The following is biographical information abstracted from:
Portrait
and Biographical Review of Johnson, Massac, Pope and Hardin
Counties, Illinois
Chicago Biographical Publishing Company 1893
(online - link above)
| THOMAS COLLIER is a member of one of the early
pioneer families of Pope County, and ons a valuable farm
of one hundred and twenty acres on section 5, township
12, range 7. He was born in this county in 1821, and is
a son of John Collier, who was born in North
Carolina in 1761, and well remembered many scenes in the
Revolutionary War. The latter was a son of John
Collier, who was of Irish descent, and was a
soldier in the War of the Revolution. He had a family of
seven sons, to whom he left a large property in
plantations and slaves. Our subject's father was first married to a Miss Dees, by whom he had two children. They emigrated to Illinois at a very early day, probably in the year of 1810, coming by boat down the Cumberland River. His first wife having died, Mr. Collier was mararied in 1848 to Miss Elizabeth Pitchford, their union being celebrated in this portion of the Territory of Illinois. To them were born four sons, two of whom died in Missouri in 1821, in which State the family were living at the time. They spent about one year there, but found from sad experience that it was a very sickly region, as four members of the family -- our subject's two brothers, and a half-brother and their maternal grandmother -- all departed this life there. When Mr. Collier removed to Missouri from Illinois, he took with him a small drive of hogs, which were alloed to run wild in the woods. One of them wore a bell, and at one time was so scared by a black gear that she wam across the Mississippi River, making her way back to the former home in Illinois, a distance of eighty-five miles. When the family returned they were astonished to find her on the old homestead, as they supposed she had been eaten by the bears. Our subject's parents eied on the old farm in this county, which was, however, not really theirs, as no land could be bought at that eaerly day. They settled within the six mile square reserved for the prospecting lead miners, but no land was sold in this region until our subject was some twenty-two years of age. The father died in 1833, aged seventy-two years, his wife dying four years later. Thomas Collier was practically without any educational advantages, though he attend the subscription school of that period for a few weeks, learning to spell and read a little. He has always worked at farming, and on the death of his mother resided with an older brother, David, who was married and settled in life. In 1861 our subject wedded Mrs. Margaret Hogg, nee Vaughn, and widow of Lewis Hogg. Her parents, Joseph and Keziah (Derman) Vaughn, were from Tennessee, but Mrs. Collier was born in this county, May 28, 1834. She was first married at the age of eighteen years, and had five children by that union, three of whom are living: Keziah, wife of William N. Wagner, a farmer of this neighborhood; Aquilla, wife of Nathan Goldsby, who is engaged in farming near Harrisburg; and Francis, who is also a farmer of this township. To Mr. and Mrs. Collier were born eleven children, five sons and six daughters, three of whom died in infancy. Mary C. wife of Green Van Bibber, died in March, 1892, at the age of thirty years, leaving six children. The living members of the family are as follows: David, a farmer near the old homestead, who is engaged in carrying on the place formerly owned by his grandfather, and who has a wife and four children; Aseneth, widow of John Asbell, who has two bright sons and is living at home with her father; James, Who is engaged in farming a portion of our subject's homestead; and John W., also farming a portion of the old home place. Mr. Collier served as School Director in this neighborhood for fourteen years, and for many yearas he and his worthy wife have been members of the United Baptist Church. Our subject is a stanch Republican and fought bravely to preserve the Union, having been a private soldier in the One Hundred and Thirty-first Illinois Infantry, in which he served from August, 1862, to January, 1864. He was sick and in the hospital much of the time, in consequence of which he took part in no battles. He is now one of the worthy pensioners of Uncle Sam. |
|
GEORGE A. CROW, County Judge of Pope County,
earl displayed tine abilities as a lawyer, has risen
rapidly in his profession, and is distinguished as
being one of the youngest members of the judiciary
presiding over the courts of southern Illinois. This
is his native State, and he was born on a farm nine
miles from Metropolis, in Massac County, March 17,
1860. He is a son of Jacob W. Crow, of whom an
extensive sketch appears elsewhere in this work. His boyhood days being passed on a farm, our subject had to assist in its labors as soon as old enough to be of use. His education was not neglected, however, and the bright, ambitious lad made the best of his opportunities to attend school. At the age of nineteen he began to teach, and taught seven terms in the winter and one termin the summer. In the meantime he was fitting himself for the legal profession, for which he had a decided taste, and so well did he employ his spare time in the study of law that he was admitted to the Bar in 1884. He at once commenced practice at Golconda, and has resided here ever since. His success was assured from the start, and his natural gifts soon brought him to the front among the most talented members of the Bar. In 1886, after scarcely two years' experience before the courts, he was elected County Judge, and in 1890 he was re-elected to this responsible position. He fills the office with becoming dignity, and his decisions are marked by an accurate knowledge of the law as bearing on each case tried before him, by sound cocmmond sense, and by a keen sense of justice. The Judge cast his first vote for garfield in 1880, and has been a stanch supporter of the principles of the Republican party ever since. Socially, he is a member of Golconda Lodge No. 292, I.O.O.F.
