house was built near the site of the present school building, and the Baptist Society finding their place of meeting too small to accommodate their increasing numbers, adjourned to the school house, where they continued meeting till their present church was built. They held their services in the school building in winter, and in the little grove near the school building (since cut away) in summer.

It was quite customary in that early day for a large proportion of the settlers to shoulder their rifles and spend the holy Sabbath in pursuing the game of the country, as there was little of a religious character to interest a roving, hunting disposition, and at these meetings held in the grove, the hunters would gather from the hills and the bottoms, stack their guns and listen to the sermons of Rev. Daniels, who being a man of eloquence as well as piety, soon converted many of these Sabbath breaking wanderers, and the crack of the rifle on the sacred Sabbath was much less frequently heard. The present church was built in 1852, and Mr. Wm. Cole, Sr., contributed about half the fund; it is a neat convenient frame building, costing some $1,500 to complete it.

The building committee were R. S. Cole, D. J. Cole, L. M. Jones and T. Smith. The church at this time had some thirty members to contribute to its support.

The first board of trustees was made up of the following members: D. J. Cole, Luther M. Jones and James Fielding, the latter being the only trustee of the church remaining in the settlement. Rev. Mr. Hays, in 1854,

held an interesting series of protracted meetings at the church, and many were converted and added to the church. Rev. John Daniels was the first and also the last pastor of the church. He was pastor a greater portion of the time from the founding of the church till his death. A subscription is now being taken up to erect a monument to his memory; money could not be contributed to a worthier cause or nobler purpose. Rev. John Daniels was one of the first ministers of Hickory precinct; long, tireless and faithful were his labors in the service of the Master. He has gone to his long home.

Since the death of Rev. Daniels, no regular Sabbath services have been held, and no regular salaried minister employed. Many of the old members have moved to other parts, others have died, and are sleeping beneath the changing shadows of the hills, and so weakened the membership of the church, that the few scattered families remaining find it very difficult to revive its former interest, or build up its decaying strength.

In conclusion, we shall only say that farmers of the precinct as a general thing, are well to do, or wealthy and prosperous. They have seen the Sangamon Bottom changed from a wilderness of tangled grass, dense brush, and scrubby trees, overflowed and steaming with poison and miasma, shaking the inhabitants with ague and burning them with malignant fever, to a garden spot of Illinois, surpassing in loveliness and fertility anything we have ever seen.

THE BLACK FAMILY. WILLIAM BLACK. The grandfather of our subject was William Black, a militia captain, during the approach of the Revolutionary War. He was one of the first officers of the country who refused allegiance to the British crown. He died about the time the war commenced. His wife's maiden name was Beard. Thomas G. Black, one of his sons was born in January, 1772, in Mecklenburg County, N. C. He married Miss Polly, daughter of William and Elizabeth (Shepherd) Callahan, Feb. 26, 1795. She was born April 7, 1773. Her father was of Irish, and her mother of German, descent. Thomas G. departed this life Nov. 20, 1823, and his wife, Polly, died March 20, 1853. William, who still lives in Virginia, in Cass County, is one of the offspring of this union, and was born in Georgia, Jan. 3, 1796. He married in Tennessee, Dec. 4, 1823, Miss Mary S., daughter of Dixon and Susan Vaughn. She was born Nov. 1, 1803, and as a result of this union, they have born to them ten children. Six of their oldest were born in Tennessee, and the remaining four in Morgan, now Scott, County, Ill. Thomas G., the eldest of these, was born June 15, 1828. He served as a colonel of the Third Missouri Cavalry, in the late war, about three years, and is now practicing medicine at Clayton, Adams County, this State.

AMANDA C., was born May 25, 1826.. She died July 23, 1837.

