MERCER TOWNSHIP
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     Mercer township includes all the congressional township known as 14 N., R. 3 west of the 4th P. M.  The soil is generally black and rich, with some clay along the brakes and water courses.  It is well watered, Edwards river traversing the north tier of sections, from east to west, and Pope creek crossing the southeast corner and following wet near the south line, in Ohio Grove township.  These, with their numerous runs, as feeders, furnish an ample supply of water for stock and irrigation.  Along the creeks the land is broken, but there is very little so steep that it cannot be cultivated.  On the "divide," as it is called, between Pope and Edwards, the land is level, and until brought under cultivation, much of it was of a swampy nature.  Over this prairie in early times there was scarcely a track that rose to the dignity of a road, as travel was not frequent enough to keep down the luxuriant growth of grass, which often grew so high that a man on horseback could see but a short distance.  Woe then to the luckless traveler who undertook to cross the prairie in a wet time with wagon and team.  Suddenly his oxen would sink in the mud, knee deep, the wagon go down to the hub, and there was nothing to do but to unload, and then perhaps "double teams," if perchance there was some one to double with, or if not, go two or three miles to secure assistance.  But cultivation and judicious draining have so changed the nature of the soil in this respect that it is difficult to convince our farmer boys of to-day that the most productive parts of their farms were at one time little better than impassable swamps.
     Much of the township is underlaid with coal of a good quality, but there have, as yet, been but few banks opened, as it generally lies too deep to work with profit.  Banks in the northeast part of the township

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ALEDO

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BUSINESS.

     L. F. Jobusch ...

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THE ALEDO WEEKLY RECORD.

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THE DEMOCRATIC PRESS IN ALEDO.

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PORTRAIT OF
DANIEL JONES.

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ALEDOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

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PROF. ALEX. STEPHENS.

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J. E. HARBOUN.

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THE SEAT OF JUSTICE

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CHURCHES.

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     Methodist Episcopal Church. -

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     Aledo Baptist Church. -

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     Congregational Church. -

     Swedish Lutheran Church -

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     Episcopal Church. - This

     Seventh Day Adventists. -

     Free Presbyterian church. -

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SOCIETIES.

     Aledo Lodge No. 252, A. F. A. M. -

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     Aledo Lodge, I. O. O. F. -  

     A. O. U. W. -

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TOWNLEY'S TILE AND BRICK MANUFACTORY.

"WEST END" CREAMERY, MILLERSBURG.

BIOGRAPHICAL.

     LEVI WILLITS

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     JOHN GEIGER.

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     THE GILMORE FAMILY. -

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     NICHOLAS EDWARDS,

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PORTRAIT OF
J. W. KIMEL

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acted as secretary, and Wilson made the motions.  The meeting was decidedly harmonious.  Mr. Edwards has for many years been a warm advocate of the temperance cause, and is at present directing his efforts and influence to assist in bringing about an entire prohibition of the manufacture and sale of spirituous, vinous and malt liquors.

     ALEXANDER McARTHUR,

     ISAAC N. DUNLAP,

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1877 he began dealing in boots and shoes in company with William Day; the latter died the next year, and he closed out soon after.  In September, 1879, he formed his present partnership with C. S. Richey, Esq., in general merchandising.

     BENJAMIN F. TOWNSLEY

     WILLIAM A. LORIMER,

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incumbency as an officeholder, and since his retirement from public business has occupied his present stand on the southwest corner of Seventh street and college avenue.  Mr. Lorimer was married in 1868 to Miss Orpha J. Calhoun.  They have had five children, three of which are dead.

     MORDECAI L. MARSH,

     JOHN G. McGUFFIN,

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     JAMES C. WRIGHT,

     WILLIAM WINDERS,

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     MARTIN BOYD,

     CHARLES F. DURSTON,

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     JOSEPH B. MOORE,

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     THOMAS MADDUX,

     CHARLES C. WORDIN,

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     WILLIAM HENRY HOLMES

     DANIEL T. HINDMAN,

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     HENRY KIMEL,

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     MARK CANNUM'S

     WM. McKEE,

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     CHARLES FREMONT CABEEN

     JAMES L. BENTLEY

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     MARTIN L. COFFLAND

     JACOB WILSON UNANGST

     SNOWDEN K. WHITE

     JOSEPH LAIR

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     HENRY NESBITT.

