THOMAS SIMPKINS
As the blushing rose sheds its perfume, and by its beauty in spring-time
delights the soul of mankind, so the good works of noble men live, radiantly
and sublimely beautiful, in the hearts of their fellows long after the turf
grows over the earthly tenement that shuts them out from the light of the
world. The immortal Scottish bard, Robert Burns, wrote of a deceased
friend:--
"An honest man here lies at rest
As e'er God with his image blest;
The friend of man, the friend of truth,
The friend of age and guide of youth;
Few hearts like his with virtue warmed,
Few heads with knowledge so informed.
If there's another world, he lives in bliss;
If there is none, he made the best of this."
Such an epitaph would be extremely apropos to the subject of this sketch,
whose name appears at its heading. As a pioneer of Pike county, with
reminiscences of his early days, we wish particularly to deal, the aim of
the publishers of this work being to do honor to the early settlers
those hardy yeoman who, in the primitive days of the county, braved the dangers
that beset them on all sides, and the uncertainties of the seasons, and,
through their exertions, brought the present generation into possession of
the Eden of the world.
Thos. Simpkins was born in Yorkshire, England, in the
year ____, and there resided until he was ___ years of age, when, becoming
impressed with a desire to dwell amid the scenes of a wild and new country,
he left "Merrie England" for the land where universal freedom reigned, and
royalty existed with the high, the low, the rich, and the poor. Liberty,
the beautiful Goddess, beckoned him, and he steered for the beacon light
which she burned upon her shores, to light safely into her elysium the oppressed
of all nations. On the 22d day of October, 1831, a hardy young man, this
noble scion of old England struck his tent in Morgan county, in this state,
determined to commence his life-struggle for fortune there; but, as time
moved on, the broad prairies of old Pike, then but a wild garden, perfumed
with the rich and beautiful flowers planted by the hand of Dame Nature, with
but few farms and settlers, offered him a broader and better field for operation,
and in 1833 he moved in, and immediately began a busy toiler in the hive
with those who were then working the grand old prairies of the county, which
have since made her so famous throughout the nation. His first labor was
performed for Mr. W. W. Jones, who, at the time of this writing, lives in
Griggsville, a hale old man, and an honored member of the community. For
a long time, exposed to the rays of the scorching sun, or breasting the
tempestuous winds that drove mercilessly over the waste fields, or withstanding
the pelting rain and rattling hail, he delved into the soil, and with his
ploughshare turned the sod of the grand prairie, receiving for his arduous
labors eleven dollars per month a very large salary at the time. Industry
and prudence were his traits, and adherence thereto brought him his reward
his accumulations amounting to enough, in a very short time, to enable
him to purchase an ox team, with which he set out for himself, and a very
few months sufficed to find him in possession of land of his own, upon which
he had the proud satisfaction of seeing, as results of his labor, waving
corn and golden wheat spring up in abundance. This land is now known as the
Butz farm, and is one of the many productive places in the county known as
No. 1. In the year ____ he purchased the home farm.
Encouraged by his property, and becoming enamored of
an estimable young lady, Miss Ann Wharton, in the year 1836 he married. To
them were born six children, five of whom are living four daughters
and one son - than whom there is none in Pike county more honored and respected.
Thomas, jr., succeeded to the home place, at which he now resides, where
can be seen, in the thrifty and prosperous appearance of the fields, fences,
outbuildings, etc., the industry and prudence of the father transmitted to
the son. Sarah, the oldest daughter, is the wife of Mr. John Lasbury, one
of he most prominent stock raisers, as well as one of the most thrifty farmers,
in the county. Two other daughters, Anna and Mary, are married and now living
in Pike county, and are most estimable ladies. The youngest daughter, Vinand,
resides with her aged mother, in the lovely village of Griggsville, a comfort
and a help to her in her declining years.
Mr. Simpkins, recognizing the world as a progressive
one, was among the first to adopt such improvements in the manner of tilling
the soil as made their appearances, from his early days to the time of his
death, and is a well known fact that he was one of the first to introduce
into the county a wheat drill and a self-raking reaper. Perfection in all
things seemed to be the spirit that moved him, and at a very early day he
imported blooded cattle, and in his latter days possessed one of the finest
herds of cattle in the state. As an artist delights in his peculiar science,
so delighted Mr. Simpkins in fine stock, improvement in stock raising, and
the production of cereals. Hence it is no wonder that we find him one of
the first to favor the establishment of agricultural and horticultural societies,
and a firm friend and supporter of county fairs, and one of the founders
of the Pike county organization.
The years of hard toil and anxiety he experienced in
building a foundation for his family bore heavily upon him, and disease marked
him as a victim as he had reached the zenith of affluence at the time
when he had just prepared to dwell among his people and be happy in seeing
all of his flesh and blood enjoying the fruit of the trees planted by his
own hand. In 1860 he left America to visit the scenes of his childhood, and
reached there in time to tarry awhile with the friends of his youth and behold
the changes that had taken place, when, called by the almighty, his spirit
forsook its earthly tenement and winged its way to that haven of rest prepared
in the realms of bliss for the good, while the body was laid away in the
old Moulton churchyard, wherein were many whitened monuments familiar to
it in life, years and years before.
A better man could not be found.