Macoupin County, Illinois - Biographical sketches, 1879 (part 11 of 15)

Henry Law

AmonG the substantial farmers and stock-raisers of Macoupin county, none deserve better mention in a work of this character than he whose name heads this article. He was born in Yorkshire, England, on the 20th of February, 1820. The Law family on the paternal side were of Scotch descent, and are direct descendents from the family of that name in Edinburg, of which John Law, the famous banker, was a member. On the maternal side the family are of English ancestry. Robert Law, the father of Henry, married Jennie Kershaw. Five children were born to them, three of whom are at present living, viz.: Henry Robert, who is a prominent business man of Chicago, and Elizabeth, who is married to Dr. John W. Trabue, and now a resident of Shipman, Illinois. Robert Law, the father, died in England, on the 23d of October, 1839. He followed the occupation of farming and stock-raising, in which he was successful. His wife, and mother of the present family, still survives him, and at present is living with her daughter, Mrs. Trabue, in Shipman, a hale, hearty woman of nearly fourscore years and ten.

The subject of our sketch spent his boyhood days in the schools of his native land, and succeeded in getting a good average education, which he has since improved by extensive reading and travel. After his father's death, in 1839, he with his brother assumed control, and took upon themselyes the management of the farms belonging to his father, and attended to the duties thereto belonging until 1844, when he became seized with a desire to visit America, of which glowing accounts were given of the opportunities to purchase lands and otherwise improve the financial condition of those who possessed a strong constitution and had the necessary energy to brave the discomforts of western life. He accordingly, on the 4th of May, of the year above mentioned, in company with his mother and sister, set sail for America. Upon landing he went to Cecil county, Maryland, and stopped with his brother Robert, who had preceded him the year previous. He remained in Maryland engaged in farming until 1847, when he came west to look at the country and find a location where land was cheap, and which at the same time afforded advantages for stock raising and the growing of grain. He made the journey over the mountains to Pittsburg, and then came down the Ohio and up the Mississippi rivers and landed at Alton; where he purchased a horse and pursued his journey on horseback. After a thorough examination of different parts of the state, he concluded that for all purposes the land jn and about his present home was the best. He purchased four hundred and cighty acres, on part of which the town of Shipman now stands. He commenced its improvement at once by making rails and enclosing eighty acres for grazing purposes. The same year he returned to Maryland and sold out his interests there, and in the spring of the next year removed to Shipman and settled permanently, where he has ever since remained. His brother Robert returned to England in 1848, and sold out the old homestead and farms there, and returned to this country. In 1850 Mr. Law purchased an additional one hundred and sixty acres of land, making in all one entire section. In 1852 he laid out the town of Lawton, since changed to the name of Shipman, the change occurring from the fact of sale being made of the property to Shipman, who was then civil engineer of the line of the Chicago, Alton & St. Louis railroad, and Gen. Robertson, of Alton, who had the privilege of rechristening and naming the place; in casting lots for the naming of it it fell to Shipman.

On the 23d of May, 1877, he was united in marriage to Virginia Shultz, who is a native of Pennsylvania. Her parents, at an early day, emigrated to Virginia, where they remained until 1865, when they removed to Illinois, and settled in Shipman township, where Mr. Shultz remained until his death, which event occurred on the 4th of October, 1871. Mrs. Shultz still resides at the same place, on section twenty-four of this township. Mr. Law is not a member of any church, yet he is exceedingly liberal in his donations to all religious enterprises, and fur the erection of church edifices he has given freely and with unstinted hand whenever called upon. In politics he is a staunch democrat, but was formerly an old line whig, and cast his first vote for Gen. Zachary Taylor. In 1848 he joined the Douglas wing of the democratic party, and has remained a firm and consistent advocate of its principles ever since. Mr. Law is not a politician in the strict sense of the word, only so far as to uphold his views upon the issues of the day or to advance the interests of a friend, but as for accepting office he prefers a quiet life, and rejoices more in well tilled fields and fine stock than he does to engage in the uncertain game of political chance. In the local affairs of his town he takes an active part, and has been more or less prominent, having been elected no less than eight times as a member of the board of trustees of Shipman, and served as president of the board for three terms. During his connection with the board he was instrumental in causing the purchase of the cemetery by the town, and aided in beautifying this last resting place of the dead. And to his business tact and sagacity the town is indebted for the cemetery, and that, too, without the outlay of one cent. In 1864 Mr. Law paid a visit to the land of his birth, and spent two years in visiting all cities and places of note in England, Ireland, and Scotland.

This, in brief, is a sketch of one of Macoupin county's old and best citizens. In the community where he has lived for over thirty years, and where he is thoroughly known, none are more highly respected or esteemed for those qualities which characterize an honest, upright and honorable gentleman, than Henry Law. This is the universal verdict of his neighbors and lifelong friends.

Samuel Trible

Was born in England, and resided in Devonshire. The Trible family is an old one, and from the original ancestors there has sprung a numerous progeny. The great-uncle of the subject of the present sketch was a blacksmith by trade, and a man of some genius and exceedingly well skilled as a worker in metals. He was also well-read in the science of medicine, and was frequently called upon by his neighbors to give relief when in bodily pain. Samuel Trible, the father, was united in marriage to Miss Susanah Trible. She was a woman of varied accomplishments, and was skilled in the management of everything that came within her province. She was a noble lady, a fond mother, whose virtues are remembered and enshrined in the hearts of her posterity. Three children, all boys, were born to Samuel and Susanah Trible. The only survivor is the subject of our sketch, who was the eldest of the family. John was the second son. He educated himself for the profession of law, and was for a time city attorney of Alton, Illinois. During the war, he raised a company of soldiers and went into the service. He was wounded in the engagement at Arkansas Post, and died from the effect a short time afterward. Abraham died while yet in his boyhood. He was a lad of unusual intelligence, and gave evidence of future usefulness, had his life been spared. Samuel Trible emigrated from England to America in 1836. He came direct to Illinois, and settled where his son now resides, and remained there until his death, which took place in 1844, The subject of our sketch received a fair education in his boyhood days, while yet in his native land. After his arrival here he spent one year in company with his brother John, in the school at Hillsboro', Montgomery county, Illinois. After the death of his parents he took charge of the farm, upon which he has ever since resided. In 1872 he was married to Mrs. Mattie Reynolds, who is a native of Shipman, Illinois. Three children have been born to them, but only one survives, viz.: Katie. Mrs. Trible had one daughter, named Mary, by aformer marriage. She is an inmate of the family. Mr. Trible isa member of the M. E. Church. He contributed grounds for the erection of the church-building, and also for cemetery purposes. In politics he isa republican. In 1858 he went back to England, and visited the scenes of his childhood.

Mr. Trible has in his possession a stone known as the " Madstone,' which is a specific and infallible cure for hydrophobia, when applied in season. He had it on exhibition at the Centennial in Philadelphia in 1876, and while there it attracted great attention, and was the subject of curious speculation among the learned physicians. With it Mr. Trible has performed some astonishing cures of hydrophobia, which settles the question as to its great medicinal properties. In taking leave of Mr. Trible, we say in conclusion, that he is a man highly respected in the community where he has resided for so many years.

Was born at Glen's Falls, New York, on the 13th of January, 1830. On the paternal side the family were of English ancestry. Dr. Seaman's father was a native of New York city, and was a tailor by trade. He married Miss Maria Prouty, who was of German extraction. She was a native of Westchester county, New York. Three children were born to them, viz. : George W., Richard P., and the subject of our sketch. Both parents died in 1836. After the death of his parents Dr. Seaman was adopted by Jabez Briggs, with whom he remained until his twenty-second year. His boyhood days were spent in receiving an education in the common schools of his native village. At the age of fifteen years he entered the Glen's Falls Academy and took a classical course, preparatory to entering college. He remained there four years, after which he entered the office of Dr. Peck, and commenced the study of medicine. After remaining there for a short time he entered the office of Dr. Thomas Hun, Professor of Physiology in the Albany Medical College. He attended three courses of lectures in the above named institution, and graduated therefrom with the degree of M. D., in 1853. After his graduation he practiced his profession in Glen's Falls for one year and a half, and in the fall of 1854 emigrated west, and stopped in Lawrence, Kansas, where he remained but a short time. The country being new, and in an unsettled condition, he concluded to remoye further east. He came to St. Louis, and in the latter part of November, 1854, came to Shipman, and taught school the following winter, and on the Ist of March, 1855, commenced the practice of his profession, at which he has continued until the present. During the late war he was appointed assistant-surgeon to the 122d regiment, Illinois volunteers, Col. Rinaker, commanding. He entered the service in 1862. In 1863 he was promoted to the position of surgeon of the regiment. During a portion of the time he was brigade surgeon, and in 1864 was post surgeon at Cairo, Illinois. He remained in the service until 1865, or until the close of the war, when he was honorably mustered out and returned to Shipman, where he resumed his practice. On the 5th of March, 1861, he was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Shellman, who is a native of Delaware county, New York, but was a resident of Shipman at the date of her marriage. One child, a boy, has been born to them. In politics Dr. Seaman is a pronounced republican. He was formerly a member of the old line whig party, and cast his first vote for General Winfield Scott for president, in 1852. On the formation of the republican party he joined its ranks and voted for Fremont in 1856, and ever since has been an ardent and staunch member of that political organization. He takes no active part in politics, except to vote his sentiments or exercise his influence for what he deems is for the best interests of his county or locality. This is notably so of his efforts and agitation upon the subject of township organization. He wrote the first petition and every subsequent one, and to him, perhaps, more than any other citizen of the county, is due the credit of securing the change from the old system of county court to that of a supervisors' court, or township organization.

