Montgomery County IL Archives Bios......Litchfield Township 1882 
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Montgomery County, IL.  History of Bond and Montgomery Counties Illinois 
1882 - Part II,  pages 123-186, City of Litchfield and North and South  
Litchfield Townships


[Page 123] 

Daniel Cutting AMSDEN, manufacturer, and Secretary of the Litchfield Coal Company, 
born in Southington, Conn., January 16, 1814, was, when three years old, removed 
to Manlius Square, N. Y. Here his father remained a winter, and in the spring, 
removed to the site of the present village of Homer. After a brief residence of 
three years, he went to Cato, Cayuga County, and became a contractor on public 
works. When he was twelve years of age, his parents located in Erie County, and 
young AMSDEN was reared to farm labor, which, in character and severity of toil, 
is inappreciable to the pioneers of a prairie region. Before attaining his 
majority, he drove stage into Buffalo, then little more than a hamlet, and also 
tried the rude hardships of a lumberman. Prior to his marriage, in 1841, to Miss 
Mary BEACH, he had leased a hotel at Gowanda, Cattaraugus County, which pursuit 
he afterward exchanged for shop-keeping, and then farming. He was an ardent 
politician; held several offices; declined to be Sheriff; and made money only to 
see it slip away in the financial reverses, which shook the credit of States and 
the nation, as well as the fortunes of individuals. In 1854, he removed to Berlin, 
Wis., and for three years was interested in regular mercantile pursuits, and did 
not improve his permanent fortunes. In May, 1857, he arrived in Litchfield, then 
a little village, with its few cheap houses, located as if sown by the wind, and 
of a general appearance to dissipate day-dreams or poetic fancies. Here he entered 
the employ of the foundry and machine shop company as book-keeper and general 
utility man. Until he came to Litchfield, his life had been a wide preparation for 
the success which has since dogged his steps. He had looked on fortune’s smiles, 
and felt her frowns. His schemes had successively turned to ashes, and, past life’s 
meridian, he came here, poor but resolute, to repair pervious disappointments. For 
ten years, he spared himself to toil or economy. Tall – he is six feet two in his 
stockings – thin, with joints of strength and great muscular powers, he made himself
indispensable to his employers. In 1865, he became by purchase, an equal partner in 
the foundry and machine shop, the firm being H. H. BEACH & Co. The affairs of the 
firm were prosperous. Their shop was crowded with orders, and prices were good. In 
1867, he was elected Mayor of the city, and his firm made the advances of money and 
credit which caused the opening of the coal mine at the eastern limits of the city 
– the solid foundation of its subsequent prosperity. He was, in 1871, one of the 
original stockholders of the Litchfield Bank, and the next year was a heavy 
subscriber to the stock of the Car Works, and the same year was the Republican 
candidate for State Senator, and was not elected – an adverse majority of 1,200 was 
too great a barrier to be scaled. In 1875, the foundry and machine shop were sold 
to the Car Works Company, and Mr. AMSDEN gave his chief attention to coal-mining. 
He now has a large and valuable interest in the famous block coal region

[Page 124] 

of Indiana, and is a member of the firm of BEACH, DAVIS & Co., bankers. He owns a 
comfortable interest in the Car Works and the Litchfield Coal Oil and Pipe Line 
Company, and has bonds and a goodly balance to his credit at the bank. There has 
been no accident in his prosperity. If one would put money into ventures which 
should benefit himself while enriching the community, he must be able to bias 
public opinion in their favor and direct currents of business. If the affair 
prospers, it will be for the reason that success is as much of the man as of the
circumstances. The following children have been born t Mr. AMSDEN: George W., Helen 
A. and John B. W. Mr. AMSDEN has become widely known as a man of influence in local 
affairs. Every politician of his faith seeks his counsel or co-operation. Himself 
seeking no office, he is a vigorous, racy specimen of a man grown wealthy by the 
homely arts possible to all; of decision, industry and economy.

Edwin K. AUSTIN, Litchfield, was born in the town of Becket, Berkshire Co., Mass., 
August 8, 1814; he received an academical education in his native State, and at the 
age of eighteen went to Kentucky, where he sold clocks for two years. From Kentucky 
he removed to West Tennessee, near Memphis, where he taught school, and also engaged 
in merchandising seven years, then removed to Northern Mississippi, where he taught 
private schools till 1861. He then moved North to Illinois, and settled on 120 acres 
of land in Montgomery County, near the eastern border of North Litchfield Township, 
and afterward added 120 acres more, which he farmed till 1866; in that year he sold 
out, with the intention of removing to the Southern States, but, owing to the changed
relation of the races after the war, he abandoned the idea, and, in 1868, purchased 
186 acres of land, on which he resides. In Fayette County, Tenn., July 20, 1845, he 
married Marian W. HAWLEY, a native of New York, born February 25, 1821; they have 
two children – Edwin M. and Laura T. Mr. AUSTIN has taught school nearly seventeen 
years, which has seriously impaired his health. 

Abram D. ATTERBURY, was born in Grayson County, Ky., February 26, 1827; passed his 
youth on the farm, and, at the age of twenty was apprenticed to the blacksmith's 
trade in Harlan County, Ky. In 1850, he came to Illinois, alone, and has ever since 
lived in the vicinity of Litchfield, where in the above year, he entered a quarter 
section of land, at $1.25 per acre. He afterward engaged in breaking prairie land, 
where Litchfield now stands, for two years, with an ox team; farmed one year, then 
worked at his trade at Zanesville two years, and at Litchfield two years; bought 
out JEFFRIES, and he and F. G. KESSINGER, now of Raymond, were the two blacksmiths 
of the place. In 1857, he settled on the quarter-section of land that he had first 
entered, where he has since resided, and, by the year 1862, had the entire 160 acres 
under cultivation. He has engaged largely in wheat-raising, with good success, and 
has added to his original purchase of land, until he now has 550 acres in this 
county, which he has acquired by his own efforts. In 1853, he married Mrs. Julia 
OGLE, of St. Clair County, Ill., widow of the late Joseph T. OGLE, by whom she had 
one child, Joseph T. OGLE, Jr., now a resident of this county. Mr. and Mrs. ATTERBURY 
are the parents of three sons - George W., James H. and Charles M. He is a member of 
the Methodist Church, of which he is District Steward and Trustee.

S. E. ALLEN was born in Hartford, Conn., December 15, 1819, and when nine years old, 
moved with his parents to Madison County, N. Y. When fourteen years of age, he began 
learning the carpenter and joiner's 

[Page 125] 

trade with his father, and remained in Cazenovia, Madison Co., N. Y., till he was 
twenty-one years old. In 1843, he went to New York, where he worked as a journeyman 
until 1851, when he took the Panama route to California, where he worked for a mining 
company as machinist and pattern-maker; he also prospected for a time, and afterward 
engaged as contractor and builder in San Francisco and Marysville, Cal., where he 
remained in business thirteen months, and the end of which time he returned to 
Cazenovia, N. Y. In 1855, he left Cazenovia and came West to Litchfield, Ill. His 
first work in Litchfield was on the buildings of the Terre Haute & Alton R. R., on 
which he worked two years, during which time the present depot was erected; he then 
went into business on his own account as a contractor and builder, and constructed 
many of the first buildings of Litchfield; he carried on business in the city and 
county principally until 1878, when he became foreman carpenter for the Wabash, St. 
Louis & Pacific Railroad, and remained in that position three and a half years; he 
built the Montgomery County Court House in 1865, and a Methodist Episcopal Church 
at Hillsboro some time before. In Cazenovia, N. Y., in 1842, he married Cynthia H. 
RUSSELL, born in Connecticut July 6, 1824, third daughter of Jesse and Mary (ANDRUS) 
RUSSELL, natives of Connecticut, of Puritan stock, and parents of four sons and 
five daughters, all living save one; the RUSSELLs were for many generations strict
Presbyterians and stanch Whigs; Jesse RUSSELL, father of Mrs. ALDEN, a blacksmith, 
and very skillful in his trade, was a fifer in the war of 1812, under Gen. Jackson; 
in 1825, he made a trip to Western New York, purchased a farm and sowed some grain, 
but became discouraged and returned to his old home in Connecticut; in 1828, however, 
he returned with his family and settled at Cazenovia, N. Y. Mr. and Mrs. ALDEN have 
four daughters, Mr. ALDEN is a descendant of one of the Pilgrim fathers; three 
brothers came over in the Mayflower by the name of ALDEN – John, Ezra, and one, name 
unknown, who died soon after landing; Ezra, the grandfather of our subject, was a 
well-to-do farmer, and lived at Greenwich, Mass.; he had six sons and three 
daughters; his second son, Samuel, the father of subject, was born near Greenwich, 
Mass., in August, 1793; he was a carpenter and joiner by trade, and worked at it 
at Hartford, Conn., until 1828, when he moved to Cazenovia, N. Y., where he died 
in January, 1854; his wife, Fanny ANDRUS, born in 1791, died December 1, 1874; they 
were the parents of three sons and three daughters, of whom our subject, Samuel E., 
is the eldest. The ALDENs were Presbyterians and Whigs.

Louis ALLEN, attorney at law, Litchfield, was born in Clinton, Ill., in 1852; he 
passed his youth on a farm in his native county. At the age of twenty-one years, he 
entered the McKendree College at Lebanon, Ill., and spent two years there. After 
teaching one term of school, he entered the Union College of Law at Chicago, Ill., 
in the fall of 1874, and graduated from it in June, 1876. In the fall of the 
following year, he located for practice at Litchfield, and has practiced in the 
courts of this county ever since; for two years he was City Attorney of Litchfield. 
In 1879, he married Miss Sophie BOND, of Clinton County.

Henry E. APPLETON, Vice President Litchfield Coal Company, Litchfield, was born in 
Hampshire, England, in 1828; he was raised on a farm, and, at the age of fourteen 
years, learned the trade of wagon-making near Southampton, England. He came to the 
United States in 1851, and located in Madison County, Ill., where he worked at 
carriage and wagon making until April, 1854, 

[Page 126] 

when he came to Litchfield with "Uncle Dick" O'BANNON, and here started the first 
carriage and wagon shop of the city, his place of business being the site of the 
market house. He carried on this manufacture until about 1867, he executing the wood 
work and Mr. JEFFERIS the blacksmithing. Mr. APPLETON was connected with the engineer’s
department on the construction of the Wabash Railroad while it was building. He became
time-keeper for Jefferis, Amsden, Benton & Co., at the coal mines, in about 1870, and, 
some time later, became a member of the Litchfield Coal and Mining Company; since the
organization of that company, he has held in it some official position, being several 
times its Assistant Superintendent, and now being its Vice President; for the last 
eleven years, he has given the coal mines his close attention. He is a member and also 
Vice President of the Litchfield Oil and Pipe Line Company. In 1853, at Ridgely, Ill., 
he married Miss HERNDON, of Madison County, Ill.; her death occurred in 1857. In 1875, 
he married a second time, the lady being Miss Alice BUTT, of Litchfield, of English 
birth.

Alfred BLACKWELDER, whose portrait appears in this work, was born in Cabarrus County, 
N. C., near Concord, July 17, 1811. He started from his home, October 4, 1834, on 
horseback, and came through to Illinois, reaching Union County in twenty-one days, 
where a sister lived, and he remained there until April, 1835, when he came to 
Hillsboro, where he found the Circuit Court in session in a log house. (He has helped 
to build three court houses since that time.) His earthly possessions, when he arrived 
here, were a small sorrel horse and $10 in money; he worked for $10 per month for 
three years, working first for Judge ROUNTREE, who held all the county offices,
office-holding patriots being scarcer in those good old days than at present. He 
married, April 19, 1837, Miss Joanna SCHERER, daughter of Frederick SCHERER, of North
Carolina, who came to this State about 1833. Mr. BLACKWELDER rented land until about 
1840, when he bought eighty acres at $5 per acre, unimproved, in South Litchfield 
Township; be built on it a small farm house, and lived there about sixteen years, 
when he sold his farm to secure a larger tract for his growing boys, and, by exchange 
and purchase, secured 240 acres in the same locality, farmed it six years, and made 
great improvements upon it; when the Indianapolis & St. Louis Railroad was built, E. 
B. LITCHFIELD, through his agent, Maj. HUGGINS, bought this land at $20 per acre, and 
part of it became a portion of the town site of Litchfield. Mr. BLACKWELDER then 
bought of James TURNER 180 acres, and of John C. REED 240 acres, and these two tracts
comprise the 420-acre farm of our subject, inclusive of his 100 acres of excellent 
timber. Very little or no improvements were made upon his land when Mr. BLACKWELDER 
purchased it, but he has so persistently and intelligently managed his possessions 
that it is at present in a high state of cultivation, and every acre is enclosed with 
fences. Since 1878, Mr. BLACKWELDER has relinquished the active management of his farm 
to his three sons; he has eight children living and married; four died when young; 
those living are Daniel Monroe, William Riley, Minerva C. (now Mrs. Robert MORRISON), 
Jacob Francis, David Alexander, John Martin, Harriet Louisa (now Mrs. Gideon DAVIS), 
Samuel Richard. All Mr. BLACKWELDER's sons are residents of Montgomery County, and all 
of them farmers; both sons-in-law are also residents of Montgomery County, and farmers. 
Mr. BLACKWELDER is a member of the Lutheran Church, and filled for twenty years the 
office of Deacon, or Elder, holding membership with 

[Page 127] 

his denomination for over fifty years. Mr. BLACKWELDER has always been a Democrat, 
casing his first Presidential vote for VanBUREN. His wife died January 31, 1876, being 
in her sixtieth year; they had been married almost forty years. The old gentleman says 
that, when the State road was laid out from Edwardsville to Taylorville, they plowed 
two furrows all the way through. Mr. BLACKWELDER has always been in favor of anything 
that might redound to the credit of his county, and is a man who has won and retained 
the respect of all.

James F. BLACKWELDER, physician, Litchfield. The BLACKWELDERs were originally from 
Germany, and settled in North Carolina before the Revolutionary war. The family name
signifies "black forest." Peter BLACKWELDER was born near Concord, Cabarrus Co., N. C., 
in 1810, and came to Illinois in 1832, accompanied by a cousin, Alfred BLACKWELDER; 
they settled in Hillsboro, and came all the way on horseback. They purchased land, and 
Peter at one time owned a half-section in North Litchfield Township; by trade, he was 
a carpenter, and, in addition to this, he engaged in farming. He was a Lutheran, and 
was the first Superintendent of the Sunday school organized at the Long Branch 
Schoolhouse. This was long before the city of Litchfield was planned and laid out. He 
was a quiet, unassuming, worthy man, and, politically, was a Free-Soil Democrat. He 
married Mrs. Nellie WAGONER, daughter of Frederick SCHERER, of this county; she bore 
him four sons and three daughters, all of whom are living except the youngest daughter, 
who died in infancy. Peter BLACKWELDER died in 1855, and his wife in 1853. They were 
the parents of our subject, Dr. James F. BLACKWELDER, who was born in Montgomery 
County, Ill., in what is now North Litchfield Township, on August 2, 1841; he was 
educated in the Lutheran College building, which was then known as Hillsboro Academy. 
In 1861, he began the study of medicine under Dr. I. W. FINK, of Hillsboro, where he 
read until he entered the St. Louis Medical College, taking his first course in 1863. 
The following year, he entered the Cincinnati College of Medicine and Surgery, from 
which he graduated in June, 1864. A few days later, he entered the army of Gen. 
SHERMAN, and was assigned to duty at Marietta, Ga., as Acting Assistant Surgeon in 
hospital service, and for four months served there and at Atlanta, Ga. He was next 
Assistant Surgeon for the Thirty-second Illinois Infantry, and followed its fortunes 
on the memorable march to the sea; he continued until mustered out, at Washington 
D. C., in 1865. On his return from the army, he practiced at Hillsboro, Ill., for 
some three years, and at Moro, Madison County, for about the same length of time. In 
June, 1871, he located permanently at Litchfield, where he has built up a large and 
lucrative practice. He is a member of the Montgomery County Medical Society, of which 
he has been Secretary, and has also a membership in the District Medical Society. The 
Doctor has two sons.

Daniel M. BLACKWELDER was born in Montgomery County, near Hillsboro, February 27, 
1839, and was raised to a life of farming, attending, in the meantime, the schools 
in his section. At twenty-one years of age, he began farming for himself. In 1861, 
he married Miss Helena CRESS, a native of North Carolina. He bought ten acres of 
timber land, and lived for nine years on the homestead, during which time he added 
to the original purchase until his tract contained 125 acres. Mr. BLACKWELDER has 
of late years paid considerable attention to fine stock-raising, principally sheep 
and hogs. 

[Page 128] 

He has served nine years as School Director, and seven years as Commissioner of 
Highways; takes much interest in all improvements and in educational matters; he 
has two sons.

Henry Harrison BEACH, manufacturer, Litchfield, of Connecticut ancestry, is a native 
of Otsego County, N. Y., whence he was removed by his parents in his early childhood, 
to Erie County, same State. At the age of fourteen years, he entered a machine shop 
as apprentice, and, at a general shop at Rochester, completed his training. Continuing 
three years in the machine shops, he then ran an engine on the New York Central 
Railroad, and a construction train on the Great Western Railroad of Canada, and then 
became foreman of the shops of the Michigan Southern & Northern Indiana road. In 1854, 
when twenty-five years old, he was appointed Assistant Master Mechanic of the Michigan
Southern shops at Adrian. Three years later, Dyer WILLIAMS, the Master Mechanic, and 
Henry A. ANGEL, the owner of a foundry, together with our subject, visited the village 
of Litchfield, where they decided to build a foundry and machine shop, Mr. BEACH to be 
the manager, and resident, and business partner. Mr. BEACH, at this time, had become 
an accurate and accomplished machinist; he possessed a social disposition, good 
health, courage and hopefulness. These qualities constituted almost his entire capital. 
In August, 1857, the foundry was put in blast, and his machine shop, containing a few 
pieces of second-hand machinery and lathe engines, was ready for business. At this hour, 
the panic began; his venture appeared about to collapse; for, in a sparsely inhabited 
region, where the people were wedded to rustic implements and the soil, he was obliged 
to create a demand for his wares and labor; he had no rival shop between Alton and 
Terre Haute; various small loans made on the “street” delayed a catastrophe, and, when 
ruin seemed only a few days away, he bought, on credit, a portable mill for grinding 
corn, and, placing it in the loft of his machine shop, began the manufacture of Indian 
meal for the St. Louis market; by the profits of this humble enterprise, he tided over 
the first winter and spring, until the complete removal to this point of the railroad 
shops created an active demand on the resources of his shop and foundry. In 1860, Mr. 
ANGEL retired from the firm, and a couple of mill engines had established Mr. BEACH’s
reputation as a builder of steam engines. In 1865, Mr. WILLIAMS ceased to be a partner, 
and a third interest in the concern was sold to D. C. AMSDEN, on the usual terms of 
payment, and the firm was thenceforward H. H. Beach & Co. Mr. BEACH was married, in 
1866, to Elizabeth GAGE; he has been blessed with one child, Estelle H. At length, the
private and industrial welfare of the city demanded cheap fuel at its doors, and in 
1867 his firm bought real estate, and, with BEST & SPARKS, millers, guaranteed a large 
bonus for sinking a coal shaft. The experiment of seeking for coal at this point was a 
bold one, as no coal-field was known to exist nearer than twenty miles; the prospector
failed, and a coal company, with a capital of $20,000, was formed, his firm being the 
largest stockholders; the company collapsed when its capital was exhausted, and the 
mine was not ready to raise coal; a second one, with a capital of $10,000, was 
organized, to continue the work, and again his firm was its chief supporter. When 
this company, burdened with a debt of $22,000, was unable to put the mine in working 
order, his firm, with a few individuals, assumed the debt, and advanced the funds to 
develop the mine. Three years’ work and $50,000 were required to open it. The coal 
company, of which he is the head,

[Page 129] 

Has disbursed in wages three-quarters of a million, and reduced the price of fuel to
two-thirds the previous price. Mr. BEACH was active in measures to secure the Wabash
Railroad, a railroad to Louisiana, Mo., and one to Springfield, Ill.; these two are 
not yet built, but the Jacksonville road, to which he also contributed, is in 
operation. In 1868, he became a member of the firm of Hagar & Seath, of Terre Haute, 
who desired to build a foundry and car works in that city; Mr. BEACH was the banker, 
and, when the investment became profitable, he retired; by his aid, Mr. SEATH now 
writes himself one of the solid men of Terre Haute. In 1871, he took one-third of 
the stock of the Litchfield Bank, which, proving a better thing for its officers than 
for its owners, he aided to close out their interests, and founded on its site the 
banking house of Beach, Davis & Co., whose success was its own, and whose misfortunes 
were a result of the panic of 1873, which, however, passed with no loss of stability 
or public confidence. The removal of the car shops left vacant a series of buildings 
well adapted for car works. Mr. BEACH and others conceived the design of forming a 
company to builds cars. Two Eastern gentlemen offered to supply the skill to operate 
the company, if other parties would supply the money; their offer was declined, and 
a home company organized, Mr. BEACH subscribing one-seventh of the stock. The company
nominally failed in a few years, paying only 85 cents on the dollar. Again his aid 
was implored, and, by his personal assurances and engagements, the creditors were 
appeased; he also advanced thousands to J. B. L. KEATING, the brilliant grain merchant, 
who, paying out a couple of millions for grain, failed – as men trading on borrowed 
capital usually do. In 1875, his firm sold their plant to the car works, and the 
securities taken shrank to half their former value. He was called on to meet a vast 
amount of accommodation paper, and this, with other losses, scaled his fortune down 
to one-third its value in 1870; but he was an officer of the car works and the coal 
company, with a comfortable salary; he became the proprietor of a flouring-mill and 
elevator; he invested in the Indiana coal mines; he is the foremost man in the Oil 
and Pipe Line Company. Although Mr. BEACH began life without means or business 
connections, the enterprises which are indebted to him for existence, or for their
prosperity, have at times disbursed wages at the rate of a third of a million a year. 
His agency in securing water-works for the city is treated of more fully elsewhere in 
this work. 

R. F. BENNETT, physician and surgeon, and Mayor of Litchfield, was born in Shelby 
County, Ill., on October 2, 1839; he resided there until he was nineteen years of age; 
he received a good education from the Moultrie County Seminary at Sullivan, Ill.; he 
left school at seventeen and began teaching, continuing two years. At the age of 
nineteen years, he began the study of medicine with Dr. HENRY, of Paradise, Coles 
County, where he continued two years, in the meantime attending two sessions at the
Cincinnati Eclectic Medical College, from which he graduated in 1861, and, in the 
spring of the following year, he located in Litchfield for the practice of his 
profession, in which he has since been actively engaged. In January, 1881, he formed 
a partnership with Dr. J. H. TILDEN, and the firm has a large and lucrative practice.
September 1, 1891, our subject married Miss Lizzie STORM, of Shelby County, Ill. He 
is now serving his second term in the Montgomery County Eclectic Medical Society as 
its President; he was also President of the State Eclectic Medical Society, and is now 
its Treasurer. In 

[Page 130]

Politics, he is a Republican. During 1880 and 1881, he was Mayor of Litchfield, and 
now serves his third term, being elected this third time by a large majority. Dr. 
BENNETT is esteemed as a citizen, popular in politics and valued as a physician. Dr. 
BENNETT has been blessed with two children – Harry, born June 12, 1871, and Mary, 
born May 10, 1876.

Josephus BARRY, deceased, was born in this county March 2, 1835, and married, December 
29, 1858, Miss Mary M. McADAMS, settling on a farm of 160 acres, afterward buying at
different times, until he owned, at his death, 240 acres of land; his death occurred 
January 8, 1877, his wife having passed over to the land of the hereafter July 4, 
1868, leaving an only son, Charles BARRY, who was born March 23, 1860, who took charge 
of the homestead on reaching his majority, and who married, February 25, 1880, Lucy J.
CORLEW, daughter of John CORLEW, of Montgomery County.

Isaac N. BARRY, farmer, was born in Hillsboro Township, Montgomery County, December 19, 
1837, and, after receiving a fair education, began farming on eighty acres of land, 
with sixty acres in timber, which his father purchased for him in 1859-60; it was 
partly broken, and he has so added to his farm that he has at present 200 acres, 
principally in grain and for grazing. In 1868, he married Miss Margaret A. McADAMS, 
daughter of Thomas McADAMS, of this county, but of Kentucky nativity; he has one son 
and two daughters living, and one son and one daughter dead. Father John BARRY was 
born in Barren County, Ky., in July, 1806; his wife was Elizabeth ROBINSON, who had 
one son, Wilson, who came to Montgomery County in 1830, locating five miles southwest 
of Hillsboro, where he passed his days; he served as Justice of the Peace two terms; 
he was an Old-School Baptist and a Democrat; he was for many years owner of the Pepper
Grist-Mills, which stood on part of his estate; he died March 6, 1876, in his seventieth
year; his wife died June 8, 1868; they had a family of nine children, all of whom grew 
to maturity except one; they were Wilson, Susan J., Elizabeth A., Josephus, Isaac 
Newton, John Robinson, William Scott, Palmyra C. and Sarah A.

Stephen R. BRIGGS, deceased, was born near Zanesville, Ohio, in 1812, and, when twelve 
months old, his father moved to Illinois, making his home at Edwardsville over two 
years, when he moved to the territory of this county in the spring of 1816. Our subject 
lived in this county until his death, on May 13, 1872; he entered several tracts of 
land in North Litchfield; his original home was eighty acres three and a half miles 
from the present city of Litchfield; he was in the ranger service, and crossed the 
Western plains, being over sixty days on the way, and a portion of that time was fed 
on half rations. At one time, Mr. BRIGGS was the owner of 500 acres of land; he was
considered a very successful farmer, being unfortunate only in giving his name to 
friends as surety, and in consequence being obliged to liquidate the debts of others 
during the latter part of his life. For eleven years, he was Associate Judge of his 
county, acting with the Democratic party until the war, when he joined the Republican 
ranks, holding that the Democratic party had drifted away from him. In 1839, he married 
Miss Paulina W. WOOD, daughter of James WOOD, of Sangamon County, Ill.; she was born 
in Virginia in 1823, and died on May 18, 1881; they had a family of ten children, seven 
of whom are living. James M. BRIGGS is the oldest living child, born in Montgomery 
County, Ill., on October 4, 1842; he obtained a fair common-school education by 
attending school in the 

[Page 131]

winters, after the corn was gathered in. On attaining his majority, he began farming 
on the homestead, and, after the war, owned land in that vicinity. In 1876, he came 
to his present place, and here engaged in the ice trade, erecting in that year a 
building with a capacity of 2,000 tons, being eighty-four by sixty feet, twenty feet 
high, and located on the reservoir; this ice building is to be connected by a 
side-track with the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railroad. Since his commencement, 
he has done an excellent retail business in the city of Litchfield. In 1877, he 
married Miss Crilla BRANDLE, who bore him one son.

