Biographies from "History of Alexander, Union & Pulaski Counties", Illinois, edited by William H. Perrin, published by Baskin, Chicago, 1883, biographical section, Cobden Precinct, pages 153-156. W. R. ABERNATHIE, farmer, P. O. Alto Pass, was born in this county April 17, 1841, to James and Mary (Tweedy) Abernathie. They were both natives of South Carolina, but came here when both were young, their families being among the first settlers in the county. He died in this county when our subject was about two years old, and she in 1876. They were the parents of 15 children, of whom our subject is the youngest. Of the 15, only three are now living - Mr. Abernathie and two sisters. Our subject's whole life has been spent on the farm. He was educated in the common schools of the county. Mr. Abernathie has resided on his present farm for about 18 years, and most of the time has been engaged in fruit-growing. In orchards he has about 65 acres, 40 being in apples and the remainder in peaches. March 17, 1864, he was married in this county to Miss Mary Croull, who was also born in this county, daughter of Louisa and John Croull, also of the earliest settlers in the county. Mr. and Mrs. Abernathie have seven children - Mary Elizabeth, Emma Bell, Hattie Josephine, Cora Ellen, John Howard, William Bertie and Robert Artie, twins. Mr. Abernathie has always been an active member of the Democratic party. ======================================================================== HON. HOLLY R. BUCKINGHAM, Alto Pass, was born in Clermont County, Ohio, January 12, 1850, to Mark and Margaret (Hawn) Buckingham. They were both born in Ohio, she in Milford, Clermont County, and he just across the line in Hamilton County, December 5, 1808. His parents had moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio in 1790, so the Buckingham family is one of the oldest in the State, and also one of the largest. The first residence after coming to the State was a large hollow tree where Cincinnati now stands. Mrs. Margaret Buckingham was born August 11, 1826, also of an old family of the State, her grandfather, Peter Bell, being the first Associate Judge in Cincinnati. So the ancestors of our subject have long been identified with the interests of the State of Ohio, and with very few exceptions have been the strictest Democrats, grandfather, father and son (our subject) having ever voted the Democratic ticket. Mr. Mark Buckingham was a successful businessman, at one time having a wholesale pork-packing business, besides a large flouring mill and distillery, also several farms in Ohio and Illinois, and was well known on 'Change in Cincinnati. He died in Hamilton County, Ill., in November, 1878, but was buried in the old burying-ground in his native State. Mrs. Mark Buckingham is still living on the old homestead in Ohio. Of their family, four sons and one daughter are now living. Our subject's early life was spent in assisting his father with his business, but his higher education was not neglected. He prepared himself for college in the Woodward High School of Cincinnati, and then completed a classical course in the Miami University, of Oxford, Ohio, where he took the degree of B.A. in 1873. He then came to one of his father's farms in Hamilton County, Ill., where he remained for about 18 months, during which time he taught one term of school. After studyinig law with Judge Crouch of McLainsboro for about one year and a half, he went to Ann Arbor, Mich., and studied law for a year; then he returned to Illinois, and was admitted to the bar at Mount Vernon in June 1875. In August 1875 he was married in this county to Miss Florence Tarleton, who was born on the Teche, near New Orleans, La., to Leo and G. Augusta (Hawkins) Tarleton. Mrs. Tarleton's first husband was George Washington, a grand-nephew of the President; she is still living, at the age of 73 years. Mr. Buckingham has remained in this county since 1875, and has been engaged in fruit-farming during the time. On his present farm he has about 70 acres in orchards, but also has a number of acres in small fruits and vegetables. Mr. and Mrs. B. have two little girls - Florence and Ada. Mr. Buckingham has always taken an active part in politics, but has never been an office-seeker; however, in 1880 he was elected a member of the State Legislature, and served through his term with credit to himself and to his constituency. ========================================================================= N. B. COLLINS, farmer, and Justice of the Peace, P. O. Alto Pass, was born about the year 1813 in Tennessee, and came to this county with his parents when but a very small child. Soon after coming here his parents both died, leaving no record of his birth or their history. After the death of his parents, he was taken by strangers and raised on a farm in this county, and with the exception of three years he has lived in the county ever since. Two years of the three he lived in Louisiana, the other in Kentucky. His only chances for an education were to attend a subscription school when he could not work at anything else. July 20, 1836, he was married on his present homestead to Miss Keziah Parmley. She was born on their present homestead October 22, 1819, to Giles and Elizabeth (Craft) Parmley. They came from Kentucky to this State, but he was a native of Virginia, his father being an old Revolutionary soldier. When Mr. Parmley first came to this county, he settled in the Mississippi River bottom, but got afraid of the Indians and moved back to Kentucky, where he remained for a year or so, and then returned to this county, bringing a number of friends with him. He then settled on the present homestead of Mr. and Mrs. Collins in about 1813. He died January 8, 1849, but she survived him many years, and died at the age of 84. When Mr. and Mrs. Parmley first settled in this county, there were scarcely any white settlers at all. When they went to mill at all they had to cross the river to Whitewater, Mo. Mr. Parmley was a cooper by trade, and made barrels to pay for the first land he entered. Mr. and Mrs. Collins have raised a family of nine children, but four daughters and one son died after having families of their own. The living children are Sarah E., Lucinda E., Bell and John. The daughters are all married. Mr. and Mrs. Collins have 23 motherless grandchildren. In the fall of 1850 they moved to their present farm, which consists of 360 acres, with 200 of it improved; also another farm of 160 acres, 100 being in cultivation. Mr. Collins has large orchards, having apples, peaches and pears. When Mr. Collins completes his present term of office, he will have served 38 years as Justice of the Peace, for four years being Associate Justice of the Peace of the county. He also served two years as