Biography - JOHN W. DELAPP

The mercantile interests of Medora are worthily represented by John W. Delapp, whose practical knowledge of business, acquired by years of close application, has gained for him recognition as one of the leaders in commercial circles of Macoupin county. He is a member of a prominent southern family and was born near Maynardville, Tennessee, October 12, 1865, a son of John and Margiannah (Childress) Delapp, the former of whom was born in 1836.

The grandfather of our subject was William Delapp. He was born upon a plantation near Richmond, Virginia, and during the ’30s removed to Tennessee, settling on a farm six miles west of Maynardville. His wife was a Miss Richards, also of a Virginia family. Mr. Delapp was one of the pioneers of Maynardville and raised the first crop in that neighborhood. He was very successful as a farmer and became the owner of about twelve hundred acres of land. He died about 1859. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Delapp were eight children: Susan, who married George Graves, of Maynardville, now deceased; Rosannah, who became the wife of McHenry Butcher, of Maynardville, also deceased; Margaret, who married Elliott Ledgerwood, of Maynardville, deceased; Samuel, who lived near Maynardville and is also deceased; fohn, the father of our subject; George, now living near Loudon, Tennessee; fane, the deceased wife of Martin Gentry, of Maynardville; and Joseph, who lived at Oakdale, Tennessee, and is deceased.

John Delapp, the father of our subject, was educated in the public schools and applied himself to agriculture and stock-raising upon the old home farm in Tennessee for many years. About five years before his death he moved to a place five miles north of the home farm and there passed away July 21, 1891. He was three times married, his first wife being Susan Jane Butcher. There were five children born to this union: Susan Catharine, who is the wife of George W. Gentry, of Lamar, Colorado; Lafayette, who died in infancy; Nancy Jane, who married John Caldwell, of Sherman, Texas, and is now deceased; Alva, who was the wife of Reuben Ridenour, of Maynardville, and is also deceased; and James McHenry, who died in infancy. The second wife of Mr. Delapp was the mother of our subject. There was one other child by this union, Hannah Rosannah Elizabeth, who married Henry Graves, of Maynardville. The third wife of Mr. Delapp was Jane Crawford, and she was the mother of five children: Martin Brazil, now living near Maynardville; Sarah Ann, who died at the age of sixteen years; Samuel, who passed away at the age of eighteen years; Amanda, who also died at sixteen; and Mary, now living at Maynardville and the wife of Sterling Smith.

Mr. Delapp of this review was reared on his father’s farm and in the public schools of his native state secured the foundation of an education. At the age of nineteen, being desirous of seeing the world, he came to Illinois and for two years worked on a farm in Greene county. He then returned to Tennessee, where he remained six years, engaging in the general merchandise and lumber business. In 1893 he arrived once more in Illinois and settled upon a farm on Hawkins Prairie, six miles west of Medora. In 1898 he went to Maynardville, Tennessee, on a visit and on account of his wife’s health took up his residence at Snoderly, Knox county, Tennessee, where he engaged in the general merchandise business. After two years in his native state he sold out and returned to Hawkins Prairie, Illinois, where he erected a store building and secured the establishment of a postoffice, now known as Ruyle. He engaged in the general merchandise business there for four years and then, in 1905, settled at Medora, buying out the mercantile establishment of William Cook. The business is conducted under the title of Delapp & Gilworth. The firm handles vehicles, harness, implements and an extensive line of goods in demand by farmers. As the business is well managed the patronage has steadily increased and the house is one of the flourishing concerns of Medora.

On the 2d of October, 1895, Mr. Delapp was married to Miss Delia Jane Gilworth, who was born May 10, 1873, a daughter of Harvey and Mary Ann (Pritchett) Gilworth. Mrs. Delapp died March 26, 1908, leaving one son, Harvey Earl, a highly promising boy who was born August 29, 1901.

Harvey Gilworth was born in Jersey county, near Medora, August 4, 1853, a son of John and Nancy (Henry) Gilworth, in whose family were ten children, namely: Lewis, of Jerseyville, deceased; John, who lived at Medora and is also deceased; Green, of Montgomery county, who has also passed away; George, who made his home at Brighton, and is deceased; Reed, now living near Medora; Perry, who died at Courtland, Kansas; William, also living in Medora; Harvey, of Medora; Eliza Ann, who married William Pegg, of East St. Louis, and is deceased; and Martha, the widow of John Higgins, of Kemper. Harvey Gilworth passed most of his life as a farmer in Jersey county but retired in 1905 and has since made his home at Medora. His wife, whose maiden name was Mary Ann Pritchett, is a daughter of Jacob Harrison and Rebecca Ann (Smith) Pritchett, the parents of the latter having come from Kentucky and settled in Jersey county in the ’20s. They had five children: John Harrison; Hannah Elizabeth, the deceased wife of John Hinkle, of Jersey county; Mary Ann and Rebecca Jane, twins, the former of whom was the mother of Mrs. Delapp and the latter the wife of John Hindman, of Flora, Clay county; and Sarah Emily, the wife of John Gross, of Jersey county. To Harvey Gilworth and wife were born eight children: John Henry, who died in infancy; Edward, now living at Medora; Ida May, the wife of French Farrow, of St. Louis, Missouri; Delia Jane, who married John W. Delapp and is deceased; Lottie Bell, at home; Nellie Brown, who died at the age of thirty years; Elmer Claude, who makes his home in Jersey county; and Walter Rolla, who died at the age of five years.

Mr. Delapp, whose name stands at the head of this sketch, has been for many years an active worker in the democratic party. He is now serving as mayor of Medora and has also occupied a chair on the village board. He was elected justice of the peace several times but declined to serve. In religious belief he affiliates with the Baptist church. He is highly energetic in his business affairs and in everything he undertakes and his success has been truly merited. He possesses a genial and kindly temperament, an inviting appearance and the manners of a man who intelligently views the world and can ably perform his part in any responsibility which he may assume. It is to men of this character that the advancement in modern business is due.

Extracted 18 May 2018 by Norma Hass from History of Macoupin County, Illinois: Biographical and Pictorial, by Charles A. Walker, published in 1911, Volume 2, pages 116-118.