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1872 Atlas Index Jersey County Page
Biographies in the
Atlas Map of Jersey County, Illinoisby Andreas, Lyter & Co., Davenport, IA, 1872
Jesse DABBS was born in Barren county, Kentucky, December 22, 1817. He is the sixth child of James and Mary Dabbs, who were natives of South Carolina where, in 1802, they were married. They emigrated to Kentucky several years after their marriage, and resided in Barren county till the fall of 1819, when the emigrated to Illinois, and settled on Wood river, north of Upper Alton, where they remained till the spring of 1826, when they located on section 9, township 7, range 12, where they resided till their death. Mr. Dabbs had a family of ten children, eight sons and two daughters, all deceased, except Jesse and Elias. He followed farming through life. His wife was a member of the Baptist church. Mr. Dabbs died December 19, 1841, aged fifty-nine years, and his wife also died September 8, 1852, aged sixty-five years. Jesse Dabbs was by trade a carpenter and builder, which he followed in early life. He was married, May 7, 1837, to Miss Matilda Marsh, daughter of Ephraim and Mary March, of this county. His wife died November 19, 1865. He was again married, October 21, 1871, to Miss Isabel, daughter of Bryant and Elizabeth Devling. Mr. D. has lately followed farming. He is one of the substantial citizens of the community in which he has spent over forty years of an active, industrious life.
1872 Atlas Index Jersey County Page
John C. DANNEL was born in Greene county, Illinois, November 4, 1826. He is the son of Walker and Martha Dannell, who were pioneer settlers of Greene county. Walker Dannel is a native of Georgia; his wife of Alabama. Mr. Dannel, soon after his marriage, settled in the present limits of Union county, Illinois, before the latter became a state. He removed before 1820, and settled near Old Cain, Greene county, where his father, Thomas Dannel, settled the year before. Walker Dannel had a family of three sons and six daughters, all deceased except Rebecca, former wife of the late Mr. Tompkins, and present wife of Dr. Lester, now residing in Albany, Oregon, and the subject of this sketch, who is residing on the north-east quarter of section 11, township 9, range 10. Walker Dannel died a few years after his settlement in the county, and his wife in January, 1850. John C. received his early education in the common schools of Greene county. He was married, March 28, 1848, to Miss Mary, daughter of William and Mary Palmer, early settlers of Greene (now Jersey) county. (See personal history of Wm. Palmer elsewhere.) By this union they have had a family of seven children, in the following order, viz: William w., deceased; Laura, present wife of Vilas Dodge, residing on section 11, township 9, range 10; John Franklin; Charles, George, deceased; Jessie and Annie, who are living with their parents. Mr. Dannel has been a continuous citizen of the township. As an agriculturist he has been successful; as a citizen, useful and respected. By energy, economy, and close attention to business, he has made his property and reputation, and is a worthy example of what may be achieved by high purpose and persevering effort.
1872 Atlas Index Jersey County Page
Andrew J. DARR was born in Jersey county, Illinois, July 4th, 1834. He is the thirteenth child of Matthew and Jemima Darr, who are natives of Virginia. Mr. Darr came west when sixteen years old, and first stopped in St. Louis, about the year 1801. He afterwards located in Madison county, Illinois, where he was married to Miss Jemima Ennis, daughter of Jesse Ennis. They had a family of sixteen children – eight sons and eight daughters – of whom eight are still living. Mr. Darr settled in the present limits of Jersey county, on section 22, township 8, range 12, where he resided until his death, which occurred in October, 1853, aged eighty-four years, four months, and four days. His wife died about one year previous, September, 1852, aged sixty-eight years. Mr. Darr was among the early settlers of the state, as well as of Jersey county. He raised a large and respectable family, and lived to see them comfortable settled in life. He was a good, moral man, and one of the firm pillars of the pioneer community in which his early life was spent. He and his worthy wife, as well as most of his children, were active members of the Baptist church.
Andrew J. Darr resided with his parents until his marriage, December 29th, 1853, to Miss Margaret Brown, daughter of Joseph and Margaret Brown, of the same neighborhood, and who were also among the early settlers of the county. They have had a family of four sons and two daughters, all of whom reside with their parents.
Mr. Darr, thus far in life, has followed farming, except two years spent in the gold fields of California. He is now residing on section 22, township 8, range 11, where he has lived about four years. He is one of the enterprising citizens of the locality where his entire life has been spent. He is among the neat practical farmers of the county, as his beautiful farm surroundings will amply prove.
1872 Atlas Index Jersey County Page
Abijah DAVIS was born in Somerset county, New Jersey, May 6th, 1804. He was the second child of Elijah and Hannah Davis, who were both natives of New Jersey. His fathers family consisted of four children; one died in infancy. His younger brother, John, was known as a citizen of Jersey county. Mr. Elijah Davis followed farming in the earlier part of his life, and hotel keeping in the after part, until his death, which occurred in the fall of 1851. His wife died in the spring of 1869 [1860?].
The subject of this sketch received his early education in the schools of his native county. He was married to Miss Eliza Ann, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Riggs, December 16th, 1835. They have, by this union, had a family of eight children, seven of whom are still living, in the following order of birth, viz.: Henry A., residing in Chicago; Elizabeth, present wife of Ford Lewis, residing in Jerseyville; Hannah Virginia, present wife of Col. George R. Swallow, of Jerseyville; Emily Marietta, and Augusta, residing with their mother at the old homestead in Jerseyville. In the fall of 1837, Mr. Davis removed with his family, and first settled about two miles west of Jerseyville, where he remained till the spring of 1842, when he moved to the present residence of his family and lived there till his death, which occurred (of pulmonary consumption) July 24, 1872, in the sixty-ninth year of his age.
