Ashmore Township

Ashmore Township

Ashmore is situated on the Indianapolis & St. Louis Railroad, about seven miles east of Charleston. It was surveyed and laid out February 14, 1855, by

H. J. Ashmore and James D. Austin, and for the former of whom it was named. The entire villao;e stands on the oriorinal Austin farm ; Ashmore had bought out some of the Austin heirs, and hence owned a part of the land when the village was laid out. The first store was opened by John Hogue, on the laying out of the place. McAllister k Ashmore, who had a store on the road, half a mile southwest of the town " before it was," moved their store to the new village, and became the second house of the kind in Ashmore. Van Dyke & Hogue put up the first dwelling in the little village. The first blacksmith-shop was kept by William English. The Waters boys started a wagon-shop about the same time. The first mill in the village was built by J. A. Brown in 1856, and was burned some three or four years afterward. A brother of Brown's was the first railroad agent at Ashmore. The present mill was built by Clement k Fish, about 1866. It stands near the railroad track, just east of the station, is a frame building, with two runs of buhrs and does a good business. It is owned at present by Chris Miller, an efiicient man, who thoroughly understands the milling business. The first tavern was kept by H. J, Ashmore, is still standing and kept at present by A. B. McDavid. The village boasts of another hotel, the Franklin House, kept by John Franklin. The first post office was established on the laying out of the village, with Thomas O'Brien as Postmaster. Elias Monroe represents Uncle Sam in the post office department here at present. The first schoolhouse was built in 1857-58, and was a kind of partnership aiFair with the religious people. It was finally purchased for school purposes, and so used until the building of the present edifice. Washington Boyer and Charles P. Scott were the first teachers in the village, but which one has the honor of teaching the first school cannot be ascertained. Prof B. H. Chase is Principal of the school at present, and Miss Roma Carter, assistant teacher. The present fine brick schoolhouse was built in 1871, is two-stories high and cost about §3,000.

A summary of the business of Ashmore presents the following showing : four general stores - Zimmerman & Monros, F. M. Waters, Waters Brothers & Davis and J. R. Snyder ; three grocery stores - Joshua Rickets, Peter Shleppy and George O'Brien ; two drug stores - A. F. Robertson and W. R. Comstock ; five physicians - Drs. Van Dyke, Steele, Robertson, Hobart and Honn ; one hardware store - Austin, Brown k KimbaU, who also handle lumber, furniture and agricultural implements; stoves and tinware, J. A. Brown; shoe-shop, J. H. Poulson ; harness-shop, James C. Coulson ; marble-shop, Charles E. Cox ; four blacksmith-shops - Charles W. Waters (both wood and iron), P. B. Parcell, John Melland Woodworth k Ault; two wood-shops - Thomas Kincade and 0- D, Stoddert. It is a flourishing little village, with a set of wide-awake, energetic business men. In addition to the above business directory, there is a grain warehouse, which does quite a business. Considerable grain is shipped from this point, mostly however, by the merchants of the place, who buy in a small way. A good deal of stock, cattle and hogs, is also shipped from this station.

The Churches

The village of Ashmore boasts of three very stylish church edifices, viz., Methodist Episcopal, Cumberland Presbyterian and Old-School Presbyterian. The first religious society organized in the village, or now located in the village, was the Methodist. It was originally organized in the neighborhood in 1831, by Rev. Joseph Henry, a local preacher, with the following members : Dr. West and wife, C. Sousely and wife, Joseph Mclntire and wife, Robert Modrell and wife, J. H. Modrell and wife, Matthew McLain and wife, James Hubanks and wife, William Austin. Sr., and his daughters, Frances and Mahala, Samuel P. Burr, George Modrell, Margery Modrell, Sarah Hubanks, Ruth Clark, Jennie Clark and Elizabeth Clark, and perhaps some others. The name of the first preacher, or circuit-rider, was Rev. Mr. Rhimon. The first church was built in 1869, in the village, and cost about $2,500. About 1838, in conjunction with the Presbyterians, they built a log church some two miles west of the village, Avhich they used for a number of years. This log church, schoolhouses and settlers' cabins were their places of worship, until the building of their church in Ashmore, and the organization has been kept up ever since first established in 1831. The present membership is thirty-five, and J. A. Burke, Pastor. The first Sabbath school was organized in 1831, by Methodists and Presbyterians, William Austin and James Hite, Superintendents, and has been run as a union school ever since, until last summer, when the Methodists organized a separate school. It numbers about eighty or ninety scholars, with L. C. Fell, Superintendent.