Robert BRIGGS was born May 10, 1824, on the place now belonging to Green BANDY’s 
heirs, in this township, son of Robert and Polly (LOCKHART) BRIGGS. Robert BRIGGS, 
Sr., was born in Pennsylvania, and emigrated to Ohio at a very early day, finally 
coming to Illinois. During the troublous Indian times, he took refuge in a fort at
Edwardsville, and there joined old Capt. Sam WHITESIDES in excursions against the 
red devils at Rock Island; the Indians, according to the old gentleman, seemed to 
be as thick as the grass on the prairies. They remained in the fort about two years 
– mother and three children – the husband going out to hunt with others for 
provisions. The grandfather of our subject was also in the fort, and was a great 
hunter and Indian fighter. Robert, on leaving the fort, about 1814, settled on Lake 
Fork, near where Walshville now stands, but a man named BAKER entered the land over 
Robert’s head, thereby dispossessing him of all the improvements he had put on the 
land; he then settled on land now belonging to Bluford BANDY’s heirs, upon which he 
built a cabin and commenced raising corn; he sold his crops in St. Louis. He raised 
ten children. Robert, our subject, remained at home until he was twenty-six years 
of age, when he married, October 9, 1849, Miss Penelope PETTY, of Tennessee. Having 
entered forty acres of land near where Raymond now stands, he lived there a few 
years, when, his parents becoming old and feeble, he went to take care of them, all 
the other children having left home to do for themselves. Mr. BRIGGS moved to his 
present place March 4, 1861, and has since lived there. He has two children, and 
one dead. Pleasant and Burd, his two sons, are at home.

H. L. BENEPE, proprietor Phoenix Hotel, Litchfield, was born in New Philadelphia, 
Ohio, in 1834, but was raised in Wayne County, where he lived, receiving his 
education in St. Joseph College, in Somerset, Ohio. In 1858, he came West and 
settled in Columbia, Boone Co., Mo., where he engaged in the manufacture of plows 
and wagons, and the livery business, until 1874, during part of that period 
constructing large contracts of macadamized streets in the city of Columbia. He 
next came to Litchfield and bought his present hotel, naming it the Phoenix, after 
having renovated and repaired it from top to bottom; he has conducted it ever since, 
except during a period of fourteen months, when he rented it to look after other 
interests; he has the only three-story hotel in the city, and his house contains 
thirty-five rooms and three sample rooms; he is located near the Indianapolis & St. 
Louis depot, and runs a free omnibus to all the railroad depots; an obliging 
landlord and a good house make the Phoenix a hotel a fair reputation.

Charles BALLWEG, dealer in liquors, Litchfield, was born in Baden, Germany, on 
February 15, 1843, and came to the United States with his parents when he was nine 
years old; in the summer of 1852, his parents located in Adams County, Penn., and 
he received his education in the Abbottstown,

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Penn., schools; in the spring of 1863, he came to Minnesota, and was a dealer in 
liquors; he kept a restaurant in St. Paul in 1864 and 1865; he went thence to Winona 
and represented a wholesale liquor house of tat city, traveling in the Western States 
two years, when he located in Rochester, Minn., where he remained until the fall of 
1872, being a dealer in liquors and keeping a billiard hall. In 1873, he came to 
Litchfield and engaged in his present business, which is the wholesale and retail 
sale of liquors; he carries on business on the corner of State and Ryder streets, and 
does a prosperous business. He was a dealer in grain in the firm of Ballweg & Gilmore, 
and had the mill elevator from 1875 to the summer of 1876, when Gilmore retired, and 
our subject continued in the business for several years. In politics, he is a prominent
Democrat, having been a member of the Central Committee of the county, and of the
Congressional Committee; several times he has been a delegate to the Congressional and 
State conventions. 

J. R. BLACKWELL, grocer, Litchfield, was born in Fayette County, Ill., in February, 
1844, the city of his birth being Vandalia, the old capital of the State, where he 
lived about ten years, when he moved thence to Hillsboro, Ill., at which place he 
lived with his uncle, the Hon. J. T. ECELES; in June, 1861, at the age of sixteen 
years, he enlisted in the Eighth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, under Col. Richard 
J. OGLESBY, his company being B, under Capt. STURGIS; under the call for three-months’
volunteers, he served three months, during which time the regiment was quartered at 
Cairo, Ill.; on July 5, 1862, he re-enlisted, at Hillsboro, in the One Hundred and
Seventeenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, in Company B, under Capt. R. McWILLIAMS; he
participated in the campaign from Vicksburg to Meridian, Miss., in the Red River 
campaign, in Arkansas and Tennessee, in the Nashville and For Blakely campaigns, the 
Tupelo and Price campaigns, in the campaign against Hood in Middle Tennessee, and in 
the Mobile campaign; thence to Montgomery, Ala., where the regiment was at the close 
of the war; in all, his regiment marched 2,187 miles, traveled by rail 778 miles, and 
by water 6,191 miles; they captured two stand of colors and 442 prisoners of war; Mr.
BLACKWELL never was wounded, taken prisoner, off duty, nor in the hospital; he was 
mustered out on July 5, 1865, and would have veteranized if the war had continued; on 
his return from the army, he studied law with Maj. McWILLIAMS, of Litchfield, where 
he located for practice, begin admitted to the bar in 1867; he practiced his 
profession here four years; from 1869 to 1877, he served as Postmaster of Litchfield, 
and went out under the general order of President Hayes that no re-appointments be 
made when there was a contest and the incumbent had served eight years; the largest 
number of names ever signed to a petition was sent to the department from this place,
indorsing him and asking for his re-appointment; the petition contained the indorsement 
of Senator R. J. OGLESBY, Gov. BEVERIDGE and Congressman Gen. J. S. MARTIN, the 
petitioners numbering 1,500. He was Alderman from the Second Ward two years, and was 
defeated for Mayor in 1878 by a small majority; in that year, he engaged in mercantile
business at Benton, Ill., continuing about two years, when he returned to Litchfield 
and here engaged in the grocery business; he has now a model grocery, on Kirkham street,
called the “Wabash Store,” and is doing a leading business. In 1866, he married Miss 
Hattie, daughter of Rev. P. P. Hamilton, of Litchfield; she died in 1878; to them were 
born three children, two girls and one boy. He re-

[Page 133]

Married, in 1879, Miss Alice, daughter of Rev. Hugh CORRINGTON. Robert BLACKWELL, the 
father of our subject, was born near Shelbyville, Ky., in 1802; he learned the trade 
of printing at Hopkinsville, Ky., and, when a young man, came to Illinois, locating 
at Kaskaskia in 1815, at which place he became editor of the first paper ever printed 
in the State; it had been established shortly before the time of his arrival, by 
Mathew DUNCAN, who was also from Shelbyville, Ky.; the paper was styled the Illinois
Intelligencer. Mr. BLACKWELL became public printer of the new State, and was at one 
time State Auditor; he was twice elected to the State Senate from that district in 
Illinois. When the capital was removed from Kaskaskia to Vandalia, he removed there, 
and resided there thirty years, during which time he was engaged in mercantile 
business, being a long time the partner of William H. BROWNING, late of Chicago; he 
died in 1870, leaving one son and two daughters by his second marriage, their mother 
being a sister of Hon. J. T. ECCLES, of Hillsboro. He was three times married, his 
first wife, who bore him no children, being a sister of Dr. STAPP, of Decatur, Ill.;
his widow, nee Miss Mary SLUSSER, from Ohio, lives at Vandalia; his demise leaves a 
vacancy felt by the public, and one not easily filled.  

William M. BEINDORF, manufacturer, Litchfield, was born in Prussia, Germany, in the 
city of Essen, on January 24, 1838. When but ten years of age, he came to the United 
States with his mother and settled in La Fayette, Ind. In his seventeenth year, he 
began to learn the machinist’s trade in the shop of Joseph HABLER, where he served 
three years’ apprenticeship and one year as journeyman; he then entered the employ 
of the La Fayette & Indianapolis Railroad Company, in the machine department, where 
he remained two years, removing thence to Fort Wayne, Ind., where he worked two years 
for the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railroad Company. In 1863, he came to Litchfield, 
where he worked in the railroad shops seven years, and afterward engaged his services 
to H. H. BEACH & C., remaining with them two years. After the organization of the 
Litchfield Car Manufacturing Company, he worked for them a year. In 1875, he opened 
his present machine shop in Litchfield, which has been in active operation ever since; 
he employs five hands in the manufacture of threshing engines and wagons of superior 
quality, and in doing a general repairing business. In Fort Wayne, Ind., in 1863, he 
married Miss Kate D. MYERS, who is the mother of his three children.

James W. BUTTS, plasterer, Litchfield, was born in Greenbrier County, Va., now West 
Virginia, in 1844, and lived in that place until 1862. His first service was in the 
Fiftieth Virginia Infantry Regiment, White’s division, under Joe Johnston; he was 
sixteen years old when he enlisted, and in the regiment mentioned he served eighteen 
months; he fought in the Confederate army in the battles of Fort Donelson, Five Oaks,
Williamsburg, Malvern Hill and Gaines’ Mill; he was captured by the Illinois troops 
in the seven-days’ fight at Malvern Hill, and taken to Washington, D. C., whence he 
was sent to Camp Chase, where he took the oath, in August, 1862, and enlisted in the
Forty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry in November, same year; his regiment was assigned 
to duty in Kentucky, and he fought in the battles of Somerset, Ky., Knoxville, Tenn., 
and in other minor engagements, until June 29, 1863, when he was honorably discharged 
on account of disability. He then located in Columbus, Ohio, where he recovered, and 
he again enlisted, this time in the Thirteenth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, in July, 1864, 
and joined the

[Page 134]

Army of the Potomac, and participated in the battle of Harper’s Ferry, the siege of 
Richmond, and in all battles up to the surrender of Lee; he was the Third Brigade of 
the Second Division of Sheridan’s Thirteenth Cavalry Corps, and was mustered out at 
Columbus, Ohio, July 21, 1865. Among his many engagements were the battle of Boyden’s 
Plank Road, Stony Creek, Five Forks, Farmersville and Appomattox; he was wounded in 
the arm at Dinwiddie Court House on March 31, 1865, by a pistol ball. After the war, 
he began business as clerk in the woodyard of LANE & EARLY, and remained with them 
six months. He removed to Iroquois County, Ill., and settled on a farm near Onarga, 
where he engaged in farming until 1869, when he came to Montgomery County, Ill., and 
lived at Butler and at Hillsboro, working at various employments until 1873, when he 
located in Litchfield and learned the plasterer’s trade, working one year with G. W. 
JACKSON and two years with John K. MILNOR. Completing his trade, he worked as partner 
of Mr. MILNOR two years; since that, he has been a contractor for himself, working 
from two to three other men, with good success. In 1873, Mr. BUTTS married Miss 
Jennie ALLEN, of Litchfield.

William E. BACON, real estate agent, Litchfield, was born in March, 1821, in Onondaga
County, N. Y., where he lived until he was thirteen years of age, when he spent two 
years in Michigan, at a branch school of Michigan University, of Monroe, going thence 
to New York State again, where he acted as clerk in Cazenovia for a time, and then 
went into mercantile business at Fabius, in his native county, as the partner of 
Elisha C. LICHFIELD, a relative of his, who was a Director of the Michigan Southern
Railroad, and through him obtained the position of Paymaster on the railroad, which 
he held five years, after which he became Chief Clerk in the Superintendent’s office, 
under General Superintendent Samuel BROWN. In 1856, he resigned, in order to come 
here, where he learned the shops of the Terre Haute, Alton & St. Louis Railroad were 
to be located, his informant being Mr. LITCHEFILED, who was one of the originators 
and builders of the road, and the man for whom the city was named. Mr. BACON came 
to Litchfield in October, 1856, and established the first lumber-yard and 
planning-mills, conducting a prosperous business two years. Selling out, he became 
the real estate agent for Mr. LITCHFIELD, disposing of property at this point, at 
Gillespie and at Pana; he also prepared the first abstract of titles for this city. 
In 1872, he became Secretary of the Litchfield Car Manufacturing Company, which 
position he retained until August, 1880, when he devoted his entire attention to 
real estate. Mr. BACON is a practical surveyor; he has taken an active interest in 
the affairs of the city since its organization, having been its first Mayor, and 
re-elected to that position, since which time he as served as Alderman. The father 
of our subject was a native of Vermont, and a distinguished physician and surgeon, 
who died in New York. William E. BACON is the youngest son.

John CALDWELL, farmer, P. O. Litchfield, was born in County Derry, Ireland, on March 
16, 1837, and came to the United States with his parents in the following year; they
settled on a farm near Staunton, Macoupin Co., Ill. Our subject was raised on a farm, 
and in his boyhood attended a few terms of subscription school in the school houses 
of the primitive sort. Until 1868, he worked the old homestead of his father, and 
then came to Litchfield, where he purchased twenty six acres of land, on which he 
built a substantial brick building; his pur- 

[Page 135]

chase lies in the northeastern corner of the city limits, in Burr’s Addition; in 
addition to this property, he owns and operates several other tracts of farming 
lands in the vicinity. He married Miss Amelia S. AUGHINBAUGH in 1861; they have had 
six children, all of whom died when quite young. Mr. CALDWELL is a Presbyterian. The 
father of our subject, Mr. Hugh CALDWELL, was born in Ireland in 1805, and came to 
the United States in 1838, farming in Macoupin County, Ill., until the close of the 
war. From 1866 to 1882, he served as Postmaster at Staunton, Ill. During the war, he 
was Deputy Provost Marshal.

T. J. CHARLES, Superintendent of Schools, Litchfield, was born in San Francisco, 
Cal., May 9, 1855, and, when eleven years, came to Litchfield, where, in the public
schools, he prepared for college; in 1873, he entered Westminster College, at Fulton, 
Mo., and took a three years’ elective course. In 1876, he began teaching in the public
schools of this county, continuing two years, when he became teacher of the high 
school department of the Litchfield schools, holding that position one year, at the
expiration of which time he was elected Superintendent of the schools, which position 
he still retains. The city schools include twelve departments and enroll 825 pupils.

William CAMPBELL, Postmaster, Litchfield, was born March 17, 1843, in the county of
Monaghan, Ireland, his parents being Scotch Protestants. He was but four years old 
when he came to the United States with his widowed mother and her six other children. 
She resided seven years in New York City, where she acted as dressmaker and forewoman 
of a large manufacturing establishment; she died in 1865. In 1856, Mr. CAMPBELL came 
to Illinois, being then thirteen years old; he made his home with Philo JUDSON, of
Evanston, this State, for one year. In 1857, he went to Carlinville, where he engaged 
his services as clerk to G. W. WOODS; he continued a year, and then removed to 
Franklin, Morgan Co, Ill., where he lived three years with Abram C. WOODS, and clerked 
in the store two years of that period, the remainder of the time working on the farm. 
In July, 1862, he enlisted in the One Hundred and First Illinois Infantry, Company H, 
for three years, and served his entire time; his regiment was assigned to the Army of 
the Mississippi, and during 1863, the company to which he belonged was as signed to 
marine duty on the gunboat LaFayette, which ran the blockade at the siege of Vicksburg 
and silenced the batteries at Grand Gulf; late in 1863, they were transferred to the 
Army of the Cumberland, and their battles were the midnight fight at Lookout Valley,
Missionary Ridge, Lookout Mountain and Sherman's march to the sea; in the first battle 
at Resaca, Ga., Mr. CAMPBELL was wounded in the neck by a Minie ball, on May 14, 1864;
passing beneath the jugular vein, it lodged in the tissues of the neck, and was removed 
on the following day; he was sent to Jeffersonville, Ind., where the wound, which had 
been badly neglected, healed so rapidly that in June he went on duty as a hospital 
nurse; he left the hospital service from choice, and on July 10, started back to join 
his regiment, which he did non the 18th, and two days later, engaged in the battle of 
Peach Tree Creek, where he was wounded twice early in the fight by some Minie balls 
which struck his ankle, crushing the tibia bone, and produced a flesh wound in the 
thigh, passing out; he was consequently disabled, and lay in the hospital until July, 
1865, when he was discharged. He returned to Jacksonville and entered school for the
winter. In the spring of 1866, he became a clerk for his old employer, G. W. WOODS, 
at Carlinville,

[Page 136] 

Ill., where he remained until March, 1873, when he came to Litchfield and took charge 
of the ticket and express office of the Indianapolis & St. Louis Railroad, under Mr.
KEELER, continuing three and a half years; he then entered the employ of the 
Litchfield Car Company as assistant book-keeper, holding that position a year, when,
learning that none of the applicants for the post office were successful in receiving
appointment to the same, he made application for it, and, fifteen days later, was 
appointed by President HAYES, his term beginning on June 15, 1877; in January, 1882, 
he was re-appointed for four years, after a severe contest for the position. In 1869, 
he married Miss Sarah J. ORCUTT, of Carlinville; they have had four children - Lelia 
Rose, Essie Orcutt, Lucy and Grace. Mr. CAMPBELL is an efficient and obliging 
Postmaster and an estimable citizen.

F. W. CROUCH, druggist, Litchfield, came to Litchfield in March, 1881, and formed a
partnership with Dr. J. B. ADELSBERGER, and under the firm name of Adelsberger & 
Crouch, bought the drug store of J. W. STEEN, and they have since conducted a 
prosperous business on State Street. In June, 1881, they opened a branch store at 
Mt. Olive, and enlarged it, in September of the same year, by purchasing and adding 
to it the drug house of Flint Bros. He was appointed a member of the School Board 
in June, 1881. Mr. CROUCH was born in Washington County, Tenn., on January 1, 1846, 
and in 1857 came with his father to Green County, Ill., where he lived a short time, 
and in 1858, moved to Macoupin County, where he received his education during the 
winter months, and did farm work the remainder of the time, until 1866, when he 
entered a select school at Scottville, under Prof. J. H. WOODEL, continuing three 
summer terms, and teaching during the winters of the same years; after this, he 
adopted teaching as a profession, and followed it in the county until 1877, when he 
was elected by popular majority the Superintendent of Schools for Macoupin County, 
serving until June 16, 1881, resigning a few months before the expiration of his 
term, in order to engage in mercantile pursuits. He has been an active member of 
the County Normal since 1872.

John A. CRABTREE, deceased, born in Kentucky May 9, 1809; the youngest child of 
John and Mrs. (HARKINS) CRABTREE. His mother died when he was three years old. When 
eleven years of age, he came to Illinois with his sister, Mrs. William JORDAY, and 
her husband. With this sister he lived until his marriage, in 1831, to Ann GRIFFITH, 
a native of Montgomery County, who bore him twelve children, viz.: William (deceased),
Margaret (deceased), James (deceased), Nancy, Francis, Job, Phoebe (deceased), John,
Louisa, Mary, and Charles and Isaac (twins). He worked at farm labor for others prior 
to his marriage, after which he entered a tract of land in South Litchfield, on which 
was a small cabin. During his life, he put about 360 acres of wild prairie land under
cultivation, and had acquired in all over seven hundred acres of land by hard work 
and unceasing industry. He made most of his estate before the war by raising grain 
and stock for the St. Louis market; he served in the Black Hawk war; donated the land 
to what is now known as the Crabtree Graveyard. He died March 15, 1874. Although
uneducated, Mr. CRABTREE had one of the brightest intellects of his count. In business, 
he was shrewd and successful; in social life, generous and hospitable. He was an 
adherent of the Democratic party.

John CORLEW was born in Rockcastle County, Ky., in January, 1813, son of Philip and 
Anna (KINCAID) CORLEW, he, a native of 

[Page 137] 

North Carolina, came to Kentucky when a lad; followed farming during his life he and 
his wife died a few years previous to the breaking-out of the late war, aged 
respectively eighty and sixty-eight years; they were the parents of nine children, 
only four of whom are living, viz.: John, David, W. M. and Jane (now Mrs. Israel 
FOGLEMAN). The subject of this sketch removed to Missouri with his parents in the 
spring of 1817, who, after a short sojourn in St. Louis, moved to St. Charles, and 
remained in Missouri until 1819, when they moved to Madison County, Ill.; here his 
father took a lease in timber land on Mississippi River bottoms, cleared the place 
and raised four small crops; in the winter of 1822-23, moved to Montgomery County 
with his wife and family of seven children, and located in what is now Hillsboro 
Township on the place now occupied by c. H. MISSIMORE, entering eighty acres on the 
edge of the timber. John's first teacher was Peter LONG, who is still living in 
Bond County; the school which he attended was about one and a half miles from his 
home, the schoolhouse being a spit-log building, 14 x 14, with skick chimney, 
puncheon seats and floor, a long crack in the wall covered with greased paper serving 
the purpose of a window. After attending one term at this school, he went to the 
Clear Spring Baptist Church School, two miles distant from his home. He enlisted in 
Capt. Hiram ROUNTREE's company and went out in the campaign of 1832, serving in the 
Black Hawk war. About the year 1835, he, with his brother Lindsey, who died soon 
afterward, made his first entry of 160 acres of land where he now resides; he worked 
on his farm till the opening of the Mexican war, when he enlisted in Company C, 
Third Illinois Infantry, under Capt. McADAMS, and participated in the battles of 
Vera Cruz and Cerro Gordo; was promoted to the rank of Second Lieutenant, and returned 
home in 1847 and resumed farming. In 1850, he was elected Sheriff of Montgomery 
County; served two years, and after an interim of two years, was re-elected, and 
again served a two-years' term. He has steadily acquired property until he now owns
about two thousand acres in Montgomery County, one third of which is under 
cultivation; he has bought and sold largely in real estate. In 1856, he married Mrs. 
Eliza J. JETT, widow of Wesley JETT; from this union five children were born, still 
living, viz.; Alice, wife of Douglass SIMPSON; John Martin, who lives near San 
Francisco, Cal.; Lucy J., wife of Charles BARRY; E. R. and Rosanna, at home. Mr. 
CORLEW is a Democrat, was elected Sheriff by that party; he has held several 
positions of trust in his township.

Jacob CLEARWATER, physician, Litchfield, was born in December, 1821, in Highland 
County, Ohio; and, at the age of two years, with his parents, left his native home, 
and lived successively in several different counties of Indiana until 1831, when 
they removed to McLean County, Ill., where our subject was raised and educated. At 
the age of sixteen years, he began reading medicine with Dr. MORAN, then of Leroy, 
but afterward a distinguished physician of Springfield. He finished his medical 
studies with Dr. Zera WAKEFIELD, of De Witt County, Ill., after which, for a period 
of four years, he practiced with Dr. James A. LEMON, of De Witt; he located then at 
Mt. Pleasant, now Farmers’ City, De Witt County, and there practiced eight years. 
In 1854, he came to Macoupin County, and at Clyde and Gillespie practiced his 
chosen profession until 1861, when he came to Litchfield, at which place he had 
had patients as early as 1854. Dr. CLEARWATER has built up a large and lucrative 
practice, in the eclectic school, in this place; he is a mem- 

[Page 138] 

ber of the Medical Association of Montgomery County, and of the State Medical 
Association; he has been Treasure and Vice President of the former.

John D. COLT, physician, Litchfield, was born in 1839, in Mahoning County, Ohio, at 
Berlin, where he passed his youth and received his early education; he attended an 
academy at Ellsworth, Ohio, and, at the age of seventeen years, began the study of 
medicine with Dr. George W. BROOKE, of Ellsworth; he subsequently continued his 
studies with Joseph WAGNER, of Deerfield, Portage Co., Ohio, to which place his 
parents had removed in the meantime. He entered upon a course of study in the 
Western Reserve College (now the Medical Department of Western Reserve University), 
and was at the same time under the private direction of Dr. Proctor THAYER until 
1861, when he joined the United States Navy as able-bodied seaman, and was assigned 
to gunboat service; he was on the Ohio River for a time, but was finally transferred 
to Admiral PORTER’s command. Soon after entering the navy, he ceased to do sea 
service, and was employed as Assistant Surgeon, and, after an examination by the 
Fleet Surgeon in 1862, was transferred to the hospital boat Red River; he acted in 
this capacity without commission until 1863, when he was taken sick, and, in July, 
returned home. He attended a second session of the Western Reserve Medical College, 
and graduated in the spring of 1864, and at once came to Litchfield, where he has 
since enjoyed an excellent practice. He has a membership in the Montgomery Medical 
Society, and one also in the State Medical Society.

Barnard W. COOPER, machinist, Litchfield, is the son of William and Jemima (KELLAND)
COOPER, the former of whom was a Sergeant in the Royal Marine Artillery, and died 
in Barbados, West Indies, on January 1, 1862, and was there buried. Barnard W. 
COOPER was born in Portsmouth, England, on January 27, 1857; he was educated in 
the Royal Naval School at Greenwich. At the age of fifteen years, he began to learn 
the machinist‘s trade, swerving two years’ apprenticeship. He came to the United 
States, reaching Litchfield in June, 1874, where he worked at various employments 
until August 1875, when he entered the employ of the Litchfield Car Manufacturing 
Company, and there completed his trade in three years; he has continued in their 
employ ever since, except for a period of six months, when he engaged his services 
at Elkhart, Ind., as machinist in the shops of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern 
Railroad. On January 1, 1882, he became foreman of the machine shops of Litchfield 
Car and Machine Company, a position he still holds; his department has in its 
employ twenty-two men.

