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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.




SPRINGER, Rev. FRANCIS, D. D., was born, March 19, 1810, at Roxburry, Franklin county, Pa. When a young man, he learned the business of sign and ornamental painting. He received his literary education in Pennsylvania College, and his theolgical studies were pursued at the Theological Seminary of the Lutheran church, both located at Gettysburg, Pa. He also studied under two distinguished ministers, one at Otsego, and the other at Schohaire, N. Y. He paid his expenses by occasionally working at his trade, and teaching school. He was licensed to preach by the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Maryland, Oct. 18, 1836, and was ordained by the same body Oct. 17, 1837. He was married April 11, 1837, to Mary Kriegh, at Clear Springs, Washington county, Md. She was born Feb. 28, 1815, in that county. He taught school and preached in that vicinity from October, 1836, for about two and a half years. They had one child in Maryland, and moved to Springfield, Illinois, arriving May, 1839, where four children were born. In 1847 he moved to Hillsboro, Ill., where they had two children, and in 1855 moved back to Springfield, where they had one child. Of their children--

MARY E., born March 25, 1838, in Maryland, lives with her parents.

PHIL. M., born July 15, 1840, in Springfield, is unmarried, and is of the firm of Springer Bros., stock breeders, in the southeast corner of Clear Lake township, Sangamon county. Their address is Springfield. Phil. M. Springer is Treasurer and Assistant Secretary of the American Berkshire Association. Office in Springfield, Ill.

IDA M., born March 11, 1842, in Springfield, married Henry L. Sanford, They have three children, MARY S., ANNIE E. and FRANCIS S., and live near Elkhart, Logan county, Ill.

JOHN G., was born March 13, 1844, in Springfield. He enlisted Sept. 20, 1861, for three years in Co. B, 10th Ill. Cav., was appointed sergeant major and commissioned second lieutenant of Co. I, March, 13, 1862, and commissioned first lieutentant May 10, 1864, and commissioned quartermaster of the regiment Dec. 31, 1864. At the expiration of his first term, he re-enlisted as a veteran, was with the regiment at San Antonio, Texas, when it was discharged, in November, 1865, and received his final discharge at Springfield in February, 1866. He was in the third district internal revenue department of Arkansas, as clerk and assistant assessor from December, 1866, to June, 1873, and was married at Fort Smith, Arkansas, September 29, 1868, to Frances A. Stratton. They have three children, FRANCIS S., JOHN P. and MIRIAM ESTELLA, and reside at Fayetteville, Arkansas. He is still in the government employ.

CHARLES W., born Oct. 5, 1846, in Springfield, enlisted May 11, 1864, in Co. A, 133d Ill. Inf. for one hundred days. He served until Sept. 24, 1864, and was honorably discharged. Is unmarried and is a practicing lawyer at Hillsborough, Ill.

FRANCIS K., born Dec. 21, 1848, at Hillsboro, Illinois, married in Sangamon county, Feb. 20, 1872, to Eveline H. Nesbitt. They have two children, HENRY and SAMUEL FRANCIS and live in the southeast corner of Clear Lake township, Sangamon county, Ill. Is of the firm of Springer Bros.

LAURA L., born Nov. 20, 1850, in Hillsboro, died Oct. 25, 1860, at Springfield, Illinois.

ANNIE G., born Aug. 1, 1858, in Springfield, lives with her parents.

Rev. Francis Springer commenced teaching soon after his arrival in Springfield, and continued to teach and preach until 1847, when he moved to Hillsboro, Ill., as President of Hillsboro, College. That institution was moved to Springfield in 1852, as Illinois State University. These were both under the direction and patronage of the Lutheran church. He resigned in 1855. He was afterwards school commissioner of Sangamon county, and was superintendent of schools for the city of Springfield, which position he resigned, and became chaplain of the 10th Ill. Cav., soon after the beginning of the rebellion in 1861. A short time after the battle of Prairie Grove, Ark.--Dec. 7, 1862--he united with Dr. James Johnson in raising a loyal regiment in Arkansas, of which he became chaplain. It was the 1st Ark. Inf. He was appointed in 1863 post chaplain at Fort Smith, which he held until 1867, when he resigned, and returned to his family, at Springfield. In 1870 he moved to Irving, Montgomery county, Ill., and continued preaching until the fall of 1873, when he was elected superintendent of schools for Montgomery county, with his office at Hillsboro, Ill. He continues to preach, as opportunity offers, and fully believes that the only reforming influence in the world is Christianity. Rev. Francis Springer is a man of lively sympathy with the rest of mankind, without regard to race, color, nationality or religion. He has large faith in the perfectability of the human race by means of the labors and experiences of the life that now is, and the hereafter. His orthodoxy, as a religious man, does not descend to the minute particulars of a creed, but confides mainly in the cardinal fact of Christianity, that the only true ennobling of the race must be wrought out under the recognized leadership of the word's Redeemer "the Christ of God."

The degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred on Rev. Francis Springer in 1869 by Wittenburg College, Springfield, Ohio.




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