E. P. Smith, farmer and stock-raiser was born in Illinois, on the Wabash River, in the township of Phillips, April 3, 1832, and is the son of Thomas and Esther (Dalrymple) Smith, natives of North Carolina and Indiana respectively.  They moved to Illinois in 1817, and raised a family of five children.  They died here.  E. P. was educated in his native State, and has followed farming.  He now owns 300 acres of excellent land, and lives on section 5, where he has a fine home.  In 1864 he married Inez, daughter of Osborn and Elizabeth (Hume) Stevens, natives of Kentucky.  They moved to Indiana, and Mrs. Stevens died there September, 1882.  Inez was born in Kentucky.  There were two children of this union – Edward, born Nov. 12, 1867; Augustus, born Nov. 27, 1869.  Mrs. Smith died Jan. 12, 1870, and in 1871 he married Nancy, daughter of Robert and Mary (Shryock) Fennell, natives of Kentucky.  They are both dead.  Mrs. Smith died May 5, 1875, and Mr. Smith married, April 5, 1876, Catherine, daughter of Jorden and Sarah A. (Gilkison) Peter, natives of Kentucky.  They came to Indiana, where they died.  Catherine was born in Indiana, Feb. 8, 1848.  This union has been blessed with three children, two living – Nora, born July 3, 1879; Orville, born Feb., 24, 1881.  Mr. Smith is a member of the A.F. & A.M. fraternity.  He votes the Democratic ticket.

Submitted by:  Linda Roberts

Source:  History of White County, IL, Phillips Township (ca 1882-1884) p 934-935

David Stuart, Elder of the Regular Baptist church and farmer; post office, Crossville.  He is the fifth child and fourth son of Jonathan and Frances (Brown) Stuart, natives of North Carolina and Kentucky respectively.  They moved to Illinois in 1813, some five years before the State was admitted into the Union, and raised a family of eight children.  Mr. Stuart was a licentiate in the Baptist church and preached for many years.  They died in this State.  David was born in Illinois, Aug. 5, 1822, within three miles of where he now lives; he has always lived in the township, and now owns eighty acres of land on section 19, where he lives.  In 1845 he married Mary E., daughter of Joseph and Sarah (Tucker) Pickles, natives of England and Kentucky respectively, they moved to Illinois and died here.  Mary E. was born in White County, Ill., Aug. 3, 1827.  This union has been blessed by six children – Louisa, born Feb. 12, 1846, widow of Theodore Hughes; James El., Jan 2, 1848, married, living in Crossville; George, June 5, 1856, married, living at Calvin; Daniel, born Jan 3, 1853, married, living in Phillips Township; John Eli, born Dec. 27, 1863.  Some twenty years ago Mr. Stuart began preaching for the Regular Baptist church of which he and his wife were members, and continues preaching for his people yet.  He votes the Democratic ticket.

Submitted by:  Linda Roberts

Source:  History of White County, IL, Phillips Township (ca 1882-1884) p 935

J. W. Sumner, merchant; post office, Calvin; was born in Indiana, March 18, 1822, and is a son of Thomas and Nancy (Clayton) Sumner, natives of Tennessee and Scotland respectively.  They came to Illinois in 1832 and lived one year in Sangamon County, then returned to Indian where they died.  J. W. Sumner was educated in Indiana, in the same house where Abraham Lincoln was a scholar.  He worked at farming several years and then went to preaching for the Christian church (his father had followed preaching some twenty-six years, when his health led him to quit, and he went into the mercantile business.  In 1849 he married Alzina, daughter of John and Marseana (Stearns) Porter, natives of New York.  Mr. Sumner and wife are members of the Christian church.  Mr. Sumner is a member of the A.F. & A.M. fraternity, and of the I.O.O.F. lodge.  Mr. Sumner votes the Democratic ticket.  During his ministry Mr. Sumner baptized by immersion 4,018 persons.  He still preaches when his health permits.

Submitted by:  Linda Roberts

Fom the 1901 Illustrated Atlas of White County  comes a biography of
an Indian Creek Township citizen: William H. Stokes, which appeared in the August 10, 2000 column of Charlene Shields for the Carmi Times.

"Wm. H. Stokes was born Sept. 20, 1820, in New York City. He is a son of
Thomas and Ruth (Apsey) Stokes. They resided in Cario, Green[e] County,
N.Y. until the death of his mother, which occurred in 1832. After that
time the father resided in White County, Ill. and was married again. He
died in February 1879.

"Wm H., the subject of this sketch, was married December 1843, to Mary
Margaret Cheek. She was the daughter of Elijah and Polly (Holtzman)
Cheek, who resided in Memphis, Tenn. until their deaths.
"To this union 12 children were born, seven of whom are still living.
They are John and William Stokes, Laura Huffaker, Eliza Pyle, Mary
Moreland, Anna McGrue and Mertice Moreland.
"This wife and mother died [in] August 1895.
"Our subject was again married on March 20, 1898 to Eliza Myres, a widow
who formerly lived in Carmi.

"Our subject is one of the old settlers and prominent farmers of
Indian Creek Township. He owns many acres of good land with a nice
residence. He also runs a general store at Stokes.
"He is a member of the G. A. R., was in the Civil War three years, was
in the 87th Mounted Infantry and was commissary sergeant.
"Mr. and Mrs. Stokes are members of the Regular Baptist Church.
"He is a Republican."

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