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EARLY SETTLERS OF SANGAMON COUNTY - 1876
By John Carroll Power

These biographies were submitted by a researcher and evidently abstracted from the 1876 History of Sangamon County, IL. Errors could occur, so one should always verify the correctness by obtaining copies of vitals and performing all necessary research to document what is contained herein.




MATHENY, CHARLES R., born March 6, 1786, in Loudon county, Va. When a young man he visited his brother at Crab Orchard, Ky., and was there licensed to preach, by the proper authority, in the M. E. church. He went, in 1805, as missionary, under the auspices of that church, to that part of the North-Western territory which afterwards became St. Clair county, Ill. In addition to preaching he studied and practiced law. He was married in 1806, in St. Clair county, Ill. to Jemima Ogle, who was born in that county, Oct. 26, 1787. Her father, Captain Joseph Ogle, emigrated from Pennsylvania very early, and was a prominent actor in the Indian wars and other events connected with the early history of the country. Ogle county, in the northern part of Illinois, was named in honor of his memory. C. R. Matheny was elected in 1817, representative in the Territorial Legislature, which mct at Kaskaskia, Ill., and was clerk of the House during the winters of 1820 and '21. C. R. Matheny and wife had seven children in St. Clair county, Ill., and when the law was enacted for the organization of Sangamon county, he was induced by the tender of the office of county clerk, county auditor, circuit clerk, and some other prospective advantages, to come to Springfield, arriving in the spring of 1821, where four children were born. Of their eleven children--

MARY, born April 13, 1837, in St. Clair county, was married in Springfield to Robert Thompson. See his name.

MATILDA, born August 29, 1809, in St. Clair county, was married in Springfield, Illinois, to Gershom Keyes. See his name.

LUCY, born Mar. 13, 1811, in St. Clair county, was married in Springfield to P. Asbury Sanders, who was born in Loudon county, Va., and came to Sangamon county in 1828. Mrs. Lucy Sanders died, Feb. 8, 1836, leaving one son, CHARLES M., who went to California in 1857, and was last heard from by his friends in Springfield in the Union army. P. A. Sanders married Margaret Ogden. They have two sons in Springfield.

LORENZO DOW, born March 25, 1813, in St. Clair county, Ill., studied medicine in Springfield, Ill., under Dr. J. M. Early, and served in the Black Hawk war. He graduated in the spring of 1836, in the medical department of Transylvania University, Lexington, Kentucky, the first native of Illinois to obtain that distinction, and the second citizen of Sangamon county to graduate in any medical college, Dr. Geo. M. Harrison being the first. See his name. Dr. L. D. Matheny had just engaged in the practice of medicine under flattering circumstances, when he died, Feb. 7, 1837, in Springfield, Illinois.

NOAH W., born July 31, 1815, in St. Clair county, Illinois. He assisted his father in the county clerk's office as soon as he could write. At his father's death Noah was appointed clerk pro tem., by the county court, and in Nov., 1839, he was elected to fill the unexpired term of his father. He was afterwards elected for eight successive terms, of four years each. He was married in Springfield, August 22, 1843, to Elizabeth J. Stamper, daughter of the Rev. Dr. Jonathan Stamper, of the M. E. church. She was born April 18, 1825, in Bourbon county, Ky. Noah W. Matheny and wife have four children, all born in Springfield. WILLIAM S., SAMUEL O., EDWARD C. and FANNIE, who reside with their parents. Mr. Matheny served as county clerk until 1873. He served ten or twelve years as deputy for his father, and thirty-four years by election. He is now--1876--President of the First National Bank, Springfield, Ill., and resides in the city.

JAMES H., born Oct. 30, 1818, in St. Clair county, was brought up in Springfield. At fifteen years of age he we employed as clerk in the Postoffice and Recorder's office, transacting the business of both offices. The two now have grown to require the services of at least twenty men. J. H. Matheny was appointed deputy clerk of the State Supreme Court for 1839 and '40. In 1841 he became deputy in the circuit clerk's office. He was married in Springfield, Feb. 11, 1845, to Maria L. Lee, who was born in 1827, in Carrolton, Ill. They have seven children, all born in Springfield. LEE is now clerk in the Postoffice, Springfield, Ill. EDWARD DOW, born Dec. 4, 1847, studied law with his father, and is a member of the law firm of Matheny, McGuire & Matheny, Springfield, Illinois. LUCY, NORA, JAMES H., Jun.,

RALPH C. and ROBERT W; the five latter live with their parents. J. H. Matheny was a member of the constitutional convention of 1848. He was elected circuit clerk in 1852 for four years, after which he was commissioned Lieutenant Colonel of the 130th Ill. Inf. After the capture of Vicksburg he was on detached duty, holding military courts until 1864, when his regiment was consolidated with another, and he resigned. In Nov., 1873, he was elected Judge of Sangamon county for four years, and resides in Springfield, Ill.

