LOVINGTON TOWNSHIP
(Moultrie County)

LOVINGTON TOWNSHIP
(Moultrie County)

THE FIRST SETTLEMENTS

VILLAGE OF LOVINGTON

PRESENT BUSINESS

SECRET SOCIETIES

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
LOVINGTON TOWNSHIP (Moultrie County)*

* We are under obligations to the following for information relating th this township history: Elder H. Y. Kellar, Judge Arnold Thomason, and Elijah Wingate.

MOULTRIE COUNTY deserves favorable mention from the fact that it was among the first settled, and contains some of the richest farming land in this section of the country; splendid farms and farm-improvements abound throughout its territory. It is situated in the extreme northern central part of the county, bounded on the north by Piatt county, with Lowe and Jonathan creek townships on the east; on the south by Sullivan and west by Dora and Marrowbone. It is rectangular in shape, and contains 32,92 6 acres of improved land, valued at $328,819, without any land not under improvement. The surface lies gently undulating, and has excellent facilities for good drainage. Numerous streams wind through the township, the largest of which is the West Okaw, wh ich extends nearly north and south through its entire western part. It is thus well calculated for both general agriculture and stock-raising. The Midland, Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railroads cross at nearly right angles in about the center of the tow nship.

The first land entered was by James Cunningham, May 17th, 1830; the W. 1/2 of the S. E. 1/4 of section 29, T. 15, R. 5E.

The second entry was made by Zenas N. Prather, July 1st, of the same year, and described as follows: the W. 1/2 of the N. E. 1/4 of section 32, T. 15, R. 5E.

Oct. 25th, 1830, Joshua Selby entered the E. 1/2 of the S. W. 1/4 of section 10, T. 14, R. 5 E. At the same date, Jacob Pea entered the W. 1/2 of the S. W. 1/4 of the above section, town and range.

William H. Martin entered the S. E. 1/4 of section 28, T. 15, R. 5E. on the 15th of November, 1830.

We have only given a few of the first entries, but think they will prove of interest to not only the present but to coming generations.

THE FIRST SETTLEMENTS

MADE in this township were prior to the organization of Moultrie and when it was a part of Macon county. The first two settlers were John Davidson and William Martin, in 1829, who settled on the S. E. 1/4 of section 28. The former, better known in his day as "Johnny Slick," came from Macoupin county in the fall of 1829, and squatted on the above-named section, in the edge of the Okaw timber, where he built a small log cabin. The roof was of the primitive clap-board style, fastened down with knee an d weightpoles, while the chimney was constructed simply of mud and sticks. The family remained here but a short time, when they left for parts unknown.

William H. Martin settled about three hundred yards southwest of Davidson, on what is now known as the Clore branch, where he constructed a double log cabin, very much in the style of the above mentioned. He was a blacksmith by trade, and erected a rude s hop at this point, where the ring of the first anvil sounded in the township. He was a good mechanic and a genius withal, constructing his own bellows and most of his mechanical tools. In the fall of 1833 he sold out his possessions to Col. Allen Clore, w ho still occupies the same ground. Martin afterwards moved with his family to Fayette county, Ill.

Another old settler, James Cunningham, sen., came from Clark county, Ind., in the spring of 1830, and located on the west side of the West Okaw on sec. 29-15-5. He had a large family of children, and commenced paving his way for a livelihood by tilling th e soil, where now many of his decendants still live. He died at the old homestead about the year 1846. The first election held in this

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precinct, (then Macon county,) was at his residence, in 1832, where the votes were polled for several years thereafter.

In 1830, Joshua Selby came from Indiana, and settled on sec. 10-14-5. He had quite a large family, some of whom are still residing in the county, -- Nicholas Selby, near Cushman, being one well known in this part of the country.

Jacob Pea came about the same time and located a little west of Selby. Several good citizens of Moultrie still represent the name.

Zenas N. Prather, another old settler, and son-in-law of James Cunningham, came the same year as his father-in-law, 1830.

The name of Rhodes is well known throughout the county. This family have descended from John Rhodes, a native of Indiana, who settled with a large family on section 7-14-5, in 1831. One of the daughters is now the wife of Isaac Souther, who resides in Tex as. Others of the family are still living on or near the old place.

Among the most enterprising of the settlers of those days was Henry Snyder, a native of Virginia, who migrated here with a large family in Oct., 1831. He located on section 27, about half a mile west of where the village of Lovington now stands, on the Sp ringfield road. Prior to this, that is in the spring of the same year, he had preceded his family, and located 960 acres of land lying a little north and west of Lovington, where he erected a log cabin, fenced in forty acres, and raised a small crop. He t hen returned to Kentucky, where his family still resided, and proceeded to remove them and his possessions to his new-found home. They came in two farm-wagons drawn by oxen, and a light two-horse spring wagon. Among his effects was a good supply of provis ions and clothing, with fifty-two head of cattle, and ten or twelve fine Kentucky horses. It would be superfluous to say that he ranked among the first of his neighbors. He moved to Decatur in 1836, where he lived until his death, 1863. His only represent ative in this county is J. H. Snyder, now residing in Sullivan.

Nathan Stephens, also a native of Virginia, came from Kentucky, and settled about a mile and a half S. W. from Lovington, in the latter part of 1831. He had two sons, Henry and William; the former was elected the second sheriff of the county. Nathan, the father, died suddenly by a stroke of lightning, many years ago.

Among the most prominent and active men of those early times was Abraham H. Kellar, a native of Virginia. His parents moved to Tennessee when he was but an infant, and thence to Kentucky, where he grew to manhood, and, at the age of twenty-one, married Mi ss Nancy J. Hitt. In the fall of 1831, Joel, his eldest son, in company with Nathan Stephens, moved with ox-teams to what is now Lovington township. Stephens stopped on section 3-14-5. Joel remained with Mr. Stephens until the fall of the following year. Abraham and three of his sons, however, came early in the spring of 1832, and raised a crop of corn, and in the fall returned and brought the family.

Mr. Abraham H. Kellar figures largely in this history, as among the first brains of the county, and further mention of him will be found in the pioneer and civil chapters. The only survivors of Abraham H. Kellar now living in the county are Elder H. Y. Ke llar, of Lovington, and Dr. A. L Kellar, of Sullivan, both representative citizens.

In the spring of 1832 Joseph and Solomon Hostetler, two brothers, and natives of Kentucky, located in this township. Joseph settled on what is now the farm of O. T. Atchison, south of Lovington. He was a Christian minister, and helped to organize the firs t Christian Church in this part of the county; he also practiced medicine. He died here August 27, 1870. His only decendants in the county are: Frank L. and C. M. L. Hostetler, engaged now in the drug trade in Lovington. Solomon has no descendants in the county.