Joseph F. DOLLAR, Litchfield, was born in Baden, Germany, in the town of Portsheim, 
in December, 1853, and came to the United States when eighteen months old, with his
parents, who settled in Marion County, Ohio, on a farm, where he lived until 1865, 
in which year he moved to Terre Haute, Ind., where he began the blacksmith’s trade 
at the age of eighteen years, with Ceith & Hagar, car-builders, serving three years;
apprenticeship, and continuing with them seven years as journeyman. He spent the 
next eighteen months in the M., K. & T. R. R. shops at Parsons, Kan.; the following 
year he spent in farming. He returned to Terre Haute and worked for Ceith & Hagar 
three months, at the expiration of which period he came to Litchfield, Ill., and 
worked in the shops about eighteen months. In the fall of 1880, he was made foreman 
of the blacksmith department, of which he has had charge ever 

[Page 139] 

Since; in busy seasons, it employs thirty-five hands. In 1870, at Terre Haute, Ind., 
he married Miss Susannah M. GARNER, who died on August 9, 1871, leaving one daughter. 
In the fall of 1872, he married Miss Martha J. MULLIGAN, of Terre Haute; of this 
marriage, there are three children.

David DAVIS, grocer and banker, Litchfield. David DAVIS, deceased, the father of our
subject, was born in 1785, of Welsh parentage, near Genoa, Italy, and, at the age of
fourteen years, came to the United States. In New York City he learned the baker’s 
trade, and from that city moved to St. Louis, Mo., when it was but a French village; 
he was in the regular army five years; he participated in the war of 1812, and was 
wounded in the battle of Queenstown, with a saber, which enabled the enemy to take 
him prisoner, which they did, carrying him on flatboats to Boston, Mass., where he 
was confined and compelled to endure many privations. He lived in St. Louis, Mol,
until about 1840, when he removed to Madison County, Ill., where he engaged in 
farming sixteen years or thereabout, coming to Litchfield in f1856. After coming 
to Litchfield, he was the business partner of his son, the subject of his sketch, 
until 1872, in which year he died, in his eighty-seventh year, having lived a life 
of honor. David DAVIS was born in Madison County, Ill., in December, 1838; he received 
his education in his native county, and, at the age of sixteen years, came with his 
parents to Litchfield, Ill., where, until 1858, he successively engaged his services 
as clerk and book-keeper in several business houses of the city. In September, 1858, 
he engaged in the grocery trade, being one of the first grocers of Litchfield; he 
opened his line of groceries in the building now occupied by Mr. HOOG as a sack depot. 
In 1871, Mr. DAVIS erected his present building, on the same block, but located on 
the corner of State and Edward streets, where he has since conducted a flourishing
wholesale and retail business. In 1870, he became a stockholder in the Litchfield 
Bank, and, the following year, was elected its President. Shortly after this election, 
they re-organized the bank as a private bank, under the firm name of BEACH, DAVIS & 
Co.; of the new departure Mr. DAVIS is one of the managing partners. That he is an
estimable citizen is evident from the fact that he has been three times elected Mayor 
of Litchfield, the elections being made by the Independents; he served in 1875, 1876 
and 1879; in 1866 and 1867, he was elected Alderman. December 23, 1868, he married 
Miss Blanche KEATING, of Rockbridge, Greene Co., Ill., and has four living children, 
two being deceased.

William G. DAVIS, liveryman, Litchfield, was born near Meadville, Crawford Co., Penn., 
in 1842, and, until he was ten years old, was raised on a farm; his parents then 
removed to Hartstown, Penn., and he attended an academy there, finally becoming a 
teacher in the same school. In the summer of 1860, he came to Litchfield, Ill., where 
he engaged in the sale of lime and plasterers’ and bricklayers’ furnishings for a 
period of three years, during which time, in the winters, he taught three terms. He 
next engaged in the fancy groceries and restaurant business, with good success, for 
about four years. He was six months in the army, serving half the time in the Seventh
Illinois Volunteer Infantry, under Capt. Munn, and the remainder of the time in the
Eighty-fourth Ohio Regiment. In the fall of 1872, he engaged in the livery business, 
and has since continued, enlarging his trade from year to year. In 1881, he built a 
large brick addition to his original business house, and this consisted of two 
stories, with an elevator; the present dimen- 

[Page 140]

sions are 115x132 feet, covering almost two lots. Mr. DAVIS does a large livery, feed 
and sale business, having on hand a full line of vehicles, and a stable furnishing 
capacity for from seventy-five to one hundred horses. In 1875, he married Miss Susan
AUGHINBAUGH, of Hillsboro.

William T. ELLIOTT, deceased, a native of Franklin County, Ky., was left an orphan at 
an early age. In his twelfth year, becoming justly dissatisfied with his treatment 
and condition in his uncle’s household, he, in 1838, was informally adopted by R. W.
O’BANNON; for thirteen years he was a member of his estimable family; with no ties of 
blood to bind the lad to his foster parent, they were, in esteem and affection, as 
father and son; he shared Mr. O’BANNON’s fortunes, removing successively to Missouri 
and Madison County in this State. In 1849, he married Miss Adeline SWETT, of that 
county, and, forming a brief partnership with a blacksmith at Ridgely, he wrought 
for several months at wagon-making. Turning from this, he began mercantile life with 
his foster parent; successful in this line, he, in May, 1854, removed his family to
Litchfield, which then consisted of his store and dwelling, and one other dwelling, 
not occupied. He was by three days the pioneer settler, James W. JEFFERIS being the 
second householder. With Mr. O’BANNON as a partner, he opened the store of W. T. 
ELLIOTT on the corner now covered by the banking house of BEACH, DAVIS & Co., April 
24, 1854; the name of the firm was twice changed in the ensuing twelve years, and 
fortune smiled on his venture. In 1866, he retired from commercial life, and, in 
connection with P. B. UPDIKE, engaged in the sale of agricultural implements. He 
took the tide at its flood, and it bore him to wealth. The little house on “cheap 
corner” was exchanged for a commodious home a quarter of a mile north, on State 
street. No reverse swept across his path. His eye was not yet dim, nor his natural 
force abated. But pulmonary disease appeared, and, after a few months of hoping 
against hope, and dissolving his partnership with Mr. UPDIKE, he died, March 24, 
1868, to the profound regret and grief of the city. Mr. ELLIOTT was a charter member 
of the Charter Oak Lodge of Masons, and an Odd Fellow; for several terms he presided 
over the lodges of both fraternities; in graceful recognition of his zeal and 
efficiency in works meet for a true and accomplished brother of the mystic tie, the 
chapter bears his name. He greatly aided in the erection of a new church for the 
Christian society. He was equally estimable in what he did and for what he was. He 
was of medium stature, spare, but sinewy; he was of courteous bearing, diligent in
business, upright in his dealings, discreet in speech, without concealments or the 
need of them, and true to his party, which was a bar to no personal friendships, 
and never limited his readiness to assist others. Leading a spotless life, losing 
no friend and making no enemy in the dolorous ears when a difference of opinion 
meant hatred and all uncharitableness, be blushed only at his own praises. Three of 
his six children still survive. William Lewis, his eldest son, at twenty-two a 
Knight Templar, and the youngest one in this section, died in 1876, in his 
twenty-sixth year; his second daughter, Lillie, “went home” the following year; 
one died in infancy – Minnie.

Israel FOGLEMAN, deceased. Melchoir FOGLEMAN was born in Cabarrus County, N. C., 
in 1779, and was educated in both English and German, afterward learning the trade 
of blacksmith. March 4, 1811, he was married to Elizabeth MEISENHEIMER, and, on 
the 17th day of June, 1812, a son was born to them, he being our subject, Israel 
FOGLE-

[Page 141]

MAN, who was baptized March 4, 1813. In the autumn of 1813, Melchoir and family set 
out for the West, fist landing in Indiana, but, not being satisfied with the country,
removed to Illinois, reaching the vicinity of what is now Walshville on the 6th of 
June, 1818, and for several months, the family, consisting of father, mother, the 
son and two daughters, subsisted chiefly on venison and honey, of which there was 
an abundance; Melchoir afterward (about 1820) removed to the West Fork, where he 
lived till 1824, then he moved to the Clear Spring Branch and built the grist-mill 
known as the old "Pepper Mill". They had two sons and one daughter born in Montgomery
County, in addition to the children born before arriving there. Melchoir died 
February 10, 1827, and his widow remained at the mill. In 1832, Israel bought out 
James PARRISH, and commenced improving a farm near where Litchfield now is, building 
a house and removing his mother and the children into it in 1841. He enlisted in the 
Black Hawk war in 1832, being Sergeant in Capt. BOONE's company. Receiving a land 
warrant for services in the war, he entered another eighty acres, to which he added 
until he had 350 acres of land. In November, 1838, he married Miss Jane, daughter of 
Philip and Anna (KINCAID) CORLEW, who was born January 27, 1821. Mr. FOGLEMAN had 
borne all the vicissitudes of pioneer life, and was a man highly respected and 
trusted. It is said that he acted more frequently as administrator and executor of 
estates and guardian for minors than any other man in the county; he served as
Commissioner, Justice of the Peace and School Treasurer; was a Democrat, and cast 
his first Presidential vote for "Old Hickory". He died June 17, 1876. He was the 
father of fourteen children, but six of whom are now living; of those dead, two died
in infancy and three grew to maturity; those living are Amanda E., wife of William 
R. BLACKWELDER; John W., merchant in Miller County, Mo.; Sarah L, wife of W. Frank 
RAINEY, of Montgomery County; Alida M., Joel M. and William D. are at home.

Joel M. FOGLEMAN was born April 7, 1826; is a son of Melchoir and Elizabeth 
(MEISENHEIMER) FOGLEMAN. He lived with his mother near the old mill till he was 
fifteen years of age, and attended school in the old Clear Springs Baptist Church. 
In 1841, his mother, with her family, moved to what is now North Litchfield, and 
settled near her eldest son, Israel FOGLEMAN. Joel M. worked and improved his 
present place – a quarter of School Section 16, which had been purchased for him 
about the year 1843, till 1846, when he enlisted in Company C, Third Illinois 
Infantry, under Col. FORMAN and Gen. SHIELDS, and served in the Mexican war from 
June to November, but was taken sick and sent home from Matamoras, Mexico. He 
married, December 30, 1847, Nancy Jane CRABTREE, born in Edwards County, Ill., 
daughter of John CRABTREE, a native of Kentucky and an old Revolutionary soldier, 
who died about 1837, and who had twenty-two children, Mrs. FOGLEMAN being the 
twentieth child. Mr. and Mrs. FOGLEMAN are the parents of seven children, of whom 
two daughters died; those living are Henrietta, now Mrs. David A. BLACKWELDER; 
Eliza, now Mrs. Charles ROSE, of Montgomery County; John F.; Lizzie, now Mrs. 
Milton C. ASH; and William J. Mr. FOGLEMAN moved to his present place in 1848, 
having built a frame house, which is still standing, at the rear of his present 
residence; he has ever since remained on the same place, which is all under 
cultivation. His mother, who was born February 4, 1788, died April 27, 1850; her 
children are Israel, born June 17, 1812; Sarah, now Mrs. Dillard 

[Page 142] 

DUFF; Catharine, now Mrs. George FOREHAND; John, living in South Litchfield; Peter, 
died in infancy; Mary A., died in 1857; and Joel M. our subject. Mr. FOGLEMAN is a
Democrat; he and his wife are members of the United Baptist Church.

John FOGLEMAN, son of Melchoir and Elizabeth (MEISENHEIMER) FOGLEMAN, was born in
Montgomery County, Ill., one mile east of where Walshville now stands, on Easter 
Sunday, April 11, 1819, and was the first white child born in Walshville Township, 
and is now perhaps the oldest native resident of Montgomery County. Melchoir 
FOGLEMAN, the father of our subject, started a mill where the "Pepper Mill" now 
stands, in 1824, the wheel of which was overshot, the water being brought from 
one-half to three-quarters of a mile, in oak troughs placed on the hillside, connected 
with springs of water; the mill, which had a capacity of 100 bushels in twenty-four 
hours in flood time, did a good business, drawing the patronage of all the early
settlement; the buhrs were of native stone, taken from the prairie. Melchoir FOGLEMAN 
died in 1827; his widow held the mill until 1843, when she sold it to John KIRKPATRICK. 
Our subject attended school principally at Clear Springs Church; his last school term 
(in 1835); he attended the school a mile west of Hillsboro, taught by J. GRANTHAM, 
now a sub-clerk in the United States Treasury at Washington, D. C. In his early days, 
John worked in his father's mill, and was familiar with all the heads of the families 
in the county at that time. In 1840, he bought eighty acres of land of John CORLEW - 
forty prairie land and forty acres in timber - and April 23 of that year moved into a 
small cabin on the border of the prairie, and the first year tilled six acres, which 
he had cleared in the timber, but his crop was nearly all taken by squirrels and 
raccoons, which infested the woods; he soon added twenty acres to his original 
purchase, and, from 1866, steadily increased his property; till he is now the owner 
of 300 acres in this township and 200 acres elsewhere. He married, April 18, 1840,
Elizabeth KIRKLAND, daughter of Robert and Jane (LONG) KIRKLAND, and from this union 
ten children have been born, of whom six died in childhood, those living are Daniel 
M., Israel P., Mary E. U. and Francis M. Mr. FOGLEMAN cast his first vote for VanBUREN 
in 1840, and has since been a stanch supporter of the Democratic party; he invariably
filled the office of Clerk for township and county elections; has been Township 
Trustee or Treasurer for a great many terms, and has acted on county and township
committees; he was elected Sheriff of Montgomery County in 1860, and served one term.

Francis Marion FOGLEMAN, farmer, P. O. Litchfield, was born on the place of his 
father, John FOGLEMAN, on July 15, 1858. He was raised a farmer, and still follows 
that occupation with his father, on whose place he has resided since his marriage, 
on March 2, 1881, to Miss Nancy E. Z., Daughter of David CORLEW. He is a young man 
of enterprise and industry.

William H. FISHER was born in Middlesex County, N. J., October 15, 1829, where he 
lived until six years old, when his parent moved to Ohio, residing at Mt. Vernon for 
eight years. In 1845, his parents came to Illinois and settled on a farm in Jersey 
County, where William H. lived ten years. In 1856, he married Elizabeth IVENS, of 
Dayton, Ohio, and, the same year, bought forty acres of land three miles from 
Litchfield, adjoining the county line of Macoupin County, and in ten years he 
acquired 480 acres of valuable land, which he sold in 1865, and moved to Litchfield, 
and, a short time thereafter bought 160 

[Page 143]

acres within the corporate limits of the town where he has since lived and been 
engaged in farming near the city, possessing about four hundred acres, the larger 
portion of which is in Montgomery County. The father of our subject, William B. 
FISHER, was a native of New Jersey, and a farmer in that State, but keeping a hotel 
after moving to Ohio. After moving to Illinois in 1845, Mr. FISHER, Sr., resumed 
farming, which he continued until his death, some ten years later; he was the father 
of ten children, nine of whom are living, William H., our subject, being the second 
son; the mother is still living, aged seventy-seven years. Our subject has three 
children; is a member of the Baptist Church.

Henry K. GARDNER was born in Williamson County, Tenn., November 24, 1807; was reared 
on a farm in Maury County, Tenn., and worked in a distillery during the winter. He 
came to Illinois in 1833, stayed one year near Mulberry Grove, Bond County, then 
moved to the eastern part of Montgomery County, where he entered eighty acres of 
land, on which he worked five years, and improved the greater portion of the farm; 
he then removed to Fayette County, where he worked a farm for sixteen years, then, 
in 1855, bought his present place of 120 acres of prairie land, which at that time 
had a small patch of ground broken, and on which stood a small cabin. Since he came 
to Montgomery County, Mr. GARDNER has been chiefly engaged in farming, but has also 
worked at the brick and stone mason[‘s trade, which he learned from his father, 
though he never served any regular apprenticeship. In Tennessee, in October, 1829, 
he married Winnefred WOLLARD, born October 1, 1807, who bore him three sons and 
three daughters (all living), and died in Fayette County in April, 1854. October 12, 
1854, he married his second wife, Mrs. Amanda Jane JONES, widow of Lewis Charlton 
JONES and daughter of Alexander McWILLIAMS, one of the pioneers of Montgomery County; 
she was born in that county April 29, 1826; from this second marriage two children 
have been born – one son and one daughter, both living; Mrs. GARDNER had four 
children (all living) by her first husband, Mr. JONES. Mr. GARDNER has had fair 
success as a farmer, and is now owner of 254 acres of land, though he began without
capital; he has always been a Democrat; has been a member of the Old School Baptist 
Church for about forty years.

Frank H. GILMORE, Master in Chancery, Litchfield, was born in Greenville, Bond Co., 
Ill., on January 3, 1833. Here he passed his early youth, except a few years spent 
in Northern Illinois. His father, James GILMORE, died when he was twelve years old, 
and two years later, he entered the printing office of the Protestant Monitor, which 
was the first paper of Greenville, and finished his trade in the office of its 
successor. In 1851, he came to Hillsboro, Ill., and there started the Prairie Mirror, 
of which Dr. Francis SPRINGER was editor; he conducted that and other papers as 
publisher at the same place until 1862, excepting two years. In August, 1862, he 
enlisted in Company B of the One Hundred and Seventeenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, 
and served until the close of the war; at the organization of the company, he was 
elected Second Lieutenant, and came home its Captain. At Memphis, Tenn., our subject 
was detached, and was a depot ordnance officer for the Army of Tennessee from 
Chattanooga to Atlanta; he joined his company, and, just after the battle of 
Nashville, led his command in the battles attending the capture of Mobile, Ala., 
and in other engagements, till the close of the war. He returned home, and, in 
1866, was elected Sheriff and Collector of Montgomery County, 

[Page 144]

serving one term - at that time the full limit; after those two years, he engaged in 
the real estate business with John D. MADDUX, at Hillsboro, continuing until 1874, 
when he came to Litchfield and engaged in the purchase and shipment of grain, the 
firm name being BALLWEG & GILMORE; he continued at that but one and a half years. 
In November, 1880, he was appointed, by Judge ZANE, Master in Chancery of this 
county; he is also Director and Secretary of the Litchfield Oil and Pipe Line 
Company, and has been since its organization. November 16, 1858, he married Mary 
S., daughter of Col. Robert BLACKWELL, of Vandalia, Ill.; they have had the 
following children: Angelina E., James R. and Frank P. (both deceased), Henry E., 
May V., Sarah E. (deceased) and Mary E. A. He was raised a Whig, but voted for 
Stephen A. DOUGLAS, since which time he has acted with the Democratic party, 
being conservative in his views. His father was a native of East Tennessee, and 
his mother of Virginia; they emigrated here from Hardin County, Ky., about 1828, 
and settled in Greenville; his father was a carpenter and builder, and died June 
13, 1844; his Grandfather GILMORE was for many years Probate Judge of Bond County.

Capt. Ephraim M. GILMORE, retired, Litchfield, was born in Christian, now Todd 
County, Ky., January 15, 1811. Seven years later, he was brought by his parents to 
Bond County, Ill., who settled within four miles of Greenville, where he grew up 
and learned the elements of an English education. There he married, January 19, 
1832, Miss Mary W. HARRIS, a native of Tennessee, after which he moved to Greene 
County, Ill., where he farmed until 1861, in October of which year he raised a 
company of cavalry, and, by permit of Gov. Yates, it was attached to Col. Logan's
Thirty-second Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and went into Camp Butler for the winter, 
and in December, it was detached from the Thirty-second; in February, 1862, it was 
ordered to Quincy, and, in the last days of February, it was Company F, in the 
Twelfth Illinois Cavalry, and ordered back to Camp Butler until July, 1862, when 
they were ordered to Martinsbury, Va.; there Capt. GILMORE was forced to resign 
because of poor health. In April, 1832, he was out forty-seven and one-half days 
in the Black Hawk war. In December, 1862, he came to Litchfield, and has resided 
here ever since. For some years, he engaged in the grocery business, but is now 
passing his time in retirement. He has always been a Democrat; in 1868, he was 
elected to the Legislature in Montgomery County by the Democratic party; he became 
a member of the State Board of Equalization in 1876, and served four years; he was 
also a member of the Land Committee. In 1866, he was elected Mayor of Litchfield, 
and is now Assessor of North Litchfield Township. Capt. GILMORE has had the 
following children: Lucinda Isabella, John H., Harvey M., Harriet Elvira, Rachel 
Eleanor, William Persis, James Polk, Louis Barr, Nancy Mitter, Mary Murphy. He 
lived in Bond County till 1834, when he moved to Macoupin County, and lived there 
until the spring of 1852, when he moved to Greenville, Ill., where he was a merchant 
and farmer for ten years. His father, John GILMORE, was appointed Justice of the 
Peace by the first Legislature of Illinois, at Vandalia, and held that office for 
many years; for many years he held the office of Probate Judge of Bond County.

Samuel M. GRUBBS, banker, Litchfield, was born in Hillsboro, Montgomery Co., Ill., 
in 1835, where he was educated in the public schools. At the age of twenty-two, he 
engaged in general merchandising in the town 

[Page 145] 

of his birth, and continued with fair success until the close of the war, when he 
sold his stock and came to Litchfield, where, in partnership with R. H. PEALL, he 
engaged in mercantile pursuits, they having bought the business of J. W. JEFFERIS; 
the firm afterward became Jefferis & Grubbs. Our subject sold to Mr. JEFFERIS in 
1868, and became a partner in the private banking house of Brewer, Seymour & Co., 
which became the firm of Brewer & Grubbs in 1880. Since January, 1869, Mr. GRUBBS 
has given exclusive attention to banking. In 1857, he married Miss Mary, daughter 
of William BREWER, whose sketch appears elsewhere. In 1874, Mr. GRUBBS, by an 
independent ticket, was elected Mayor of Litchfield; prior to this, he was City 
Treasurer. He is a Steward and Trustee of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The 
father of our subject was Moody GRUBBS, a native of Virginia, who moved to Todd 
County, Ky., when a young man. He married Miss Cynthia BOONE, of Bowling Green, 
Ky.; she was a great-niece of Daniel BOONE. Moody GRUBBS came to Hillsboro, Ill., 
in about 1833, and died four years later; he was a brick-mason by trade; his wife 
still survives, in her eighty-eighth year.

S. H. GEROW, D. D. S., Litchfield, was born in St. John, New Brunswick, in 1850, 
and there was educated in the grammar schools. In October, 1879, he entered the 
Dental Department of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, from which he 
graduated in March, 1881, with the degree of D. D. S. In July, 1881, he came to 
Litchfield to locate for the practice of his profession, and has since been 
actively engaged, having pleasant dental rooms on State street, where he performs 
both mechanical and operative dentistry. Although he has been here but a short 
time, he has been very successful in the practice of his profession.

Constantine HOOG, dealer in boots and shoes, Litchfield, was born in Baden, Germany, 
in 1825. At the age of nineteen he began learning the shoemaker’s trade, and 
completed it in two years. In 1850, he came to the United States with his parents, 
and in that and the year following, worked as journeyman in Alton, Ill., where he 
opened a shop of his own and carried on his business until 1856. In that place, he 
married Miss Charlotte NIEMANN in 1854. In April, 1856, he came to Litchfield, and 
lived in a small shanty just east of the dwelling now owned and occupied by William
WIEGREFFE; here he put out a sign and made shoes during the summer; then he bought 
the site of his present home, it being Lot 3 in Block 29, and occupied a little 
frame building which stood on it until 1859, in the fall of which year he built the 
present two-story brick residence, moving into it the same year. He conducted a shop 
for the manufacture of custom work from 1856 to 1873, when he began selling Eastern 
work. Two years later, he sold his store, and, for three years, ran a hide house and 
sack depot. In 1878, he re-opened his present shoe store, and has since conducted a 
good business in boots and shoes. He was the second shoemaker of Litchfield, and, 
from his humble beginnings, he has steadily gained a prominent place among the 
business men of this city. He has always been a Democrat, and was Alderman from the 
Second Ward in 1869. Mr. HOOG’s wife died in 1874. He has one son and four daughters
living. 

Valentine HOFFMAN, merchant, Litchfield, was born in Bavaria on May 14, 1833, and 
came to the Untied States in 1842 with his parents, who settled in Columbus, Ohio, 
shortly after removing to a farm near Reynoldsburg, Franklin Co., Ohio, where our 
subject grew up and received an English 

[Page 146]

education in the public schools. At the age of sixteen, he learned the trade of
iron-molding at Gill’s Foundry, at Columbus, serving five years as apprentice and
journeyman; he then traveled two years as journeyman, working in St. Louis and
Indianapolis. In 1856, he came to Macoupin County, Ill., where he married Miss Martha
TURNER January 15, 1857, and, the following year, came to Montgomery County, Ill.; 
here he entered the employ of H. H. BEACH & Co., as molder, and continued until the 
war broke out. He first enlisted for three months in the Seventh Illinois Regiment, 
and served his time out. He then returned to his old place with H. H. BEACH & Co., 
and remained until September, 1862, when he again enlisted, this time in the 
Ninety-first Illinois Regiment, as private soldier; he was mustered in as Orderly 
Sergeant, and his first engagement was at Elizabethtown, Ky., where he and the 
entire command were taken prisoners. During his confinement, he was made Second 
Lieutenant at Benton Barracks; he was retained a prisoner from January 1, 1863, to 
June 3, 1863, and was then exchanged, when he joined the Thirteenth Army Corps in 
their first engagement at Morganza, La. He went into quarters at Carrollton, above 
New Orleans, and, in December, 1863, he went with Banks’ expedition across the Gulf 
to Texas, where, for seven months, he experienced continual skirmishing. In March, 
1865, he left Texas, and took part in the capture of Mobile, Fort Blakely and Spanish 
Fort. At Fort Blakely, Capt. HOFFMAN was wounded in the wrist by a Mini ball while 
on the skirmish line, March 26, 1865. In 1864, he was promoted to Captain of Company 
A., Ninety-first Illinois Regiment. After his wound, he was sent home on leave of 
absence, and was honorably discharged, being mustered out at Camp Butler, Ill., in
September, 1865. The following year, he engaged in mercantile pursuits at Litchfield, 
at first having but a small stock; he has won success by his industry and perseverance, 
and for nine years has been located on Jefferson street, where he has built up a large
trade in groceries, queensware, boots, shoes, etc.; he employs four persons in his 
store. He cast his first vote for Fremont, and has always been a Republican. He has 
ever taken an active interest in city affairs and all matters of public interest. He 
served one term in the City Council. Mr. HOFFMAN, true to his German birth, is fond of
music, and creates it on various musical instruments. 

