D. H. EVETT, merchant, Cobden, was born January 19, 1835, in Henderson County, Tenn.; is a son of W. B. and Sarah Williams Evett, natives of Tennessee, and the parents of eight children, all of whom grew up. Our subject only resides in this county. He had the chance to attend school but a few days, and did not then even learn to read and write. He was brought up at the duties of the ruralist, and at the age of nineteen he began carpentering. At that time his only worldly possessions were a suit of clothing and $2.50. When about twenty-five years old, he began clerking for the firm of Crytes & Cooper, of Bloomfield, Mo., whither the family had gone from Williamson County, Ill., where they settled in 1843. He severed his connection with the above firm, and took a position with Bartlett & Legget, of Piketon, the same State. Here, under the instructions of Legget, he learned to read and write, and within two years was able and did post the books of his employer. He remained with this firm, however, only a few months on account of the war oppressing the business, which was finally closed up, and he then went to the individual store of Bartlett, of Bloomfield, where he was engaged actively for some time, and this store was also closed on account of the war. He clerked for awhile at Cape Girardeau, and from there made preparations to start for St. Paul, Minn., to take a position as a clerk. James Morrison, an elderly man, with wife and no children, had for a long time clerked for an adjoining firm to Mr. Evett, just merely to have employment, and had in the meantime taken a deep interest in his strong competitor, and without any solicitation on the part of Mr. Evett, Morrison prevailed on him to draw from the account of Mr. M. $6,000, and go in business for himself, which he did at Piketon, where he was very successful, and in a number of years paid back to Mr. Morrison the $6,000, together with $1,800 interest that had accrued. While at Piketon, he served as Postmaster for fifteen years. While here, he lost his wife, Arabell Spiller, whom he married in 1867. This union gave him three children, one living — Betty. Soon after the death of his consort, he came with his little daughter to his farm in Williamson County, Ill. After farming for some time, he went to Neosho, Mo., where he merchandized under the firm name of Biddie & Evett, at which he was successful for two years, when he sold his interest to Biddle and returned to his farm in Illinois, which he sold in 1881, and in March the following year he opened up at Cobden his present fine line of general merchandise and groceries, and has been very successful. The only losses he has sustained was by robbers. He lost an entire crop by frost. He enlisted in 1863 in an Illinois infantry company, and was soon discharged on account of illness. He was married a second time to Ray Rendleman, daughter of John Rendleman, of Anna, and the result has been two children — Olive M. and Clyde. He votes the Democratic ticket. The names of his brothers and sisters were William, Ann, Elizabeth, Eveline, Jane, Samuel, Sarah and Mary.
Extracted 26 Apr 2020 by Norma Hass from 1883 History of Alexander, Union, and Pulaski Counties, Illinois, Part V, pages 124-125.
| Jackson | Williamson | |
| MO |
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Johnson |
| Alexander | Pulaski |
