46
OLD SETTLERS of FULTOUsT OO'CTNT
■002STTX2snjB3D.
Thomas Cameron — Thomas Cameron was the father of the subject of this sketch. He was born in Ireland, but emigrated to the United States many years ago. He first settled in the state of Georgia, remained there a few years, and then removed to the Carolines, where he also remained a few years, after which he removed to Kentucky. After remaining there several yeaTS he removed to Illinois; and settled on the Wabash about the year 1830. He remained there until 1835, and then removed to Fulton county, where he remained until his death, which occurred in the year 1844. He died as he had lived — an honorable, honest, upright man, and a conscientious Christian.
' Thomas Cameron, jr., was born in Carolina in the year 1801, and came to Illinois in the year 1811. He lived with his father until 1885, when he settled in Fulton county. In the year 1881 he married Miss Clarissa Harrell. They had fifteen children, eleven of whom are still living—all married and residing in Fulton, county. Mrs. Cameron died in 1870, and in 1871 Mr. Cameron was married to Mrs. Parthena W. Sively, the former wife of Samuel Sively, who came to Illinois from Kentucky forty-six years ago, and settled in Ellisville, Fulton county, about the year 1835, where he lived until his death, which was in 1808. Mr. Sively held many of the local offices of his town, and was always considered an honest man. He was the father of nine children, three of whom are dead and six living—four married.
Mr. Cameron rendered the country valuable services in the Black-hawk war. He got an honorable discharge and received full remuneration for his services. Mr. and Mrs. Cameron are now living in the quiet little town of Ellisville, where they have an amount of this world’s stores sufficient to make and keep themselves comfortable the remainder of their days.
John N. Barnes was born in Adams county, Ohio, on the 16th of January, 1838. His father, Luther Barnes, was born in Parkersburg, Virginia, in 1800. At twenty-one years of age he movrd to Ohio, where he married Nancy Wear. They had a family of ten children, of whom John is the sixth. Luther Barnes came to Fulton county in 1885, and died in 1860. His wife lived until 1867.
In 1850 John Barnes made a trip to California, where he remained three years. On his return he engaged in farming, and in 1866 he married Elvira Bolman. They have one child, Lydia Belle.
Qeorge Whitaker was born in Logan county, Kentucky. His father, George W. Whitaker, was born in Montgomery county, Maryland, and at the age of twenty-one he moved to Logan county, Kentucky, where he married Harriet, daughter of Col. William Loving. He was engaged in the mercantile business, when goods were transported from eastern cities in wagons to Pittsburg, and thence to Louisville in fiat or keel boats. He frequently made trips to Baltimore and Philadelphia on horseback. While making his collections for goods sold, he might have been seen passing along the almost Indian trail on horseback, leading horse loaded with bags of silver, the result of bis collections. It is said that he was the first man who shipped goods up the Cumberland river to Clarksville, Tennessee, near which point he now resides, at the age of ninety. He once visited England.
George Whitaker came to Fnlton county in 1848, and soon after engaged in the mercantile business. In 1860 he was appointed deputy circuit clerk for this county, which position he held for eight years. He is now a member, and also secretary, of the Fulton Coal Company, located at Cuba. He was married to Miss Elizabeth Hcckard on the 28th of May, 1853.
James Mason, the subject of this sketch, was born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, on the 21st day of January, 1810, being the third son of Jacob and Catherine Mason. His father was born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, in 1782, and his mother was born in Burkley county, Virginia, on the 15th day of February, 1788. They emigrated to Richland county, Ohio.-in the fall of 1814, and came to Farmington, Fnlton county, Illinois, in the spring of 1837. ’ Jacob Mason died on the 18th day of October, 1880, and bis wife on the 7th day of April, 1850.
Martin Mason, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was a native of Germany, but came to this country in an early day, and settled in Virginia. He was taken prisoner in the war between France and England, by on Indian chief, and sold to a French officer, at Fprt Duquense, which was where Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, now stands. He was taken to Quebec and kept as a servant for eight years, and then made his escape and returned to Virginia, being one of the first settlers west of the Allegheny Mountains. He emigrated to Ohio in 1830, and died at the ripe old age of ninety.
James Mason was married on the 20th day of March, 1840, Jo Miss JaneJdckson, who died July 13th, 1841. He then married his present wife, Mrs. Sarah Gayler, on the 15th day of October, 1849. His family consists of four children—Jackson J., Josephine, Emma J., and Minnie,— all living.
Mr Mason opened the first hotel ever kept In Farmington, on the 1st day of May, 1888, where he can still be found by the traveling public, ever ready to cater to their numerous wants. He has also one of the best farms in Knox county, Illinois, and is one of the great bee men of this country.
