Hickory Point Township

Hickory Point Township

HIS township constitutes the congressional T. 17 N. R. 2 E., and is bounded on the north by Maroa, east by Whitmore, south by Decatur and west by Illini township. It is drained by Stevens creek and its tributaries ; there is a narrow belt of timber running along the banks of the creek and some of its tributaries. The Illinois Central Railroad crosses the township from north to south ; the Pekin, Lincoln and Decatur passes diagonally through the south-west corner, and the Champaign, Havana and Western touches it in the south-east corner of section 36.

To David Florey, at present an old and highly respected citizen of Whitmore township belongs the credit of having made the first settlement in Hickory Point. It was in the year 1825, that he emigrated from Virginia to this county and settled on section 35, in this township. He was then a young man and full of vigor and energy, as was John Draper, another Virginian who accompanied him in his mission.

Mr. Draper resided in this township about three years, when he removed to Whitmore township and became the first settler there. In 1826, Phillip D. Williams, a native of New York, a very intelligent and useful citizen, came to Hickory Point. James Johnson was also a very early settler in this county. He was a native of Virginia. Robert Johnson and his wife, both Virginians, settled here in the fall of 1831. They located in the edge of the timber on or near section 28. David Florey, above mentioned, built the first house. It was a log cabin, and located on section 35. The Smallwood's, also natives of Virginia, were among the early settlers, and several of them and their descendants are still living in the southern part of the township. Zebedee Sergeant and Nancy Manly were the first parties joined in the holy bouds of wedlock in this township. The first birth, was that of Sarah J. Smallwood, which occurred on the 27th day of July, 1827. She died in 1846. By the year 1841, the settlements in the southern part of the township had grown to such a number that a school-house became a necessity and one was constructed of logs during this year. It stood in section 34, just inside of the line dividing this township from that of Decatur. But as many as ten years prior to this there had been a private school taught at the different farm-houses throughout the settlement. Walter Robbins is said to have been the first teacher.

The Rev. Robert Hensen, who came to this township in 1832, was the first preacher to locate here. It was not until 1857, however, that a house of worship was erected. In that year there was a frame church of ordinary size built on section 32.

Phillip D. Williams, already mentioned as one of the earliest settlers, was made the first Justice of the Peace. The first blacksmith shop opened, was in 1828, by James Johnson, who afterwards became very prominent in the Black Hawk War, rising to the rank of Colonel on May 16, 1832.

The first land entries in the Precinct were Randolph Rose, Feb. 5th, 1830, 80 acres in section 32. James Johnson entered on the same day 80 acres in section 34. The third entry was made June 5th, 1830, by William Lemon, to wit : The W. h of the S. E. I of section No. 32 in T. 17 N., R. 2 E. of the 3d P. M. containing 80 acres.

We mention below a few of the oldest residents now living in the township. John Y. Braden, who was born iu Tennessee, March 22, 1818, settled in this county in 1829, and his wife, Laura A. Hunting, a native of Vermont, came here in 1830. They now reside on section 26 Robert Johnson and wife, now residing on section 34, are both natives of Kentucky, and were married in that state, April 5, 1831, and in the following fall, iu the month of October, they emigrated to this county. Mr. Johnson was born in Bath county, Ivy., March 3, 1807, and his wife, Luann Church, July 13, 1813. In November, 1836, Llysses Huston, now living on section 34, came to Macon county. He was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, August 25, 1824. He was married to Matilda McCoy, Feb. 25, 1847, who was born May 19, 1825, in Montgomery county, Indiana. Geo. W. Schroll, now residing on section 15, is a Pennsylvanian, and came to Macon county in 1842. His wife, Lethe A. Hornback, was born in this county in 1836. Henry Schroll, residing on section 27, was also born in Pennsylvania, and came here in same year. Mary D. Taylor was born in Macon county in 1839. David Hou- ser, a native of Pennsylvania, came with his wife in 1845. W. H. Gepford, D. S- Weigel, Win. T. Grubbs, John H. McKinley, John Weaver,. N. S. Batchelder, Hilleary Major, Janies B. Good, and Henry Martin, may also be mentioned among the early and prominent citizens of Hickory Point.

