nine hundred and forty-three. During his first session he introduced some very important bills in regard to the school system. He is a Royal Arch Mason, and was master of Modena Lodge four years. Mr. Taylor and family are highly respected members of society.

H. R. THOMPSON

Was born in this county, February 7, 1852. His father, Milton V. Thompson, is not the oldest settler in the county, but one of the best known men and the most extensive land owners. H. R. Thompson received a fine business education at Grand River College. On the 4th of November, 1874, at the age of twenty-three years, he was united in marriage to Miss Hattie McClure, a native of Scotland county, Missouri, born December 9, 1855, daughter of William and Mary Jane McClure. Her father died in 1865, and her mother is still living, in Daviess county. By this union they have had two children; namely, Maud, born October 14, 1876; and Willove, born October 31, 1878, died September 28, 1879.

Mr. Thompson, in August, 1875, moved on his farm in Washington township, acknowledged to be one of the best in Grundy county. Here he makes a specialty of sheep husbandry, having a choice flock of graded Cotswold and Merino. He is highly esteemed for his strict business integrity, and he and his excellent wife are noted for their hospitality and social qualities.

P. W. THOMPSON,

Son of Milton V. Thompson, a well-known resident of Grundy county, was born in Grundy county, Missouri, August 29, 1850. He is a grandson of Dr. Wm. P. Thompson, who is still remembered as the first regular physician that practiced in Grundy county, and who settled in this county in

1833.

P. W. Thompson finished his education at Grand River College, having taken a five years' course. At the age of twenty-one he located upon his farm and kept house by himself until April 1, 1875, when he married Miss Huldah Webster, a native of Athens county, Ohio, born January 25, 1851; a daughter of Charles and Hannah Webster, who settled in Grundy county, in 1865. Her father died January 2, 1871, and her mother April 14, 1876. Mrs. Thompson only lived about one year after her marriage, died February 19, 1876. June 22, 1878, Mr. Thompson married Miss Olive F. Webster, a sister to his first wife. She was born March 10, 1847. By this union two children have been born: Milton, born May 8, 1879, died September 26, 1880; and Paschal, born February 24, 1881. Mr. Thompson is possessed of five hundred and three acres of very fine land, all well improved and heavily stocked. He makes a specialty of graded cattle, having at present a herd of one hundred and seventy head. He is a thorough-going business man, has filled various offices and is a man in whom the community has the most implicit confidence.

DANIEL WELCH

Was born in Virginia, February 3, 1822. His parents, Christopher and Elizabeth Welch, moved to Ohio in 1834, and after living there seven years, moved to Crawford county, Illinois. His mother died in 1840, and his father in 1854. The subject of our sketch learned the carpenter's trade and worked at that business about fifteen years, since which time he has been engaged in farming and stock-dealing. He married, November 9, 1845, Miss Sarah A. Irwin. She was born in Licking county, Ohio, May 30, 1827; a daughter of Elijah and Mary Irwin. Her father died September 17, 1879, in the seventy-ninth year of his age; her mother is still living, in the seventy-eighth year of her age. Mr. Welch in 1854 located in Grundy county and has since lived here with the exception of eighteen months spent in Wapello county, Iowa. He had no financial help in starting in life, but has become wealthy and is now one of the leading farmers and stock-dealers in the county. Mr. and Mrs. Welch had two children; namely, William B., born April 24, 1849; and Mandilla, born August 7, 1846. Mandilla was the wife of John Johnson, who died January 4, 1865, and afterwards became the wife of William Houseman; she died February 8, 1879. By her marriage with Mr. Johnson she had one child, William H. Johnson, born August 30, 1855, now making his home with his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Welch; he is a young man of fine business qualifications and is already accumulating considerable property. His grandparents on his father's side, Alvin and Jestin Johnson, are still living in the county, and were among the first settlers of Harrison township and are yet among thẻ most honored and esteemed.