I Samuel T. Wells was born in Claremont county, Ohio, August 10th, 1824. His'father, William R. Wells, was born in Kentucky in 1784. At the age of twenty two he married Anna Douglass,-of Lexington, Kentucky. • In 1819 he removed to Indiana and resided in that state twenty-eight years. He was a farmer. In 1847 he removed to Fulton county, Illinois, where he. now resides, hale and hearty.
Samuel came to this county in 1844. In 1846 he -married Miss . Louise Mayfield, who died about six years after their marriage, leaving one child. In 1859 he was married to Elizabeth Heller. The fruits of this marriage is a family of four children. Mr. Wells is now engaged in practicing law at Cuba, Fulton county.
j A. B. Thomas was born at Mount Desert, Maine, on the 3d day of March, 1813, and came to Farmington in 1887. He was a carpenter by trade. He married the daughter of Deacon Henry Hart, who was bom in Goshen, Connecticut, in 1818, and emigrated with her parents to Farmington in 1885.
I Mr. Thomas cast his first vote for the side of liberty for James G.
;Burney, who was a candidate for president in 1840, which was the first | and only vote cast for him in the county. He has had at his house, at I. one time, fourteen negroes, whom he conducted safely on beyond the track of their masters.
Mr. T. is one of the finest farmers in the county. He has five hundred acres of land, with splendid Improvements and well stocked, all of which is due to good management and great energy.
i Morgan Heaton was born June 7th, 1805, in Greene county, Pennsylvania, and emigrated to Ohio in 1814, when a mere boy, walking all the way and carrying a rifle upon his shoulder. He came to Fulton county, Illinois, in 1887, settled in Farmington, and engaged in soiling goods for eleven years, and then started the first drug store in the county.
Mr. Heaton is a great admirer of a good gun, and can tell one as soon as his eye drops upon it, and is passionately fond of hunting.
Mr. H. has been, as he says, a life-long democrat, and never voted any other ticket. His first vote was Cast for General Jackson. He is a member of no church. His store is never open after nine o’clock at night, and is always open at day-light.
Mr. H. now has in his possession the first dinner pot that he bought, which was in 1826, arid also has the first cream pitcher he ever saw, which was bought by his grandmother at Hagerstown, Maryland, when it was a trading post. It has been in use for one hundred and forty years
A. W. Richards', the subject of this sketch, was bom in Lewis county, Ken lucky,, in 1828, being the third son of JamesRichards, who was also a native of Kentucky. His mother’s maiden name was Susan Hampton, who was born in Faqui-r county, Virginia.
Mr. Richards worked upon a farm until he was seventeen years of age. He then went to Maysville, Kentucky, and clerked in a store for seven years, and then came to Peoria county, Illinois, and from there came to Farmington, an entire stranger, in the spring of 1858. He clerked for A. D. & H. Reed from 1853 to 1854, and in the fall of the latter year he bought out the Messrs. Reed, and has been doing a splendid business for himself since, he being one of the most successful business men of Farmington. He has one of the most cemplc-tely arranged stores in the west.
Mr. Richarda.was married on the 6th day of November, 1856. to Miss Louisa Jane Little, daughter of G. W. Little, Esq., of Farmington, who was the first child born in the town of Farmington. Their family consists of two children — Carrie B, eight years old, and Walter C., three years old.
Mr. R. is a man of strict integrity, honorable in his dealings, always generous andcourteous, and universally esteemed-by bis acquaintances and neighbors.
W. W. Shryock.-— Milton Shryock, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Kentucky in 1818, emigrated to Fulton county, Illinois, and settled in the town of Canton. Was a blacksmith by trade, which he worked at for several years, then moved to Ruck-heart township, Fulton county, Illinois, and settled near St. David. Speculated largely in lands, and is now respected by his fellow citizens for bis honesty and strict integrity as a business man. Has now one of the best farms, and is situated in the coal region of Fulton county. He was married to Miss Rebecca Carver, the daughter of M. P. Carver, a native of Kentucky. She was born in 1815. His father’s family consisted of four sons and three daughters.
W W. Shryock was born in the town of Canton, Fulton county, bn the 18th day of January, 1885. Was married to Miss Margaret Slack,
| the daughter of John Slack, a native of England, on the 10th day of I May, 1856,.and settled on section 16, Buckbeart township, where he | resided till 1867, then moved to Cuba and went into the mercantile business, which be is now conducting, being the junior member of the firm of Neff & Shryock. Mr. Shryock was elected trustee of the j town of Cuba for two years, and is now one of the board of education.