Abraham Souther, another old settler, was a native of Virginia, and removed with his father's family to Kentucky when he was quite a small boy. Here he grew to manhood and married Catharine Hardin, by whom he had a large family, mostly boys. In 1832 he mo ved to Illinois and settled on section 33, 15-5 Lovington township. He erected a small hewed log cabin, and laid out his work for a permanent settlement. He was an enterprising man, and to him is due the honor of constructing the first, and only water mil l in this part of the county. He died in 1858 at a good old age, enjoying the fruits of his labors.

Samuel Finley migrated to this township from Indiana at an early day, and in 1833 sold his improvements to David Howell, who was a native of Kentucky. Mr. Howell had a family of seven children, all of whom are dead, except Elizabeth, who lives in Champaig n county, and Charles, residing a little north of Lovington. The latter has one of the finest farms and farm-houses that the county can boast of. As a stock-raiser and thrifty farmer, he ranks among the first in the state.

Col. Allen Clore, a native of Kentucky, was born in 1810; he came to this county in the year 1833, and bought out William Martin, as its been already stated. In an early day he married a Kentucky lady, and from this marriage quite a large family was born, five of whom are now living in the county. The Colonel is still a hale old man upwards of seventy years of age.

William Wood was born in the Carolinas, and afterwards migrated to Kentucky. In 1833 he moved to Moultrie; he raised a large family of children; several of his representatives still live here, and rank among the first citizens of the county. Henry Wood, a brother of William, also came in an early day, and settled in the same section of country. Those of the family still reside here, or near the old home.

Among other earlier settlers were the Caziers, the Newlands, the Samson family, John and Andrew Love, John Poor, Tobias Rhodes, William and Henry Bailey, Alexander Porter, P. W. Maddox, the Roland family, the Fosters, the Newlands, Elihu Welton, Joseph Ha rtman, Hiram Luster, the Knights, Edward Keedy, and the Deeds family.

The latter, George Deeds and family, were formerly from Ohio, and moved to this county about 1835. It is related that the old gentleman, George Deeds, when a boy, was taken prisoner by the Sandusky Illinois and grew up among, them, marrying one of the tri be. He remained with them for several years, until they made a raid upon the whites, when he left them and made his way to Pittsburg, Pa. He afterwards married, reared a family and moved to Illinois, as above stated. In the winter of the "sudden freeze" t wo of his sons were frozen to death while returning from Lake Fork, where they had been in search for hogs. It was twelve days after the storm that they were found. One was in a kneeling attitude, apparently about to kindle a fire, as he had a steel and f lint in his hand, with punk and a tuft of grass lying by his side. His brother was lying on the ground near him, while one of their horses stood close by, nearly starved to death, with his bridle rein frozen in the ice. Wild game abounded largely in those days, such as deer, wild turkeys, ducks and geese, prairie chickens, and several species of the furry tribe. These served among the early settlers as articles of food and commerce.

First Death -- Probably the first death in the township was the father of Wm. Martin, who died in 1832, and his remains were interred in the Synder burying ground, situated on what is now Col. Clore's farm. The first child born, as nearly as can be ascer-

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tained, was a babe of Wm. Martin; of the exact date of this birth we can give no authentic account. Among the early marriages were Joel Kellar to Mildred Snyder, in May, 1833; the ceremony was performed by Elder Joseph Hostetler. The following April, Elde r Hostetler also united in the holy bonds of wedlock, Albert G. Snyder and Elizabeth Kellar.

The first graveyard was the private ground of Henry Snyder, and situated about a half a mile west of Lovington Village, on section 28, now owned by Col. Clore; there were only about twenty persons buried here. The first school taught in the township was a t the private residence of Solomon Hostetler, in the winter of 1832-3 by Mary Hostetler, the wife of the above. Among her pupils were H. Y. Kellar, A. L. Kellar, Wm. Souther, Mary Ann Souther, Rebecca Selby, Sarah Selby, Newton, John, and Nancy Hostetler. A description of the house and the manner of teaching will be found in the chapter on schools. The first school-house was built 1834, on section 28, 15-5, in the Snyder settlement. It was constructed in the primitive log school-house style, and the first school taught in it was in the fall and winter of 1834-5, by John Allen. The house was afterwards moved to the village of Lovington, where it still stands on a lot just west of the Lovington hotel. For other early teachers, see early school history. At p resent there are ten school districts outside of the village, and all have neat, commodious school buildings, where school is taught the greater part of the year.

The first sermon preached in the township was by Elder Joseph Hostetler, at the house of Nathan Stephens, in the fall of 1832. Rev. Jacob Swaford, Rev. Bird, and Elders A. H. Kellar, Bushrod W. Henry, John W. Tyler, and Rev. Wm. Crissy, were among the pio neer preachers in this township.

The first church was built by the Christian denomination on section 3, now included within the Lovington Cemetery. This was a frame building, 24 x 30 feet, erected in the spring of 1845. The old structure still stands upon the original site, a momento< /I> of the days of yore. It is now seated for school use, and occupied as such. Until 1857 this was the only church building in the township.

Among the first justices of the peace we are able to mention Henry Snyder, A. H. Kellar, Geo. Hewitt, and William R. Lee. Dr. John G. Speer, whose residence was near Decatur, was the first regular physician. The first resident physicians, however, were Dr . William Kellar and Dr. Hendricks. At an early day, before physicians were to be had, the old settlers practiced among themselves, using domestic remedies, such as roots and herbs that they were familiar with. A. H. Kellar and Joseph Hostetler, became fa mous practitioners under this kind of Thompsonian system. Steaming the patients for all diseases, under that practice then, was as popular as bleeding used to be under the old school regime. It is said these sons of Bolus tried the steaming operation upon a case of rheumatism, and it worked admirably. In course of time Dr. A. H. Kellar (?) was taken down with the malarial fever, and Uncle Joe Hostetler called in to perform the steaming process. The result was, the patient grew worse, and it was with the g reatest skill that his life was saved. From this experiment they concluded that the theory might do for rheumatism, but it was not worth a continental for bilious fever.

