William Pierson Musgrave was born on 12. Nov. 1828 at Hutsonville Twp., Crawford County, Illinois. He was the son of
Nathan Musgrave and
Mary Cox. William Pierson Musgrave married
Priscilla Ellen Coffin Oct. 8th, 1849 at Washington County, Indiana. William Pierson Musgrave married
Catherine Jemima Voorheis, daughter of
Mahlon Voorheis and
Elizabeth Tuttle, on 24. Nov. 1864 at Crawford County, Illinois. William Pierson Musgrave died on 1. Mar. 1915 at age 86.
WM. P. MUSGRAVE CALLED TO REST.
Passes Quietly to the Great Beyond Monday March, 1.
William Pierson Musgrave, aged 86 years, 3 months and 19 days passed away at his home about two miles north of Hutsonville just before the noon hour Monday March 1st . Funeral services were held at Union Chapel Wednesday, March 3rd at 10 a. m., conducted by the home ministers led by Cyrus Guyer.
Interment in the Musgrave cemetery. The large concourse of friends who filled the church to over flowing and who accompanied the remains to their last resting place bore testimony to the high standing and regard in which the deceased was held by all who knew him. He passed away quietly and without a sembalance of pain, just going into a peaceful slumber. At no time during his last illness did he seem to suffer.
Mr. Musgrave was a native of this township, his parents, who were North Carolina Quakers, having come to this country in the year 1818 and taken up a government land claim. When he was only twenty years of age, he was appointed a delegate to the Friends' yearly meeting in Dayton Ohio and made the trip and return on horseback.
In earlier days he had hauled apples, wool and other produce as far as Chicago to find a market, bringing back salt and other things.
Mr. Musgrave was one of the pioneer business men of the village having opened up a store on the river just back of the present McNutt & Musgrave Bros. hardware establishment. About 1854 he formed a partnership with the late Dr. Meserve of Robinson. Meserve & Musgrave sold drugs in a small building that stood near where the Farmers & Merchants bank now stands. After a short duration the firm dessolved and in 1861 Mr. Musgrave and Wm. Coffin, a brother-in-law, formed a partnership and started a general
store on the ground where the present Hurst Bros. store now stands. After one year Coffin withdrew and Dr. Thomas Kennedy, also a brother-in-law of Mr. Musgrave, be came a partner. After a short time Kennedy withdrew and in 1864 W. P. Musgrave and John R. Hurst formed a partnership which lasted but one year when Isaac Lowe, father of Judge A. L. Lowe, bought Mr. Musgrave out and he returned to the farm where he spent the remainder of his days. Following is the obituary:
William Pierson, son of Nathan and Mary Musgrave, was born Nov. 12, 1828 and was married to Percilia E. Coffin Oct. 8th, 1849. They were married according to the custom of the Friends' Church in a public meeting with out license, they pronouncing the ceremony, this being the legal form of marriage at that time. To this union were born five children, Edward P., John E., Izora E. Cox of Robinson, Ill., Lura B. Woodard and William R. All of these, except Izora, with their mother preceded him in death.
He was again married to Catherine J. Voorheis Oct. 24, 1864(1?). To this union were born seven children, Nathan A., Flora F., Mary E., Edward V., Mahlon H., Eliza B. and Harry, three of whom survive being Nathan, Mary and Mahlon. He also left fifteen grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren.
His parents came to this country and settled here in the year 1818. They were one of the most prominent families in the early development of this country. The Indians were numerous here at that time and wild game such as deer and turkey were in abundance. Uncle William saw the country transformed from a wilderness which by the sturdy stroke of industry was made to "Blossom as the Rose", as we see it today.
He had a birthright and was a life long member of the Friends' Church.
He bore his first public testimony in Christ at the age of 17. This was unusual in those days of quiet meetings. By his simple, honest and upright life he was known by all as a Godly man. He was ever ready, both in public and and private, to speak of the Master he loved so well. He had a profound reverance for the Holy Scriptures and was faithful to read them in daily devotion, night and morning, with his family often speaking upon such occasions that his prospect was bright. His earthly treasure was goodwill to all and
high regard for his children who so kindly cared him to the end. He leaves to his children and to his grandchildren a priceless legacy--an example of peace and goodwill to his fellow men.