Hebron Church, of the Old-School Presbyterians, was organized on the 19th June, 1841, by a committee appointed by Palestine Presbytery, consisting of Revs. Isaac Bennett and James Reasoner, and Ruling Elders J. Balch and William Collom. The original members who went into the organization were Robert Brooks, Mary Brooks, James H. Bovell, Jane M. Bovell, Alfred J. L. Brooks, Mary Brooks, Robert A. Brooks, Samuel Hogue, Letitia Hogue, Sarah Moflfett, James Moffett, Thomas C. Mitchell, Isabella A. Mitchell, Margarist J. Mitchell and Cynthia Moffett. The first Ruling Elders were Thomas C. Mitchell and Robert Brooks. Rev. Isaac Bennett preached occasionally for the Church for one year. He was succeeded by Rev. John McDowell, who preached twice a month for two years, beginning in May. 1842. Rev. John Steele was stated supply for the Church from 1844 to 1849, giving it one-half of his time. He was succeeded by Rev. Joseph A. Jams in February, 1849, who supplied the pulpit for two years. From 1851 to 1855, Rev. James Cameron, who lived in Charleston, preached occasionally. For the next ten years, from 1855 to 1865, various ministers were connected with the church as stated supplies, giving it a part of their time from their other charges in the following order : Revs. John McDole, A. J. Cameron, R. A. Mitchell, James A. Allison, H. I. Venable and Nathaniel Williams. In October, 1865, Rev.

S. J. Bovell was called to the charge as stated supply, and has without any interruption continued to hold this relation up to the present time. Since its organization, 160 persons have been received into membership, about 60 now constituting the membership, the depletion being caused by death and removals. Only three of the original members are nojv living, viz., A. J. L. Brooks, James Moffett and Letitia Hogue. I. S. Wright, I. M. Moffett, T. J. Bull and A. J. L. Brooks are the Ruling Elders. The first church-building was located two miles west of the village of Ashmore, near the former residence of James Galbraith, and was a log structure, and built in connection with the Methodists. In 1867, a neat and commodious church-building was erected in the village, at a cost of $3,300, but the organization still retained the name of Hebron, and was known as Hebron Church, under the care of Mattoon Presbytery. The church was dedicated on the 20th of October, 1867. The history of the Sabbath school is similar to that of the Methodist Church above given, and was a union school with that church until the past summer, when the school was divided.

The Cumberland Presbyterian Church was organized in 1858, under the ministerial charge of Rev. James Ashmore, who was the first regular Pastor. The church was commenced in 1866 and completed the following year. It is an elegant brick edifice and cost about $7,500, and is under the pastoral charge of Rev. A. B. McDavid, with a membership of about one hundred and twentyfive. H. J. Ashmore, one of the benevolent citizens of Ashmore, contributed to the building of this church edifice $3,500. While it was in process of erection, the agent of the Cumberland Presbyterian College at Lincoln, 111., came to the village, and hearing of Mr. Ashmore's liberality, called on him to know how much interest he wanted in the Lincoln College. " Two hundred dollars," replied Mr. Ashmore, and paid over the money. A Sunday school was organized by this church in 1860, and has an average attendance of 120, under the superintendence of 0. F. Ashmore.

Ashmore Lodge, No. 390, was organized in the fall of 1863, with the following charter members, viz. : A. N. Graham, W. P. Ferris, Caleb Reed, Hamilton Bennett, J. A. Brown, M. W. Barnes, John Campbell, 0. D. Hawkins, W. S. Vanmeter, W. N. Young and Robert Boyd, of whom the following were the first set of officers : W. S. Vanmeter, Worshipful Master ; A. N. Graham, Senior Warden ; Caleb Reed, Junior Warden ; John Campbell, Treasurer ; M. W. Barnes, Secretary ; W. P. Ferris, Senior Deacon ; W. N. Young, Junior Deacon, and Robert Boyd, Tiler. The present roll of officers are : P. B. Parcell, Worshipful Master ; W. R. Comstock, Senior Warden ; John Woodworth, Junior Warden ; P. M. Shleppy, Treasurer ; L. C. Fell, Secretary ; W. E. Franklin, Senior Deacon ; Christian Miller, Junior Deacon, and I. N. Moon, Tiler, with the names of twenty-nine members on the records.