Mrs. Martha HOFFMAN, Litchfield, daughter of James and Catharine (ANDERSON) TURNER, 
was born in Westmoreland County, Penn.; she received a common-school education in 
Ohio, to which State her parents moved, settling in Licking County, when she was 
eleven years old; after living in Ohio about seven years, they moved to Macoupin 
County, Ill., where her father engaged in farming; he now resides in Litchfield, 
being in his eightieth year; her mother died fourteen years ago. Our subject married 
Capt. V. HOFFMAN in Macoupin County; of their marriage, six children have been born, 
but three of whom are living, the other having died in infancy; those living are, 
namely, Ella Nora, the oldest daughter, who was born in Litchfield on February 1,
1861, and who received her education in the public schools of this city, in addition 
to a fine musical education; on May 3, 1882, in Litchfield, she married George Andrew
BEELER, of Hamilton, Ohio; the second daughter, Ida, was born September 15, 1872; and 
the third living child, a son, Walter R., was born March 11, 1876. Mrs. HOFFMAN is 
one of a family of nine children, five of whom are deceased.

John C. HUGHES, deceased. The father 

[Page 147] 

of our subject, Thomas C. HUGHES, was born in Knox County, Tenn., in about 1804. He 
was raised on a farm, and was married, in his native county, to Miss Mary GODSEY. In 
1828, he came with his family to this county and first settled in the Gray 
neighborhood, afterward moving to the place now owned by John COVER; he moved thence 
to the Crawford neighborhood, and thence to where Martin A. RITCHIE now lives; here 
he lived several years, and each one of the previous places he improved and sold at 
an advance. After leaving the RITCHIE place, he moved to the head of Shoal Creek; 
thence to Litchfield, where he traded largely in town property, at the time of the 
building up of the city; here he lived until after the war, when he moved to Section 
22. In all, he owned about four hundred and sixty acres of land, and was remarkably
successful in almost every undertaking. Mr. HUGHES was Justice of the Peace in North
Litchfield Township four years; he was a member of the Methodist Church for many years. 
He was the father of four sons and three daughters, all of whom are living except John 
C. HUGHES, his oldest son, whose sketch appears in another paragraph. Thomas C. HUGHES 
died November 14, 1871, and his wife in 1866. John C. HUGHES was born in Know County,
Tenn., on December 17, 1823, and came to Montgomery County, Ill., with his parents when 
in his sixth year; he was fortunate in obtaining a common-school education superior to 
that of most farmer boys, and was the school-mate of Gen. Jesse PHILLIPS. He was 
ingenious with tools, and picked up the carpenter's trade, building several barns and
houses in the country when not engaged in farm labor. On November 26, 1846, he married 
Miss Susan E. ROBERTS, daughter of Josiah and Susan (HART) ROBERTS. He bought a Mexican
land warrant about three years after he had settled here, on vacant land, and by it 
became the owner of 160 acres in 1840. He engaged in farming here until 1852, when he 
went by ox team from St. Joseph, Mo., to California, the journey continuing over one
hundred days. After spending about eighteen months in the mines, he returned by the 
Panama route in 1854, and lived on his farm until his death, on November 17, 1879. At 
the time of his demise, he owned 200 acres of land, all of which was acquired by his 
own labor; he was a hard-working, shrewd and enterprising farmer. He had five sons and 
one daughter; one son died at the age of six weeks; his children are William H., born 
June 23, 1849, a stock-dealer in Colorado; Hiram J., born February 27, 1855; John C., 
Jr., born June 23, 1857; Mary J., born October 15, 1862, the wife of John GUNDY, of 
this county; and George B., born April 19, 1864. Three sons are still living at the
homestead.

Esquire William C. HENDERSON, real estate agent, was born in Columbus, Miss., on 
January 25, 1817. When about ten years old, his parents removed to Illinois, first 
settling in Clinton County, where they lived on a farm until 1835, in which year they 
moved to Macoupin County, settling near Gillespie. In 1838, our subject married Miss 
Martha CAULK and settled near Mt. Olive, Macoupin County, where he farmed twenty years 
with good success. He came to Litchfield in 1858. In April, 1876, he was elected Justice 
of the Peace, and since that time has filled the office of magistrate. He is now engaged 
in the real estate and collecting business. Politically, Mr. HENDERSON is a Democrat, 
and always has been such. In 1859, he married a second time, the lady being Mary A. 
GREEN, of this county; of this marriage there are no children, but of his first there 
are six living.

H. H. HOOD, Litchfield, was born Sep-

[Page 148] 

tember 19, 1823, in the city of Philadelphia; his father was Lambert HOOD, born near
Camden, N. J., April 16, 1792, and died July 27, 1850; the mother of our subject was 
Sarah (HUGHES) HOOD, who was born in Wales January 25, 1793, and died July 20, 1844. 
Mr. H. H. HOOD was married, first in Jerseyville, Ill., June 11, 1855, to Matilda W.
JACKSON, born in Philadelphia August 23, 1829, daughter of Charles S. JACKSON, of
Philadelphia. His second marriage was at Taylorville, Ill., July 7, 1869, to Abigail 
E. TORREY, born September 10, 1833, daughter of Joseph TORREY, of Woodstock, Conn. 
The following children have been born to Mr. HOOD: Charles L., who died in infancy; 
George P., Sarah Frances, Annie H., Oliver, Harold H. and Abigail Louise.

William W. HEWITT, Superintendent of Planet Mills, Litchfield, was born in Shropshire,
England, in April, 1849, and was brought to the United States in the fall of 1851 by 
his parents, who settled in Terre Haute, Ind., and there raised and educated him. He 
was successively book-keeper and manager of a yard and freight department of the 
Vandalia Railroad at Terre Haute from 1869 to 1875; since 1875, he has been in the 
lumber, grain and milling business, first with McKeen Bros., of Terre Haute, with 
whom he continued until October, 1881, when he entered the employ of D. L. Wing & Co.
as Superintendent of the Planet Mills, which were erected in Litchfield in 1881.

Joseph E. HICKMAN, Honey Bend, was born in Crittenden County, Ky., June 1, 1851, son 
of William B. and Eliza A. (WITHERSPOON) HICKMAN, who were the parents of eight 
children, all living. William B. removed from Kentucky in 1851 and settled on a farm 
near Hillsboro, Ill., where he died in March, 1857; his wife removed to Butler, Ill., 
with her family, and died November 9, 1968. Joseph E. received his education in 
Hillsboro and in Butler, and left school at the age of sixteen and entered the store 
of Hedge & Bro. as clerk, and remained with them and their successors, McGowan & 
Watkins, for seven years. He spent the year 1872 in Nebraska, then returned to Butler 
and worked on the farm one year, and from that time until 1878 he ran a steam threshing
machine during the summer season, and taught school in winter. In January, 1878, he 
came to Honey Bend, which at that time consisted of a post office and blacksmith shop, 
with no railway facilities except a side-track for passing trains; there were but two
houses in the town; he was appointed station agent and Postmaster in March, 1878, 
which positions he has since held, in addition to which he is now agent of the Pacific
Express Company; he also engaged in mercantile business with his brother, under the 
firm name of Hickman Bros.; they do a fine trade; besides general merchandise, they 
also deal in coal and lumber. Mr. HICKMAN married, January 20, 1881, Ida L. HART, born 
in St. Clair County, Ill., December 20, 1861, daughter of Joseph and Mary (HILT) HART; 
they have one child, Ida May.

James B. HUTCHISON, was born in Trigg County, Ky., November 8, 1830, and received his
education in Cumberland College, at Princeton, Caldwell Co., Ky. He came to Montgomery
County in August, 1848, having preceded his parents, who followed in November; they 
bought land in Bond County, where they died. Our subject taught school three terms at
Walnut Grove, in the southern part of the county, and one term at Lazy Neck. In the 
spring of 1849, he married Miss Sarah J., daughter of Capt. James BLACK, an early 
pioneer; he spent some time in Marshall County about 1852 - 53, but returned to 
Montgomery in 1854 and engaged in mercantile business at Donnellson until 

[Page 149] 

1857, during which time he, in conjunction with T. C. DONNELL, laid out the town named.
Selling out his business, he traveled for some time in the nursery business. In 1865, 
he purchased seven acres, which he has since increased to twenty-two acres, and follows 
the nursery and market gardening business; he has about ten thousand apple and fifteen
hundred peach trees, in addition to other fruits and shrubs. He has four sons and three
daughters living. The father of our subject, Rev. William T. HUTCHISON, was a minister 
of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and was born in Montgomery County, Tenn., in
December, 1799. He traveled in Missouri when it was a Territory. His wife was Miss 
Mary Clay DAVISON, a native of Bourbon County, Ky., and by her had ten sons and two
daughters, subject being the second son; he died on his farm near Greenville in 
September, 1868, having preached in this State twenty years; his wife died in 1864.

The HOOD Family. Of the ten children born to Lambert and Sarah HOOD, seven grew to 
mature years, and the four still surviving live in Litchfield. The family on the 
father’s side were for several generations residents of the city of Philadelphia, 
where the four surviving children were all born; their mother was Welsh, coming in
childhood with her parents to this country. The father was poor, and was able to 
support his family only by the constant labor of his hands, united with the strictest
economy, and aided by his wife and older sons. In 1837, the parents, with four of the
children (of whom H. H. and B. S. alone survive), removed to Alton, Ill., and afterward 
to Otter Creek Prairie, then in Greene, now in Jersey County. Their stay in the West 
was only for about eighteen months, at the end of which time they returned to 
Philadelphia. The mother died in 1844, and the father in 1850. Ann Hughes HOOD the 
eldest child, was for twenty years a teacher in the schools of Philadelphia; in 1857, 
she resigned her position as Principal of one of the secondary schools to accompany her
brother (with whom she still lives) to Litchfield; she has been a member of the M. E.
Church since her childhood. Joseph Lybrand HOOD, second child, was born August 22, 
1819. In 1845, he was married to Miss Rebecca SHAPLEY, who died nine years later. Four
children were born to them, of whom one died in infancy and two in womanhood; those 
who attained maturity were Herbert Shapley (still living), Sarah Hughes and Edith 
Prizer. In 1856, he left Philadelphia, and, with B. S. HOOD, engaged in the sale of 
drugs and books, under the style of HOOD & Brother; the successors of this firm, HOOD 
& Son (Joseph L. and Herbert S.), are still in business. He united with the M. E. 
Church about forty years ago, and has been an active worker in church and Sunday 
school during most of that time. Humphrey Hughes HOOD, the fourth child, was born 
September 19, 1823. In 1848, after reading with a tutor, he entered Jefferson Medical
College, Philadelphia, and was graduated in the spring of 1851. In the following 
autumn, he removed to Jersey County, Ill., where he had lived a short time during 
his boyhood. After teaching a winter school and having charge of a drug store in
Jerseyville for one year, he removed to Hardinsburg, a village then about two miles
southwest of the present site of Litchfield, and engaged in the practice of his 
profession. Late in the following autumn, Litchfield was laid out, and, in the summer 
of 1854, he removed his office to the new town. In June, 1855, he was married to Miss
Matilda WOODHOUSE, eldest daughter of Charles S. JACKSON, of Jerseyville, who died 
January 2, 1867; by this union he had five children, of whom three survive, namely, 

[Page 150]

George Perry, Sarah Frances and Annie Hughes. In September, 1862, he entered the army, 
with the appointment of Assistant Surgeon of the One Hundred and Seventeenth Illinois
Volunteer Infantry, and, after one year, was appointed Surgeon of the Third United 
States Heavy Artillery, with quarters at Fort Pickering, Memphis, Tenn., holding that
position three years, during a part of which time he was on the staff of Gen. John E. 
SMITH as Surgeon in Chief of the District of West Tennessee. In July, 1869, he was 
married to Mrs. Abigail Elvira PADEN, daughter of the late Joseph TORREY, of Springfield,
Ill.; two children, both living, were the fruits of this marriage – Harold Humphrey and
Abigail Louise. Dr. HOOD has been three times elected Alderman of the city of Litchfield,
and once Supervisor of the town of North Litchfield; the discharge of his official duties
have invariably been with the most thorough and conscientious exactness, always making
himself familiar with the business before him and the best method of disposing of it for
the public good, before committing himself. The same traits, together with a warm 
fidelity to the interests of his friends, have characterized his conduct in private 
life. In politics, he and his brothers were originally Free-Soilers, and, since the
organization of the Republican party, close adherents of the latter. Benjamin Smith 
HOOD, eighth child, was born in October 24, 1832; was educated in the public schools 
of Philadelphia; came West in April, 1852; taught school the following summer in Madison
County, Ind., and afterward, till the spring of 1856, in Illinois, principally near
Jerseyville, but, in the summer of 1854, in the old Lutheran Church, which stood on what 
is now Schere’s Addition to Litchfield. In April, 1856, he, with J. L. HOOD, engaged in 
the drug business, from which he retired in January, 1867. Since that time, he has been 
a Notary Public and insurance agent. In April, 1859, he was married to Miss Mary Tanner,
second daughter of Charles S. JACKSON, of Jerseyville, who died December 25, 1866; three
children were born to them, of whom Mary, Louise and Charles are still living. In 
December, 1867, he bought the offices of the Union Monitor, of Hillsboro, and the
Litchfield News, and consolidated the two under the name of the Litchfield Monitor. He 
sold this business in January, 1870, but again bought it in January, 1878, and has 
since conducted it, the last year in partnership with Mr. John G. CAMPBELL. He was 
Village Clerk in 1857, and at different times has filled the office of City Clerk for 
nine and a half years. In 1861, he served three months as private in Company D of the
Seventh Illinois Volunteer Infantry.

P. T. JAMES, physician, was born in Franklin County, Va., January 5, 1828, and passed 
his youth in the village of Rocky Mount and vicinity; was educated at Emery and Henry
College, in Washington County, Va., from which he graduated in 1846, when he began 
the study of medicine, reading a preliminary course with Dr. William L. T. HOPKINS, of 
his native place; entered the Medical Department of the University of Virginia in 1848, 
and graduated from that institution in March, 1850. He began practice at Elamsville, 
Va., but only remained a short time, when he returned to his native county. In 1855, he
went to Missouri and practiced until the war broke out, when he entered the First 
Missouri Cavalry Regiment, under Col. William BROWN, afterward becoming Regimental 
Surgeon of the First, and then Acting Division Surgeon under Gen. Sterling PRICE, 
serving until the latter part of 1863, when he was captured by Missouri Federals, held 
two months, and finally released on bond. Sec-

[Page 151] 

tional feeling becoming so bitter at that time, and the Doctor feeling that his property
was in jeopardy, he removed to Illinois in 1864 and located at Litchfield, where he has
since been engaged in the practice of his profession, with good success. In addition to 
his previous preparation for the intelligent and thorough understanding of his 
profession, the Doctor attended a regular course of lectures at the St. Louis Medical
College, from which he received the degree of M. D.; he also received the degree ad 
eundem from the Missouri Medical College. In December, 1850, he married Miss Emily R.
WOODS, of Franklin County, Va., a relative of Gen. Jubal EARLY. His paternal ancestor 
was Welsh, and his mother, whose maiden name was Elizabeth THOMPSON, was of English
parentage, both of whose families settled in the Old Dominion before the Revolution, 
the Jameses being amongst the first colonists at Jamestown; he has seven children 
living. The Doctor received the nomination for Coroner of Montgomery County at the 
hands of the Democratic convention in June, 1882. 

George W. JONES, City Clerk and attorney at law, Litchfield, was born on April 14, 
1846, in Macoupin County, Ill., near Bunker Hill; he is the son of Simeon and Dorothea
(STARKEY) JONES, who were natives of Madison County, Ill., both being born near 
Bethalto. His father was born in 1811, and was raised to the occupation of farming. 
The grandfather of our subject was Rev. William JONES, one of the first Baptist 
preachers in the State; he was sometimes called the “fighting preacher.” Simeon JONES 
came to Bunker Hill in 1828, having just married and settled on a farm one mile west 
of that place, and resided there until his death in 1852. By his efforts he acquired 
a handsome property. He was a prominent man in his county, and was Treasurer of his
township. In religious matters, he entertained the Baptist doctrine. He was the father 
of nine children, six of whom grew to maturity, and are still living. Our subject as 
raised on the farm, and educated in the common schools and in Bunker Hill Academy. He 
began reading law with Woodson & Walker, of Carlinville, Ill., in the spring of 1866, 
and was admitted to the bar in September, 1867. He began the practice of his chosen
profession as the law partner of George P. FOWLER, in Litchfield, in the spring of 
1868; the partnership was dissolved in the fall of the same year, and he has practiced 
in this city ever since. He was elected City Attorney in 1869, and served one year; he 
was fist elected City Clerk in 1878, and is now serving his fifth term; in the spring 
of 1882, he was elected City Attorney, and is also serving in that capacity. He is 
Director of the Public Library, and Secretary of its board. On October 26, 1870, he 
married Miss Eugenia A., youngest daughter of J. V. HOPPER, of Bunker Hill.

William A. LEACH, grocer, Litchfield, was born October 11, 1833, in Philadelphia, 
Penn., and, at the age of one year, was taken to Salem, N. J., thence, two years later, 
to Wilmington, Del., where he grew up, and at the age of sixteen, apprenticed himself 
to the molder’s trade, serving his time under Bush & Lobdell, in their foundry, working
also two years as journeyman. He went to Atlanta, Ga., in 1859, and worked four years 
in a foundry there, and at Macon, Ga., was foreman for one year in the Macon & Western
Railroad shops. In December 1864, he came to Litchfield, where he has since resided. 
He worked as molder here in the railroad shops ten years for Mr. H. H. BEACH. In about
1875, he bought a farm in South Litchfield Township of 206 acres, and conducted it five
years with good success; he still owns it. 

[Page 152]

In January, 1880, he engaged in the grocery trade with Mr. THORPE, and since has 
conducted a prosperous business under the firm name of Thorpe & Leach, on Jackson 
street. In 1862, he was married to a widow lady, Mrs. JONES, nee Miss Temperance 
FOWLER, at Atlanta, Ga.

Bennett P. LEWRIGHT was born near Winchester, Frederick Co., Va., May 4, 1813, son 
of Robert and Elizabeth (PRICE) LEWRIGHT; Robert was at one time wealthy, but became
involved through security debts. Bennett P. received a good English education at
Upperville, Va.; went to Ohio when twenty-one years of age and taught school there 
three years; went to Missouri about the year 1837, and taught school three years in
Franklin County, that State, where he afterward farmed till 1856, then moved to 
Miller County, Mo., where he remained nine years engaged in farming. In 1865, he came 
to Montgomery County, Ill., having exchanged 555 acres of land in Missouri with Mr. 
BOWEN for 172 acres near Litchfield; here he lived about two years, then moved to his
present place, consisting of ninety-six acres, to the cultivation of which he devotes 
his time. In Ohio, in 1838, he married Narcissa SOOFBOUROW, a native of Fayette County,
Ohio, who has borne him twelve children, viz.: Edmund M., Maria S., Alphonso J., Robert 
W. (deceased), Marium F., Corinne P., Robert, William L., Harley B., Jennie R. 
(deceased), Frances E. (deceased) and James S. Mr. LEWRIGHT is a stanch Democrat; he 
has been a member of the United Baptist Church forty years.

Egbert S. LITCHFIELD, real estate, New York City, was born in Onondaga County, N. Y., 
in 1836, and, when a mere child, was removed to Cazenovia, where he was educated in 
a seminary. He came to Litchfield in the fall of 1855, with his brother, E. E. 
LITCHFIELD, and they engaged in mercantile business, opening a general store on the 
site of D. Davis & Co.’s present grocery building, continuing four years, when our 
subject went out of the business and returned to his home in New York. In 1860, he 
returned to Litchfield and remained a year, when he went to East Saginaw, Mich., where 
he engaged in the manufacture of salt for a period of four years; retaining an interest 
in real estate, he has frequently visited the place since. He lived five years in St. 
Paul, Minn., when he went to New York, where he engaged in the real estate business.

John LANGE, Superintendent Care and Machine Company, Litchfield, was born in Oldenburg 
six miles from Bremen, Germany, in August, 1832. In his fifteenth year, he left school 
and became a seaman on a merchant vessel; he shipped as boy, and, after sailing four 
years, became ship carpenter, in which capacity he served four years; he was on the 
sea from 1845 to 1853, and sailed on the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, Mediterranean, 
North and Baltic Seas in his travels; he rounded Cape Horn and Cape of Good Hope, 
visited Australia, the Indies and South America; he made several trips between Europe 
and the United States. Leaving the sea, he came, via New Orleans, La., to Alton, Ill., 
in the fall of 1852, and there became car-builder for the Terre Haute & Alton Railroad; 
he remained at Alton until the shops were moved to Litchfield, in 1858, when he came 
also, and worked in the car department, where he rose to the position of Master
Car-Builder; when the shops were removed to Mattoon, Mr. LANGE went there for six 
months to aid in starting them in operation. He became a charter member, and also a
Director, of the Litchfield Car Manufacturing Company; at the opening of that company’s
shops, he became Superintendent of refitting shops for manufacturing purposes, and was 
the first

[Page 153]

Superintendent of the shops, which position he virtually has held ever since, at 
various times having been elected to other offices in the company. At the 
re-organization of the Litchfield Car and Machine Company, he became a stockholder 
and Director; he has been Superintendent and Vice President of the present company. 
Since 1858, he has been in the shops continually, except the six months at Mattoon. 
In Alton, Ill., on December 18, 1852, he married Miss Fanny BOHNENS, a native of 
Hanover, Germany. His father’s name was Charles LANGE, a carpenter.

George B. LITCHFIELD, restaurant, Litchfield, was born in Syracuse, N. Y., in 1842, 
and came West in 1856, with his parents, locating in Litchfield. At the age of sixteen, 
he began his apprenticeship in the office of H. A. COOLIDGE, publisher of the Litchfield
Journal. In 1863, he formed a partnership with E. J. C. ALEXANDER and ran a job office 
here for a year, when he formed a partnership with B. S. HOOOD and published the 
Litchfield Monitor for a period of two years; then, selling his interest in that paper, 
he bought a job office, and, during that year, printed a paper for the Fithian Brothers 
of Carlinville. He next sold the job office to Kimball & Taylor, who established the
Independent, and he then became manager of its office, continuing about one year, when 
he started the Montgomery Democrat, which afterward became the Litchfield Democrat. For 
the first year, he took in R. S. YOUNG as editor, after which he conducted it in his own
name until September, 1881, when he sold it to Mr. Charles T. TOBIN, and engaged in the
restaurant business on State street. His father, Elisha W. LITCHFIELD, was born in
Litchfield, Conn., in 1819, and moved to Syracuse, N. Y., at which place, in 1839, he
married Mary E. JOHNSON. At that place he was a large wholesale grocer and last
manufacturer, After coming to Litchfield, he engaged in the lumber trade, and 
subsequently in the grocery business, at which he continued until his death, on April 
28, 1862; his wife and son died in the same year. He was the second Mayor of the town, 
and held that office two years.

Eli LEE, grocer, Litchfield, was born in Greene County, Ill., where he lived until
December, 1829. He entered a grocery in Carrollton, where he conducted business until 
he came to Litchfield, in 1863, and opened a grocery and provision store on the site 
he now occupies, at No. 67 State street, where he has carried on that business ever 
since, except a period of about three years, during which e was engaged in the 
agricultural implement business. Mr. LEE has taken an active interest in public 
affairs of the city and county, and has served several terms in the City Council; he 
is now a member of the Township Democratic Committee. In 1859, he married a daughter 
of Capt. E. M. GILMORE. The father of our subject is Archibald LEE, who was born in
Huntsville, Ala., in 1804, and came to this State in 1814, with his parents, who 
settled in White County and lived there until 1832, when he removed to Greene County, 
where he has since resided; he now lives in Greenfield, Greene County, in his
seventy-seventh year. He served in both campaigns of the Black Hawk war. He married 
Miss Jane UPTON, of White County, in 1822, and raised a family of fourteen children, 
twelve of whom are living.

George A. MATTHEWS, merchant and contractor, Litchfield, was born in Caroline County, 
Md., and, when four years old, left his native State. He was raised in Muskingum 
County, Ohio, and, at the age of eighteen, began to learn the brick-mason's trade, 
and also brick-making; he served three 

[Page 154] 

year's apprenticeship in Zanesville, Ohio. In 1857, he came to Illinois to build the
railroad shops at Litchfield, and acted as foreman of the men on brick and stone work
during 1857 and 1858; he was foreman when the shops were remodeled for the Litchfield 
Car Manufacturing Company, and also rebuilt them after the fire of 1872; he was a
contractor and builder in partnership with his brother, W. T. MATTHEWS, under the firm 
name of Matthews & Bro., until the close of the war, after which the firm mane was 
MATTHEWS & CHAMBERLAIN, his business career in this direction extending over a period 
of twenty-five years, during which time they put up the major portion of the brick
structures of the city. In 1865, he formed a partnership with Mr. KESSINGER, the firm 
name being KESSINGER, MATTHEWS & Co., and engaged in the grain and merchandising 
business, continuing about three years, when Mr. MATTHEWS sold his interest to KESSINGER
& BAKER. In addition to the brick-yard and brick-laying, he afterward engaged in the
manufacture of candies and in the bakery business for two years, when he again devoted 
his entire time and attention to brick work. In October, 1877, he bought out the store 
of L. CRAMP, and continued business in the frame building on the corner of State and
Madison streets, which he replaced with a handsome two-story brick building in 1881, 
in October of which year he sold his old stock. In January, 1882, he formed a 
partnership with Theodore HART, under the firm name of G. A. MATTHEWS & Co., and 
opened a new stock of groceries in his new building on the old site, where they are
conducting a good and lucrative business. He has built ten dwelling houses for 
himself, and two storerooms, and has given employment to from eight to twenty men for
a large portion of each year. Mr. MATTHEWS is a stanch Republican. In 1866, he was 
married to Miss Temperance JONES, of Litchfield. In 1859, he married Miss Hattie 
CARLO, of Zanesville, Ohio, and removed to Wyandotte, Kan., where he lived three 
months, when his wife and child died, in September, 1860. His present wife, nee Miss 
JONES, has one daughter, Jessie, born on May 30, 1879. The father of our subject was 
a ship carpenter, and his wife, Mr. MATTHEWS' mother, was of Quaker parentage - was 
Sarah VAIN; she died at the age of seventy-eight. Their children, with the exception 
of our subject and another son, are residents of Ohio.

