St. Jacob Township

St. Jacob Township

The first house was built by Jacob Schutz, where he sold whisky by the gallon. In 1849 Jacob Schroth started a store ; he bought two and-a-half acres off the corner of Jacob Schutz's fiirm, being in the northwest part of the northeast forty of section 16 ; he built a small house (since enlarged), now the St. Jacob's House. He entertained travelers and had a wagon-yard in connection with his saloon and store. In June, 18.51, he got a post-office established, and because his name was Jacob and Jacob was the original owner of the land, and the blacksmith's name was Jacob, they concluded to name the place of the then cross-roads St. Jacobs. Mr. Schroth ccmtinued in business here until his death in 1:^60. His wife was then commissioned postmistress, and continued the business many years. In 18.50 Jacob Willi started a blacksmith shop and worked at his trade several years; he is now on a farm half a mile north of town, in good circumstances. The third house was put up by Louis Schiele. It is in part now the Pfaclzer Hof. Mr. Schiele, in 1866, laid out the town of St. Jacobs, in the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 9. The village increased principally around the Schroth corner and on the St. Louis wagon-road, until the construction of the railroad, since which the growth has been almost entirely toward the depot. There were about twenty houses in the place before the railroad was built. The census of 1880 gave it a population of four hundred and sixty-one. Dr. Buck was the first physician In 1866, Edward Dee and William C. M'AIilly built a saw-mill a quarter of a mile north of the town. They afterward sawed out a frame and put up a small grist mill, and then took into partnership with them, Charles Valier, who was a practical miller. The mill commenced grinding in 1869 ; since that time it has been owned by several different parties. The saw-mill has long since been abandoned. The mill has been greatly improved from time to time, and it now standi a substantial frame, fourstories high with basement, having four run of burrs and a capacity of one hundred and twenty-five barrels per day. It is owned and operated by Joseph Peeler and Jacob Willi. The saw-mill near the depot was put up in 1880 ; now owned by John Bartle. The Independent Bucket Factory was started in June, 18SI, by John Schaefer. It employs from six to eight men.

The school building is a two story brick of four rooms, where three teachers are employed. J. W. Welles has been the principal for the past three years. There are two churches. The Lutheran, a neat brick structure, was built in 1869 ; the Methodist, a frame building, in 1879.

The St. Louis, Vandalia & Terre Haute railroad passes through the northern part of the township, entering near the center of section 1, and passing out near the southwest corner of section 7. St. Jacobs is situated on this line at nearly an equal distance from the eastern and western boundaries of the township. Its location in the midst of a fertile and prosperous country secures for it a good trade. It is the shipping point for Marine, a village of eight hundred inhabitants, five miles distant.

Present Business George W. Searcy

The Searcy family are among the old settlers and the descendants of one of the pioneer families of Madison county. Philip T. Searcy, the father, was a native of North Carolina born in 1802. He was left an orphan while yet youug in years; he was taken by his guardian, Granser Dugger, to Tennessee, and brought by him to Illinois, November 17, 1817. The Dugger family stopped for a short time in the forks of Silver creek, then a part of Marine township, in Madison county, but soon after moved to Bond county, and Battled on Hurricane Fork of Shoal creek; three years later they returned to Madison county and permanently located on the piece of land upon which they settled when they first came to Illinois. Mr. Dugger entered laud in .sections 5 and 6, of what is now St. Jacob's township. From the Dugger family sprang a numerous progeny. John, Wesley, Jarret, sons of Mr. Dugger, were soldiers of the war of 1812, and also of the Black-Hawk war of 1831-'32. Philip T. Searcy married Elizabeth, daughter of Granser Dugger. She was the widow of John Hunter, by whom she had one son, named John Andrew Hunter; he was also a soldier of the Black- Hawk war. Mr. Searcy died February 13, 1861, and his wife February 13, 1864. There were twelve children born to Philip T. and Elizabeth Searcy, three of whom are now living. Their names are Nancy Jane, Edward C and George W. Thomas J. was a soldier in company I) of the -SOth Illinois Volunteers. At the battle of Perryville, October 8, 1862, he was wounded, and died two years later from the effect of the wound. Edward C. was also a soldier in the same company and regiment, and was captured by the rebels when in the act of bearing his wounded brother from the field George W., the subject of this sketch, was born on the old homestead March 6, 1834. He there grew to manhood, and remained at home until twenty-one years of age; he then clerked for his half brother, Mr. Hunter, for two years. Realizing that he had insufficient education, he spent the winter of 18.57-'58 in school. The fall previous, he had been elected constable, a position he held for twelve years. In the spring of 1858, he purchased sixty acres of land in section 17, and there made his home until 1866, when he moved to section 18, where he had purchased one hundred and fifty-five acres. On this tract, in former years, stood Fort Shilton, one of the block-houses during the Indian troubles in 1812.

Mr. Searcy made his home on section 18 until the spring of 1880, when he removed to the village of St. Jacobs, and there, on the 28th of February, 1882, engaged in general merchandising; in which he still continues. On the 2d of April, 1858, he married Miss Mary Ann Taylor. She was born on the ' Old Chase " farm, in St. Jacob's township December 6, 1833. Her parents were natives of Virginia, and removed to North Carolina, tlien to Illinois and .settled in White county, and subsequently came to Madison. There were four children born to Mr. and Mrs. Searcy; one living named George L., who was born June 2, 1860. The others died in infancy and early childhood. Both Mr. and Mrs. Searcy attached themselves to the M. E. Church while young. In politics he is a Republican ; he was justice of the peace for his township for four years, and was special deputy sheriff for six years. During the late war he was enrolled officer from November, 1864, until the close of the war. In his manners he is plain and unassuming, and his character and reputation is that of an honorable and honest man.