In 1840 ten young men, who had been brought up in the vicinity of Springfield, and had not seen much of the world, or heard a great man speak, learned that Henry Clay was to make a speech at Nashville, Tenn., at a certain time. They fitted up an old prairie stage, put on a cover, provided themselves with tents and provisions, and in August, 1840, Benjamin A. Watson, Henry Oswald, Daniel Woodworth, Edna Moore, Stanislaus P. Lalumere, John H. Craighead, Oliver P. Bowen, Benoni Bennett, Moreau Phillips and James H. Matheny started in their wagon, drawn by four horses, and driven by Phillips. They camped out at night, did their own cooking, and sung the stirring campaign songs of that year in passing through every town and village. In some places they were applauded, at others jeered, and occasionally they were pelted with stale eggs, but they sang through it all, were on time to hear Clay's speech, and were invited on the platform. They sung some of their spirited songs, creating quite a furore, saw a crowd of forty thousand men, ten times as many as they had ever seen before, and returned home as they went, having been out five weeks, and traveled about one thousand miles. They felt well paid for their time, labor and expense. James H. Matheny delivered the oration at the first meeting of early settlers in Sangamon county, Ill. He is the senior member of the firm of Matheny, McGuire & Matheny, of Springfield, Ill., and is now (1876) Judge of the Sangamon county court.

CHARLES W., born Sept. 27, 1820, in St. Clair county, was married in Springfield, Feb. 13, 1845, to Margaret Condell. a native of Pennsylvania. They had three children--HELEN, born Jan., 1846, died Jan., 1864. CHARLES O. and GEORGE H. reside with their parents. Charles W. Matheny was for many years engaged in merchandizing in Springfield, and now--1876--resides in the city.

A. ELIZABETH, born Nov. 28, 1823, in Sangamon county, resides with her sister, Mrs. Whitehurst.

ELIJAH COOK, born June 13, 1826, in Springfield, crossed the Plains in 1849, and remained on the Pacific coast until 1854, when he returned, and was married Feb. 3, 1857, in Springfield, to Alletta L. Vannordstran. They had two children, JOHN R. and LOUISA I. Mrs. Matheny died in June, 1864, and he was married, in 1865, to Mrs. Naomi L. Rittenhouse, a native of Pennsylvania, whose maiden name was Schroyer. She has two children by a former marriage, CHARLES E. and LOUIS PERCY Rittenhouse. Mr. and Mrs. Matheny have three children, MIMA, PHILLIPS G., and ADA L., who reside with their parents. E. C. Matheny was deputy United States Marshal about nine years, for the southern district of Illinois, and during that time sold over $2,000,000 worth of confiscated property, at Cairo. He resides in Springfield, Illinois.

MARIA C., born Aug. 10, 1829, in Springfield, was married, June 12, 1849, to Stephen S. Whitehurst. They had seven children--MIMI, born April 13, 1854, in Springfield, Ill., was marrie there, Jan. 13, 1876, to George H. Helmle, who was born Feb. 5, 1853, in Springfield. G. H. Helmle was elected town clerk, in the spring of 1874, and again in 1875, and was elected assessor in 1876. He is an architect, and resides in Springfield. MARY, MEREDITH HELM, LIZZIE M., CARRIE M., SUSIE M. and REGINALD GWYNN, live with their mother. Stephen S. Whitehurst died, May 19, 1875, and Mrs. Whitehurst and family reside in Springfield, Illinois.

EMILY R., born March 16, 1832, in Springfield, was married there, Sept. 25, 1860, to Benjamin C. McQuesten. They have one child, BENJAMIN, and moved in 1869 to Ottawa, Kansas, where Mr. McQuesten is engaged in banking, and where he and his family reside.

Charles R. Matheny held the office of county clerk until his death, which occurred Oct. 10, 1839. Mrs. Jemima Matheny died Feb. 23, 1858, both in Springfield, Illinois.




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