Phenix Township

Phenix Township

ALDKICH EARL, P. Farmer; Sec. 30; P.O. Geneseo; born in I'rovidence Co., R. I. Jan. 15, 1810; came to this county in 1835; Ind. Dem.; owns 327 acres of land valued at $17,000: was the first settler in the Township of Phenix, and at that time there were only four residents in the county; wife was Caroline Omel, born in Wayne Co. Ind. June 29, 1816; married Sept 27, 1832; has five children, Henry S., Marshall M., I'liila Nora C., Perry, and Silas W. Henry S. was the first white child born in the county, Mrs. E. P. Aldrich manufactured the first cloth made in the county, consisting of about 75 yards, in 1836.

ARNETT GEORGE, Farmer; Sec. II; P.O. Sharon; born in Warren Co. Pa. June 6, 1833; came to this county in 1838; Rep; owns 640 acres of land valued at $20,000; wife was Margaret Seiben, born in Germany Nov. 2, 1841; married Nov. 15, 1857; has five children.

BARGE DAVID B. Farmer; Sec. 28; P.O. Geneseo; born in Armstrong Co. Pa. May 3, 1827; lived in Wayne Co. Ohio 14 years, and came to this county in 1847; Dem; owns 620 acres of land, valued at $30,000; was assessor one year; wife was Eliza M. Aldrich, born in Pickaway County, Ohio, May 7, 1828; married April6, 1851; has two children, Alvin W. and Alice C.

BUTZER JACOB F. Farmer; Sec. 4; P.O. Geneseo; born in Germany Jan. 16, 1831; came to this county in 1837; Dem; Evang; is one of the oldest settlers of the county; owns 1,000 acres of land, valued at $20,000; is Justice of the Peace; wife was Fredrika Himmelman, born in Germany July 4, 1850; married July 3, 1870; has seven children of first wife, and two of second wife.

COLE GEO. Sec. 20; P.O. Geneseo; farm hand; from Wis. COULSON JOHN, Sec. 21; P,O. Geneseo; farmer; Rep; from England. CRILE A. F. Sec. 24; P.O. Pink Prairie; farm hand; born Henry Co. CRILE JOHN H. Sec. 24; P.O. Pink Prairie; farmer; from Ohio; 40 acres.

DAVIES JAMES L. Farmer, Sec. 30; P.O. Geneseo; born in Wales, March, 1826; came to this county in 1857; Dem; owns 333 acres of land, valued at $15,000; wife was Phila Nora Aldrich, born in Phenix, Henry Co., April 6, 1841; married Sept. 6, 1860; has two children. Caroline Olivia, and E. Percy.

DTJNLAP ADAM, Farmer, Sec. 28; P.O. Geneseo; born in Wayne Co., Ohio, Dec. 18, 1833; came to this county in 1854; Dem; owns 80 acres of land, valued at $4,000; is Justice of the Peace; was Assessor three years; enlisted in 1862 in H2th I. V. L, and served three years; wife wa; Malinda B.irtlett, born in Onondaga Co., N. Y., May 26, 1813; married Aug. 10, 1865.

. JENKINS EMORY M.. P.O. Geneseo; farmer, Ind; from N. Y. J JOHNSON FREDRICK, Sec. 29; P.O. Geneseo; farmer; from Sweden; 40 acres. JOHNSON JOHN, Sec. 31; P.O. Geneseo; farmer; Rep; from Sweden. JOHNSON O. A. Sec. 21; P.O. Geneseo; farm hand; Rep; S. Luth; from N. Y. JOHNSON SWEN E. Sec. 21; P.O. Geneseo; farmer; Rep; S. Luth: from Sweden: 100 acres.

Geo. C. Smithe

LIEBERKNECHT ADAM Jr. Farmer and Teacher, Sec. 27; P.O. Geneseo; born in Pittsburgh, Pa., July 2, 1838; came to this county in 1865; Rep; U. Breth; is Township Clerk; enlisted Aug. 22, 1862, in the 22d Iowa V. L; was in service three years; was in the battles of Pleasant Hill and Black River, and was wounded at the siege of Vicksburg; wife was Eliza E. Tallman, born in Ohio Dec. I, 1846; married July 4, 1865; has four children.

"XJISWENDER JOHN, Sec. 35; P.O. Geneseo; farmer; Rep; Evang; from Ohio. *-* NISWENDER SOLOMAN, Sec. 35; P.O. Geneseo; farmer; Rep; Evang; from Pa.