Jacob MOCK, was born in Alsace, France, about twenty miles from Strasbourg, in 1826, 
and came to the United States with his parents when two years old. They settled in
Montgomery County, Penn., where our subject spent his youth, and, at seventeen, went 
to learn the carpenter’s trade, serving two year and thee months, after which he worked
as a journeyman; also worked one year under instructions in Philadelphia. He then went 
to Cincinnati, New Orleans and St. Louis, then to Madison County, Ill., where he and 
his brother worked, taking wild land in payment, thus becoming owners of 140 acres of 
land; he worked at his trade for some years, and, in the meantime, improved his land. 
In 1863, he sold his farm and came to Litchfield, and has worked at car-building ever
since, with the exception of six years at mill-wrighting. February 17, 1853, he 
married Miss Lucinda WETMORE, daughter of Reuben and Martha (OLMSTEAD) WETMORE, of 
Madison County. They have had the following children: Charles J., George W., Martha
Annetta, Jessie Bell and Orris C.; those living are Edward M., William F. and Mabel M. 
Mr. MOCK was originally a Whig, but is now a Republican; is also a member of the Free
Methodist Church. The father of our subject, John MOCK, was a cooper. His mother

[Page 155] 

died when he was eleven years old, and he was raised by a Dunkard named John CRATER, 
of Pennsylvania.

John H. McMANUS, photographer, Litchfield, was born in Macoupin County, Ill., near 
Palmyra, December 2, 1843; son of G. F. and Emeline McMANUS, he, a native of Tennessee 
and she of Kentucky. In addition to the ordinary common-school education, young McMANUS
attended the high school at Carlinville, Ill. He removed with his father to Athens,
Henderson Co., Tenn., in 1855, where he lived three years, dividing his time between 
going to school and assisting his father in his cabinet-shop. His father removed to 
Texas in 1858, and our subject worked with him till the latter part of 1860, when he
erected a large mill, in which he was engaged till January 8, 1862, when he enlisted 
in a company which ultimately became a part of the Twenty-second Texas Volunteer 
Infantry, and attached to the Trans-Mississippi Department of the Army of the 
Confederate States; in June, 1862, he became snare drummer, and remained till July, 
when he was transferred to a brass band, J. B. NORMAN, leader, and remained in it until
the close of the war, in 1864-65, playing the leading instrument. In May, 1865, the 
army disbanding, Mr. McMANUS returned to Mt. Pleasant, Texas, where he attended a 
select school for some time, after which he accompanied his father to Dallas, where 
they took charge of the Osceloa Flouring Mills, where the son worked as engineer. In 
1866, he came to Macoupin County and obtained the position of engineer at the woolen
factory, which he shortly gave up, and worked at carpentering till the fall; the 
following winter he spent as a student in a private school, taught by Mr. COOLIDGE, 
and, June 7, 1867, he entered the photograph gallery of D. C. BACON, spending three 
months under instructions; then to Macoupin County, farming, going to school in the 
winter; continued farming in 1868, and worked at building with his father. During a 
portion of 1870, he assisted Mr. BACON in his gallery. In January, 1871, he bought his
present gallery, in Litchfield, which he has since conducted with marked success, and
turning out work equal in chemical effect and artistic execution to the best work done 
in the cities. Mr. McMANUS, having made a study of his present profession, is able to 
cope with the best artists anywhere, as he thoroughly understands the chemistry of
photography, as well as that very important accompaniment of good portraiture – 
artistic effect.

Thomas McWILLIAMS, deceased, son of Alexander and Nancy (KIRKPATRICK) McWILLIAMS, was 
born in Hillsboro Township, Montgomery County, in July, 1822. He received an ordinary
education, and learned the wagon-maker’s trade. He served in the Mexican war under 
Capt. McADAMS, and for his services received a land warrant of 160 acres, in addition 
to which he entered, in 1848, the land on which his widow now resides. He married, in
1850, Susan Jane BARRY, daughter of John BARRY, and from this union eight children 
were born, of whom two sons and four daughters are living. The names of the eight 
children are as follows: Sarah E. (died at two years of age), John Newton, Nancy P., 
Amanda J., Mary Alice A., William Henry (died at eighteen years of age), Franklin W. 
and Minnie. Previous to his marriage, he had erected a log cabin on his land, had 
broken a few acres and fenced a small tract; he afterward built a shop near his 
residence, where he worked at his trade, principally on repairing; he also worked at 
the carpenter’s trade, and assisted in the erection of his own residence and 
outbuildings; he, however, devoted his time chiefly 

[Page 156]

To farming, and owned at his death 452 acres of land, which he had accumulated chiefly 
by his own labor, although his health was broken down by his army services; the 
homestead farm of 280 acres he kept in a good state of cultivation. He was a supporter 
of the Democratic party.

James N. McELVAIN was born in Simpson County, Ky., five miles from the Tennessee line, 
May 17, 1818, son of William and Jane (NEELY) McELVAIN. William, the father of our 
subject, born in Cumberland County, Penn., in October, 1783, went to Virginia when 
seven years of age, thence to Kentucky when twenty-two, and to Illinois in 1850; lived 
in Sangamon County for some years, and died in Macoupin County January 12, 1864; his 
wife, a native of Orange County, N. Y., died February 1, 1849; they were the parents 
of fifteen children – ten sons and five daughters, subject being the fifth child; of 
this family, six sons and one daughter are living. James N. received his education in 
the subscription schools of Kentucky, and began farming in his native county. In 1841, 
he married A. A. HAMILTON, of Scott County, Mo., who has borne him six children, of 
whom four are living, viz.: Andrew J., William H., James N. and Mary A. In the fall 
of 1847, he moved from Kentucky with his family and settled in Montgomery County, Ill., 
on 160 acres of land which he purchased of Benjamin HATHAWAY, who had entered it some 
years previous, and had broken about twenty acres. Mr. McELVAIN has since resided on 
the place, of which 120 acres are under cultivation, the remaining forty acres being 
timber land; he also owns various tracts of land elsewhere. He ahs given particular
attention to stock-raising, for which his farm is well adapted, and raises cattle of 
a good grad; before the late war, he raised horses and mules. In the fall of 1870, he 
was elected to the State Legislature from Montgomery County, and served during the 
sessions of 1871-72; he acted on the Committee on Banks and Corporations; was elected
Justice of the Peace in 1852, in which office he served four years. He was a Whig 
until 1852, and has since been an adherent of the Democratic party.

Sylvester MURPHY was born in Macoupin County, Ill., June 10, 1845; is the only living 
child of Hiram and Sarah (HUFF) MURPHY. Hiram MURPHY, born in Clermont County, Ohio,
December 8, 1816, came West with his parents in 1828 and settled near Carrollton, in 
Greene County, Ill., where he lived four years, then moved to Macoupin County, Ill., 
with his parents, where he has lived for half a century; he has been a successful 
farmer; beginning with nothing, he now owns 600 acres of improved land. His wife, whom 
he married about 1843, was of German descent. Sylvester received his primary education 
in the district schools of Macoupin County, and finished at the high school in 
Carlinville. He came to Montgomery County about the year 1868; lived on the farm there 
two years, then moved to the city of Litchfield, and carried on farming in North 
Litchfield Township, raising good crops of corn and wheat; he served as Town Clerk of 
South Litchfield in 1880. The great-grandfather of our subject was a native of Ireland; 
his wife was a native of Germany, named HESS, and bore him seven sons; he started to 
return to the old country, but was never afterward heard of, and is supposed to have 
been lost at sea. John MURPHY, subject’s grandfather, was born in Jefferson County, 
Ky., January 26, 1791; he served in the war of 1812, and afterward located in Ohio; 
he engaged in flat-boating to New Orleans on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers; was 
married three times, and had eleven children by 

[Page 157] 

the first two marriages; he was the youngest of seven sons, all of whom were in the war 
of 1812, after which they became scattered.

Alexander McWILLIAMS, deceased, was born in Virginia, and removed with his parents to
Madison County, Ky., when seven years of age, where he afterward married Nancy 
KIRKPATRICK, who bore him thirteen children - six sons and seven daughters; of this 
family, three were born in Kentucky; three are now living, viz.: Lewis, Mrs. VANDAVER, 
and Mrs. GARDNER. About the year 1816, he came to Montgomery County and settled on a
quarter-section (160 acres) of land where William ATTERBURY now lives, near the Truitt
Bridge; at that time, there were but five families in Montgomery County, the nearest 
mill being that of Edwardsville. He built a log cabin on his place and began farming, 
in which occupation he met with success, having at his death about five hundred acres 
of land. He was a Democrat, and though not a member of any church, favored the belief 
of the Old-School Baptists. Lewis McWILLIAMS, the son of our subject, was born on the 
farm now occupied by William ATTERBURY, in Montgomery County, April 12, 1820, and 
attended school at Clear Springs Church, two miles from his home, during the winter 
season, till he was a large boy. In 1842, his father entered for him eighty acres of 
land, on which he made, hauled and put up 7.000 rails during the winter of 1842-43. 
In March, 1843, he married Martha JONES, daughter of David JONES, of Montgomery County, 
and from this union five children were born - four sons and one daughter – of whom two 
are deceased. After his marriage, he settled on the eight acres which had been entered 
for him, on which he now resides, and which he has since increased to 400 acres, which 
is chiefly under cultivation; he has handled and fed stock quite extensively. His
grandfather, Hugh KIRKPATRICK, in the early days of the county, built a horse-mill 
near where Woodbury now stands. 

Jacob T. MILES, deceased, was born near Brighton, Macoupin Co., Ill., May 21, 1833. 
His paternal ancestors were from the Carolinas, emigrating thence to Logan County, 
Ky., early in the present century. Mr. MILES' father entertained strong antislavery
convictions, which, in 1833, induced him to seek a home in a free State, settling 
near Brighton. He was a farmer and merchant until the last fifteen years of his life,
during which he was in the ministry of the Protestant Methodist Church. He died in 
1865, the father of twelve children, of whom Jacob was the first born in Illinois, and 
the tenth son. One brother and one sister survive. The latter is the wife of the Rev. 
John FRIEND, a Christian preacher, lately of this city, but now of Iowa. Col. Jonathan 
R. MILES, of Miles' Station, Macoupin County, and George W. and F. M. MILES, formerly 
of this city, and Samuel STRATTON, were cousins of the deceased, and Mr. John R. 
SIMMONS, formerly a farmer of South Litchfield, now near Brighton, was his nephew. 
The family removed to Missouri in 1839, and returned in 1844, living in Madison and
Macoupin Counties. At the age of eighteen years, Jacob began to learn the trade of
carpenter in Alton, and worked thereat in that and various neighboring towns till 
the spring of 1856, when he removed to Litchfield. Here he carried on the business of
a carpenter and builder until 1873. During part of this time, he was in partnership, 
first, with Lewis WHITAKER; some years afterward, with John D. CARSON; and still later,
with R. A. GEORGE. In 1873, he was elected Justice of the Peace, and since then has 
united the duties of that office with the business of insurance and real estate. In 
1859, he was elected Alderman of the Third 

[Page 158] 

Ward of this city, and filled that position two years. In April, 1861, he enlisted, as 
a private, in Company D, Seventh Illinois Infantry, and served three months. Mr. MILES 
was three times married, having become twice a widower. The ladies were the Misses
Elizabeth, Susan and Lou LINDER, sisters of the late Mr. Emmett LINDER, well known in 
this city. His first marriage took place in 1858. He died at his home, in Litchfield, 
Ill., about 5 o’clock P. M., on Saturday, April 29, 1882, in the forty ninth year of 
his age. His demise was sudden and unexpected, and the news of it filled the townspeople
with grief, for he had been esteemed by all. He leaves a family well provided for,
consisting of his wife and seven children - two grown daughters and five sons - Stella 
F., Alice M., William T., James L., Benjamin L., Arthur M. and Perley, the youngest, 
being four years old. He is greatly missed in the community, and his departure leaves 
a place vacant none other can fill.

Mark M. MARTIN, Vice President of the Litchfield Car and Machine company, Litchfield, 
was born in Onondaga County, N. Y., on May 31, 1831. He earned the trade of car-building 
at Syracuse, N. Y., beginning at the age of eighteen; he plied his trade there and at
Adrian, Mich., being foreman of the Michigan southern shops from 1853 to 185, in 
September of which year he came to Litchfield, Ill., and entered into the employ of 
the Indianapolis & St. Louis Railroad Company (ten the Terre Haute, Alton & St. Louis
Railroad). He superintended the erection of its shops here, and at their completion 
became master car-builder, continuing to hold that position until 1864, when he removed 
and became master car-builder for the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad Company, having charge 
of their shops from 1864 to 1872. He then was Superintendent of the Cincinnati Division 
of the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad, and in 1873 returned to this place, 
where, the railroad shops being removed, he became a member of the Litchfield Car and
Machine Company, who leased the present building. He was at that time elected
Superintendent, and has held an office in the new company ever since, except for a 
period of three years, during which he was master car-builder of the Cincinnati, St. 
Louis & New Orleans Railroad, being located at McComb City, Miss. On his return, he 
was Superintendent of the works two years, when he was elected to the office of Vice
President, which he creditably fills.

Julius C. MACHLER, of German parentage, was born in April, 1844, in New York City, and
educated in its public schools. In the fall of 1862, filled with the adventurous 
enthusiasm of youth, he enlisted as drummer boy in the One Hundred and Third Regiment 
New York Volunteer Infantry. The regiment joined the army at Fortress Monroe, and served 
in Burnside’s expedition to open the coast of North Carolina, and was stationed at 
Newbern. Here young MACHLER was detailed as Orderly or Interpreter to the General 
Director or Medical Officer of the Volunteer Hospital, and remained nearly two years. 
Under this officer he saw service at the battles of Goldsboro and Kingston, and was 
present at the surrender of Joe JOHNSTON. Mustered out in April, 1865, he returned home,
and for six years was in a shop for the manufacture of ladies’ hats. In 1871, he came 
to Litchfield, where he has since been interested in business. Politically, a Democrat,; 
hi is now serving his third term in the City Council, and is deemed a careful, 
painstaking and industrious officer. He married, in 1875, Miss Mary McGINNIS, and has 
four children.

Michael MORRISON, dealer in wines, 

[Page 159] 

liquors and tobacco, Litchfield, was born in County Mayo, Ireland, on November 2, 1850, 
and came to the United States in 1851, with his parents, who settled in New York State,
at Dundee, moving thence in a short time to Illinois, where they settled on Rock River,
near Elgin, where our subject lived until he was five or six years old. The family 
then moved to Beaver Dam, Wis., where they lived two years on a farm. Next they lived 
in La Crescent, Minn., for about one year, and then moved to Freeborn County, same 
State; that county was then but sparsely settled, and they remained about two years, 
when the mother died, and, in consequence of that sad event, the family broke up, and 
our subject first found employment as water carrier on the railroad, going to school 
at Rochester, Minn., during the winters, until 1864-65, when he took a commercial 
course with Hurd & Belknap, following them from Rochester to Winona, Minn., and 
completing his course in the spring of 1866; he found employment as clerk in a 
furniture store at Rochester, Minn., for one summer, and the following winter he 
pursued his studies in a private school there. In June, 1867, he was employed by 
O’Rourke & Woods, in their grocery and liquor store, continuing until December, when 
he removed to Austin, Minn., where he clerked in a dry goods house until the fall of 
1868, when he returned to the old firm, which had changed form the grocery to the dry 
goods business, and stayed with them until February, 1869, when he went to Dodge Center 
and worked in W. A. Higgins’ general store until July, same year, and then returned 
to Rochester and worked in the saloon business for John CHUTE, having charge of a 
branch house at Eyota, Minn., one year. On September 8, 1870, he began work for 
Charles BALLWEG, at Rochester, Minn., from which place they removed to New Ulm, Minn., 
in 1872, and remained until May, 1873, when they came to Litchfield, Ill., subject
remaining with him here until September, 1881, except six months (from March to 
September, 1878), when he acted as Deputy County Treasurer in Hillsboro, and another 
period of three months (in the winter of 1877-78), during which time he was on a 
Western tour. In September, 1881, he leased a building on the corner of State and 
Ryder streets, where he opened a retail liquor and tobacco store, which employs 
three persons.

Richard McMAHON, roadmaster, Indianapolis & St. Louis Railroad, Litchfield, was born 
in County Kerry, Ireland, in November, 1845. He received a good academic education in 
his native country, and, in 1864, at the age of nineteen years, came to the United 
States, locating in Elmira, N.Y. where he worked two years on repairs of the New York
& Erie Railroad. He moved to Mattoon, Ill., in 1866, and there worked two years as 
laborer on the track of the Indianapolis & St. Louis Railroad. From 1868 to 1871, he 
was Road Clerk in the General Roadmaster’s office at Mattoon; the following year, he 
acted as section foreman on the track of the same road, at Sunnyside, Ind. From 1872 
to 1876, he was again Clerk in the General Roadmaster’s office at Mattoon, and, during 
that time, was Roadmaster of a branch road called the Sullivan & Decatur Railroad. In
August, 1876, he was promoted to the position of Roadmaster of the Middle Division of 
the Indianapolis & St. Louis Railroad, his division consisting of seventy-five miles. 
He presided over this until 1880, when the Roadmaster of the East Division resigned, 
and our subject was transferred to it. He had this division, which consisted of 110 
miles, until July 14, 1881, when the road was redistricted in two divisions, and he 
was transferred to the West Division, extending from Mattoon

[Page 160]

to East St. Louis, a distance of 137 miles. He has since filled that position, having
headquarters at Litchfield. November 28, 1872, he married Honora, daughter of D.
O’SULLIVAN, of Mattoon, Ill. The names of their children are as follows: Mary Ann, 
Denis Joseph, Brian Augustin, Terrence Patrick, Margaret Teresa.

Benjamin McHUGH, merchant, Litchfield, was born in the town of Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, 
on March 1, 1833, and came to the United States in 1845, settling forty miles west of
Milwaukee, Wis. His father, James McHUGH, died just before the son’s emigration, in 
which he was accompanied by his mother and grandfather. After living four years on the 
farm on which they first settled, our subject returned to Nova Scotia on a visit; he 
then sailed on a schooner from Cornwallis to St. John, New Brunswick, with his
brother-in-law, continuing one season. The following season, he worked his 
brother-in-law’s farm on shares, and went to New York as supercargo to sell his 
farm products, returning to Wisconsin. In the spring of 1853, he started across the 
plains to Oregon, with Dr. Knight, of Dogtown, Mo., traveling seven months by ox team. 
His destination was Chahalam Valley, Ore., where lived a cousin, with whom he stopped 
about two months, and then, via steamer, went to California, landing at San Francisco, 
from which point he went north to Port Orford and entered the Rogue River Mines at Gold
Beach, where he entered the diggings and worked about two months, when his employer 
was killed. He had located about fifty claims, and sold over $700 worth in the next 
two months. He next became the proprietor of the Elk River Ferry, north of Port Orford 
a distance of five miles, by agreement with the Indians, and conducted it with an 
eating house and provision trade, for three months, with good success. During this 
time, the Coquel Indians had an outbreak, and Mr. McHUGH was cook for the garrison 
two weeks, when they subsided. Mr. McHUGH then left the ferry and returned to Portland,
Ore., where he took up a land claim and improved it to some extent, then removed to 
Jacksonville, Ore., and worked in the mines for a short time. He went thence to Yreka,
Cal., and mined during the winter of 1854-55. Then he joined his brother at Kelsey’s
Diggings, in El Dorado County, Cal., remaining about a year, after which he worked 
six months in a tunnel at Goodyear’s Bar, which place he left, next locating at Cold
Springs, In El Dorado County, until the fall of 1857, working in the diggings. He 
returned via steamer Central America, Panama route, reaching New York City and going
thence, via Niagara Falls, to Walworth County, Wis., where he worked at farming one 
year, and then came to Pike County, Ill., where he took a contract to chop 500 cords 
of wood, for the accomplishing of which he employed men during the winter of 1858-59. 
In the spring, he took a trip through Kansas, and, on his return, came, via St. Louis, 
Mo., to Bond County, Ill. Here he taught a four-months’ summer school at Millersburg, 
and, during the winter of 1859-60, taught near Ripley. In the spring of 1860, he 
married Miss Emily C. BILYEW of Pocahontas, Ill. For ten years after his marriage, he
farmed in the summers and taught school in the winters, in Bond County. After the war, 
he bought a farm of 173 acres near Pocahontas, and conducted it about ten years, when 
he traded it for town property in a stock of goods in Millersburg, where he 
merchandized about one year, and then traded it for land near Irving, Montgomery 
County. This farm he conducted for about two years, and then traded it for a stock of 
goods at East Fork, where he conducted a store and post 

[Page 161]

office for two years. He then returned to Irving with his stock of goods, and continued
merchandising one and a half years. He moved to Litchfield in September, 1881, and has 
been engaged since in merchandising on Jackson street, carrying on a good trade. In 
April, 1882, Mr. McHUGH was elected Town Clerk of South Litchfield Township. The names 
of his children are as follows: Frank M., Mary F., Annie E., Cresada A., Charles W., 
Thomas N., Nellie B., Lewis A., Daisy M. and Cora E.

Richard W. O'BANNON, the first settler in the city of Litchfield, is the great-grandson 
of a Mr. O'BANNON who came to this country from Ireland before the Revolutionary war, 
and eventually settled in Virginia. The father of our subject, Isham O’Bannon, a native 
of Fauquier County, Va., whose wife, Mary WINN, was also a native of Virginia, and
connected with the family of Stonewall JACKSON, being an aunt of that famous 
Confederate General. Isham O’BANNON was Captain of a company of Virginia militia, and 
in that capacity served his country in the war of 1812. Their youngest child but two 
was Richard W. O’BANNON, who was born on November 1, 1808, in Fauquier County, Va., 
near the town of Salem. There he passed the early years of his life, and there he lost 
his mother, who died when he was but four years old. In the year 1816, he removed with 
his father to Shelby County, Ky. Here his father became a successful farmer, working
twenty-five hands and owning thirty-five servants, and here our subject grew to manhood. 
At the age of nineteen, he began his life-long employment of merchant, in the store of
Graham & Standford, of Shelbyville, Ky., where he remained three years. July 29, 1830, 
he was married to Miss Matilda DORSEY, of Jefferson County, Ky. Subsequent to his 
marriage, he engaged in mercantile pursuits on his own account, in Oldham County, Ky. 
Those were the days of the stage coach, when Louisville and Cincinnati were not as 
great marts of trade, and when the merchants of Kentucky went to Philadelphia and 
cities farther east for their supplies – journeys involving more of time and money 
than journeys to Europe at this day. Mr. O’BANNON made many such journeys, adding to 
his stock of knowledge and experience in the ways of men. About the 1st of September, 
1842, he came to Illinois, having left Kentucky some time previously, and living in 
the meantime in the State of Missouri. There fortune had not favored him, and he came 
to Illinois to begin anew the battle of life. Settling upon a quarter-section of
uncultivated prairie, near to the present hamlet of Ridgely, in Madison County, they
proceeded to transform it into the most highly cultivated farm in the all that region. 
Mr. O’BANNON proved himself as good a farmer as merchant, which avocation he also found
time to pursue. Here he lived and prospered for twelve years, gathering about him hosts 
of friends, and here Mrs. O’BANNON organized a Christian Church and built for it a house
of worship. In January, 1854, he came to Montgomery County on a tour of inspection. It
cannot be said that he came to Litchfield, for then Litchfield was not. But he visited 
the site of the future town, then bristling with the remains of the last year’s corn 
crop, and, with good judgement, selected and bought of Maj. P. C. HUGGINS, for $120, 
the east half of Block No. 21, which no includes the principal business houses of the 
city. The ground to-day, exclusive of all buildings on it, is worth $30,000. During 
the winter, on this purchase he built a one-story frame store, 22x36 feet, the site 
of which, still owned by him, is covered by the banking house of Beach, Davis & Co.

[Page 162]

This was the first house built in the place, and, at the time of its erection, the 
Terre Haute & Alton Railroad had not reached the site of the town, and all building
material, as well as goods, had to be delivered in wagons. In March of the same year, 
he placed in this store $6,000 worth of a general assortment of merchandise, and 
commenced business, with William T. ELLIOTT as his partner. In the year 1854, the firm 
sold $42,000 worth of goods. During this year, the Ridgely Colony moved to Litchfield. 
It consisted of R. W. O'BANNON, his wife, two sons, Samuel and Joshua; Miss Sue 
ELSBERRY; John P. BAYLESS and wife and two daughters, Matilda and Martha; W. S. PALMER; 
W. T. ELLIOTT and wife and son, William, and daughter, Maria; Henry E. APPLETON and 
wife; James W. JEFFERIS and wife, and Charles M. DAVIS. Soon after coming to 
Litchfield, Mr. O’BANNON bought the property where he now lives, building the house 
the first summer. In the history of our country, 1854 was a fateful year – the year 
of the Kansas-Nebraska struggle. Mr. O’BANNON had been a Whig of the Henry Clay 
school, but, in the issue of 1854, he arrayed himself with the Democracy, with which 
party he has ever since affiliated. He was a Douglas Democrat, and, in 1861, presided 
over the first Union meeting held in this city after the commencement of the war. He 
also subscribed liberally in aid of the families of the volunteer soldiers. Mr. O’BANNON
continued in active business with W. T. ELLIOTT for twelve years, doing a very large 
and profitable business. In 1859, they erected the store now occupied by Frank R. 
MILNOR, and which continues the property of Mr. O’BANNON, to which they removed their
business, and where they continued until 1866, when Mr. ELLIOTT retired from the firm, 
the business being conducted by Mr. O’BANNON and sons till the completion of the Decatur 
& East St. Louis Railroad, to the construction of which Mr. O’BANNON largely contributed,
when it was transferred to the new town of Raymond. This town is on the Wabash & Pacific
Railroad, then known as the Decatur & East St. Louis Railroad. In Raymond Mr. O’BANNON 
had large interests, being one of the company by whom the town was laid out; consequently,
he moved to it, and resided there one year, with his son Joshua, who carried on the
business. After that, he moved to his large farm in Zanesville Township, about nine 
miles from this city, where he lived with his son Samuel. This was in the years 1872 
and 1873. About this time, a friend for whom he was bound, failed in business, and 
by unanimous consent he was put forward as the assignee of the unfortunate merchant. 
Mr. O’BANNON was himself a large creditor, and, to recover in a measure what he had 
lost, he took the stock and once more engaged in business. In this he associated with
himself his oldest son, and for seven years O’BANNON & Son have held a front place 
among the business men of Litchfield, with eminent success. The churches, the 
railroads, the coal mines, the car-shops and the great mill have all been helped 
forward by him. His familiar form is identified with every stage in the history of 
the town.