The earliest mill built in the township was a grist-mill, by A. H. Kellar, on section 34, 15-5, in the fall of 1832, soon after his removal here. It was a "Stump Mill" propelled by horse power. It was constructed over a stump, and the whole machinery revo lved as the horses passed around. This mill cost about $50. In 1838 Mr. Kellar built another mill, costing about $150, and was a great improvement on the former. Again in 1844, he built still another at a cost of $250. This was constructed of cast-iron, a nd had French burrs. This, it is said, was the best of the kind in this part of the State; people came for thirty or forty miles to have their milling done.

The first steam mill in the township was built by Colonel Allen Clore, in 1852. It was a saw-mill, and constructed on his farm. A water saw-mill was built on the West Okaw, in section 32, in 1843, by Abraham Souther. It had a Parker cast-iron water wheel an a vertical saw. This was the first and only water mill in the township. The first merchandize sold in this territory was by A. H Kellar, who kept a small stock of goods in one of the rooms of his house. This was in 1833. He bought his goods in Louisvil le, and had them shipped to Terre Haute, where they were carted in wagons to his place. This was the only store in the township until those established in the town of Lovington. The first fine stock introduced was a Durham bull in 1835, by William Snyder, since which time several enterprising men in the township have made fine stock raising a speciality.

The old plowed-furrow Springfield road which passed through the present village of Lovington was the first one made in this part of the county. It extended from Paris, Edgar county, to Springfield, and was surveyed about 1828. This was the only public hig hway in the township until the organization of the county. The first settlements were made on this road west of Lovington. As they were scattered about, for several miles this part of the township became known as Stringtown. At this writing it abounds wit h good roads and substantial bridges. In short, the township is one of the best improved and wide awake in the county. Two tile factories have been recently constructed near the village of Lovington, one by Jas. A. Gregory, the other by Jasper Dyer. The l atter was built in 1877, the former in 1879. They each have a capacity of manufacturing about 200,000 feet of tile per annum.

The following are the supervisors and the time of their election since township organization to present time: Alexander Porter, elected in 1867, and re-elected in 1868 and served until 1872. George Hetherington elected in 1872, and served till 1874; he wa s chairman of the board for the year 1873. Joel Freeman was elected in 1874, and served one year. W. Weakly elected for 1875. Jas. A. Gregory elected in the spring of 1876, and served until 1878. Arnold Thomason elected in 1878, and afterwards resigned, w hen H. Y. Kellar was appointed to fill the vacancy. F. M. Porter was elected in 1879, and served one year. H. M. Minor was elected in 1880, and is the present incumbent.

VILLAGE OF LOVINGTON

THE present site of this thriving place was originally entered by the following parties, the S. E. 1/4 of section 27 by A. H. Kellar; the W. 1/2 of the N. E. 1/4 by John Love, and the S. W. 1/4, also the S. E. 1/4 of the N.W. 1/4, by Colonel Allen Clore, all of section 27.

The first building, erected within these limits was the old Black Horse Tavern in 1838, by James Kellar. It was a two story building and was located just south of where the Benson House now stands. The same well that was used for the Black Horse is still used by the Benson House. The Paris and Decatur stage-line passed by the tavern, and three times a day the old stage horn might have been heard sounding over the prairie. The post-office was established about the same time the Black Horse tavern was built , and was kept by Andrew Love at his private dwelling about half a mile west of the tavern. It was afterwards for a short time in charge of John Love at his residence, and finally moved to the Black Horse tavern. It was named Lovington after Andrew Love,< P> Page 223

the first post-master, from which the village and township both received their names.

The first building in the village proper, after the Black Horse, was built in the fall of 1819 by Elijah Wingate. It was a small frame dwelling, and occupied the lot where the residence of Andrew Foster now stands. The timber for the frame was hewn by Mr. Wingate; the lumber was sawed at Souther's mill on the West Okaw. The third house was built in the spring of 1850, by John Tiffin. It was a log building, and was constructed for a dwelling. Mr. Tiffin had an aged wife and several children who lived in a covered wagon until the house was completed. The next house was a log dwelling, built by Edward Bell soon after Tiffin's was completed. These buildings were built on a small patch of land that the above parties had purchased from Colonel Allen Clore. In t he spring of the same year, Parnell Hamilton, then surveyor of Moultrie county, was employed by Colonel Clore, Edward Bell, Madison Tiffin, son of John Tiffin, and George Turlflinger, to survey and plot a part of the N. E. 1/4 of the S.W. 1/4 of section 2 7. This formed a nucleus from which the village of Lovington has grown and prospered.

In 1850 Dr. L. S.Spore built a storehouse just west of the present businesshouse of Andrew Foster on State Street. It was afterwards moved farther east, and is now occupied by Thomas E. Whitney for a furniture room. The first blacksmithing done in the vil lage was by William Spidell; and in the summer of 1851, John Patterson conducted a wagon and general repairing shop in the western part of the village. In the fall of 1851, Stephen Cannon built the second storehouse, and put in a general stock of merchand ise. This stood on the north-east corner of School and State streets. The third store was built by E. Wingate and conducted by Gregory and Foster. The building is now occupied by M. T. Shepherd as a bank. Several residences were later built, that is, up t o 1860. But it was not until the railroads were constructed, that it took a decided impetus, since which, and to present writing will be duly noticed at the close of the chapter.

The first school-house erected in the town was about 1854. It was a frame building 24 X 40 feet, and cost $1300.50. It occupied the site where the present new one now stands; it was subsequently sold and moved near the Illinois Midland depot, where it is now used for a grain office. The present neat building was erected under the directorship of Stephen Cannon, E. Bridwell, and William C. Dawson at a cost of over $5,000. It contains four rooms, and is two stories in height, with belfry and every other con venience of a well regulated house for a graded school. The M. E. Church was the first built in the village It is a neat frame structure, with spire and bell. It was erected in 1857, at a cost of $2200. The Christian Church was the second church building erected, and cost $3,000. It is a frame house 16 x 54 feet with a tasty belfry, etc. Much honor is due to the following who were trustees, for their aid in its construction; Noah Hostetler, William Rhodes, and Elijah Wingate. The Seventh Day Advent Churc h was built in l873. It is a frame building about 30 x 40 feet in size, and cost, including grounds, $700.

Lovington Cemetery. -- This is situated one and a half miles south of the village, and was first owned and under the control of A. H. Kellar for a private burial-ground. The first person interred here was William, the son of Samuel Montgomery, in t he summer of 1837. It remained a long time a private place of burial, but no one was ever refused the privilege of burying their dead here. In the spring of 1880, through the efforts of Geo. Heatherington and some others, three acres of land were added to it, and it became township property, with Geo. Heatherington, John Dixon and H. Y. Kellar as trustees, and to be called the Lovington Cemetery.

