Biographical Sketch of Aris Galbreath

Aris Galbreath, farmer; P. O. Rardin; was born in Nicholas Co., Ky., Jan. 20, 1812. His parents removed to Scott Co., Ind., when he was 2 years of age, where he lived until 18 years of age, when he emigrated with his mother to Illinois and located in Edgar Co., in the Fall of 1830, where he engaged as farm laborer for two years at $8 per month; in 1832, he located in Ashmore Tp., Coles Co., Ill., working one year for $100, out of which he saved money to enter 40 acres of land, which he improved one year, … Read more

Biography of A. T. Robertson, M. D.

A. T. Robertson, M. D., physician and surgeon, dealer in drugs, medicines, etc., Ashmore; was born in Sumner Co., Tenn., June 30, 1834; his father, Rev. John H. Robertson, was born in Virginia, and removed to Tennessee with his parents when but a boy; in 1829, he came to Coles Co., and engaged in teaching school near the present city of Charleston; his name appears on the records as the second person to whom letters of administration were granted in Coles Co.; in 1832, he returned to Tennessee, where he was ordained a minister of the M. E. Church, and … Read more

Biography of Eli Dudley

Eli Dudley, farmer and stock-raiser; P. O. Ashmore; was born in Coles Co. Jan. 17, 1840, being a son of Guilford and Mary (Wiley) Dudley; to trace the genealogy of the Dudley family from its origin, it would be necessary to begin with the Earl of Dudley, of Dudley Castle, in Staffordshire, England, in the fourteenth century, and follow down through a long line of earls, barons, etc.; this is not our purpose, but we can say that the genealogy is complete and authentic from that point to the subject of the present sketch; the first of the family to … Read more

Biography of S. C. Swinford

S. C. Swinford, farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 7; P. O. Oakland; born in Harrison Co., Ky., Oct. 4, 1825, where he attended school until 13 years of age, when he emigrated with his parents to Putnam Co., Ind., where he engaged upon his father’s farm until 1844, at which time he engaged for two years farming on shares, and early in the winter of 1847, employed a team to transport himself, family and such goods as he was possessed of to Illinois, where he arrived upon the 17th of February, 1847, having paid out his last dollar to defray expenses … Read more

Biography of William S. Childress

William S. Childress, farmer and stock-raiser; P. O. Ashmore; was born in Knox Co., East Tenn., April 11, 1827; he is a son of Richard and Rebecca Childress. In 1831, his father removed to Edgar Co., and settled just on the line between Illinois and Indiana. In 1848, Mr. Childress came to Coles Co., being the first of the family to settle here, his father following in the spring of 1849; his father died about 1862; his mother still survives, and now resides in Farmington, in Coles Co., at the age of 75 years. Mr. C. was married April 30, … Read more

Biography of Hezekiah J. Ashmore

Hezekiah J. Ashmore, deceased, late of Ashmore, and for whom the township and village was named, was born in Kentucky Sept. 30, 1802; he was a son of Samuel and Letitia (Guthrie) Ashmore; his parents removed to Murray Co., Tenn., when he was a child, and when he was about 12 years old to Illinois, settling on the Wabash River, about twelve miles south of Terre Haute. He was married May 24, 1825, to Miss Elizabeth Black, a daughter of John Black; she was born in Muhlenburg Co., Ky., Dec. 10, 1807, and came at the age of 4 years … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Fountain Turner

Fountain Turner, farmer and stock-raiser; P. O. Ashmore; one of the pioneers of Coles Co.; was born in Madison Co., Ky., Feb. 3, 1795, being the son of Thomas and Anna Turner, and the second in age of a family of three children; his father was from South Carolina, and his mother from Virginia; he was but 3 years of age when his father died. He was married Dec. 7, 1818, to Miss Elizabeth Phelps, a daughter of Jarrot and Millie Phelps; she was born in Madison Co., Ky., Feb. 12, 1803; her parents were both natives of Virginia. Mr. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Nelson R. Green

Nelson R. Green, farmer and stock-raiser; P. O.; was born in Miami Co., Ohio, Dec. 25, 1830; he is a son of James and Elizabeth (Heminway) Green, and accompanied his parents in their various removals given in their biography, and in 1850, came permanently to Coles Co.; he worked at various employments until 1854, when he was married on the 19th of January, to Miss Mary E. Brown, the eldest daughter of Jobe W. and Martha R. Brown, of Ashmore; she was born at the Walnut. Grove, in Edgar Co., 1834; they have nine children – Jonathan W., George A.. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Harvey B. Ashmore

Harvey B. Ashmore, farmer and stock-raiser; P. O. Ashmore; was born in this township Nov. 1, 1849, being a son of Hezekiah J. and Elizabeth Ashmore. When about 15 years old, he engaged in mercantile business in Ashmore, in which he continued about two years. He then engaged in dealing in stock, which he has followed ever since. In 1871, he settled on his present farm adjoining the village of Ashmore, containing 510 acres of land, with fine improvements. He also owns another farm of 80 acres two and a half miles northwest of the village. Mr. Ashmore is largely … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Nathaniel Wicker

Nathaniel Wicker, farmer and stock-raiser; P. O. Ashmore; was born in Pike Co., Ohio, Sept. 21, 1820; he is a son of James and Elizabeth Wicker, the former a native of North Carolina, and the latter of Kentucky; in 1838, the family came to Illinois, spending a part of the winter in Indiana, and arriving in Edgar Co., in February, 1839; they settled at the Walnut Grove, where his parents resided till their death; in 1848, Mr. Wicker, taking the younger members of his father’s family, removed to Coles Co., and settled in Ashmore Tp.; his first marriage occurred March … Read more

Biographical Sketch of A. T. Steele, M. D.

