IL Quarterlies & Newspapers

From: The History of Carroll County, IL; pub. 1878, Chicago; p. 316

CRIMINAL MENTION, prepared by Volney Armour, Esq.

The next case (2nd case that appears upon the docket of the Carroll County Circuit Court) was an indictment for murder vs. Thomas J. Standifer and Samuel Thompson Wheeler (also on a change of venue from Jo Daviess Count), docketed at the October term, 1843. Wheeler was tried and acquitted, October 14, 1843. Standifer died on the 20th day of October, of the same year.

From: The Public Herald, Omaha, NEB., January 3, 1892
A JOURNALIST DIES
Chicago, Ill. Jan. 2--E. C. Standiford, president of the International Press association, died at his residence in this city this morning of typhoid fever, after an illness of two weeks. Mr. Standiford was the inventor of a typesetting machine, which he had just completed and, which it is claimed will revolutionize the printing business. He was 32 years old and leaves a widow and one child.

Mr. Ed Standefer died at Athensville 30 years ago, February 15, 1882 and was buried in Providence.

Mr. Israel Standefer, about age 70, found dead under a hedge on the farm of Thomas Hobson 40 years ago.
[pub. January 29, 1920]

Lesley Standfer shot himself discourage of account of poor health. He lived here until about five years ago, when he moved to Oklahoma and from there to Moorhead, Mississippi, tow years ago. He worked at the carpenter trade while here.
[pub. June 29, 1911]

September 16, 1909, Mrs. John Pointer died Tuesday leaving a husband and six small children, the youngest only two days old. Eliza Jane Standefer was born March 8, 1876 married John Pointer February 2, 1898. Her mother N. J. Standefer lives at Greenfield, also leaves three sisters: Mrs. Ed Brown of Greenfield, Mrs. Elijah Jackson of Athensville, and Mrs. Leone Godar, Jerseyville; also five brothers: Leslie of Moorehead, MS, Samuel and Howard of Hardin, MO, John of Minneapolis, KS and Charles address unknown.

October 21, 1920 William Edmund Fair, resident of Carrollton for 30 years, died Saturday at his home here at age 63 years, 6 months and 22 days. Burial city Cemetery. Mr. Fair was born March 25, 1857 and was married in Athensville September 24, 1884 to Thosdosia Standefer, who with their four of seven children born survive: Clyde, Virginia, IL; Mrs. Harry Kelly and Elmer of Carrollton; and Kenneth of Colorado Springs, Co.

September 2, 1909 Mr. Benjamin Piper who formerly lived here (Greenfield) for many years died suddenly at his home in White Hall, Monday at age 65 years. He was born August 2, 1844 at Greenfield. His wife, Belle Standefer, died in 1865. He is survived by two sons: J. Howard Piper of White Hall and Guy S. Piper of Dowagiac, Michigan and a daughter Miss Jeannie with whom he lived in White Hall.

June 19, 1924. Twenty years ago, 1904, Mrs. Margaret Standefer died in Carrollton at the home of her daughter Mrs. Ed Fair at age 82. She was the widow of Abram Standefer.

April 26, 1901. Abram Hurd Standefer died Friday at the home of his son Joseph, age 85 years, 8 months, and 19 days. Burial in the city Cemetery. Mr. Standefer was a resident of Carrollton in the early 1860's but had lived in Macoupin County until recently. He leaves six sons and two daughters: Robert F., W. W., Joe L, and Mrs. Ed Fair of Carrollton; I. J. of Alton, I. L and Samuel of Athensville and Mrs. Mary E. Blevins of Parsons, Kansas.

April 14, 1910. Twenty years ago today Freddie Standefer, 6 years old, died at Centralia, Missouri. He was buried at Providence.

May 2, 1910: Thirty years ago Alice, wife of Douglas Standefer, died April 29 at Walnut Grove at age 23.

June 13, 1912. Ten years ago Israel Standefer, age 62 was killed by cars at Alton. Burial at Carrollton.