Incorporation. -- The village of Lovington was incorporated in April, 1873 The first election of officers was held June 19, of the same year. The following officers were elected: William Weakley, president; James Foster, W. M. Earp, Z. T. Banks, H. M. Minor and J. N. Bishop, trustees; T. H. McCord, clerk. The present board are: W. C. Dawson, president; Samuel Morthland, Frank Landers, John Gibeson, WM. Mcllullen and Joseph Michaels, trustees; L. H. Pollard, treasurer; H. M. Minor, city atty., and J . H. Grove, clerk. The following have been post-masters since Andrew Love, the first appointee: John Love, James Kellar, Elijah Wingate, Stephen Cannon, Mr. Lininger, Geo. Baker, Moses Thayer, C. M. Hamilton and others. W. C. Foster is the present incumbe nt, and has held the position several years, with credit to himself and pleasure to the people.

PRESENT BUSINESS

Lovington Steam Flouring Mill -- This mill was erected by S. H. Morrell, in 1868, at a cost of about $7,000. It contains two run of burrs, and a capacity of two hundred bushels per twelve hours, and is considered one of the best mills in the county .

Banks. -- Merchants' and Farmers' Bank was established in 1872, by S. H. Morrell, who is the proprietor, and does an immense business. Z. T. Banks is the cashier, who has the entire confidence of the people. The Time Deposit Bank, was established a s early as 1868, when a few years afterwards the name was changed to the Home and Time Deposit Bank, which name it still retains. M. T. Shepherd is the proprietor, and an excellent business man.

The Weekly Enterprise was established November 26, 1879, by Biddlecome & Priest, and is now owned and edited by Biddlecome& Tobey. It is a five column quarto of eight pages. It is neatly executed and ably edited. The Lovington Index was esta blished in 1875, and was the first paper in the township, but only existed a few years.

General Merchandize. -- Andrew Foster, F. & J. Landers; Dickson & Co., and E. Wingate.

Dry Goods. -- Nathan Cheever.

Drugs. -- A. R. Pifer, A. F. Thayer, and Hostetler & Bros.

Hardware, etc. -- W. E. Horne & Co., McAnnally, Pollard & Co.

Groceries. -- L. H. Pollard & Co., and L. G. Brown.

Restaurants. -- J. H. Michaels, B. M. Hull, James Daley, and Clark & Bros.

Bakery. -- J. M. Songer.

Shoe Shops. -- T. H. Curtis, J. S. Parrett, C. S. Hawley.

Millinery. -- Miss Emma Bensley, Mrs. A. G Foster.

Agricultural Implements. -- C. M. Ewing, W. E. Horne & Co.

Grain Dealers. -- A. D. Rebok, Wm. McMullen, McAnnally, Pollard & Co.

Harness Shops. -- J. H Gibeson, John Fellible.

Livery Stables. -- S. W. Morthland and Dawson Bros.

Furititure. -- Thos. E. Whitney.

Meat Markets. -- Dawson & Alsmon, Samuel Strickler.

Wagon and Blacksmith Shops. -- P. Tally, J. D. Shirey, and T. E Whitney.

Lumber. -- McAnnally, Pollard & Co.

Physicians and Surgeons. -- N. D. Cone, S. S. Wallace, M. J. Anderson, T. R. O'Dell, Levi Hostetler.

Dentists. -- S. Trobridge.

Jewelry. -- Spelbring & Pifer.

Music Store. -- J. H. Grove.

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Barbers. -- L. Reithmiller, C. W. Hume.

Undertaker. -- W. P. Rittenhouse.

Photograph Gallery.-- W. C. Pitner.

Hotels. -- Benson House, Mrs. M. E. Benson, Proprietor ; Hamilton House, C. M. Hamilton, Proprietor; Gregrory House, C. E. Foster, Proprietor; Lovington Hotel, E. Wingate, Proprietor.

Insurance Agents. -- W. C. Foster, B. M. Minor, W. G. Cochran. Isaac Landers.

Sewing Machine Agents. -- F. & J. Landers, Spelbring & Pifer, J. H. Grove.

Lovington Cornet Band was organized September 26th, 1877; it has 13 members, and is led by Walter Benson.

SECRET SOCIETIES

Lovington Lodge, No. 228, A. F. & A. M. This lodge was established November 5th, 1856, and received its charter October 7th, 1857. The first officers were, Wm. B. Porter, W. M.; John Bradley. W.; James M Williams, J. W.; Henry C. Shepherd, Secretar y; Alfred Thayer,Treasurer; Wm. B. Peniwell, S. D.; James Escridge. J. D; James Bennett, Ty. The present officers are, W. G. Cochran, W. M.; T. F. Reynolds, S W.; B. Cheever, J. W.; C.M. L. Hostetler, Secretary ; W. J. Anderson, Treasurer; Francis Tally, S. D.; C. M. Hamilton, J. D.; T. W. D. McCravy, Ty. The lodge is in a good financial condition.

Lovington Chapter, R. A. M., No. 171, was established June 1st, 1875, and chartered October 28th, 1875. The first officers were, W. C. Cochran, H. P.; Joel Freeman, King; D. C. Chase, Scribe, Geo. Harris, Capt. Host; J. A. Gregory, P. S.; T. N. Fun ston, R. A. C.; C. L. Nichols, Treasurer; B. Cheever, Secretary; J. W. Perett, G. M. 3d Vail; C. M. Milligan, G. M. 2d V.; T. F. Reynolds, G. M. 1st V.; A. K. Campbell, Ty ; M. J. Anderson, Chaplain. The present officers are, W. G. Cochran, H. P.; D. C. C hase, Scribe; Francis Tally, C. H.; J A Gregory, P. S.; B. Cheever, R A C; J. W. Perett, G. M. 1st V.; T. N. Funston, G. M. 2d V.; F. Landers, G. M. 3d V.; 0. T. Atchison, Treasurer; T. A. Collet, Secretary; T. P. Reynolds, Ty. This chapter is in at flour ishing condition.

Lovington Lodge, No. 593, I. O. O. F., was chartered October 14th 1875. The charter members were as follows: W. W. Wilkins, N. G.; Lewis Reithmiller, V. G.; J. N. Bishop, Recording Secretary; Daniel Funk, Treasurer; Joseph Speers, Permanent Secreta ry. The present officers are, J. D. Shirey, N. G.; John Landers, V. G.; Thomas Curtis, Recording Secretary; A. G. Foster, Permanent Secretary ; J. H. Grove, Treasurer. The lodge is in good working order.

