Illini Township

Illini Township

HIS township, lying on the west side of the county, is bounded on the north by Austin, on the east by Hickory Point, on the south by Harristown, and on the west by Niantic township and Logan county. The surface is a level prairie. The soil, like the adjoining townships, is rich and productive. It is well drained by Jones' Creek in the north-west corner, Ditch Branch in the central part and Willow Branch which heads in section 35, and runs in a westerly direction and leaves the township in section 31 . The Pekin and Decatur Railroad enters it on section 6, and runs diagonally across the township, leaving it on section 24. The name lllini, is an Indian name, and means " real men " or "superior men." Some of the earl)r explorers wrote the name of this tribe lllini, and others Illinois.

There were no settlements made in lllini until the year 1850, when Walter Turner emigrated from Ohio, and settled on or near what is now section 31, where he erected a frame dwelling-house and began farming. Mr. Turner is still residing in the township, having moved, however, to the north-western part, where he is engaged in farming.

Later in the same year, William Peed, from Morgan county, Illinois, and Humphrey Scroggins, from Logan county, Illinois, settled near Walter Turner. These families formed a nucleus around which the settlements rapidly increased with families from the east, principally from the granite state.

In the autumn of 1857, a pay school was opened by a Miss Dudley, who continued to teach in one of the farm-houses, until the spring of the year following, when a frame school-house was erected on section 34. Miss Dudley then taught a public school in this building on its completion.

The first sermon preached in this township was by a Methodist circuit rider, from Illiopolis, in the year 1856. Rev. John Hughes was the first resident preacher. lllini remained destitute of a house of worship until the year 1875.

John Peed and Jemimiah Hensen were the first couple married. Carter Scroggins, a son of Humphrey Scroggins, was the first_ child born. This occurred in 1851 or '52.

In 1853, occurred the death of a lady named Sarah Eyman, who was a member of the family of Mr. Eyman, who came from St. Clair county, Illinois, at an early date. This was the first death. The first Justice of the Peace was Lewis Eyman. Mr. Rodgers was the first to open a shop and do general blacksmithing.

In 1871, occurred the establishment of a post-office at Warrensburg, with R. Schrader, as first post-master. Dr. Holbrook, who located in Warrensburg, was the first physician.

The first entry of land dates back to July 18th, 1849, when Walter Turner entered 80 acres in section 33, and two tracts in section 34, of 80 acres each. And on the same day Humphrey Scroggins entered S.W. I of section 34, 160 acres, all in T. No. 17 N. R. 1 east of the 3d P. M. 1

The first introduction of fine stock was made by Skillman Allen. In 1855, he brought a herd of -short-horn ' cattle from Kentucky; also in the same year he had imported from Kentucky a lot of Cotswold sheep. In 1857, J. H. Pickerell bought and introduced the first fine hogs. These were the Berkshire breed. In 1862, he brought some fine south down sheep from Kentucky. During the same year, Samuel Batchelder brought into the township some Morgan and St. Lawrence horses, which were the first well-bred horses.

J. H. Pickerell, elected in 1864 ; John S. Childs, elected in 1865, and re-elected in '66 and '67 ; J. C. Tucker, elected in 1868 ; J. J. Bachelder, elected in 1869, and re-elected in '70 ; J. C. Tucker, elected in 1871, and re-elected in '72 ; L. R. Moi'se, elected in 1873, and re-elected each succeeding year up to '76; E. J. Roberts, elected in 1877, and re-elected each year, and is the present incumbent.

now lives on section 11 ; M. E. Batchelder, on section 19, came from New Hampshire in 1854 ; C. F. Demsey, a resident of Warrensburg, is an Ohioan, and came in 1853 ; J. T. Clough, living on section 32, is a native of New Hampshire, and emigrated in 1861 ; these are a few of the prominent men now residing in the township.

The town of Warrensburg is beautifully situated on section 14, on the line of the Pekin and Decatur Railroad, about nine miles north-west of Decatur. It was laid out by Messrs. Warren and Durfee, soon after the construction of the railroad. The town was named in honor of Mr. Warren, one of the original proprietors. John Ritchie erected the first dwelling-house. The first store was kept by Samuel Ritchie, just north of the present limits. The postoffice was established in 1871, with R. Schrader as post- master. Jonas Hawood kept the first hotel. Samuel Ritchie was also the first blacksmith.

The Husman Brothers were the first persons to erect a mill. It was a very old and odd pattern, and presents a very strange appearance. It is a wind-mill of the old New England style, and was

The wagon-shop of Messrs. Workman & Binkley was the first establishment of the kind in the town. Dr. Holbrook was the first physician. In 1874, the Methodist denomination erected the first church. Rev. Mr. Morland delivered the first sermon in the town, and Rev. Mr Simmons was the first local preacher.