June 1, 1922. Nancy Jane Standefer was found dead in bed Saturday at the home of her daughter, Mrs. E. M. Jackson, near Wrights, where she had gone to visit. An inquest was held and the coroners jury found that death was caused by a stroke of apoplexy. The funeral service was held Monday after noon at 2 o'clock at the Pentecostal Tabernacle in Carrollton, conducted by Rev. Elmer Snyder, and the burial was in the city cemetery. Mrs. Standefer, age 75 years, 7 months and 5 days, was born east of Carrollton, and passed practically her entire life in Green County. She was married January 8, 1862 to F. M. Standefer and to them were born ten children, five of whom are living. They are Mrs. E. J. Brown of Alton; Mrs. E. Jackson of Wrights; Mrs. H. May Godar of St. Louis; Samuel of Kansas City; and John F. of Minneapolis, Kansas. She also leaves one brother, Charles Ashlock of Kansas City, Kansas. She also had a host of friends who will miss her presence and Christian fellowship.

Mrs. Marshall Standefer, age 61 years, died at her home in Woodriver September 28, 1931. Her maiden name was Lenora Brown, and she was born west of Carrollton October 7, 1870. Three children survive her: Mrs. Helen Harlan, Ft. Wayne, Ind.; Mrs. Pearl Dunn Enstis, Georgia; Mrs. Ruth Chamness of Wood River. Burial was at Woodriver.

"Pioneer Days Tales Related by an 1816 Settler"; pub. 1878 by the Register-News of Mt. Vernon, IL

Combined History of Shelby and Moultrie Counties, Illinois, published in Philadelphia in 1881

p. 45 : Jerre Provolt, a son-in law of John Wilborn, built the first cabin and made the first settlement on Jonathan Creek as early as 1829. John Gordon also settled the same year a little east of Provolt, on the place now owned by James Bolin. They remained there only a few months, when Provolt sold his claim to Benjamin Dabney, and Gordon sold out to Charles Huffman, Dabney's brother-in-law. Robert Holmes, Evan Waller, Archibald Standerfer, John Drew, Robert and Hamilton Bonham, William Lilly, John Hendricks, John and Jacob Seass, Thomas Fulton, the Underwood's, Frank Taylor, Andrew Mark and the Fleming's were also early settlers on Jonathan Creek

Early in 1830, Joel and Peter Freeman came with their families. They were brothers, and located in the eastern part of the county, on what is now known as Coons Creek. They were natives of North Carolina. Joel Freeman brought with him quite a family. His son, Calvin, married a daughter of Mr. Selby, an old settler of Moultrie County, and is now a resident of Lovington township; another son, Benjamin, wedded PollyAnn Bonham; the daughter, Catherine, is the wife of Thomas Dunn. Thomas, William and Joel, Jr., his sons, are all deceased, but some of their descendants are yet living in the county. Joel Freeman, Sr., died several years ago. Peter only remained here about two years and removed to Missouri. The Purvis family are well known early settlers of this county. James and John Purvis, brothers, located in what is now East Nelson, April 1st, 1830, and erected a small cabin on Section 7, where George Purvis still resides They broke the first prairie in that township. In the month following, their father, John Purvis, his wife and Malinda, their daughter, came from Sangamon county, Illinois, and moved into the cabin with his sons, where they all lived together for a year; soon after which the elder Purvis moved to the Mill seat, at the bend of the Okaw river, and made his home with his sons, James and John G. John Purvis the elder, was a soldier in the war of 1812: he died in this county in 1833. Sarah, his wife, survived him several years. James Purvis married Mahala Jones. By that union were born two children. James died about the year 1836. His widow subsequently married and moved to California. George Purvis married Cassa Waller, by whom he had four children, three of whom are residents of this county. His wife died, and he afterwards married Mahala Poor. He has held several township offices, and is still living on the place where he settled in 1830. Thomas, a brother of George Purvis, is dead; but some of his children are yet living in the county. Isaac Purvis with his family, settled here in 1831; he and his wife are both deceased; William lives on the same place where he first settled in 1837. He has raised a large family of children, and has held many offices of trust, and was always an active and enterprising citizen of the county. John G. moved to Missouri; Elizabeth married John Bracken who came here in 1832, and died making an over-land trip to California. Mahala Purvis married Jeremiah Standerfer, and is now living in Jonathan Creek township.