The Supervisors who have represented this township since its organization may be seen in the following list: J- Y. Braden, elected in 1860, and by re-election held this office till 1866, when W. P. Montgomery was elected and held this office for two consecutive years. H. S. Mannon was elected in 1868. A. McBride, elected in 1869, and re-elected in 1870, '71 and '72 ; H. Lehman, in 1873 ; A. W.McBride, re-elected in 1874, and '75 ; H. Lehman re-elected in 1876, '77, '78 and '79 ; Volney Barber elected in 1880.

E. Smith. In 1865, George Shaffer erected the first house. A little later in the same year Charles Ruhcl opened the first store in this place. The first school-house was built in 1864. Rufus Crossman was the first teacher.

In 1865, Dr. Baxter located here and was the first to engage in the practice of medicine. Hiram Eppler opened the first blacksmith shop in the year 1865. The town has its business houses represented in the following list. General Stores - Mrs. E. Petsch, E. Weilepp, V. W. Benton. Drug Store - G. W. Drury. Blacksmith shops - Isaac Hornback, David Plank. Wood Work & Repairing - Herman Nicholls.

Biographical Sketches John Hanks

John Hanks, whose name will go down in history as an early associate of Abraham Lincoln, was born in Nelson count}', Kentucky, three miles from Beardstowu, on the 9th of February, 1802. His father, William Hanks, was a Virginian who came to Kentucky at an early day, and settled on the Kentucky river, in Mercer county. His mother's name was Elizabeth Hall. The family lived in Hardin and Breckenridge counties, Ivy., till the subject of this sketch was seven years of age, and then moved to Grayson county. He first became acquainted with Lincoln in Hardin county. Mr. Hanks was a first cousin to Lincoln's mother, Nancy Hanks. In the year 1822, when he was twenty years old, he vent on a visit to Spencer county, Indiana. He was there two years, and made his home vTith the Lincolns, who had removed from Kentucky to that state. Abraham Lincoln was seven years younger than himself, and they worked together for two years, making rails, grubbing land, and performing the other labor required in the development of a farm in a new country. Mr. Hanks bought a piece of land next to the Lincoln farm, which he improved, and then went back to Kentucky. He afterward made several trips, twelve in all, down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to New Orleans. The only means of disposing of surplus farm products in those days was by floating them, on flat-boats, down to New Orleans, where a ready market was found. In the year 1826, he married Susan Wilson, a native of Grayson county, Kentucky.

In the fall of 1828 he moved to Illinois, and settled on the farm which he now owns in Hickory Point township, four miles northwest of Decatur. On his way from Kentucky to Illinois he passed through Spencer county, Indiana, and stopped for a while with the Lincoln family, and Thomas Lincoln, Abe's father, told Hanks to write back when he got to Illinois, and inform them what kind of a country he found, and if it was better than Indiana the Lincoln family would remove to Illinois also. Mr. Hanks wrote back, accordingly, soon after he settled in Macon county, that he liked the country, and considered it superior to that part of Indiana in which they lived. Consequently, Thomas Lincoln moved with his family to Macon county, in March, 1830. When he first came to Macon county, Mr. Hanks had cut enough logs for a house on the Sangamon river, but on account of not being able to get any prairie broke, had settled instead in Hickory Point township. On the arrival of Thomas Lincoln, he told him he might have the logs to build a cabin if he liked the location. The offer was accepted, and young Abe Lincoln hauled the logs together with a yoke of oxen, and a cabin was built near the Sangamon, in Harristown township, in .which the Lincoln family lived while they resided in Macon county. In the summer of 1830, he went down to help the Lincolns fence a tract of land, and he and Abe cut and split enough rails to fence fifteen acres. From this lot of rails was taken those displayed at the Chicago convention, in 1860. In the spring of 1831, he and Lincoln built a flat-boat at Sangamon town, five miles from Springfield. They went there in March, cut the timber, built the boat, and in May floated it out of the Sangamon. At St. Louis, Mr. Hanks left the boat to come home and see his family, and left Lincoln and the rest of the crew to navigate it down the Mississippi to New Orleans.