Biographical Sketches Martin Albert

Martin Albert, a view of whose farm in Illini township appears on another page, was born near Springfield, Clark county, Ohio, March 28th, 1839. His father, Henry Albert, was born at Hagerstown, Maryland, and his mother, Louisa Lehman, at Reading, Pa.

June 3d, 1861, Mr. Albert enlisted in Co. "G " of the 4th Ohio regiment. He first served in West Virginia, under McClellan, and was in the battles of Rich Mountain, Philippi, and Romney. The 4th Ohio belonged to the 2d army corps, and was with the army of the Potomac till the close of the war.

Mr. Albert took part in the various movements of the army, and was engaged in all the principal battles in Northern Virginia. May 3d, 1863, at the battle of Chancellorsville, he was shot through the hip and lower part of the body. He was in the hospital at Pt. Lookout for six months, and was then transferred to Camp Dennison, Ohio, where he was mustered out at the expiration of his three years term of service, June 8th, 1864, with his wound not yet healed.

In 1866 he came to Macon county and engaged in farming. In 1880 he moved on his present farm in section twelve, Illini township. He has a fine farm of two hundred and forty acres, with an abundance of running water and excellent natural advantages. The buildings have an admirable location.

July 7th, 1864, he married Ella Norman, who was born near Wheeling, A^a. He has had nine children, of whom eight are living. He occupies an independent position in politics, but generally votes the democratic ticket.

He served one term as justice of the peace in Illini township, was re-elected, and was serving a second term, when he removed to Maroa township, where he resided four years, and then returned to Illini.

J. T. Clough

AVas born in Merrimac county, New Hampshire, February third, 1814. His father was a farmer in good circumstances. He obtained a good education, and in 1843 took charge of a school at Pembrook, and subsequently taught elsewhere in New Hampshire. In 1855, President Pierce, who was a native of the same county, appointed him to a position in the postal service. He had charge of the mails between Boston and New York. On the accession of a republican administration he resigned. In November, 1859, he married Abbie J. Batchelder, daughter of Col. Nathaniel Batchelder, of Pittsfield, New Hampshire. In August, 1861, he came west and settled in Illini township, where he has since been engaged in farming. Of the four children of Mr. and Mrs. Clough, three are deceased. Charles Henry died in 1865, at the age of sixteen months ; and Frank Pierce at the age of six ; and Isabella, at the age of fou^ died of diphtheria, in 1872, within a period of ten days. Ella R. is the oldest child. He has taken an active part in politics, has held several offices in the township, and his friends have prominently mentioned his name as a candidate for the legislature. He is a member of Illini Congregational Church. He has carried on farming, and has paid special attention to the breeding of fine horses.

Who is now engaged in the practice of his profession at Warrensburg, was born at Portsmouth, Scioto county, Ohio, on the 13th of April, 1839. The family from which he is descended was of Irish origin. It is said that his great-great-grandfather lived in Ireland and was educated for the Catholic priesthood. Renouncing the Romish faith he left Ireland and came to Jamestown, Virginia. The family name had been " McDempsey," which he changed to the present form of Demsey. Dr. Demsey's grandfather, whose name was Samson Demsey, moved to Ohio shortly after the opening of the present century. He was then young and unmarried. He taught school for several years. He married Sarah Nevin, who was also of Irish descent. She was born in Virginia, but when six or eight years old had come to Ohio with her father, who was one of the early settlers of the state. Samson Demsey was a man who stood well in the community in which he lived. He was a democrat, and took an active part in politics. He was chosen to several positions of trust and honor. He served as circuit clerk, and for a number of terms was a member of the Ohio legislature. He had five sons. The oldest, C. P. Demsey, practiced law at Cincinnati for a long number of years. The youngest, Adam Demsey, was a soldier in the Mexican war and settled in Indiana, where he died. The second wras John N. Demsey, father of the subject of this biography.