Settlements. -- Jerre Provolt, a son-in-law of John Wilbern, built the first cabin and made the first improvement, in section thirty-three, on the farm now owned by the widow Fulton, as early as 1829. About the same time John Gordon settled a short distance east of Provolt, on section thirty-four, on the place now owned by Mr. James Bolin. These parties only remained here a short time, as we find that late in the same year Provolt sold out his claim to Benjamin Dabney; and Charles Hoffman, a brother-in-law of Dabney's, who came with him, bought out Gordon. Robert Holmes settled on the west side of Jonathan's creek in 1829, on the place now owned by Jacob Seass, in section twenty-one. Evan Waller settled south-west of the Bolin place in 1830, and Archibald Standerfer, sen., and his family arrived a little later in the same year. His son, Jerre Standerfer, is still residing here. John Drew, with a large family, came here about 1833 or '34. Thomas Fulton and Hamilton Bonham, with their families, settled a little later on the west side of the creek. John Fleming settled the present Frank Taylor place, and James Fleming settled at the head of the Jonathan's creek timber, where he soon afterwards died, and his family returned to Indiana.

Besides those above-mentioned, Levi Fleming, Elijah Fleming, Andrew Mark, James Underwood, John and Jacob Seass and William H. Lilly were early settlers here. Benjamin Freeman, who settled in what is now Moultrie county in 1830, is at present a resident of Jonathan creek.

TERRA HAUTE, IND, Oct. 3 -- An Express special from Paris, Ill, says: New developments make the bank wrecking of Standiford Brothers at Chrisman worse. About one month ago the bank building was burned and the Standifords opened for business the next morning on the west side of the square. They went to a few of their largest depositors and told them the safe was so hot they could not open it without destroying everything it contained and asked these parties to give them their notes for $10,000 each for thirty days and they could get them discounted here in this city and go ahead with their business. For accommodation, three of these notes were given and others were given amounting to $50,000 in all. The Standifords got the money on these notes. If the signers of these notes are compelled to pay them, it may ruin them. This fact has been kept secret until today.

This will make the Standifords' liabilities over $200,000.

The safe was opened by an expert today and all it contained was $70 in small coin.

The grand jury returned fifteen indictments for forgery, embezzlement, obtaining money under false pretences and larceny.

The county will offer a reward of $1,000 for the capture of the Standiford brothers.

NO MONEY IN THE BANK

Big Failure at Chrisman, Ill.--Standiford Bros. Fail to Open Their Bank and Depositors Are Short Over $75,000

Paris, Ill., Oct 1.--Following close upon the heels of a disastrous fire comes the announcement of the failure of the Chrisman bank, an establishment that has for years ranked among the solid financial institutions of Edgar county. On Monday morning the bank failed to open for business, but a panic was temporarily avoided by a telegram from Alexander B. Standiford, the senior of the firm, dated at Chicago saying that he had missed connection and would be in Chrisman that evening. The junior partner, J. E. Standiford, departed for the west over two weeks ago. On Tuesday evening, as neither had returned legal proceedings were instituted, and it soon became evident that the worst had come. The cause of the failure is said to be board of trade speculation, a telegraph operator having disclosed the fact that the Standifords were in daily communications with the board of trade, although their operations were conducted so secretly as to arouse no suspicion. Neither of the missing bankers have yet been located. The books were left locked in the vault and until they can be opened the full extent of the liabilities will not be known although they are variously estimated from $75,000 to %150,000. The assets are unknown, but are thought to be small. The failure of the bank is a severe blow to Chrisman.