Napoleon B. Utt, who is living retired in Shipman, Macoupin county,
is a native of Ohio, his birth having occurred at Portsmouth on the 22d
of May, 1826. His parents were Henry and Sarah (Hibbs) Utt, both natives
of the Buckeye state, where for many years the father engaged in
agricultural pursuits. During the pioneer days he removed to- Alton,
Illinois, and there entered government land, that he disposed of later
and moved to Christian county, this state. There he again entered land
upon which he resided for a time, then came to Macoupin county, where he
was living at the time of his death in 1861. The mother survived for
some time thereafter, her demise also occurring in this county. Henry
Utt was a veteran of the war of 1812, while his father participated in
the Revolution. To Mr. and Mrs. Utt were born six sons and six
daughters, all of whom are deceased with the exception of William Utt of
Carlinville and our subject.
Napoleon B. Utt was only a small
lad when his parents brought him to Illinois and he attended the schools
of Jersey county, this state, in the acquirement of his education. Much
of his time, even during his very early boyhood, was devoted to the work
on the fields, as in common with all settlers in a new country they met
with many hardships and misfortunes. When the war broke out in 1861 he
was living at Springfield and was one of the first to volunteer his
services, going to the front as a private in the First Illinois Cavalry.
He participated in a number of important battles, seeing much active
service, and received his discharge at Springfield at the close of the
war. He proceeded to Christian county, where his family were living at
that time, and once more undertook farming. Later he came to Carlinville
but soon thereafter removed to Joplin, Missouri, where for thirty years
he engaged in contracting and building. When ready to retire from active
life he returned to Macoupin county, locating in Shipman, where he is
now residing.
At Virden, Illinois, on the 22d of April, 1877,
Mr. Utt and Mrs. Mattie Black Crooks, the widow of Henry Crooks, were
united in marriage. Mrs. Utt is a daughter of James and Flora (McNabb)
Black, and was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on the 19th of April, 1848.
The father was a native of Ohio and the mother of Glasgow, Scotland, but
they resided for many years in St. Louis, Missouri, where the father was
a contractor. They removed from there to Godfrey, Illinois, but
subsequently became residents of Carlinville, where they lived until Mr.
Black’s death. The mother survived until 1907, her demise occurring at
Peoria, Illinois. Of the seven children born to Mr. and Mrs. Black, the
two sons, John of Bloomington, and Simeon of Carrollton, besides Mis.
Utt, are the only ones now living. In 1869 Miss Mattie Black was married
to Henry Crooks, a native of Rushville, Illinois, and a contracting
painter. Four children were born to them, two of whom are now living:
Flora, now Mrs. Zellers, of Joplin, Missouri, and William Crooks, who is
also a resident ef that city. Mr. Crooks, who was a veteran of f he
Civil war, died at Virden. Illinois/in 1876. Mr. and Mrs. Utt are the
parents of three children, two of whom are deceased, the third member of
their family, Mrs. Julia Smith, is now a resident of Los Angeles,
California.
Mr. and Mrs. Utt hold membership in the Baptist
church. He also belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic, being
identified with the Joplin Missouri post. Despite the long period of
their absence from Macoupin county Mr. and Mrs. Utt have resumed many of
the acquaintances and friendships of their earlier days, and are
enjoying life’s evening spent amid the associations of long ago.
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 682-683.
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