Mizpah Lodge, No. 185, I. O. M. A., was organized the 21st of September, 1878, and chartered on the 18th of November, 1878, with the following officers: Z. T. Banks, W. P. P.; M. R. Davidson, W. P.; C M. L. Hostetler, W. V. P.; Geo. H. Wingate, W. R. S.; P. L. Hostetler, W. F. S.; S. S. Wallace, W. T. ; J. H. Dawson, C. M. L. Hostetler, and W. A. McKinney, Trustees. The appointed officers were W. A. McKinney, W. Chaplain; C. A. Hostetler, W. C.; J. H. Dawson, W. I. G., and M. L Wheeler, W. O. G. Th e present officers are, L H. Pollard, P.; J. G. Dawson, V. P.; F. L. Hostetler, F. S.; C. M. L Hostetler, T.; W. G. Cochran, Chaplain; C. A. Hostetler, C; and Jno. A Giveson, G. Several substantial charities have been dispensed by this society.

Empire Lodge, No. 252, I. O. G. T., was organized March 27th, 1880. The following are the names of the first officers: H. Y. Kellar, W. C. T.; Mrs. H. Y. Kellar, W. V. T.: Isaac Landers, W. S.; Etta Dixon, W. A. S.; C. P. Yates, W. M.; M. L. Pargeo n, D. M.; Frank Tally, W. F S.; Allen Colore, W. T.; E. Bridwell, W. C.; T. W. D. McCravy, P. W. C.; Annie Stickle, R. H. S.; Lida Morrow; L. H. S.; Charles McCravy, W. S., and Hattie Hostetler, W 1. G. The present officers are, J. W. Funston, W. C. T.; M rs. H. Y. Kellar, W. V. T.; Etta Dixon, W. S.; H. Y. Kellar, A. S.; J. W. Dawson, W. M.; Laura Bensley, D. M.; C. P. Yates, W. F. S.; J. Clore, W. T.; E. Bridwell, W. C.; Isaac Landers, P. W. C.; Lida Morrow, W. I. G.; Chas. Whitford, W. S ; Emma Beneley, R. H. S.: Hattie Gordy, L. H. S.; J. W. Dawson, M.; J. A. Waggoner and Joseph Jerrel, Trustees. Much good has been done by this order.*

* For the data of the various lodges we are indebted to the secretaries of the same.

We have thus given a brief history of one of the richest and most populous townships of Moultrie. Its population according to the census of 1880, was 2,003, and stands second on the list in the county. With its rich soil, thrifty farmers, energetic busine ss men, and railroad facilities, it stands fair to cope with the best in Central Illinois.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

THE subject of this sketch is descended from the Puritan fathers. His forefathers settled on the line between the states of Virginia and North Carolina, where Edward Minor, the father of Henry M. was born. He was left an orphan at ten years of age. He left his native state, when he was yet in his minority, and traveled through the southern states, finally settling in Oldham county, Ky., where he remained until the fall of 1843, when he came to Moultrie county, Illinois, where he had entered eighty acres of land some time before. In the fall of 1866, he removed to Ottawa, Kan., then to southern Kansas, and died October 16th, 1870, in Boonville, Mo., while on his way back to Illinois. He married Ester Brown, a native of Oldham county, Ky. She was bor n in 1818, and died October 28th, 1846. Mr. Minor, after the death of his first wife, married Lucinda Warren, a native of Tennessee. She died in November, 1870.

By the latter marriage there were five children, all living. By the first there were three sons. Henry M. is the youngest, and only survivor of the family. W. T, Minor, the eldest son, was a sergeant in Co. " C," 126th Regt. Ills. Vols., and died April 22 d, 1865. John W. was a corporal in Co " B," 41st Regt. Ills Vols. He died January 16th, 1881. The subject of this sketch was reared partially in Illinois and Kentucky. In 1856, he came back from Kentucky to Illinois and remained at home until July 15th, 1861, when he enlisted as a private in Co. "B," 41st Regt. Vols. In the battle of Shiloh he was wounded in the right foot and left leg, and was discharged from the service in September, 1862. In the spring of 1864, he re-enlisted in Co. "I" of the 23d Reg t. Ills. Vols. And upon the organization of the company was elected Orderly Sergeant. He served out his term of enlistment and was honorably discharged

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in September of the same year. He engaged in mercantile business until 1866, when he went to Eureka in Woodford county, Ills., and entered college, and the following winter taught school. In 1867, he went to Kansas; while a resident of that state, he was elected Justice of the Peace, and afterwards county Judge. In the fall of 1870, he came back to Moultrie county, and engaged in business until 1874, then went to Eureka in Woodford county, and read law in the office of Hon. Robt. T. Castle, and was admitt ed to the bar June 9th, 1876, at Mt. Vernon, Ills. He returned to Moultrie county December lst, 1876, and here he has resided to the present.

Politically he is a Republican. He was in 1880 the Republican candidate for the office of States Attorney, but the county being largely democratic, he was defeated, although he ran ahead of his ticket. He was candidate for the same office in Woodford coun ty in 1876, but was defeated. On the 13th of July 1867, he married Mrs. Martha E Hollanbeck, nee Fuqua, a native of Breckenridge county, Ky., but a resident of Kansas at the time of her marriage. Mr. Minor since his last return to Lovington has giv en all of his attention to the practice of his profession, and to its study. He has a fine law library, and has a lucrative practice for the short time that he has been in the profession. He is a lawyer of much tact, and his success is assured if industry and close attention to business is any indication.