In 1832 Mr. Hanks was in the Black Hawk war, having enlisted in a company commanded by Isaac C. Pugh. He came back to Macon county, and was engaged in farming till 1850, and then went to California. He was occupied three years in mining within sixty or seventy miles of Sacramento, and came back in 1853. On the breaking out of the war of the rebellion he volunteered, and enlisted in Co. A, of the 21st Illinois regiment. This was the regiment as colonel in command of which Gen. U. S. Grant entered the war. Mr. Hanks was fifty-nine years old when he enlisted. He served over two years as wagon master. While Grant had command of his regiment he had charge of his staff team. He served in Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, Alabama, and Mississippi. Becoming incapacitated from duty by the rheuma-

Since the war, Mr. Hanks has been three times to California and Oregon, and altogether has seen a considerable portion of this country. He has never held any office, nor has cared to occupy any public position. After Lincoln had been elected president he invited him to dinner at Springfield, and offered to do anything in his power for his old comrade, but he declined to accept any office, preferring to remain at home with his family. Before the war he was a democrat, but always supported Lincoln when he was a candidate for any office, and since the rehellion has been a strong republican. His wife died in Mai'ch, 1863. He has had eight children, of whom six are now living. William resides near Monticello, in Piatt county. James Lewis lives in Lake county, Oregon. Jane married Alexander T. Medlin, and is now dead. John Felix died at the age of twenty-one. Emily is the wife of Elijah Loomis of Hickory Point township. Grayson lives in north-west Missouri. Mary Ellen married John Manning, and now lives in Humboldt county, California, and Levi Hanks, the youngest son, lives near Moawequa.

James R. Black

Of Hickory Point township, is one of the few surviving soldiers of the Mexican war, living in Macon county. His father, James B. Black, was a native of Humphreys county, Tennessee, and when a young man came to Caldwell county, Kentucky, where he married Mary McCaslin, who was born in Caldwell county. Her father, whose name was James McCaslin, emigrated to America from Ireland. The oldest of the four children of James B. and Mary Black was James R. Black, who was born in Caldwell county, Kentucky, on the fifteenth of October, 1825. In the year 1830, when he was five years old, the family moved to Illinois, and settled on Beaver creek, in Bond county, six miles south of Greenville. After living there ten years they moved to the southern part of Montgomery county, ten miles from Hillsboro. In that vicinity Mr. Black grew to manhood, attending school as he had opportunity. The schools were usually held in summer, from three to six months in the year, and he obtained a fair education for that day.

In the year 1844, when nineteen years old, he left home and went to the state of Arkansas. He secured work in a tan yard, at Morrison's Bluffs, in Johnson county. Arkansas was then a wild and rough country. He was living in that state at the time of the breaking out of the Mexican war in 1846, and on the 15th of June, of that year, enlisted in company C, of the first Arkansas cavalry, for service against the Mexicans. From Little Rock, Arkansas, the regiment marched through a wild and uninhabited region to Texas. Arriving at San Antonio on the 28th of July, they remained in camp at that place till the following 18th of September. They then marched into Mexico, crossing the Rio Grande at Presidio del Norte. The regiment went into camp near Saltillo. It took part in the battle of Buena Vista, which was fought on the 22d and 23d days of February, 1847. The First Arkansas was composed mostly of men used to a frontier life, and embraced good fighting material, though ordinarily, the men were hard to discipline and keep in subjection. The regiment fought bravely, was in the thickest of the fight, and did its full share toward securing a brilliant victory over the Mexican General Santa Anna and his forces, which greatly outnumbered the Americans. The Arkansas troops were in General Wool's command. After the battle of

Buena Vista, they lay in camp, near the battle-ground, till June the 5th, when they set out for Camargo, where they were discharged, their term of enlistment having expired. This was the only regiment which Arkansas sent to the war. From the mouth of the Rio Grande, he sailed in a vessel across the Gulf of Mexico to New Orleans, and then came by boat to St Louis.

