Montgomery County IL Archives History of Bond & Montgomery Counties 1882 
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Norma Hass August 10, 2009


[Page 272]

George H. BROWNING, farmer, P. O. Girard, was born in  Greene  County,
Ill., April 22, 1834; his education was obtained in the common schools
of his native county, where his early life was spent in assisting his
grandfather upon a farm. At the age of eighteen, he returned home and
took upon himself the support of his mother and her family, which 
duties he performed until he reached the age of twenty-five years, when
he embarked upon his career in life as a farmer, and has followed that
occupation up to the present time; his first purchase of real estate was 
in Greene County, and consisted of forty acres of land, which he improved, 
added to and eventually sold; in 1866, he purchased the property he now 
owns, and has built most of the buildings and made all other improvements 
which are usually found upon a well-regulated farm, and everything about 
the premises confirms the reputation Mr. BROWNING bears as being a successful 
and enterprising farmer; he has, by his energy and industry, accumulated a 
large property, and now owns 200 acres of choice prairie farm land all of 
which, as a practical farmer, he keeps in a high state of cultivation, and 
upon which he grows all of the usual farm crops; he also raises all the stock 
he handles upon his place. He was married, in Greene County, December 20, 1860, 
to Louisa E. ADCOCK, who was born in Greene County April 15, 1838; she has 
borne him twelve children, viz.: Maxie J. (wife of George Simon), Edward M.,
William A., Cora L. (deceased), George C., Lena L., John W., Jacob O., 
Sarah E., Aquilla E., Perry L., Myrtle (an infant. Mrs. BROWNING was a 
daughter of Issan and Rachael (STINNET) Adcock, natives of Kentucky, he 
deceased, she still living. Matiac BROWNING, the father of George, was a 
native of Kentucky, and was one of the early settlers of Greene County; he 
was a preacher by profession; his death occurred in 1842; his wife, Maxie 
WOOD, was also a native of Kentucky; she died in 1860; she was the mother 
of nine children, of whom George, our subject, was the fourth. Politically, 
he is identified with the Democratic party. Mrs. BROWNING is connected with 
the Baptist Church.

William EVANS, farmer, P. O. Virden, was born in Pittsburgh, Penn., February 
12, 1828, and was brought to Illinois when but nine years of age; his father, 
Henry EVANS, settled in Alton when there were but three log houses in the 
town; he remained there about twenty years, engaged in blacksmithing, and his 
was the first shop in the town; he was a native of Ireland, and, when twenty-four
years of age, emigrated to America with his wife and one child; he died in 1861,
aged sixty-five years; his wife, Isabella GORDON, was also a native of Ireland; 
she died in 1854, aged fifty-seven years; she was the mother of nine children, 
of whom William was the second child. He assisted his father in his shop until 
he was nineteen years of age, when the family removed from Alton and settled 
upon a farm, where the father of our subject remained, engaged in agricultural
pursuits up to the time of his death. William remained upon the farm until he
reached the age of twenty-three years, when he entered upon his career in life,
following in the foot- 

[Page 273] 

steps of his father, as a blacksmith; he continued in that occupation at 
Otter Creek, Jersey County, about twenty years, at the end of which time he 
again took upon himself the duties of a farm life, purchased the property upon
which he now resides, and upon which he has made all the improvements, which 
denote his energy and enterprise as a man, and show him to be a practical 
farmer; he farm consists of 160 acres of choice land, all of which is under
cultivation; although he grows all of the usual farm crops, he makes a specialty 
of grain. He was married, in Jersey County, April 7, 1847, to Miss Louisiana 
NOBLE, who was born in Mississippi July 4, 1829; she has borne him eight 
children, viz.,: Henry (deceased), Isabella, Martha Ann, Albert, Kate, Benjamin,
Hattie, William (deceased). Mrs. EVANS was a daughter of Solomon and Louisiana
(SOJOURNER) NOBLE, natives of Mississippi. Mr. EVANS has served the people as
Supervisor two years; was once elected Justice of the Peace, but declined to 
serve; politically, he is identified with the Republican party; he has been 
a member of the I.O.O.F. for a number of years, and is also an active member 
of the A., F. & A. M. at Virden. Socially, he ranks high in the community, and 
in him are found the elements which, combined, make a man a good neighbor, a 
kind husband and an indulgent father.