In the practice of medicine Dr. Seaman stands in the foremost rank of his profession. He belongs to the progressive school of practitioners. He was the first president of the first medical society organized in the county. He is also a member of the state medical society, and takes an active part in its deliberations. As a man and a citizen he is respected by all who know

Charles B. Wilson

Was born in Madison county, Illinois, near North Alton, on the 25th of March, 1835. T. H. Wilson, his father, was a native of Cumberland, England. He emigrated to America, in June, 1830, and settled in Madison county, Missouri, and eight months later returned to St. Louis, where he lived two years; then moved to Alton, Illinois, where he remained three gears ; and then removed to Macoupin county, where he entered land and lived until his death, which occurred in June, 1869. Onthe 11th of November, 1829, he was united in marriage to Elizabeth Bowman, who was also a native of Westmorland, England. She at present resides in Brighton, in this county. The subject of our sketch spent his boyhood days in the common schools, going a distance of four miles, morning and evening, to obtain this privilege. At the age of twenty-one years he entered McKendree college, at Lebanon, where he remained some time; after which he went to work upon the.farm; work proving too hard for him, he went to Litchfield and entered a store as a clerk; and a year later the war broke out, when he enlisted in what was then known to be the Western Sharpshooters, or 14th regiment Missouri Volunteers ; this was in October, 1861. The regiment rendezvoused at Benton Barrack, at St. Louis, where they remained until the 12th of December of the same year; when the command was ordered to North Missouri. The regiment participated in the battles of Forts Henry, Donelson, and the siege of Corinth ; while laying at Corinth the command was changed from the 14th to the 66th Illinois regiment, Col. Birge commanding. The regiment was attached to the 16th Army Corps, under Gen. Dodge, and was for a great part of the time on detailed service. Mr. Wilson was sent home on recruiting service, in 1863, and joined the regiment in the spring of 1864, and participated in the Atlanta campaign. His term of enlistment expired in August, 1864. On his return home he engaged in a store at Litchfield, Illinois, for some time; after which he went to his farm, and remained nine years; and then came to Piasa and engaged in general merchandizing, and has so continued up to the present time... He was formerly a democrat in politics, but on the breaking out of the war he joined the republican party, and has remained a member of that political organization ever since. Mr. Wilson is an old citizen of Macoupin county, and is esteemed by all who know him for his true worth as a man.

Thomas B. Rice

JuDGE Rice, one of the old settlers in the neighborhood of Medora, was born in Frederick county, Virginia, April 17th, 1806. His ancestors were residents of Virginia from the first settlement of the state. His grandfather, James Rice, resided in Culpepper county. His father, James Brown Rice, was born in Culpepper county, and was sixteen or seventeen years of age when he enlisted in the Continental army, during the Revolutionary war. He served during the closing years of that memorable struggle, and was present at the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. He had a distinct recollection of witnessing the landing of Lafayette and other French officers on their arrival to assist the American army in the siege. After the Revolution Judge Rice's father and grandfather went to Kentucky when it was still a wild and unsettled country. His father returned to Virginia, and, in Culpepper county, married Susan Wallace, daughter of John Wallace. She was born in Culpepper county, on a farm which lay along the Rapidan river, at Raccoon ford, thirty miles above Fredericksburg. Thos. B. Rice was the fourth of ten children. His birth-place was at the little town of Millwood, within two or three miles of the Shenandoah river, and twelve miles from Winchester. His father was at one time a man of some property, but had become one of the securities on a delivery bond, a circumstance which unfortunately swept away all his means. Judge Rice was obliged to work hard on the farm, and had but limited opportunities for getting an education. After reaching his majority he was employed for five years in overseeing and managing the farm of Bushrod Rust. April 17th, 1828, he married Mahala Farrow, who was born in Culpepper county, Virginia, December 22d, 1807. Her father was William Farrow, and the family had resided for a long number of years near Flint Hill, now in Rappahannock county, Virginia.

He afterward carried on the saddle and harness business at Upperville, a little town lying near the foot of the Blue Ridge mountains, in Fauquier county, Virginia. His shop burned down in the spring of 1835, and he determined at once on coming to Illinois. He settled at Rhoads' Point, and the next year (1836) moved to his present residence in section 6, township 8, range 9. He entered two hundred and forty-two acres of land, and began improving it. Part of the log house, which he built in 1836, is still standing, and forms part of his present residence. His settlement was on a much traveled thoroughfare, and from the first he considered that at some future time a town would be built in the vicinity. When the Rockford & Rock Island Railroad was surveyed and graded, he filed the first plat of the town of Medora, and in 1871 on the completion of the road made a second addition to the town. He was chiefly instrumental in building the first mill ever erected in Medora, and from that time has been more or less interested in the milling business. His ten children are all living. Susan C. married John Cleaver, and now resides in Oregon ; John W. Rice is engaged in the milling business at Medora; Elizabeth S. is the wife of Imri B. Vancil of North Palmyra township; James Washington Rice is farming in Chesterfield township; Thomas Brown Rice, Jr., is a resident of Medora; Mary Virginia is the wife of H. W. Westbrook of St. Louis; Stephen F. Rice lives at Medora; Amanda M. is the wife of John Payne. The other children are Emma A. and Charles A. Rice. Four were born in Fauquier county, Virginia, and the remainder in Macoupin county.

In politics he has been a democrat. As a private citizen he has commanded the respect of the community, and is known as a man of personal honesty and undoubted integrity. He was elected county judge in 1862, and served two terms. Asa public officer he advocated economy and freeing the county of debt, as rapidly as possible. When he first went into office county orders sold at from sixty-five to seventy-five cents on the dollar, and under the measures instituted by the wew board of county judges they advanced to ninety-five cents. His administration received the popular approval, and he was re-elected to a second term, but declined to be a candidate for a third election. He was post-master at Medora for a number of years. He is one of the old residents of the county, and one whose life has been beneficial in developing its resources and contributing to its prosperity. He and his wife have spent together over fifty years of married life, and have raised a large family, among the members of which not a single death has occurred. Since 1836 he and his wife have been members of the United Baptist church, in which he has held the office of deacon. He was clerk of the church at Rhoads' Point till within a few years, when his disability to do much writing caused his resignation of the position.

Thos. H. Stratton

Was born in Robinson county, Tennessee, October 6th, 1828. Robinson Stratton, his father, was a native of Virginia. On the paternal side the family were of English ancestry, and on the maternal Welsh. Robinson Stratton married Nancy Miles. She was a native of North Carolina. Six children were born to them, four of whom are living. The father died in Tennessee in 1834; the mother died in Macoupin county at the residence of her son Thomas in 1850.

The subject of our sketch had the advantage of a good education in his boyhood. He remained at home until after his father's death in 1834, when, in company with his mother, he came to Llinois the year following, and settled in the community in which he now resides. They were induced to come here on account of their relative, Colonel Miles. Thomas worked upon a farm for sore time, after which he bought land, and continued the cultivation of the soil up to the present time. On the 6th of November, 1855, he was married to Miss Elizabeth Elworthy, who is a native of Somersetshire, England. She is the daughter of James and Nancy Elworthy. They emigrated to America and settled in Macoupin county in 1842. Nine children haye been born to them, eight of whom are living - five boys and three girls. Naney L. married Alonzo Florida, who is a farmer and a resident of Jersey county, Illinois. In politics Mr. Stratton is a democrat, and cast his first vote for James K. Polk in 1844, and since that time has adhered to that party. He is not a member of any church organization, nor does he subscribe to any of the formulated creeds. He has been successful in life so far as the accumulation of this world's goods are concerned, and he also has the proud consciousness of knowing that all was

Pe Lan Ols, 235 Charles Edward Wales

Was born in Addison county, Vermont, on the 17th of September, 1825. Charles Wales his father, was also a native of the same state. On the paternal side, the family are of English ancestry. The father married Elethier Brittell. She was of French ancestry. Six children were born to them; five of whom are living. Five have survived the parents. Jn 1845 Charles Wales removed with his family, and settled in Greene county IIlinois, where he remained until 1849, when he came to Macoupin county, and settled in T. 8, R. 9, and remained here until his death, in December, 1865. The mother survived him two years, dying in 1867. Mr. Wales received an excellent English education in the schools of his native state. After his removal to Illinois, he taught school for fifteen terms. Since that time his principal business has been farming and stock-raising. He is a republican in politics. In 1872 he was elected supervisor of his township, and in 1873, was re-elected. He was re-elected, in 1878 and 1879, and is the present incumbent. During the war he was a member of company " H." 133d regiment, Illinois volunteers infantry, Col. Phillips commanding. He is at present president of the bank of Medora.

Charles C. Rhoads

Was the third son of Henry and Mary Rhoads. He was born in Grayson county, Kentucky, August 11th, 1824, and came to Illinois with his parents in 1830. They first stopped in Jersey county, where they remained until April, 1831. Then they removed to Macoupin county, and commenced farming. Charles C. Rhoads was married to Miss Emeline Dorr, on the 15th day of March, 1846.

Mrs. Rhoads died September 15, 1872. He then married Mrs. Ellen Randolph, who was formerly Miss McDow. This marriage took place October 9, 1873. Mr. Rhoads has always been engaged in farming and stockraising, in which he has been very successful. He and Mrs. Rhoads haye been members of the Baptist church for many years. He may be properly classed among the early settlers of Macoupin county.