M. T. SHEPHERD

THE Shepherds, on the paternal side, are of French ancestry. The grandfather of the subject of this sketch was one of the patriotic Frenchmen who came with the distinguished Marquis de Lafayette to America, during the progress of the Revolutionary war, and participated with him in that memorable struggle. In the battle of Yorktown he was wounded, which rendered him a cripple for the rest of his life. After the war closed he married and settled in Orange county, Virginia, where his three sons, Phill ip, Lewis and William, were born, and raised to maturity. William, father of M. T. Shepherd, was born in 1794, and moved to Kentucky in 1825, and was by profession a school teacher and a prof. of vocal music, and taught in Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio, cr ossing the mountains many times on horseback alone. Highwaymen were numerous, and frequently, for hours, he carried his life, as it were, in his hands. John Ball, a wealthy land and slave owner who had married a Miss Hogsed in Va. -- she an own cousin of Geo. Washington, the father of his country -- with their grown family of sons and daughters, moved to Jessamine county, Ky., in 1825. One daughter, Eveline H. Ball, mother of M. T. Shepherd, was born in Virginia in 1796, and was married to Wm. Shepherd in Kentucky, in 1827. The Shepherd and the Ball families were among the best educated in Virginia, and many of them occupied prominent and honorable positions in the counsels of the state, and in literary circles were well and favorably known. Wm. Shepard r emained in Kentucky until 1859, when he emigrated to Illinois, and settled in Sullivan, Moultrie county, and died there in 1871. During the war of 1812-14, between the United States and Great Britain, he took an active part as a private soldier. The old s oldiers were granted land warrants of 160 acres. His was issued, and lost 30 years ago, and the 46th Congress authorized the issue of one to his heirs. His wife, the mother of the subject of this biography, died in Sullivan, Illinois, in 1874. There was b orn to William and Eveline H. Shepard, five children -- three sons and two daughters. Their names, in order of their birth, are: Tomzen Ann, who married S. P. Alexander in Kentucky, in January, 1846. He resides in Moultrie county, Illinois. She died leavi ng two children, one of whom was named James W. He died in 1872, in Sullivan, Illinois. Louisa Bell, her daughter, is the amiable and honored wife of W. W. Eden, present County Clerk of Moultrie county. John B., the eldest son, married Miss Sarah L. Hoyde n, of Shelby county, Illinois, who was one of the leading business men of Sullivan, Illinois, and is now a resident of Texas. Edwin L. married Miss Ann M. Hawkins, of Franklin county, Kentucky, and is a resident and proprietor of the fine hotel known as t he "Maple House," Sullivan, Illinois. Mantius T., the subject of this sketch, is the youngest of the family. He was born in Franklin county, Kentucky, February 28th, 1835. What education he has, has been obtained mainly by self-culture, and a short time s pent in the district school of his native state. He is a man who possesses more than an ordinary amount of observation and industry, and added to these qualities is a retentive memory. Impressions received are stored away in mathematical order, and are re adily called into existence when occasion requires. He reads extensively the works of the best authors, and keeps well posted upon the current events of the day, and therefore in conversation is an interesting, and often an instructive conversationalist.< P> When young Shepherd was in his nineteenth year he left home, and went out into the world to make his own way, and be his own master. He found his first employment for 1854-5 as guard at the Kentucky Penitentiary, at Frankfort, Ky. There were but 200 men i mprisoned there at that date. During a great part of the time he locked one of the main rows of cells, in which slept Calvin Fairbanks, and one Dayle, who were under long sentences for assisting slaves to leave their masters. Every evening the name of eac h man was called, and he could recognize every man in the prison.

He next worked as a clerk in the Mansion House, in Frankfort, Kentucky, where he remained for some time, and by his close attention to business, and industry, gained the esteem and good will of his employers and those with whom he came in contact. He reme mbers John C. Crittenden, John C. Breckenridge, Charles S. Morehead, and John M. Harding, present United States Judge. He afterward went to the Capital Hotel, in the same city, and remained there until 1857, when he went to Versailles, in Woodford county. Was acquainted with Hon. Thos. F. Marshall, and also Buford, who killed Judge Elliott two years ago at Frankfort, Ky., for deciding a great suit against him; he clerked until the spring of 1858, when he came to Illinois, and stopped in Sullivan, in Moult rie county, and engaged with his brother, John B., in the grocery and restaurant business. He had about $200. This business was commenced on a small scale, and grew gradually into large proportions, and gravitated into general merchandizing, in which the brothers continued together until 1862, when M. T. came to Lovington with part of the stock, and here, made additions, and together they carried on an extensive business, and were the leading merchants of the two places for a number of years. They continu ed in partnership until 1867, when the stock was separated, J. B. taking the stock and store house in Sullivan, and M. T. the Lovington storehouse and stock. Mr. Shepard continued the business in the latter place with great success. In 1870 he added priva te banking to his business. This latter branch of the business gradually absorbed so much of his time that he began curtailing his merchandizing, adding the real estate business, and a few years later went out of the goods business entirely, since which t ime he has given all his attention to his private banking, and taking care of his real estate, of which he has considerably over 1,000 acres of land, and a large number of the best dwelling and business houses in Lovington and Sullivan.

On the 7th of February, 1870, he was united in marriage to Miss Maria J. Mullikin, a native of Johnson county, Indiana. This mar-

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riage has been blessed with five children, the second of whom is living, named Justin M., aged 8 years, who reads well in the fourth reader. The first in the family, Ollie Jewell, died in her second year; Earl T. at the same age; Blossom in infancy; and P aul T. in his second year. Mrs. Shepherd is a member of the Christian church. Politically, Mr. Shepherd is a member of the Democratic party. Mr. Shepherd recognized in early life that if he would succeed in business, he must steadily adhere to certain bus iness principles, and bases his future success upon strict integrity, industry and economy. In the absence of any of these principles all business must of necessity be a failure. It may live and flourish for a time, but no permanent and honorable success can be achieved without the combination of the three. That he has been successful beyond ordinary men is due to his adhesion to these business principles.

No man has ever gained success and a competency in any locality without having to some extent excited the envy of his less fortunate neighbors. That Mr. Shepherd has not been free from the jealousies of others is only an additional proof of human weakness and far from his wish. He is in his family and among his friends, a generous, open-hearted man, of warm and ardent impulses, though somewhat blunted by contact with a selfish world. As a business man he is methodical and exact, and does business upon str ict business principles. He has for years tried to instill these principles into the minds of the people, and has often felt sorry to see so many who could not, and wounded to see so many who would not, honorably try to meet their liabilities, and hence t hey and he are the co-patentees of the motto that are so plainly printed on his bill-heads. viz. as a rule but little should be said about honesty among dealers, and much said about responsibility. He never held an office or sat on a jury, or joined a chu rch, secret society, army, good templars, or carried a lamp, banner or flag in a campaign, or made a trust deed, or mortgage, (unless compelled by law). Was never sued for a debt of his own, or got drunk (since a man), or played billiards, smoked or chewe d tobacco. He uses alcohol as he does water or fire, believing them all to be good servants, when properly used or controlled, but knowing them to be hard masters when not properly used or controlled.