John N. Demsey was born in Fayette county, Ohio, in the year 1813. About the year 1832, he was married at Chillicothe, Ohio, to Tabitha Duncan, a native of Jackson county, Ohio, and a daughter of General John Duncan. General Duncan was born in Tennessee, and was connected with the family of that name who settled in Middle Tennessee, where a considerable number of the descendants still reside. During the Indian troubles, connected with the war of 1812, he raised a regiment in Tennessee, with which to fight the Indians, and after having served in Ohio settled at the Salt Springs, in Jackson county, of that state, where he lived for many years. John N. and Tabitha Demsey, were the parents of eight children, of whom Dr. Cyrus F. Demsey was the second. In the year 1853, the family moved from Ohio to Illinois. After spending the winter of 1853-4 at Woodburn in Macoupin county, the following spring they came to Decatur. In January, 1855, they went to Clinton, De Witt county, and in the spring of 1856 moved on a tract of five hundred acres of land, in Austin township, of this county. Dr. Demsey's father improved all of this land and began the business of raising wheat. Wheat growing in Macon county with the farmers was at that time an experiment. Several crops were raised with considerable profit, but the business in the end proved unremunerative, and many farmers lost large sums by successive bad yields. This was the case with Dr. Demsey's father. The enterprise proved disastrous, and swept away almost his entire means. While living in Ohio he had studied medicine, and he began again the practice of his profession ; moving to Hickory Point township, seven miles north-west of Decatur. In those days when the settlements away from the timber, were few and far between, the physician practicing in the country, led by no means an easy life. He was obliged to undergo hard travel, much discomfort, and had little opportunity for leisui'e. He was a successful physician, and remained in active practice till his death, which occurred in March, 1874.

Dr. C. F. Demsey was about fourteen years old, when he came to this state. He had laid the foundation of a good English education in the schools of Portsmouth, Ohio, previous to his removal from that place. After coming to Illinois he attended school at Woodburn, Decatur, and Clinton. At the last place he went to a high-school, kept by a Dr. Haskell. He left home in the year

1858 and began life on his own account. In the spring of 1859 he went to California, sailing from New York, and reaching Sau Francisco by way of the Isthmus of Panama. He was in the navy on the Pacific Coast. He was in California at the commencement of the war of the Rebellion, and in the fall of 1862 enlisted in a private company raised in California, consisting of a hundred men, and known as the " California Hundred." This was an independent cavalry company ; the men furnished their own horses and equipments ; and it was their intention to take part in the war without regularly entering the United States service. On reaching the East they found the government unwilling to receive them as an independent organization, and accordingly, the company (which was said to be one of the finest that at any period of the war entered the service) was consolidated with the second Massachusetts cavalry. In the spring of 1863 the regiment was sent to the Peninsula, and placed under General Stoneman's command. It formed part of the force which made the celebrated raid around Richmond. The regiment was called to Washington at the time Lee made his movement through Maryland and Pennsylvania, and reached Gettysburg iu time to take jiart under General Custer's command in that decisive battle. The regiment followed the Confederate forces into Virginia, and at Fairfax Court-House Dr. Demsey was made a prisoner by the rebel General Mosby. He had a long experience of confinement in Southern prisons. He was captured August the 23d, 1863. He was taken to Richmond and confined in Libby prison till October, and then at Belle Island till February, 1864, when he was moved to Andersonville ; the following September he was sent to Savannah, and from there to Milan, Georgia. In December, 1864, he was exchanged and sent from Savannah to Annapolis, Maryland. He was subsequently on detached service at Washington, Harper's Ferry, Port Tobacco and Baltimore, till the close of the war.

He returned to Macon county in 1865, and began the study of medicine at Decatur, with Drs. W. J. Chenoweth and S. T. Trowbridge. In the fall of 1866 he entered Rush Medical College, at Chicago, at which he subsequently attended a second course of lectures,. and from which he graduated. He began practice with his father in 1867. In January, 1868, he went to Cass county, Missouri, where he practiced his professsion till 1875, when he came back to Macon county, located at Warrensburg, and has since been engaged in active practice as a physician. He has also carried on the drug business, since 1876. His first marriage was in January, 1868, to Eliza A. Gouge, a native of Macon county. She died on the 31st of May, 1872. His second marriage took place in March, 1873, to Clarinda Gates, who was born in Monroe county, Ohio. She was then a resident of Cass county, Missouri, to which place her father had moved from Ohio. He has three children, one by his first and two by his second marriage. He is a republican in politics.