Charles T. HOPPIN, farmer, P. O. White Oak, was born in Madison County, N. Y., 
June 8, 1817, where he received his education in the common schools, and 
assisted his father upon the old homestead until he was twenty-five years 
of age, when he married and engaged in farming for himself. He remained in 
New York three years, and then concluded to try the pioneer life in the then 
far West, and settled in Sangamon County, Ill., where he began handling sheep 
upon the prairies, and was at one time one of the largest sheep and wool 
dealers in the State; by his energy, he also accumulated a large amount of 
land in Sangamon and Montgomery Counties, which he improved and cultivated 
himself, and held a position as one of the practical farmers of the day. He 
was married, in 1842, to Eliza McCONNELL, who bore him three children, who 
grew to manhood and womanhood; she died in 1853, an, tow years later, he was 
again married, to Phinett PARMETER, who is still living, and is the mother 
of eight children, all of whom are living, and all at home. Politically, Mr. 
HOPPIN is a Republican.

William A. KNOCK, farmer, P. O. Virden, was born in Fulton County, Ill., 
August 27, 1833; his education was limited to such as could be obtained in 
the common schools of his native county; during his school days, and up to 
the time he was twenty-nine years of age, assisted his father upon the old
homestead; at the breaking-out of the war, he entered the service in Company 
F, Eighty-fourth Illinois Infantry, with Capt. C. B. COX, his regiment 
commanded by Col. WATERS, he remained in the service until the close of the 
war, and then purchased the property he now owns, and once again took upon 
himself the duties of a farm life; he erected a fine farm dwelling, which 
does honor to the county and to Mr. KNOCK as an architect; he has also made 
all the other improvements that are necessary on a well-regulated farm, such 
as outbuildings, orchards, fences, etc.; his farm consists of 120 acres of 
fine farm land, which, as a practical farmer, he keeps in a high state 
of cultivation, and which denotes his energy and enterprise, and makes him 
worthy of the position he holds as one of the leading agriculturists of the 
county; he has always taken a leading part in all public improvements and 
in educational privileges; so- 

[Page 274]

cially, he enjoys the highest esteem of the entire community. His father, 
D. C. KNOCK, is a native of Delaware, and was one of the first to enter 
upon pioneer life in Fulton County, Ill., where he is still living, enjoying 
the fruits of a well spent life, with his wife, Phoebe EASLEY, who was born 
in Freeport, Ohio; she is the mother of thirteen children, of whom William 
is the second child. He was married, in Morgan County, August 21, 1867, to 
Sarah J. (KINNETT) MILLER, who was born in Hamilton County, Ohio, March 23, 
1836; they have two children, viz.: Luetta and Sarah Phoebe, both of whom 
are at home and attending school. Mrs. KNOCK was a daughter of W. P. and 
Ann (BROWN) KINNETT, natives of Ohio, and still living. Mr. KNOCK has held 
several town offices; is also a prominent member of the Grange; politically, 
he is identified with the Republican party.

