Harristown Township

Harristown Township

Though situated too near Decatur to ever become large, deserves special mention as a shipping point for the surrounding country. It is the home of J. H. Pickrell, our famous breeder of short-horns, elsewhere noticed; also of M. G. Camron, who, as a member of our board of supervisors, has been faithful and vigilant in guarding the interests of the county.

In mini township, has grown up within the last few years, since the construction of the Pekin, Lincoln & Decatur Railroad. As a point for the shipment of grain and stock it is destined to be of very considerable commercial importance.

Source changes here: from History of Macon County, Illinois : with Illustrations Descriptive of Its Scenery, and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers, published 1880; 3,849 words in this source stream.

Harristown Township

township was named in honor of Major Thomas arris, who was elected and served as Major of the jurth Illinois Regiment in the Mexican war, and who is afterward a member of Congress. It lies in the west part of the county, is bounded on the north by Ulini, on the east by Decatur, south by Blue Mound, and west by Niantic. It is included within T. 16 N. R. 1 E., and contains twenty-seven sections of choice prairie land. It is drained by the Sangamon river and its tributaries. Along the margins of this stream there are scattering patches of timber. The soil is rich, aud produces large quantities of wheat, corn, rye, oats, hay, potatoes and vegetables. For many years the only settlements that were made were along the edge of the timber, while thousands of acres of fertile prairie laud remained in its native state.

were settled by that adventurous and enterprising class of settlers who left their comfortable homes, generally in Kentucky, Indiana, or Ohio, to push into the wild unsettled portions of central Illinois, and cast their destinies with the young state.

The first to settle in this township was William Hanks, a native of Kentucky, who came in 1828, and located in section 23, where he erected a log-cabin and made some improvements. Only a short time afterward in the same year (1828) witnessed the arrival of Christopher Miller, who emigrated from Kentucky with his family, aud settled on section 14. His sons, Samuel, William, and John, came from Kentucky to the county in the same year. John settled on section 13 immediately after his coming. James Harrell, a native of Kentucky, removed to this township in 1834, and settled near section 13, where he remained two years ; returned to Kentucky, and remained in the south until 1839, when he returned to

History Of Ha Cox Couxty . Illixois

Mi.: a ;:«nty. and ik*w lives a: Wyc-kle's switch. on ihe Wabash railway. Judge Freeman also an early settler. Up t 1550 the senlesients ~ere m s: .7 along the tim'ter : the hangamon. in the s_ .them parr. : it a - it this time they -r-gan pushing at into the prairie.

-tames Miller, an hi ani highly re^pettei citizen. is still engaged in t'amtinn :n section IS. near wfi~re he ..'-eated at an early day. Within tw years alter the firs: settlements were made, its citizens ha 1 a s:r:-:I. whim was tanght in the eastern tan >f the t-wnship by William Miller, the hrst teacher, in 1830. A at 1 '41 the settlement ha 1 lev: me rra^perocs and large en ugh to need a school boose, which was erected on sectkn 13. This building was a log structure, and served the double purpose of school-house and march fir a number m years, until aV.nt 1853. whrn a building was erected on section 17, eidasirdy hr church purposes.

seed n 2-L It was 1 : cat- i n the n rth si ie . f the "an gam a river, an! .iterate*! by warer-towtr fr:m a dam in the river at that point. It wss need as a zrist-mili. and ~ii the first mill z any kin I in the township. In the -me year these gentlemen built a blacksmith shop in connection wfth the mill, intending to do their own Mneksmi thing, but as it was the only me in the township, and fe r many miles around. the shop was patronised by the whole community. Dr. Greeley was the first regular physician who engaged in the practice 1 medicine a- a mcmssim- The first justice of tne peace elect el was Esquire Nathan Averin.

In writing tne histtrr of Harristewn township, it would he incomplete were we to omit the fact that it was for - me years the Lome f the lamented martyr Pres: lent. Abraham Lincoln. We are indebted t. Mr. J im Hanks, a tr .minen: and very intelligent of Hickory Paint township, for the following rery interesting facts : m arming Mr Line: in's life i_ Mac n county.

In 1831 Mr Lin:- in. John Hanks. Mr. Lincoln's father, and J im J: ms-on. Mr. Line-tin's stepbrother, erected a log-cabin on S, in die edge of the timber along the Sangamon river The hewing _f the I:g- fer mis cabin was cone by Mr. Lincoln. It remain el m the gr.tmi where it was hrst built enth 187b. wnen it was taken arart. removed t: Philadelphia, and rebuilt at tne Centennial grounds, where it remained until the close : the exposition. A tew logs were then cat up ter canes, etc., but the cabin itself is -mil -tanning.