John Milton PADEN, contractor and builder, Litchfield, son of James and Margaret 
(McELVAIN) PADEN, was born in Todd County, Ky., August 31, 1821. He was in his 
fifteenth year when he came to this county, in 1835, with his parents. He received 
a part of his education in the private schools of Kentucky, and finished his schooling 
in the old Hillsboro Academy, which he left in 1840. He learned carpentering with 
Hamilton HIGH, of Hillsboro, serving two years, when he began taking contracts, which 
were principally in the neighborhood of his old home. He 

[Page 163]

Continued at this until 1852, when he bought a saw-mill, which he conducted two years, 
one mile east of Litchfield. In 1854, he purchased, in South Litchfield Township, a 
farm of 175 acres, on which he lived until the spring of 1882, when he moved to 
Litchfield. He engaged in contracting and building in the vicinity of Litchfield, in
addition to his agricultural pursuits, for twenty-five yeas. He has been a member of 
the Presbyterian Church of Litchfield since its organization, and helped to erect 
that church building. He has been Trustee and Deacon for many years. In politics, Mr. 
PADEN is a Democrat. He served as Deputy Sheriff of this part of the county four years, 
and also one term as Deputy Assessor for the western part of the county. In April, 1843, 
he married Miss Martha STREET, daughter of James STREET, and raised a family of four 
sons and three daughters, one son dying at the age of twenty-six years.

Robert N. PADEN was born in Todd County, Ky., in 1830. James PADEN, the father of 
subject, was born near Charleston, S. C., in October, 1777, and lived on his native 
place till he attained his majority. His father died when a young man. His mother was 
a lady of Celtic descent. James, when he reached the years of manhood, moved to 
Virginia, where, in Adair County, he married Margaret McELVAIN, and, about the 
beginning of this century, moved to Todd County, Ky., where he farmed till 1835. He 
then came to Montgomery County, Ill., bought 120, and entered eighty, acres of prairie 
and timber land, four miles southwest of Hillsboro, where a few families had 
previously settled; here he resided until his death, in 1845; he was a Deacon in 
the Presbyterian Church, and assisted in the erection of the first church at Hillsboro. 
The subject of this sketch, who is the seventh son of a family of ten children, came 
to Montgomery County with his parents in 1835. He received his rudimentary education in 
the Clear Springs Baptist Church, a log structure covered with clapboards, and having
puncheon floors and seats; he completed his studies at the Lutheran College, then at
Hillsboro, now of Springfield. In 1851, he engaged as clerk in Hillsboro, and continued 
in that occupation until 1855, when he opened a furniture store there, in which business 
he remained one year. In February, 1856, he came to Litchfield and opened a general 
store in partnership with J. M. McWILLIAMS, but after a year sold out his interest in 
the business and returned to Hillsboro, where he engaged in the lumber business till 
1860. In that year, he became Deputy Circuit Clerk under Benjamin SAMMONS, which office 
he held for two years, then returned to Litchfield, and was appointed Deputy United 
States Collector and Assessor of Internal Revenue in District 10, which position he 
held till 1868. He then removed to Southern Minnesota and engaged in general 
merchandising and drug business in Rochester and Austin, that State, until 1878, 
then returned to Litchfield, where he has since resided, engaged in real estate 
business. He married, October 17, 1855, Illinois E. BLACKWELL, who died May 16, 1881;
she was a daughter of Col. Robert BLACKWELL, of Vandalia, Ill. Mr. PADEN is Director,
Secretary and Superintendent of the McWILLIAMS Oil and Mining Company, which began 
operations in January, 1882; was elected Mayor of Litchfield without opposition in 
1865, and, during his administration, built the City Hall, and contracted for the 
first public school house. He was appointed one of the Trustees of the Illinois 
Industrial University of Champaign for six years, by Gov. CULLOM, in 1881. He was 
formerly a Whig, and is now a Republican. 

Aharte PIERCE, deceased, was born in 

[Page 164] 

Wythe County, Va., on May 22, 1808, and removed with his parents to Johnson County, 
Ind., when a young man. About 1842, he came to Illinois, and first settled in Macoupin
County. In 1848, he entered 160 acres of land, with another party, on which the city 
of Litchfield now stands. In September same year, he rented a house on the mound where 
Mr. W. S. PALMER now lives. In the fall of 1849, he built a small log house on the site
where W. H. FISHER now resides, and, when the town was laid out, the east side of the 
house extended into Madison street. He farmed his land, which was all raw prairie, 
until the laying-out of the town, by which time he had it all under cultivation, and 
stood above debt, for it and its improvements. He sold fifteen acres, to be platted at 
that time, to Wesley ANDREWS, and Benjamin HARGRAVES. The remainder was laid out by Mr.
PIERCE himself, and it reached five additions; it is now all included in the corporation
limits, and the lots, excepting two, on which his son Granville resides, are all sold.
Before the war, he purchased another farm of eighty acres near the city, and lived on 
it three years during the war excitement. He passed the remainder of his days near his
first settlement, and lived a retired life in his latter years. His first marriage was 
in Indiana, to Polly BROWN, who bore him one child. His wife died in Macoupin County, 
Ill. In 1847, Mr. PIERCE married Mrs. BROWN, daughter of David JONES, a Virginian, who
settled in what is now South Litchfield in about 1833. The first coal-shaft of this 
city was sunk on a part of his original purchase. Mr. PIERCE gave several lots to 
various benevolent enterprises of the city, including schoolhouse and various church 
lots. Politically, he was a Democrat, and was the first Assessor elected after the 
city's organization. He died June 15, 1878; his widow has three children by her last
marriage. One son, Granville F. PIERCE, was born in Macoupin County, Ill., October 27,
1845; he received an education in the Litchfield schools, and in 1862 left the farm 
and became a clerk in a clothing house, continuing for some years; he afterward engaged 
in the grocery business for about four years; he then began clerking, and has been for 
nine years with the present grocery house of G. A STODDARD, as salesman. In January, 
31, 1877, he married Miss Dora A. WARE, of this county, and has two children - Essie 
May and Gracie A.

Charles PAULLIS, Jr., foreman painter, Litchfield, was born in Buffalo, N. Y., in 
October, 1853, and lived there five years, after which he lived in Dunkirk, same 
State, seven years, and then moved with his parents to Zaleski, Ohio, where he began
learning his trade. He was fourteen years of age when the family came to Litchfield, 
and he at once began the furtherance of his mechanical studies in the Indianapolis & 
St. Louis Railroad shops, then the St. Louis, Alton & Terre Haute Railroad shops, where 
he worked at painting four years. When the Litchfield Car Manufacturing Company 
organized, he entered their employ as journeyman, and for the last six years has been
foreman of the pain department of the shops, the company changing, in the meanwhile, 
to the Litchfield Car and Machine Company. His department employs from fifteen to
twenty-five men. Mr. PAULLIS has been an earnest worker, and has made steady and 
rapid progress since he began his trade. He was married, in June, 1878, to Miss 
Fannie, daughter of B. W. ARNOLD. The father of our subject, Charles PAULLIS, Sr., 
was born in Prussia, and came to the United States when a child, his parents settling 
in New York, where he followed the trade of painting. He is engaged in the same 
occupation, as contractor, in Litchfield.

[Page 165]

W. H. PHILLIPS, Litchfield, only child of Samuel and Mary B. (WEBSTER) PHILLIPS, was 
born in Jersey County, Ill., March 11, 1856; lived in Macoupin county four years, and 
came to Montgomery County with his step-father, Samuel STRATTON, in 1860. In the 
Litchfield Public Schools he secured an education, which he furthered at McKendree 
College, and at the Industrial University at Champaign, Ill. In 1876, he engaged in 
the grocery business at Miles' Station, remaining almost a year; he then, in the spring 
of 1877, came to Litchfield and engaged in the same business here two years. In 
January, 1880, he became agent of the Pacific Express Company, and, a year later, 
became also agent for the United States Express Company, both of which agencies he 
has since conducted with great care and ability. On December 20, 1877, he married 
Amanda B., daughter of Dr. J. S. HILLIS, of Hillsboro; they have two children - Claude 
and Stanley H. The father of our subject was born near Lebanon, St. Clair Co., Ill., 
March 28, 1821; he was a farmer, and was one of the most successful land-tillers of
Macoupin and Jersey Counties, in both of which he left large landed estates; he died 
in 1859. The WEBSTERs were originally from Tennessee.

Loughlin QUEALY, foreman molder, Litchfield, was born in County Kilkenny, Ireland, in 
July, 1830, and came to the United States in June, 1845, his parents having died in 
his native country. He served three years’ apprenticeship in the foundry of Edwin DAVIS,
at Andover, Mass., learning molding. He moved farther west in 1848, and lived in 
Columbus, also Zanesville, Ohio, plying his trade as journeyman. In 1855, he went to
Chicago, Ill., where he followed his trade for two years. His brother, William J. 
QUEALY, was a heavy railroad contractor, and our subject had charge of his works at
Sheboygan, Wis., for a time; he was afterward contractor on the Fox River Railroad, 
in Kenosha County, Wis. In 1858, he returned to Zanesville, Ohio, where, two years 
later, he married Miss Anna E. COYLE. In November 1860, he moved to Clay County, near
Kansas City, Mo., for the purpose of becoming a railroad contractor, but the 
breaking-out of the war put a stop to the business; he therefore entered a large 
foundry of his brother’s at Hanover, Mo., remaining from 1861 to 1876, being 
Superintendent of it except the first two years. He took charge of the Ohio Falls 
Car Company’s foundry, in Jeffersonville, Inc., in 1877, continuing two years. In 
August, 1881, he came to Litchfield, where he since has been foreman of the Litchfield 
Car and Machine Company’s foundry, which melts thirty-six tons of iron per day, and 
employs in this department from sixty to sixty-five men.

James ROGERS, miller, proprietor Eureka Mills, Litchfield, was born in Decatur County,
Ind., April 5, 1835, where he lived until 1857, receiving his education in the public
schools. At the age of seventeen, he apprenticed to the carpenter’s trade, which he
followed until 1858. In March, 1857, he came to Walshville, this county, and, the 
following year, engaged at merchandising, continuing until 1861, when he came to 
Litchfield and kept a grocery eighteen yeas, during which time he was associated in
mercantile business with Mr. F. M. MILES and Mr. J. F. SETZER. Miles & Co. added to 
their interests the milling business, and ran the present mill two years, when Mr. 
Lewis WHITTAKER and our subject bought it, in 1877, the firm name becoming Whittaker 
& Rogers; this continued two years, when Mr. ROGERS became sole proprietor, previously
having sold his interest in his store; he has run the mill since, doing a large custom
business, with 

[Page 166]

A capacity of twenty barrels per twelve hours; he retains the old process; has two run 
of buhrs and employs three men; his mills are called Eureka Mills. Mr. ROGERS has been
Township Collector, and has served as a member of the Litchfield School Board; he is a
member of the Masonic fraternity, and a charter member of the St. Omar Commandery, No. 
30; he has been Recorder of the Commandery ever since its organization. Mr. ROGERS was
married, October 8, 1857, in Walshville, to Martha J. DESHANE, born in Montgomery 
County January 15, 1838, daughter of Eli DESHANE; they have had the following 
children: Laura I., Charlie and Mabel – Laura and Mabel being deceased.

Frederick W. REESE, deceased, was born in Hanover, Germany, on August 1, 1824; his home 
was in the country, and, at the age of five years he was an orphan; he learned the 
trade of cabinet-making in his native town, and afterward traveled as journeyman
cabinet-maker, working but a few years in any one place; he occupied his time in this
manner until he was twenty-eight years old. In 1854, he came to the United States; his 
boat freezing in the Mississippi River necessitated his walking to St. Louis, where he
found employment, but, when the summer came on, he left the city on account of the 
cholera epidemic, and located at Redbud, Randolph Co., Ill., where he married, in 
January of the following year, Miss Christiana GEYER, a native of Saxony, Germany, who
proved a helpmeet by working industriously, shoulder to shoulder, with him, almost day 
and night, at first, in order to help him get a good start in life, her part of the 
work being the varnishing and sand-papering of the furniture he made. After his 
marriage, he worked at carpentering, and in the winter at cabinet-making. He came to
Litchfield in 1860, and worked for awhile for Mr. WHITAKER at cabinet-making, managing 
his business while that gentleman was absent. In about 1862, he opened a shop of his 
own for the manufacture of furniture, engaging in the sale of it and in the undertaking
business; he at first started on Ryder street, but the rapid and steady increase of 
his business caused him to move to State street, where he built a large brick store,
occupying it until his death, on July 24, 1880; he had no capital when he came, and, 
in twenty years, made, by his own labor and careful management, a handsome competency. 
He was a Master Mason; in politics, he was a Republican; he had six children, who are
living. When he died, Litchfield lost a worthy citizen.

John W. RITCHIE, Litchfield, was born in Cabarrus County, n. C., August 14, 1834, son 
of John and Sela (BLACKWELDER) RITCHIE, natives of Cabarrus County, N. C., he born in 
1798, died September 25, 1854; she born in 1808, died October 23, 1854. Subject came 
to Hillsboro, Ill., in December, 1855, where he and his brother, Martin A., bought a
quarter-section of land, which they farmed together till after the war; on this place
Martin A. still resides. John W. married, May 20, 1856, Rachel S. CRESS, a native of
Cabarrus County, N. C., born January 23, 1833, daughter of G. Henry and Elizabeth
(FOGLEMAN) CRESS, both natives of Cabarrus County, N. C., he born April 11, 1811, died 
in March, 1844; she born July 26, 1813. Mr. and Mrs. RITCHIE are the parents of eleven
children, viz.: George A., James M., Laura J., Mary E., Sarah E., Joel E., Charles A.,
Flora R., Alice A., Prestin and Albert L. In 1861, he returned to North Carolina, and
remained there till 1864, then returned to Montgomery County and bought 150 acres of 
land, on which he has since resided, engaged in farming and stock-raising; he at 
present owns 260 acres of land, of which 230 is prairie, and 

[Page 167]

thirty timber land. Mr. RITCHIE is a Democrat, and is a member of the Evangelical 
Lutheran Church.

Martin A. RITCHIE was born in Cabarrus County, N. C., August 11, 1829; he worked in 
his father’s mill for two years, but left that and began farming for himself in 1853, 
and, the same year, married his first wife, who died in 1854. On December 24, 1855, 
he arrived at Hillsboro, Ill., and, February 13 following, he bought 217-1/2 acres of 
land, where he now resides, and moved onto it in the latter part of same month; he has 
ever since lived on the place; raises grain principally, and for many years raised and
handled a goodly number of horses and cattle. His second wife is Martha CRESS, whom 
he married in North Carolina; of his twelve children, only four are living. He has held 
the office of Township Assessor three yeas – 1879-81; been Township Treasurer since 
1872; served as Collector of this township during 1874 and 1875; is an Elder of the
Lutheran Church at Litchfield; has been a member of that church since he was eighteen 
years of age; he is an adherent of the Democratic party; he now owns 320 acres of 
prairie and twenty-five of timber land.

Jacob RAUSCH, grocer, Litchfield, was born in Province Coblenz, Prussia, on the River
Rhine, in September, 1832. At the age of sixteen years, he began to learn the hardware 
and grocery business, and served five years’ apprenticeship. In November, 1854, he 
came to the United States, and first located in Philadelphia, Penn., where for five 
years he clerked in a wholesale French confectionery store; the next five years he 
spent in the State of New York, acting as clerk in hardware stores of Lockport and 
Buffalo. He went to California in 1862, by the way of New York, Aspinwall and San
Francisco, and lived in Marysville, doing hardware business one year, after which, 
for a period of four years, he engaged in the drug business in San Francisco. He 
returned to New York by water in 1867, and located in Oswego, where he remained until 
1872, acting as clerk in a book store. In May, 1872, he came to Litchfield, Ill., and 
was at that time broken down in health; in July of the same year, he purchased his 
present site and erected storeroom and dwelling, and opened a grocery and provision 
store on Jackson and Martin streets, where he has since done a prosperous business. 
In Oswego, N. Y., he married Miss Marian COLLYS, a native of Alsace, France, their 
union occurring in 1867; they have two daughters.

William SIMPSON was born in Lincoln County, N. C., September 21, 1812, son of Samuel 
and Elizabeth (BROWN) SIMPSON. Samuel, subject’s father, came to Illinois with his 
family in 1831, and lived, during their first summer in the State, near where Staunton, 
in Macoupin County, now stands; he settled on the land where subject now resides, 
earning the money to enter the first forty acres by hauling sand for the building of 
the first frame court house in Montgomery County; at his death, which occurred in 
March, 1848, he owned 160 acres of land, which he had accumulated by his own labor 
and industry; his wife survived him about twelve years, and was about eighty-four 
years of age when she died. The subject of this sketch began working by the month, 
about a year at brick-making for Judge Hiram ROUNTREE, and at farm labor for $13 per 
month, which at that time was considered high wages. In 1835, he began learning the
blacksmith’s trade with Thomas TARRANTINE, of Hillsboro, with whom he worked about 
twenty months. He married, November 17, 1836, Elizabeth A. BECK, daughter of Paul 
BECK, of Fayette County, Ill., and from this union six children 

[Page 168]

Have been born, still living, viz.: Elizabeth J., wife of Fletcher GAMBLE, died in 
1862, leaving two children; William M., a farmer in Montgomery County; Eveline, wife 
of James C. HOLLOWAY, of Litchfield; Emily, wife of Robert FERGUSON, of Montgomery 
County; John W., of Montgomery County; Alonzo Douglas, a farmer, also of Montgomery 
County; and Laura, at home. After his marriage, Mr. SIMPSON purchased forty acres near 
his father’s place, which he farmed until his father’s death, when he took charge of 
the homestead and managed it for his mother until her death, when he bought the claims 
of the other heirs and became sole owner of the homestead, on which he has since lived,
engaged in farming; he now owns about four hundred and eighty acres of land. In 1871, 
he was elected Assessor and Treasurer of Montgomery County, which position he held for 
two years; he has also filled various other positions of trust; he is a Democrat of the
Jackson school. 

David O. SETTLEMIRE, President of Car and Machine Company, Litchfield, was born in 
Cape Girardeau County, Mo., in 1827, and the year following his parents emigrated to 
Greene County, Ill., settling ten miles from Alton. Mr. SETTLEMIRE was raised at 
Brighton, Ill., on a farm, and his education was limited to six months' attendance 
at a log schoolhouse of the primitive kind, having slab seats, and the marked lack 
of school comforts characteristic of the school buildings of the frontier. In his
seventeenth year, he left home to serve an apprenticeship to the cabinet-maker's trade 
at Carlinville, Ill., where he worked three years; he then gave up that trade and 
commenced carpentering, at which he continued until 1858, at Brighton, Bunker Hill 
and Gillespie, as contractor; his last work was a large flouring-mill at Gillespie, 
Ill., and he ran it until 1861, when he sold the mill to J. D. MARTIN, and engaged in 
the grain business, in connection with merchandising, at that place, until the fall 
of 1866, when he purchased property in Litchfield, and, the following year, erected 
his present homestead, and the grain elevator now known as the O. K. Mills and Elevator, 
it being the first regular grain house kept in operation here throughout the year. In 
that year he brought his family here, and has since been a resident of this city. In 
1870, he closed out the mills to J. B. L. KEATING. Mr. SETTLEMIRE built the Wabash
Elevator, and furnished it with a "dump" and corresponding machinery for handling,
unloading, shelling and cleaning corn, it being the first one used in the State;
consequently, it attracted much attention and admiration, and succeeded in 
revolutionizing the methods of handling grain. In 1871, he built the Harvel Elevator, 
and, with Maj. R. McWILLIAMs, laid out the town. In 1873, he rebuilt the elevator at 
Mt. Olive, and, six years later, bought and remodeled the elevator at Morrisonville, 
which he is still running. On March 20, 1876, Mr. SETTLEMIRE was elected President of 
the Litchfield Car Manufacturing Company, which had made an assignment, on March 3, 
to Mr. M. M. MARTIN, as assignee, for whom our subject ran the business until August, 
1877, when he purchased the property of the car manufacturing company, and then 
organized the Litchfield Car and Machine Company, of which H. H. BEACH was elected 
first President. On August 14, 1878, Mr. SETTLEMIRE was elected President of the 
company, and ever since has been annually ere-elected to that position. By careful
management and shrewd judgment, Mr. SETTLEMIRE has greatly increased its value, and 
the product in 1881 was about $1,000,000. Mr. SETTLEMIRE's marriage occurred November 
29, 1849, the lady being Sarah J. ADAMS, daugh-

[Page 169] 

ter of John ADAMS, a native of Massachusetts; their children are George L., Iola E., 
the son being married. 

F. W. STAHL, Secretary and Treasurer of Car and Machine Company, Litchfield, was born 
in Prussia, Germany, in the province of Posen, on August 3, 1833. At the age of 
fourteen yeas, he began learning coppersmithing in his native town of Chodziesin, where 
he served four years’ apprenticeship, and, in 1852, sailed for the Untied States, 
landing in New York City; he worked two years in Albany, N. Y., then one year in New 
York City, after which he went to Texas, remaining a short time. After this, he worked
three months at New Orleans, when he came to Illinois, via St. Louis, and settled in
Bloomington, where he worked five years in the Chicago & Alton Railroad shops. In 
February, 1860, he went to Alabama and engaged in the stove and tinware business, but, 
the war coming on, he returned in August to Litchfield, Ill., and here found employment 
in the railroad shops for eighteen months, and, at the expiration of that period, he 
bought out the stove and tinware business of John FOWLER, and conducted with it 
extensive trade in hardware and agricultural implements, with good success, until 
1875; he then disposed of the hardware branch of his business, and for two years dealt 
in agricultural implements alone; he then settled up his business, and became a 
stockholder in the Litchfield Car and Machine Company in 1879. In August, 1880, he 
became a Director of the company; in March, 1881, was made Treasurer; and in August, 
1881, he was elected Secretary and Treasurer, a position he still holds. Mr. STAHL is 
also a stockholder in the McWILLIAMS Oil and Mining Company. In 1857, at Bloomington, 
Ill., he married Miss Margaret J. WALDRON, a native of New York State.

Hon. Elizur SOUTHWORTH, lawyer, Litchfield, was born in West Fairlee, Vt., September 
22, 1826; his parents were also natives of the same State; on the paternal side, of 
English extraction, and on the maternal side, his ancestry was of Irish birth. His
education was acquired at the academy in Bradford, Vt., in the high school at Post 
Mills, and in the Thelford High School, at one time a famous educational establishment. 
He was the youngest of a family of five, and, at a very early age, was compelled to 
rely upon his own exertions to secure a livelihood. At the age of eighteen, he 
commenced teaching school, a calling which he pursued in Vermont, Massachusetts and 
in New Hampshire, thus securing, while instructing his pupils, a fair and varied 
education. In 1847, he removed to Illinois, where he continued to teach in several 
counties during the ensuing three years. In 1850, he went to California, crossing the
plains on foot, and driving an ox team from St. Joe to Sacramento. Upon arriving at 
his destination, having experienced many hardships on the road thither, he engaged in
mining for about fifteen months; he then returned to the East, to Bradford, Vt., where 
he became the proprietor by purchase of a newspaper establishment, which he conducted 
one year, until his business was destroyed by fire. In the spring of 1854, he again 
removed to Illinois, and settled in Montgomery County, where he engaged in farming and
agricultural pursuits, continuing thus employed during the succeeding four years. 
Having applied himself to the study of law while teaching school, he was admitted to 
the bar in 1859, and, in January of that year, entered upon the practice of his 
profession in Litchfield, where he has since permanently resided, engrossed in 
professional labors, his practice being very extensive and lucrative. Politically, he 
was 

[Page 170]

Originally a Democrat, but in 1856, he cast his vote for John C. FREMONT, and was
eventually one of the original Republicans of the State; after that time, he voted 
with the Republican party until 1872, when he cast his vote in favor of Horace GREELEY, 
and has since acted with the Democrats; in 1869, he was nominated by his party for 
County Judge, but failed to secure an election, the county having been always governed 
by Democratic views, although on this occasion he reduced a 600 majority to thirty-six.
Starting out in life young, poor and friendless, he has been truly the architect of his 
own fortune, and has won his present enviable position as a legal practitioner and as 
an esteemed citizen solely through his own abilities and tireless energy. In 1876 and 
1878, he was elected to the State Legislature from Montgomery and Christian Counties, 
and served four years; he was elected Mayor of Litchfield in 1881, and served one term; 
he served in the State Senate from 1878 to 1880.