Martin McLEAN, farmer, P. O. Girard, was born in Ireland in 1819; his 
education was limited, owing to the fact that his early life was spent in 
assisting his father upon his farm, and that the facilities for gaining 
an education were also limited; at the age of twenty-six, he embarked upon 
his career in life as a farmer upon his own account. In 1845, he emigrated 
to America, and remained in New York seven months, and in New Jersey about 
fifteen years, engaged as a farm hand, at the end of which time he removed 
to Montgomery County and purchased 160 acres of prairie land, upon which he 
has made all the improvements necessary for comfort, and which are found only 
upon the best regulated and cultivated farms; by his energy, industry and 
economy, he has continued to add to his possessions until now he has the
satisfaction of overseeing the cultivation of 480 acres of as choice prairie 
farm land as can be found in Montgomery County, and to him are due all honors 
that can be paid any man who has begun the battle of life as a poor boy, and 
has, by energy and enterprise, worked his way through the world until he is 
now known and recognized as one of the most successful and practical farmers 
of the county; although he grows all the usual farm crops, he makes a 
specialty of grain, and raises nearly all the stock handled upon his farm; 
he is a man who ranks high in the estimation of the community, and of which 
he is well worthy; he is a public-spirited man, and has long been identified 
with the growth and prosperity of Bois D’Arc Township, and especially in 
gaining the position it has attained as being one of the best townships in 
the county; although he takes no leading part in politics, he is identified 
with the Democratic party. In 1847, he married Mary CAREY, who was born in 
Kings County, Ireland, and emigrated to America when she was twenty-seven 
years of age; she is the mother of two boys and one girl, viz.: John James, 
William Henry and Margaret, all of whom are still living; John is Circuit 
Clerk at Hillsboro; William H. married and living on the homestead farm; 
Margaret, living at home. James McLEAN, the father of Martin, was a native 
of Ireland, a farmer by occupation; he died in 1868; his wife Julia QUINLAND, 
was also a native of Ireland; she died in 1866; she was the mother of 
thirteen children, of whom Martin was the seventh child; himself and family 
are connected with the Catholic Church. St. Martin’s Cemetery is located 
upon Mr. McLEAN’s farm, the property being donated by him to the society, 
and the cemetery named St. Martin in honor of Mr. McLEAN.

Abel S. RANDOLPH, farmer, P. O. Virden, was born in New Jersey August 5, 
1831; his father, Louis RANDOLPH, was also a native of New Jersey, but 
moved to Jacksonville, Ill., in 1835, and remained there one year, and 
then removed to Jersey County, where he is 

[Page 275] 

still living; he was one of the early settlers of the county, and holds 
a prominent position among the agriculturists of the county; his wife, 
Mary COMPTON, was also a native of New Jersey, and is still living; she 
is the mother of seven children, of whom Abel was the second child; he 
received his education in the common schools of Jersey County, and assisted 
his father upon the old homestead until he was thirty years of age, when he 
came to Montgomery County and continued his occupation as a farmer for 
himself; he erected his dwelling and made all other improvements on the 
farm himself, and has now in his possession 200 acres of choice farm land, 
well fenced, well stocked, and which he keeps in high state of cultivation; 
the surroundings on Mr. RANDOLPHS’s farm denote energy and enterprise, and 
show him to be a practical farmer, and well worthy of the position he holds 
as one of the leading agriculturists of the county; he devotes time to 
growing the usual crops, and raises all the stock he handles; politically, 
his sympathies are with the Republican party. He was married in Jersey 
County, June 9, 1869, to Minerva EDWARDS, who was born in Ohio October 27, 
1838; she has borne him one child, Henry, born April 21, 1870. Mrs. RANDOLPH 
was a daughter of Andrew and Mary (DARLINGTON) EDWARDS, natives of Ohio. 
Mrs. RANDOLPH is connected with the Methodist Church at Wesley Chapel.

Lewis H. THOMAS, son of Samuel and Elizabeth (ISLEY) THOMAS, was born
May 24, 1827, in Greene County, Ill., where he was raised; after receiving, 
in the district schools, an education, he commenced the study of surveying,
completing the latter at Carrollton Academy; in the spring of 1851, Mr. 
THOMAS entered 970 acres of land in Township 12 north, Range 5 west, 
Montgomery County, the entry being the fourth and by far the largest, up 
to that time, in the township; after entering the land, Mr. THOMAS put a 
hedge around the entire tract, which was so successful that the name of 
the plant, Osage Orange, or Bois D’Arc, was given to the township; he also 
planted groves of timber, and it is a remarkable fact that, in eleven years 
from the time of planting a fifteen-acre lot, he cut wood enough from it 
to burn 300,000 brick, with which he built one of the finest mansions in 
the State. Mr. THOMAS is one of the most progressive men in the State, and 
is always making improvements on his fine estate; he has been a stock-dealer 
since his boyhood, having inherited the business from his father; he is 
operating a ranch in Kansas, where he has considerable land inclosed with 
fences, for convenience in handling high grade stock. Mr. THOMAS has been 
twice married, each time to a daughter of Isham and Sarah LINDER, of Greene 
County; the first marriage, to Miss Minerva C. LINDER, occurred May 23, 
1854, but she only lived ten days after the birth of a son, who also died 
a few months after his beloved mother “fell asleep in Jesus.” Mr. THOMAS, 
November 11, 1863, married Miss Sarah A. LINDER, who has blessed her husband 
with seven children, five of whom are living – ETTIE, John I., William H., 
Mary L. and Samuel; an infant son and daughter, Harry and Matilda, are dead. 
The THOMAS family are of Welsh extraction, and the father of our subject, 
Samuel THOMAS, was one of the early pioneers of this section, having come 
to Greene County in 1818, and there he lived until his death, which occurred
December 23, 1873; the wife of Samuel, and mother of Mr. L. H. THOMAS, was 
Miss Elizabeth ISLEY, daughter of Rev. William Jones, a Baptist minister.