Wm. P. Musgrave Writes Interesting Sketch
I was born in 1828 on the farm now owned and occupied by Wm. Rains, two miles north west of Hutsonville. My parents, Nathan and Mary (Cox) Musgrave, having settled here in 1818, my father was born in North Carolina in 1796 while Washington was president. They came with a company who had planned to brave the hardships of travel by ox carts, on horseback and on foot to plant a colony in this new and unbroken territory of Illinois. While they were hunting for a more fertile land, which was than principally government land and could be had for almost nothing, one object was to get away from the states of slavery. At this time there was a growing sentiment against slave holding, especially among friends (or Quakers) of which my father was a member. He brought with him a colored man to whom he had fallen heir and gave him his liberty. My first schooling was at a log school house, a little south and east of the present home of Cyrus Lindley. This was the only school house at this time in this part of the county. The house was warmed by a large fireplace and the one window was an opening made by removing a log from one side and covering the space with greased paper. The backless benches were hewn slabs of timber. There was a long shelf below the window to write on. Allen Sackrider was my first teacher. He taught us reading and arithmetic, made goose quill pens for us and he showed me how to make clay marbles and burn them in a fireplace. The first meeting house in this section of the country was a log house built by Friends just south of the turn in the road between Lawrence Newlin's and his daughter, Gladys' home. We often had "silent meetings." This was a branch church of Honey Creek monthly meeting, south of Terre Haute. The homes for the most part were as poorly furnished as the school houses. Much if not all the furniture was hand made as well as our clothing, etc.
"General" Stark, south of Hutsonville, made wool or fur hats for men who could afford them. We made our own straw hats by brading rye straw and sewing together.
Exum Draper (father of the late Wm. Draper) who lived on the land of my son, Nathan's, present home, was the principal shoemaker. John Reynolds, father of the late Enos Reynolds, having residence and shop just north of Chas. Musgrave's present home, and made most all of the tools, farming implements, wagons, etc. for all the people the country over. At one time he had six forges in his large shop and employed several men. He used a trip hammer that was run by oxen, the sound of which could be heard several miles away.The mail route by which we were served was from Vincennes to Paris. The mail was carried on horseback.York being the station where the carrier stayed over night and changed horses. When about 14 years old I went on horseback to Vincennes in company with the mail carrier. I remember that there was but one post office between Palestine and that place. My father sent me then to bring home my brother, John, who had started with a flatboat of hay to New Orleans but was compelled to tie at Vincennes on account of the floating ice.
When I was 17 years old I, with others, made a trip to Chicago with a wagon load of wool and dried apples, which I exchanged for dry goods and two barrels of salt. Chicago was then a growing city, but there were no railroads or street cars.
At age of 20 I went on horseback to Dayton, Ohio, to yearly meeting of Friends. I stayed one night at Indianapolis. I put up at a hotel and the fair for myself and horse, including lodging, supper and breakfast was one dollar.
In early times we had to work hard for a living but there was plenty of time sociability. There were log rollings, house and barn raisings, quiltings apple cuttings, etc. One night a party of young people met at the home of Mahlon Voorheis (Henry Voorheis' ) father to have a spelling school. About midnight we were all envited into the kitchen to a nice warm supper. I especially remember the hot biscuits baked by the fireplace. Aunt Eliza, Mahlon's wife, was one of the best of cooks.
My first travel by railroad was from Vencennes to Salem Ind. The engines and cars and cars were small compared to those of today. The rails were made by laying timbers lengthwise on the ties and capping them with strips of iron or steel, similar to wagon tires but thicker. Wood was used for fuel and some of the passengers paid their fares by helping load on wood.
My first remembrance of Hutsonville was when, as a rmall boy, Iused to visit my uncle, William Cox,who lived there. He built a small store and brought on the first stock of goods ever offered for sale in that place. His store was on the river bank east of Newlin's present store. His home, a log house, was about where Elizabeth Higgins' home now stands. A few years later my father and William Hurst, brother of the late John R. Hurst, built quite a large storehouse near the site of Cox's storeand also a meat packing house where pork was cured and sent to New Orleans by boat. General stores at that time were much different from those of the present time. There were no ready made shoes, hats, clothing, no coal oil as candles were used and no fruit jars, as we had only dried fruit by then. They kept factory unbleached muslin, a little calico, sometimes jeans, but jeans was mostly woven by looms in the homes. Orleans sugar and molasses, sorghum cane was not then grown here, candles, bags of green coffee, rice, etc.
My first adventure in the mercantile business in Hutsonville was with Dr. Stephen Meserve in a small drug store. In 1860 I formed a partnership with my brother-in-law, Wm. Coffin, and put in a general store. Coffin was soon succeeded by my sister's husband, Dr.Thos. Kennedy who was with me about a year or so when John R. Hurst became a partner. I sold my interest to Isaac Lowe, and Hurst with Lowe and afterward with John Olwin continued the business until his (Hurst's) death 1886, when his sons, W. B. and L. C. Hurst became proprietors and have carried on the business at the same place up to present time.In 1866 I bought a farm three miles northwest of town and was engaged in farming and fruit culture for the next 13 years when I sold out to Edward Rains and moved to Coloma Ind. I conducted a small store there for four years when I again sold out and returned to this neighborhood where I have since lived. In my lifetime of almost 85 years I have witnessed wonderful changes. Land for which I paid $5 an acre is now worth $125. Scarcely a half dozen of my boyhood friends are now living. Many of my own loved ones have passed over. I have sorrows and losses yet I find this a good world to live in. I have not always made a success financially, but I am glad to say I have been able to pay all my debts. If I owe any one a cent, I do not know it. I am thankful too, to have been blessed with health and to have provided always with a comfortable living.
Wm.P. Musgrave.