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BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
History of Coles County, Illinois - Chicago - Wm. LeBaron, Jr., & Co.
1879
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1879 BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX >
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Charleston Twp. -
ISAAC VAIL, proprietor of livery, feed and
sale stable, Charleston; was born in Dutchess Co., N. Y., Nov. 29,
1833; in 1839, his father removed with his family to Chautauqua Co.,
N. Y., and after residing there ten years, to Erie Co., Penn.,
thence the next year to Steuben Co., Ind., and, in 1851, to
Coles Co.; his father located 800 acres of Government land in
Hickory Tp., four miles north of Charleston, at a cost of $700.
Three yeas later he removed to Livingston Co., where he is a
prominent farmer. Mr. Vail left home in 1852, driving
an ox-team across the plains to Oregon, and spent three years in
that State and California. He returned in 1855, and, the
following year, erected a mill in Livingston Co., which he ran till
the breaking-out of the rebellion. In August, 1862, he
enlisted in the 129th I. V. I., as Sergeant in Co. E; he was with
Sherman from Chattanooga to Atlanta, and on the famous march to
the sea, and up through the Carolinas and Virginia to Washington,
participating in all the battles of this regiment. He returned
in 1854, and the same year located in Charleston, and ran a planing
mill for two years. He then sold out and went to farming, and,
in 1868, built his livery stable, and engaged in his present
business. He was a member of the Board of Aldermen which, in
1875, put in the Charleston Water Works at a cost of less than
$40,000, said to be the cheapest works in the State. He was
married in 1852 to Miss Rebecca Fisher of Coles Co., and has
six children - William I. now of San Francisco), Frank,
Ida, Fred, Eva and May.
Source: History of Coles County, Illinois - Chicago - Wm. LeBaron,
Jr., & Co. - 1879 - Page 536 |
East Oakland Twp. -
M. B. VALODIN, farmer and stock raiser; P. O.
Oakland; born in Portsmouth, Scioto Co., Ohio, Mar. 28, 1828; at 8
years of ag6, he removed with his parents to New Madrid, Mo., living
there until 1838, at which time his father died, when he removed
with his mother and sister to Edgar Co., Ill., where he engaged in
farming until 1844, with the exception of one year in which he
attended school in Paris; he then went to Wisconsin, where he was
engaged at work in the shot tower at Helena, six months, and
followed mining the same length of time, when he enlisted for the
Mexican war, at which time the Government having trouble with the
Indians, he, with his regiment, was employed in Illinois, Wisconsin
and Minnesota in removing the Indians to their reservation, until
1848; he then returned to Edgar Co., Ill., and followed farming
until 1849, when he removed to Coles Co., and engaged in forming and
raising and dealing in stock until 1864, at which date he located in
Oakland, and to the above business engaged in the dry goods trade
until 1866, when he sold his store and was appointed agent of the
Illinois Midland Railroad, at Oakland, which position he held one
year, and at the same time continued his farming and stock business,
also dealing in lumber for one year; he removed upon his present
place in the spring of 1878; his home farm contains 455 acres, upon
which he has good buildings; he also. owns twenty acres of timber
and one block and seven lots in Oakland, upon which he has several
buildings. He married, Dec. 30, 1849, to Sarah A. Redden;
she was a daughter of Wm. Redden, one of the early settlers
of Coles Co.; she died Apr. 12, 1865, leaving seven children now
living, viz., Mary F., Sarah A., Clara, John F., William A.,
Charles M. and Alice; his marriage with Mrs. Nancy J.
Carter was celebrated Sept. 13, 1865; she was the daughter of
Asa Amos, born in Ohio, Apr. 24, 1833; three children
were the fruit of this union, one of which is deceased; the living
are Covington B. and Loring.