The subject of this memoir was born on section 31, in St. Jacob's Township, Madison County, Illinois, Aug. 14tli, 1832. His father, William Faires, was born in North Carolina, Aug. 5th, 1789. He 'emigrated to Illinois in ]82(>- and settled on what was then and since known as Terrappiii Ridge in this county. His first settlement was in section 31, T 3, R 3. He afterward moved to section 33, and tlieif died, Feb. 14th, 1855. He married Elizabeth Orr, who was born in North Carolina, January 17th, 1791. The date of the marriage was January 13th, 1813. She died in August 1863. There were nine children by that marriage, four sons and five daughters. Two sons and three daughters have survived the parents and are yet living. William B. is the youngest of the family. He was brought up on the farm and received his education in the public schools of the neighborhood. At the age of twenty he commenced the trade of blacksmithing, but soon abandoned it to engage in farming. He purchased two hundred acres of raw unimproved land in section 26, where he now resides, and commenced its improvement, and there he has remained to the present time. To his original purchase he has added until he has now over five hundred acres of fine land, all of which is under cultivation. He also commenced dealing and trading in live stock when he commenced farming, and those two businesses have been his chief occupation up to the present time. In April, 1864, he was united in marriage to Miss M. J. Putnam, daughter of Hiram Putnam. She was born in Wilson county, Tennessee, in 1842. By this union there have been eight children born to Mr. and Mrs. Faires. Their namfs in the order of their birth are, William A., Charles Henry, Elizabeth O , Horace Greeley, Julia Ann, Lula Jane, (the latter two are twins) Edward Allen and Hattie Faires. Mr. Faires is a member of the ancient and honorable order of A. F. A. M. Politically he has always voted the Democratic ticket. Mr. Faires may be regarded as one of the old settlers of Madison county. He has lived here fifty years. His father's family were among the pioneers of the state. In the present and years gone by the neighbors of Mr. Faires have known him as an open, generous-hearted man, a true friend and an honest, upright man.

The Pyle family is of Eoglish aud Welsh ancestry. Samuel Pyle, the ancestor of the present, family was of Quaker origin and came with William Penn to America in 1682, and made the first settlement in Pennsylvania and founded the city of Philadelphia. Subsequently his offspring removed south and helped to form the settlements along the coast in the Carolinas. There they lived during the revolutionary war, and iu which struggle both the paternal and maternal grandfathers of Abner Pyle took part. Abner Pyle, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Chatham county. North Carolina. The family moved to Kentucky soon after that state was admitted to the union, and remained there until 18 IS, when they came to Illinois and settled in Jackson county in a section that is now .a part of Perry county. Mr. Pyle was one of the first commissioners of the latter county, and helped to locate the coanty seat and lay out the town of Pinckneyville. He remained a citizen of Perry county until the death of his wife, then came to Madison county, where he lived with his sons until his death, which event occurred in July, 1863- He married Sarah Wells, a native of South Carolina. She died in Perry county, January 25, 1825. By the union of Abner and Sarah Pyle there were twelve children, ten of whom lived to maturity and raised families. Abner Pyle, Jr., the subject of this sketch was born iu Christian county, Kentucky, January 25th, 1809, and was a mere boy when the family came to Illinois. Here he grew to manhood and received such instruction as the public schools of Perry county afforded. His first effort in public life was acting as surveyor of Perry county, a position he was appointed to by

Gov. Duncan. He afterward engaged in farming and trading. In 1848, lie moved to St. Clair county and remained there until March ITth, 1859, when he purchased one hundred and twenty acres in section twenty-six, of St. Jacob's Township, in Madison county. He improved his land, added more tn it, and there he has resided to the present. In May, 1833, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary llogue. She died in 1844, leaving one son named Andrew, who grew to maturity, married, and died in 1879, leaving a wife and two children. On the 19th of August, 1848, he married Naomi Bradsby, widow of John Bradsby. Her maiden name was Faires, daughter of William and Elizabeth (Orr) Faires. She was born in North Carolina, January 14, 1815. By her marriage with John Bradsby she had three children, named Francis M., Mary E. and William D. Bradsby. By her marriage with Mr. Pyle, there are also three children, whose names are Martha A., wife of James Thompson, Lyman and Henry B. Pyle. Both Mr. and Mrs- Pyle are members of the Christian Church. Politically he was originally an old Jacksoniau Democrat. His first presidential ticket was cast for the hero of New Orleans. From that time to the present he has not swerved in his allegiance to the party of his first choice. Mr. Pyle is one of the pioneers of Illinois, and is a connecting link between this and a race of hardy and venturesome men that are rapidly passing away. A few more years will witness their departure, and they will only exist in the memories of the older people and in the pages of history. Would that the free, generous, open-hearted pioneer of old could always be with us and teach us by example what open and true hospitality is, and means. To that class belongs Mr. Pyle.