rebellion John Mooneyham, father of the subject, championed
the cause of the North and served in the army with honor and distinction. He was
a member of Company1 I, Thirty-first Regiment, for a time and was first
lieutenant under General (then Colonel) John A. Logan. Resigning from the
Thirty-first Regiment, he later enlisted with the Fifteenth Illinois Cavalry, in
which he served first as first sergeant but was promoted and when his company
was mustered out he was a first lieutenant. The total length of his service in
the army was three years and eleven months.

   On his mother's side of the house also Judge James P. Mooneyham traces his
ancestry to early pioneers. His mother was Minerva Manering, a native of Greene
county, Illinois, where she was born on August 4, 1841, the daughter of James
Manering, one of Virginia's sturdy sons. Mr. Manering moved to Greene county at
a time when the whole country was very sparsely settled. He was engaged in
agriculture in Greene county for several years, but later moved to Franklin
county, transporting his family and possessions by ox team. In Franklin county,
near Six Mile Prairie, he secured a fine tract of land from the Government,
which he cleared and put under cultivation, retaining the ownership of this farm
throughout his life. The death of Mrs. Mooneyham, the mother of James P.,
occurred on February 20, 1893, but little over a month after the demise of her
husband, on January 10, 1893. They were both members of the Town Mount Prairie
Missionary Baptist church and were held in the highest esteem by a large circle
of friends.

   Judge James P. Mooneyham was born near Benton, Franklin county, Illinois,
December 12, 1871. His early education was such as the common schools afforded,
but this was later supplemented by the better advantages of the town schools and
college. He attended at different times a select school at Benton, the State
Normal at Carbondale and finally took a two term course at Ewing College, Ewing,
Illinois. This gave him a good foundation for success at teaching and for five
years he engaged in that profession. During those years he devoted what time he
could spare from his regular duties to the study of law, reciting under a
relative's tuition, and was admitted to the bar in November, 1896.

   Judge Mooneyham has filled a number of public offices, both elective and
appointive, performing state and county service in various capacities. His
political proclivities are Republican and he has been one of that party's most
zealous workers in this section of the state. In 1896, immediately after his
admittance to practice, he became a candidate for the nomination for state's
attorney of Franklin county and received the honor without opposition at the
hands of his party constituents. The election, however, resulted in his defeat.

   On March 4, 1897, he was offered and accepted the appointment of chief clerk
at the Hospital for the Insane at Anna, Illinois, at the hands of Governor John
R. Tanner. He proved himself well fitted for the duties of that important
position and remained in it until September 21, 1901, when he handed in his
resignation and upon its acceptance returned to Benton and took up actively the
practice of his profession.

   Judge Mooneyham formed a partnership with W. P. Seeber and pursued law work
until 1902, when he was elected county judge, running on the Republican ticket.
During the subsequent four years Judge Mooneyham devoted his time assiduously to
the .faithful discharge of his judicial position, then wishing to engage again
in private practice declined to become a candidate for re-election to the
judgeship. He re-opened a law office at Benton, conducting it individually for a
time, but in December, 1908, his old partner, W. P. Seeber, joined him in the
formation of a firm and the business has since been conducted by these two
gentlemen. Judge Mooneyham is eligible to plead in all of the courts in Illinois
and enjoys a splendid practice, not only serving clients in Franklin county, but
in other parts of the state as well. While he devotes his entire time to his
large and growing practice he retains an enthusiastic interest in civic and
political matters and is a valued adviser of the leaders in the Republican party.

   On November 15, 1899, occurred the marriage of Mr. Mooneyham to Miss Anna
Spangler, daughter of Jacob Spangler, and a native of Union county, Illinois.

   In social matters as well as business and professional affairs Mr. Mooneyham
is recognized as a leader and one whose influence is always found on the side of
right and justice. He is a member of Benton Lodge, No. 64, A. F. & A. M., also
of W. R. Ward Royal Arch Chapter, No. 223, and he likewise is affiliated with
the Knights of Pythias order. He is a man of broad gauge, liberal and
progressive in his ideas and methods, and is held in the highest esteem by all
who know him.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

A HISTORY OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

A Narrative Account of its Historical Progress, its People, and its Principal
Interests

BY
George Washington Smith, M. A.
VOLUME II
ILLUSTRATED

THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
CHICAGO AND NEW YORK 1912

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