constable. ========================================================================== WILLIAM H. FINCH, farmer, P. O. Cobden, was born in this county July 28, 1840, to Richard M. and Sarah (Smith) Finch. He was from the West Indies, of French descent, and she from North Carolina, of German descent. They both died in this county, he September 16, 1863, she March 3, 1875. They were the parents of seven children, four of whom are now living, our subject being the oldest. >From the time our subject was 11 years of age till he was 21, he worked on the farm in summer, and winter in his father's cooper shop. When starting for himself, however, he gave his attention to farming, and has continued to make that his occupation to the present. He has a farm of 252 acres, and makes corn and stock his dependence. When starting in life for himself, he had one horse and nothing else. August 20, 1862, he was married to Melissa Catharine Cauble, who died May 29, 1863, leaving one child, which also died, July 8, 1863. March 2, 1865, he was married to Mary Lindsey. She was born in Jackson County, Ill., but mostly raised in Union County. She is the daughter of Reuben and Sarah (Coleman) Lindsey. He was born in Kentucky May 24, 1823, and came to this State in 1829, and lived in Jackson County till he was about grown. She was born and raised in Jackson County, and died August 23, 1882. He is still living and is engaged in farming. Mr. and Mrs. Finch have two children living and one dead - John Albert, born January 2, 1862, died December 1, 1882; Sarah Isabella and Mary Ellen. Mr. and Mrs. Finch are members of the Free-Will Baptist Church. He is Democratic in politics. ========================================================================== DR. J. GLASCO, physician and surgeon, Alto Pass. The subject of this sketch was born in Union County, Ill., February 14, 1840, to William and Rhoda (Strawmat) Glasco. They were both of North Carolina, but came to this county before marriage. She died in 1843; he is still living in this county, and with his third wife. By the three wives he has nine children now living, four sons and five daughters. At the time of the Doctor's birth his parents were living on a farm where the city of Anna now stands. Our subject was raised on a farm and received his education in this county, and, with the exception of the time spent in the army, and about six months in Kansas, he has resided here during his life. In 1861 he entered the State Militia for 30 days; then was taken into the army, Company I, 18th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, Capt. S. B. Marks. He served for three years, and then re-enlisted and served till the close of the war, being one of the last discharged. While in the service, he passed through some of the severest engagements, being in the battles of Fort Donelson, Shiloh, the taking of Vicksburg, Little Rock, etc., in all being about 16 different engagements. At Fort Donelson he was severely wounded, being shot through the right lung, and was captured at the time, but remained a captive only till the fort was taken. He first enlisted as a private, but was afterward promoted to sergeant, in which capacity he served most of the time. However, for two years previous to receiving his discharge he was hospital surgeon, and for six months before that had been hospital dispensing clerk. For two years previous to going into the army, the Doctor had studied medicine under Dr. A. B. Agnew, and during the time he was in the service he studied all his spare time, and especially while in the hospital, under Dr. H. T. Garrett. While in the hospital he had a great deal of practice also as assistant surgeon. The Doctor now makes a specialty of lung and female diseases. On returning from the army he began the practice of medicine at the store of Cyrus Harrold, just across the line in Jackson County. He remained there for about one year and then moved to Saratoga, Ill., where he practiced for about 17 years, except six months he was practicing in Topeka, Kan. In the spring of 1880 he quit the practice and bought his present saw and grist mill in Alto Pass. He gave his entire attention to the mill till the spring of 1883, when he resumed the practice of his profession, but still conducts the mill. December 19, 1866, in this county, he was married to Miss Sarah E. Stevenson, who was born in Marion, Williamson Co., Ill., daughter of James W. and Catharine Stevenson, both of whom are now dead. They came from Indiana to Illinois. Dr. and Mrs. Glasco have five children living and one dead - Emma C., James W., George S. (deceased), Jesse, Eva Ellen and Amos Monroe. In politics the Doctor is Republican, and for three years was postmaster at Saratoga. His wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. ========================================================================= JOHN C. GREGORY, farmer, P. O. Cobden, was born in Union County, Ill., on his present farm September 11, 1836, to John and Sarah (Leonard) Gregory. They were natives of North Carolina, but came here in 1819 and settled in the woods on what is now our subject's farm. They were the parents of 12 children, 11 of whom lived to have families of their own, the other dying when small. He died February 24, 1866, and was some months over 75 years of age; Mrs. Gregory, however, lived till December 16, 1882, and died at the age of about 83 years. When they first came to this county their neighbors were so few that they had to neighbor with all for six or seven miles around, going that distance to help a neighbor when he needed it. Our subject received his education in the schools of the county, and his occupation has always been that of farming on the old homestead, which he now owns. In August 1862 he enlisted in Company E, 81st Illinois Volunteer Infantry, Col. James Dollins, and served till June 1865, when he received his discharge. Soon after his enlistment he was taken with a severe spell of sickness, and after being in the hospital for several months he partially recovered, but not so as to continue with his regiment, so he was transferred to the Invalid Corps, and served his last 15 months around Washington City. June 15, 1859, he was married to Miss Elizabeth L. Anderson. She was also born and raised in this county, daughter of Cornelius and Susan (Morris) Anderson. She died in the county; he, however, is still living. Mr. and Mrs. Gregory have three children - Andrew J., Emma F. and Willis T. His farm consists of 160 acres, about 100 being in cultivation, on which he raises mostly corn, wheat and stock; however, he gives some attention to berry-raising. In politics he is a Republican. He is now filling his first term as Justice of the Peace. He and his wife are members of the Christian Church. =========================================================================