Source: History of Coles County, Illinois - Chicago - Wm. LeBaron,
Jr., & Co. - 1879 - Page 580 |
Charleston Twp. -
SAMUEL VAN METER, M. D., physician and
surgeon, Charleston; was born in Grayson Co., Ky., Nov. 8, 1824; he
is a son of John and Catharine (Keller) Van Meter, former of
whom died in 1827; his mother then removed with her family to
Illinois, settling in Coles Co.; he received such education as the
common schools in those pioneer days afforded; at the age of 15
years, he was apprenticed to the tanner's trade, but before
completing his apprenticeship he purchased his time of his employer,
and was in turn bound to Dr. T. B. Trower, and entered upon
the more congenial employment of studying medicine; he remained
under Dr. Trower's instruction five years; in 1849, he made
the overland trip to California, the journey occupying five months,
during which time he had an extensive practice as a physician among
the emigrants crossing the plains; he remained eighteen months in
California and then returned to Charleston and practice medicine
three years with Dr. Trower, after which he began practice by
himself; in 1857, he founded the Illinois Infirmary in Charleston,
the fame of which extended to all parts of the country, patients
coming from the Pacific Coast, and from England and other countries
beyond the sea; his partner in this institution for a number of
years was Dr. H. R. Allen, now one of the proprietors of the
National Surgical Institute at Indianapolis; as an illustration of
the success of the Infirmary, we may mention that the gross receipts
during the year 1868 were $186,000, and the expenditure for the one
item of postage stamps alone averaged $1,400 per month; it continued
to enjoy a high reputation and uninterrupted success until 1877,
when the doctor, worn out with his constant and arduous labors,
closed the institution and retired from the active practice of his
profession. He was married Oct. 8, 1845, to Fannie E.
Hutchison, of Greensburg, Ky.; of three children of this
marriage, two are now living in Charleston - Katie (wife of
C. C. Rogers) and John (one of the proprietors of the
City Mills); their oldest daughter, Fannie R., wife of J.
W. Ogden, of Chicago, died in 1870.
Source: History of Coles County, Illinois - Chicago - Wm. LeBaron,
Jr., & Co. - 1879 - Page 535 |
Charleston Twp. -
DANIEL A. VAN SICKLE, proprietor of the
Charleston Hotel, Charleston; was born in Trenton, Butler Co., Ohio,
Oct. 20, 1833, being the oldest son of J. C. and Belinda (Craig)
Van Sickle; his father was born in Trenton, Ohio, May 31, 1811,
and his mother at Ball's Ferry, on the Miami River, in Butler Co.,
Ohio, Dec. 17, 1815. The family consisted of nine children, as
follows - Daniel A. Jasper, born Jan. 3, 1836, and died Nov.
12, 1868; Sally A., born Jan. 3, 1836, and died Nov. 12,
1868; Sally A., born Mar. 19, 1838; Caroline, born
June 20, 1841, and died Feb. 26, 1866; John Wesley, born Mar.
18, 1843; George W., born Aug. 17, 1846; Newton, born
Dec. 23, 1848, died Aug. 24, 1850; Craig, born Feb. 23, 1851,
died Mar. !5, 1853, and Charles P., born July 10, 1853.
At the age of 17 years, Mr. Van Sickle he began with Schenck
& Denice, of Franklin, Warren Co., Ohio, to learn the horseshoeing
business, and followed that trade altogether about fourteen years.
In 1854, his father removed with the family to Coles Co., and about
ten years ago, he removed to Girard, Macoupin Co., Ill., where he
died Sept. 25, 1876. His mother still resides in Girard,
Macoupin Co., Ill., where he died Sept. 25, 1876. His mother
still resides in Girard. During his residence in Charleston,
he has been engaged six years as a clerk in teh wholesale and retail
grocery house of Wright, Minton & Co.; has served as City
Marshal, Street Superintendent and Township Collector, and has
traveled five years selling groceries from Indianapolis. He
was married Aug. 27, 1857, to Miss Belinda Wehr, a daughter
of Nathan and Harriet (Flenner) Wehr; she was born Aug. 28,
1839, near Hamilton, Butler Co., Ohio, and come to Coles Co. in
1853; they have one daughter - Louisa Bell, born Aug. 16,
1858. Apr. 1, 1878, Mr. Van Sickle became proprietor of
the Charleston Hotel. Whether shoeing a horse or selling
groceries, his aim has always been to excel, and on assuming charge
of thsi house, he determined to keep such a house as should deserve
the patronage of hte public and should earn the title of a strictly
first class hotel. His experience as a traveling man enables
him to understand and appreciate the wants of the traveling public.
How well he has succeeded is shown by the large adn constantly
increasing patronage of the hotel. Genial in manner and
accommodating in disposition, he makes every one feel at home at
once, and in the variety and quality of its fare, and in attention
to the comforts of its guests, the Charleston Hotel is not excelled
by any house between Indianapolis and St. Louis.
Source: History of Coles County, Illinois - Chicago - Wm. LeBaron,
Jr., & Co. - 1879 - Page 536 |
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