Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County,
Illinois: containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of
prominent and representative citizens of the county: together with
portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States,
and governors of the state; Biographical Pub. Co., Chicago, IL; 1890;
page 287-288; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Isaac B. Witchell, Postmaster of Vermont, is well known as an
old settler of this place and is greatly respected for those qualities
of head and heart that have won him the esteem and confidence of all
with whom he associates. He is popular in his official capacity
and is discharging the duties of his position with characteristic
fidelity and greatly to the satisfaction of all concerned.
A native of Ohio, Mr. Witchell was born in Belmont County, June
12, 1818. He is a son of John Witchell, who was a native of
Scotland. The father of the latter, bearing the same name as
himself, was likewise of Scottish birth. He was reared and
married in the land of the heather and removed from there to
England. He established himself in the banking business in Leeds,
and in 1806, emigrated to America and was an early settler of Belmont
County, Ohio. He bought an improved farm and resided there some
years. He then sold his place and invested his money in a stock
company and so lost all he had. He returned to England and died
in Leeds. His wife, whose maiden name was Mary Tatehan, was also
a native of Scotland, and she too died in Leeds. They reared
three children – Mary, Ann and John.
The latter was eleven years old when he accompanied his parents
to America. He was bread on a farm, and lived with his parents
until fifteen years old. He was then sent to the Weston school, a
Quaker educational institution, and when not devoting his time to his
books was engaged in working on a farm. He lived there three or
four years, acquiring a substantial education, and then returned
home. He engaged in farming in Belmont County, and resided there
with the exception of three years spent in Guernsey County, until
1826. In that year he started with a three horse team for
Indiana, taking his wife and children with him, and after his arrival
located at Richmond. Two years were spent there, and then he
removed to Henry County, where he bought an improved farm on which he
made his home until 1843, when he sold out and went to Jay
County. Three years later he came to Vermont, settled in the
village and resided there some years. Kansas was his next
destination and going there in 1859, he passed nearly four years in
that State. Returning to this place, he died here about
1870. Prior to moving to Kansas he and his wife went to England
where they spent one year.
The maiden name of the mother of our subject was Bathsheba
Foulk. Her native place was in Bucks County, Pa. Her
father, Iska Foulk, is thought to have been born in Scotland. He
was married in Pennsylvania, to Jane Barton, a native of that
State. He was a farmer and weaver, devoting a part of his time to
each employment. He died in Belmont County, Ohio. The
mother of our subject departed this life in Vermont in 1880. She
reared three children, Jane, Mary and Isaac.
Isaac Witchell was about seventeen years old when he went to
Indiana with his parents, and he continued to live with them until
1840. In that year he came to Vermont and found here a small
hamlet, and the surrounding country sparsely settled and covered with
timber in which deer, wild turkeys and other game roamed at will.
Mr. Witchell began life here as an engineer in a steam gristmill, which
position he held four years. After that he operated an engine at
his father-in-law’s mill three years. He then built a sawmill in
connection with his father-in-law and managed it successfully some
years. He subsequently gave his attention to selling and
repairing boilers throughout the country. He was thus profitable
engaged ten years, and since then has carried on various kinds of
business.
In the year 1843, our subject secured a good and faithful wife
in the person of Sarah A. Burr. She was a native of Harrison
County, Ohio, and a daughter of Jesse and Martha Burr. Her death
July 11, 1865, was a severe blow to her family, for she was a true,
womanly woman, possessing many excellent traits of character, that
gained her the respect and consideration of all with whom she came in
contact. The following six of the nine children born of her
marriage with our subject were reared to maturity: Adeline, Burr,
Eva, John, Martha and Walter.
Mr. Witchell was in early life a Whig, and in in {?} 1840, cast
his vote for Gen. Harrison. He was in full sympathy with the
organizers of the Republican party, and as soon as it was formed fell
into the ranks and has remained true to it ever since. He was
appointed Postmaster in March, 1889. His selection for the
important office was a wise one and received the hearty approval of all
his fellow-citizens. For fifty years he has been a strong
Temperance man and has used his influence in forwarding the
cause. He has taken an important part in the government of the
village, and for three years was President of the Village Board.
He is prominent in local politics and was Chairman of the township
Republican Committee thirty years.
In an account of the Asiatic cholera epidemic that rated in
Fulton County in 1851, the unremitting and arduous services of our
subject in caring for the sick and dying received honorable mention.
While many fled from the scene of affliction, he was one of the
faithful few, who heroically stood at the post of duty to the bitter
end. Night and day from June until September, with characteristic
self-sacrifice, and pitying kindness, he administered to the afflicted,
dong all that he could to allay their distress, and he tenderly
assisted in the burial of the dead. He witnessed many sad scenes
with an aching heart. Men who assisted in buying a victim of the
dread disease in the morning, were often stricken with the cholera and
would be dead before night. About seventy died in this
neighborhood in a few weeks time, our subject being one of the small
number who escaped.
