Biography - NATHANIEL CARRICO

One of the wealthiest and best known men of Honey Point township is Nathaniel Carrico. He is a native of Jersey county, Illinois, born September 9, 1833, being a son of Nathaniel and Mary (Brown) Carrico. The father was born in Kentucky and was of French descent, while the mother was a native of Missouri and of American descent. Dennis Carrico, the grandfather, was born in Maryland of French parents. He migrated to Illinois at an early day and located in Greene county, where he applied himself as a farmer and millwright. Nathaniel Carrico, the father, arrived in Illinois in 1824, and settled on a farm in Jersey county, where he continued until his death in 1833. His wife subsequently moved to Logan county, where she spent the remainder of her days. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Carrico were four children, three of them being daughters. Sarah Jane married Dudley Bower and they lived in Illinois for many years and then took up their residence in Kansas. They are both now deceased, Mrs. Bower having been called away September 16, 1902, at the age oi seventy-four years, nine months and twenty-three days. Elizabeth married James Bower, who died, and she is now the wife of William Leighton, of California. Hannah married Jackson Rutherford, a farmer of Macoupin county, and is now deceased.

Nathaniel Carrico, the only son of the family, remained upon the home farm until seventeen years of age and then came to Macoupin county and entered two hundred acres of government land, the land costing him ninety cents per acre. After attaining his majority he located upon that place and it has ever since been his abode. On the 18th of September, 1854, just nine days after he attained his majority, he went to Edwardsville, Madison county, Illinois, and entered two hundred acres of prairie land and also purchased five acres of timber land, which property he still owns at this writing in the fall of 1911. He made the entry with twelve dollars received from his grandfather’s estate and also invested the one hundred and ninety dollars received from his father’s estate. Subsequently he purchased three hundred and fifty acres adjoining his homestead and at different times added to his landed possessions until he became the owner of several farms, aggregating one thousand acres, in Macoupin and Montgomery counties. He has given some of his land to his children, but most of his farms are being cultivated under lease. He retired from active labors about ten years ago, but still has oversight of his business and is remarkably vigorous mentally and physically.

On the 28th of February, 1856, Mr. Carrico was married to Miss Milbury J. Mitchell, a daughter of Elijah Mitchell, who was one of the first settlers of Brushy Mound township. There were twelve children born to this union, namely: Mary Elizabeth, of Brushy Mound township, the widow of George W. Drake, a record of whom appears elsewhere in this work; Annie, who died May 28, 1866, at the age of seven years, eleven months and nineteen days; Margaret, the wife of Charles Kaesebier, who is engaged in the general merchandise business at Barnett, Illinois, Laura, who died July 28, 1866, at the age of three years, four months and fourteen days; Nathaniel, who died September 20, 1866, at the age of one year, nine months and eleven days; John, who is now living upon the home place; Lulu, who married C. E. Merritt, a dairyman of Lincoln, Illinois; George, who is engaged in the general mercantile business at Barnett; Martha, the wife of William Guilfoyle, a well driller of Barnett; Nora, the wife of John Pruitt, a plumber of Springfield, Missouri; and Phoebe Maude and Jesse, both of whom died in infancy. The mother of these children died October 18, 1879, and Mr. Carrico was married July 1, 1886, to Mrs. Virginia Williams, a daughter of John and Elizabeth Decker, the father being a native of Pennsylvania and the mother of Germany. Mr. Decker was engaged in farming in Illinois at the outbreak of the Civil war and bravely responded to the call of his country, enlisting in an Illinois regiment. He died from fever contracted while on duty and was buried at Louisville, Kentucky, being the first man of his company to give up his life for his country. Mrs. Decker is also deceased and was buried at Litchfield, Illinois. By his second marriage Mr. Carrico became the father of three children: Virginia B., who is living in St. Louis, Missouri; Dottie, now the wife of Edward Thornton, who is living on one of Mr. Carrico’s farms; and Francis, wife of Charles Herron, a farmer of Honey Point township. By her former marriage Mrs. Carrico had two children: Mrs. Mary E. Bates, of East St. Louis; and Albert G. Green, of Oelwein, Iowa.

In politics Mr. Carrico has supported the republican party ever since he arrived at his majority, having cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln as president of the United States. On account of illness at the time of the election he was unable to go to the polls to vote for John C. Fremont, the first candidate of the republican party for president. He has taken great interest in education and served for thirty years as school director of the home district in Honey Point township. He also for four years filled the office of justice of the peace. His wife holds membership in the Methodist Episcopal church of Litchfield. Mr. Carrico has been especially fortunate in being of clear discernment in business affairs and also in possessing a discrimination as to values, which are highly important in the accumulation of property. Few men in Macoupin county can claim more intimate knowledge of the resources of the county and his opinion as to values of agricultural lands is unquestioned. Starting upon his own account as a boy, he has become an acknowledged leader and is accorded the respect which belongs to the man who has ever sought to be governed by principles of truth and justice.

Extracted 18 Nov 2018 by Norma Hass from History of Macoupin County, Illinois: Biographical and Pictorial, by Charles A. Walker, published in 1911, Volume 2, pages 610-614.