HOLLAND TOWNSHIP
(Shelby County)

HOLLAND TOWNSHIP
(Shelby County)

MODE

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
HOLLAND TOWNSHIP. (SHELBY COUNTY.)

THIS township contains fifty-four sections, the north half of town nine, range four east, and the whole of town ten, range four east. The greater part was originally timber; part of the surface is quite broken in the central and northern portions o f the township; there is also good prairie land, and generally well-improved. There were no very early settlements made here. The Okaw river flows throughout part of sections nineteen and thirty. Jordan creek passes through the north-west part of the town ship, -- it enters it in section five, touches section eight, and passes out in section seven. Richland creek flows through almost the entire township in a south-westerly direction. Brush creek -- a tributary of Richland creed -- drains the southern part of the township, where it enters Jordan creek in section eight, town nine, range four. The township is bounded on the north by Shelbyville township, west by Dry Point, south by Effingham county, and on the east by Prairie township.

Elisha Fortner, one of the first settlers of this township, came to Shelby county in 1829, and first located in the Sand creek settlement. In 1834 he came down into what is now Holland township. His widow tells of being frightened by a painted Indian, who , because of some grievance, took this plan of revenge: the Indian sat grumly on his horse, without speaking, in front of the cabin. Mrs. Fortner had securely fastened the door, and trembling, watched his motions through a crack between the logs. Actions of this kind appeared a little threatening, but the settlers paid no attention and were not molested. It is the almost unanimous expression of the early settler, that the Indians were the best of neighbors. As a general thing they were polite and friendly .

David Miller, a native of Tennessee, came to Shelby county in 1828, settled three miles east from Shelbyville, where he lived six

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or seven years, and then located on Richland creek, in the southwest part of Holland.

LAND ENTRIES--T. 9, R 4 E.
Mar. 10, 1838, John Surgeon,S. E. 1/2 sec. 17, 160 acres.
Mar. 13, 1838, Arthur W. Hoyt, E. 1/4 S.W. 1/4 sec. 17, 80 acres.
Mar. 13, 1838, do. W. 1/2 N.W. 1/4 sec. 18, 80 acres.
Mar. 13, 1838, do. N.W. 1/4 sec. 17, 160 acres.
Mar. 13, 1838, do. W. 1/2 N.E. 1/4 sec. 17, 80 acres.
June 1, 1838, Chas. V. Reber, N. W. 1/4 N. E. 1/4 sec. 8, 40 acres.
LAND ENTRIES--T. 10, R. 4.
May 9, 1836, John Pritchard, E. 1/2 S.E. 1/4 sec. 16, 80 acres.
May 9, 1836, do.E. 1/2 N.E. 1/4 sec. 16, 80 acres.
May 9, 1836, do. W. 1/2 N.E. 1/4 sec. 16, 80 acres.
May 9, 1836, Bailey Phillips,W. 1/2 N.W. 1/4 sec. 16, 80 acres.
July 21, 1836, Jane S. Huges, E. 1/2 S. E. 1/4 sec. 17, 80 acres.

Hunters would come and go, remain a short time hunting and trapping, and then go elsewhere. Josiah Daniel built a cabin on Brush creek, trapped and hunted for a living, and left, after the Mexican war, for Missouri -- this country was settling up too fast for him. Zane Daniel hunted and trapped here for a short time on Brush creek.

Jacob Elliot came to this country and settled on the head waters of Richland creek, in what is now Richland township in 1825. He came here from Clay county, Ill., where he lived for three years. He was originally from North Carolina; his parents moved fro m that State to Indiana when he was quite young. In 1837 he moved farther down the Richland creek on account of milk-sickness, and settled where he now lives. The cabin he built in 1837 still stands and is a part of the house he now occupies. For a number of years he went to Cold Spring to Wakefield's horse mill to get his grinding and would often have to wait all night for his grist. In those days the green headed flies were very numerous and almost an Egyptian plague. They became so troublesome that dur ing two months of the year in fly time, travelers were obliged to go on their journeys at night, and even then they were troubled to some extent. Their bites were so severe that a horse, if turned loose during that season of the year, was liable to be goa ded to death with pain, loss of blood and incessant kicking and running to become rid of these insects. They were the most troublesome on the main roads where travelers usually passed with their teams.

Edward Pritchard settled on Jordan creek in 1832. John A. Pritchard made an improvement near the center of the township in 1842.

Daniel and Jacob Gallagher, two brothers from Fairfield county Ohio, came into the county in 1839. Daniel settled the place on section twenty-nine, the same year, where he lived until his death. Jacob resided in Shelbyville township for two years, and th en removed to where he now lives, in l841. For some time after the Gallaghers settled here there were only three houses north of them in the township, viz: E. Howe, M. Owens and John Pritchard, and a few " squatters " lived along on the north side of the creek in the timber south of them.

E. Howe settled on section seventeen, now the S. Wilhelm place. M. Owens settled the A. Hahn place, on the north side of Jordan creek.