MRS. JULIA K. WILD,

Widow of Emery Wild, deceased, was born in Bedford county, Pennsylvania, December 17, 1855, a daughter of Philip and Mary Steckman. She came with her parents, when five years of age, to Brown county, Illinois, and lived there till 1871, when they located in Grundy county. Her father died November 2, 1880, and her mother is still living in this county. She was married to Emery Wild, July 4, 1876. He was a native of Grundy county, born July 12, 1837, and said to be the first white child born in the county. He was a son of Philip and Sallie Wild. His father died October

4, 1864, and his mother September 22, 1875. Mr. Wild had previously been married to Miss Susanna Markwood, and by that marriage there were seven children; viz., Robert, born June 15, 1861; Araminta, born April 7, 1863, died March 22, 1868; Sallie, born June 2, 1866; Charles, born June 22, 1868; Hattie, born March 25, 1870; George, born May 14, 1872, died April 10, 1879; Armilda, born March 25, 1874. The first Mrs. Wild died March 31, 1874. By this second marriage one child was born; to-wit, Emily, October 20, 1877. Mr. Wild died November 4, 1877. At the time

of his death he was master of the grange, had filled many offices in the township, and was an active, public spirited man in all that was for the good of his town and county; he was highly esteemed in his neighborhood, and was a kind and affectionate husband and father. He left a fine estate of six hundred and thirty acres. His widow is an estimable lady, and a member of the Baptist Church.

HENRY WILLIS.

This gentleman stands in the front rank of the pioneers of Grundy county. He was born in the North Riding of Yorkshire, England, March 20, 1814. His parents, John and Alice Willis, were well-to-do farmers. They had lived on one farm for over seventy years. His father died at the age of eightytwo, and his mother at the age of seventy-six years. They reared a family of seventeen children to manhood and womanhood. He always took great delight in farming and stock-raising, and preferred that to attending school. At the age of seventeen years he left the home of his birth and childhood, and, inexperienced, poor and alone, landed in Quebec, June 22, 1831; then made his way to Onondaga, New York; here he found himself destitute of money and began work in the harvest field at eight dollars per month; after remaining eighteen months he made his way to Franklin county, Ohio; here he was stricken down with fever and laid eleven months and was entirely destitute of means, but being a man of prepossessing ways and good morals, he found many kind friends; lived in Ohio two years and then went to Morgan county, Illinois, remained there eighteen months; then came back to Franklin county, Ohio, where, on September 16th, 1837, he was married to Miss Mary Everett, a native of that county, born December 10, 1815. With his young wife he left Ohio and sought a home in the then far west, and on February 28th, 1838, located in Grundy county, Missouri. They remained in the county of Grundy but a short time, then moved to Mercer. Here he built a small cabin without floor, door or windows, and with scarcely an article of household furniture they commenced their western life, and lived happily there for five years, then moved back and permanently located in Grundy county. He is now possessed of seven hundred and forty acres of fine land, highly improved and well stocked. By this marriage they had one child, Sarah Jane, born August 28, 1841, died September 28, 1842. Mrs. Willis died March 17, 1863. May 19, 1864, he married Miss Keturah Rubert, a native of Madison county, Ohio, born August 31, 1828. Her parents were very early settlers in Ohio. Mother died January 14, 1867, and her father September 26, 1877. The following children were born to them: Alice May, April 3, 1865; John D., June 27, 1867; Hannah E., May 30, 1870; and Mollie Maud, September 2, 1872. Few men have succeeded so well in life as Mr. Willis and it must all be attributed to his indomitable energy and strict integrity.

CHAPTER XXVI.

JACKSON TOWNSHIP.

Its Early Settlement-From Indiana, Illinois and Virginia--Trading-point-Forest an d Streams-Prairie-Births and Deaths-First Physician-Wedding Bells-Christianity and Education-Extent of Domain-First Township Officers-Where they Met--Population-Present Town Board-Biographies.

JACKSON TOWNSHIP.