Mr. Davis began in Jersey county with comparatively small financial means, but by energy and wise management, he acquired a competence for himself and family, and was one of the substantial citizens of the county. Politically, in early life he was a democrat, but later he became a whig, and on the disorganization of that party, joined the republicans. Mr. Davis, in early life, became a member of the Presbyterian church, of which his wife and his children, with one exception, are also members. As a Christian man and upright citizen, he won the respect of a large circle of friends and acquaintances. Undoubtedly, Mr. Davis had some faults, but, like spots on the sun, they did not obscure the lustre of his character. It is as natural for human nature to have faults as for wheat to have chaff, but what is the chaff compared to the wheat! The life of Mr. Davis, to those who had the pleasure of his acquaintance while living, speaks more eloquently of him as a husband, parent, citizen, and Christian, than any words we can say in this brief notice.
1872 Atlas Index Jersey County Page
John DAVIS was born in Rowan county, North Carolina, October 17, 1819. He is the second child of John and Jane Davis, who were natives of North Carolina. After his marriage to Miss Jane Luckey, they located in Missouri, near St. Charles, in the fall of 1829, where they remained for about five years. They then removed to the present limits of Jersey county, and in the spring of 1835, settled on section 13, township 8, range 11, where his widow now resides. They had a family of nine children, four sons and five daughters, five of whom are still living, in the following order of birth, viz: John, residing on the southwest quarter of section 19, township 8, range 10; Jane, present wife of James Moore, whose personal history appears elsewhere in this work; Sarah, present wife of Edward L.(?) Risley, residing two miles west of Fidelity; James, residing in Chesterfield, Macoupin county, Ill.; and Edith, present wife of Joseph Luckey, residing on her fathers old homestead with her aged mother. Mr. Davis was one of the early settlers of the county and was highly esteemed as a citizen. He departed this life January 31, 1864. The subject of this sketch was married September 22, 1843, to Miss Maria, daughter of Glover and Rachel Short, of Jersey county. They have had five children, in the following order of birth, viz.: Hattie, present wife of John Carter, residing with her father; Thomas Franklin, John Glover, and Edmund O., who died in infancy; and Ida Wilmina, residing with her parents. Mr. Davis (like his father before him) has followed farming for a livelihood. He is one of the reliable citizens of the community in which most of his life has been spent, and is highly respected by a large circle of friends and acquaintances.
1872 Atlas Index Jersey County Page
Samuel DAVIS was born in Lowan [sic Rowan?] county, North Carolina, July 8, 1798. He is the eighth child of John and Elizabeth B. Davis. They were also natives of North Carolina, and died in that state. Samuel Davis grew up in the then wilds of North Carolina. He had but poor facilities for obtaining an education. When about twenty-five years of age he was married to Miss Polly Clifford, the daughter of John and Elsa Clifford. Mrs. Davis was born in North Carolina, December 11, 1798. They have had eight children, five of whom are yet living. In the fall of 1829(?) Mr. Davis landed with his family in the present limits of Jersey county, Illinois, and soon after settled on the land where he now resides. He came to the county poor. Mr. Davis and wife have both been members of the Methodist Episcopal church for thirty-five years. Mr. D. has always lived the quiet life of a farmer. He and his wife are both about seventy-five years of age, and now in the enjoyment of good health. Mr. Davis retains almost the same activity that marked his boyhood.
1872 Atlas Index Jersey County Page
Wm. S. DEMPSEY, the proprietor of the Valley House at Grafton, Ill. (a lithographic view of which appears elsewhere in this work) [See 1872 Farms & Residences], was born in Ireland August 22, 1844. He is the tenth child of Hugh and Sarah Dempsey, who emigrated to this country and settled in Northampton county, Pa., in August, 1846. Mr. D. had a family of thirteen children, five sons and eight daughters, eight of whom are still living, to-wit: James A., residing in Idaho; Joh, residing in Grafton, Ill.; Margaret, residing in Ireland; Sarah, residing in Shelby county, Mo.; Mary, residing in Grafton, Ill., the present wife of E. Brower; Rosanna, present wife of J. Burmingham, of Grafton, Ill.; Hugh, residing also in Grafton; the subject of this sketch; and Catherine, residing with her sister, Mrs. Burmingham. Mr. Dempsey, father of the above, died in Philadelphia April 15, 1855. His wife and five of her children, including the subject of this sketch, came to and settled in Grafton, Ill., where she died April 26, 1871. Mr. Dempsey and his wife were both members of the Catholic Church, and were well respected by all who knew them for their many virtures.
William S. Dempsey, in the fall of 1870, bought the hotel property in Grafton, Ill., now known as the Valley House, which he is still conducting satisfactorily to his numerous guests and patrons. He is esteemed as a good citizen and an obliging host by all who have the pleasure of his acquaintance. [See hotel view 1872 Farms & Residences]
1872 Atlas Index Jersey County Page
Henry E. DOUGHERTY was born in Adams county, Mississippi, January 18, 1832. He is the seventh child of Wm. G. and Janet M. (Touls) Dougherty, the former a native of South Carolina, and the latter of New York. He emigrated from Mississippi and settled in Belleville, Ill., in the spring of 1832, where he remained till the fall of the same year, when he located on section 24, township 7, range 12, where he resided until his death, which took place October 20, 1833. His wife died September 3, 1862, just forty-five years from the day of her marriage.