On returning to Illinois, he bought a tan-yard, four miles north of Greenville, which he carried on three years. On the 22d of February, 1848, he married Mary Jane White, who was born and raised in Bond county. After quitting the tanning business he engaged in farming. He resided in Bond county till 1866, and then came to Macon county and settled in Hickory Point township. The death of his first wife happened in June, 1867. He was married to his present wife on the 25th of December, 1867. Her maiden name was Rachel Ritchie, daughter of Samuel Ritchie. She was born in the state of Pennsylvania. Mr. Black has nine children, whose names are as follows : Henry C., Albert H., Mary A., William F., Arthur A., Edward R., Ella, Ida F. and Clara S. All but the last two were children by his first marriage. He has lived on his present farm of one hundred and eighty acres, in section 18, of Hickory Point township, since 1872. He was at first a member of the old whig party, and in 1848, after returning to Illinois, he had the pleasure of casting his first vote for president, for General Zachary Taylor, the hero of the Mexican war. When the whig party went to pieces he became a republican, and has since voted that ticket. His name deserves a place in this work, not only as a good citizen of Macon county, but as one of that constantly increasing number which took part in the most brilliant war in which this country was ever engaged. A war which added much wealth to the United States, extended its territory, and in which every battle was a victory.

Nathan S. Batchelder

Nathan S. Batchelder, a view of whose farm appears on the opposite page, has been a resident of Hickory Pt. township since 1857. He is descended from a family which has resided in New England for several generations. His ancestors were early settlers at Deerfield, New Hampshire. His father, Edmund Batchelder, was born and raised at Deerfield. His mother, Nancy Smith, was a native of Seabrook, Rockingham county, New Hampshire. The subject of this sketch was born at Deerfield, Rockingham county, New Hampshire, on the nineteenth of October, 1830. He was the second of a family of four children, of whom two were sons and twro daughters.

He obtained a good education in the common schools. His father was a man in comfortable circumstances, and owned between two and three hundred acres of land - a fair-sized firm for New England.

On growing up, he made up his mind that New Hampshire was not the place in which he could best make his way in the world' and concluded to go West.

In the fall of 1855 he came to Coles county, Illinois, where he remained till July, 1856, when he came to Decatur. He found employment for some months in Decatur, and in the spring of 1857 assisted in building a house on the Bloomington road, about nine miles north of Decatur.

in the spring of 1858. For several years he followed breaking prairie, also purchased ditching machines, and part of the year was engaged in ditching. With the money thus earned he met the payments on his land, on which, in 1862, he erected a dwelling.

In October, 1864, he married Mary Ritchie, daughter of Samuel Ritchie. She was a native of Pennsylvania, and died in 1872. His second marriage took place in the fall of 1873, to Mrs. Margaretta Richards. Her maiden name was Margaretta Corman, and she too was born in Pennsylvania.

He has been engaged in farming, and owns two hundred and sixty-five acres of land, part of which lies in Illini township. His farm, which he has kept in grass, is one of the model farms of the township, and everything about it is kept in the best of order. It is amply supplied with fruit of all kinds, and the improvements and buildings are of a substantial character.

Beside managing his own land, he leases an adjoining half section. He has eight children, four by each marriage. When he first came to Hickory Point township, few improvements had been made on the prairie, which lay for miles open and uncultivated. Toward bringing it into subjection, and transforming it into productive farms, Mr. Batchelder has done his full share. He began life in the West, with no capital except his own energy, and his success illustrates what may be accomplished by well-directed industry.

He has taken no part in public life. He is a republican in politics, though he has never been strictly attached to any party, and for local offices has always supported the man whom he considered best fitted for the position.

