Jefferson County Illinois Biographies

   The Casey family was the most numerous at the start, both in the south, and in the first settlement of Jefferson county. We have already given the life and services of Zadok Casey. His father was Randolph, a warrior under Gen. Francis Marion. Of his children Zadok, Samuel, Levi, Isaac, all came to Jefferson county, and have been noticed. We are just in receipt of a letter from Oakland, California, from Mrs. Mellie Casey Rockwell, in which she says: "My father, William B. (Buck) Casey, was born in Jefferson county, Illinois, in June, 1821, the second male child born in the county son of William and Amy (Barker) Casey. Uncle Blackford Casey, my father's oldest brother, was born in June, 1815, and was the very first male child born in what is now Jefferson county. My mother is still living at the age of eighty-three; my father died in 1884. Uncle Blackford Casey passed away in December, 1892. His oldest son, Greetham Casey, who was born in Jefferson county, seventy years ago, now lives in Covine, Los Angeles county, California. My mother taught school in Mount Vernon in 1850." This reminds us that there are fewer Casey in old Jefferson today than there were in those early days. They have moved on with civilization and become less prolific, perhaps.  The same may be said of the Maxeys, and Johnsons, also, for they are fewer now than then.
   William Casey, Jr., came here in 1836; he was the father of Blackford, Maletna, Buck, Abraham, Drury B., Thomas, Melissa and Zadok, Jr. He used to live northwest two miles on what is now the Centralia road. Abraham T., William's brother, married Valinda Maxey, located on Salem road and preached "around." His children were Harriet, who married Dr.W.S. Van Cleve; Catherine, who married Mont Morrow; Belveretta, who married J. R. Walker; Elizabeth, who married John Sproul; Martha, who married Dr. Shirley, and Lafayette, an itinerant preacher.
   Thomas M. Casey, afterwards known as "Uncle Tommy," married Harriet Maxey. They had eleven children and we remember: Clinton M., Jane, William, Cynthia, Mary, Barger, Rebecca, Nanny, Abraham and Rhoda. Abraham P. died in Missouri, leaving his children; John C., Green P., Franklin S., Martin S., Isaac, Clarissa and Elizabeth, in this county. John C. married Polly Casey, Green P. married Margaret Watkins, Franklin S. married Rhoda Taylor. He lived on the Richview road, near Grand Prairie, and died there. Thomas J. and Robert were his sons. Mrs. Lew Beale was his daughter. Lewis F. Casey, in giving an account of his father's family, Green P. Casey, says: "My grandfather was Abraham P. My grandfather on my mother's side was Lewis Watkins. My parents were married in Mount Vernon in 1820, went to farming out in the woods, with nothing but bears, deer and coons to molest them. My brothers, Abraham and Hiram, died in childhood; my sisters married as follows: Harriet married George Seward; May A. married John T. Smith; Nancy A. married Henry Phillips; Sarah A. married John Willis; Mahala P. married Dr. John Murphy; Margaret married Capt. D. M. Short, of Texas, and Rhoda Ellen married Alfred Galbreath. Also two sisters, Arabella and Isabella, both of whom died young. Green P. died in 1857, and his wife in 1866, mourned by all who knew them."
  Lewis F., the surviving son of this family, was made surveyor of Jefferson county at the age of twenty; was Commissioner to take the census of the county in 1845; was lieutenant of Company H Second Regiment, in Mexico; represented his native county (Jefferson) in the Legislature in 1847. He moved to Texas in 1852, was chosen Prosecuting Attorney; elected to the State Senate in 1861; was surrounded by secession sentiment and served the cause until it failed; then returned to Illinois; began to practice law at Centralia, and died there a few years ago. His wife was Mary J., daughter of Governor Z. Casey.
   Samuel  K. Casey eldest son of Governor Casey, bought the old homestead (now the Chance place) and lived and died there after serving in both houses of the Legislature, serving as warden of the penitentiary and being largely instrumental in securing Mount Vernon her first railroad. He is survived by Samuel Casey, a prominent real estate dealer of Mount Vernon.
Thomas S. Casey, son of Zadok, also served in both houses of the Legislature, as Circuit Judge, and for a while as colonel in the war, and for many years he was prominent in the law and at one time was on the Appellate Court bench.
   Newton Casey, another son of Zadok, also served in the Legislature, and other public positions.
   Mahala, his daughter, married a Mr. Dwight and Judge Samuel L. Dwight, of Centralia, is their surviving child. He married Capt. R. D. Noleman's daughter. The other Casey descendants in Jefferson county have proven themselves good useful citizens in the private walks of life, and none of them have ever wrought disgrace on the Casey name, and Jefferson county may consider herself fortunate in having the Casey for her first inhabitants. Suffice it to say that the Casey family have left their impress on Jefferson county, although the greater number of them have passed over the divide, where they await the grand Casey reunion on the other side.

Submitted By: Cindy Ford