COTTVILLE TOWNSHIP is bounded on the north by Morgan county, on the east by North Palmyra township, on the south by Barr township, and on the west by Greene county, and is known

= - <)| astown12, range 9. The surface is,undulating, and is composed of timber and prairie land. The soil is fertile and in a good state of cultivation. It is drained by Apple, Panther, and Turner's creeks and their tributaries on the north; the south-eastern is drained by Joe's creek and its branches; the south-west by Big Nigger creek and its affluents.*

The first settler of this township was Andrew Hettick, a native of Pennsylyania, who had previously lived in the American bottom in Madison county, Illinois. He, with his wife and six children, came here and settled at the head of Negro Lick in the year 1825, on the farm now owned by his son, Stephen Hettick. He erected a small log-cabin, which was the first building in the township. His nearest neighbor was Edw. Prather, of Greene county, who lived eleven miles distant. Mr. Hettick occupied his spare hours in shooting deer, wild turkey, and prairie chickens, as well as trapping for mink, musk-rat, and otter, all of which were to be found in abundance along the waters of Nigger and Apple creeks; game of the above kind was found quite plentiful for about twenty years after the settlement. Rattle-snakes, of the large or timber kind, inhabited a den on the bluffs of Panther creek, and in the spring of each year much of the time of the early settlers was occupied in destroying them. After killing thousands and destroying their hiding-places during the winters for many years, they have succeeded so well in their work of destruction that scarcely a rattle-snake is to be found in the township at the present time, excepting those small prairie snakes found in plowing up old meadows. After Mr. Hettick and family had lived in their secluded cabin for three years, they were greatly rejoiced to find others settling around them.

The first land entry was made by Isaac E. Pruitt, on the W. N. W. and E.N.E. eighties, section 28, on March 21st, 1828; the second entry, by

Jacob S. Gibson, E. 8. W. eighty of section 12, January 8th, 1829; and the third by Andrew Hettick, the W.S. W. eighty of section 27, March 28th, 1829. Among the early settlers who came in 1828 and 1830 we find the names of William Thompson, Lawrence McManus, John Record, Col. Powell H. Sharp, James H. Cherry, William Watson, John Redfern, and Mr. Sego, mostly all farmers and men of families.

The first school-house was built of logs on the south side of Negro Lick, in the summer of 1829, since which time the township has been divided into eight school districts. The first school was taught by Mr. Scruggs, in 1829.

The first mill was a horse-mill for grinding corn, and was erected in 1828 by Hugh Connoway, on the south side of the township; this mill was soon followed by another, built by Fountain Land on the same section. About the same time James H. Cherry put up a tread-mill, and Thomas Lutrell built a water-mill on Apple creek. Before any mill was built the facilities were unfavorable and inconvenient, the settlers having to go to Allen's mill, on Apple creek, four miles north of Carrollton, in Greene county. Those mills have all long since passed away, and steam mills have taken their place.

The first sermon was preached by Rey. Stephen Coonrod, a Baptist minister, who resided in Greene county. He organized a small church in the south side of the township, holding his meetings occasionally at the residences of the first settlers and at the private houses of others, who were most anxious to advance the cause of Christianity in their midst. After a time ministers of other denominations, belonging to either the Methodist, Presbyterian, or Christian churches, preached from house to house and in school-houses for years, until church edifices were provided. The first in the township was built in the town of Scottville by the Christian denomination.

The Village Of Scottville

Was laid out by Benjamin Stephenson in 1835. It is on sections sixteen and twenty-one. The proprietors were Jefferson Weatherford and Tristram P. Hoxsey. The first house was built by James McFarlan. Its present population is about 350.

The first post-office was kept by Sargeant Gobble. Dr. John Candle kept the first hotel. The first blacksmith, Alfred Ruyle. The present blacksmiths, are Alvy Auston and son, R. T. Patterson and R. H. Dowell.

The present business houses of the village are as follows: Dry-goods - A. M. Green and E. Israel. Drug stores, Groceries and Hardware - John P. Gobble, Wheeler and Hancock, and I. N. Gobble. Wagon Makers - L. B Smith and J P. Clark. Furniture and Undertakers - W. A. Clark and L_ L. Hungerford. Shoe Makers - John Hoychen, A. J. Strahan and John Schermer. Harness Makers - - W. and J. Strahan. Restaurant - 8, W. Clapps. Barber and Painter - Gustave Holtkott. Feed Stable and Tnvery - J. W. Brannon. Carpenters - Powell and Neighbors, and J. J. Dillon. Justices of Peace - Sargeant Gobble and J. W. Brannon. Constable - Samuel W. Clapps. Attorney-at-Law - L. B. Smith. Town Board of Trustees - J. M. Strahan, M. L. Wheeler, C. M. Edwards, W. W. Hewitt and John Harding. Milliners and Dress Makers - Miss Lizzie and Julia Tucker, and Mrs. A. Angelo. Masonic Hall - 22 by 46. Fifty members. Odd Fellows' Hall - 20 by 50. Twenty-six members. DPhysictans - Peter L. Bostick, A. G. Kinkead, W. A. Dalton and David Elder. Chwrches - there is one Christian and one Methodist. Post-master - George H. Hancock.

Sargeant Gobble

SARGEANT GOBBLE Wa> born in Washington county, Virginia, February 4th, 1811, the son of Isaac Gobble and Annie Sargeant. He was raised in Virginia, with the exception of five years, during which the family lived in Claiborne county, Tennessee. The part of the state in which his father liyed was rough and mountainous, The schools which had been established were of a primitive character. A good idea of the improvements may be obtained from the statement of Mr. Gobble that never, except in some town, did he see a frame building in that country. The school-houses were log structures with puncheon floors; slabs for benches ; fire-places which occupied the entire end of the room, while the teachers were sometimes of a description to correspond with the building. To such a school he was obliged to go a distance of three miles ; and six months' schooling was all he obtained while living there. The education he received was mostly by his own efforts, without the benefit of much instruction. On growing up he determined to come West. In the fall of 1831 he started from Virginia in company with a neighbor named William Johnson, and his family. The journey to Greene county, Illinois, where Johnson settled, required about six weeks. He remained in the vicinity of Carrollton the next winter and summer, and in September, 1832, marricd Amelia Johnson. The fall of 1835 he established a store at Athensville in Greene county, which he carried on till 1838. He sold dry-goods, groceries, and everything generally required in an Illinois settlement at that date. In the fall of 1838 he settled in Scottyille, which had been laid out three vears previously. He carried on the mercantile business till 1860, and was widely known as a successful and popular merchant. He became the owner of three hundred acres of land adjoining Scottville, and made two additions to the town. His first wite died in 1862. He was married to Mrs. Elizabeth A. Vanwinkle (formerly Miss Elizabeth A. Weatherford), May 15th, 1866. She was born in Kentucky. He has had twelve children ; two died in infancy, and his youngest daughter at the age of twenty; nine arenow living. Heis one of the old democrats who voted for General Jackson in 1832, and has voted for every democratic candidate for President since. In Greene county he was captain in the old militia organization. He filled the office of justice of the peace in Greene county, and also after coming to Macoupin. He was elected to the legislature on the democratic ticket in 1844, and in the fall of 1864 was again chosen to the same position. He is now acting as justice of the peace at Scottville, and is also notary public. He is known as a man of public spirit and enterprise; has been liberal with his means, and has done a great deal toward the building up of Scottville and the development of the north-western part of the county.

occupies the north half of what is geographically known as township 12, range 6, and is bounded on the north by Sangamon 3| county, on the east by Montgomery county, on the south by Girard township, and on the west by North Otter township.

This land is very level, and was most all prairie, being very flat and wet but as farms were improved and drains and tiles put in, it became dry ; it is now well cultivated by a class of thrifty farmers. It is drained in the northwest by Sugar creek, and in the north-east by Brush creek.

Early Settlers

It is claimed that the first settlers in this township were Robert Smith and Joseph Davidson, with their families, who came from Ohio and settled in the timber on Sugar creek, in the north-west part of the township, in the fall of 1829. The first land entry was made November 9th, 1829, by M. Davidson and Robert Smith, on north-east quarter of section 6. Among the old settlers of Macoupin county, now living in this township, are John Gelder, who was born in Chesterfield township in 1837, and is the son of Captain Thos. Gelder, subsequently settled in this township. Thos. G. Duckels, also a native of the county, first lived near the village of Chesterfield, and afterwards settled in Virden township in 1838, and John G. Smith in 1852. Among the early settlers were Abner Kent, William Gibson, Noble Walters, Samuel Hullet, Preston Wright, and John G, Smith.

The first church edifice erected was the Methodist, in 1853 ; for the time it was avery respectable structure, thirty by forty feet. About twenty years after a very handsome building, thirty-two by seventy-four feet, with a lofty spire was built. The old church has been converted into a blacksmith shop.

The Town Of Virden

Was named in honor of John Virden, who for a number of years had kept a popular stage-stand some two miles south, and was the proprietor of the hotel. The town was laid out in 1852 by Heaton, Duboise, Chesnut, Hickox and Keiting. It was surveyed by John L. Morrell. The first sale of lots was in October, 1852. The first building was a hotel, built by John Virden, and is the one now known as the Junction House, kept by Robert Buckles. The first dwelling was put up and occupied by Alexander Hord and family. The first store was opened by Henry Fishback, November, 1852; after about four months he sold it out to John J. Beattie; Mr. Beattie took possession February 1st, 1853. Page Heaton built and opened a dry-goods and grocery store. In January, 1853, the first post-office was kept in that store. During the summer of 1853, Joseph E. Walker erected a blacksmith shop on Dye street ; it is now occupied by Lafayette Higgins.