Henry E. followed farming in his early business career till 1860, when he engaged in milling as one of the proprietors of the Otter Creek mills. He is now sole proprietor of the new building, a fine lithographic view of which appears in this work. [See 1872 Farms & Residences] When this building was erected he was in company with J. M. Terry. This is the most valuable merchant mill in Jersey county, and has few, if any, superiors in this part of the state. He was married January 4, 1855, to Miss Diantha Curtis, daughter of Paul B. and Sarah Curtis, of Knox county, Ill. By this union they have three children living. Mr. Dougherty was elected justice of the peace in the fall of 1853 [1858?], which position he filled satisfactorily to his constituents and creditably to himself about twelve years. He was the nominee of the republican party for sheriff in the fall of 1868, and although not elected, received in his immediate locality a vote in advance of his party. He was appointed postmaster of Otterville in 1861, which position he still holds. As a business man, Mr. D. is widely known and highly appreciated by all who knew him.
1872 Atlas Index Jersey County Page
John G. DOUGHERTY was born in Adams county, Mississippi, July 28, 1820. He is the second child of Wm. G. and Janet Mariah Dougherty, who were married in Mississippi September 3, 1817. (See biography of Henry E. Dougherty elsewhere in this work.)
John G., after the death of his father (Oct. 20, 1833), rendered the widowed mother great assistance in raising the family, the members of which are now well settled in life, and among the prominent citizens of the community in which they have for over forty years been residing. John G. Dougherty was married April 27, 1848, to Miss Susan Melbrose, of this county. She was a native of Scotland. By this union they have had a family of eight children, seven of whom are still living. Louisa, the oldest, is the present wife of J. K. Cadwalader, residing in township 7, range 12. The others are residing at home with their parents. Mr. Dougherty has followed farming through life. He is now residing on a part of his fathers old homestead, section 13, township 7, range 12. A view of his residence appears in this work. [See 1872 Farms & Residences] Politically, he was a whig, but on the disorganization of that party he became a republican. He is a practical farmer, a good, upright citizen, and a valuable member of the community in which the larger portion of his active life has been spent. His acts speak plainly to all who know him, and he therefore needs no eulogy at our hands.
1872 Atlas Index Jersey County Page
Dr. Caleb DU HADWAY was born in Baltimore, Maryland, December 11th, 1833. He is the youngest of a family of eleven children of David and Mary Du Hadway. Mr. Du Hadway was a native of France. His wife was born at Three Rivers, Canada. She died 1833. Mr. Du Hadway is yet living, and now residing with his son at Jerseyville.
Dr. Du Hadway was educated at the Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, and Oxford College, Butler county, Ohio. After finishing his literary course, he commenced reading medicine with Dr. Orlando Miller, of Jackson Court House, Ohio, and attended medical lectures at the Ohio Medical College, at Cincinnati, in the sessions of 1856-59. He received a diploma from that institution in March, 1859. The next year he wrote in the office of his brother, Porter Du Hadway, who was county clerk of Jackson county, Ohio. After the expiration of the year, he entered on the practice of his profession at Hamden, Vinton county, Ohio. On the 13th of March, 1859, he was married to Miss Mary Nelson, daughter of James and Susan M. Nelson. The doctor and wife have had five children, three of whom are yet living. In March, 1862, he entered the army as surgeon of the 9th Kentucky regiment, and remained in the service till August, 1864. On the 3rd of September of the same year, he landed in Jerseyville, and soon after commenced the practice of medicine, and has since enjoyed a lucrative business. In 1866, the Missouri Medical College at St. Louis, conferred on Dr. Du Hadway the degree of Adeundum. In 1868, he used carbolic acid as a local anesthetic agent, and in the medical journals, has the credit of being the first discoverer. He has always been a member of the democratic party; and is now a member of the scientific and literary society of Jerseyville. Dr. Du Hadway was elected president of the Jersey County Medical Society, at its annual meeting in April, 1872. He has gained a good reputation in Jersey county as a skillful practitioner.
1872 Atlas Index Jersey County Page
Anthony H. ELDREDGE was born in Philadelphia, April 29, 1794. He is the youngest of a family of eight children, all deceased except himself and one sister, Sarah, relict of John J. Garvin, of Philadelphia. His father, Phineas, was a native of Massachusetts; his mother, Jane, of Philadelphia. His grandfather, Isaiah, was born October 22, 1724, O. S. His father, Enoch, was the son of Phineas, who was the son of Phineas, sr., who, with two of his brothers, emigrated from Wales, and settled in the Plymouth colony about the year 1671. This is undoubtedly the principal source from which most of the name originated in this country. Captain Anthony H. Eldredge is the sixth generation from those of his family who first settled in the United States. Many of their descendants erroneously use an i in place of an e, in the last syllable of the name. Anthony H. was educated in the common schools of his native city. He first engaged in a seafaring life, October 14, 1809, in the merchant service. At the commencement of the last war with England he was engaged in the land service, in which he continued during that struggle. Soon after peace was restored he again entered the merchant trade, as an officer, March 4, 1815, in which he continued till January, 1817, when he was promoted to the command of the vessel, and held the position of captain till the summer of 1838, when he discontinued a seafaring life, and settled with his family, consisting of four children, in New Orleans. He then engaged as a commander of a steamboat running on the lower Mississippi, which he continued two years, when he was appointed wharfmaster of New Orleans, which position he filled till May, 1856, when he resigned and joined his family on the farm where he now resides. In 1849 he purchased the northeast quarter of section 12, township 7, range 10, and his family settled on the same in October of that year. His farm now contains over six hundred acres, being one of the largest in the township. The captain is one of those active men whose wide and varied experience in an eventful life of over thirty years as a seafaring man, with his large acquaintance with many of our prominent citizens in our commercial towns would form an interesting volume, but our limits forbid detail. He was first married October 5, 1815, to Miss Hannah Elizabeth Morris, of Philadelphia. By this union they had three children, all deceased. His wife also died January 26, 1818. He was again married, December 2, 1820, to Miss Susannah M. Vance, of Philadelphia. By this union he has had three sons: Phineas, now residing near his father; Anthony, who died at New Orleans; and William V., residing at Golconda, Pope county, Illinois. Captain E. has made thirteen voyages to Europe, most of which were to Lisbon. He made the shortest trip with a sail craft on record – from Philadelphia to Lisbon, and return, in thirty-three days. He made one voyage to South America, and large number to the West Indies. He has visited every seaport in the Gulf of Mexico. He is the oldest in years and membership of any member of the Ship Masters Benevolent Society of Philadelphia. This society was formed before the revolutionary war. He first became a member October 6, 1825.