This township, which bears the name of the iron-willed "Hero of New Orleans," was first settled in 1837, by the families of William and Josiah Evans, who came from the prairie land of Illinois. They were the pioneer settlers, but were not allowed to remain long alone in their new home, for 'ere the budding flowers of the following spring had opened, they had neighbors, in the families of James May and Willis Adkinson. The first came from the land of the "Hoosiers," Indiana; and the latter family was from Illinois, but their location was just over the line in what is now Livingston county. Amid the perils and hardships of pioneer life the year passed quickly by, and in the fall of 1839 other settlers came, in the families of George Williams, from Virginia; Solomon Tolliday, from Illinois; and William Uttinger, from Indiana; this made quite a settlement, and although it was ten or twelve miles to a neighbor's, the lonesome feeling had left the community. The year of 1840 brought the family of John Henry, who came from the southern part of the State. Later came the families of W. S. Pond, James Roberts, and Gedaliah Hughes, so that in 1841, when Grundy was taken from the jurisdiction of Livingston county, there was quite a settlement in what was then the southern part of Trenton township. These early settlers were all in the prime of life, and went vigorously to work to build their cabin homes and till the fertile soil. The greater part of the township was grass-covered prairie, with plenty of timber along the streams. Oxen were used, as there were no horses in the township. The nearest horse-mills were at Spring Hill and Chillicothe, in Livingston county, sixteen miles distant, to which they slowly traveled with their ox-teams to get their necessary supplies. Later Trenton became the trading-point. Like the settlers of other townships, their clothing was of home manufacture. As early as 1839 the first loom was made by James May for his wife, Mrs. Perlina May, still a hale and hearty old lady with good memory of the early struggles of her husband and herself, and the neighboring families. Hers was the first loom and she did the first weaving. There were no other looms in the township for some time afterward, and Mrs. May often loaned hers to the neighbors.

BIRTHS AND DEATHS.

Creighton Smith, son of Mrs. Rachel Smith, was the first child born in the township, which event occurred in 1839. The little fellow lived to be only four or five years old, when he was called to a better land than this. In the following year, 1840, James and Minerva Roberts became the happy parents of a bouncing boy, who was given the name of Thomas. Father, mother and child have long ago sought their resting places beneath the sod. In September of 1839 Samuel Smith died. This was the first death, and the remains were quietly laid away under the shade and rustling branches of the trees along the banks of Grand River. Here, too, all that was mortal of the infant child of William Evans was placed, and the winds whispered a requiem over the little mound that marked the last sleeping place. Theirs were the only graves in that early burial-ground.

Dr. William Clark was the first medical practitioner and his home was in Livingston county, at Spring Hill. Physicians were not in demand in those days, and the practice extended over many miles of territory.

WEDDING BELLS.

The first glad chimes of the wedding bells rang out in 1859, when Mr. Robert Belshe and Miss Susan May were united in the holy bonds. The ceremony was performed at the family residence of James May, father of the bride. The couple are still living in the township.

CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS.

1

The Rev. James Johnson, a Methodist divine, conducted the first religious services in the township. The meetings were held at the homes of the settlers, the cabin of William Evans being the oftenest used. This was in 1840, and it was three years before other denominations held services, when a Presbyterian minister officiated, holding the meetings at the home of James May.

In this same year, 1843, the first school was taught in the township. An old cabin which had been deserted for a better one, was used as a schoolhouse. It was located on Grand River, in the western part of the township. Mr. Samuel Brooks was the first teacher, and his pupils numbered not over a dozen, sometimes less. For his services he received a dollar per month for each pupil, and the school continued in session three months, which was considered a long time, and the children were expected to pick up a fair education in two or three terms. This school-house was continued in use until 1848, when a school-house was built especially for the purpose. Hewn logs were used in its erection, and it was considered an elegant structure, and probably was at that time. It occupied a site on land owned by William Evans. On Sundays the building was dedicated to religious worship.