W. J. Magee, the present steward of the county poor farm, is a native of Sangamon county, Illinois, and was born about nine miles north-east of Springfield, on the thirty-first of May, 1844. His great-grandfather was a native of Ireland, who emigrated to this country and settled in the state of Delaware. His father, John Magee, was born in Delaware, emigrated to Ohio when eighteen years old, and married Elizabeth Norris. He moved to Illinois in 1843, first settling in Moultrie county, and the next year moving to Sangamon, where the subject of this sketch was born. W. JMagee was the fifth of seven children. He lived in Sangamon county till 1850, when his father moved to Macon county, and settled on a farm near Decatur, and is now living in Whitmore township, where he has filled the office of constable for the last twenty years. Mr. Magee was living at home till toward the close of the war of the rebellion, when (on the fourth of February, 1865,) he enlisted in Co. K, One Hundred and fifty-second Illinois Infantry. From Springfield the regiment went to Tennessee and was stationed at Nashville and Tullahoma; afterward at Louisville, Kentucky and then' at Memphis. It was principally employed in guard duty. He was mustered out of the service at Memphis, September eighteenth, 1865, and returned to Macon county. September twenty, third, 1866, he married Fannie Mussel man, who was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and was principally raised at Monticello, Piatt county. In 1871 he purchased land and now owns a farm of one hundred and thirty-four acres in Whitmore township. He has had five children, John J., A. Mary, Samuel Iv., Marcus D., who died in infancy, and Ada Estella. For two years he has had charge of the county poor farm, the affairs of which under his management have been carried on with great success. He is one of the warm advocates of the cause of temperance, and is a member of the United Brethren Church.

Ulysses Huston

Is one of the old residents of the county. His father, John Huston, was a native of Virginia, who emigrated to Ohio and settled at Bloomfield. He was married in Pickaway county, Ohio, to Phcebe Swisher, who was descended from a Maryland family of Dutch descent, who came to Ohio at an early period. Ulysses Huston was the third of a family of six children, by this marriage, and was born in Pickaway county. Ohio, on the 25th of August, 1824. He was raised on a farm. The greater part of his education was obtained in Ohio, which the family left in October, 1836, to come to Illinois. They struck the Sangamon river five miles from Monticello, on the 2d of November, just a month from the time they started. After staying there a few weeks they settled in what is now Whitmore township, near the mouth of Friend's creek. He there went to school a few weeks, one of the teachers being the Rev. D. P. Bunn. The school-house was built of logs, with greased paper for windows, puncheon fioors and slab benches. His father died in 1847, and the old place on which the family settled, on coming to the county, is now in the possession of Mr. Huston's brother. In February, 1858, he married Matilda McCoy, a native of Champaign county, Ohio, whose family moved to Indiana when she was small; settled in McLean county, of this state, about the year 1844, and a couple of years afterward, moved to Macon county. After his marriage he went to farming for himself, in Whitmore township. Three of his brothers were in the army during the war of the rebellion. In 1867 he purchased his present farm, situated on section thirty-four, Hickory Point township. He has seven children whose names are as follows : Phoebe, now the wife of Robert McCoy , Robert, Martha, now Mrs. Marion Major ; Orus B., Jane, William and Mary L. He was first a whig, voted for Taylor in 1848, and afterward became a republican. While residing in Whitmore township he acted as justice of the peace.

Daniel S. Weigel

The Weigel family are among the old settlers of Hickory Point township. Solomon Weigel, the father of Daniel S. Weigel, was born in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, on the third of July 1813. He married Caroline Hinkel, who was born in the same county on the third of November, 1828. In June, 1849, the family emigrated to Macon county, Illinois, and in the fall settled on eighty acres of school land in section sixteen of Hickory Point township> which Solomon Weigel had purchased while on a visit to the state several years previous. At the time the family located here it was the furthest settlement out on the prairie. Due North, there was no house until Salt Creek was reached. Solomon Weigel died on the fourth of March, 1864. His wife, Caroline, departed this life on the thirteenth of October, 1868. They were parents of twelve children, whose names are as follows: Daniel S. Weigel ; Henry S. Weigel ; Mary C. Thompson; Simon Weigel, deceased; Barbara E Gepord ; John F. Weigel ; Nancy A. Schroll ; Martha J. Reed; Martin V. Weigel ; Solomon R. Weigel; Caroline Weigel deceased ; and Carrie E. Weigel.

