EAST NELSON TOWNSHIP
(Moultrie County)

EAST NELSON TOWNSHIP
(Moultrie County)

JULIAN

COLES STATION

STEAL

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
EAST NELSON TOWNSHIP.* (MOULTRIE COUNTY.)

*We are indebted to George Purvis for the facts related in this township history.

THE surface of this township was originally about one-half timber, known as the Okaw belt, much of which has been cut and sawed into lumber by local mills. The greater part lies on the western boundary, and a narrow strip along the river to the eas t line. The general surface is slightly undulating, excepting along the river and minor streams, where the bluffs rise several feet in height. The Okaw river enters the township on section 24, and meanders in a north-western direction until it reaches the line dividing sections 8 and 9, when it changes its course south-westerly, and passes out of the township near the north-west corner of section 19, and reenters it in the south-west corner of the same section, and finally leaves the township at the S. W. 1/4 of section 30. The principal tributaries are Jonathan's creek, which empties into the river on section 17 ; and Coon creek, which heads at the edge of the timber in section 27, and empties into it on section 16.

This township includes the whole of congressional T. 13, R. 6, and is bounded on the north by Jonathan creek township, east by Coles county, south by Whitley township and west by Sullivan. It contains 22,995 acres, valued at $173,822; 3018 acres of which is unimproved, and is valued at $12,778. The soil, like adjoining townships, is rich and productive. The Peoria, Decatur and Evansville railroad enters on section 7, and runs south-easterly through the township passing out in the south-east corner.

In this township we find the first land entries were made as follows: May 10th, 1830, Jesse Ellis entered the W. 1/2 of the S. E. 1/4 of Section 12, T. 13, R. 6 E. 80 acres; Nov. 12, 1830, James Purvis entered the W. 1/2 of the S.E. 1/4 of Section 17, T. 13, R. 6 E. 80 acres; September 26th, 1834, Jonathan E. Graham entered the W. 1/2 of the S. E. 1/4 of Section 24, T. 13, R 6 E. of the 3d P. M. containing 80 acres.

The first settlers were Joel and Peter Freeman, brothers, with their families, and James and George Purvis, who arrived early in the spring of 1830. The Freemans were natives of North Carolina, and several of their descendants are among the best citizens of the county. They settled on Coon creek, a little south of the present site of Nelson.

James and George Purvis came April 1st, 1830, and built a cabin of rough unhewn logs on section 7, where George Purvis still continues to live. They broke the first prairie and put in a crop, and in the following month their father, John Purvis, his wife, and daughter Malinda came from Sangamon county. They all lived in this cabin one year, after which the elder Purvis moved to the " Mill Seat " at the bend of the river, where he lived with his sons John and James G., who had also arrived and built a cabi n. The bend in the river is nearly the shape of a horse-shoe, and is three and one-half miles around, and at the neck it is only seventy steps between the streams. At this point it is said there is about nine feet fall. The eighty acres, including the ben d, was entered by James Purvis in 1829. He, in company with this brother, John G., built a water mill on this neck in 1833, and it has ever since been know as the "Mill seat." It was a grist and saw mill, and was operated for several years by the Purvises and others, and finally washed away.

Maj. James Poor settled a half mile west of George Purvis in the fall of 1832. He had a family of five children, many of whose descendants are still living in the county. At one time Maj. Poor was owner of the Mill Seat. He died in 1850. Alfred Wood settl ed in 1833. Frederick Price, Thomas Purvis, a Mr. Sims, Absolun Brown, Mr. Fox, Boswell, Thomas Isaac and William Purvis, John Spencer, John Bracken, Milton Cox, Isaac Munson, John Goldsby, Samuel Martin, Joseph Lilly, Samuel Hughes, William Snyder, Alfr ed G. De Bruder, the Elders and Landers were all

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early settlers. Grandfather Purvis, who died in January, 1833, was probably the first death in the township. The first marriage was that of George Purvis, to Cassie Waller, in 1833. School was taught here as early as 1834, by Joseph Rodgers, on section 4, where the first school-house was erected of logs. Parnell Hamilton was also an early teacher. The Elders, Hostetler and Grider, and Rev. Hughes were early preachers. The first house used as a church was a school building erected at Nelson. Doctors Slater , Dodson, B. B. Everett and Montague were the earliest physicians. . The first post-office was established at Nelson.