Samuel R. THOMAS, farmer, P. O. Virden, son of Samuel and Elizabeth (ISLEY) 
THOMAS, was born May 2, 1829, in Greene  

[Page 276]  

County, Ill., where he was raised and educated; in his education he had 
only such advantages as were common to district schools; he nevertheless 
made an extraordinary advancement in literature and science, considering 
his surroundings, mastering not only the ordinary branches of an English 
education, but philosophy, higher mathematics, surveying and navigation; 
these branches were studied without the assistance of a teacher; his mind, 
by a kind of natural intuition, reveled in mathematical calculation; and 
in leisure hours he wrote down Colman’s Treatise on Algebra; to give an 
idea of his aptitude in calculation, we mention the fact that, when in 
his thirteenth year, he mastered all the problems in Smith’s Arithmetic 
in a thirty-days’ study; he also, at an early age, familiarized himself 
with the science of astronomy; he kept his father’s books from the time 
he was thirteen till he commenced business for himself; in connection 
with his brother Lewis, he managed, for some time, the business of his 
father’s farm, buying, selling and shipping; he was, in truth, a kind 
of confidential adviser. When in the twenty-first year of his age, he 
entered a section and a half of land in Township 12 north, Range 5 west; 
his entry was made in the fall of 1850, and in 1851 he broke a hedgerow, 
inclosing this entire tract; this was a part of the first prairie-breaking 
done in the township. December 29, 1851 he married Miss Elizabeth M., 
daughter of Matthew and Margaret (TAYLOR) DAYTON, of Greene County, Ill.; 
the DAYTONs also were old pioneers of this section of the State; Mrs. 
THOMAS’ grandfather, Thomas DAYTON, with four of his sons, Abraham, Isaac, 
Jacob and Matthew, were soldiers in the war of 1812, and took part in the 
battle of Plattsburg, next to the last engagement of any consequence of 
that war; the family are descended from Wales, and settled in the United 
States of America prior to their independence of the mother country; Mrs. 
THOMAS’ aunt on her father’s side, Betsey Ann JACOBS, of Vermont, when in 
her seventieth year, cut a new set of teeth, and was re-endowed with an 
eyesight equal to that of her youth; this fact is mentioned as confirming 
the theory that nature, in its primitive state, had the power of 
recuperation and renewal. Mrs. THOMAS is of a good family, well educated 
and intelligent; in fact, during her school days like her husband, she 
was considered the prime student of her school; before she was married, 
she taught one or two terms. Mr. THOMAS remained some two years in his 
native county after his marriage, and then came to Montgomery County and 
occupied his farm; here he has since resided, adding improvements to his 
lands, and engaged in the stock business, and is the heaviest stock-grower 
in the county; his farm now consists of three sections of land, as fine 
as are to be found within the county or State, in a very high state of 
cultivation; the residence is a handsome and commodious frame building, 
possessing all the conveniences and apartments adapting it to the wants 
and requirements of a country seat; a cistern is placed in the attic 
story, from which the water is conveyed to every room fo the house; 
instead of a cellar, an attachment is made, which consists of a room 
formed of double walls, and floor some two feet below the grade of the 
earth’s surface; this attachment joins onto the kitchen, and keeps 
vegetables and fruits as well as a cellar, and does not add a mold to 
butter and other articles; we advise any one contemplating building to 
take a look through Mr. THOMAS’ house first; we are satisfied that it 
would pay. Mr. THOMAS contemplates another improvement which is worthy 
of notice. A wind-mill and cor-sheller stand at a convenient distance 
from 