Later in the same year Mr. Lincoln, John Johnson, and John Hanks built a hut-mat for a man named David Offutn Tney wtrkel from Mar h 1st to May 1st. each receiving seventy-hve cents a day. When they had finished the b at they, in company with Mr. Orhtt. loaded it with hogs and to k it to Xew Orleans. for which Mr. Lincoln, John Johnson, and John Hanxs ea.fi received sixty dollars. They reramei by steamboat. Tne principal occupation of Mr. Line tin daring the time he lived in this township we that of splitting rails, at which he was conadered an expert.

14; William Miller entered January 1st. 1830, eighty acres in section 1-5: Samuel Miller entered eighty acres February 10th, 1830. in section 13.

Janies Miller, a Kentuckian, now residing on section 13, came to this county in 182 * : J useph D. McGuire, a native of Pennsvlvania, rest ling on sect: n 4. came in 1855; Jeremiah Freeman, living on secti n 6, wa- h.-rn in this county in 183"; J M Williard on secti n o. an d C. E. Hun-iev, an Englishman, who came in 1852. are am ng the 1 ler settlers and prominent citizens now living in the township.

Harrbtown, like all the towns along the main line of the Wabash. St. Louis and Pacific railway, was laid out soon after the completi.n a the r ad. It is located on sections 9 and 10. In 1856 Jacob I. H bbs built the first house in the town: this was a framebull ling. The first p st-office was established in 1853, at which time Davis Ma^t-rr-. who is at present living in the town and is engage; in manufacturing wagons, was appointed post-master, which position he held for a number of years.

The next year 1859 Samuel Cox opened a store of general merchandize, which was the first in the place. The earliest school was taught by a gentleman named John S Randle in 1861. It was two years more before the town could boast of a school-house, which was built in 1863.

In 18b a church, which originally stood a few miles south east of the town, was moved across the prairie and located in Harristown. Tfits was the first church Harristown had within her limits, "fie, however, was without a preacher until 1864, when the Rev. A*. S. Bastian located as pastor. Dr. Greeley was the earliest physician who came to Harristown to practice. H. C. Masters was the first blacksmith in the place.

Pees Ext Eusin'Ess Biographical Sketches

One of the representative farmers of Harristown township, is a native of Overton county, Tennessee, and was born on the twentyfirst of February, 1827. The Willard family in America is said to have sprung from two brothers of that name, who came to this country at a period previous to the war of the Revolution. One settled in New England and the other in Virginia. From these two brothers it is believed all the Willards now in this country are descended. Mr. Willard's grandfather was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. He fought in several battles and did his full share toward securing the independence of the thirteen colonies. After the war the government granted him a pension, which he enjoyed till his death. William Willard, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in East Tennessee, and when young removed to Overton county, in the same state, where he married Martha Goodpasture. J. G. Willard was the sixth of a family of nine children. In the spring of 1830 his father emigrated from Tennessee to Illinois, and settled in Morgan county, nine miles west of Jacksonville. The winter after their arrival was the winter of the deep snow, long remembered by the old settlers of that part of the state. The subject of this sketch was three years old when he came to Morgan county. He had the ordinary advantages for obtaining an education. The first time he attended school was in a log school-house. The benches were split slabs, and greased paper pasted over the apertures between the logs constituted the windows. He afterward went to school in a building of a better character. The last school he attended was a high-school at Concord. His father died when he was thirteen years old. He was the oldest son at home, and from that age was obliged to look after the farm, so that he had less opportunity for acquiring an education on that account. His early education, however, has been supplemented by reading and practical business experience in after life.

On the 28th of March, 1849, then in his twenty-second year, he married Miss Aliff C. Avritt, who was born in Kentucky, came to this state when quite young and settled in Morgan county, where she was raised. After his marriage he went to farming on his own account in Morgan county. He began without much means, and for several years rented land. In 1852 he purchased a farm in Morgan county, which he subsequently sold. Finding an opportunity to purchase cheaper land in this part of the state, he came to Macon county in 1855, and bought the south half of section nine of Harristown township, then raw prairie land without any improvements. He improved a fine farm, on which he still resides. His farm now consists of five hundred and sixty-five acres, located in sections nine and sixteen of Harristown township, in close proximity to the town of Harristown. He was fortunate in choosing a location in one of the choicest portions of the county. The farm is considered one of the best in the county, has a substantial residence and other buildings and good improvements. His attention has been chiefly devoted to feeding stock, in which he has been successful, and to the breeding of thorough-bred English turf horses.

