Biographies

   C. E.Jones  C. E. JONES, prominently connected for thelast twelve years, as division road master between Bushnell, Illinois,and St. Louis, Missouri, of the St. Louis division of the Quincy Railroad,with headquarters at Beardstown, was born on a farm near Baldwinsville,New York, February 11, 1847. He was there reared and educated, becomingearly acquainted with hard work. At the age of sixteen, he enlisted inthe Scott’s Nine Hundred Cavalry, but before he reached the front he wasovertaken by his father, and compelled to return home. In 1863, he enlistedin Nine Hundred of New York State Militia, and served until July, 1864,when … Read more

    CharlesF. Johnson    CHARLES F. JOHNSON, practicalfarmer and truck-raiser of Beardstown, was born in Salem county, New Jersey,April 7, 1863. He lived in his native State until thirteen, when his parentscame to Cass county, setting in Beardstown. The father, Chalkley Johnson,followed his trade as a carpenter until February, 1884, when he and alltheir children, but one, Charles, went to Sedgwick county, Kansas, andsettled on a farm, where the father and mother both live. The latter’smaiden name was Luwesia Lippencott. Both were natives of Salem county,New Jersey, where they were reared, married and all their children wereborn. They had … Read more

    CharlesGotthelf Jokisch    CHARLES GOTTHELF JOKISCH, an old settlerand farmer of Cass county, now deceased, was born in Saxony, Germany, February27, 1819. He was one of nine children. His grandfather, believing thatopportunities for young men were better in the United States than in Germany,urged his two sons and their families to emigrate to this country. Thisthey did early in the thirties, and began in Cass county on Governmentland, and here the father of Gotthelf died in what is now Bluff Springsprecinct, at about the age of fifty. He had accumulated a fine propertyand left an estate valued at … Read more

    Cyrus Horrom   CYRUS HORROM dates his birth in Dearborn county, Indiana, September 4, 1820.  His father, Benjamin Horrom, was born in New York state, and when a young man moved to Ohio.  A few years later he continued his way westward, and took up his abode in Dearborn county, Indiana, where he lived till December, 1828. At that time he started with his wife and nine children for Illinois, making the removal with ox teams, and landing in Cass county the following March.  Here he entered a tract of Government land in township 18, range 10, and … Read more

    CarlTraugott Jokisch    CARL TRAUGOTT JOKISCH, a good farmer andstock-raiser of Sections twenty-eight and twenty-nine, township eighteen,range eleven west, was born in Germany near Bautzen, January 4, 1822. Heis the fifth of his father’s children and the oldest one now living. Hewas thirteen years of age when his parents left Germany for the UnitedStates in the fall of 1834, coming on a sailing vessel and landing in NewOrleans, January 1, 1835. They came up the Mississippi and Illinois riversto Beardstown, landing February 2, 1835, and have as a family since beenidentified with the history of the county. The … Read more

    ColumbusT. Walker    COLUMBUS T. WALKER, of Virginiaprecinct, is a native of Fauquier county, Virginia, born May 12, 1838.His parents were Solomon and Emma (Wilkins) Walker. Both were natives ofVirginia, father born in 1804, and the mother four years later. They removedto Cass county, Illinois, in 1855, and located on a farm near Virginia;here they both died, the mother in 1881, and the father in 1890. They hadnine children: William W., Darius N., Peter L., Columbus T., Mary F., ChurchillA., David T., Jennie E. and James T. Columbus T. was nineteenyears old when he came to this county, … Read more

 CaptainSylvester D. Nokes  CAPTAIN SYLVESTER D. NOKESwas born in Franklin county, New York, February 11, 1835. His father wasJohn Nokes, born March 20, 1809, and his grandfather was Jacob Nokes, ofNew England. He was a farmer who died at an advanced age in Brown county,Illinois, and his wife’s name was Mary —, who bore him seven children.She died in Brown county about ten years after her husband, aged eightyyears. John Nokes came West from New York in 1842, and settled in Browncounty on 160 acres of new land, it being part of his present farm. Hebrought his wife and six … Read more

  Capt.Christian W. Hite Contributedby Lela Hite [email protected] CaptainC.W. HITE was born in Licking County, Ohio, January 22d, 1838. His greatgrandfather Hughes, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and lived untilabout the year 1840.  His grandfather, Abraham Hite, was born in Virginiaand served his country as a soldier in the War of 1812.  His vocationwas that of a farmer.  He died at his residence in Licking County,Ohio.   His son, the father of the Captain, was born in lickingCounty, Ohio, in 1813, and at an early age her learned to blacksmith trade,following that business until 1846.  In 1836 he married … Read more

    DavidHerron     DAVID HERRON, a prominent farmer of Bainbridgetownship, was born in county Down, Ireland, in June, 1829,a son of Robert Herron, who was born inthe same county; the paternal grandfather, Robert Herron, was a nativeof Ireland, of Scotch ancestry. The father of our subject learned the tradeof linen weaver at a time when this work was done on hand looms, and followedthis occupation through life. He married Mary Cleland, a daughter of Thomasand Jane (Bell) Cleland, natives of Ireland, of Scotch lineage. After thedeath of her husband, Mrs. Herron emigrated to America, in 1850, and spentthe … Read more

    D.Marion Stover    D. MARION STOVER is the present superintendentof schools in Schuyler county, Illinois. He was born in Bainbridge township,this county, October 27, 1848, a son of Samuel Stover, a native of Pagecounty, Virginia, born in November, 1813; he was a son of Samuel Stover,whose father was also named Samuel Stover. The paternal great grandfather,who lived in Shenandoah county, Virginia, married Barbara Lionbarger. Thepaternal grandfather emigrated to Ohio in 1816, and was a pioneer of Lickingcounty; he purchased a tract of land on which was a log house and otherscant improvements; there were no market towns, and … Read more