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BECKWITH, HIRAM WILLIAMS, lawyer and author, was born at Danville, Ill, March 5, 1833. Mr. Beckwith's father, Dan W. Beckwtih,
a pioneer settler of eastern Illnois and one of the founders of the city of Danville, was a native of Wyalusing,
Pa., where he was born about 1789, his mother being, in her girlhood, Hannah York, one of the survivors of the
famous Wyoming massacre of 1778. In 1817, the senior Beckwith, in company with his brother George, descended the
Ohio River, afterwards ascending the Wabash to where Terre Haute now stands, but finally locating in what is now
a part of Edgar County, Ill. A year later he removed to the vicinity of the present site of the city of Danville.
Having been employed for a time in a surveyor's corps, he finally became a surveyor himself, and, on the organization
of Vermilion County, served for a time as County Surveyor by appointment of the Governor, and was also employed
by the General Government in surveying lands in the eastern part of the State, some of the Indian reservations
in that section of the State being set off by him. In connection with Guy W. Smith, then Receiver of Public Moneys
in the Land Office at Palestine, Ill., he donated the ground on which the county-seat of Vermilion County was located,
and it took the name of Danville from his first name-"Dan." In 1830 he was elected Representative in
the State Legislature for the District composed of Clark, Edgar, and Vermilion Counties, then including all that
section of the State between Crawford County and the Kankakee River. He died in 1835.
Hiram, the subject of this sketch, thus left fatherless
at less than three years of age, received only such education as was afforded in the common schools of that period.
Nevertheless, he began the study of law in the Danville office of Lincoln & Lamon, and was admitted to practice
in 1854, about the time of reaching his majority. He continued in their office and, on the removal of Lamon to
Bloomington in 1859, he succeeded to the business of the firm at Danville. Mr. Lamon-who, on Mr. Lincoln's accession
to the Presidency in 1861, became Marshal of the District of Columbia-was distantly related to Mr. Beckwith by
a second marriage of the mother of the latter. While engaged in the practice of his profession, Mr. Beckwith has
been over thirty years a zealous collector of records and other material bearing upon the early history of Illinois
and the Northwest, and is probably now the owner of one of the most complete and valuable collections of Americana
in Illinois. He is also the author of several monographs on historic themes, including "The Winnebago War,"
"The Illinois and Indiana Indians," and "Historic Notes of the Northwest," published in the
"Fergus Series," besides having edited an edition of "Reynolds' History of Illinois" (published
by the same firm), which he has enriched by the addition of valuable notes. During 1895-96 he contributed a series
of valuable articles to "The Chicago Tribune" on various features of early Illinois and Northwest history.
In 1890 he was appointed by Governor Fifer a member of the first Board of Trustees of the Illinois State Historical
Library, serving until the expiration of his term in 1894, and was re-appointed to the same position by Governor
Tanner in 1897, in each case being chosen President of the Board. (From the
"Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois, transcribed by Kim Torp)
EDWARDS, Rev. Thomas
- was born in Buckinghamshire, England on January 18, 1832 and died October 2,
1898. He married Emma Cadle and in 1853 they emigrated to America, in a sailing vessel that took 6 weeks to make
the trip. 9 children were born, 6 of which survived. [Milton, Billy, Rose, Mattie and Annie Elizabeth.] Rev. Edwards
entered the pulpit of the Free Methodist church near Snider, Illinois on Sunday morning, October 2, 1898, apparently
in good health, to deliver the sermon. After announcing his text he fell to the floor and died before the congregation
could reach him. A few days earlier he had expressed a wish that he might die in the harness, serving the Lord.
The funeral was preached from the text that he had taken, just before his death, from Luke 18: 26 "Who can
be saved..."
[Source: Barb at moxy5@sbcglobal.net, who cautions "This comes from family
papers, so none of it has been "verified" other than what my great uncle wrote in 1976 when he did a
little genealogy"]
WILLIAM HENRY GILLESPIE is now living a retired life, but still
occupies his fine farm of one hundred and seventy acres on section 29, Claremont Township. He is numbered among
the honored pioneers of Richland County, (IL) where since the winter of 1836 he has made his home. He has watched
its development, has seen its wild lands transformed into beautiful homes and rich farms, has seen towns and villages
spring up, and all modern innovations known to civilization introduced. As one of the early settlers of the community
we present him to our readers.
Mr. Gillespie was born in Vermilion County, Ill., June 7, 1836, and is a son of George W. Gillespie, a native of
Kentucky. The grandfather, James Gillespie, was a native of the same State, and was a Revolutionary soldier. The
former was reared in Kentucky, and there married one of its daughters, Sarah Peebles. After following farming for
a few years, he removed with his family to western Indiana, and in 1836 came to Richland County, locating in what
is now German Township. He first purchased forty acres of land, and after building a log cabin, fenced, cleared
and improved the farm. He was quite successful in his undertakings, and became the owner of one hundred and sixty
acres of good land. The last years of his life were spent on the old homestead, where his death occurred in the
spring of 1865. His first wife having died, he was a second time married. The Gillespie family numbered nine children,
five sons and four daughters, of whom six are yet living. Mrs. Telitha Stultes resides in Kansas; Mrs. Susan Stultes
is living in German Township, Richland County; Mary is the wife of George Holmes, of Douglas County, Mo.; Lewis
is located in Olney; and David A. is a farmer of Claremont Township.