Daniel S. Weigel, the oldest child, was born in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, on the tenth of August, 1847. He was two years old when his father moved to this county. He attended the common schools in Hickory Point township, and went one term to the State Normal School. He learned the carpenter's trade, at which he has been engaged a portion of his time. For the last three years he has been living on the old homestead farm. He is a I member of the Church of God, with which he has been connected about fifteen years. He is a regularly licensed minister of that denomination ; during the last five years has preached frequently and is now pastor of the Fairview circuit.

Rufus Crossman

This gentleman, one of the representative farmers of Hickory Point township, is a native of the state of New York. He was born in the town of Cato, Cayuga county, on the third of June, 1834. His grandfather had come from Massachusetts and made his home in central New York when it was almost an entire wilderness and gave little promise of developing. into the populous country it has since become. Asa Crossman, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in the town of Elbridge, Onondaga county, New York. He married Sarah Baker, a native of the state of Vermont- Mr. Crossman's maternal grandmother died at the advanced age of ninety-nine years. When he was a child she was accustomed to relate to him many incidents of the olden times. She had lived in New England during the Revolutionary war and heard the first gun fired which ushered in that momentous struggle. She was a woman of great intelligence and force of character. Mr. Crossman's father was a farmer. He lived on a farm in Cayuga county till his death. He was a good citizen, a deacon in the Baptist church, and a man of benevolent and charitable disposition.

Rufus Crossman was raised in Cayuga county. The neighborhood in which he lived had good schools and afforded excellent educational advantages. For two or three terms he attended an academy at Jordan, New York. He taught school one winter in the town of Conquest, Cayuga county. In the fall of 1859 he went to Michigan. During the winter of 1859-60 he taught school at Ann Arbor, aud then purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land, covered with heavy timber, and entirely unimproved, near Lansing.

In 1860 he came to Illinois to teach school, and thus obtained the money with which to meet the payments on this land. He arrived in Decatur on the first of December, 1860, spent the winter in the vicinity, and the next spring began teaching a select school at Decatur. He subsequently worked on a farm in Hickory Point township, aud then secured the school in the Mound district, three miles north of Decatur. His administration as a teacher proved so satisfactory that he taught this school six winters in succession. He also had charge of the school at Forsythe two terms, of the Hickory Point school one term, and also taught another term at one of the districts in the township, so thaL altogether he has had an extended experience as a teacher. On the first of January, 1863, he married Miss Mary Ellen Muinch, daughter of Jacob Muinch and his wife Frances, whose maiden name was Brett. Her father was from Pennsylvania and her mother from Virginia. The same year he went to farming on his present farm. He afterward purchased forty acres of land north of Forsythe, and lived there several years In 1878 he moved back to the farm on which he now lives. He has three children, Frances Annetta, McEthelbert, and Harriet Ann. The farm which Mr. Crossman occupies is one of the oldest settled in the township. It is composed of one hundred and twenty acres. The buildings occupy a beautiful situation. An illustration of the farm is shown on another page. Mr. Crossman has carried on farming operations with great exactness and attention to detals. Since he has had possession of the farm he has improved it greatly, and spent large sums of money in tileing and ditching. The farm is now in an excellent condition, and in a shape in which it can be successfully and remuneratively handled. It is well adapted for a stock farm, being provided with fine springs and never-failing water running in close proximity to the buildings. In politics he has always been a republican. In 1860 he voted for Lincoln for President. He is a thorough believer in the doctrines of the republican party, considers that it has done much for the country, and that it deserves well of the people.