Hurlbut Township

Hurlbut Township

Hurlbut has but twenty-five sections, and is the smallest township but two in Logan County. It occupies the southwest corner, and is bounded on the north by Corwin Township, on the east by Elkhart Township, on the south by Sangamon County, and on the west by Menard County. The Chicago & Alton Railroad crosses the southeast portion. Elkhart City is jnst over the line in Elkhart Township, and is the usual trading point.

1867 - Supervisor, Elisha Crane; Clerk, Charles Thompson; Assessor, John Yan Meter; Collector, Henry Moore; Highway Commissioners, J. C. King, William B. Bock and Abraham Larue; Justices, Thomas Alsop, A. J. Bronson and Charles S. Drake; Constables, Newton S. Dunn and Henry B. Drake.

1870 - Supervisor, R. A. Hurt; Clerk, W. H. Sanford; Assessor, John Groves; Collector, H. B. Drake; Highway Commissioners, J. A. Hunter and N. E. Constant; Justices, Thomas Alsop and Charles L. Drake; Constable, E. C. Martin.

1877 - Supervisor, Henry B. Drake; Clerk, Thomas Alsop; Assessor, Conrad Gehres ; Collector, John Gehres ; Highway Commissioner, Patrick Ruth; Justices, Thomas Alsop and James A. Hunter; Constables, Richard Lewis and Z. T. Drake.

1878 - Supervisor, Henry B. Drake; Clerk, Thomas Alsop ; Assessor, N. E. Constant; Collector, Silas H. Drake; Highway Commissioner, J. A. Hunter ; Justices, Henry L. Sanford and W. A. Hunter.

1883 - Supervisor, Patrick J. Ruth ; Clerk, H. P. Mount ; Assessor, Samuel E. Crane; Collector, George A. Moore; Highway Commissioner, John B. Shaw ; Justice, George A. Moore.

Statistics

Hurlbut has steadily and permanently increased in population. In 1870 and 1880 there were 476 and 568 inhabitants respectively, and there may now be about 600.

Political Biographical

Daniel Shockey, section 12, is a representative of one of the early families of Elkhart Township. His father, John Shockey, Sr., was born in Washington Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and was reared to the business of farming and stock-raising. As early as 1848 he came to this section of Illinois with Colonel White, and purchased a drove of cattle, which they drove back to Pennsylvania. It was the knowledge of the country which he then obtained that induced him to settle here a few years later. He married Catherine Monn. The first of the family to locate in Logan County was Daniel and his eldest brother, John, coming in March, 1853. John Shockey, the father of these two brothers, had already purchased nearly 5,000 acres of land in Logan County, nearly all lying west and south of Elkhart. In 1853, John Shockey, Sr., purchased what was known as the "Latham farm," which now includes the plat of the village of Elkhart. lu 1855 he purchased what was known as the " Rlgney farm," settling on it and making it a homestead the following year. Here he lived till his death, which occurred November 25, 1859, his wife dying one year previous, November 13, 1858. The farm is now owned and occupied by J. D. Gillett. John Shockey, Sr., was one of the prominent men of his county in Pennsylvania, being one of the largestock-raisersof his part of the State. He was a powerful man physically, and never met a man who couM conquer him in a physical contest. In early life he was a Whig, and later a Republican. Seventeen children were born to him ^nd his wife, of whom ten grew to maturity. Eight are living at present. Nine of the children have been residents of Logan County. They are as follows - John, the eldest, is now irt Bates County, Missouri; Daniel, our subject; Christian, the third son, returned to Pennsylvania, where he is now living; Jeremiah was a member of Company I, One Hundred and Sixth Illinois Infantry, and died at Bolivar, Tennessee, in 1863; Susan, wife of John Rinehart, now living in Pennsylvania; Mary, wife of John J. Moore, in Mount Pulaski Township; Cyrus, also served in Company I, One Hundred and Sixth Illinois Infantry, and is now living in Hurlbut Township; Henry, served in the same company and is now a resident of Pennsylvania; Jacob, theyoungestson, now lives in Missouri. Five of the brothers served in the war of the Rebellion, all enlisting at the same time in the same company, and all returning together at the close of the war, except Jeremiah, who, as stated, died in the service. Our subject, Daniel Shockey, came to Elkhart Township in 1853, and was one of the five brothers who served in the army. He owns a farm of 160 acres on section 12, where he resides. He also owns eighty acres on section 24. He was married to Mary Gehr, born near Ringgold, Maryland, a daughter of Ulrich Gehr. Mr. and Mrs. Shockey have three children living - Amanda, Edward and Minnie. Two died in childhood. Mr. Shockey is a Republican politically, as are all his brothers.

William Yan Meter, residing on section 3, Hurlbut Township, where he has a beautiful and well-cultivated farm, is one of the prominent farmers of this township. His father, Seymour R. Yan Meter, was born in Champaign County, Ohio, in February, 1807, where he grew to manhood, and when twenty-two years old came to Illinois. He was here during the Black Hawk war, and took part in that contest. He returned to Ohio in 1834 and married

Catherine Bishop, and of the five children born to them two are still living, three reaching maturity - John, "William H., our subject, and Ohloe, married George Scott, and died aged about thirtjfive years. After his marriage Seymour Van Meter returned to Sangamon County, Illinois, residing there till his death in September, 1866. About 1850 he entered 240 acres of land in Hurlbut Township, which was owned by his two sons from 1859 till 1867. This land now forms part of the farm of his son, William H., who received a deed of it when eighteen years of age, and began the improvement of the place in 1859. William H. served in the late war till its close. He enlisted August 8, 1862, in Company F, Seventy-third Illinois Infantry, and participated in several engagements, among which were the battles of Perryville and Stone River. After the close of the war he lived with his father till his death. His mother died in 1858. After his father's death he settled on his farm in Hurlbut Township. His brother now owns and occupies the homestead farm in Sangamon County. William Van Meter was married December 23, 1869, to Catherine Clarey, who was born in Toledo, Ohio. They are the parents of four children living - Abram, Seymour, Clarence and Eugene. A son, John, died at the age of two years.