James A. SMITH, ice-dealer, St. Louis, Mo., was born in London, England, in 1823, and 
was a lighterman on the River Thames. He came to the United States in 1857, and first
located in Chicago, Ill., where he dealt in grain three years, and went thence to St.
Louis, Mo., where he began dealing in ice in a wholesale and retail way, the trade at 
that time being but small everywhere. In connection with ice, he was engaged in 
wrecking on the Upper and Lower Mississippi River during the war, his work being the
raising of sunken boats. At the close of the war, he began extending the ice business 
from year to year, until he has now thirty houses scattered through the States of 
Illinois, Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota, which have an aggregate capacity of 150,000 
tons, which is shipped by barge and railroad to the Mississippi Valley as far south 
as Texas; during the cutting season, he employs from five hundred to seven hundred men, 
and in the shipping season has from fifty to eighty men. In the spring of 1880, James 
A. SMITH & Son purchased five acres of land, lying between the Wabash, St. Louis & 
Pacific Railroad and the Litchfield reservoir, and leased the ice privilege of about
three-fourths of the reservoir for twenty years, and, in November, 1880, they began 
the construction of an ice-house which cost $28,000, being 160x160 feet, thirty-six 
feet high, with a self-supporting roof, and three-feet walls filled with saw-dust, 
the whole having a capacity of 21,500 tons; this house is filled by the Knickerbocker
endless chain hoisting machinery, which has a capacity of 1,200 tons per day; the 
present firm is James A., Sr., and James A., Jr. The Litchfield building was erected 
under the supervision of Mr. Arthur SMITH, who is the youngest son of our subject, and 
who has had charge of this and the Oakland, Iowa, department, which latter consists of
three houses. Mr. SMITH’s general office is at No. 817 North Seventh street, St. Louis, 
Mo.

William S. LEA, grocer, Litchfield, was born in Yorkshire, England, in February, 1830, 
and came to the United States in 1848; he learned the trade of stone-cutter and mason 
at Spofforth, England, beginning at the age of thirteen years and serving nearly six 
years’ apprenticeship. In the United States he was contractor and bridge-builder on 
several railroads until 1859, first working on the Des Moines Canal, in Iowa and 
Missouri, and afterward on the Alton & Chicago Railroad with his two brothers, building 
the masonry from Alton to Carlinville; on the Pacific Railroad he constructed the 
bridge across the Des Press River; he was employed on the masonry of the Illinois 
Central Railroad bridge spanning the Little Wabash, and the Iron Mountain bridge across 
the Merri-

[Page 171]

mac River; in 1857, he took contract for grading and masonry of five miles on the West
Branch of the Pacific Railroad, at the completion of which, in 1859, he settled on a 
farm in Macoupin County, Ill., which he operated until 1866, when he removed to 
Litchfield, Ill., and for two years was a contractor on the North Missouri Railroad. 
In 1868, he embarked in the grocery business in Litchfield, continuing until 1876, 
when a fire destroyed the entire stock and building, covered by only partial insurance;
from that period until 1881, he managed his farm and other interests, and in the latter
year again opened a grocery on State street, in which he is still doing a good business.
Samuel LEA, the father of William S., was a surveyor and civil engineer, and came to
Illinois in 1850, and for two years resided in Alton, then removed to Centralia, where 
both parents died in 1857, of milk sickness. Our subject married, April 30, 1852, Miss
Caroline BARRETT, youngest daughter of Elisha BARRETT, one of the early settlers of 
Greene County, Ill. Elisha BARETT was born in the State of Virginia, of Scotch-Irish
parentage, somewhere about the year 1779; he came to Kentucky when small, with his 
parents, who settled near Lexington, where, on reaching manhood, he married Mary 
Jenkins, an English lady, by whom he had twelve children, five of whom are still 
living; he became the owner of a large landed estate in Oldham County, Ky., on which 
he farmed until about 1836, when he was dispossessed of his property by a prior French
claim, and sought a home in the West, settling in Greene County, this State, where he
resided until his death, in January, 1845; his widow, left with a large family,
subsequently removed to Alton, Ill., where he died in 1851. Mr. and Mrs. LEA are the
parents of eight children, three of whom died in infancy, and four are living – Edwin, 
a farmer of this county; Charlie; Harry, who died at the age of seventeen; Jennie and
Sammy.

Preston SHEPHERD, farmer, P. O. Litchfield, was born in Kentucky on November 7, 1832. 
When an infant, he was brought to Illinois by his parents, who settled east of 
Hillsboro, Montgomery County, but, after a few years, removed to Section 15, North
Litchfield Township; his father owned 120 acres of timber land there, and died on the 
farm where Bluford BANDY now lives, leaving a wife and four children, two of whom are
deceased. Hiram SHEPHERD, the only brother of our subject, lives in the eastern part 
of Montgomery County. The widowed mother, Mrs. Anna (BROWN) SHEPHERD, died in 1846, 
leaving our subject at the age of fourteen, an orphan without means; she had been
previously married to Mr. Henry HILL, and had two children of that marriage. When 
thrown upon his own resources at so early an age, Mr. SHEPHERD worked by the month, 
doing different kinds of work; he was frugal, and, with his savings, purchased his
brothers' and sisters' interests in their father's estate; having gotten that in his
possession, he farmed it until 1862, when he exchanged it for his present farm in 
Section 16, of 120 acres, to which he since has added largely. Mr. SHEPHERD has lived 
here just twenty years, during which period he has been very successful raising grain; 
he has now 330 acres of land, all earned by his own labor and perseverance, except the
one-fourth interest bequeathed him of his father's farm of 120 acres. In 1857, he 
married Miss Sarah A. THOMPSON, daughter of Peter THOMPSON, a farmer of this county; 
he is the father of eight children, three of whom are deceased.

Joseph STREHLE, retired, Litchfield, was born in the town of Aeffinen, Wurtemberg, 
Germany, on June 10, 1835; he attended school until he attained the age of fourteen 

[Page 172]

years, and then served three years’ apprenticeship to the trade of wood-turning. In 
1854, he came to the United States, locating in New York City, where he entered a 
bakery, remaining one year; the following year, he came to Alton, Ill., and conducted 
a confectionery and restaurant business there until 1866, when he came to Litchfield, 
Ill.; here he established a bakery, which he conducted until 1880 with fair success, 
and then sold out on account of feeble health. At Alton, in 1860, he married Miss 
Mary EITER, who died five years later, leaving two daughters. Hem married Miss Minnie
WEIPERT, of Litchfield, in 1868, which union has been blessed with one son. His father,
John STREHLE, was a farmer and baker, and died when our subject was but nine years old; 
his mother’s maiden name was Barbara MENNE; he has two brothers living in Wurtemberg.

Edward SUMMERFIELD, merchant tailor and clothier, Litchfield, was born in Posen, 
Prussia, on August 5, 1829; his ancestors for several generations were merchants. He
received his education in the common schools of Posen, and from private instruction 
in his father’s home, which, at the age of sixteen years, he left, and traveled in 
England, selling merchandise until 1856, when he came to the United States, landing 
in New York in September. From there by ocean route he went to New Orleans, thence 
to St. Louis, Mo., which place he reached in March, 1857, with small means; he 
traveled thence to Illinois for one year, with merchandise, and, during that period,
decided to locate here, which he did on March 13, 1858; he opened a stock of clothing, 
and was the first regular clothier to locate here; his first stock cost $850, and his
business has grown steadily from year to year; by close attention to business, he has 
built up a large trade; for several years he conducted the business personally, until 
it largely increased, and, since 1870, has admitted some of his employees into 
partnership, and at the marriage of his daughter, in 1880, the present firm, Summerfield
& Co., consisting of Mr. SUMMERFIELD and his son-in-law, I. L. MOSSLER, formerly of
Indianapolis, Ind., was formed. During his twenty-four years’ experience here, e has
educated a goodly number of young men in the clothing trade, many of whom are now very
successful business men; in 18667, he added a merchant tailoring department, and now
occupies two large business rooms; in his business and manufacturing department, he 
employs twenty men. In 1880, Mr. SUMMERFIELD began the manufacture of gas for the 
purpose of lighting his business rooms, which are illuminated by fifty-four jets; his 
stock has grown with consecutive years of active labor and constantly increasing sales,
from $650 to $50,000 per year.

C. R. STEVENSON, passenger and freight agent of the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railroad,
Litchfield, was born in Lawrenceburg, Ind., July 6, 1856; when quite young, he went with
his parents to Indianapolis, Ind., where he lived until he was nine years old; the 
family then removed to New York City, where they lived until 1878. Mr. STEVENSON was
educated in the public schools of New York City, and in private schools in New England. 
In the spring of 1871, he went to Europe, where he attended a preparatory school at 
Dresden one year, and another at Munich, Bavaria, for the same length of time, after 
which he spent three years there in the study of engineering in the Polytechnic 
Institute. In July, 1876, he returned, and worked on the architecture of the Coney 
Island and Manhattan Beach Hotel, where for a time he remained as clerk. In January, 
1878, he was made a clerk in the general freight office of the Wabash Railroad at Toledo, 

[Page 173]

Ohio, remaining one and a half years. He then came to Litchfield, in July, 1879, where 
he since has been passenger and freight agent of the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific 
Railroad. His father, Columbus S. STEVENSON, was born in New Orleans, La., in 1817, 
but moved to Kentucky when young, and lived in that State and in Indiana until after 
the late war, in which he served, being Paymaster; later, he was Cashier of the State
National Bank of Indiana, at Indianapolis; he is now Inspector of the Manhattan 
Elevated Railroad. He married, in New York City, Miss Julia ELLIS, a native of that 
city.

F. M. STRATTON, physician, Litchfield, was born in Jefferson County, Ind., September 
22, 1829, and, being left an orphan at an early age, be began, when nine years old, 
to earn a living and secure an education for himself; he was employed in a drug store 
at that place for a period of one and a half years; at the age of thirteen, he removed 
to Jefferson County, Ky., thence to Henry County, Ky., where, at the age of seventeen , 
he began to learn the trade of carpentering, at which he hoped to earn means to pay for 
an education; he served as apprentice three years, and then began taking contracts. In 
the evening, after his work by the firelight he studied medicine, being without a 
tutor; his early education was obtained through many difficulties, and all his spare 
hours were devoted to earnest study of the profession he has since adopted and now
practices with marked success. At the age of twenty-two years, he married, in Kentucky, 
and in 1852, removed to Morgan County, Ind., taking some large contracts at Morgantown,
which he completed with good success. In August of the following year, he returned to
Kentucky, and there his wife died in June, 1854. In the fall of that year, he entered 
the Medical Department of Michigan University at Ann Arbor, taking a six-months’ course,
at the close of which he entered the office of Dr. O. B. PAYNE, at Columbus, Adams Co.,
Ill. In the fall of 1855, he entered the Iowa University at Keokuk, and graduated in
medicine in March, 1856. He located at Ashland, Iowa, where he practiced a short time; 
he then removed to Mill River, Mass., and practiced among the old Berkshire hills 
eighteen months, and again, in 1858, removed to Fort Madison, Iowa, where he practiced
three years, leaving, in May, 1861, for Louisville, Ky., where, with his brother, he
engaged in the drug business. The war coming on and cutting off Southern trade made 
it expedient for them to sell out their stock of drugs, which they did in less than a 
year, and the following winter, he took a partial course of lectures in the University 
of Louisville. In May, 1862, he landed in Hillsboro, Ill., and there became the medical
partner of Dr. OWEN; here he continued two years, and, in April, 1864, he started 
overland for Montana Territory, in search of adventure, gold and health; he spent 
nearly two years in the mines, and returned to Illinois in July, 1866, locating 
permanently in Litchfield, where he has practiced ever since, except during a portion 
of the years 1877 and 1878, which he spent in Kentucky and Texas. Mr. STRATTON’s 
children are John A., Owen T. and Francis M. Dr. OWEN was for over seventeen years in 
the same office with our subject.

Moses B. SAVAGE, merchant, Litchfield, was born in Granville, Washington Co., N. Y., 
on June 8, 1803, and, at the age of one year, was removed by his parents to Onondaga
County; he received a good common-school education, and remained with his father until 
he was thirty years of age, assisting him on the farm and in his mills and shops. He 
was married, at Delphi, N. Y., in February, 1828, to a Miss CLARK, who died 

[Page 174] 

March 12, 1830. October 23, 1835, he married Mrs. Sophia COBB, a native of Greenville, 
N. Y., daughter of Aaron and Rebecca (TUTTLE) LAKE. Mr. SAVAGE had the following 
children: Lucia M., deceased, Marcia Adeline, Sophia Lake and Moses. In 1833, he went 
to Michigan, and lived in Monroe eleven years, engaged in mercantile business; he then 
went back to New York, and was two years in Onondaga County; he hoped thus to regain 
his health, which became impaired in Michigan. In 1847, he went to New York City; 
residing in Brooklyn, he was Superintendent of a large manufacturing establishment for 
a period of ten years. He came to Litchfield in March, 1857, and formed a partnership 
with E. E. LITCHFIELD in the hardware business, continuing two years; he next engaged 
in the dry goods business, and continued two years, after which he was a partner in
mercantile business with Mr. PALMER, with whom, under the firm name of PALMER & Co., 
he was connected from 1869 to 1879, since which time he has been salesman for Mr. 
TOWEY. Mr. SAVAGE has been in active business for nearly fifty years; he was the 
third Mayor of the city of Litchfield; politically, he was a Whig, and is a Republican.

William B. SCHOEN, merchant, Litchfield, was born in Bavaria, Germany, on October 13, 
1843. He was in his fifth year when he came with his parents to the Untied States; 
they settled in Franklin County, Mo., and his father carried on a shoe-shop there 
until 1853, when they removed to Baltimore, Md.; there our subject lived with them 
until 1857, when he came to St. Louis, Mo., and lived with an uncle, entering his 
employ in a gun and jewelry store, and continuing until the war broke out, when his 
uncle became a Sutler, attached to the Fifteenth Army Corps, and Mr. SCHOEN became 
its manager, acting as such until 1864, when he was employed in Little Rock, Ark., 
for a year, as clerk; he next opened a dry goods and clothing house in Mattoon, Ill., 
and conducted business therein until March, 1866, when he engaged in the clothing 
and gents’ furnishing business in Kansas City, Mo., until October, 1868, when he went 
to Omaha, Neb., remaining until 1870, in the clothing trade. In February, 1870, he 
came to Litchfield, Ill., and here became a member of the firm Levy & Schoen. J. LEVY 
being the senior partner in the house until September 1, 1875, when he sold to his 
brother, S. LEVY, and the new firm continued under the same name until February 18, 
1878, when it was dissolved, and Mr. SCHOEN has since continued the business in his 
own name. He located at No. 45 State street, and there does a prosperous business in 
dry goods, millinery and fancy goods; he employs six persons, exclusive of the 
dress-making department, which employs from ten to fifteen ladies. Mr. SCHOEN was 
married, in Baltimore, Md., December 4, 1873, to Rose MANDELBAUM, a native of 
Winchester, Va., born February 4, 1856; they have one child, Ira D.

Ezra TYLER, deceased, was born in Boston, Mass., in 1793, and lived near his birthplace
during his youth, receiving a good common-school education, after which he engaged his
services as clerk until he reached manhood, when he came West to Indiana and settled on 
a farm near Michigan City, where he married Miss Maria CONNAWAY; in a few years, he 
removed to Aurora, Ind., and there conducted a farm until 1846, when he sold out and 
came to Montgomery County, Ill., where he bought a farm of about five hundred acres in
different sections in South Litchfield Township, about one hundred and sixty acres of 
which comprised that part of Litchfield City south of the Indianapolis & St. Louis
Railroad. This portion of the county was but sparsely settled when he came, and he 

[Page 175]

was obliged to find market and trading points at Hillsboro, Carlinville and St. Louis. 
He erected a log cabin near the southeast corner of the city limits, now known as 
Tyler’s Third Addition, where he lived five years, and then built the house now occupied 
by his son, Larkin, whose sketch is hereunto appended. Until the completion of the
Indianapolis & St. Louis Railroad, he devoted his attention to farming, and afterward, 
in addition to his farming interests, he bought and enlarged a steam flouring-mill, 
located on the site of the present Planet Mills, and ran it several years; he then 
engaged in the manufacture of brick, and sold to different parties tracts of land, out 
of which three additions were made to the city. In politics, he was a Whig, and
subsequently a Republican, and took an active part in public affairs. He died in the 
fall of 1872. He was the father of twelve children, all but one born in Indiana; but 
three are deceased; those living are, viz.: Mrs. James PARMLEE, now near Los Angeles,
Cal.,; Jesse, John and Shelby, residents of Kansas; Mrs. Ed C. THORPE and Mrs. James
THALLS. Those who reside in this county are Miss Almira TYLER, William and Larkin G. 
Larkin G. TYLER was born near Aurora, Ind., in October, 1845, and was but one year old 
when his parents moved to this county, where he has since resided, receiving his 
education here in the public schools. At the age of fifteen years, he engaged his 
services as clerk in the clothing house of A. R. MONFORTE, continuing his services 
one year, when the firm of Ludden & Forrester came here, and he engaged his services 
to them; the firm afterward became Luden & Taylor; he remained in that house some 
three years. In 1866, he engaged in the grocery business on Jackson street, and for 
eight years conducted business there. In June, 1877, he became Assistant Postmaster,
serving for a short time, when he became agent for the American and the United States
Express Companies, which agencies he retained until the latter was superseded by the
Pacific Express Company, since which time he has conducted the agency of the American
Express Company exclusively. He represents several fire insurance companies. He is a 
stanch Republican, and served as Alderman of Litchfield. In 1873, he married Miss LYTLE, 
of Carlinville. 

Luke TERRY was born in 1833, in Harrison County, Old Virginia (now West Virginia). 
He received a fair education in the schools of his native State, which he improved by 
his own personal efforts. On attaining his majority, he engaged in merchandising, and
speculating in various enterprises. In the fall of 1865, he came to Illinois, and 
purchased 190 acres of land in North Litchfield Township where he has since resided,
engaged in farming and the raising of stock of a fine grade; he has a fine orchard on 
his farm. In 1857, he married Ann Eliza McKINNEY, a native of West Virginia, who bore 
him seven sons, of whom five are living. Mr. TERRY lived near the West Virginia oil 
region, and, previous to and during the war, operated in oil and oil lands; he also 
dealt in horses.

J. W. THYNNE was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1842; his parents were of Scotch descent. 
He received his education in a parochial school about seventeen miles south of Dublin,
having moved from the city when nine years old; left school at the age of fifteen and
worked at farming; clerked in a store for a time, and also followed the occupation of
a fisherman. In 1862, he emigrated to the United States, and came to St. Louis, Mo., 
in November of that year, where he lived with his step-father, a merchant tailor of 
that city, until August 3, 1863, when he enlisted in Company K, Eleventh Missouri

[Page 176]

Cavalry, and served until the close of the war, in Third Brigade, Second Division of 
the Seventh Corps, which operated in Arkansas until they were ordered to New Orleans, 
La., where they were mustered out in 1865; he first served as private; was promoted 
to a Sergeancy, and afterward commissioned Second Lieutenant of his company. At the 
close of the war, he returned to St. Louis and engaged in tailoring with his 
step-father until 1868, studying meanwhile, in his spare hours, at the Rohrer 
Commercial College of St. Louis, from which he graduated; he held the position of 
clerk in the office of the Chief Commissary of the Military Division of Missouri 
for thirteen months; was engaged as clerk and book-keeper in Alton, Ill., and 
Cleveland, Ohio, for twenty months; he was employed as book-keeper with George S. 
SHYROCK & Co., tobacco manufacturers, three years, and afterward at Victoria, Ark., 
as clerk, for nearly a year; he then returned to St. Louis, where he held the position 
of book-keeper for the Home Bitters Company six years; afterward, book-keeper in the 
office of the Atlantic Milling Company form February, 1881, until August of the same 
year, when he came to Litchfield and bought the B. B. B. Mills, which he has since
conducted under the firm name of J. W. THYNNE & Co. Mr. THYNNE married, in Litchfield, 
in 1878, Emma, daughter of Peter BOXBERGER, of Litchfield; the mills (old process) are
situated on the Bee Line; they have a capacity of about eighty barrels a day, and do 
a good custom and merchant business.

Charles T. TOBIN was born in New Orleans, La., August 25, 1849. His father, who was 
a grocer, moved to St. Louis when subject was two years old, and remained there three
years, during which time four of subject’s brothers died of cholera.  The family then
removed to Peoria County, Ill., in 1854, where the father died about four years 
afterward, leaving five small children, Charles T. being the second son living. The 
mother then moved with her family to Brimfield, Peoria County, where the boys worked 
at anything they could find to do for the support of the family. Charles T. worked on 
a farm in summer and attended the town school in winter. At the age of seventeen, he
entered the office of the Carlinville Democrat, where he remained four years, and
thoroughly mastered the business in its various branches; he then obtained a position 
as foreman on the Cape Girardeau News; stayed about a year, and came to Hillsboro, 
Ill., in March, 1870; became foreman of the Hillsboro News Letter, working half time 
in the office, attending the remainder of the day the Hillsboro Academy, and pursuing 
his studies at night; he purchased the News Letter September 11, 1874, and, in 
partnership with James L. SLACK, published the Hillsboro Journal, the successor of 
the News Letter. After six months, he sold out his interest in the paper to Mr. SLACK, 
and became foreman of the Illinois Sentinel, of Jacksonville, remaining in that 
position three months. He then went to Springfield, Mo., where he had been engaged 
as foreman in the office of the Springfield Leader. There he remained six months; was
afterward foreman of the Shelbyville Leader for a short time, and, July 30, 1875, 
purchased the Hillsboro Journal, changed the name to that of the Montgomery News, and,
after eight months, sold a half interest in the paper to Ben A. JOHNSON. After this 
firm had published the paper a year, George W. PAISLEY, on August 11, 1876, bought out
JOHNSON's interest in the business; this new firm then managed the paper till February 
23, 1882, when they sold out to Col. JOHNSON. PAISLEY & TOBIN then purchased the 
Litchfield Democrat, changed the name to the Litchfield 

[Page 177] 

Advocate, and have since conducted it under that name.

James TOBIN, foreman machinery department care and machine shops, Litchfield, a native 
of County Clare, Ireland, was born in 1838. Coming alone to America in 1850, he was for 
a year a student in Burr Seminary, Vermont, and then went to sea, sailing to Cadiz via 
New Orleans, and then making several voyages between New York and Liverpool, going next
around the Horn to San Francisco; on the return voyage, he visited Callao and Lima, and
then the Chincha Islands; doubling Cape Horn, he sailed to England, and then on order 
to New York. After six yeas of seafaring, and reaching the position of Second Mate, he
abandoned nautical life and entered a machine shop under instruction. In December, 1857, 
he began work here for the Terre Haute & Alton Railroad, first as a fireman, then as 
clerk in the storeroom, and then for ten years as time-taker in the shops, until, in 
1870, they were removed to Mattoon. When the Litchfield Car Works were opened, in 1872, 
he entered their service, and, in March, 1881, was foreman of the machinery department. 
He married, in May, 1859, Miss Eliza MOON, a daughter of his native isle.

John H. TILDEN, M. D., Litchfield. Joseph G. TILDEN was born in Norwich, Windsor Co., 
Vt., on May 19, 1810; he was the son of John TILDEN, a New Hampshire farmer; his 
mother's maiden name was Grace GOODRICH, of Vermont, where John TILDEN ultimately 
settled and raised his family, consisting of five boys and one girl. Joseph G. began 
his education in the common schools of Vermont, and, in that State and in Massachusetts, 
he taught school, at the same time pursuing his medical studies; he attended lectures 
in the medical schools of Castleton and Woodstock, graduating at the University of 
Norwich. Following this, he pursued his post graduate studies, in connection with
school-teaching, for eight years. At Highland, Ill., he began the practice of his
profession, and for two years taught the schools of that place. He removed to Van
Burensburg, Montgomery County, in 1843, that place being then one of the best business
points in the county; he practiced his profession there, in conjunction with the drug 
and general merchandise business, until 1871, when he removed to Raymond, Ill., where 
he now lives. He was one of the first practitioners of this county; when he located 
here, he found Drs. HILLIS and HERRICK practicing in Hillsboro, and Dr. LANE at 
Fillmore; they were the only regular doctors here, he thinks, and there may have been 
a few irregular. In that early day, the country was rough and wild, the doctors being
obliged to travel mostly on horseback, and, owing to the sparsely settled country, 
their rides were long and tiresome; he rode twenty miles, his practice extending to 
near where Ramsey, Nokomis and Irving are now located, and also into Fayette and Bond
Counties; today, he is the only surviving physician who practiced in Montgomery County 
when he settled here. Joseph G. was married to Ann W. HILL, daughter of John and Sarah
(CASEY) HILL, who was born in this county in 1819, her parents being among the early
emigrants here from Kentucky. Form that marriage have been born nine children: three
daughters died in early infancy; the six remaining are Joseph, a locomotive engineer,
living in Mississippi; John H., subject; Scott S., druggist, of Raymond; Seth H., now
studying medicine with his father; Ruth E., wife of H. C. COLEMAN, commission merchant 
of St. Louis; and George A., who is drug clerk for his brother Scott. Dr. John H. 
TILDEN, subject of this sketch, was born in 

[Page 178] 

Montgomery County, Ill., on January 21, 1851, and was educated in the public schools 
of Litchfield. He left home at the age of seventeen to labor for his own support and
education. He began the study of medicine with his father, and, at the age of seventeen,
had finished reading several works on medicine. In September, 1869, he entered the 
office of Dr. J. FELLOWS, of Nokomis, Ill., and read two years, when he entered the
Eclectic Medical Institute of Cincinnati, Ohio, attending lectures there two sessions, 
and graduating on May 21, 1872. He began practice in Nokomis, Ill., continuing eight 
years; in the meantime, during the spring of 1877, taking a post graduate course in 
the American Medical College at St. Louis, Mo. In August, 1879, he left Nokomis, and 
for two sessions was connected with the American Medical College as lecturer in anatomy 
and physiology, residing in St. Louis until June, 1881, when he came to Litchfield and
formed a partnership with Dr. R. F. BENNETT, with whom, under the firm name of BENNETT 
& TILDEN, he enjoys a large and lucrative practice; he is a member of the State and 
county medical societies and was elected Adjunct Professor of Anatomy in the American
Medical College in June, 1872. In September, 1873, he married Miss Rebecca MADDUX, 
of Hillsboro, Ill., and by their union there are two children living, namely, Edna 
and Elsie.