A. T. Steele, M. D., physician and surgeon, Ashmore, is a native of Illinois; he was born in Clark Co. June 28, 1844; he is a son of Oliver P. Steele, a native of the city of Philadelphia, who came to Clark Co. in 1837, where he resided till his death, which occurred Oct. 2, 1872; his mother was Nancy K. Twilley, who was born in Kentucky, and came to Illinois with her in 1832. Dr. Steele was raised on the farm; in 1863, he enlisted in Co. C, 62d Ill. Vols., serving till Feb. 1865; he participated in the … Read more

Biography of William F. Austin

William F. Austin, of the firm of Austin, Brown & Kimball, dealers in hardware, lumber, agricultural implements, furniture, etc.; P. O. Ashmore; is a native of Coles Co., being a son of John and Susan (Carter) Austin; his father was born near Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 9, 1809, and came with his father’s family to the county in about 1828 ;his father, William Austin, took up a farm, comprising the site of the present village of Ashmore. Mr. Austin was married Oct. 15, 1835, to Miss Susan Carter, a daughter of John and Mary Carter, both natives of East Tennessee; she … Read more

Biography of Joshua Ricketts

Joshua Ricketts, dealer in grain and produce, groceries, glassware, queens-ware, etc., Ashmore; was born in Muskingum Co., Ohio, March 13, 1821. He is a son of Joshua and Sarah (Taylor) Ricketts. He remained at home until he was 13 years old, when he went to Knox County, Ohio, and engaged in study with a view to preparing for the ministry, but meeting with a change in his religious belief he abandoned the idea and engaged in farming, afterward learning the trade of a marble cutter. At the age of 23 he went to Coshocton, Ohio, and followed farming for a … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Thomas Jefferson Wilson

Thomas Jefferson Wilson was born in. Barren Co., Ky., on Nov. 22, 1825, and moved to Greensburg, Green Co., Ky., in 1847, where, on June 8, 1848, he was married to Lucy Ann Hutchason; he was a wagon-maker by trade; Lucy Ann Hutchason was born in Greensburg, Ky., on June 27, 1826; in April, 1857, Mr. Wilson removed with his family to Charleston, Ill., where he went into the employ of L. R. & B. M. Hutchason, his brothers-in-law, who were in the dry goods trade. On Jan. 12, 1859, his wife died in Charleston. In 1860, he began business … Read more

Biography of O. D. Hawkins

O. D. Hawkins, farmer and stock-raiser, Ashmore; was born in Fleming Co., Ky., Feb. 28, 1822; he is a son of Gregory R. and Elizabeth (Ballard) Hawkins, the former a native of Maryland and the latter of Kentucky; when he was about 8 years old, his parents removed to Scott Co., Ind., and in 1841, to Coles Co., settling about two and one-half miles west of Ashmore; they landed here on the 4th of March, the day on which Gen. Harrison was inaugurated President of the United States; his father died here in 1868, and his mother in 1873. They … Read more

Biography of Thomas W. Hallock

Thomas W. Hallock, farmer and stock-raiser; P. O. Ashmore; was born in Dutchess Co., N. Y., Jan. 20, 1811; he was raised on a farm until he was 15 years old, and then went to Troy, N. Y., where he learned the trade of a coachmaker; he worked for Eaton & Gilbert, at that time one of the largest coachmaking firms in the country; he helped to build the first railway-coach in this country, in 1829; this coach was run on the Amboy & Burtontown R. R., and was drawn by horses. Going to New York City in 1833, he … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Thomas Woods

Thomas Woods, farmer and stock-raiser; P. O. Westfield, Clark Co., was born in Coles Co., on the homestead, where he now resides, July 12, 1848; his father, William Woods, one of the pioneers of the county, was born in Madison Co., Ky., Nov. 28, 1808, and settled in Coles Co. in the year 1834, with the family of his mother, Mrs. Mary Woods; like most of the early settlers, he came here a poor man, to build him a home in the then wilderness; he purchased- at first forty acres of land; he was an energetic, hard-working man, who commanded … Read more

Biographical Sketch of J. B. Moore

J. B. Moore, farmer and stock-raiser; P. O. Ashmore; was born in Butler Co., Ohio, July 22, 1836; he is a son of William S. and Julia A. (Eddingfield) Moore; his father, an early settler of Butler Co., having come from his native State, New Jersey, at the age of 4 years; his mother was born in Ohio, her parents being from Pennsylvania. In 1862, his father removed West with his family, spending the summer in Vigo Co., Ind., and coming to Coles County in the fall; he resided in Ashmore until his death, Feb. 8, 1875; his father was … Read more

Biography of John H. Johnson

John H. Johnson (deceased), farmer and minister; born in Washington Co., Penn., Dec. 12, 1812, where he attended school in his youth-the last few years at the college at Waynesburg, Penn.; after which he was licensed as a minister of the C. P. Church, officiating as circuit preacher until his removal to Ohio, where he was settled as local preacher for three years, until his removal to Coles Co., Ill., about the year 1854, where he first settled as Pastor of the C. P. Church in Ashmore Tp. for several years; then in Morgan Tp. until 1868; at the above … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Orlando F. Ashmore

Orlando F. Ashmore, son of Hezekiah and Elizabeth Ashmore, was born about two and a half miles northwest of the village of Ashmore, June 10, 1845. He was raised on the farm until he was of age, and then engaged in the grocery business in Ashmore, and has been engaged alternately in the grocery and dry goods business until a short time ago. He was married Oct. 12, 1865, to Miss Margaret J. Barnett, a daughter of James Barnett of Lincoln Co., Ky. She was born near Stanford, in that county, Nov. 27, 1842. They have had five children, three … Read more