The first null was built by John Williams, and was known as the North Mill; but was destroyed by fire a few years after it commenced operation. The second mill was erected by Matthew Cowens, about one year after the first, and was called the South Mill. The first school was taught in the private house of Mrs. James Hall during the spring of 1853.

The first sermon was preached by Edward Rutledge, a Methodist, in the hotel of old John Virden. The first Sunday-school was a union school in the M. E. Church. The first church edifice erected was by the Methodists, in 1853, and the first regular preacher was Rev. Baker. There is now a Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist and Catholic church, all of which are neat and substantial buildings.

The great snow-storm of January 21st, 1855, was by far the most destructive and severe ever known since-the settlement of the village. Stock was frozen to death, the passenger train was blocked in a cut just north of the village limits; the train was stopped for several days. The storm was so severe that passengers had to remain in the cars; provision was carried to them by the residents of the town.

In the spring of 1870 the people of the village voted $30,000 for the building of the Jacksonville & South-eastern Railway. The whole length of the road is thirty-one miles; it was finished about the close of 1871 .

J. W. Lathrop was appointed agent. The first freight received was January 25th, 1872; it was two rolls of leather from Jacksonville, consigned to Battise & Huntly, Carlinville. The first freight shipped was January 10th, 1872; it was a car load of coal from the Virden Coal Company, consigned to J. I. Cochran, Jacksonville.

Coal shaft and tile factory - In the year 1869 a coal shaft was sunk by a joint stock company in Virden, and is now being successfully operated by J. W. Utt. About 3,000 bushels are mined per day, of which about 2,000 bushels are consumed by the C. & A. R. R. The capacity is 10,000 bushels per day. 'The tile factory has two kilns in constant operation, and is turning out 20,000 feet of tile per week.

The mine and factory are at present, giving employment to ninety men. Business of all kinds is active. The village is well laid out and is surrounded by a rich farming country, and has a population of about 1,600. The valuation of property in the township as reported by the assessor of 1879 is as follows :

We will name a number of the present business houses. Clothiers - Peter Mayer, Lewis Kaufman, and William Steed. Druggists - R. Virden & Co., J. H. Shriver, Sprague & Hustin. Dry-goods Dealers are Jackson, Hill & Co.,W. E. Eckman, G. W. Dugger, Tuttle and Johnson. Groceries - Jackson, Hill & Co., Cox & Gates, G. W. Cox and William. White. Virden Bank - Charles Walworth, president; F. D. Heaton, Cashier. Does a general banking business. Hardware dealers - Wilcox and Hopkins & Co., and Chas. Umphry. Harness Makers - J. J. Wilkins, D. Routzen, Thomas Stransbury. Boot and Shoe Makers and Dealers - J. Noll, Boyer & Son, and Geo. Recker. Confectionery - Chas. Ortman and J. Odewilder. Millinery goods - Mrs. M. K. Ash, Mrs. Jackson and Mrs. E. Squires. Lawyers - Balfour Cowen, Mahlon Ross and A. J. Plowman. Physicians - Drs. A. T. Bartlett, D. L. Spaulding, William Shriver, S. H. Clark and John Boyer. Blacksmiths - Hutcheson, Cox & Ball, L. Hegans, Allen & Gray, Christopher Askerhans. Livery - G. M. Chedester and Thos. J. Scott. Carpenters - Crawford & Long, J. G. Becker, Joseph Campbell, M. B. Whittier, W. H. Burch, R. C. Brown. Hotels - Robert Buckles, L. Cowen Lumber Dealers - M. B. Jones. Dentist - Dr. Shreve.

The Benevolent Institutions. Virden Lodge No. 534, I. O. O. F., was instituted Dec. 2d, 1873. The first officers were as follows: Lewis Kaufman, N. G.; George Tuttle, V. G.; Charles Humphreys, R. Secretary.; William Steed, Treasurer.

The charter members in addition to the above were R. P. McKnight, Peter Mayer, J. A. Campbell and Madison Murray. The membership is thirty one.

Union Lodge No. 1033 Knights of Honor was organized April 17th 1879. Charter members, J. C. Buckles, Geo. W. Cox, A. S. Bartlett, A. L. Hord, Geo. W. Coun, W. I. Shanklin, J. A. Campbell, F. W. Silloway, W. F. Gates, J. A. Beaty, W. Burch, A. C. Brown, D. L. Spaulding, John Piper, J. Winterbottom, A. J. Plowman, L. Kaufman. The present membership is twenty-two.

Has been a resident of Virden township since 1851. He isa native of Maine, and was born at Cornish, in York county of that state, March 10th, 1813. His ancestors were Quakers, and among the early settlers of Maine. His grandfather, whose name was Dayid Morrell, lived at Berwick, and held to the same religious opinions as the other members of the family. The following story is told concerning his Quaker faith. He lived in a frontier settlement, where constant danger was apprehended from Indian attacks. While one of his daughters was at a short distance from the house gathering hemlock broom stuff (it being a common custom in that country to collect the boughs of hemlock trees to manufacture into brooms), she was killed and sealped by the Indians. Although the old man still adhered to his Quaker doctrines, it is said that ever afterward when any red-skins were likely to be met, he carried two guns. The name of Mr. Morrell's father was Dayid Morrell, and that of his mother was Anna Ayers. The subject of this sketch was the fifth of a family of ten children, seven ot whom are now living. One brother and a sister reside in this state, and another sister lives in Nebraska; the others are still living in Maine.

His father was a farmer and lumberman. Cornish, the town in which he was born, lies on the Saco and Ossipee rivers. He was raised on a farm. The educational advantages he enjoyed were limited to the common schools, and these he had the opportunity of attending only at irregular intervals. His birth-place was in a lumbering district where schools were few. Although his father was a man in good circumstances, he could scarcely afford to send so many children to school away from home. He secured a good English education, but it was mostly by study at night, by the light of a pitch-knot fire, with his older brothers as occasional instructors. As was the usual custom with boys at that time, at the age of fourteen, he was apprenticed to the trade of a tanner and currier. He learned this business thoroughly, and worked at it occasionally as journeyman. Soon after he attained his majority he engaged in the lumber business on his own account, getting out lumber at a saw-mill owned by other parties, at so much a thousand; a mode of doing business which required but little capital. But he came to the conclusion that the West offered a better field for a young man of enterprise and energy, and when in his twenty-third year he came to Illinois.

He reached Alton in 1835, and looking around for something to do, the knowledge which he had acquired of the lumber business in Maine, came in good play, and he took charge of a steam saw-mill which stood in Alton, where is now the corner of Third and Piasa streets. But after a few weeks he was seized with a serious spell of sickness, bilious and malarial in its character, which continued for about seyen months, and reduced him in flesh from 175 to 125 pounds. Before his entire recovery from this attack he took charge of a school in the American Bottom, and taught it during the winter of 1835-6. In the spring of 1836 he went to Jersey (at that time still Greene) county, and during the next year taught school, carried on a mill, and farmed, in the vicinity of Otterville. He was married in the spring of 1837 to Elizabeth Beeman. Mrs. Morrell is now one of the oldest citizens of the state living in Macoupin county. She was born at Milton, on Wood river, two miles and a half from Upper Alton, on the 11th of December, 1818. The year of her birth was the same as the admission of the state into the Union. Her father, Orman Beeman, was a native of Connecticut ; he lived in New York previous to his emigration to the West, andin the year 1810 came to Illinois, and settled near Edwardsville, in Madison county. During the war of 1812 he belonged to one of the companies of rangers raised in Madison county to protect the frontier against the Indians. In June, 1815, he married Talitha White, who was born in South Carolina, on the 8th of October, 1799, and came to Illinois with her father, Joseph White, in 1805. Joseph White was one of the earliest settlers about Edwardsville. When Mrs. Morrell was five years old, (in January, 1824,) her father moved up into what was then Greene county, but is now Jersey, and settled near Otterville, where he lived till his death, on the 21st of August, 1869, an old and respected citizen of Jersey county. Mrs. Morrell's mother died September Ist, 1876.

After he was married Mr. Morrell entered government land and went to farming near Otterville. During the summer of 1837 he was contractor for carrying the mail between Alton and Gilead, in Calhoun county. The business of carrying the mail over that route, in those days, was by no means easy or remunerative. The route ran through a wild, rough country, with scattering settlements and hardly any roads. The creeks were without bridges, and it may be imagined that traveling under the circumstances was difficult. He was obliged to go on horseback altogether, and pursuing his way through the tangled woods he was frequently compelled to dismount and cut away the thick clustering grape-vines to make a pathway for his horse. At times the swollen streams overflowed their banks, and it became necessary for him to swim across with the mail-bags hung around his neck. He often thus swam the Piasa, when the stream was fifty yards from bank to bank and ten feet in depth. He began farming in Jersey county without much capital, but brought to the work the same energy and industry that have characterized the prosecution of all his undertakings in life. While farming there he gained considerable reputation as a successful grubber of brushy and timber land. The work of getting such land into a condition suitable for cultivation, was tedious and laborious, but he was fertile of inventions and expedients, and by the exercise of a little ingenuity constructed a plow which adapted itself admirably to the work. He used this plow in performing a contract to grub two hundred acres of land, and it worked so well that he completed the contract with more ease than he anticipated and with considerable pecuniary profit to himself.