1872 Atlas Index Jersey County Page
Isaac R. ELY is a native of Monmouth county, New Jersey. He was born January 13, 1824, and is the fourth of a family of ten children of Richard and Ann Ely, who were natives of the same state. Their ancestors were among the early settlers of New Jersey, and of English descent. They removed to Jersey county in July, 1838, and settled on the open prairie about two miles from Jerseyville, where they made an improvement, and resided on the same farm till their death. Mr. Ely followed farming as a business through life, and was an active man and useful citizen. He died September 30, 1848; his wife died previous, December 10, 1840. They were both members of the Baptist Church.
Isaac R. Ely received his early education in the common schools of New Jersey, in which he obtained a good, practical, business education. He came to Jersey county with his father, with whom he lived till his marriage, October 21, 1846, to Miss Mary A., daughter of John Christopher, an old resident of the county. After his marriage, Mr. Ely purchased a farm near Jerseyville, where he resided about three years. He then sold, and bought the farm where he now resides in 1850. Mr. Ely commenced life, after his marriage, with a cash capital of twenty dollars; but he was a man of perseverance and firm determination to make a home for himself and family, and as the result of his efforts he now has a valuable farm, perhaps the best in the township, the soil being equal to any in the county. When we remember that Mr. Ely began life poor, and that by his own industry he had acquired a competence, it cannot by enhance our estimation of the principles and policy which have actuated him as a business man. He is among the representative farmers of the county, and is esteemed for his liberal and generous public spirit. Mr. Ely and his wife are both members of the M. E. Church. They have had a family of three sons; their oldest son (John) is married – the others are residing with their parents. Mr. Ely has given his children the advantages of a good education. Politically, he has always been a strong supporter of the old democratic principles taught by Jefferson and others of that school. He is one of the self-made men of the county, for whose material and moral welfare his energies have for years been devoted. A fine lithographic view of his farm residence appears on another page of this work. [See 1872 Farms & Residences]
1872 Atlas Index Jersey County Page
Hon. John N. ENGLISH was horn in Henry county, Kentucky, March 31st,1810. He is the eldest son of Thomas and Alla English, who had a family of twelve children. Their ancestors were Irish and German. Mr. English was a native of Maryland, and his wife of Pennsylvania. They both emigrated with their parents to Kentucky, where they were married. Her maiden name was Alla COOPER, daughter of Jonathan Cooper, who was a soldier of the revolutionary war. Mr. English’s occupation was that of a farmer. In 1822, he removed with his family to Washington county, Illinois, and resided there until the fall of 1825, when he settled in Jersey county, where he still continued to carry on farming. Mrs. English died at their residence in August, 1833. He survived her until September, 1835. Mr. J. N. English received his earliest education in the schools of Washington and Jersey counties. He came to this county with his parents at the above mentioned time, and on the breaking out of the Blackhawk war in 1831, he enlisted in Captain Carlin’s company of mounted volunteers, and was mustered in at Carrollton, and immediately after started on a march to Rock Island, where the treaty with the Indians was soon after made, when he returned home, and in 1832 enlisted in Captain Patterson’s company and participated in the battles of Wisconsin and Missouri. After a treaty was made and peace declared he received an honorable discharge. For the time they were in service they received about $1.00 per day, and congress ceded to each soldier eighty acres of land. After his return home, Mr. English spent the next summer with D. A. Spaulding, government surveyor, in surveying the lands around Lake Michigan. In the summer of thirty-four, he entered a farm in Jersey county, about four miles southwest of the city. Immediately after which he commenced the improvement of his land. Mr. English was elected sheriff of Jersey county, after its organization, and at the expiration of his term was re-elected. On the 17th of December, 1840, he was married to Miss Elizabeth BELT, a daughter of H. W. Belt, of Jersey county. Mrs. English was born in St. Clair county. When his term of office as sheriff expired, he, in company with Messrs. MAGEE & TERRY, erected a steam saw and grist mill, five miles west of Jerseyville. They carried it on about two years, then sold it out. After which he went to steamboating on the river, with the rank of mate. He followed that two seasons, then came home and bought a farm about five miles west of the county seat, in what is known as Rich Woods. He settled on it in the fall of 1847, since which date most of his time has been devoted to agricultural pursuits and stock growing, in which he has acquired a handsome competence. He, like most of the other old settlers, commenced life poor, but being a man of good business qualities,, was enabled to gain a fortune. In the fall of 1860, Mr. English was elected to the legislature of Illinois, from Jersey and Calhoun counties. He was among that class of legislators who were not in favor of coercing the southern states. While in the legislature he was an active efficient member. After the expiration of his first term, he was re-elected with a larger majority, filling the position with honor to himself and satisfaction to his constituents. He has held other smaller offices, such as trustee and school director. Mr. English and wife had four children, of whom three are now living, all sons; who are now carrying on his farm. Mrs. English in early life became a member of the M. E. church. She died at their residence, after a lingering illness, on the 5th of June, 1872. In the fall of 1867, Mr. English removed his family to Jerseyville, where he has since resided. Politically, he has been a strong supporter of the democratic party. At most senatorial, congressional, and state conventions he has been a delegate from Jersey county. The people have clothed him with honors in various ways, thus attesting the high appreciation in which he is held by his follow citizens. (Thos. English was a soldier in the war of 1812). – Submitted by Rodney L. Noble