JOSEPH F., was born Feb. 23, 1828. Was six years of age when the family moved to Illinois, and consequently received his rudimental schooling in Scott County. His father came to Cass County in 1846, and Joseph commenced business for himself as a farmer, and followed it for several years. Being of a mechanical turn of mind, he became engrossed in the invention of a self-raking reaper. With years of experimenting, and the expenditure of some money, he developed a successfully working machine, upon which he secured a patent in 1856, and the binding attachment he sold to the Wood Reaper Manufacturing Company, and the same is now in use on their machines. Mr. Black is an architect of several years' successful experience. Has erected on contract many of the best buildings of Virginia, Jacksonville, and also built the Christian Church at Springfield, Ill., in 1880-81. Since 1876, he has been a resident of Virginia. He has been twice married; first to Miss Mary F. Wilmott, daughter of Charles R. Wilmott, a resident of Morgan County. She died Jan. 26, 1879, leaving five children, Charles W., Mary B., now Mrs. Armsted Mus, a farmer of Cass County, Eva L., or Mrs. Win. G. Payne, of Virginia. Robert W. and Joseph F., jr., reside at home. May 2, 1882,

Mr. Black again married, Mrs. Mary J. Skiles, of Virginia, widow of Ignatius Skiles (deceased). Mr. Black is a member of the Christian Church, and of the I. O. O. F., and K. of H. WILLIAM L., was born June 8, 1829. He commenced life as a farmer in Cass County. and continued in that business until the fall of 1878, and in 1873 entered mercantile business with his brother, John, under firm name of Black Brothers, in Virginia. March 24th, 1857, he married Miss Adromcha, daughter of Alexander and Martha (Clark) Naylor, natives of Kentucky. She died Jan. 31, 1879, leaving three daughters: Alice, Carrie and Fannie. Mrs. Black was a member of the Christian Church, as is also Mr. Black. He is a life-long Republican, and a member of the I. O. O. F., Virginia Lodge.

RICHARD V., was born October 27, 1831; moved to Nebraska about 1860, and located near Nebraska City, where he is engaged in farming. He served three years in the One Hundred and Fourteenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He entered as a Sergeant, and was soon advanced to a Captain.

JOHN JEFFERSON, was born Oct. 24, 1833, and died August 22, 1839.

GREEN V., was born on the 3d day of August, 1836. He is a resident of Jacksonville, and a successful dentist. He served a short time as a volunteer soldier in the late war, but was discharged on account of disability.

JAMES B., is the seventh son of his father, and was born Oct. 9, 1839, in Scott County; he attended the common schools of Cass County, and later, the Cumberland Presbyterian Academy, in Virginia. At the age of 19, he commenced teaching school in Cass County, and in the fall of 1861, he enlisted in Company C, Third Ill. Vol. Cavalry, in which he served about two years. While in service, he was engaged in several battles, among which was Pea Ridge; was with Sherman at Vicksburg. He entered as a pri

vate and was promoted to First Lieutenant of his company. He was compelled to resign his commission in 1863, on account of ill health; returned home, and resumed teaching. He served as instructor in the State Institution for the Blind, at Jacksonville, in 1864, '65 and '66, and afterward became principal in the public schools of Jacksonville. After farming four years, he was in 1873 elected clerk of Cass County, which office he has continuously held. Since July, 1878, he has also been the cashier of the Centennial National Bank, of Virginia. July 1, 1867, he married Miss Eliza J. Ewing, daughter of William Ewing (deceased), of Jacksonville. They have one daughter, May.

MARY J., was born Dec. 13, 1840. She was married in 1857, to George A. Beard, a prominent farmer of Cass County. She died Feb. 26, 1874. Mr. and Mrs. Black are members of the Christian Church, and he of the A. O. U. W. and K. of H. John, the youngest of the family, was born Dec. 21, 1844, in Scott. He entered the mercantile business in Virginia in 1876. He married Maggie Blair, March 15, 1866, and they have five daughters: Emma L., Cora E., Ida F., Jessie G., and Maggie E. Mr. and Mrs. Black are both members of the Christian Church. He is a Republican, and a member of the K. of H. of Virginia.