Having accumulated some money by his farming operations in Jersey county, he determined to invest in lands which would likely produce a greater margin of profit and make a first-class farm. He accordingly left Jersey county in 1851. At that time the Chicago and Alton railroad had not been built, and the north-eastern part of Macoupin county, now covered with as fine farms as can be found in the state, was wild and uncultivated prairie. The Chicago and Alton road was rapidly being constructed, and to the far-seeing business man no part of Illinois offered finer inducements. He was quick to take advantage of them, and purchased land two miles southeast of the present town of Virden. At the time he settled there in 1851 his nearest neighbor on the west was two miles distant, while on the east lay a long stretch of prairie extending in all its native wildness, with no settlement on it for twenty-five miles. The deer were accustomed to come up to the immediate vicinity of the house in great droves, and so near that their eyes could be plainly seen to wink. On the completion of the railroad in 1852 this part of the county settled up more rapidly, and property rose in value. He entered 640 acres, half a section adjoining the town of Virden on the east, and half a section lying three miles farther west. He also bought one-half of section twenty-two (township twelve, range six), this being- the place where he settled and where he lived tiJ] 1867, when he moved to the town of Virden. Since living in Macoupin county he has been principally engaged in farming', but has also been widely and favorably known as a surveyor. He learned the business of surveying while living in Jersey county, and after coming to Macoupin, practiced it to a considerable extent for a number of years in this and adjoining counties. He is, however, known best as a large farmer and land-owner. He has about two thousand acres of land, three hundred of which lies in Macoupin county. He has a large farm of eight hundred and forty acres in Christian county, in the management of which he is still actively interested ; he owns eighty acres in Montgomery county; and the balance lies in Reynolds county, Missouri.

Mr. and Mrs. Morrell have five children living: Talitha A., the oldest daughter, is the wife of R. N. Terry, of Virden ; D. O. Morrell, the oldest son now living, is a graduate of the Missouri Medical College, and a physician by profession, and is now a resident of Virden; Mary F., married Benjamin F. Spence, who is now deceased; Lydia Victoria is the wife of James Allison, and is living in Christian county. The youngest daughter, Harriet B.S., is the wife of George M. Wilson, residing at Franklin, in Morgan county. His oldest son, James Henry, served in the Union army during the war of the rebellion. He enlisted in 1861 in the 11th Missouri regiment, and served in Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi. He was stationed at Cape Girardeau and New Madrid, Missouri, and took part in the capture of Island No. 10. He was in the battle of Corinth, Mississippi, participated in the assault on Vicksburg, and several other important engagements. The exposure to which he was subjected occasioned his sickness, and he died in the camp hospital, on Black river near Vicksburg, on the 15th of September, 1863. His son, D. O. Morrell, was also a soldier in the war of the rebellion. He enlisted in May, 1862, in the 12th United States infantry. His regiment formed part of the Army of the Potomac and he took part in the battles of Shiloh, the Wilderness, and other important engagements, serving till the end of the war. The other children of Mr. and Mrs. Morrell died in infancy.

Mr. Morrell was brought up as a Quaker, and was trained to an earnest belief in the doctrines of that denomination concerning the question of slavery. From his earliest manhood his sentiments were strongly antislavery. For this reason he refused to unite or co-operate actively with either the old whig or democratic parties, believing that both looked with favor on the pet institution of the Southern states. He objected to haying any thing to do with any political organization, that in any way countenanced human bondage. He was never at any pains to conceal his antislavery opinions, even when few men were bold enough to proclaim them, and was known as an " abolitionist,' when such a term was a synonym for reproach and unpopularity. When the republican party was formed on the idea of opposition to the extension of slavery, he entered heartily into its purposes and zealously supported its principles. His sympathy with slaves escaping from the South was well-known, and it was commonly believed that he was connected with the well-known but mysterious " underground railroad" system, by which the negroes of the South were assisted in gaining their liberty. He is aman of decided convictions and pronounced opinions. One of the most remarkable traits of his character has been the independence with which he has held and advocated his own views without regard to their unpopularity. He believes thoroughly in the doctrine that "truth is mighty and will prevail ;" that a few bold reformers and progressive thinkers advance theories which the whole world comes to adopt at last; and in his own experience has lived to see principles which once he supported, almost alone in the face of public sentiment, receive at last the crown of popular approval. As a business man his transactions have been consistent with the strictest honesty and integrity. He began life at the foot of the ladder, and can have the satisfaction of knowing that he has carved out' his fortune by his own industry and energy. His life has been one of persistent activity, and has been crowded with incidents worthy of mention in a sketch of this character did space permit. Once in Jersey county he was made insensible by accumulated gas, at the bottom of a well forty feet deep, to which he had occasion to descend, and was rescued from his perilous position under such extraordinary circumstances, that the saving of his life seemed almost a miracle. During the war of the rebellion he made several trips into the South. In the spring of 1863, while going from Memphis to Corinth, the train was captured by the rebels a few miles from Germantown. He was taken prisoner and confined in the swamps of Tennessee four days ; was then paroled and sent back into the Union lines at Fort Pillow, whence he proceeded to Memphis; the next day again took the train for Corinth, which place he reached in safety ; disinterred the remains of his brother-in-law, Thomas C. Carrico, and returned home. Jn the fall of 1863 he went to Vicksburg. While returning on the steamer Southwestern, the boat was attacked from the shore by Confederates, a few miles below Helena; the cabin and pilot-house well marked by bullets, and one man was killed. Mr. Morrell's hat, which sat on its edge against the wall of the cabin, had a ball put through the top of the crown. He has accomplished a great deal of hard work without serious injury to his constitution. He appears to possess peculiar recuperative powers. For instance, the loss of a tooth has been followed by the growth of another in its place; some of his teeth have been renewed four times in succession, a fact which physicians consider remarkable. Few men have preserved so late in life the appearance of youthful vigor.

Guy. M. Chedester

Tuts gentleman, who has lived in Virden since 1856, and is now one of the oldest settlers of that town, is a native of Morris county, New Jersey, and was born on the 6th of February, 1829. His grandfather was Phineas Chedester, who when a mere boy enlisted in the colonial army, in the Revolutionary war, and fought with bravery and fortitude through the whole of the long and tedious struggle which resulted in the independence of the thirteen colonies. His father, J. B. Chedester, was a soldier in the war of 1812, and by trade an ornamental plasterer. His business was profitable, and he accumulated considerable means, and engaged also in farming. He lost a large amount of money in the same way in which many other worthy and good-hearted men have lost their fortunes. He went on the paper of friends as security, and was obliged to pay the amounts. Sarah Guerin was the name of Mr. Chedester's mother. The subject of this sketch was the youngest son; he had five sisters and two brothers, who grew to manhood and womanhood. He had good advantages for obtaining an education, an excellent school being within easy reach. He was working on a farm until he was eighteen years of age, and then went to Dover, New Jersey, where he began an apprenticeship to the carpenter's trade. After learning the trade he left Dover and went to Newark, where he lived two years, and then changed his residence to the city of Brooklyn, where he was employed at his trade till 1856, the year of his coming West.

He reached Virden the 15th of September, 1856, and at once established himself in business as a carpenter and builder. The town of Virden had been laid out four years previously, and when Mr. Chedester became a resident of the place it was in a state of rapid growth and progress. He erected several buildings in the town, among which was his own residence and that of John Bronaugh, for a long time the two largest and best houses in Virden. In the year 1859 he became a partner with John Bronaugh in the lumber business, and was carrying that on at the time of the commencement of the war of the Rebellion. His grandfather had been a soldier in the Revolution, his father in the war of 1812, and Mr. Chedester felt that he would scarcely do credit to the patriotic blood of his ancestors, unless he, too, took a part, however humble, in the defence of his country in this last great war into which she had been plunged. In September, 1862, he enlisted in Co. G, of the 122d Illinois regiment. The history of this regiment, which was largely made up of volunteers from Macoupin county is well known to many of our citizens. He served in the Mississippi valley, from Kentucky to New Orleans, and as far west as Kansas. He was in the Division commanded by Gen. A. J. Smith, and took part in the battles of Trenton, Tennessee; Tupelo, Mississippi; Iuka, Spanish Fort, and Fort Blakely. At Trenton, Tennessee, he was taken prisoner by the rebels, and was home on parole about a year. He was among the last prisoners paroled, the system of paroling prisoners, which had suffered considerable abuse, being suspended a short time afterwards. He returned again to the army, and participated in some of the important movements of the war. The storming of Fort Blakely, in which his regiment bore a conspicuous part, was the last important engagement which transpired during the war. Lee had surrendered in Virginia, the Confederacy was at its last gasp, and soon afterward he was permitted to return home.

He at once resumed the lumber business with John Bronaugh as partner. This partnership was dissolved in the year 1867, after which he carried on the business on his own account till 1872. At that time Virden was the nearest railroad town and central trading point for a large district of country. He carried on a large and profitable trade. Teams would meet in his yard, which had started from opposite points eighty miles apart - forty miles on either side of Virden. He frequently sold fifteen hundred or two thousand dollars worth of lumber in a single day, and he has paid the railroad agent at Virden as high as fifleen hundred dollars for one day's freight. He built up this large business by his affable and genial manners, his knowledge of building and carpentering, which enabled him to inform his customers exactly what they wanted, and the liberal business principles which he adopted. Since 1875 he has been in the livery business, and for some years has been also engaged in raising fine stock and horses - an occupation which strongly coincides with his natural tastes and inclinations, and at which he has been successful. His first marriage occurred in September, 1865, to Martha Vail, who was a native of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, and the daughter of Dr. Israel Vail, who became a resident of Virden in 1857. She died in the month of February, 1868. His present wife, whom he married in June; 1872, was formerly Miss Mary E. Ash. She was born at Coatesville, Pennsylvania. Her first husband was Frank Huntoon, who died in the army during the war. Mr. Chedester has three children living, all daughters; two by his first, and one by his second marriage. His father was a whig, and he has been a republican from the first organization of the party. From early boyhood his sentiments were strongly anti-slavery, and he has always believed the republican party to be the representative of the truest patriotism, and its principles best calculated to carry on the government, and perpetuate free institutions.

