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ILLINOIS GENEALOGY EXPRESS
A part of Genealogy Express
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Welcome to
Piatt County,
Illinois
History & Genealogy
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Biographies
Source:
Piatt County History
together with a
Brief History of Illinois
from the
Discovery of the Upper
Mississippi to the Present Time
by Emma C. Piatt
With Map and Illustrations.
1883
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Monticello Twp. -
MR. JAMES E. CAMPBELL, farmer,
Monticello, is a native of Ross county, Ohio. His parents were
from Kentucky and Pennsylvania, but lived and died in Ohio.
Mr. Campbell came to Sangamon county but lived and
died in Ohio. Mr. Campbell
came to Sangamon county in 1849 and visited in Piatt county, but did
not move here until 1865, when he settled in Sangamon township.
He moved to Sangamon county again in 1872, and in 1881 returned to
Piatt county and at present is living one mile east of Monticello,
on the place until lately known as the John Piatt farm.
Mr. Campbell was married in Sangamon county, to
Nancy J. Gipson. Seven of their ten children
are living. Mary Alice married John
Hickman; she died leaving two children. Mr.
Hickman married again and lives on Stringtown Lane.
George W., butcher, married Charity
Bensil, lives
~ Page 270 |
Blue Ridge Twp. -
MR. JOHN CAMPBELL, farmer, Farmer
City, is a native of Ohio. He moved to Logan county in 1866,
and in 1874 he bought a farm of over two hundred acres, which has
been his home for the last two years. The place was partially
improved when bought, but he has made some improvements and
anticipates making more. The place is hedged all around, and
about four hundred and forty trees have been planted. Near
fifteen thousand tile, about the first in that part of the township,
were shipped from Indiana and put into the farm. Mr.
Campbell has not yet succumbed to the wiles of Cupid.
At the present time Mr. Sanuel Dimm, wife and sons,
Frank P. and Simon, are living on
the place. In December, 1880, Frank Dimm
returned from Nebraska in a wagon. He was twenty days on the
road, suffering some hardships because of the extreme cold weather.
He met his parents in this county, and immediately began to make a
home for them. Simon has been teaching since coming to the
county.
~ Page 602 |
Cerro Gordo Twp. -
MR. JAMES R. CHAMBERS, a farmer near Cerro
Gordo, was born in Kentucky. His parents, who were of Scotch
and Irish lineage, and natives of the same state, settled in Macon
county about 1831. Some of their children are still living in
that county. James was married in 1848, in Macon
county, to Elizabeth Dickey, a native of Tennessee; they have
had eight children, seven of whom are living. Martha E.
lives at home. Wm. married Bell Gancher, has one
child, Guy, and lives on a farm near La Place. Isaac
married Lenora Wells, and lives in Macon county.
Lucy J., John, Margaret and Anna are all at home.
Mr. Chambers lived in Macon county until about 1860, when he
moved on a farm one mile north Cerro Gordo, where he has lived ever
since. When asked if he had held any offices, he remarked:
"Yes. I have had all I want." He has been school
director, trustee, road commissioner, assessor and supervisor.
Mr. Chambers owns 360 acres of land, upon which he has put
very near all of the improvements. The farm is in good
condition, well tiled and ditched; and five hundred trees have been
planted out. The crops on the place have all averaged well.
From sixty to seventy bushels of corn to the acre, however, have
been the highest. Mr. Chambers thinks that tiling is
the salvation of the county. In 1881, the residence was
remodeled, and it now contains seven rooms. Mr. Chambers
is one of the few old settlers who seems not to long for the "good
old times." He is very glad that he does not now have to go
through what he once did; that the market place are nearer than
Springfield and Chicago. He thinks, too, that it is a tendency
of the old settlers to underrate the hospitality of the people of
the present time.