Old Nelson, laid out by Philip Vandakin in 1835, was the first village in the county. Dr. Montague, Joseph Rodgers and Samuel Martin erected the first buildings, and the two latter kept the first stores. Hugh M. Elder built a store and stocked it with gen eral goods and kept the first post-office; A. Richardson also kept a store, and a man by the name of Dobbs had a blacksmith shop. This village was located just south of the "Mill Seat" in section 17. Mr. Vandakin failed to get a deed to this tract before James Purvis, the owner, died, and the heirs being minors, could not convey; hence the place became extinct. Soon after the death of Mr. Purvis, his brother, John G. Purvis, Dr. Montague and Jonathan Dazey, laid out a tract a half mile east, into lots and blocks, and called it

EAST NELSON

It contained 40 acres; 20 in section 17, and the same number in section 20, All the buildings were moved from old Nelson into the new village, and in addition to these J. S. Gordon, James Elder, Samuel Egbert, Whitney & Morton, Joseph Duncan, Ewing & Prentice and William Snyder erected storehouses and became merchants. Felix Landers had a tan-yard here for a number of years. When Moultrie county was organized in 1843, some of the early courts were held here -- Judge Treat presided -- but when the c ounty seat was located at Sullivan, many of the merchants and residents of East Nelson moved there or to other points, and it virtually died. When the railroad came through they made it a station, and a post-office named Farlow, was established. At presen t there is but one store and wagon shop kept by Newton Farlow and a blacksmith shop occupied by William Farlow, in the once noted place of East Nelson.

JULIAN

WAS a small village laid out by Thomas Purvis, about 1836, in section 3. John Patterson and Samuel Martin, were its merchants, and Purvis run a horse mill. The land upon which it was located has long since been cultivated, and now forms part of a b eautiful farm.

COLES STATION

WAS laid off into lots and streets, surveyed and platted, by Abraham Jones, county surveyor, for Robert Armentrout, the original proprietor, April 5, 1872, and filed in the office of county recorder, September 28, 1872. It is situated in the extrem e southeast corner of the township, and contains about a half dozen residences, two stores, kept by James Powers and Joseph Fleshner, and a blacksmith shop by James Powers. There is also considerable grain shipped from this point.

STEAL

IS a station about half the distance between East Nelson to Coles station. There is a tile factory, owned and operated by the sons of John Martin (deceased), situated a little south of East Nelson, that is doing a large business both in the manufac turing of brick and tile. There are also saw-mills in operation. The schools are in a flourishing condition, and each of the districts have neatly constructed and well-furnished schoolhouses. The Methodist Episcopal church, located on section 23, is the o nly house of worship in the township. Many facts relating to the history of Nelson may be found in the civil and pioneer chapters.

James T. Taylor, elected in 1867. J. T. Taylor, elected in 1868, served until 1870. Thomas Wiley elected in 1870. A. McPheeters elected in 1871. Reuben Daugherty elected in 1872. Isaac Fleming elected in 1873, served until 1875. George Purvis elected in 1 875. John Henton elected in 1876. Rodham Miller elected in 1877. Charles Shuman, elected in 1878, re-elected in 1879 and 1880. The census of 1880 gives East Nelson township a population of 1,241.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

JOSEPH B. WILEY

AS a native of Moultrie county, Illinois, born November,26th, 1836; he is descended from a long line of Irish ancestry. His father, Thomas Wiley, was a native of the Emerald Isle, and grew to manhood on his father's farm, and on arriving at the age of maturity he married Miss Margaret Brein. A few years thereafter he emigrated with his family to America, landing here in 1833. The first winter he lived in Ohio, and the following year he settled in Vermillion county, Illinois where he remained about one year; he then moved to what is now Moultrie county, and settled on a tract of land on sec. 11, township 13, range 6, where he began the improvement of a farm. He lived in this county the remainder of his life, except a few years that he resided in McL ean county, Ill. He was twice married. His last wife was Miss Margaret Crumbaugh; she was a native of Scott, county, Kentucky. Mr. Wiley was the father of ten children, seven by his first wife, and three by his second. Joseph B. was the second child by hi s first marriage.

When Mr. Wiley landed in the United States he possessed a capital, all told, of about one hundred dollars. He was a man of liberal education for that period, and was endowed with an abun-

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dance of energy, and by industry and frugality, he succeeded in accumulating considerable property, and at one time he owned upwards of two thousand one hundred acres of land in this county; and at his death he left property sufficient to give each of his children a good start in life.

In his religious views, he was a believer in the Protestant faith, and in politics, a staunch democrat, and for a time held the office of justice of the peace, and frequently appeared as an attorney before the justices' courts. His death occurred August 2 8, 1877.

Joseph B., the subject of our sketch, received his rudimentary education in the common schools of the neighborhood during his minority. On the 28th of February, 1869, he was united in marriage to Miss Pauline Phillips, a native of Coles county, Ill., and daughter of Micajah Phillips. As the fruits of that union, they have had born to them four children; their names in the order of their ages are: Lora B., Victor, Francis and James Claude Wiley. Mr. Wiley, being raised on a farm, has made farming his life occupation; he now owns about four hundred acres of finely improved land, situated in East Nelson township, six miles east of Sullivan, the county-seat. A fine engraving of his home-place may be seen on another page of this work. In 1860 Mr. Wiley visited Europe, and the scenes of his father's birthplace; he also spent some time in England. In politics, he is identified with the principles of the democratic party; and as a farmer, he takes a prominent place among the leading agriculturists and stock-raise rs of Moultrie county.