BIDDLECOME & TOBY

BEN BIDDLECOME, the senior editor of the Lovington Enterprise, was born in North Liberty, Indiana, February 28, 1851. He received a good English education in the public schools, and at an early age entered a printing office in Virginia City, in Cass county, Illinois, and learned the art preservative. In 1875, he entered the field of country journalism, and started his first paper in the village of Chrisman, in Edgar county, Illinois. It was named the Enterprise. He afterwards removed to Marysville, Illinois, and there published the Independent. From the latter place he went to Bement, Piatt county, Illinois, and published the Bement Independent. On the 26th of November, 1879, he came to Lovington, Moultrie county, Illino is, and established the Lovington Enterprise, and in connection with Will. S. Toby, still continues its publication. On the 28th of January, 1872, he married Miss Mary Merritt, of Homer, Champaign county, Illinois. This union has been blessed with three children, one son and two daughters. He is a beneficiary member of the Knights of Honor.

Will. S. Toby was born in Vincennes, Indiana, November 27, 1856. He came with his father's family to Russellville, in Lawrence county, Illinois, in 1868. He commenced newspaper business in Vincennes, Indiana, and with the establishment of the Enterpris e in Lovington, formed a partnership with Mr. Biddlecome, and together they have conducted that journal, and made it a newspaper worthy of the hearty support of Lovington and vicinity. Both are young men with good reputations, and both industrious, an d with a generous support from the people they would make the Enterprise second to no other newspaper in Central Illinois. They have the ability and are worthy, and should have the undivided support of the whole people in whose behalf and interests they labor.

LIEUT. WILLIAM C. FOSTER

WAS born in Wayne county, Ohio, March 28th, 1832. He is the eldest son of seven children of John E. and Jane (Coulter) Foster. His father removed from Wayne to Pickaway county in 1843, and died there in 1847. His mother the next year (1848), came w est, and settled with her family on a piece of land two miles north of Lovington, in Moultrie county. There she remained until her death, which took place in 1865. Soon after the breaking out of the late war on the 31st of July, 1862, he enlisted in the 1 26th regiment Illinois Vols. Infantry, and was mustered out July 12th, 1865, at Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He was promoted to the position of orderly sergeant, and commissioned Sept. 4th, 1862. He was commissioned second lieutenant July 15th, 1865. In 1863 he was appointed by Gen. Grant to go upon the recruiting service, and was stationed for five months at Rock Island, Illinois; afterwards rejoined his regiment, and continued in active service until the end of the war. On the 1st of September, 1853, he was un ited in marriage to Miss Isabella Cochran, a native of Ross county, Ohio. She came to Illinois in 1849. By this marriage there are five children, four sons and one daughter; all of whom are yet at home, except Eliza J., wife, of Geo. W. Ruckle, who is a r esident of Newton, Kansas.

After Mr. Foster returned from the war, he settled in the village of Lovington, and engaged in the grocery and provision trade, and from that time to the present has been one of the active business men of the village. Politically, he is one of the few ori ginal Republicans, and cast his first presidential vote for John C. Fremont in l856. He has never swerved from his allegiance to that political organization, from that day to the present, but it has strengthened with his years, and he may be classed among the stalwarts. He has held various offices of a local character, and was the first Police Magistrate of Lovington. He was commissioned Notary Public, April 24th, 1867, and has held the office ever since. He was commissioned Justice of the Peace, May 27th , 1872, and Police Magistrate, May 9th, 1874. On the 18th of October, 1875, he was appointed postmaster of Lovington, and re-appointed in 1879. Mr. Foster is among the oldest settlers of the northern part of Moultrie county. He has been a resident of the county since 1848, and in all these years has sustained the character of an honest man and good citizen.

NATHAN CHEEVER, M. D.

AMONG the representative men of Lovington township may be mentioned Dr. Nathan Cheever. He was born in Delaware county Ohio, on the 13th of April, 1818. His parents were Nathan and Mary Cheever. His father was of German descent, and a native of New Hampshire; when a young man he went to the State of New York, where during the war of 1812, he enlisted in the American army; he was married in New York State to Miss Mary

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Tripp, who was of Irish descent and born near Salem, Massachusetts. By this union there were twelve children, of whom nine grew to maturity. Dr. Cheever's father in the year 1817 emigrated to Delaware county, Ohio. He was a farmer all his life, and died i n Franklin county, Ohio, in the year 1861. The subject of this sketch was raised in his native county, during the summer assisting his father on the farm, and during the winter attending the neighborhood school. At the age of eighteen he took charge as te acher of a county school. For five successive winters he taught school and attended an academy where Central College is now located in Franklin county, Ohio. This academy at that time was under the charge of Prof. Ebenezer Washburn, a graduate of Yale Col lege, who took particular interest in advancing the subject of our sketch in his search for knowledge. His kindness Dr. Cheever remembers with much gratitude. With the money earned in teaching school he began to qualify himself for the medical profession. His preparatory studies were conducted in the office of Dr. S. H. Potter. a prominent physician of Circleville, Ohio. In the spring of 1843, he received a diploma from the Willoughby Medical College, then near Cleveland, now in the city of Cleveland. Aft er his graduation he began the practice of his profession at Harrisburg, Franklin county, Ohio, where he remained more than three years, and then removed to Waterloo, Fayette county, Ohio, where he successfully practiced about eleven years. He then remove d to Iowa, and entered eight hundred acres of land and purchased an improved farm of eighty acres adjoining the village of Libertyville, Jefferson county. He resided there eighteen months, and then in November, 1857, came to Lovington where he practiced m edicine till 1875, Since that date his time has been occupied by other business matters. Soon after his arrival at Lovington, he purchased 170 acres of land immediately north of the town. Part of the village has since been built on this land. He afterward s purchased sixty acres adjoining his first purchase, and since then has handled more or less real estate. He is now the owner of between four and five hundred acres in the vicinity of Lovington. On the 22d of September 1842, he married Miss Mary Hubbard, daughter of Jacob Hubbard, one of the prominent farmers of Pickaway county, Ohio. He had six children: Mary E., now at home; Byron, in the grain business at Lovington; Laura A., who died at the age of five years; Isadora, now deceased; Florry, who died i n June, 1880, at the age of nineteen, and Elnora, now deceased. Dr. Cheever has been engaged at Lovington in the mercantile business, which, however, he proposes to abandon and spend the rest of his life in retirement, with no other cares except to look a fter his lands and town property. He is still full of life and vigor, and with his cheerful disposition is well-fltted to extract enjoyment from the remainder of his days. His success in life has been due to his energy and economy. In his politics he is a Republican.