1872 Atlas Index Jersey County Page
C. B. FISHER was born in Somerset county, New Jersey, June 14, 1809. He is the only child of Henry and Keziah Fisher, who were old residents of that county. They were of Holland Dutch descent; their ancestors were among the first settlers of New Jersey. Mr. C. B. Fisher’s great grandfather was a soldier in the revolutionary war, and participated in most of the campaigns of the Jerseys and the more eastern colonies. He was quite a remarkable man, possessing a large fund of information, and was a member of the general assembly of New Jersey. He figured conspicuously in the events of those early times. His son, the grandfather of C. B. Fisher, was also a soldier in the same army, fighting for independence. Among the battles that he was engaged in was that on the plains of Monmouth. The subject of this sketch spent his early boyhood on a farm in his native county, and the education which he received was such as the common schools of those days afforded. He spent three years learning the blacksmith’s trade in New York. When about twenty years of age, he was married to Miss Hannah Mitchell, daughter of George Mitchell, of Morris county, New Jersey. They had five children, born to them in New Jersey. All are married; two daughters and one son residing in Illinois, and a son and daughter in St. Louis, the son a prominent merchant of that city. His son-in-law, Alfred Van Syckle, is also largely engaged in the commission business. Cornelia A., the wife of Joseph P. Bell, is residing in Kansas City. Soon after his marriage Mr. Fisher bought a farm in Somerset county, where he resided until 1838, when, on the sixth of June of that year, he arrived with his family in the present limits of Jersey county, Illinois. He purchased a farm of two hundred and fifty acres, which he immediately commenced to improve. His health not. being very good, in 1857 he went east, and purchased a farm for twenty thousand dollars near New Brunswick, New Jersey. After remaining one year he sold out and returned to Illinois. Mr. Fisher was, in his younger days, a man of more than ordinary industry and energy, and always exercised a great deal of judgment and foresight in the management of his business. In politics, Mr. Fisher was first a Whig, but when that party was disorganized, he joined the Democratic party, with which he has since acted. Mrs. Fisher died at their residence, January 11, 1871, and he was married to his present wife, Miss Susan A. Chamberlin, of Bound Brook, New Jersey, on the twenty-seventh of March, 1872. They are now residing at their beautiful residence, one and a-half miles north of the city of Jerseyville, where they have all the comforts of life necessary to make home pleasant. A fine lithographic view of Mr. F.’s place will be shown elsewhere in this work. Mr. Fisher is among the older citizens of Jersey county and is acknowledged as among Its solid farmers. In the acquisition of his property he has depended chiefly on his own well directed efforts. In the management of his farm he evinces good taste and judgment, and in our opinion can present to the people of the county a model farm.
1872 Atlas Index Jersey County Page
James B. FITZGERALD is a native of St. Louis county, Missouri, and was born December 31, 1832. He is the fifth of a family of ten children of Jesse and Elizabeth Fitzgerald, who were natives of Kentucky. The ancestors were Scotch-Irish. They both moved to Missouri when single, and in that state were married. The occupation of Mr. Fitzgerald principally, during life, was that of a farmer. In 1836, he removed to Jersey county, Illinois, and located on a farm four miles northeast of Jerseyville, where he resumed his former business, that of farmer and stock grower. He was quite successful in his business enterprises. Mr. Fitzgerald and wife were both members of the M. E. Church. He died at his residence on the 9th of April, 1855; his widow is yet living.
Mr. James B. Fitzgerald was educated at Greenfield Seminary and Lebanon College, St. Clair county, Ill. After leaving school he devoted his attention to farming. At the age to twenty-three he was married to Miss Julia A. Waddle, daughter of William G. and Susan Waddle. They had one son. Mrs. Fitzgerald died April 10, 1857. He was married to his present wife, Mary M. Arnspiger, on the 15th of April, 1862. They have had two children. When Mr. Fitzgerald commenced life he had but a small capital, but by honesty and industry, he has been reasonable successful. He has a fine farm in a very good state of cultivation, a fine view of which will be shown elsewhere in this work. [See 1872 Farms & Residences] Mr. Fitzgerald and wife are both members of the M. E. Church; he has been a member since thirteen years of age. In politics, he is a republican. During the late rebellion he was an earnest supporter of the Union cause. Mr. Fitzgerald is among the older settlers of Jersey county, and is a gentleman highly respected by all who know him.
1872 Atlas Index Jersey County Page
James C. FROST was born at Middletown Point, Monmouth county, New Jersey, November 22, 1832. He was the son of John and Catharine Frost, who were citizens of New Jersey. They had a family of four sons, all deceased except the subject of this sketch. Mr. John Frost, in early life, followed saddle and harness making, quitting it in the spring of 1835, when he removed to Illinois, and settled at Jerseyville. Here he kept a hotel for about eleven years, when he removed to a farm, which he had previously purchased, about two miles west of Jerseyville, where he remained till his death. His wife is now residing with her son, James C., at Fidelity. She still retains her mental and physical vigor almost unimpaired. Mr. Frost was one of the early citizens of the county, who was respected by a large circle of friends and acquaintances.