OBKECHT J. MICHAEL, Farmer, Sec. 12; P.O. Sharon; Jjorn in Germany Jan. 23, 1836; came to this county in 1864; Rep; Evang; owns 243 acres of land, valued at $8,000; has been Deputy Sheriff in Kankakee Co; has been Township Clerk; lived one year in Buffalo, N.Y., twelve years in Cook Co. 111. and ten years in Kankakee Co; wife was Sarah M. Byers, born in Berks Co. Pa. Dec. 30, 1830; married Jan. 17, 1861; has four children.

RANDALJj HUGH G. Farmer, Sec. 23; P.O. Pink Prairie; born in Orange Co. Vt. June I, 1833; came to this county in 1874; Rep; owns one-third of 1,200 acres of land, valued at $30,000; first wife was Eliza J. Renfrew; second wife was Eliza Painter, born in Henry Co. April 27, 1856; married Aug. 10, 1876; has one child of first wife.

ROWE GEORGE W. Farmer, Sec. 6; P.O. Geneseo; born in Steuben Co. N.Y. May 20, 1825; came to this county in 1851; Rep; owns 600 acres of land, valued at §12,000; was Commissioner of Highways three years; wife was Julia A. Kempster; born in Oneida Co. N.Y. Aug. 25, 1826; married Feb. 22, 1850; has two children, Viola M. and Edith E.

SHOEMAKER DANIEL, Sec. 31; P.O. Geneseo; farmer; Rep; from Ind. SHOEMAKER JACOB, Sec. 21; P.O. Geneseo; coal miner; Dem; from Germany. SHOEMAKER JOHN, Sec. 4; P.O. Geneseo; farmer; Rep; from Germany. SHOEMAKER M. Sec. 25; P.O. Geneseo; farmer; Rep; from Bavaria; 200 acres. SIEBEN VALENTINE, Farmer, Sec. 3; P.O. Geneseo; born in Germany, Oct. 14, 1838;

SPRINKLE JONATHAN, Sec. 8, P.O. Geneseo; farmer; Rep; Meth; from Ohio; 287 acres. SPRINKLE JOSEPH, Sec. 17, P.O.Geneseo; farmer; Rep; Meth; from Maryland; 56 acres. SNIVELY ANDREW, Sec. 17, P.O. Geneseo; farmer; Ind; Meth; from Germany.

"T^AYLOR FRANK S. farm hand with his father, S. S. Taylor; Rep; Meth; born Henry Co. TAYLOR SAM'L S. Sec. i; P.O. Sharon; farmer and postmaster; Rep; Meth. from N.Y. TIBBS JOSEPH, Sec. 32; P.O. Geneseo; farmer; Dem; born 111; So acres. THOMAS 4. M. Sec. 14; P.O. Pink Prairie; laborer; Rep; from Ohio; 10 acres.

WITHROW AMARIAH, Farmer, Sec. 23; P.O. Pink Prairie; born in White Co. 111. May 4, 1831; came to this county in August, 1835; Rep; Meth; owns 75 acres of land, valued at $4,000; wife was Mary J. Huston, born in Licking Co. Ohio, Oct. 6, 1832; married Aug. 8, 1856; has four children - William H., Lethea A., Lucinda E., and Jerome S.; was one of the earliest settlers in the county.

Source changes here: from Portrait and Biographical Album of Henry County, Illinois : Containing Full-page Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the County, Together with Portraits and Biographies of All the Governors of Illinois, and of the Presidents of the United States; Also Containing a History of the County, from Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time, published 1885; 278 words in this source stream.

Phenix Township

HIS township nestles along the borders of Rock River, in the northwest part of the county, the natural places for those first pioneers to settle who formed those outer fringes of civilization, where the solitary pioneer piloted his lonely way. The second white family to settle in the county was Earl P. Aldrich's, who came in the summer of 1835, and in his little log cabin was born, on the 15th of the following December, the first white child in Henry County that with wide eyes looked out astounded, but not dumbfounded, upon this new and curious world.

A very full account of all these early settlers is given in other chapters, to which the reader is referred. Amariah Withrow landed in the township but a evry short time after the Aldriches. He was a native of White County, Illinois, born May 4, 1 831, and came with the large family of Withrows, of whom also is given a full account in another place. Amariah Withrow married Mary J. Huston, born in Licking County, Ohio, Oct. 6, 1832. They were married August 8, 1856. Had four children.

It properly should have been stated above that the families, the widows and children of the Aldriches are still living, and the aspirations and hopes of all for these two venerable old grand-mothers are that the quiet comfort of their declining years may be long in the land, with only a gradual flow and increase of temporal blessings to their departing hour.

David B. Bar£e, a native of Ohio, came in 1841. His fine farm contains 620 acres. He married Eliza M. Aldrich, born in Pickaway County, Ohio, May 7, 1828.