REUBEN DAUGHERTY.

REUBEN DAUGHERTY, who has been a resident of East Nelson township since 1854, was born in Warren county, Virginia, February 7th, 1831. The family is of Irish descent. His grandfather, Daniel Daugherty, was born in New Jersey of Irish parents, and e migrated from there to Virginia not many years after the Revolutionary war. He was married in Prince William county, where was born John W. Daugherty, father of the subject of this biography, on the 22nd of May, 1793. The latter was raised in Prince Willi am county, Virginia, and when a young man went to the Valley of Virginia, and settled in Warren county. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, serving in a Virginia regiment, which was stationed most of the time during the war on an island near Norfolk, Vir ginia. In July, 1818, he married Anna Owens, who was born in Fauquier county, Virginia, on the 6th of February, 1798. He lived in Warren County, Virginia, till 1854, and then came to Illinois and settled on section 11 of township 13, range 6 (East Nelson township), where he carried on farming till his death on the 27th of October, 1866. He was a quiet and unpretending citizen, and a useful member of the community. He had always been a democrat in politics. He became connected with the Predestinarian Bapti st church in Warren county, Virginia, in 1824, and was a member of that denomination till his death. On coming to East Nelson township he first united with the Linn Creek church, and afterwards helped to organize the Zoar Predestinarian Baptist church in Coles county. His widow is still living at the advanced age of eighty-three. John W. and Anna Daugherty were the parents of ten children, who are now living. Their names are as follows: Daniel Harvey, a resident of East Nelson township; Phillip D, who liv es in Lowe township; John D., who is farming in East Nelson township; Dawson G., who lives in Gentry county, Missouri; Ephraim O., who lives in Frederick county, Virginia; Reuben, who is farming on the old homestead; Margaret, who married William P. Craig , and whose husband is now deceased; Samuel L., of Coles county; Stephen T., who also lives in Coles county, and Lucina Daugherty.

Reuben Daugherty is the owner of the old homestead farm of 120 acres, and owns besides 80 acres in Lowe township. He has been engaged in farming and raising stock. In politics he is a democrat, and has voted for every democratic candidate for president si nce 1856, when he cast his first vote for James Buchanan. He is one of the representative citizens of the township, and has filled several public positions. He was collector two years, and one year served as assessor. He was first appointed a member of th e Board of Supervisors in 1871, and was elected to the same position in 1872. His name finds a place in this work as one of the leading citizens of East Nelson township.

CHARLES SHUMAN.

MEMBER of the Board of Supervisors from East Nelson township since 1878, was born in the city of Philadelphia, February 21, 1843. His father, Charles Shuman, and also his mother, was a native of Germany. When he was a small child the family moved t o Jefferson county, Kentucky, eight miles from Louisville. In the fall of 1857, they came to this state and settled at Dudley, Edgar county. Mr. Shuman was then about fourteen. He became a resident of this state in 1861. He attended the public schools at Dudley, and in Moultrie county. For two winters he was a student in the Seminary at Shelbyville, obtaining the money with which to prosecute his studies by farming during the summer. In the fall of 1868, he entered McKendree College, at Lebanon, Illinois. He pursued his studies at this institution till the fall of 1871, when he took charge of a school on the Looking Glass prairie, in St. Clair county, near Lebanon, but returned to the College in the spring, and graduated in June, 1872. After his graduatio n he taught school two years in St. Clair county, and returned to Moultrie county in September, 1874, and on the 8th of that month was married to Miss Mary R. McPheeters, daughter of Major Addison McPheeters, now one of the oldest citizens of Moultrie cou nty. Mrs. Shuman's father was born in Fayette county, Kentucky. October 27, 1798; passed through Illinois on his way to Missouri in 1819; lived in Missouri several years; moved to what is now Scott county, Illinois; and returned to Fayette county, Kentuck y, where Mrs. Shuman was born, and settled in Moultrie county, in December, 1853. Mrs. Shuman was five years old when she came to this county. Her mother, whose maiden name was Susan Ann Richardson, is a native of Ohio. Major McPheeters was a soldier in t he Black Hawk war, enlisting in a company raised in Boone county, Missouri, of which he was first lieutenant. He served as justice of the peace in Scott county, Illinois, and was elected a member of the Board of Supervisors from East Nelson township in 18 71.

After his marriage, Mr. Shuman went to farming on Section 7 of township 13 range 6 where he has since resided. He has two children, a son and a daughter. In his politics he has always been a democrat. He was appointed a member of the Board of Supervisors in March, 1878, and was elected in April, 1878, and again in 1879 and 1880. Mr. Shuman is a gentleman who has commanded the confidence and respect of the community. He is now the teacher of the school in district No. 2, East Nelson township. He received t he degree of Bachelor of Arts from McKendree College in 1872, and in 1875 that of Master of Arts.

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