CHARLES W., was born in Princeton Precinct, Sept. 19, 1850; is the oldest son of Joseph F. Black, of whom an extended mention is made in the foregoing sketch of the Black family. He received his education at the Washington School House, near Philadelphia, this county, except a six months commercial course in the Business College in Jacksonville, this State. Nov. 24, 1870, he married Miss Elsie E. Buckley, daughter of Mark and Cornelia Job Buckley, in Philadelphia Precinct. Mark Buckley is a native of England, and his wife was born at

Sylvan Grove, this county, Dec. 30, 1823, and is daughter of Archibald and Jane (Brierly) Job, of whom see Historical Sketch elsewhere in this volume. Mr. Black engaged in farming for three years, and in 1873 was appointed Deputy Clerk of Cass County, and has since. that time filled the position with such efficiency, that he has received the nomination on the Republican ticket to succeed his uncle, James B. Black, Clerk elect. Mr. and Mrs. Black have three children: Mabel Ora, Roy Lestie, and Mary Lora. Since 1867 they have been members of the Christian Church of Virginia, and Mr. Black is a member of the I. O. O. F. and A. O. U. W.

HENRY BEVIS, Virginia City, one of the respected and thrifty citizens of Cass County, is a native of the Buckeye State, and was born near the city of Cincinnati, Oct. 23, 1836. He is the oldest son of David and Achsah (Stout) Bevis. David Bevis was also a native of Ohio, his father Jesse having come to Hamilton County about the year 1800; Jesse, his father, was the third son of a family of six sons and six daughters, and was for about forty years U. S. Postmaster at Bevis Postoffice, which took its name from the family. Our subject received his education at the Farmers' College, about six miles north of Cincinnati. After leaving school he taught one winter. April 20, 1854, he married Miss Sarah J. Stout, daughter of Philemon Stout, a native of New Jersey, and came with his par. ents to Hamilton County, O., when a small boy, and in 1831 to Cass County. Mr. Bevis came to Illinois in October, 1857; he has since that time followed his trade as a carpenter and builder, except about five years, spent in the mercantile business at Philadelphia. He served as surveyor of Cass County one term of four years from 1867. Mr. Bevis is a Democrat. Himself and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church, and they have four children: Flora, Albon, Philemon, and Grace.

LEVI CONOVER, deceased. Among the sturdy pioneers who converted the wild prairie into productive farms, and built up the little commonwealth of Cass County, was the lamented Levi Conover. His grandfather, Dominicus Conover, emigrated from Holland about 1820, and settled in New Jersey. He had five sons: William, John, Garrett, Levi, and Peter.

The least of

the five brothers when of middle age, weighed 250 pounds, and the largest 295. The fourth of the sons of Dominicus (Levi) was the father of the subject of this sketch, and was born in 1760. He entered the Federal Cavalry service in 1776, being in his seventeenth year. He served five years, as did his brother Garrett. In the year 1785, being twenty-five years of age, he married Catharine Dye, and in 1790 he and his brother Garrett, with their families, removed to the State of Kentucky, and settled near Lexington. In 1795 both brothers removed to Adair County, Ky., and purchased farms near Columbia. Their brother Peter followed them from New Jersey in 1800, and settled near Lexington, their two older brothers, William and John, remaining in New Jersey. In 1801 Levi's wife died, leaving him seven children. In 1802 he married Mrs. Jane Gelbirth Turnbow; she had by her former husband two sons, John and Hugh, who were brought up by their uncle, Hugh Gelbirth. They were with General Jackson in 1812, at the battle of New Orleans. Five children, two daughters and three sous, were the fruits of this second marriage: Peter, James, Matilda, Levi, and Jackson. Levi was born Jan. 14, 1808; his brother Peter, in the year 1825, came to Illinois, and entered the Gilmore farm, two miles south of Princeton, then in Sangamon, now in Morgan County. In 1827 he sold his first purchase, and entered 240 acres just east of the Jeff Crum farm, in this county, where he remained until 1860. He then moved to