Archibald L. Virden

Is now one of the oldest residents of Virden. He is a native of Ross county, Ohio, and was born October 27, 1828. His father, Isaac Virden, was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and when a young man came to Ohic, and in that state married Amelia Saddler, who belonged to one of the earliest families to settle in Ohio. The subject of this sketch was the seventh of a family of eleven children, of whom the ten oldest were sons, and only one, the youngest, a daughter. He lived in Ohio till about eleven years of age, and then in the fall of 1834, the family came to Illinois, and settled on Buckheart creek, twenty-three miles east of Springfield. The place where they settled was first in Sangamon county; it was afterwards thrown into Dane, in the formation of that county ; and is now in Christian. His father bought land and opened up a farm, on which he lived till his death in 1846. | From the time he was six years old while he lived in Ohio, Mr. Virden went quite regularly to school. But they had settled in Illinois ina new country. Assoon as the families became numerous enough a rude school-house was built of round logs; a log was conveniently left out at the sides, and some greased paper pasted over the aperture, answered all the purposes of a window. In such a pioneer institution Mr. Virden completed his education. On the 18th of August, 1844, he married Henrietta Dyson. She was a native of Maryland, and the daughter of William Dyson, who came to Illinois in the fall of 1839, and settled in the same neighborhood in which Mr Virden lived, in Christian county. In the fall of 1848, Mr. Virden moved to a farm five miles west of Springfield, where he lived till 1851, and then bought a farm near Mt. Auburn, in Christian county, where he resided till the fall of 1852. He had learned, the plastering trade, and was accustomed to work at it in the winter season from the time he was eighteen.

He came to Virden in the fall of 1852. The town had just been laid out, and its growth was just commencing. No houses had yet been built, though the timber was on the ground for the construction of two or three. He followed his trade of plasterer for about a year, and then purchased a small grocery and confectionery store, and embarked in that business. Virden proved a favorable point for building a town, and as the place increased in size, he enlarged his business, and in 1845 formed a partnership with S. B. Wilcox. They built a store near the railroad, and carried on business on a more extensive scale. In 1857, Mr. Virden sold out his interest in the firm to Walter Turner. The next year, 1858, he went into business with Thomas Rae, establishing the present firm of Rae, Virden, and Co. They opened a drug store, which has been carried on without interruption to the present day. The partnership has continued without any change in the firm name, for more than twenty years, and during that period has maintained the confidence and good-will of the business community. In his political sympathies Mr. Virden was originally an old line whig. The first vote he cast for president, was given to Henry Clay, the great and eloquent champion of whig principles, in the presidential contest of 1844. When the whig party went into a state of dissolution, Mr. Virden became a democrat, and has since continued to support that party. He is a gentleman who has enjoyed the confidence and respect of the people in a remarkable degree, and has filled numerous positions of trust and honor. From 1857. to 1865 he served as justice of the peace. In 1872 he was elected representative in the legislature on the democratic ticket. While in the legislature, he discharged the duties of his position in a creditable and satisfactory manner, and devoted his attention to legislation which, in his estimation, would secure the best intérests ofthe people. He is now the oldest business man in Virden, and there are only three persons now living in the town, who were residents of it when he came. He has had seven children, four of whom are deceased. The names of those living are Ann Maria, who married Otho Williams, and now lives at Jacksonville; William H. Virden, one of the enterprising younger business men of Virden, who is a partner in the firm of Jackson, Hill and Co.; and Edgar L., who is still living at home.

The town of Virden received its name from an older brother of Mr. Virden's, John Virden, who, about the year 1838, established a "stand " two miles south-west of where the town has since been built, at the intersection of the Springfield and St. Louis, and the Springfield and Vandalia stage lines. This place was widely known as the Virden stand, and when the town came to be projected it received the name of Virden.

Balfour Cowen

Wno since April, 1867, has been practising law at Virden, was born at Bath, Grafton county, New Hampshire, June 30, 1832. He is descended from a family of Welsh origin which settled in New England at an early date. The name of both his father and grandfather was Zachariah Cowen. His father was born and raised in New Hampshire, and married Mary Titus, whose ancestors were early settlers of Weymouth, Massachusetts. They subsequently lived in Attleboro, Mass., and removed from there to Bath, N. H., in 1765. New Hampshire at that time was almost a complete wilderness. It is handed down as a family tradition that Mr. Cowen's great-grandmother mounted a horse, with a feather-bed as a saddle, and with one child before and one behind her, made the long journey of two hundred miles to the place of their pioneer settlement. One of these children was his grandfather, Eleazer Titus. His great-grandfather was Capt. Samuel Titus; his military title he acquired in the Revolutionary war.

The subject of this sketch was the youngest of a family of three children, all of whom were sons. In 1835, when he was three years of ages his father moved with the family to Llinois, and entered 240 acres of land» four miles north of Jerseyville, now in Jersey, but then in Greene county. The next spring he died, leaving Mr. Cowen's mother in charge of the family. The educational advantages which Mr. Cowen enjoyed were very limited. The first school he attended was at the stone school-house at Otterville, in Jersey county. The nearest school was five miles distant, and about three months' schooling, every other winter, was all the instruction he received until he was fourteen. Most of his education he has obtained since he has grown to manhood. His mother had kept possession of the land which her husband entered, and it was fenced and put under cultivation by her children. In March, 1855, Mr. Cowen married Amanda Bartlett, a native of Maine. After his marriage he bought out the interest of his brothers in the homestead, and was farming till the fall of 1857. He moved to Virden in the spring of 1858, and embarked in the mercantile business at first in partnership with his brother. x

In the second year of the war of the rebellion he enlisted in the army. He was mustered into the United States service September 4, 1862, as captain of comp. G, 122d Illinois regiment. He served in Tennessee, Missouri, Mississippi, Kentucky, Louisiana and Alabama. The regiment was raised in Macoupin township, and its history is familiar to the people. On the 20th of December, 1862, while on detached service, acting as provost marshal at Trenton, Tennessee, he was captured by the Confederate general Forrest. He was exchanged in March, 1868, rejoined his regiment, and afterward took part in the battles of Tupelo, Mississippi, July 14, 1864; Nashville, December 15 and 16, 1864, and Fort Blakely, on Mobile bay, April 3-9, 1865, the last battle of any moment of the war. He was discharged at Mobile, Ala., and wax mustered out at Springfield, August, 1865. Mr. G. Evans, now a resident of California, who had been his partner in the mercantile business at Virden while Capt. Cowen was absent in the army, had disposed of the store in 1864; and on Mr. Cowen's return he resolved on fitting himself for the legal profession. He was admitted to the bar April 6, 1867.

As a lawyer he has gained a leading position among the members of the Macoupin county bar. He has endeavored to practice his profession in the most honorable and legitimate manner; and to follow a course' calculated to advance the best interests of his clients, believing that there is no reason why a lawyer, to be successful, should stoop to any act which would bring the slightest stain on the personal honesty and integrity of a gentleman. He was raised as an old line whig, and taught to revere Henry Clay as the greatest of American statesmen. Although he was brought up chiefly among people pro-slavery in their sympathies, he became an early member of the republican party, and cast his first vote for president in 1856, for Gen. Fremont, the first republican candidate for the presidency. He has acted with the republican party ever since on all questions of national politics. While Capt. Cowen is in every sense of the word a self-made man, he attributes whatever of success he has acquired in his profession and as a business man to the example and teaching of his mother during the early years of his life. His opportunities in early life were few, and he has succeeded by his own native energy and resolution. As an officer in the army his record is clear from any stain ; his professional abilities have made for him an honorable place in his profession, and as a citizen his personal conduct has been such as to command the respect of the community.

William W. Sewall

Wuo has lived at Virden since 1856, is a native of Jacksonville, [linois, and was born February 11th, 1832. His ancestors were among the earliest settlers of New England; coming over in the ship Dorcas, in the year 1634, and settling at Newbury, Massachusetts. Some time afterward members of the family took part in the early settlement of Maine. His great-grandfather, Henry Sewall, settled at Augusta, Maine; where, in 1752, his grandfather, Henry Sewall, was born. At the beginning of the Revolutionary war, Henry Sewall enlisted, as a corporal, in Captain David Bradish's company of infantry, and served throughout the whole struggle. During the war he rose to the rank of major, and after its conclusion took part in organizing the state militia. He was made major-general of the 8th Division of state troops, and was connected with the state militia of Maine for nearly twenty years. He died at Augusta, in 1845, at the age of ninety-three.