Source: Piatt County History,
by Emma C. Piatt - With Map and Illustrations -
Publ. 1883 - Page 472 |
Cerro Gordo Twp. -
MR. WILLIAM H. CLAY, a farmer of Cerro Gordo
township, and owner of eighty acres of land, came to Piatt county
from Macon county in 1862. He was married in 1874, to Susan
Lutz. They have had four children, two of whom, Austin
L. and Elmer, are living. Mr. Clay went into
the army in Co. A, 116th Ill. Vols. He was in the engagement
at Resaca and went with Sherman to the sea. He was
wounded at Fort McAllister and had to remain in a hospital for
several months.
Source: Piatt County History,
by Emma C. Piatt - With Map and Illustrations -
Publ. 1883 - Page |
Cerro Gordo Twp. -
MR. V. B. CLIFTON, hardware merchant, Cerro
Gordo, is a native of DeWitt county, Illinois. He moved from
DeWitt to Macon county and in 1865 settled in Willow Branch township
in Piatt county. In 1869 he moved into Cerro Gordo, where for
a time he was in the milling and grain business, but in 1876 or 1877
he went into the hardware store. He was married in 1862, to
Jane Lucas, and has had six children, five of whom are living,
Josephine, Anna, Gilmer, Eddie and Oscar. He
went into the army from DeWitt county in 1862, in Co. D, 107th Ill.
The principal engagements in which he participated were those of
Knoxville, Franklin, Louden and Campbell Station.
Source: Piatt County History,
by Emma C. Piatt - With Map and Illustrations -
Publ. 1883 - Page 473 |
Cerro Gordo Twp. -
MR. W. E. CODDINGTON, grocer and merchant of
La Place, is a native of Ohio. From there he moved to Illinois
and in 1879 located in Piatt county. He owns a residence and
three lots in La Place and was married about 1872, to Dora
Coffeen.
Source: Piatt County History,
by Emma C. Piatt - With Map and Illustrations -
Publ. 1883 - Page 473 |
Cerro Gordo Twp. -
MR. DANIEL CONKLIN, hotel keeper, Cerro Gordo,
was born in New York, and moved from there to Macon county,
Illinois, about 1851, after farming a year near Sycamore. He
laid out the town he called "West Danville," building the mill and
other houses there. He came a Piatt county in 1857, and at
that time there were but three or four houses in Cerro Gordo, his
being the fifth or sixth house in town. He says his
grandfather helped to take and hang Major Andre, in the
revolutionary war. Mr. Conklin has been constable
several terms, and has caught many thieves. He considers
himself the man who ferreted out John Huffman, who killed Julius
Ccumby near Milmine, and was caught in Oregon. Mr.
Conklin has traveled some in the west, and is familiarly and
notoriously known as "Uncle Dan." When he first went to
Cerro Gordo he was a merchant, then kept groceries and general
merchandise, but has been keeping hotel for ten or twelve years.
Mr. Conklin was married in 1845, to Sarah Kelsey, and
has had three children, who are all dead. His wife owns a
house and several business houses in town.
Source: Piatt County History,
by Emma C. Piatt - With Map and Illustrations -
Publ. 1883 - Page 474 |
Cerro Gordo Twp.
MR. ALEXANDER COX, with Pitts & Green,
Cerro Gordo, is a native of Woodford county, Kentucky, and moved
from there direct to Cerro Gordo, May 22, 1856, where he has since
resided. His grandfather and great-uncle were in the war of
1812, and one great-uncle served seven years under Washington in the
revolutionary war. His forefathers have been in America since
the settlement of the country. Mr. Alexander Cox was in
the Mexican war, went from Kentucky, and served under Col.
Humphrey. He was under Zachariah Taylor, sat and
chatted with him many a day. He was in the battle of Buena
Vista, and in several skirmishes; was often shot at but felt o fear
of being injured. When he left he was in poor heath, but
returned much improved. When Mr. Cox first came here
all was open prairie; his brother remarked "if you lived here one
hundred years you will always have plenty of pasture." At that
time there were only four houses in Cerro Gordo, depot, store-room,
Mr. Cole's and Mr. McKinney's, first first dwellings
begin built in the fall of 1855. Mr. Cox owns a farm of
eighty acres one mile from Cerro Gordo, and also lot and residence.