Our subject was a babe of six months when brought by his parents to Illinois. His boyhood was passed in the usual
manner of farmer lads, and his education has been mostly acquired through his reading and business experience since
attaining his majority, yet he is a well-informed man. He has been twice married. In January, 1858, he wedded Miss
Mary Ann Bird, a native of Ohio, and a daughter of Thomas Bird, who in an early day came from the Buckeye State
to Claremont Township, Richland County, and opened up a farm, on which he reared his family. His death here occurred
in 1862.
After his marriage Mr. Gillespie bought forty acres of land, but has since made other purchases, and in January,
1867, removed to his present farm. There were only a few acres broken, and a little cabin constituted the improvements,
but after three years Mr. Gillespie built a substantial residence and good barns, set out a fine orchard, and has
made other excellent improvements, which add greatly to the value and attractive appearance of the place. He has
also made additional purchases from time to time, and the home farm now comprises one hundred and seventy acres
of land, the greater part of which is highly cultivated. He also owns elsewhere a tract of eighty acres.
On the 14th of August, 1862, Mr. Gillespie joined Company H, One Hundred and Thirtieth Illinois Infantry, and served
until the close of the war. He was taken sick with the measles soon after entering the army, but on his recovery
rejoined his regiment and participated in the battle of Mansfield, La., where the whole regiment was captured and
taken to Camp Ford, near Tyler, Tex., where Mr. Gillespie was held a prisoner for thirteen months and nineteen
days, or until May r , 1865. They were very harshly treated and nearly starved, and owing to those facts our subject
was ill during the greater part of his imprisonment. When released he went to New Orleans, then to St. Louis, and
on to Springfield, Ill., where he received his discharge in June, 1865, immediately returning to his wife and family.
Since casting his first Presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln in 1860, he has been a stalwart Republican.
Mr. Gillespie and his wife are members of the Mt. Pleasant Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he holds office.
They have a family of three children: Rebecca M., wife of Christian Miller; Martha E., wife of William P. Hillis;
and Samuel O., a young man of sterling character, who operates the home farm. All reside in this county. With the
fidelity with which he served his country in the dark days of the late war, Mr. Gillespie discharges his duties
of citizenship and also every trust reposed in him, and therefore he is highly esteemed throughout the community.
He began life for himself a poor man, but his labor and enterprise have accomplished for him what an inherited
fortune has not always done for others. By his well-directed efforts and the assistance of his estimable wife he
has accumulated two valuable farms and a good home, together with a nice property in the city of Olney, and is
to-day accounted one of the wealthy and substantial citizens of Claremont Township.
[Portrait and Biographical Record of Effingham, Jasper and Richland Counties
Illinois, Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, Governors of the State, and
the Presidents of the United States. (Chicago: Chapman Brothers, 1887), p.554 - Submitted by Judy Edwards]
William Knight Makemson was born Feb. 26, 1836 in Vermillion Co., Il. and died June 17, 1919
in Georgetown, Williamson Co., Tx. He was the son of Samuel and Martha Knight Makemson. William moved to Williamson
Co. along with his parents in 1847. He became a lawyer in 1865 and served as Sheriff and District Attorney from
1863 to 1890's. He served in Co. A, 5th Texas Partisan Rangers, commanded by Col. L. M. Martin until 1864 when
he was elected sheriff of Wiliamson Co. William's preliminary occupation was that of a shoemaker and he had a shop
for several years in Georgetown.
He studied law at home and was admitted to the Texas bar on May 20, 1865. He was a nominee
for Lt. Governor of Texas on the Republican ticket in 1892 and a nominee for Governor in 1894. He also published
and edited the Georgetown Watchman Newspaper and was a director of the Georgetown & Granger RR.
William married first to Anna Smith, daughter of Rev. Wm. Smith on July 24 1870 in Bastrop Co., Tx. She was born
in 1852 and died Aug. 10 1880 in Williamson Co. They had children: Ethel, Anna. He married again to Kate Patrick
Holland in 1880. She died Aug. 24 1940 in Texas and is buried in the Odd Fellows Cemetery. [From
family genealogy submitted by Ann Baughman]
Samuel Lindsey Makemson, son of Thomas and Eliza Jane Lindsey, was born Dec. 12 1806
in Cynthiana, Harrison Co., Ky. He died on June 9, 1850 in Georgetown, Williamson Co., Tx. He married Martha Knight,
daughter of James & Martha Seals Knight on Mar 9 1837 in Danville, Il. Martha was born Oct 16 1817 near Troy,
Oh. She died in 1899 in Georgetown. They had children: David Ruthvin, William Knight, James, Eliza Marie, Sophronia
Ann, Samuel Bruce. Samuel moved his family to Texas on Nov. 25, 1847 and settled below Round Rock. Others in the
party that traveled with him were Dr. Wm. Knight and his family; John S. Knight and family; and a Jesse Freestone.
Samuel also served in the Black Hawk War while living in Illinois.
The Knight family originated in Maryland. James Knight bought land in Illinois in 1829. His wife is buried at Danville,
Il. Samuel is buried at Round Rock, Tx.
Samuel Bruce Makemson, son of Samuel Lindsey & Martha Knight Makemson, was born Oct 1850 in Williamson Co.,
Tx. and died 1922 there. He was buried in the Odd Fellows Cemetery. Samuel married Emma Dieckman, daughter of George
Dieckman, on Sep. 25, 1888 in Williamson Co., Tx. Had children: George Ernest, Gertrude, Mable Louise. Bruce operated
a saloon. His wife, Emma, ran a hotel from the early 1900's to 1924. That building is still in use as an office
building and has been entered on the National Register of Historic Places. [From
family genealogy submitted by Ann Baughman]