John Middlesworth came here in 1838 and settled on section thirty-one, where his widow now resides. He was from Fairfield County, Ohio. A view of the household is shown on another page of this work. Charles Reber also from Ohio and the same county, locate d on section thirty-two the same year; he only remained here about two years and then returned to Ohio.

Wesley and Henry Gallagher settled on section four in 1840.

The first school-house was built on section twenty-nine, near Gallagher's about 1845; it was a small log building. William Howe was one of the first teachers. Other early settlers of Holland who deserve mention are John Black, George Supernoskite, W. J. F . Howe, J. B. Leathers, J. Hubbart and C. Giles.

Brush Creek post-office was established a number of years ago on section twelve, in the south part of the township, with D. M. Fitch as postmaster; the office was kept as his residence. It was discontinued about four years ago ; the office had an existenc e of about two years at this place.

MODE.

JACOB SMITH laid off the village of Mode in 1866, calling it Smithville. The post-office was kept by Elisha Roley, one half mile south-east, and was called Mode, which name gradually was given to the village. It is situated in the edge of the timbe r on section twenty-three, southeast part, of the section. The first store, dry goods and groceries, was opened by Richard Miner and David Wright in the year 1870. Dr. John Duncan was the first physician; he located here in 1866. Solomon Swingle erected a saw mill here in 1870, which he still operates. The business of the place is as follows :

Dry Goods. -- D. Wright.
Drugs, Groceries and post-master. -- Dr. J. Duncan.
Blacksmith Shop. -- Jacob Smith.
Wagon Shop. -- A. M. Howe.

There are two churches, Unitarian and Christian Union. One of the churches is not in the village, but near by, a short distance northeast. Mt. Zion church on section sixteen is of the Methodist denomination.

The following have been Supervisors for the township: William J. F. Howe, elected in 1860; W. J. F. Howe, elected in 1861, reelected in 1862 ; Jos. Leathers, elected in 1863, re-elected in 1864; J. Gallagher, elected in 1865; W. J. F. Howe, elected in 186 6; Joe Leathers, elected in 1867, re-elected in 1868; S. R. Graybill elected in 1869; D. Brown, elected in 1870; D. V. Brown, elected in 1871 ; S. R. Graybill, elected in 1872; J. Allen, elected in 1873; W. J. F. Howe, elected in 1874; T. J. Graybill, ele cted in 1875, re-elected in 1876 and 1877 ; J. P. Graybill, elected in 1878, re-elected in 1879 and 1880, and is the present incumbent.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

CHARLES COMPTON.

THE subject of this biography was born in Martinsburg, Berkeley county, Virginia, January 1st, 1815. Isaac Compton, his grandfather, was a native of New Jersey. He settled in Virginia soon after the revolutionary war. Jonathan, his son, and father of Charles, married Mary Young. Her father, Charles Young, was a soldier of the revolution, and served seven years in that struggle. Charles' father died while he was young, and he has but little recollection of him. He left his family in limited circumst ances; the children therefore, as soon as possible, became self-supporting. Wages were low in the then slave state of Virginia, and a poor boy had but few opportunities for getting on in the world. Charles determined to leave as soon as possible. His brot her Jonathan had been a resident of Ohio, and had returned home to visit the family after a three years absence. When he returned Charles accompanied him, both walking the entire distance to Fairfield county, Ohio. He found work on a farm at six dollars p er month. He saved his money, and from it paid his tuition and board, and went to school to get an education, of which he was much in need, and felt the necessity of having. He labored on, and continued to save his money; laying by a little each month. In 1839 he and his brother concluded to come to Illinois and invest their savings. They walked the entire distance, and came to Shelby county, and together entered 160 acres of land in Holland township. The following winter they made rails, and in June of t he next year footed it back to Ohio. After his return to Ohio in 1840, he married Louisa Swope, of Fairfield county. He then rented land and farmed it on shares for four years, then paid money rent, and continued as renter until, the fall of 1852, he came west, landing here October 15th. He rented a piece of land where he now lives. On it was an old building in which he wintered. In the spring he was dispirited and would have gone back to Ohio, but his wife was sick, and it was impossible. He hung on, and gradually became more reconciled. In the spring of the next year he bought a farm of 120 acres and became a permanent settler and there he has continued to reside until the present. He has added to his original purchase until he has now 680 acres, all of which he has made by his own industry and energy. After he left Virginia and settled in Ohio, his mother and two sisters, without his or his brother's knowledge, moved to Missouri. The family thereby lost all trace of each other, and did not discover eac h other's whereabouts for thirty-one years, and then only by accident. The two sons paid a visit to their mother but so long a time had intervened, and they had changed so much, that she did not recognize them for a long while. By his marriage with Louisa Swope there were nine children, four of whom are living. Two of them died in infancy. Jonathan, the eldest son, enlisted in Co. " B," of the 41st Regiment Illinois Volunteers, in the late war. He died in St. Louis, May 26th, 1862, from disease contracted in the service. Thomas was also a soldier. He died in July, 1869, in his twenty-fifth year. Francis Marion died December 3d, 1878, in his twenty-second year. The names of the other children are: Mary Jane; Charles E., who married Mary Alice Merrick; Sara h Elizabeth ; and Louisa, who is the wife of William Flenner, of Clark county, Ill. Mr. Compton is a member of the United Brethren church. He has been a republican since 1860.