I He has been one of the successful men of the county,
P. W. Petrie, the subject of this sketch, was born in Edinburg, Scotland, but was raised in Liverpool, England. He came to this country in March, 1840, with his father, Thomas S. Petrie, who was born in 1803. Thomas S. Petrie was married to Hannah J. Hall, daughter of a cotton broker of Charleston, South Carolina. They wore married in Edinburg, Scotland. Mrs. Petrie was born September 1st, 1806.
The subject of this sketch was born September 21st, 1829; came to Farmington in 1840; first applied himself to farming and then to selling goods, which business he is still engaged in. He was married in 1856 to Miss Phoebe Ringlnnd, who was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, in 1831. They have a family of three children— Charles A., Anna C., and Hannah — all living.
John H. Carpenter.-— O. D. Carpenter, the father of John H. Carpenter, was bom in New York state many years ago He moved to Ohio, lived there several years, and about the year 1884 moved to Illinois, and settled in Knox county, where John H. Carpenter was born, in the year 1843; came to Fulton county in the year 1851, and settled in Ellisville township, where he still resides. In 1862, John II. enlisted in the service of his country, nnder his father as captain, in the 108d regiment Illinois infantry, and served three years. He was in many battles, but never received a wound. Capt. O. D. Carpenter, after serving about two years, resigned his commission, on account of the loss of his health, and came home, where he remained until he died, which was a short'time after he came home. Capt Carpenter was considered a brave and kind-hearted man by all who knew him. John H. served his full term and got his honorable discharge, after which he returned home, where he still resides with his mother, who is now fifty years of age, and in good health. She is an intelligent and amiable lady. John is a good boy, and is liked by everybody. The grandfather of John H. Carpenter was named Stephen Carpenter, and was born in the year 1788, and died in the year 1841. He served his country in the war .of 1812, for which he received the warrant that located the land on which John and his mother now -live. The great-grandfather of John H. Carpenter was named Elisha Carpenter, and served his country in the revolutionary war. He was bora in the year 1748, and died in 1808. Truly, John is of war stock.
W. H. Hemenover was born in Byron, Sussex county, New Jersey, the Gibraltdl of democracy in 1621. At the age of 12 years he went to learn the printing business in the office of the 2fac Jtrtey Herald. Was afterwards editor and proprietor of the Warren Journal, published at Belvidcre, New Jersey. Subsequently removed to Hoboken City, where he became editor and proprietor of the Hudton County Democrat. Mr. H. was the first journalist to raise the name of James Buchanan at the head of his columns lor the presidency, of which fact the old veteran gave a personal acknowledgment at a private reception J given to some democratic friends at the White House. Was elected to ' the legislature of New Jersey, and was twice appointed state printer.
' Mr. H. emigrated to Illinois in the spring of 1858, bought land and ✓ settled in McDonough county. Came to Fulton county in 1862, and i is now the proprietor of the City Hotel of Canton, Hlinois. Was mar-ried to Julia Barton, daughter of Hon. A. D. Barton, of New Jersey. Mr. Hemenover, besides being n genial, whole-souled, and go-ahead citizen, is a prominent member of the democratic party, having spent a life-lime in its ranks, always willingand ready for any duty, whether his party is in power or not	*
Mr. and Mrs. H. have all that can make life pleasant and agreeable, being surrounded by a large and plesant family.
Major S. C. Burbridge, the subject of this sketch, was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, on the 18th day of May, 1880. His father,. Thomas Burbridge, a native of Kentucky, was born in 1786, and died in July, 1831. Was married to Elizabeth Poland, a native of Virginia. She was bom in 1801. His father was in the war of 1812, and was under General Harrison at the battle of Tippecanoe. Mr. Burbridge emigrated to Farmington, Fulton county, Illinois, and at the age of 17 years opened up the first coal bank in Fulton county. He then took charge of Haines’ mines, at Pekin, Hlinois, and continued there for some time, then returned to Farmington. Ho then went to Troy, Fulton county, and from there to the Lancaster coal works, where he remained until the breakiug out.of the rebellion, when he enlisted as a private, was elected first lieutenant, and then promoted captain of company B, 11th Hlinois cavalry. He was soon promoted major of the same regiment, in which capacity he served for three years, returning home to the peaceful pursuits of life.
Major B. was married to Miss Mary Wills in 1851, the daughter of Jacob Mills, a native of Pennsylvania. They have had to them six children — three sons and three .daughters, all of whom arc living. The major at present resides in Cuba, is the superintendent of the Fulton county mines, which is in tlie town of Cuba, on the T. P. & W. W. railroad, a view of which will be found in this work. Major B. is one of the most experienced coal men in Fulton county, and has charge of one of tho.most extensive mines in the state.