He has taken a warm interest in everything relating to agriculture. With the Macon county agricultural association he has been connected since its first organization. In 1879 he was elected a member of the Board of Directors, and in 1880 was chosen President. In his political associations he has always been connected with the democratic party, casting his first vote for president, for Lewis Cass in 1848. He has voted for many subsequent democratic candidates for the presidency except in the campaign of 1872. While thoroughly devoted to the principles of democracy, in local elections, he feels himself free to support the man whom he considers best fitted for an office regardless of political affiliations. Since the year 1859 he has been a member of the Christian Church, and belongs to the church of that denomination at Harristown. His wife has been a member of the same religious body from girlhood. Mr. Willard is one of the substantial farmers of the county. His success illustrates what may be accomplished by intelligence and enterprise devoted to agricultural operations. He has one child, a son, James M. Willard, who has been engaged in the mercantile business.

Mr. McGuire, is a native of Crawford county, Pennsylvania, and was born on the twenty-seventh of April, 1817. He is descended from a family who emigrated to this country from Ireland. His father, Thomas McGuire, was born in Pennsylvania. His mother( Susan Hill, was a native of the state of New Jersey. The subject of this sketch was the next to the youngest of eight children. AVhen he was two years old, his parents moved with the family from Pennsylvania to this state, and settled in what was known as the Turkey Hill neighborhood in St. Clair county, seven miles south-east of Belleville. His father died when Mr. McGuire was about six years old. He was raised in that locality, and lived in a neighborhood in which there were few advantages for attending school. The schools were subscription schools held in log school-houses, a few months during the winter. St. Louis was only twenty miles distant, and he was accustomed to go there to market On his first trip to St. Louis, he crossed the Mississippi in a skiff The ordinary means of crossing was in a ferry boat propelled by horse-power. That was in the days before steam ferries had come into general use. When seventeen, he began life on his own ac. count, first receiving eight dollars per month, wages, and afterward ten. He then raised some crops on shares, and finally saved one hundred dollars, and went to Kaskaskia, then the land office, and entered eighty acres of land ; at that time he was not yet twenty one years of age. He was industrious and energetic, and when he left St. Clair county, was the owner of two hundred and forty acres of land. He was married in 1840, to Catharine Halbert, who was born in the state of Virginia, and he finally concluded to move to a part of the state where he could buy cheaper land. Accordingly he sold his farm in St. Clair county, and bought one hundred and sixty -five acres of land in Macon county, on which he moved in 1855. Only forty five acres were under cultivation when he made this purchase. He now owns four hundred and forty-two acres of farm land, and fifteen of timber. His farm is on the line between Harristown and Illini townships. He has had twelve children : Mary, now the wife of Richard M. Hamilton, of Illini township, John D. McGuire, Benjamin H. McGuire, Lyman T. McGuire, station agent for the Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific railway at Harristown, Joseph A. McGuire, who is carrying on the mercantile business at Harristown, Theodore J. McGuire, Ida, now Mrs. James Darst, residing at Eureka, in Woodford county, and Edward McGuire Susan, next to the youngest child, died in October, 1879. The death of Clara resulted from an accident by fire, when she was five or six years old; Emily and George died in in. fancy in St. Clair county.

In his politics, Mr. McGuire was first a member of the democratic party. He cast his first vote for President, for Van Buren in 1840, and the last democratic candidate for president he voted for) was for Douglas in 1860. Throughout the war he was a strong Union man, voted for Lincoln in 1864, and has been a member of the republican party ever since. He is one of the representative farmers of Harristown township, and is a member of the Christian church, connected with the church of that denomination at Harristown, in which he holds the office of deacon. Was connected with the Baptist denomination while living in St. Clair county, and on coming to this country joined the Christian church. He assisted in organizing the Christian Church in Illini township, which afterward became merged with the Christian church at Harristown. He has made no pretensions to be anything else but a plain farmer, but is a man much respected for his many good qualities as a citizen. He began life with no capital, except his own energy, and is now one of the representative farmers of Macon county.

W. L. Whitley, an illustration of whose farm appears in this work, was born in Harrison county, Kentucky, March eighth, 1844. His father, James Whitley, was born in the year 1809, in Fairfax count)', Virginia, and when a small boy moved with his father to Harrison county, Kentucky, where he grew up and married Phoebe Haley, who was born in Fairfax county, Virginia, in the year 1805. James Whitley emigrated from Kentucky to Illinois in 1846, and in October of that year settled on the farm in section twenty-eight, Harristown township, on which he lived till his death, on the first of April, 1872. He came to this state with little means, only owning a horse, a pair of oxen and forty dollars in money. He bought eighty acres of land in section twenty-eight, and traded the yoke of oxen as part payment, and in a year or two managed to free the land from all incumbrance. He afterwards purchased a mill on the Sangamon river near his residence, which he carried on for several years. As he had opportunity he made investments in land, and at his death owned five hundred and fifty acres. In his politics he was a democrat. His widow still survives him. He had three children: Richard F., who now lives in Vernon county, Missouri;

W. L. Whitley, who occupies the old homestead farm, was about two years and a-half old when he came to Macon county. He obtained his education in the neighborhood of the old farm, on w'hich he has always lived. On the first of September, 1872, he married Alice J. Peats, a native of Mercer county, Pennsylvania, where the marriage occurred. Like his father he is a democrat in politics. He owns four hundred and twenty acres of land in Harristowu township. The farm on which he lives is one of the oldest in that part of the county. The eastern part of the farm includes the most of the land which Abraham Lincoln cultivated when he resided in Macon county in 1830.