[Page 277] 

His house; he meditates putting a large cistern in the tower part of 
this building, and then running pipe to supply his bath-room and a 
fountain in the yard; two other wind-wheels run as many pumps at 
convenient points on the farm; from one of these the water is conveyed 
120 rods, to supply feed lots; we believe now that every 160-acre tract 
is well supplied with stock water; he has also on his farm a very nice 
grove of cultivated timber, consisting of about twenty-five acres. Mr. 
THOMAS’ family consists of the following children: Henry Matthew, who 
married Miss Lydia Ann BAIRD September 25, 1873, daughter of Zebulon 
BAIRD, of Harvel Township; Ann Amanda, Elizabeth Jane, Catharine, 
Samuel Dayton and Mary Lenora. The parents have spared neither means 
nor care in education their children, and have been rewarded with both 
gratitude and success.

Claud J. WILLIS, farmer, P. O. White Oak, was born in England April 19, 
1842; he obtained the principal part of his education in his native 
country, under the instruction of his mother and a governess; at the 
age of thirteen years, he was brought to America by his parents, who 
settled in Jacksonville, Ill. Charles WILLIS, the father of Claud, was 
a parliamentary lawyer in England, but his health failed  him, and he 
came to America and traveled for his health; his death occurred in 
1856; his wife, Ann C. ROW, who is also a native of England, and is 
still living, at Jacksonville; she is the mother of two children, 
viz.: Charles and Claud. The latter, at the age of twenty years, took 
upon himself the duties of a farm life, and followed that occupation 
in Scott County a few years,  when he gave up his farming interests 
and engaged for about ten years in the stock trade, with John ALEXANDER 
and several other men of Morgan County, who are known as large and 
extensive operators in nearly all markets. In 1878, he came to the 
place he now resides upon, and again turned his attention to farming; 
the farm had been rented for several years before Mr. WILLIS took charge 
of it, and had been very badly cultivated, but, owing to the energy and 
enterprise of Mr. WILLIS, it will now compare with any of the 
best-improved farms of the county, and places Mr. WILLIS in the list 
of practical farmers, and he is also the largest stock-dealer in the 
township at the present day. He was married in Greene County, December 
23, 1881, to Miss Jane E. ELDRED, who was born October 24, 1839, to 
Elon and Jane (STUART) ELDRED; he was one of the very early settlers 
of Greene County, and also at an early day one of the first to enter 
and improve land in Montgomery County, and became very noted as a 
landholder, having accumulated at different places about three thousand 
acres of land, all under cultivation, and managed by himself personally; 
to him is due all the credit of the early improvements made upon the 
place now occupied by the subject of theis sketch, and his death occurred 
in 1871, while on the way to make a visit to his Montgomery farm, having 
expressed a wish to see the “White Oak” farm again – the farm so named 
from a white oak tree, which is located on the corner of the farm, and 
being at one time the only tree standing for many miles around, and which 
served as a landmark and guide to travelers in crossing the prairie before
settlement; his wife survived him five years; she was the mother of three 
sons and three daughters, all of whom are living, with one exception, 
viz., the oldest son, William; they are all residents of Greene County; 
Lucius, a leading hardware merchant at Carrollton; and Charles, a prominent 
farmer and stock-dealer; Louisa, wife of L. F. WHEELER, retired merchant, 
living at Carrollton; and Julia, wife of R. PEARSON, banker at the above 
place. Mr. WILLIS is identified with the Republican party; religiously, 
himself and wife are connected with the Presbyterian Church.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.org/il/montgomery/bios/boisdarc.txt

File size: 22 Kb