Moses Emory Batchelder

Was born at Hampton Falls, Rockingham county, New Hampshire, July 12th, 1823. His ancestor, the Rev. Stephen Batchelder, or "Bachiler" as the name was then spelled, came over from London, and became pastor of the church at Hampton before 1638, having previously preached at Lynn ; he returned to England in 1656 ; he had a son, a minister, in London, who never came to this country ; but his grandson, Nathaniel Batchelder, settled at Hampton, whose son, Nathaniel, born 1659, was the first settler of Hampton Falls. The farm at Hampton Falls on which he settled has been in the possession of the family since for five successive generations, and on it the subject of this biography was born. His great-greatgrandfather was Nathaniel Batchelder, first settler of Hampton Falls, who married Elizabeth Foss; his great-grandfather was Josiah Batchelder, who married Sarah Page ; his grandfather was David Batchelder, whose second wife was Mary Emory ; his parents were Moses Batchelder and Abigail Drake. His grandmother> Mary Emory, had three brothers in the Revolutionary war. Moses Emory was the sixth of eight children ; he was raised at Hampton Falls. Jan. 22, 1852, he married Sarah A. L. Batchelder, of Pittsfield, New Hampshire. In 1864 he came to Macon county, and the next spring settled in lllini township. He owns 305 acres of land. He is a republican. His children are Fred. J., Natt. C , Frank, Edward and Clarence. Since 1843 he has been a member of the Congregational church. The Batchelders have been noted for their long lives, Mr. Batchelder's ancestors having died, some of them, at an extreme old age.

D. N. Dunlap

This gentleman, who has been in the grain business at Warrensburg since 1873, is a native of this state, and was born in Sangamon county, eight miles north of Springfield, on November 17th, 1839. The Dunlap family is of Scotch origin. His father, Tennessee Dunlap, was born in Tennessee, and came with his father to Illinois, some years previous to 1 830.

The family settled in Sangamon county, on Fancy creek. His mother, Elizabeth Cartright, was born in Bourbon county, Ky., and belonged to a family of English descent. D. N. Dunlap was the oldest of a family of three children, and was raised in Sangamon county, obtained his education in the common schools, and on growing up engaged in farming.

On the breaking out of the rebellion he volunteered, enlisting in August, 1862, in Co. B of the 130th Illinois regiment. From Camp Butler, Springfield, the regiment proceeded to Memphis, Tenu., where it passed the winter, and then went to Milliken's Bend, and afterward took part in the battles of Grand Gulf, Port Gibson, Champion Hill, and Black River. It also participated in the siege of Vicksburg.

Mr. Dunlap had been placed on the roll of honor at Memphis. After Vicksburg was captured, he took part in the siege of Jackson, Miss., and was then detailed in recruiting service. He went to New Orleans, and assisted in recruiting the First New Orleans regiment, in which he was mustered in as 2d lieut. of Co. B, and in which he served till June, 1866. This regiment was composed of white Union soldiers principally from Louisiana.

He served in the commands of Gens. Banks, Sherman, Canby, and Sheridan, and most of the time under Canby. He was stationed at New Orleans, and various points along the Mississippi, and was engaged several times on detached duty, and sent to Havana, Dry Tortugas, and other points; was promoted to be 1st lieut., and was afterward commissioned as captain. His regiment was the last white volunteer regiment mustered out of the service.

He returned to Sangamon county, and engaged iu farming. Iu 1867 he married Mary A. Shannon, a native of New York. He came to Macon county in the fall of 1867, and began farming in Niantic township, and afterward iu lllini township.

Since 1873 he has been engaged in the grain business at Warrensburg. He lias been a democrat in politics, though he has never been a strict party man, and on local issues has voted for the man whom he considered best fitted for the office.

He has three children - Gertie, Flora B-, and Daniel Lee Dunlap. He is a member of the masonic order, and belongs to Beaumauoii Commandery, knights templar, of Decatur.

A. W. Leavitt, post-master and merchant at Warrensburg, is a native of Rew Hampshire, and was born at Wenham, in that state, on the sixteenth of August, 1842. His ancestors were early residents of New Hampshire. His father, Joseph Leavitt, was born at Meredith, New Hampshire, and his mother, Elizabeth Fogg, at Pittsfield, in the same state. A. W. Leavitt was the second of five children. When he was six or eight years old his father moved to Salem, New Hampshire, and afterward to Manchester. When he was about fifteen the family moved to Newburyport, Massachusetts. In the common schools of New Hampshire and Massachusetts Mr. Leavitt laid the foundation of a substantial education. At the age of eighteen he left school and became a clerk in a dry goods store at Newburyport. Two years afterward he became book-keeper in a hat manufacturing establishment in the same place. When about twenty-three or twenty-four he formed a partnership with his brother Charles Leavitt, and went into the grocery business at Newburyport which was carried on till 1867, when the family came to Illinois and settled on a farm in Illini township, where one hundred and sixty acres of land were purchased. Mr. Leavitt was engaged in farming till 1876, when, in connection with his brother, he engaged in the general mercantile business at Warrensburg. Since 1877 he has acted as post-master. He has carried on a prosperous business and has built up an excellent trade. He is a member of the Illini Congregational Church. He was married on the third of March, 1869, to Harriet P. Questrom, of Newburyport, Massachusetts. He is known as an excellent business man, and a gentleman of high personal character.