     JOSEPH OSCAR LUNDBLAD

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     WASHINGTON BOONE, grocer,

     GEORGE A. WRIGHT,

     HON. JOHN C. PEPPER

     WILLIAM B. FREW was born in 1829 in Allegheny county, Pennsyl-

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     ALEXANDER M. WOODS

     C. F. THEDE

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PORTRAIT OF
LORIMER JOHNSTON

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     JESSE MARKEE

     DR. GEORGE IRVIN

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     Among the many citizens of other states who formerly resided in this county there are a few who desire to live over their early life by perusing the pages of this history, and the number is JESSE W. McPHERREN, of Little Rock, Arkansas.  He was born in Jefferson county, Indiana, Feb. 1, 1847, and is the son of James McPherren, who still resides in this county.  His father was born June 7, 1808, in Pennsylvania; his mother, Apr. 1, 1805, in Rockbridge county, Virginia.  The family removed to Ohio Grove township, this county, in 1855.  His mother died Aug. 18, 1858, and was buried in the Candor Cemetery, in that township, leaving a husband, four daughters and six sons.  Jesse was educated in the public schools, principally at winter terms.  His youth was spent in Grant county, Indiana, Mercer county, Illinois, and Muskingum county, Ohio, mostly on a farm, until the age of fifteen, when he enlisted in Co. K, 87th Ohio Vol. Inf., for three months; was captured at the surrender of Harper's Ferry, Virginia, Sept.  17, 1862; was paroled and returned to Ohio; was discharged Oct. 3, 1862.  He returned to Mercer county, and spent the next summer on a farm near Aledo, and on Nov. 4, 1863, enlisted in Co. C., 11th Ill. Cav., at Quincy, Illinois, for three years; joined his regiment in the rear of Vicksburg in the following December, and remained with it in Tennessee and Mississippi until the close of the war, when it was mustered out of the service at Springfield, Illinois, Oct. 13, 1865.  He is one of six of one family who served in the late war; His father, James McPherren, enlisted in Co. A., 30th Ill. Inf., in 1861, and was discharged for disability in 1862.  His four brothers served as follows: James C., in Co.

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C, 35th Ill. Inf.; George and John S., in Co. H., 84th Ill. Inf.; and Andrew M. in 9th Ill. Cav.  Of the six all returned home but George, who fell at Murfreesborough, Tennessee, Jan, 1, 1863.  After leaving the service Jesse returned to Mercer county, in October, 1865, but did not remain long.  During the next few years he resided in a number of places: Newago county, Mich.; Boone county, Iowa; Cheyenne, and Bridger's Station, Wyoming Territory; Fairfield, Iowa; and St. Charles, Mo., returning to this county frequently.  In 1870, he went south, and on December 31 of that year landed at Wessen, Mississippi, where he remained until 1873, when he spent a few months in Kentucky, returning to Wessen in November.  Jan. 7, 1874, he met with an accident in the machine shops of that place, causing the loss of his left eye.  Was married Oct. 15, 1871, in Wesson; lost his eldest child in July, 1881, and his wife in August, 1881.  He has one child, a boy, aged four, and is again married.  In 1881, he removed to Little Rock, Arkansas, where he is now engaged in the drug business, and has secured a large and lucrative custom.  He was elected mayor of Wesson, Mississippi, in 1875, and re-elected in 1877; belongs to the Presbyterian church, the Masons, Odd-Fellows and Knights of Pythias.  His life has been one of constant labor; he has been a farmer, merchant, engineer; has engaged in saw-milling and railroading, and is now settled as a druggist.  While in some of these he has lost, he has, as a whole, been successful, and is now in comfortable circumstances.  He still cherishes a warm feeling for his old home and friends in Mercer county.

     LUCIEN B. DOUGHTY,

 

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     FRANCIS LEMON,

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     LOUIS D. HOLMES

     DR. D. R. JOHNSTON

     KENNETH M. WHITHAM

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     LUKE STRONG

     DR. JAMES A. CAMPBELL

     GEORGE M. COOT,

     JAMES H. RAMSEY,

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     JOHN F. McBRIDE,

     REV. THOMAS B. TURNBULL

     M. F. FELIX

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     TYLER McWHORTER

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     MILTON S. BOISE

     DR. E. B. DAVID

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     WILLIAM ANDERSON COLE

     JOHN WEBSTER DILLEY

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     BENJAMIN F. THOMPSON

     REV. JOHN T. HOYE

     J. M. WILLIS

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     CHARLES W. DETWILER

     LEWIS CASS DETWILER

     SAMUEL BROWN,

     LOAMMI BROWN,

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