Submitted 
by
Dianna
WAYNE  CO., IL

1877 GRAND JURY

Wayne County Press
Fairfield, IL
March 15 1877

1877 Personal Sketches of Grand Jury Members

Wm. M. Alvis, of Indian Prairie, is a hard money Republican, with no special religion, is opposed to the liquor trade and confesses a love for tobacco. He is 29 years old and has lived in Wayne County for 19 years. Is a farmer married and is the father of 5 children.

Sam H. Book Sr., is an old settler having come here from Henderson County Kentucky, 46 years ago at age 5. Lives in Big Mound is a farmer, married 3 children don’t use tobacco and opposes the liquor trade. Is a gold currency Democrat and a Baptist.

Stephen Boswell, is another native, aged 39, a farmer, married 2 children, smokes and chews, but puts his foot down on the whiskey trade. Is a greenback Republican and a Methodist. He hails from Four Mile.

Eli Brock, who represented La Mard is a Buckeye, aged 54, has lived here 22 years. He is a grocer, is married and has 7 children. He is a perpetual smoker-never takes his pipe out of his mouth except to reload it. Don’t use whiskey. Is a greenback Democrat and belongs to the Christian Church.

Jackson Brown, of Jasper, is a native of Kentucky, is 45, has lived in Wayne County 20 years, is a farmer, married has 6 children. Uses tobacco but records himself against the whisky traffic. Is a greenback Democrat and a Cumberland Presbyterian. Never held any public office and we presume he don’t want any.

Lloyd E. Frazier, of Elm River, is also native born, having lived in Wayne county 32 years and is 32 years old. He is married, has 3 children uses tobacco and favors the liquor traffic. Belongs to no church is a greenback Democrat and has been tax collector for two terms.

J. F. F. Fry, is a greenback Democrat and says he uses tobacco and favors the liquor traffic. Is a farmer, married, 3 children, is a native of Tennessee, 44 years old, has lived here 22 years. Represents Hickory Hills and expresses no religious preferences.

Francis George, of Fairfield, is a farmer and stock dealer, is 65 years old, a native of South Carolina and 20 years a resident of Wayne County. He is married has 14 children, does not use tobacco and is actively opposed to the whiskey trade. Is a Republican and favors greenback currency that will equal to gold. Is an old time member of the M. E. Church. He has never held office.

Wm. F. Hall, of Big Mound, is a native of Wayne, aged 36, a farmer, married, 6 children, uses tobacco but opposes whiskey. As an Independent, wants more greenbacks and is a Cumberland Presbyterian.

Erastus W. Mabry is a resident of Arrington and has resided in Wayne County for 37 years. He was born in Tennessee and is 55 years old. He is a farmer, married and has six children. He does not use tobacco and is opposed to the liquor traffic. Mr. M is an Independent and prefers greenbacks to gold. Is of Methodist faith, has been Justice of the Peace and served three terms as Supervisor.

Andrew Martin, of Hickory Hills, is 61, is a native of Tennessee and is one of the oldest residents of our county, having been here 40 years. He is a farmer, married has 13 children and is opposed to both whisky and tobacco. Is a Democrat and favors both gold and greenbacks. He has no religious preferences.

G. M. Mateer, of Four Mile, is a Democrat, uses tobacco, a Baptist, Favors the liquor traffic, is a greenbacker, a farmer, a Pennsylvanian, married, 4 children is 47 years old and has lived here 21 years.

Samuel T. McKirahan, the officer who waits on the Jury is a buckeye of 50 years growth, 25 of which have been spent in Wayne County. He lives in La Mard, is a produce shipper, married and has 2 children living. Is a Democrat, favors gold and opposes whiskey. Is a Methodist and has a Constable.

Samuel Miller, of Leech, combines the occupations of farmer and mechanic. He is married and has 7 children. Opposes the use of both whisky and tobacco. Is a greenback Democrat of the Christian denomination, and has never held office. Mr. Miller is 57 years old, a native of Pennsylvania and a 14 year resident of Wayne County.

Wm. C. Murphy, of Leech, is generally called “Buck” and the nick name don’t fir him badly either. He was born in Kentucky, but of his 45 years of activity he has spent 40 in the land of Egypt. He reports being the father of 5 children and that he is married. Buck is a farmer, a greenback Democrat, uses tobacco and is not in favor of the liquor traffic “as it is” Buck is neutral in religion and was once Sheriff of Wayne County.

Adam A. Osterman, of Mt. Erie, is a native of Crawford County Illinois, is 28 and has lived here 20 years. Is married and has one child, and makes farming his business. He don’t use tobacco but says to some extent he favors the liquor trade. He is a “gold and greenback” Republican, a member of the Christian Church, has been Constable, served 3 years in the Army and was 9 months a prisoner of war.

Jordon C. Patterson, is a broad-shouldered, good-humored representative of the small but prosperous township of Zif. He first saw the light in North Carolina Jan 5th a little more than 63 years ago. He has lived in Wayne county 23 years, is a farmer by occupation and a plasterer by trade. Has 5 living and 5 dead children, he don’t use tobacco, is a Methodist and opposed to the liquor trade. He is a Republican and has a broad financial platform favoring plenty of gold, silver and greenbacks. Has been Supervisor 4 terms, also tax collector, P. M., School Treasurer, Director and Commissioner of Highways.

T. M. Richardson, of Brush Creek, is 28, a Hoosier by birth and 19 year resident of Wayne County. Is married and has 3 children, does not use tobacco and by no means favors the liquor traffic. Is a gold currency Republican and a General Baptist.

Henry P. Simms, of Arrington, is a native born Wayne County Sucker, aged 28, is a farmer, married and has 4 children. Is a greenback Democrat and records himself as using tobacco and favoring the liquor traffic. Belongs to no church and has not been an office holder.

E. N. Simpson, of Barnhill, is another of the pioneers. He was born in Wayne County 45 years ago. Is a farmer, uses tobacco and not favorable to the liquor traffic “as it is” Is a Democrat, married, 3 children and favors greenbacks and more of them. No particular religious belief.

T. J. Turner, of Barnhill, is 47 and has always lived in Wayne County. He is a farmer, married and has 11 children. Is strongly opposed to the use of both whiskey and tobacco. He is an Independent Reformer, favoring the People’s Currency, greenbacks, and is a member of the Christian church.

Isaac Weaver, of Indian Prairie, is a native of Ohio and has lived in Wayne County 23 years. Is a farmer, 47 years old, married 6 children. Uses tobacco but is opposed to the liquor traffic. Is a Republican, favors gold currency and has no religious affiliations. Has been Constable.

S. J. R. Wilson, of Massilon, is 61, a native of Kentucky and has lived in Wayne county 55 years. He is a farmer, married, has 10 children, uses tobacco and records himself as opposed to the liquor traffic, is a greenback Independent and a Cumberland Presbyterian. Has been Justice of the Peace, County Judge, County Swamp Land agent, 6 times a member of the Board of Supervisors, 2nd Lieut. in the Mexican War and 1st Lieut. And Capt, in the War for the Union.

F. M. Wood, also of Four Mile, is likewise a native of Wayne County, aged 33, don’t use tobacco but favors the liquor traffic. Is a greenback Democrat and a Christian. Is married, has 5 children and is a farmer.

20 Mar 2011
Copyright © Jan 1999-Present  D. Williams;
All rights reserved.
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