The subject of this sketch came to the county with his parents, accompanied by his two brothers, now deceased. Arintha Conover and his grandmother, Mrs. Ellen Conover, came also to the county, where they both spent the balance of their lives. After he was twenty-three years of age he was engaged two years sawing lumber with a circular saw. He was married, September 27th, 1849, to Miss Elizabeth C., daughter of Wm. Smock, of Greene county. By this marriage they have had a family of five sons and six daughters. Two of his sons are deceased. His oldest, Catharine C., is the present wife of Dr. T. A. Kingston, of Fidelity. This he cultivated till he removed, May 23d, 1867, to the village of Fidelity, and opened the hotel which he is now conducting. Mr. Frost was politically identified with the old whig party till its dissolution. He expects to support Horace Greeley in the contest of 1872. Mr. Frost is one of the oldest citizens of the county, who has done much, by an active life of nearly forty years, to develop it. He takes a lively interest in the education of his family, and was active in causing the beautiful graded school building to be erected, which adds so much to the educational facilities of the village of Fidelity. [See residence view 1872 Farms & Residences]
1872 Atlas Index Jersey County Page
Edward M. FULLER was born in Bennington county, Vermont, February 22, 1817. He is the only son of Elijah and Rachel Fuller, who were natives of Connecticut. Mr. Fuller followed tailoring as his occupation through life. He died January 26, 1846, in the sixty-sixth year of his age. His wife, formerly Miss Rachel Matthews, is still living in the city of Oswego, New York. The subject of this sketch received his early education in his native county. His bussiness through life has been milling and distilling. He commenced his business at Watertown, New York, in the fall of 1835, which he continued till the spring of 1840, when he located in the city of Cincinnati, where he commenced distilling on a large scale, following the business with marked success for sixteen years. He disposed of his interests in Cincinnati in the summer of 1856, and located in Jersey county, at Elsa (Jersey Landing), in March, 1862, where he established distilling. His distillery was a first-class, stone building, two hundred feet in length, having a depth of forty feet. This building, with the requisite machinery, was built at an aggregate cost of $85,000. Here he continued his business till the fall of 1866, when he retired. His present residence on the bluff, east of Elsa, known as Belleview, is among the lithographic views which appear in this work. [See 1872 Farms & Residences] Mr. Fuller was first married February 14, 1837, to Miss Rhoda Dolley, of New York. By this union he has had five children, one son and four daughters, two of whom are married and well settled in life. His wife died October 22, 1852. He was again married, in March, 1854, to Miss Maria, daughter of Samuel and Maria Boyanton, of Cincinnati. By this union they have a family of five children, two sons and three daughters, all of whom are residing with their parents. Mr. Fuller commenced life without financial capital, but by dint of perseverance and that energy which knows no failure, he has made his active business life a success. Although he has experienced many reverses and losses in his business transactions, he has acquired a competence for himself and family. Mr. Fuller enjoys the esteem of a large circle of friends and acquaintances. He has for many years, as a commercial and business man, acted a prominent part in the community.
1872 Atlas Index Jersey County Page
Robert GARDNER, Esq., was born in Columbia county, Pennsylvania, March 9, 1817. He is the sixth of a family of seven children of Robert and Sarah Gardner, who were also natives of Pennsylvania. The descent of Mr. G. is from the Scottish Highlanders. His father, John Gardner, was a soldier in the army of the revolution. Nathaniel Henry, the grandfather on maternal side of Robert Gardner, jr., was also a soldier of American liberty in the contest of 1776. Robert Gardner, sr., carried on blacksmithing for many years. In 1827 he removed with his family to Livingston county, New York, and in 1835 came west and settled in the present limits of Jersey county, Illinois, and purchased the farm on which his son, Robert, now resides. His death occurred in 1844. Mrs. Gardner survived her husband until August 1, 1862. The subject of this sketch attended the common schools of Livingston county. He came to Jersey county with his father at the above date. On the 26th of May, 1842, he was married to Miss Julia Carroll, daughter of John and Mary Carroll, old residents of this county. Mr. Gardner and wife have had seven children, though only two daughters are now living. When Mr. G. came to this section, the deer and other wild animals were in abundance. He commenced life poor, but he had energy and perseverance, and his efforts to achieve a competence were crowned with success. He has a valuable farm of about eight hundred acres of land. Having been a resident of the county for upwards of thirty-seven years, and participated in its growth and development, his generous conduct has won for him the respect of a large circle of friends. In politics, he was first a Whig, but when that party dissolved, he joined the Democratic ranks. His daughters were both educated at the Ursuline convent, Alton, Illinois. His only son, Nathaniel M. Gardner, was brutally murdered at three oclock on the morning of October 3, 1871, in Madison county, Illinois, by one Fred. Went, while on his way to visit his sister, Mrs. Fredric Inglis; and strange to say, the murderer was allowed to go free. Thus perished his only son by the hand of an assassin. Mr. Gardner is one of those genial and courteous gentlemen whom all are pleased to meet, and is among the few who dispense their hospitality with the ease of the olden time. He is a man of remarkable health and vigor, and for thirty-seven years in which he has lived in Illinois, has never missed making a hand in the harvest field and this year, 1872, the anniversary of this thirty-seventh harvest he laughingly made a banter that he could throw any one in the field, and there was not one who dared to wrestle with the old pioneer. Such episodes as the above illustrate the jovial and good natured character of the man.
1872 Atlas Index Jersey County Page
Frederic GIERS was born in St. Louis, Missouri, February 15, 1835. In August, 1849, he settled at Naples, Illinois, where he was engaged in merchandize with his brother, Charles H., continuing till the spring of 1856, when he removed to Otterville. The next year he commenced merchandizing for himself, which he continued till the spring of 1863, when he became a member of the firm of H. E. Dougherty & Co., proprietors of the Otterville mills, in which, with a branch mercantile house, he continued till the summer of 1869, when he became sole proprietor of the mercantile business, having the year previously disposed of his interest in the mill. Mr. Giers has now a general assortment of dry goods, boots and shoes, notions, etc. As an upright business man, he has the confidence and esteem of a large circle of acquaintances. [See residence view 1872 Farms & Residences]
1872 Atlas Index Jersey County Page
Marcus GILHAM was born in Madison county, Illinois, Nov. 11th, 1810. He is the second child of John D. and Mary Gilham. John D. Gilham was a native of South Carolina, and his wife of North Carolina. They first settled in Kentucky, and from thence removed to Madison county, in the year 1800, thus being among the earliest settlers of the territory of Illinois. They were married about the year 1805, and had eight children – five sons and three daughters – of whom three are living. In the early frontier wars with the Indians, Mr. Gilham was associated with the home guards, called Rangers. He settled with his family in the present limits of Jersey county, on section 28, township 7, range 11, in the summer of 1819, and resided there until his death, which occurred in October, 1852. He was among the earliest settlers of the county, as well as of the state, and followed farming as a business through life.