Edwin C. THORP, grocer, Litchfield, was born at Upper Alton, Ill., May 21, 1843. At 
the age of five years, he accompanied his parents to Springfield, and, after living 
there three years, moved to Woodburn, Ill., where he remained until 1862, and engaged 
in farming. In August, 1862, he enlisted in Capt. Carr’s company at Upper Alton, and 
served two years; he was ten months in the Eightieth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, 
and assigned to the Army of the Cumberland; his regiment passed through twenty-three 
hard fought engagements, besides skirmishes; he was in all the active engagements of 
his regiment, and was only off duty three days from sickness, he was taken prisoner 
on Sand Mountain in 1863, while on a raid in Georgia; Col. Streights’ brigade were 
all captured, and were only in the hands of the enemy fourteen days, when they were
paroled. Mr. THORP was mustered out at the close of the war, and came to Litchfield 
in July, 1865; here he engaged in the fruit and grocery business on State street,
continuing for a period of five months; after selling off his stock, he was successively 
an employee in the business houses of Smith & Tuttle, J. LEVY, L. LEVY and Valentine
HOFFMAN; Mr. HOFFMAN sold his interest to Ezra TYLER, and our subject continued for a 
time with the new firm; he afterward entered the employ of Mr. STETSON, continuing 
eighteen months, when he went into business for himself, buying out William EDWARDS 
in December, 1872, but in a few months sold his stock at auction. After spending five
months as shipping clerk in a sash and blind factory in Chicago, Ill., he returned to
Litchfield and engaged his services to Mr. HOFFMAN again; after continuing five years, 
he became the partner of Mr. LEACH, and established a grocery and boot and shoe business 
on Jackson street, near the Catholic Church; here they have built up a large and
flourishing trade; in 1881, they enlarged and improved their store. Mr. THORP was 
married, on May 23, 1867, to Miss Rachel L. TYLER, daughter of Ezra TYLER, of 
Litchfield; they have six children - Addison C., William T., Frances, Edwin, an 
infant child
which died unnamed, and Bertha.

James THALLS, undertaker, Litchfield, was born in Preble County, Ohio, near Eaton, on 
June 27, 1825, and lived there until 1852. At the age of Twenty years, he 

[Page 179] 

learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed, in connection with farming, in Ohio, 
and moved to this (Montgomery) county in the fall of 1852, settling on a farm of 
eighty acres, which now is included in the southwestern part of the city of Litchfield. 
In 1853, he sold his farm, and until 1860 devoted his attention to his trade, putting 
up many of the early buildings of this city, among others the Presbyterian Church, and 
also took several contracts in the county. In 1860, he bought another farm, west of 
the city, and conducted it, at the same time plying his trade; his farm he owned 
twenty years. Mr. THALLS has been a contractor here for almost thirty years. In 1882, 
he engaged in the undertaking business on Barnes street, with Edward GREENE. In 1848, 
he married Miss Hester D. WHITLOCK, in Eaton, Ohio; she died in 1868, leaving six 
children, all of whom are now living. In 1870, he married Mrs. Maria SHORE, daughter 
of Ezra TYLER; he has one son by the last marriage. Mr. THALLS is a consistent member 
of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

D. A. TINKLEPAUGH, engineer, Litchfield, was born Poughkeepsie, N. Y., in 1839, and 
came West in 1856 with his parents, who settled in Livingston County, Ill., removing 
thence to Iroquois County, where his father died in 1864. Five years after that event, 
our subject went to Chicago, Ill., and there entered upon an apprenticeship in the 
machine shop of Mason & McARTHUR, serving three years, after which he worked for a 
short time as journeyman in that city. He soon began running an engine, and, at the 
close of the war, went to Milwaukee, Wis., where he acted as engineer for Hunter & 
Bros. in their large mills for a period of about four years, at the expiration of 
which he went to Minneapolis, Minn., where for ten years he was chief engineer in the 
large lumber mills of William H. ELDRED; he went thence to Sauk Center, Minn., as 
engineer in the flouring-mills of Harmon Holmes & Co., continuing until February, 
1882, on the 20th of which month he came to Litchfield and became chief engineer in 
the Planet Mills of D. L. WING & Co., which responsible position he holds still. His
parents were natives of Dutchess County, N. Y., and his father was a farmer.

Mother Ursula, Superior of Ursuline Community at Litchfield, was born in Elberfield,
Prussia, where she lived until she was twelve years of age, when she came with her 
parents to the United States, in 1848. They located in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she
continued her education wit the Sisters of Notre Dame for a period of two years. They 
then removed to St. Louis, Mo., where she was further educated by the Sisters of the 
Sacred Heart, until 1852. Two years later, she entered the community of the Ursulines 
at St. Louis, Mo., and, in 1856, took the vows of that order. She was assigned to the 
work of teaching, and taught in St. Louis until 1859, when they established a community 
of Ursulines at Alton, Ill., and she was one of the seven sisters who took charge of 
the work of teaching there, continuing until 1880, in September of which year she was 
sent to preside as Superior of the community of Ursulines at Litchfield, Ill.; she at
present has charge of the academy. ...

Col. Delso VanDEUSEN, Litchfield, banker, was born in Jamestown, N. Y., in December, 
1823, and there received a good academic education. He came West in 1846, and located 
in Dayton, Ohio, until 1857, being connected with the boot, shoe and leather business, 
and moved thence to Illinois, locating in Litchfield in July, 1858. After the war 
broke out, he raised a company of volunteer infantry for three years, and was elected 
its Captain; this company was the first 

[Page 180]

raised in this section of the country for three years, as the call for three-year
volunteers had but recently been made; he raised this company at that time when 
Missouri was in danger of being taken by the Confederate soldiers, and when even 
her Governor was favoring the rebellion; this made the demand for Union soldiers 
in Missouri greater than the supply, and our subject, with his company, through a 
desire to enlist their services where there was greatest need, went immediately, June 
16, 1862, and joined the Sixth Missouri Infantry in defense of the United States 
Arsenal at St. Louis; their company, with the regiment, served as guard to Pilot Knob 
and Iron Mountain, and in November, went to join Fremont in the march on Springfield;
returning, they went into camp at Otterville during the winter. In May, 1862, they 
joined Gen. Grant at Pittsburg Landing, becoming a part of the First Brigade, Second
Division, Fifteenth Army Corps, under command of Gen. W. T. Sherman, and served with 
his army until the close of the war, participating in the siege of Vicksburg, Mission
Ridge, the capture of Atlanta, the march to the sea, through Georgia and the Carolinas. 
Our subject commanded his company (H) in the Sixth Missouri Regiment until March, 
1864, when, the regiment having re-enlisted, he succeeded to the command of the 
regiment, and advanced to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and commanded the Veteran 
Sixth Missouri Volunteer Infantry until the close of the war, being mustered out of 
service at St. Louis, with his regiment, in September, 1865. After his return to
Litchfield, the Colonel served four years as City Magistrate, and, at the expiration 
of that period, became Cashier of the bank of Beach, Davis & Co., which position he 
still creditably fills; he is at present City Treasurer, which office he has held 
six years.

Daniel P. WOODMAN, lumber-dealer, Litchfield, was born in Newbury, Essex CO., Mass.,
September 11, 1834, and at the age of seventeen, went to St. Louis and became a clerk 
in a wholesale fancy dry goods house on Main street; here he remained four years, when 
he removed to Louisville, Ky., there pursuing the same vocation for another period of 
four years. In July, 1861, he came to Litchfield, where, with his uncle, he was engaged 
for over a year in the cattle business. In June, 1863, he became a partner in the firm
Perley & Woodman, at Alton and at Litchfield, the business being lumber-dealing, in 
which he engaged until the death of Mr. PERLEY, in 1879, since which time Mr. WOODMAN 
has conducted the business in his own name, being recognized by all as a prompt and
efficient business man. Mr. WOODMAN was married, at Bunker Hill, Ill., to Miss 
KNOWLTON, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (WOODWARD) KNOWLTON, both natives of
Connecticut. Mr. WOODSMAN had one child who died August 17, 1872, and has one living, 
Mary Perley, born December 6, 1879.

John WIEGERS, grocer, Litchfield, son of Bernard and Elizabeth (KONNIG) WIEGERS, was 
born in town of Lugde, Prussia, on August 10, 1831. He left school at the age of 
fourteen years and entered upon an apprenticeship to the blacksmith’s trade in the 
town of Pirmont, continuing three years, after which he worked three and a half years 
in Hanover. He came to the United States in 1853, leaving the seaport of Bracke,
Wurtemberg, on May 27, and sailing seven weeks, landing at New York, stopping three 
days in the city; n his arrival, he had $600. Leaving New York City, he came direct 
to Chicago, Ill., remaining two days; thence to St. Louis, Mo., remaining four days, 
going thence to Edwardsville, Ill., where he worked at his trade a year, his 
remuneration being $14 per 

[Page 181]

Month; after this, he went to Alton, where he stayed four months, during which time 
he acted as waiter in the Franklin House. He next moved to Manchester, Mo., where 
he worked nine months at blacksmithing, going thence to Iowa, where he worked four 
months at farming; there he met with an accident with a threshing machine, resulting 
in a broken leg, which disabled him for thirty-three weeks, at the end of which time 
he was in debt for $37. As soon as he was able to do so, he commenced as waiter in 
a hotel, continuing eight months, and then returned to Edwardsville, Ill., where he 
drove a mill team two months, and subsequently, in his twenty-seventh year, entered 
a cooper-shop there for the purpose of learning the trade; he served eight months’
apprenticeship, during which time he gained the ability to do good work and receive 
full wages. He next removed to Staunton, being in the cooper business for himself 
until March, 1864, when he came to Litchfield, Ill., on the 27th day of the month, 
having accumulated a capital of $900. On coming to this city, he purchased, for 
$400, a barn, of Perley & Co., which he turned into a cooper-shop on the site of 
his present store and residence; the first year he employed fourteen men, and 
afterward as many as twenty-six men; from the first, he had the confidence of all, 
and his credit was always good. He continued with good success until 1873, when his 
shop and stock burned, with a loss of $4,000; the property was insured for $1,600, 
but $1,000 being paid. He immediately began to rebuild the shops, and continued in 
the cooper business until 1881, when he gave his entire attention, instead, to 
mercantile pursuits. In the spring of 1879, he changed into storerooms his two-story 
brick building, which had been used as his cooper-ship, and, with Mr. Joseph BARTMAN, 
under the firm name of Wiegers & Co., he engaged in the grocery and liquor business, 
at which he still continues, with good success. Mr. WIEGERS was married, in Staunton, 
Ill., on August 28, 1862, to Miss SPOVLEDER, of that place; they have five children 
living, namely, John, Frederick, Lisse, Christ and Anna.

Rev. M. WEIS, priest, Litchfield, was born in Bavaria, in Franconia, on June 8, 1838, 
and came to the United States in 1852, at the age of fourteen years, with his parents, 
who settled in Montgomery County, N. Y., in the vicinity of Amsterdam, and remained 
there five years. He came to Illinois in 1857, settling in Effingham County, in 
Tentopolis (called German City), and two years later began teaching in a primary 
school, continuing one year, when he came to Edwardsville, Ill., and there for two 
years taught a parochial school. During that time he studied, preparatory to entering 
St. Joseph’s College at Teutopolis, which he did in the fall of 1862. He studied there
three years, completing classics and philosophy, and in the summer of 1865, he started 
for Montreal, Canada, where he entered upon the study of theology, in the Grand 
Seminary there, in charge of the Sulpician Fathers, where he received holy orders. He 
was ordained to priesthood at the Alton, Ill., Cathedral, by the late Bishop Younger, 
in the spring of 1868. He began his pastoral work by taking charge of the Catholic 
Church at Vandalia, Ill., having also missions at Ramsey, Oconee, Sandoval and at 
Vandalia. After a year and a half he was transferred to Marine, Madison Co., Ill., 
where he remained two years. In 

[Page 182]

September, 1871, he was removed to Effingham, and was pastor there five years, during 
which time he built a large church, costing over $36,000, and a hospital for the Sisters 
of St. Francis. Being broken down in health, he started in the spring of 1876 for
California, and returned to Minnesota in June, where he took charge of two congregations 
in the dioceses of St. Paul, called respectively Hoka and La Crescent, near La Crosse,
continuing three months. He was then recalled to the diocese of Alton and appointed
Secretary and Chancellor to the Bishop, which important and laborsome position he 
held until 1880. He was sent thence to Saline, Madison Co., Ill., where he enlarged 
and finished a church and built a schoolhouse, filling that pastorate until he came 
to Litchfield in October, 1881, when he was transferred to the Church of the Assumption 
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, at Litchfield, Ill.

Edward WHITMER, tile manufacturer, Litchfield. Henry M. WHITMER was born in Juniata 
County, Penn, in 1833, and was raised among the Alleghany Mountains, on a farm. He 
came to Peoria, Ill., just before the war, and there engaged in the carpenter trade 
for a year, then removed to Decatur, Ill., where he became a large contractor and 
builder. For the past eighteen years he ahs been a large manufacturer of brick, and 
of late years has manufactured tile. He married in Snyder County, Penn., Miss Anna 
A. APP, by whom he has five children living. He started in life with limited means, 
and by hard work has gained for himself a handsome competency. He established the
Litchfield Tile Works in May, 1881, for which purpose he purchased eight acres at 
the eastern limits of Litchfield, on the Indianopolis & St. Louis Railroad, choosing 
that locality because of the superior quality of the clay which stands every test 
necessary to make drain tiling. He erected two dry sheds 200x20 feet, with two 
round, down-draft kilns, and a Tiffany improved auger machine, with an average 
capacity of 5,000 feet per day of ten hours. The tile works employ about twelve 
hands, the products of the works (consisting of tile of all the various sizes), 
supplying a large local demand, and there are shipments made by railroad to other 
points in the State. Edward WHITMER, the oldest son of H. M. WHITMER, and the 
subject of these lines, is Superintendent and Manager. They have on the same premises 
a yard for the manufacture of brick, which was established the same year of the tile 
works. The yard employs about fifteen hands. 

Daniel WALLWORK (deceased), was born in Newtown, Lancashire, England, January 9, 1829. 
At the early age of eight years, he went into the mines of Pendlebury, in Lancashire, 
and worked there as a miner until 1856, when he came to the United States, where, for 
a period of about eight months, he worked in the mines of Pennsylvania. In 1857, he 
came to Alton, Ill., thence to Brighton, and thence to Moro, where he was 
Superintendent of the mines, and in the latter part of 1869 he came to Litchfield 
and here became Superintendent of the mines of the Litchfield Coal Company, a 
position which he held until his death, which occurred on February 14, 1881. He was 
a man of great industry, a successful miner, and was loved by his employees. He was 
a practical engineer and surveyor, and drew all the maps of the mines, etc. In May, 
1847, he married Miss Sarah GREENHALGH, and ten children were born to them, but two 
of whom are living – John WALLWORK, now Superintendent of the mines, and a daughter. 
John WALLWORK was born in Newtown, England, in 1847, and came to the United States 
with his parents in 1856. His first mining

[Page 183]

was done at Alton, Ill., where he was twelve years of age. He was Assistant 
Superintendent of the mines of Litchfield under his father, and still holds that 
position under Mr. AMSDEN. On April 4, 1882, he married Miss Violet TINNELL, of 
Litchfield.

M. C. WHIPPLE, druggist, Litchfield, was born in Canton, Stark Co., Ohio, in 1833. 
At the age of seventeen years, he entered a drug store at Massillon, Ohio, and learned 
the business. He afterward clerked in a drug store at Wooster, Ohio. In 1856, he engaged 
in the wholesale grocery business at Massillon, Ohio, continuing three years. In April,
1861, at the first call for volunteers, he enlisted in the Thirteenth Ohio Volunteer
Infantry, and served until December, under Gen. Rosecrans, in West Virginia, and after 
that in the Army of the Ohio and Army of the Cumberland, under Gens. Buell, Rosecrans 
and Thomas. He was mostly on detached duty in the medical department of the army. His 
time having expired, he was mustered out June 26, 1864. After the war, he went to
Tennessee, where he engaged in various pursuits, among which were the drug business 
and real estate, until 1873, when he came here and opened a drug store, and is yet in 
the same business, and also manages a farm near the city. In March, 1881, he formed 
a partnership with Joseph BUERGER, his former clerk for eight years. Mr. WHIPPLE was
married in October, 1873, to Miss Julia I., second daughter of the Hon. Thomas CUMMINS,
one of the pioneers of Jersey County, Ill.

William WIEGREFFE, lumber dealer, Litchfield, was born in Hanover, Germany, on February 
13, 1828. His father was a miller, and taught him the trade when a boy. This he 
followed until he came to the United States, in 1850. He landed in New Orleans in the
spring of 1851, and worked four years on a farm in Jersey County, Ill. He then came 
to Montgomery County, and bought a farm of 160 acres of raw prairie land near 
Zanesville. He still owns it, and lived on the place until 1868, when he came to
Litchfield, Ill., and started in the lumber business. The same year he built a
planning-mill, which he ran until 1877. Until 1872, he was associated with Mr. A. 
PERLEY, the firm name being Perly, Wiegreffe & Co., and afterward with his brother; 
but since 1877, Mr. WIEGREFFE has conducted the business in his own name. He came to 
this country without capital, and has gained all he possesses through the merits of 
his own efforts. In 1861, he married Miss Eva SEN, at Carlinville, Ill. They have 
six children. From 1874 to 1876, he was Alderman from the Second Ward. His business
includes lumber and building material, sash, doors, etc. He employs from two to five 
hands.

Frederick WEBER, manufacturer of soda and mineral waters, Litchfield, was born in 
Bavaria, Germany, near the River Rhine, in that portion called Pfalz, in the town 
of Zeiskam, on January 1, 1838. Until fourteen year old, he attended school, and 
then spent two years’ apprenticeship in a bakery in his native town. In 1856, he 
came to the United States, and located first in St. Louis, where he worked at his 
trade until the breaking-out of the war, when he enlisted, becoming a member of 
the Convalescent Corps, acting as pastry cook. He served eighteen months in the 
Good Samaritan Hospital, at St. Louis, and, being then discharged, he joined the
Forty-seventh Indiana Infantry, being pastry cook for them for six months, at 
Helena, Ark. July 9, 1863, he married Miss Elizabeth ENDERS, in St. Louis, a native 
of Germany, and located in Cairo, Ill., where he conducted a bakery one year. He 
then returned to St. Louis, Mo., and in November, 1864, visited

[Page 184] 

the old county, returning in April of the following year, after which he farmed for 
a short time near St. Genevieve, Mo., and in the fall of 1865, discontinued it in 
order to establish a bakery in St. Louis. This he did, but at the end of one year 
sold his bakery and moved to Litchfield, Ill., where he worked for Mr. William ROTH, 
in a bakery, for eight months. In June, 1867, he started a factory for the manufacture 
of soda and seltzer waters, to which he still devotes his attention. In 1881, he
manufactured during the season an average of one hundred dozen of bottles per day, 
and these were shipped to various points in the State. These waters have become very
popular as a healthful beverage, and, in consequence, the demand has steadily 
increased from year to year. For the past two years, Mr. WEBER has run a steam cider 
press with good success. During the busy season, his business requires the services 
of eight active men. The following children have been born to Mr. WEBER: Lizzie, 
Louise, Anne, Rosa, Kate, Mary and Frederick William.

William G. WARDEN, carpenter, Litchfield, was born in Allen County, Ky., on May 2, 
1832. He lived on a farm in his native State until October, 1850, when he came to 
Illinois. His father died when he was small, and he came to this State unaccompanied,
arriving on a foggy Sunday, being obliged to climb the sign-posts to see the 
directions. He first stopped with his sister, Mrs. YOUNG, with whom he lived, south 
of Hillsboro, and worked until the summer of 1851. Then he returned to Kentucky, but 
in the fall of the same year came back to this State with a brother, with whom he 
lived two years, helping on the farm. He again returned to Kentucky, and in the fall 
of 1853 brought his mother to this State. She settled here permanently in 1854, the
memorable "famine year". Our subject lived with her four years. Previous to this time 
he had learned carpentering with his brother, and in 1855 - 56, he worked with Robert 
FRAME on contracts in the northern part of Montgomery County. In 1857, Mr. WARDEN 
began taking contracts alone, working in the southern part of this county until 1865, 
when he moved to Litchfield, where he has been engaged in carpentering ever since. 
During 1866-67, he also ran a wagon shop. For a period of one year he worked on the 
bridge work of the Indianapolis & St. Louis Railroad. When the Wabash Railroad was 
built, he was one of the first to begin work, and after working on the bridges, he
superintended a company of men in the construction of the depot and freight building, 
etc., from Warder to Decatur. Since then he has engaged in carpentering and building. 
Mr. WARDEN is a Democrat, and has taken an active interest in politics. He was Justice 
of the Peace for five years, beginning at the time the township system was adopted. 
After that he was Town Clerk four years. In the spring of 1882, he was elected Assessor 
of South Litchfield Township. He acted one term as Alderman of the First Ward of 
Litchfield City in 1877. In 1860, he married Miss Anna E., daughter of A. C. ATWOOD, 
of Allen County, Ky. Their children are as follows: Alonzo W., born August 1, 1861, 
and died October 27, 1866; William J., born June 30, 1864; Ivy, born July 24, 1880; 
and all born in Montgomery County.

Irving WELLS, farmer, P. O. Litchfield, was born in Rowan, now Davie County, N. C.,
November 13, 1825, and with his parents came to Illinois by team, in the fall of 1830, 
the journey lasting eight weeks. They stopped in Madison County until the spring of 
1831, when they went to Greene County, where his parents resided until their death. 

[Page 185]

His father, John WELLS, Sr., was born on April 27, 1795, in North Carolina, and died 
April 17, 1873. He was the father of seven children, and when he came to Greene County 
his means were limited to 31-1/4 cents. He was a member of the United Baptist Church. 
Our subject began teaching in 1847, in Greene County, and continued until 1858, in 
the meantime working on a farm. He came to Walshville Township, Montgomery County, in 
1858, having purchased a land warrant, eight years previous, for eighty acres. On 
coming here he engaged in farming, and taught school five winters, living upon his 
original purchase until 1867, when he removed to his present place of 160 acres, where 
he since has engaged in raising grain and stock. February 6, 1860, he married Miss 
Lucetta, daughter of Edwin BROWN, a Methodist preacher of Walshville. Twelve children 
were born to them, but seven of whom are living – Julia, deceased; Oscar A. deceased;
Washington I., deceased; John F.; David E.; Matta, deceased; Clara J., Albert S., Cora 
O., Ollie M., Myrtle, and Effa, deceased. Mr. WELLS started in life without capital, 
and worked at first for $8 a month. Politically, he is a Democrat. His mother’s maiden 
name was Matilda IRWIN; she was from North Carolina. Although the father of our subject 
met many discouragements, he persevered in earnest, faithful labor, and made for himself 
an estate worth about $12,000. He was twice married, and was the father of thirteen
children, eleven of whom grew to maturity, and ten of whom still live, nine being of 
his last marriage.

Lewis WHITAKER, Litchfield, was born in Deerfield Township, Cumberland County, N. J.,
September 2, 1835, and obtained his education in his native State. At the age of 
seventeen years, in 1852, he came to Carlinville, Ill., where he began learning the
carpenter’s trade, continuing one year, when he removed to Alton, Ill., there 
completing his trade. He spent the winter of 1854-55 in Mississippi and Louisiana. He 
came to Litchfield, Ill., on October 8, 1855, and, after spending six weeks at his 
trade here, he went to his old home in New Jersey, where he spent the winter of 
1855-56. In July, 1856, he returned to Litchfield, and worked as contractor and builder 
two years, when he went into the furniture and undertaking business, at which he 
continued about fifteen years, meeting with and meriting excellent success. His first
furniture store was located where Boepple’s bakery now is, and he afterward did business 
on the lot now occupied by Mr. ENNIGER. He next built the block where the Regulator is 
at present. In January, 1874, he retired from the furniture business, and in April of 
the same year he was elected City Marshal, which office he held one year. He then became 
a member of the firm of Whitaker & Rogers, in the milling business, continuing about 
two years. He next leased the Boxberger Mill, and took in as a partner Mr. ROTH, for 
two years continuing in the milling and grain business, with very excellent success. 
Mr. WHITAKER is a member of the McWilliams Oil and Mining Company, which began 
operations in this county in January, 1882. He has been a member of the City Council. 
On December 25, 1861, he married Mary E. SHORE, sister of Tilman SHORE. Mr. WHITAKER 
is at present a member of the Litchfield Board of Education. In politics, he is a 
Republican.

George L. ZINK, was born in Steubenville, Ohio, September 19, 1841. He received an 
academic education in Jefferson County, Ohio, and devoted his own personal efforts in 
the study of the languages after leaving school. He began the study of law at 
seventeen years of age, with J. H. S. TRAINER, of 

[Page 186]

Steubenville, Ohio, and was admitted to the bar at Pomeroy, Ohio, in 1864. In 1862, 
he enlisted in the Fifty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and participated in the battle 
of Perryville, Ky., and went as far South as Bowling Green, Ky., where he lay sick 
until December, 1862, and afterward in the hospital at Louisville; went out on duty 
again at post headquarters until July, 1863, when he was discharged. He then returned 
home, taught school for a time, and completed his law studies. In May, 1864, he 
enlisted for 100 days, and was stationed at Fort Delaware until the expiration of 
his time of service. He came to Illinois in 1865, and for eight months taught school 
at Gillespie, and in May, 1866, located in Litchfield, where he has ever since 
practiced his profession successfully, being admitted to the bar in this State in 
1866, and in 1867 was admitted to practice in the Federal Courts. Mr. ZINK was a 
Republican until 1872, when he joined the liberal movement, and was Presidential 
Elector for the old Sixteenth District on the Greeley ticket. In 1878, he was 
nominated and elected by the Democrats as Representative to the Illinois Legislature, 
from the Thirty-fourth District, composed of Montgomery and Christian Counties.

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