He improved one farm of 160 acres, which he sold. The subject
of our sketch was married in 1849, to Hettie H. Price, and
has six children living. Elizabeth, who is the wife of
Andrew Burns, lives in Denver, Colorado, and has three
children; Alexander H. married Anna Zimmerman,
lives in Decatur, and has two children; Chas. B. is with
Lynn & Scruggs; Matilda is at home; Hetty M. is the wife
of Chas. A. Bowlby, lives at Fairmount, and has one child;
John G. lives at home, and is night operator on the Wabash
railroad.
Source: Piatt County History,
by Emma C. Piatt - With Map and Illustrations -
Publ. 1883 - Page 472 |
Cerro Gordo Twp. -
MR. MATTHEW CREIGHTON, farmer near Cerro
Gordo, is a native of Delaware. He moved to Ohio in 1840, and
in 1852 settled in Piatt county. For the first year he lived
in the Ater settlement, and then in 1853 moved to where he
now lives. He owns 560 acres of land, upon which he has put
all the improvements, including the putting out of hedges and the
planting of about two hundred trees. His present residence was
built in 1860. Mr. Creighton was married in 1849, to
Maria Grove, and has had eight children, four of whom are
living. John R. married Rosa Huff, and lives in
Cerro Gordo township; Noah, Sarah and Mary Etta are at
home.
Source: Piatt County History,
by Emma C. Piatt - With Map and Illustrations -
Publ. 1883 - Page 473 |
Cerro Gordo Twp. -
MR. E. CRIPE, blacksmith and wagonmaker, Cerro
Gordo, was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, and moved from there to
Carroll county, Indiana and thence to Macon county, Illinois, in
1861; from there to Piatt county in 1862, locating in Cerro Gordo
township. He moved into the town of Cerro Gordo and was for
seven years engaged in the mill, and then opened a shop. He
owns his residence and about three acres, and the shop with the lot
on which it is built. Mr. Cripe was married in 1850, to
Mary Zech, and has four children living, John (see his
name); Daniel, who was married about 1874, to Mary E.
Carver, and has three children; Flora Belle, Artilla and
Sylvan E.; Daniel is with his father in the wagon and blacksmith
shop; he owns a house and lot; Josephus and Allen are
unmarried.
Source: Piatt County History,
by Emma C. Piatt - With Map and Illustrations -
Publ. 1883 - Page 473 |
Cerro Gordo Twp. -
MR. ELI CRIPE, a farmer near La Place, is a
native of Indiana, from which state he moved to Macon county in
1858. In 1876 he moved to Piatt county, where he owns forty
acres of land. He was married in Macon county, to Matilda
Funk, and has had four children, three of whom, Simon, John
and Levi, are living. Mr. and Mrs. Cripe belong
to the German Baptist church.
Source: Piatt County History,
by Emma C. Piatt - With Map and Illustrations -
Publ. 1883 - Page 474 |
Cerro Gordo Twp. -
MR. J. CRIPE, hardware merchant, Cerro Gordo,
is a native of Indiana. HE moved to Illinois in 1861, and to
Cerro Gordo in 1863. He became a partner in the hardware store
of Clifton & Cripe in 1881, and owns a residence and
two lots in Cerro Gordo. Mr. Cripe and Laura V.
Calloway were united in marriage in 1876. They have one
son, Harry Elmer.
Source: Piatt County History,
by Emma C. Piatt - With Map and Illustrations -
Publ. 1883 - Page 474 |
Cerro Gordo Twp. -
Source: Piatt County History,
by Emma C. Piatt - With Map and Illustrations -
Publ. 1883 - Page |
NOTES:
* Picture
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