|
| JOHN G. CULLUM has been one of the foremost
farmers of Pop County, Ill., for over half a century,
and during this time he has made many friends who
respect him for his upright character, his kindness of
heart, his charity for the faults and failings of
others, and his broad and intelligent views on all
subject. He was born in Williamson County, Tenn., April
12, 1835, his father being William H. Cullum, a
native of North Carolina, who was born September 12,
1799. The latter was a wagon-maker, a chairmaker and a
farmer, and although he never learned any trade he was
naturally handy with tools. October 12, 187, he married
Hixil Simmons, of Tennessee, and they afterward
resided in Rutherford County, of that State, until the
subject of this sketch was a lad of seven years, when
they came to Illinois. In 1842 they settled in Pope
County, at which time they were illy supplied with
worldly goods, the journey to this section having been
made with one horse and cart, a man being hired to bring
the goods to Metropolis. After renting land one year
they pre-empted some property amounting to forty acres,
and to this day they added from time to time until they
had a good farm of one hundred and sixty acres. In 1858,
when in his sixtieth year, the father breathe his last,
his widow surviving him four years, dying in the winter
of 1862, aged sixty. She had been the mother of twelve
children, three of whom died in childhood of
whopping-cough, two dying at almost the same instant and
the third about two weeks later. The remainder lived to
grow up, but only three are living at the present time:
Henry H., a Kentucky farmer, James F., a farmer and
contractor of Missouri; and John G. The last-mentioned member of the family was mrried in March, 1856, to Miss Sarah Ann Vaughn, daughter of Jackson Vaughn. (See sketch of Spencer Vaughn.) She was born in Pope County in 1836 and commenced her married life on an almost unimproved farm of eighty acres, the purchase price of which was about $300, and for which they went in debt, as they had not the wherewithal to meet it. After making a number of important improvement they sold it for $500. In January, 1886, they bought nineth-six acres of their present afrm for a little over $600; about three years later they bought two hundred and fifty acres for $700, and in 1892, nine acres for $55. They sold eighty acres and now have two hundred and seventy-five acres, on which they have a frame residence, 24x16 feet , and an L 16x18 feet. The heavy work of the farm devolves on Mr. Cullum's sons, as his health is by no means good, but he still superintends the palce. He and his wife have four daughters and three sons. Nancy Minerva is the wife of James A. Ramsey. Mac C., wife of Casper Cummins, has two daughters and two sons. William J., a farmer near his father, is married and has three sons and one daughter. Cora A. is the wife of Alfred Rose, a farmer residing near her parents, and has one daughter. Flora A., John T. and Thomas H. are at home. John G. Cullum enlisted in Company A, One Hundred and Twentieth Illinois Infantry, in 1862, and for over three years was in the service of his country. He was mustered out with his regiment and is now a pensioner to the extent of $24 per month for disability contracted while in the service. His two living brothers were also in the Union army, Henry being in the same company as himself and serving one and a-half years. James F. was out about two years, being a member of Company K, Fifthy-sixth Illinois Infantry. Mr. Cullum is now a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and has always been a very strong Republican, believing strongly in the tenets of his party. He is a man of influence in the community in which he resides and is considered an excellent and accommogdating neighbor, a firm friend and a strong and earnest supporter of what he considers to be just and right, and consequently has numerous friends and few enemies. |
|
|
For corrections or additions, please contact me: Webmaster