JOHN MIDDLESWORTH. (DECEASED.)

THE subject of this biography was during his life one of the prominent farmers and stockmen of Shelby county. He was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, November 8th, 1812. The Middlesworths came originally from Pennsylvania to Ohio, and were among the early settlers of that state. Abraham Middlesworth, his father, came to Shelby county in 1840, and settled near Windsor. John was the eldest of seven children. He came to Shelby county, Ills., in 1837, and stopped the first year north of Shelbyville. In 1838 he entered land in what is now known as Holland township, and there made his home until his death, which took place December 19th, 1862. His death was regretted by a large circle of friends and acquaintances. He was a very active man, and whatever he undertook to do, he brought all the force possible to bear upon it. As a consequence, he soon rose in importance, and added to his wealth. In his home he was of a domestic turn of mind; and was a kind husband and an affectionate father. On the 20th of No vember, 1836, before coming west, he married Charlotte McDermith. She was born September 2d, 1819. She died March 15th, 1839. By this union there was one child, named Sarah Ann. She died July 26th, 1838. After the death of his wife, Mr. Middlesworth retur ned to Ohio, and on the 19th of March, 1840, married Isabella Leist. She was born September 20th, 1820, and died May 29th, 1852. By this marriage there were six children, five of whom are still living. Belinda, wife of Mathias Kensil, of Shelbyville; Ner, the eldest son, is a farmer and resident of Mount Air, Iowa; Louisa, wife of Lafayette Higginbotham, present sheriff of Shelby county; Ellen Isabella, wife of Benjamin Powell, of Shelbyville; and Josiah, a farmer in this county.

After the death of his second wife, he return to Ohio, and on

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the 20th of March, 1853, married Catherine Hege. She was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, November 25th, 1828. Her family were from Franklin county, Pennsylvania. By this union there are five children -- two sons and three daughters. Their names are as fol lows: Chester, eldest son, yet at home; Mary Emma, Anna Barbara, wife of Charles Tull, teacher in Stewardson; Charles, a farmer, yet at home; and Ida Jane, yet beneath the parental roof.

In the death of Mr. Middlesworth, the poor of his neighborhood lost their best friend. He was kind and charitable to them, and would not allow them to be cheated or wronged if in his power to prevent. His idea of justice was to render unto every man what was his due, and he held in contempt any man who would by false or unjust means obtain the advantage of another. His widow, Catherine Middlesworth, still resides on the homestead in Holland township.

JOHN DUNCAN, M. D.

DR. DUNCAN is among the old practitioners of Shelby county. He was born in Parke county, Indiana, in 1826. His parents, Nathan and Elizabeth Lavinia Duncan, were natives of North Carolina. They emigrated to Indiana about 1820, and remained in that state until 1834, when they removed to Macoupin county, Illinois, and settled near Clyde, where Nathan Duncan still resides. They were among the first settlers and pioneers of both Indiana and Illinois. When the subject of this biography reached his ninth year, he was afflicted with that terrible disease known as the white swelling, in his right leg, which rendered him a cripple, and incapacitated him from performing active or manual labor. He therefore concluded to adopt the profession of medicine as the business of his life. With this idea in view he commenced the study under the tuition of his father, who was a practicing physician, and after making suitable progress in his studies, he commenced the practice in connection with his father and continued with him until June 20th, 1865, when he came to Shelby county and settled in the village of Mode, in Holland township. There the doctor continued the practice with great success from that time to the present. A few years ago, from sympathetic action, his sound limb became diseased also, and so terrible were his sufferings that in order to save his life, the limb had to be amputated above the knee. In consequence of this he was unable to continue his hitherto active practice, and in order that his time mig ht be employed profitably, he opened a small drug, dry goods and general notion store, and now practices his profession in his office by prescribing for all those who call upon him for professional advice or medicine. He still visits patients in extreme c ases where it is necessary to see them in order to treat them intelligently. During his residence in Macoupin county he was post-master of Clyde for twelve years, and was also agent for the I. & St. L. R. R. He has been post-master of Mode for the last th ree years. In March, 1858, he married Nancy Jane Jones, a native of Macoupin county. By this marriage there were three children -- one living named Zachariah Turner Duncan. His wife died in 1866. In 1871, he married Catherine M., widow of Jefferson Hidden , nee Kerns. By her former husband she had two children, and by Dr. Duncan five, two of whom are living. Politically, Dr. Duncan is a democrat. Both he and his wife are members of the United Brethren Church. The doctor, under all his suffering, is a cheerful man, a good talker, and a man of most general information, and of a pleasant and sociable disposition.

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