CHARLES HOWELL

AMONG the prominent agricultural and stock men of Moultrie county may be mentioned the name that heads this biography. He was born in Shelby county, Kentucky, March 20th, 1830. He was the son of David and Elizabeth Howell; David Howell was a native of North Carolina, and of Welsh decent; he came to Shelby county when a young man and there married Miss Elizabeth Bryant, a native of Kentucky; her parents were also from North Carolina. David Howell's father's name was John Stephen Howell; he emigrated to Kentucky in an early day and settled in Shelby county, where he resided until his death. After David Howell's marriage he began farming, an occupation he was brought up to; remained in Kentucky several years after his marriage, and in 1836 emigrated t o Illinois and settled in what is now Moultrie county, near where the subject of our sketch now resides. He bought three hundred acres of land and began the improvement of this tract; his health was not good after coming to this State, and after seven yea rs he died, leaving a widow and nine children to mourn his demise. Charles Howell was then in his thirteenth year; he remained at home with his mother, and assisted in the management of the farm until her death in 1851. His advantages for receiving an edu cation were very limited, about nine months being all the schooling he received, but in after life, by his own energies, he qualified himself sufficiently to transact almost any ordinary business. At the age of twenty-four he was united in marriage to Mis s Eliza E. Hill, daughter of William Hill, of Payette county, Ohio. Mrs. Howell is of German ancestry. This marriage took place January 4th, 1854. They have had born to them a family of eleven children, and have never had a death in the family. Mr. Howel l was educated to agricultural pursuits, a business he has followed his entire life with marked success; he received less than forty acres out of his father's estate, and by industry and economy he acquired about 143 acres by the time of his marriage, and by adding tract after tract he now owns 1,620 acres of fine land, and his improvements are among the best in the county. He has for years been quite extensively engaged in stock-raising. and to this line of business is more particularly due his success i n life; what he has of this world's goods has been acquired by his industrious habits and untiring energy. During the early settlement of the county, or before railroads were built through this section of country, he bought hogs and drove through on foot to Terre Haute, Indiana; and when a young man, before his marriage, made trips through to Ohio with droves of fat cattle, in the employ of Samuel Pancost. In politics Mr. Howell is a republican, but has never taken an active part in politics, desiring rat her to employ his time in the improvement of a model farm. Religiously, Mr. and Mrs. Howell are members of the M. E. Church.

JOHN T. HOWELL

WAS born in Shelby county, Kentucky, February 12th, 1832. He was the son of Ransom and Nancy Howell. The family is of Welsh extraction, the forefathers emigrating to America in the colonial days. John Howell, the grandfather of the subject of our s ketch, emigrated from North Carolina to Kentucky in the early settlement of that state, and settled in Shelby county, on the waters of Clear creek, where he improved a farm. He here married a Miss Mary Busey, a daughter of one of the old families in that part of the state. They raised a family of nine children. It was here where Ransom Howell was born and raised; he grew to manhood on a farm, and afterwards married Miss Nancy Gailey, of Shelby county, Kentucky. There were two children born by this union, John T. and Mary C. Mr. Howell was eight years of age when his father died, and in consequence was left to his own resources at a very early age. He lived with his relations, and at times attended school until about eighteen years of age, when he began to learn the wagon-making trade; he remained at this business about two years. At the age of twenty-two he was united in marriage to Miss Susan Harris, who was a native also of Shelby county, Kentucky. They have a family of six children -- Henry T., Shelby W., Robert E., John R., Mollie G., and Jimmie. Mr. Howell lived in Kentucky until 1864, when he came to Moultrie county, and bought 140 acres in Lovington township, where he now

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lives. He has increased his landed possessions in this township until he now owns 500 acres. A view of his residence and scenes on his farm can be seen in another part of this book. The principal part of Mr. Howell's property has been the fruits of his ow n industry and strict attention to business. In politics he is a democrat.

SAMUEL S. WOOD

AMONG the old settlers of Moultrie county, the Wood family are numbered with the early pioneers. Samuel S. Wood, one of the substantial farmers of Lovington township, was born in Oldham county, Kentucky, on the llth of July, 1822. His father, Willi am Wood, was a native of North Carolina, and of Irish descent. He was married in North Carolina to Miss Elizabeth Grove, daughter of John Grove, who was of German parentage, in the city of Philadelphia, and served as a captain in the Revolutionary war, th us doing his part to secure the independence of the thirteen colonies and found the American republic. After the conclusion of the Revolutionary war, John Grove emigrated to North Carolina. By this union there were born nine children, of whom three sons a nd five daughters grew to manhood and womanhood, and became the parents of children. Samuel S. Wood, the subject of this sketch, was next to the youngest child of John and Elizabeth Wood. When he was eleven years old, in the year 1833, his father moved wi th the family to Illinois, and settled in what is now Lovington township, then a part of Macon county. At that time there were few settlements in this portion of the state. The prairies were covered with tall grass, and the early settlers considered that they would never be brought under the domain of agriculture. The few improvements which had been made were confined to the timber. The early pioneers had by no means an easy time, but were compelled to undergo the hardships and inconveniences incident to a new country. The city of Chicago and the Wabash river were the nearest market for stock and grain. Wheat was often sold for twenty-five cents a bushel. To the early pioneers who first met and faced these difficulties are owing some of the advantages now enjoyed by the present generation. Amid such circumstances as these Mr. Wood was raised. There were few advantages for obtaining an education. He attended scbool during the winter months, and in the summer worked on the farm. His father died on the 9th o f May, 1851, and his mother on the 2d of May, 1859.

At the age of nineteen he began life for himself. On the lst of November, 1849, he married Miss Alice Howell, daughter of David Howell, one of the early settlers of the county. Her death occurred on the lst of November, 1856, six years after her marriage . Mr. Wood's second marriage took place on the 24th of August, 1858, to Miss H. Dunscomb, a native of Ohio, daughter of Orren H. Dunscomb, who was born in the state of Vermont. He had seven children, one by his first and six by his second marriage. Mr. Wo od has been a farmer all his life. In his early days he followed breaking prairie, and has turned over at least two thousand acres of the primeval sod. In this way he acquired the means with which to enter his first tract of land of one hundred and sixty acres. On this land his present residence stands. He owns seven hundred and thirty-five acres of land. His comfortable position in life has been obtained chiefly by his own energy and economy. He was originally a member of the old Whig partv, but on the d issolution of that organization he became a Republican, and has since been a staunch supporter of the Republican party. He is connected with the Masonic fraternity; he has seven children, whose names are as follow: Nancy E., now wife of Samuel Parrett; Wi lliam O., Edgar F.; Dora J.; Austin G., Elmer C., and Mary Ollie.

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