The village of Ashmore was incorporated April 19, 1867, and the following Trustees elected to look after its welfare : Jacob A. Brown, Thomas O'Brien,

William Bass, William P. Ferris and A. F. Robertson. The Board organized by electing Jacob A. Brown and A. F. Robertson, Clerk. The present Board is as follows, viz. : Adam Coon, President, and Thomas O'Brien, William T. March, William L. Cox, Thomas Austin and John G. Parker. J. 0. Brown is Clerk, A. F. Robertson, Police* Magistrate, and Thomas W. Hogue, Town Marshal.

Village Of Hitesville

Hitesville is an old village, or would be, if still in existence, but it has passed away, "among the things that were." It was laid out April 15, 1835, by James Hite, for whom it was named, and who appears to have been an enterprising citizen. At one time, it was quite a village, with stores, shops, and every appearance of becoming a town. But, railroads passing near, new villages have sprung into being, which have literally swallowed up Hitesville, leaving scarce a trace to tell where it stood. At an early day, a Presbyterian Church was organized at Hitesville, by Rev. John Steele. The church was built almost entirely by Mr. Hite, the neighbors ' contributing but a small amount of the means toward its erection. Hite finally moved away, sold the church, which was converted into a dwelling, and used as such for awhile, and then torn down. Prior to its discontinuance as a church, however, the Christian denomination organized a church, and erected a building at this place, about 1840. It soon became too small for the increasing membership ; was sold, and a larger one built during the late war, at a cost of $2,500, and is a handsome frame building. Its present membership is something over 100, and has, since its organization, numbered 200 members, but has been thinned out by death and removals. The present Pastor is Elder James Steele, but Elder P. K. Honn has been the minister in charge of it almost from its organization, until age compelled him to retire from active labors. This is about all there is left to tell where Hitesville once stood.

St. Omer was never laid out as a village, but at one time was a collection of perhaps half a dozen houses, a store, post office, blacksmith-shop, etc. The Ashmores opened a store at the place many years ago, and a man named Hogue kept one on the road, about half a mile from St Omer, at the same time. But, like Hitesville, and from a similar cause, St. Omer has disappeared. A church and two or three dwellings are all that is left. The church belongs to the Cumberland Presbyterians, and is one of the pioneer church organizations of Coles County. The society was originally organized in a schoolhouse near the present village of Ashmore, with thirty-seven members, on the 30th of May, 1842. John Mitchell, William Austin, Sr., and Alexander Montgomery were the first elders. Though originally organized near Ashmore, its membership was largely of St. Omer, and the church-building was erected at the latter place, about 1857, at a cost of $1,200, not including the lot on which it stands. It is a frame building. 30x40 feet, with a membership at present of about one hundred, under the pastoral charge of Rev. A. B. McDavid. Its aggregate membership since organization is about three hundred and seventy. The present Elders are John Dollar, Josiah Bitner, J. Keran, Daniel Wicker and Milton W. Barnes ; the latter is the Clerk of the Board. The deacons are Joseph W. Bitner and John F. Childress.

Politics And War

Ashmore village and township, taken together, are Republican in politics. The war record of the town is good. In all of our little " scrimmages," Ashmore has participated, to a greater or less extent. The war of 1812, the Black Hawk Avar of 1832, the Mexican war, and our last unpleasantness, all had representatives from this section, and even one or two soldiers in the Revolutionary struggle afterward wandered to this region. In our last war, the great rebellion, many of the citizens shouldered their muskets and offered themselves to their country. The following are among the enlistments from this township so far as we have been able to gather them : Dr. A. F. Steele, Company C, Sixty-second Illinois Infantry ; Nathaniel Davis, Company H, Third Missouri Cavalry, as Sergeant ; William T. Moore, Company D, One Hundred and Thirty-third Indiana (100 days); Elias Moore, Company H, Fifty-ninth Illinois Volunteers ; F. M. Waters, One Hundred and Twenty-third Illinois Volunteers, as Chief Musician ; Joshua Rickets entered J. W. Bissell's Engineer Regiment of the West, as private, and was promoted to Second and then First Lieutenant, served twenty months, and resigned ; William C. Kimball, Company H, One Hundred and Twenty-second Ohio Volunteers ; Sidney Epperson, Company H, Fifty-ninth Illinois Volunteers, promoted to Quartermaster; Rhodes Epperson, Company A, One Hundred and Twenty-third Illinois Volunteers ; Martin Turner, Company - , One Hundred and Twenty-third Illinois Volunteers, killed in battle of Perryville ; Thomas J. Bull, Company C, Iowa Cavalry ; Adon Wiley, Company E, Seventy-ninth Illinois Volunteers. There were, perhaps, many others from the township, but we have been unable to learn their names.