Charles Walker Atchison

  General Notes:

The 1900 Federal Census for Waynesville Township, DeWitt Co., Illinois, District 48, page 196B, dated June 10, 1900 records the widower Walker Atchison (April 1842 - Illinois/VA/KY). Also in the household is Walker's son, Dick Atchison (July 1865 - IL/IL/IL) with his wife Lavina (April 1870 - IL/Indiana/Indiana) and their daughter, Ethel (June 1889).

The 1910 Federal Census for Waynesville Township, DeWitt Co., Illinois, District 86, page 305A, dated April 29, 1910 records the widower Charlie W. Atchison (68 - Illinois/VA/KY). Also in the household is Walker's son, Isham J. Atchison (44 - IL/IL/IL) with his wife Lavina (41 - IL/Indiana/Indiana). Also in the household is Isham's daughter, Ethel Hammitt (20) and her husband John T. Hammitt (21 -IL/IL/Ohio). Isham and Lavina have been married for 22 years and have had 1 child while Ethel has been married for 2 years and has had 1 child who is still living, although that child is not listed here. This is a Farming family.

The 1920 Federal Census for Waynesville Township, DeWitt Co., Illinois, District 103, page 262B, dated January 6, 1920 records the widower Walker Atchison (77 - Illinois/VA/KY) living with his son, Isham J. Atchison (54 - IL/IL/IL) with his wife Lavina (50 - IL/Indiana/IL).

The Biographical Record of DeWitt County, Illinois, Illustrated.
Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1901.
[http://www.rootsweb.com/~ildewitt/id488.htm
DeWitt Co. GenWeb Project]
CHARLES WALKER ATCHISON. (Volume 2, Page 256)
Among the prosperous and substantial farmers of Waynesville township there is probably none more energetic or thorough-going than the gentleman whose name introduces this sketch. Walker Atchison, as he is familiarly called, now owns and operates a large and valuable farm on section thirty-one, including the old homestead where he was born on the 17th of April, 1842. His ancestors on the paternal side were of English and Scotch extraction and were early settlers of Virginia. His father, Isham Atchison, was born in that state, in 1804, and was a son of George Atchison, also a native of the Old Dominion. At an early day the family removed to Kentucky, where they were numbered among the pioneers, and where Isham Atchison grew to manhood and wedded Miss Mary Crawford, a native of that state. They continued to make their home there until after the birth of three of their children, and then came to Illinois in 1833, locating in DeWitt county, where the father entered some land and bought more, it being now the property of our subject. The first home of the family in this county was a rude cabin, which was later replaced by a more substantial structure of hewed logs. A number of years later the present residence was built and many other useful and valuable improvements have been made as time has passed until it is now a most attractive and desirable farm. In early life the father of our subject learned the blacksmith's trade, and after coming to this county did his own work in that line. He died here in 1880, honored and respected by all who knew him. The mother departed this life in 1866, leaving five children, namely: George, now deceased; John T., who is living with his brother on the old home farm; Charles Walker, of this review; David, a resident of Waynesville; and Mrs. Elizabeth Eskew, of Peoria, Illinois.
Walker Atchison never left the parental roof, and at an early age took charge of the farm and business for his father, who was getting well along in years. Later he bought the interests of some of the heirs and succeeded to the farm, and has since added to his landed possessions until he now has four hundred and thirty-five acres of very valuable land. The house where our subject now lives and which is now one of the large and substantial country houses of the county, was built in 1840, and in it our subject was born, and while many improvements have been made, it is yet practically the same as the year it was built.
On the 1st of September, 1864, in Logan county, Mr. Atchison was united in marriage with Miss Maria Hull, who died July 11, 1865, leaving one son, Isham Johnson, who was reared on the home farm and educated in the schools of Waynesville. He married Miss Vina Gambrel, a daughter of William Gambrel, one of the prominent men of Barnett township, this county, and they have one child, Ethel. For his second wife our subject married Miss Fanny Gordon, of Logan county, who died January 29, 1871, and the only child born of that union, Bertha G., died at the age of two years. The last wife of Mr. Atchison was Mrs. Sarah A. Groves, who died August 23, 1892.



History of DeWitt County Illinois: with biographical sketches of prominent representative citizens of the county.
Chicago: Pioneer Publishing Co., 1910
[http://www.rootsweb.com/~ildewitt/1910history.htm#A08
DeWitt Co. GenWeb Project]
ISHAM J. ATCHISON. (Volume II, Page 389)
The farm of two hundred and fifty-seven acres, located in Waynesville township, and now owned by Isham J. Atchison, has been in possession of the family throughout a long period, for the Atchison family is one of the earliest of DeWitt county. Mr. Atchison was born on a farm near Waynesville on the 2d of July, 1865, a son of Charles W. Atchison, whose birth occurred in the same house on the 17th of April, 1842, his parents being Isham and Mary (Crawford) Atchison, natives of Virginia and Kentucky , respectively, who became early settlers of Illinois . The father was reared to the occupation of farming, which he followed throughout his active business career. He inherited three hundred acres of land from his father's estate, and to this he added one hundred and forty-five acres by purchase. He not only farmed but raised stock on quite an extensive scale, making a specialty of raising Percheron horses. He has always supported the republican party and is now making his home with his son Isham. He was three times married. His first union was with Miss Maria Hull, who ws born October 21, 1840, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Johnson Hull, their marriage being celebrated on the 1st of September, 1864. Mrs. Atchison died on the 11th of July, 1865, when her son Isham was but nine days old. By the second marriage of Mr. Atchison there was a daughter, Bertha, who was born on the 29th of December, 1870, and died when but two years old. There were no children of the third marriage.
Isahm J. Atchison was reared on the home farm and acquired his education in the schools of Waynesville, graduating from the high school June 4, 1886. Subsequently he assisted his father in the work on the homestead, which has been his home to the present time. He has inherited from his father two hundred and fifty-seven acres, located in Waynesville township, and is here engaged in general farming and stock-raising, keeping Percheron horses, Poland China hogs, Jersey cattle and Shropshire sheep. Both branches of his business are bringing him good returns and he is today numbered among the most substantial farmers of DeWitt county.
On the 1st of September, 1887, occurred the marriage of Mr. Atchison and Miss Lavina Gambrel, a daughter of William and Mary (Marvel) Gambrel, who were natives of Indiana , and who became early settlers of Illinois , locating in Barnett township, where the daughter's birth occurred April 9, 1869. She is the ninth in order of birth in a family of six sons and ten daughters. By her marriage she has become the mother of one daughter, who was married October 29, 1907, to John T. Hammitt, by whom she has a son. They make their home with Mr. and Mrs. Atchison.
Mr. Atchison has followed in the political steps of his father by giving his support to the men and measures of the republican party and for one term served as township collector. In 1880 he united with the Methodist church at Waynesville and from that time to the present has been an active worker in the church and Sunday school. He is now a steward in the church, while for many years he has served either as teacher or superintendent of the Sunday school, at the present time acting in the latter capacity. He is a Mason, belonging to Wayne Lodge, No. 172, of which he has served as master and has filled other chairs in that organization. The work instituted by the grandfather and carried on by the father is still continued by Isham J. Atchison, who is a man of exemplary habits and whose daily life reflects his true Christian character.

Charles married Sarah A. Groves circa 1875 in DeWitt Co., Illinois. (Sarah A. Groves was born circa 1834 in Ohio and died on 23 Aug 1892 in DeWitt Co., Illinois.)