Marcus Gilham received his early education in the township where he now resides. He followed farming until 1865, when he engaged in merchandising at Newbern, which business he has since followed. The firm, Gilham & Parmer, in which he engaged at the Newbern Mills, have a branch mercantile house one and a half miles west, at the post office, which is conducted by his son-in-law and partner, Mr. L. H. Parmer. They keep a good stock of dry goods, groceries, boots and shoes – in short, they have an assortment usually kept in a country store. Mr. Gilham was married January 4th, 1834, to Miss Martha Fuller, daughter of Richard C. and Mary Fuller, who were also early citizens of the county. Mr. Gilham commenced life with small means, but, by industry an perseverance, he has acquired a competence for himself and family, and is now among the substantial citizens of the county. He is esteemed for his upright course of dealing in the community where upwards of fifty years of an active life have been spent.
1872 Atlas Index Jersey County Page
HON. H. O. GOODRICH was born in Delaware county, New York, October 3rd, 1819. He is the youngest of a family of three children of C. H. and Lydia A. Goodrich, who were also old settlers of this state, having come to Greene county in 1839, and soon after to Jersey. Their ancestors were English, French, and Scotch. Mr. Goodrich was for eight years states attorney for the first judicial circuit, and was at that time among the prominent lawyers of this portion of the state. He was a gentleman of polished education and in every way fitted to adorn the legal arena, in which he moved as a practitioner. He was eminently successful, having figured in many of the important cases of those early days in Illinois. He died at his residence in Jerseyville in 1868. His widow at the advanced age of seventy-eight years is yet living.
The subject of this sketch received his early education in the Genesea high school in New York, attaining a good knowledge of the branches of an English education. He attended school until the age of eighteen, soon after which he became an apprentice to learn the harness-making trade. After getting his trade he went to Towanda, Pennsylvania, resided there about a year and a half, then came west and landed in Jersey county, Illinois in 1840, with seventy-five cents as a capital to commence life with in this state. His first employment was working at his trade in Carrollton, though in the fall of the same year a opened a shop in Jerseyville, which he carried on until 1846.
On the 21st of June, 1847, he was married to Miss Jane Amelia Knapp, daughter of Dr. A. R. Knapp, an old resident of this county. The Doctor was a native of Connecticut, and at an early age moved to Delaware county, New York. He was a man of fine scholarly attainments. He was married to Miss Catherine Wyckoff. They had a family of five children. He removed to Illinois in 1838, first locating at Kane, practiced his profession there five years, then moved to Jerseyville. Few physicians of this portion of the state had a more extensive practice. The Doctor was a member of the constitutional convention of 1847, to revise the constitution of Illinois. In 1849, he, like many others contracted the gold fever and went to California in charge of a train. He was quite successful in bringing back some of the glittering metal. He gave his children the benefits of a good education. All his sons became professional men: two lawyers and two doctors. Two of his sons have been elected to congress. He was always prominently identified with the democratic party. He was an intimate friend and admirer of Stephen A. Douglas. His death occurred at his residence July 13, 1862. Mrs. Knapp survived her husband until February, 1904.
Mr. Goodrich and wife have had born to them three children: one son and two daughters. Their son, Adam A. Goodrich entered the military academy at West Point at age 16, where he spent about four years, after which he spent two years in Colorado and California. He commenced the study of law in 1861 at the office of Knapp & Herdman. Miss Kittie was educated at Vassar college in New York, and the Athenaeum, Jacksonville. Their second daughter, Clara Belle, was educated at Betty Stewarts Institute, Springfield, Illinois.
In 18xx, Mr. Goodrich engaged in partnership with C. H. Knapp, in mercantile business, which he continued about eleven years. He then built a large mill and distillery at Jersey Landing, in partnership with A. L. Knapp, and carried that on until 18xx. Mr. Goodrich has been general agent for C. H. McCormicks reaper for a period of twenty-five years, for southern Illinois, which has proven to be a lucrative business.
In April 1862, Mr. Goodrich went with the Sixty-first Regiment, Illinois Volunteers, as sutler, in which capacity he made considerable money. He spent about three years with the army, then returned to Jerseyville and in 1866, engaged quite largely in the milling business. He has been twice elected mayor of the city and is one of the first trustees after its incorporation as a city. Mr. Goodrich and wife worship at the First Presbyterian Church. He is always prominent in any movement calculated to promote the interests of Jersey county. He was also one of the original workers in bringing about the organization of the Jersey County Agricultural Society and in 1871 was elected its president. Politically in early life, Mr. Goodrich was a Whig, but when that party became disorganized, he joined the democrats and has since given that party his most earnest support.
When we remember that Mr. Goodrich came here poor, and by his own efforts has attained an honorable position in society and a comfortable competence for himself and family, we can but accord to him the merit of high qualities and an honorable success. He is emphatically a self-made man. Few men of this county came here under more disadvantageous circumstances, but in his eastern home in early life he learned the lessons of industry, honesty and economy, and as the legitimate fruit of that instruction, his whole course has been one of successful and honorable achievement. Few men of southern Illinois have as extensive a business acquaintance as Mr. Goodrich; by his liberality and integrity in his business dealings, he has won the approbation of the county in which he resides.
