Biography - Samuel A. VanKirk
SAMUEL A. VAN KIRK. The citizens of any community are generally very
quick to recognize a man's worth and abilities, especially if he is in the
field of law, and do not require any great length of time to demonstrate
their appreciation of his good qualities by election to positions of honor
and trust, and one in whom this confidence has been placed on more than one
occasion is Samuel A. Van Kirk, a leading member of the Johnson county legal
profession. Mr. Van Kirk was born on a farm near Newville, Cumberland
county, Pennsylvania, July 3, 1858, and is a son of Daniel P. and Anne
(Carl) Van Kirk, and a grandson of John Van Kirk.
The Van Kirk family, which originated in Holland, was founded in the United
States more than two and one-half centuries ago, when the first of the name
located in New Jersey. His descendants participated to a great extent in the
early struggles of the New Jersey and Pennsylvania colonists, his sons
fought valiantly in the American Revolution, and members of the family have
been prominent in all walks of life, although they have mainly been
identified with agricultural work. Daniel P. Van Kirk was engaged in farming
throughout his active career, and at the time of his retirement moved to the
village of Mechanicsburg, where his death occurred in 1889, his widow
surviving until 1905. They had a family of children, of whom four survived
them: Eber J., who was a soldier during the Spanish- American war, of whom
all trace has been lost; John A.; Mrs. Margaret Pence; Mrs. Jane Hart, and
Mrs. Laura A. Lengiser, all living in Pennsylvania; and Samuel A.
Samuel A. Van Kirk received his preliminary education in Pennsylvania and
completed his academic studies in Cumberland Valley Institute, after which
he taught two terms of school in his native state. When he was only eighteen
years of age he came westward, locating in Newton, Kansas, and taught three
years in Harvey county, that state. In the meantime he had been pursuing his
law studies diligently, and on March 23, 1880, he was admitted to the bar.
He practiced law in Harper and Comanche counties for nine years, served as
county superintendent of Harper county one term, and in 1889 joined the rush
to Oklahoma, but only remained one year, for in 1890 he came to Johnson
county, Illinois, and was here admitted to practice in 1891. Since the
spring of 1892 he has resided in Vienna; where he has been connected with
some large movements and important legal action. He has served three terms
as city attorney of Vienna and two terms as master in chancery and is now
acting as attorney for the Cache River Irrigation District Project, covering
Johnson, Massac, Pulaski, Union and Pope counties, and involving the
drainage of 67,000 acres. This is the largest project in Southern Illinois
at the present time, work having been started January 1, 1911, since which
time the preliminary work has been completed and calls for an original
expenditure of $200,000, although when completed it will represent a total
value of $1,000,000, which covers the expense of main canals, laterals, etc.
Mr. Van Kirk has built up a large and lucrative private practice, and is
considered one of Johnson county's brightest legal lights. He is a
Republican in his political views and has been an active worker in the ranks
of his party, and fraternally is connected with the Knights of Pythias. He
and Mrs. Van Kirk are connected with the Methodist Episcopal church.
In 1892 Mr. Van Kirk was married to Miss Mattie M. Shoemaker, who was born
and reared in Johnson county, Illinois, daughter of John and Elizabeth
(Larison) Shoemaker, natives of Tennessee, who came to Johnson county prior
to the outbreak of the Civil war. Mrs. Van Kirk's maternal grandfather,
Richard Larison, served in both the Black Hawk and Mexican wars, as captain,
and his wife's father, a Billingsly, was a Revolutionary soldier. Mr. and
Mrs. Van Kirk have three children, namely: Agnes W., Ethel M. and Samuel A.,
Jr. As a citizen who has identified himself with all movements for the
betterment of the community, as a public official whose career is without
blemish, and as a man whose friendships are many and enmities few, Mr. Van
Kirk, stands as one of his community's representative residents, and as such
has the confidence and esteem of those who have had dealings with him in any
way.
Extracted 14 Jan 2018 by Norma Hass from 1912 A History of Southern Illinois, volume 2, pages 671-672.