Jacob Hostetler, who died on the 11th of January, 1873, was one of the early settlers of Harristown township. He was born in Shelby county, Kentucky, on the 6th of July, 1810. His father, Adam Hostetler, was a Pennsylvanian of Dutch descent who became an early resident of Kentucky. His mother's maiden name was Hannah Hartman. His parents were married in Pennsylvania, and moved afterward to Kentucky. About the year 1825 Adam Hostetler moved from Kentucky to Indiana, and settled in Clark county of the latter state. Soon after the removal of the family to Indiana the father died. Jacob was the youngest son, and was obliged to remain at home and assist in caring for his mother. On this account his opportunities for acquiring an education were limited. He went to school but little, securing, however, mostly by his own efforts, a good business education, which enabled him to acquit himself with credit in all the positions in which he found himself in life. He grew to manhood in Clark county, Indiana, and on the 11th of March, 1833, married Tabitha Crum, who was born in Oldham county, Kentucky, on the 4th of November, 1816, the daughter of Andrew Crum and Mary Haymaker. Her parents were Virginians and early settlers of Kentucky. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Hostetler moved to Illinois. In September, 1835, they settled on section 14 of the present Harristown township. At that time the settlements in that part of the county were few in number. Some locations had been made along the timber, but north of the Springfield road all was open and uncultivated prairie, which at that time the old settlers thought would never be brought under cultivation. Mr. Hostetler entered a tract of land on which a log house had already been built. He bought the improvement, and moved into the house'which they occupied till more comfortable quarters could be arranged, residing on this farm from the time he came to the county till his death. He was a man who took an active interest in politics and public affairs. He had always been a democrat, and always supported the candidates of that party. He held the confidence of the people of his part of the county, who elected him to several public positions. For eight years he filled the office of justice of the peace, and for a like time, also, acted as county commissioner. The duties of these positions he discharged with credit to himself and satisfaction to the citizens of the county. He was known as an honest and capable citizen, whose character was above reproach and whose integrity was beyond suspicion. He possessed good business capacity and accumulated considerable property. At the time of his death he owned between three and four hundred acres of land, and was one of the prosperous farmers of Macon county. Mr. and Mrs. Hostetler were the parents of three children, whose names are as follows : Francis Hostetler, now carrying on the mercantile business at Latham, in Logan county ; Mary J., the wife of James Campbell, of Decatur; and Ellen, who married Charles Hunsley, of Harristown township Mrs. Hostetler still survives and resides on the same farm which has now been her home for forty-five years. Her husband was one of the oldest settlers of the county, and during his life-time was intimately identified with its business interest. It is fitting, therefore, that his name should be mentioned in these pages.

Mr. Hoyt has represented Harristown township in the Board of Supervisors since 1877. He is a native of New England, and was born at Concord, New Hampshire, on the 15th of December, 1831. His ancestors were among the earliest residents of New England. The Hoyt family is of English origin, and some of its members were among the pioneer settlers of Concord. Jacob Hoyt, the father of the subject of this biography, was born at Concord He married Fannie Tucker, who belonged to a Massachusetts famiyl. J. N. Hoyt was the youngest of ten children. He was raised at Concord, attending the public schools of his native town, and academies in different parts of the state. In the spring of 1853, then twenty-one years of age, he came to Cleveland, Ohio, where he resided till 1868. He was a clerk in the Cleveland post-office for ten years, and in 1865 went into the business of manufacturing paper, which he continued till he removed to Illinois. He was married on the 20th of May, 1820, at Delaware, Ohio, to Mary A. Latimer, a native of that place. Her death occurred on the 21st of December, 1866. His marriage to his present wife, formerly Mrs. Eunice N. Thayer, took place on the 7th of April, 1869. He became a citizen of Macon county in 1868, and at that time settled in Harristown township, where he has since resided. He was chosen supervisor in the spring of 1877, and has since been selected every year to that office. In politics he is a democrat. He has been connected with the Masonic fraternity for several years, and is the present master of Summit Lodge, No. 431, A. F. and A. M., at Harristown.