Mr. Sewall's father, William Sewall, was born in Augusta, Maine, in the year 1797. He left home in 1818, and taught school in various places in Maryland and Virginia. He was married in Washington City, in 1820, to Mrs. E. W. Adams of Nanjemoy, Maryland, a daughter of Samuel W., and Catharine Middleton. After his marriage he settled near Warrenton, in Fauquier county, Virginia, where he lived until the fall of 1829. He then 'came to Illinois, and settled at Jacksonville, which was at that time a small village of a few houses. He taught school four or five years in Jacksonville, and helped to organize and build the first Presbyterian church of that place. About 1834 he moved to a farm near Chandlerville, in Cass county. At this place he helped to organize another Presbyterian church, and was one of its first elders. He also organized the first Sabbath-school in Cass county. His father died there in 1847, and in January 1852 his mother moved back to Jacksonville. His mother afterwards died at Chandlerville, in 1874. Mr. Sewall was about two years of age when he went to Cass county, and he lived there until he was about eighteen, when his mother moved to Jacksonville. He had attended the common schools at Chandlerville. and after his return to Jacksonville he became a student for five years in Illinois College, and graduated in the class of 1856. Immediately after leaving college he came to Virden (July 17th, 1856). He had made preparations to carry on the carpentering business, which he had learned at Jacksonville, forming a partnership with J. L. Samson. He followed this business for about three years, putting up a number of buildings, among which was the Presbyterian church of Virden. He also dealt in grain one year, in partnership with James M. Hall. He was married December 9th, 1858, to Susan E. Cox, daughter of Jesse Cox, an old and well known settler of Virden. He commenced farming in 1860, and August 9th, 1862, enlisted in Company G, 122d Illinois Infantry. His regiment was first commanded by Col. Rinaker. He served in Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama, and was in five battles, as follows: Parker's Cross Roads, Tennessee, December 9th, 1862; Town Creek, Alabama, April 28th, 1863; Tupelo, Mississippi, July 13-15, 1864; Nashville, December 15th and 16th, 1864; and Fort Blakely, April 9th, 1865. He was wounded in the right thigh in a bayonet charge at the storming of Fort Blakely, just a moment or two before its capture. He was taken to Sedgwick hospital at New Orleans, where he recovered and was mustered out of service June 8th, 1865. He returned to Virden, and worked at his trade until the spring of 1867, when he formed his present partnership with G. W. Simons and went into the milling business. He has always been a republican, and cast his first vote for Fremont, in 1856. He has four children, all of whom are living.

George W. Simons

Mr. Simons was born at Brighton, Sussex county, England, December 8, 1820. His father was Thomas Simons and his mother Mary Ann Munn. His father had visited America as early as 1822, and wished to make his home in this country but could not obtain the consent of Mr. Simons' mother to leave England until 1830. That year the family came to America and first settled at Utica, New York, where in 1831 his mother died. The next year his father moved to Cincinnati. Mr. Simons was eleven years old when his mother died. He was gifted with strong, natural musical tastes, and when it became necessary for him to make his own living he chose music as his support. He obtained a position as organist in Dr. Aydelotte's (Episcopal) church, at Cincinnati, when he was only fourteen years of age. In 1835 he went to Nashville, where he became organist of Dr. Wheat's (Episcopal) church, and subsequently Dr. Edgar's church (the First Presbyterian); he also began teaching music at Nashville. Late in the fall of 1839 he went to Bowling Green, Kentucky, where, with the exception of one year when he lived at Hopkinsville, he resided till 1851. He left Bowling Green to take charge of the musical department connected with a large female seminary at Dixon Springs, in Smith county, Tennessee, but the next year accepted a similar position at Fayetteville, Tennessee. In the fall of 1860 he concluded that it would be better to change his residence to the north. The people of Tennessee were terribly excited in regard to the attitude of the republican party concerning slavery, and freely spoke of the war, which in fact broke out a few months later. Settling up his business in a satisfactory manner he reached Virden, where he had decided to locate, in the fall of 1860. Hehad been married at Bowling Green, Kentucky, May 14, 1850, to Sarah A. Calvert, daughter of the Rev. Samuel W. Calvert, pastor of the Presbyterian church at Bowling Green. His sister-in-law, the wife of Rev. William L. Tarbet, resided at Virden. From 1861 to 1864 he lived on a farm three miles east of Virden, which he had purchased in 1859. In 1867 he formed a partnership with William W. Sewall and W. W. Pattison, to carry on the milling business, and in the spring of that year began building a mill, which commenced running December 24,1867. This partnership has since been in existence with the exception that Mr. Pattison has gone out. An illustration of the mill may be seen on another page. With the recent additions it is the largest mill in Virden. Messrs. Simons & Sewall have endeavored to conduct business on a fair and liberal basis. The mill isamply supplied with the most modern machinery for the production of the best brands of flour. It has never stopped running except from accidental causes from the day it first started. As originally built it cost about eighteen thousand dollars. Several thousand dollars worth of improvements have since been added. It has four run of stone and a capacity of two hundred barrels per day. The flour has been shipped under various brands, principal of which is the "Star" and the " North Star Mills," the name by which the mill is known. The product of the mill has been shipped to all parts of the United States, chiefly finding a market in Chicago, and during the last year large quantities of flour have been manufactured for shipment to England, where it has been sold under the name of the " Paragon" and " Excelsior" brands.

Mr. Simons was first an old line whig, and while in Kentucky, in 1840, though not old enough to vote, took a warm interest in the election of Harrison. His associations in the south were calculated to throw him in sympathy with slavery, but instead, his sentiments were always anti-slavery, and he was as outspoken in pronouncing them as was possible under the circumstances. He voted for Lincoln in 1860, and has since been a republican. He joined the Presbyterian church, at Utica, when twelve years old; he became connected with an Episcopal church at Nashville, and joined the Presbyterian church again at Fayetteville, Tennessee, and was made elder soon afterward. He was chosen an elder in the Presbyterian church, at Virden, soon after coming to the place, and has filled that position ever since. He has seven children. His oldest son, George Simons, has been first miller for the last four or five years.

Lafayette Hegans

Was born in Johnson county, Indiana, October 14th, 1841. His father, Michael Hegans, was an Englishman by birth, who emigrated to America and settled in the state of Indiana. He married Susan Spangler, who was born in Pennsylvania, and was of German descent. His father followed farming in Johnson county, Indiana, and died there. His mother lived in Indiana till the subject of this biography was fourteen or fifteen years old, and then moved to Jersey county, in this state, and settled on a farm near Otterville. She lived there till her death, on the 19th of June, 1875. Mr. Hegans attended the common schools, both in Indiana and in Jersey county, and obtained a satisfactory business education. When about seventeen he went to work at the blacksmith's trade, and was employed at that, together with farming, till the news reached Illinois of the discovery of gold at Pike's Peak, when, in company with his only brother who was younger than himself, he went to Colorado, but after a stay of about six months returned to Illinois. He was living at Otterville at the time of the breaking out of the war of the rebellion. In August, 1862, he enlisted in company C, 124th Illinois regiment. His regiment was organized at Camp Butler, [linois, in August, 1862, and was mustered into service for three years on the 10th of the following September. It went into the field immediately, and constituted a portion of the old 3d division 17th army corps, from October, 1862, till March 1864. During this period it participated in all the memorable campaigns and battles under Grant, McPherson, and Logan, and was prominently engaged in the battles of Port Gibson, Raymond, Jackson, Champion Hill and siege of Vicksburg. At the battle of Champion Hill the regiment for a time occupied the extreme right of the Union line, and was desperately engaged with three times their number of Georgians, whom they routed and drove from the field, killing and wounding two hundred of the enemy and capturing two hundred and fifty prisoners and a battery of four guns, with severe loss to themselves. The regiment also participated in the Meridian expedition, under Gen. Sherman, in February, 1864, In January, 1864, it wen the proud distinction of being the excelsior regiment of the 3d division, 17th army corps, and was presented by Major-general Mc- Pherson, with a splendid battle flag inscribed "Excelsior Regiment, Third Division, Seventeenth Army Corps." The regiment was also engaged in the campaign against Monroe, Louisiana, Yazoo City, Jackson, and Brownsville, Mississippi ; and constituted a part of the 3d brigade, 3d division, 16th army corps, in the campaign against Mobile and Montgomery, Alabama, in March and April, 1865. This brigade was the first to storm and enter Spanish Fort on the night of April 8th, and was one of the supports at the capture next day of Fort Blakely, the last important éngagement of the war. The regiment also constituted a part of the brigade which was first to enter Vicksburg after the protracted siege which resulted in the capture of that stronghold. During the siege of Vicksburg Mr. Hegans was wounded by the concussion of a shell, and his gun was shattered in two pieces by a rebel bullet. The regiment also took a prominent part in twice mining and blowing up Fort Hill, and in the assault on that fortress on the 26th of June, 1863, lost fifty-six men out of one hundred and fifty engaged. On the previous 23d of June, Mr. Hegans was wounded in the foot while on picket duty. The regiment went into the field with nine hundred and twenty-six officers and men, recruited two hundred and fifty-seven, and returned home with four hundred officers and men. It was distinguished for the superiority of its drill, discipline, and good conduct. It was mainly recruited from the counties of Kane, Henry, Mercer, Cook, Putnam, McDonough, Adams, Sangamon, Jersey, and Wayne. It marched by land and water nearly seven thousand miles; was engaged in fourteen skirmishes, ten battles, and two sieges, and was under , the fire of the enemy eighty-two days and sixty nights. At a grand reception given in their honor at Chicago on their return, Col. Howe, who had succeeded Col. Sloan in command of the regiment, truthfully said that "the men of the 124th never gave way one inch of ground in the face of the enemy, never turned their backs upon the rebels, and had never failed to drive them before them whenever they tried. -There was no blot upon their record and no stain upon their colors but those made by the blood of their fallen comrades."