1872 Atlas Index Jersey County Page
Addison GREENE was born in Jefferson county, New York, June 21, 1819. He is the son of John P. and Rhoda Greene. His father was a native of New York, and his mother of Connecticut. They had a family of seven children, three sons and four daughters. Addison is the fourth child. They emigrated to Illinois in the winter of 1837-8, and located for about two years in the city of Quincy. Mr. Greene and his wife were members of the Mormon Church. They removed to Nauvoo, Ill., in the fall of 1839, where they resided till their death. Mrs. Greene died January 18, 1841, and Mr. Greene September 7, 1844. He was one of the High Priests of the Mormon Church, to which all his family were attached except the subject of this sketch, who first emigrated west and settled in Missouri in the summer of 1833. He remained west till September 1836, when he returned to Ohio, and there spent the winter. In the spring of 1837 he returned to St. Louis, and that season visited the western part of Missouri, returning to Quincy, Ill., in February, 1838. From thence he went to Scott county, Ill., where he became acquainted with Mis Amanda, daughter of Benjamin and Dorothea Hoyt, to whom he was married April 15, 1838. By this union they have had twelve children, six sons and six daughters, five of whom are still with their parents. Mr. Greene did not permanently settle till October, 1847, when he came to Jersey county and settled at Jersey Landing, where he built the first cabin in that place. He was here engaged in the wood trade about ten years, although he settled on the farm where he now resides in the fall of 1854, and has lived there ever since. His farm is on section 31, township 7, range 11. Mr. Greene is one of the prominent farmers in the county in which he resides. He has, by his energy and industry, acquired a competence, and is one among the many emphatically self-made men of Jersey county. He is esteemed for his sterling qualities, his integrity, many independence, and public spirit as a citizen.
1872 Atlas Index Jersey County Page
Jarrett T. GRIMES was born in Jersey county, Illinois, January 20, 1820. He is the fifth of a family of ten children of Philip and Polly Grimes. Mr. Grimes, father of the above, was born at Oletown, Va. His wife was a native of Tennessee. In 1816 they came to Illinois, locating in Madison county, where he carried on his trade, – that of gunsmith, – and also did considerable at blacksmithing. When he settled there, the wild Indians were yet roaming over the prairies. Two years after, he removed, with his family, to the present limits of Jersey county. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, and served under General Jackson at New Orleans. Mr. Grimes was of Irish descent; his wife of French. He first settled the farm afterwards known as Judge Browns place; it was there that his son Jarrett was born. Mr. Grimes accumulated a large amount of landed property. At that time he was among the large farmers of the county, and was noted for his strict integrity and honorable dealing; he died in October, 1851, at the age of sixty-nine. Mrs. Grimes survived the death of her husband two years. They were both highly respected for their benevolence and hospitality. For many years they had been members of the Baptist Church.
Jarret T. Grimes, having lived in the early days of this state, had but meagre advantages for an education. During the years of his minority he spent his time at home, assisting his father in carrying on the farm, and when about the age of twenty he was married to Miss Charity Brown, daughter of Joseph Brown, an old resident of this county. Mr. Brown was a native of North Carolina; his wife of Georgia. Mrs. Grimes was born in St. Charles county, Missouri, in 1820, where her parents ha previously moved. After his marriage, Mr. Grimes father gave him a farm of one hundred and forty-six acres, where he now resides. He has made substantial improvements on his farm, and otherwise added to his wealth, and now owns two valuable farms. At one time Mr. G. knew every citizen in Jersey county. His life has been energetically devoted to agricultural pursuits. They have had ten children, of whom six are yet living. One daughter and two sons are married; one son and two daughters single, and residing at home. Mr. Grimes from early life has been an admirer of the old Jeffersonian principles of democracy. His first vote was given for James K. Polk, since which time he has voted for every regular democratic candidate.
1872 Atlas Index Jersey County Page
John GUNTERMAN was born in Hardin county, Ky., Aug. 11th, 1799. He is the son of John and Mary Gunterman, who were natives of New Jersey, Mr. Gunterman, soon after the revolutionary struggle, emigrated to Hardin county, Kentucky, where he resided until the fall of 1819, when he removed to Madison county, Illinois. He remained in Madison county until the next spring, when he settled on section 5, township 8, range 13, Jersey county. This was about the time the government surveys were made in that locality. Mr. G. had a family of two sons and four daughters, all of whom are now deceased, except John, the subject of this sketch, and Elizabeth, relict of Samuel Martin, who is now residing near Litchfield, Illinois. He followed farming through life, and was an active, energetic citizen, and was highly esteemed for his many good qualities. He was one of the three first families who made a permanent settlement within the limits of Jersey county, Joseph White and Judge Lofton having settled the year before he did. He died in 1832, and his wife several years before.
The subject of this sketch settled in this county with his father, in the spring of 1820, and was married, in the spring of 1822, to Miss Drucilla Smith, daughter of John and Naomi Smith, who were also among the pioneer settlers. The result of this union was a family of three children, all of whom are deceased. Mrs. Gunterman died in the fall of 1828, and in the spring of 1829 he was married to Melinda McKinney, daughter of Byron and Mary McKinney, who were also early settlers in the county. They have had a family of twelve children – five sons and seven daughters – seven of whom are still living. They were born in the following order, viz: Margaret, present wife of William Smith, residing in Missouri; Jacob, Isaac, and William, residing in Raymond, Montgomery county, Illinois; John, residing with his parents; Mary, present wife of William Rose, residing in Fieldon; and Elizabeth, residing with her parents.
Mr. G. began life with small means, but, by his characteristic energy, has acquired a competence. He is one of the substantial citizens in the community where over fifty years of an active life have been spent.
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