After his discharge at Chicago, on the 16th of August, 1865, Mr. Hegans came immediately to Virden and began his present business. An illustration of his blacksmith and wagon shop is shown on another page. He is known as one of the progressive and enterprising business men of Virden.

Tn his politics he is an earnest and strong republican. His first vote for president was cast for Gen. Grant, in 1868. He would have voted for Lincoln, in 1864, but was prevented by the illiberal and unpatriotic action of the Illinois legislature which refused the soldiers the privilege of voting while in the field in the defence of their country.

His only brother, Nelson Hegans, was also a soldier in the Union army. He enlisted in the 61st Illinois regiment, in 1861, and was killed at the battle of Shiloh, in April,.1862. Mr. Hegans is a man of decided convictions and opinions, but liberal in his views on all subjects. He has a substantial standing as a business man, and as a citizen stands well in the estimation of the community.

John Gelder

One of the leading farmers of Virden township, is a native of the county, and a son of Capt. Thomas S. Gelder, of Chesterfield township, a sketch of whose history will be found elsewhere. He was the oldest child, and was born on the farm which his father still owns in Chesterfield township, August 11, 1837. The latter part of his education he received at Shurtleff college, in which institution he was a student for two years. After leaving college he spent fourteen months in Europe, traveling through England, Holland, Belgium, and France, during part of 1862 and 1863, and visiting all the principal places of interest in those countries. Returning home in 1863, he went to farming in Chesterfield township. | He was married September 11, 1866, to Miss Clara Tolman, daughter of James Tolman. She was born in Jersey county. After his marriage he moved to his present farm in Virden township. His farm at Virden consists of 140 acres, and he owns land beside in Montgomery, Sangamon, and Christian counties, making altogether 1120 acres. The lands in Sangamon, Montgomery, and Christian, he bought unimproved, and they now form fine and valuable farms situated near Harvel on the Wabash railway. His Virden farm is one of the finest and best improved in the county. He has four children. He is a republican in politics, and a member of the Presbyterian church. He has a natural taste for farming, and conducts it according to business principles and modern ideas, and his name deserves a place among the successful agriculturalists of Macoupin county.

Seymour B. Wilcox

Tuis gentleman, sheriff of Macoupin county from 1868 to 1870, was born in Genesee county, New York, August 19, 1826. His ancestors were Scotch-Irish, and settled in Connecticut, and afterward emigrated to Western New York. His grandfather, Borden Wilcox, was in the revolutionary war. His father, also named Borden Wilcox, was born and raised in Genesee county, New York. When a boy of fourteen or fifteen, he ran away from home to enlist in the army, during the war of 1812. He was taken prisoner by the British, at Fort Erie, and was two years at Halifax, in Nova Scotia. He was a farmer and school teacher. He came to Illinois in 1821, and soon afterward married Almira Kellogg, daughter of Col. Seymour Kellogg ; she was born in Genesee county, New York, on a farm adjoining the birth-place of Mr. Wilcox's father. Col. Kellogg settled eight or ten miles west of Jacksonville, in 1818, the same year as the admission of IIlinois as a state. He was an officer in the war of 1812, and one of the oldest settlers of Morgan county, in which he made his home when a wilderness. He died while on a visit to St. Louis. After Mr. Wilcox's father was married, he lived in Morgan county for two years, and then returned to New York, and lived in Genesee county for a time, and also carried on a plow foundry at Albion, on the Erie canal. October, 1831, he came back to Ilinois, and settled at Naples, then in Morgan, and now in Scott county. 'He died January 9, 1837. Mr. Wilcox's mother died April 19, 1841.

the age of fifteen was compelled to begin life for himself. He learned the trade of a plasterer in St. Louis. August 4, 1848, he married Julia F. Macklin, who was born at Terre Haute, Indiana, but was principally raised in St. Louis. He left St. Louis in 1851, and came to Waverly, in Morgan county, where he followed his trade till 1855, and then moved to Virden, which-town had only been started two or three years, and contained but a few houses. He bought an interest in the grocery business of A. L. Virden. In 1857 Walter Turner purchased Mr. Virden's interest, and the business was carried on under the firm name of Wilcox and Turner till 1864. Virden was then an important business point, and commanded the trade of a large scope of country. Their sales occasionally reached as high an amount as $700 in asingle day. In 1863 he made a trip to California, driving stock across the plains and selling them on the Pacific coast. After 1864 he was in the grain and hay business. In 1868 against numerous strong competitors, he carried off the democratic nomination for sheriff, and was elected by a majority of 329, running considerably ahead of the general ticket. He was in the sheriff's office till December, 1870; he conducted it on strict business principles, and made the reputation of being one of the best officers the county ever had. He has since resided at Virden. He has five children: Josephus P., Ida M., Jennie V., Luella H., and Maxcy B. He was first a whig in politics, and voted for Taylor for president in 1848. When the whig party went to pieces he became a democrat. He is known as a public-spirited and enterprising man, and his residence at Virden is one of the handsomest in the town.

Thomas. F. Coultas

Is a native of Illinois, and was born in Scott county, September 24, 1832. His father was James Coultas, and his mother's maiden name was Mary Foster. They were married in England, and came to America leaving Liverpool in May, 1830. They settled three miles north-east of Winchester, in what was then Morgan but is now Scott county. Thomas Coultas was raised in the neighborhood of Winchester, and received such an education as a pioneer settlement could afford. He was married February 4th, 1855, to Elizabeth J. Loud, daughter of Rufus W. Loud, a native of Boston, and a ship-carpenter by trade; he married Jane Scammon, and died during the war of 1812. Mrs. Coultas was born in York county, Maine, March 16th, 1835. Her father moved to Scott county and settled near Winchester when Mrs. Coultas was four years old, and in the year 1854 moved to the vicinity of Virden. After his marriage Mr. Coultas devoted his time to farming in Scott county until the spring of 1867, when he moved to Virden township, and is now one of the substantial farmers of that section. He owns 278 acres of land. He has always been a republican in politics, casting his first vote for Fremont for President in 1856. Mr. Coultas has seven living children - Ellen ; Horace W.; Rufus J.; Alvin F.; Franklin E.; Anna, and Emma J. He is a man who has always stood well in the community as an enterprising farmer and good citizen.

the county, and occupies town 10 North, range 9 West. It is bounded on the north by Barr township, on the west by Greene county, on the south by Chesterfield township, and on the east by Bird township.

It was originally covered with a heavy growth of timber, which has afforded material for building purposes, and fuel for those who prefer it to coal. Joe's creek flows south-westerly across the north-west part of the township, and with its branches drain that portion, while Hodges', Solomon's, Lick and Bear creeks drain the whole northern, eastern and southern area. The three latter named creeks empty into Hodges' creek, near the centre of the township.

The surface is generally hilly, especially along the creeks, where they are covered with timber. The bottom lands in this township are among the richest, most fertile and productive in the county. Particularly is this true of the bottoms adjacent to Bear and Hodges' creeks.

Sandstone is found outcropping on Hodges' creek, and is quarried for foundations and building purposes. Also coal No. 5, crops out in the bluffs of Hodges' creek, and has been mined to supply the local demands in this vicinity ever since the first settlement.

Western Mound was never visited by Indians, since the first white man erected his cabin within its borders. But prior to this time they must have been numerous, as all the bluffs, and elevated lands around "low marshy swamps" and " Long" and " Round" bottoms, are covered with the graves of their dead. specially is this the case just above where Solomon's creek empties into Hodges'. Their flint arrow-heads and battle-axes may be found in every part of the township.

First Settlements

The first white man who settled in Western Mound township, was Samuel Judy, in about the year 1826. He first settled in the south-east corner of section 32, and afterward settled on the place now owned by James W. Lumpkin, in the spring of 1829, which improvements he sold the following summer, for a bushel of corn and a well bucket. He then settled the place where Thomas Bilbey now resides. The bushel of corn he took to Finley's mill, in Greene county, to be ground, and after it had passed from the hopper, it was discovered that there was no meal, and upon raising the cap surrounding the mill-stone, the meal was found adhering to the stone, the corn having been damp when ground.

In 1827, Bennet Tilley and family, natives of North Carolina, William Smith and family, Andrew Hughes, Henry Etter, a Mr. Robinson and their families, were next to settle. And the following year came Huriah Smith, with his father, Richard Smith and family, and settled September 7th, 1828, on section 31, on Hodges' creek. Norris Hayes and family, and J. Coddle and family, settled on section 31, in the spring of 1829. Daniel Deadrick, from Greene county, Illinois, and James McFarland and family, from Tenn., settled on section 34, in 1829. Jeptha Reeder, from Tenn., with a family of five daughters and one son - Paschall Reeder, - settled here in 1831.

There were quite a number of settlements made in the year 1832, among whom were - John Morris, an Englishman, with family, on section 34; William Chism and family, and Jacob Kelly and family, from Kentucky ;

Rey. Charles Holliday, a Methodist minister, settled in the township about the year 1834; and the same year John Dews entered 80 acres of land in section 28, where he located in 1837, and has continued to reside there ever since. Samuel Hullett, a native of England, came here from Morgan county, Illinois, in 1835. Griffith Edwards and family were also early settlers.

The early settlers suffered great privation and many hardships. For many years they were compelled to do their milling and trading at Edwardsville, a distance of forty miles, or at St. Louis, a distance of over fifty miles.